Saints or Martyrs?

There was a light on in the back of the small house. Other than that it was quiet. A compact car sat in the driveway.

“Hurry it up will ye?” Murphy told his brother. “I'd rather not have tha neighbors callin tha police because we're skulking around outside.”

“Don't get yer knickers in a twist Murph.” Connor said, knocking the last of the glass shards out of the window frame. “Come on let's go.”

Connor quickly climbed over the low window sill to find himself in a darkened dining room. Murphy quietly joined him before cautiously making his way to the open archway connecting to the kitchen.

“Tis clear.” Murphy whispered.

“So's tha living room.” Connor said pointing toward a pool of light spilling under a closed door. “I suppose he's in tha bedroom. Looks like this is gonna be a easy one.”

The boys were cautiously making their way across the room when they heard a scream coming from behind the closed door. Sparing each other a glance they threw caution to the wind running to the door and kicking it in.

Connor grabbed the man by the throat yanking him off the woman that was tied to the bed. Murphy went to her and murmured soothingly as he cut through the rope binding her limbs to the bedpost.

“Well Gerard,” Connor said as he tied the man's hands tightly behind his back “Seems we have a bit ta talk about.”

*****

Papa Joe Yakavetta was regretting his words to Lilith. He had been regretting them for a while.

“Typical,” Lilith said “You condemned how many to torture or death Yakavetta? How much pain did you cause in your lifetime? And yet you break before I even get started.”

She laid the blade on the table. And gave him a disgusted look. “You know how you died. All imps remember their death. So you remember the men who killed you.”

“Please, please! I'm sorry.” He wept.

“Tears, groveling; you are nothing. Do you know who I last had at my mercy? Murphy MacManus. He was strong. He didn't break. He passed out but he didn't break. Not a scream from his lips, not a tear fell from his eyes.”

Lilith picked up a bottle of hand sanitizer she squirted some into her palm rubbing her hands together before picking up a pair of pliers. She looked into Yakavetta's eyes. “You are so much less satisfying, too easy. There's no sense of accomplishment to be had with you, so I suppose I might as well just indulge my sadistic nature without thought.”

She gave him an assessing look. “But maybe if you can tell me something worthwhile I might stay my hand. But let me give you an incentive.” Lilith gabbed Yakavetta's dick and pressed it against his left thigh. Carefully she positioned the pliers around a tuft of hair at the base of his cock. Making sure she had a good grip she yanked pulling out a patch of hair and some skin while Yakavetta howled in pain. “I have this fetish, I love finding new and inventive ways of skinning people.”

Yakavetta tried to breathe while the burning pain faded to a tolerable level. Tears flowed freely across his temples. He wanted nothing more than to curl in on himself and protect his body from more pain but the shackles held him helplessly spread out before her.

“William O'Malley!” He screamed. “They went to see William O'Malley.”

“And who is William O'Malley?” She asked.

Yakavetta panted out the words. “The biggest arms dealer in New England, and probably the East Coast. He's their supplier. He's the only one they trust.

O'Malley owes them. He supplied them for the Petrova hit. Word got out and he's been doing business with them ever since. It's how he was able to take over the trade in the area. They special ordered weapons from him.”

The pliers hovered over Yakavetta's groin. “So what do I care if they visited a gun runner. That's no surprise. They have to get their guns somewhere and they can't exactly walk into a legitimate gun shop and buy them above board.” Lilith grasped another tuft of hair with the pliers.

“The special order! They asked that guns and bullets come from Rome, from the Vatican!” Yakavetta shouted.

“From the Vatican? Why?” Lilith demanded.

“The guns they requested are from the Swiss Guard Armory, blessed by the pope and inscribed with a symbol representing the Archangel Micheal.”

“The Patron Saint of law keepers and soldiers.” Lilith nodded “And the bullets?”

“Each bullet casing is to be inscribed with a Celtic cross and dipped in holy water.” Yakavetta said.

Lilith dropped the pliers onto the table. She stood up without sparing Yakavetta a glance before leaving the sound proofed room she had converted into a torture chamber. She hurried upstairs and into her living room. She looked around the room in confusion. The book had been on her coffee table where Labasu had left it weeks ago but now it was missing.

Lilith hadn't given the book a second thought until know. If those bastards were ordering special weapons from the Vatican there had to be a reason and that reason was more than likely in the book she had been ignoring.

*****

Salem authorites are baffled by thee early morning murder of Gerard Wilson. Wilson was found this morning in this small home he had rented two weeks ago on the west side of town. Authorities confirmed that the cause of death was two gunshot wounds to the back of his head. Wilson's body had been ritualized with pennies causing many to speculate that the infamous Saints of South Boston have expanded their vigilante activities. A theory further supported by the presence of a witness, Ellen Talbot who was reported missing by her daughter two days ago.

Mrs Talbot aged 67 and a widow credits two men with saving her from an impending rape by Wilson. Further investigation into Wilson's background has revealed that he was released on Parole from a Washington State correctional institution less than a month ago after serving 15 years for the rape of a Tacoma woman.

 

Katie turned off the television. “So ye sent me boys off ta do yer biddin last night Mr Smecker?”

“They chose to go. Wilson had killed a woman they knew” Smecker said. “They didn't want him hurting anyone else.”

“I'm not stupid.” Katie refilled their coffee cups and sat down lighting up a cigarette. “I know what me boys do Smecker. And I know tha a lot more people would be getting hurt if they didn't.I don have a problem with tha. I'm proud o them.” Katie blew the smoke from her lungs. “Wha I do have a problem with is them hieing off in tha middle o tha night with o a word.”

The sound of a key in the front door drew her attention. “And I'll be settin em straight right now.”

Katie was standing there with her hands on her hips glowering when the door opened.

“Uh, Ma...” Connor started.

“Don ye 'um ma' me Connor MacManus. Ye and that worthless brother o yers get yer asses in here, right now!” She gestured to the couch. “Sit!”

Connor and Murphy hurried over to the couch realizing that their mother was not in a mood to be disobeyed. It was times like this that the twins caved. They may as well be two years old again.

“What in the name o all thas holy is wrong with tha two o ye?” Murphy started to open his mouth but quickly closed it as Katie pinned him with a glare. “I been up all night pacin tha floor wonderin wha happened and if the two o ye were safe. With all thas going on all sorts o thoughts was going through me head!”

“We're sorry Ma.” Connor said quietly.

“We didn't want to worry ye.” Murphy added.

“Didn't want ta worry me?!” She yelled. “Wha tha hell did ye two brainless twats think I was goin ta do when ye just up and run off with out so much a a word?

Ye saved a poor woman from being hurt, but tha don change tha fact tha ye worried yer own mother half ta death! Ye couldna so much as take a second ta say ye were leavin? Ye had ta pass right by where I was sittin at tha end o the bar!”

She stopped and took a deep breath. Ye know better! I raised ye better n ta disrespect yer ma! Ye do it again and I'll be findin out if switches grow on trees as sturdy in Boston as they do back home! Neither o ye is too big fer me ta warm the seat o yer pants!”

“Yes Ma.” Connor and Murphy mumbled in unison looking for all the word like a couple of contrite toddlers.

“Go get yerselves cleaned up and I'll make ye breakfast.” She said reaching out to ruffle the hair on the two bowed heads.

“No more worryin yer ma? Right?” She asked.

“Yes ma.”

“Tha's me boys.” She said with a smile before heading toward this kitchen.

“I'm thinking you two had an...interesting childhood.” Smecker said.

“Ye don know that half o it.” Connor said as he followed Murphy to their room.