The scene below unfurled in slow motion. Pauley felt like she was running through quicksand, unable to get down the stairs fast enough. Tomas’ gun aimed at Stan’s head, his finger on the trigger, and she knew she was useless to help. She cried out, but Tomas never flinched. That was until Vivian came out … Continue reading Resume normal

Lenore squealed the tires of her sedan taking a sharp curve. Accelerating through the apex she drove straight for the Angels Trumpet covered wall surrounding Vivian’s complex. In the front seat, Pauley braced for impact, doing her best to brake from the passenger’s side. Stan, pressed back into his seat, covered his face with both … Continue reading With a little help from my friends

The scene was chaos. Three men lie dead on the sidewalk, and a bystander wounded but alive. A trail of blood ended at the street where Tomas' men rushed him away from the mayhem. Stan watched from across the street. Sirens wailing, but not able to cut through the crowd. He was surprised that more … Continue reading Crawling in the dark

Marco’s intel proved invaluable. The Sampas were convening an Encontro, they had much to discuss. All the crew bosses would be there, all Tomas’ sergeants, his major and minor crew members. It was going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. Pauley and Stan took advantage of Vivian’s terra cotta roof, practicing walking across … Continue reading Judgment Day

Stan and Pauley remained on the roof, watching the Sampas' comings and goings. Using her cell phone, Pauley snapped photos of select targets to ask Lenore about later. With his expertise, Stan was singling out certain bosses as the higher ranked crew members. The way they maneuvered to get close to Tomas, pushing lesser men … Continue reading Taking aim

“Compajaf.” A name that could make grown men tremble. A place so wicked, so evil even the harshest mother would never utter it to force her crianças to behave. Compajaf prison, more a medieval dungeon than modern facility, housed the most heinous of Brazilian criminals. Functioning toilets were nonexistent, food was scarce and putrid, medical … Continue reading Deadman walking