++ Thirty minutes. Captain Burrell was kind enough to give Emma and I thirty minutes to talk. Thirty minutes for three months worth of work and it felt like 30 seconds. Most of which I spent trying to understand what Emma was saying in between the sobs. She assured me that it was mostly the pregnancy hormones getting the best of her but deep down I knew it was more than that. Emma told me how helpful it was having her sister there. She even mentioned the help my mother had provided during her view visits. Something that was both unexpected and welcomed to hear, as I know my mother can be a bit overwhelming at times. Emma also told me about how the Captain as well as his wife had been checking up on her regularly, and the friendship she and Mrs. Burrell had stuck up as a result of those visits. It's nice to know that in a time as trying as this one Emma has a solid foundation of people to help her through it.

Emma asked me about how my assignment was going. I responded with vague generalities which of course she saw right through. Emma is smart like that. She knows when I'm being honest and when I'm being dishonest for the sake of sanity. Both hers and mine. She understood, I knew she would. She asked when I would be coming home and to that I had no answer. Best case 3 more months. Worst case? Well I honestly don't want to think about it. The thought of not being there to see the birth of my first child makes me physically ill and so I will do anything and everything I can to make sure that does not happen.

Before we have to take leave of each other Emma handed me a picture. It was an ultra sound picture of our child. On the back it said "Baby Boy Lincoln." I'm having a son. Emma looked at me, her face a glow as I smiled from ear to ear. The truth is, all I wanted was a happy healthy baby and that's still true but knowing that I am having a son, someone to carry on the family line. Well, that's just one more thing to be thankful for. ++

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With the help of Captain Burrell and the Intelligence Unit I was able to make Ricky Packard disappear. His exact whereabouts are a mystery to me and honestly it's better that way. We staged the crime scene and using pictures taken on my cell phone I was able to convince Vito that Ricky was in fact dead. The unfortunate recipient of a single gunshot wound to the head. Knowing that Vito had a guy at the city morgue on his payroll, something I learned fairly on during my assignment, the Captain faked the autopsy of a John Doe to read as Ricky Packard, thus further selling the lie. Vito believed it and as a result of that he started trusting me with more and more.

The things I've learned in the three months since "killing" Packard would make your head spin. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Captain Burrell read my progress reports. The things these guys are into is both far reaching and highly illegal. Drugs, Guns, Prostitution, Extortion, Money Laundering, Jury Tampering, Loan Sharking, Obstruction of Justice and the coup de grace, they even have their hand in on the legit casinos in Las Vegas. If there is a dollar to be made Hysteria's crew is making it.

It explains why Hysteria's crew seems to be making money hand over fist as well as being one step ahead of the authorities at almost ever turn. Aside from the obvious gathering of intel, the last three months have proven to be extremely fruitful because yesterday Vito got the call from Hysteria. He wants to me meet me. After 6 long and hard months I can finally see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

The plan is for Vito and I to meet at the Aces and Eights and then drive to a location that only Hysteria and Vito know about. If there is one thing Hysteria is great at, above all else is his ability to remain unwaveringly cautious. To a degree I actually envy that about him. Though I would never say that to Captain Burrell lest he brand me a traitor.

I arrived at Aces and Eights about an hour earlier than Vito and I had agreed on. Mostly because I wanted to try and clear my head but also to get out of my grungy apartment. That's another thing about this undercover assignment that I don't care for. Having to live as if I am some nomad who moves from town to town whenever the authorities get wise to what my cover story says I was doing. Any of the money I have made working for Hysteria has gone straight to the department as evidence. All I have had to live on is the weekly stipend the department has afforded me, which I can promise you, is not that much. Especially in a city like Las Vegas. Oh well. At least I don't have to pay for drinks here. ++

"Another one Jax?"

"Na, I'm good Sam thanks.You know what...On second thought, I think I will have another."

"You got it kid."

++ Sam reaches into metal cooler below the bar and pulls out another Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter. Not my favorite but it's certainly better than a Miller Lite. Sam removes the bottle cap and then replaces my empty bottle with a new one. ++

"Everything alright kid?"

"Yeah Sam, everything's good. Just a bit nervous is all."

"Nervous? What for?"

"Supposed to meet the big guy today."

"Oh is that so? Tell him ole' Sammy said hello."

"You know him?"

"Of course I do. Known him for years."

"How did I not know that?"

"I guess it never came up in conversation."

"I guess not."

"Trust me kid, you got nothing to worry about. If the big man wants to meet you it's because you've earned it."

++ As Sam says that the door to the bar opens up and along with a sliver of sunlight, Vito enters the bar looking as ragged as ever. He pauses for a moment when he sees that I arrived ahead of him. ++

"You're a bit early kid."

"I know. Couldn't sleep. Didn't feel like just laying in my apartment. Talking to Sam is a lot more entertaining than staring at my wall waiting for the lead based paint flakes to fall off."

"Whatever you say kid. I got some shit I gotta take care of before we head out of here. As a matter of fact I got a stop or two to make I first. Let me grab my book and we'll get out of here."

"Works for me boss."

++ Vito waddles to the back and into his office. I can hear banging and clanging as well as a couple of vulgarity laced rants before Vito comes back out of the office with a book and a gun in his hand. He quickly hides the gun in his waistband at the small of his back and then folds the book in half and places it in his jacket pocket. As he approaches the bar he tosses me the keys. ++

"You drive."

I quickly guzzle down what's left of my beer and thank Sam for the hospitality. I follow Vito out of the bar and see that his Cadillac is parked out front. It's a nice car, rides well. I've actually spent more than a few hours lately driving Vito around in it. Something he never let anyone else do until I came along. We both got into the vehicle and immediately Vito started barking out directions. ++

"First stop, we gotta make a collection at Red's."

"Final warning?"

"No not yet. But a broken bone or two might be in order depending on what he's got for me."

"Very well."

++ It took us about 20 minutes to get to Red's. Roland Eric Daniels or R.E.D. as he's know by those he places bets with owns a semi successful chain of laundromats. Once we get there both Vito and I enter through the front door and walk right through the establishment and towards the back. The laundromat is completely empty at the moment which is bad news for Red. Vito opens the door to the back office and there counting his money is Red. ++

"Vito, Jackson. You should of called."

"Why so you could hide your money and then tell me you're having a bad month or that you're broke? I don't think so. You owe me money and it's time to pay the fuck up before my friend over there breaks your kneecaps."

"I got your money Vito. Right here."

"Your damn right you do. 15,000 plus the vig. So that's 16,500."

"But Vito that's all I got."

"Not my problem. I agreed to take your action and you agreed to the terms should you lose. You lost so pay up or Jax starts swinging."

++ With that I lift the bat that I had grabbed out of the backseat of the car and start twirling it around, just enough to make Red uneasy. ++

"Vito how am I going to pay my employees?"

"Not my fucking problem. Think of it this way. You can either figure out a way to pay your employees or you can figure out a way to pay your Emergency Room bill and your bill for the lengthy rehab you'll have to go through after my boy uses your knees for batting practice."

++ Swing. Crash. Red's calculator is busted into a hundred little pieces after I sent it lying into the wall. I rear back, ready to swing again...++

"Alright alright here. Take the money. Take it."

"I want you to count it out for me, then I want you to put it together in stacks of 5,000 and put it in a bag."

++ Red does as Vito commands and 10 minutes later we are out of the building and back into the car. Vito reaches into the bag and pulls out a small stack of hundred dollar bills and hands them to me. ++

"Here."

"What's this for?"

"For playing your part. You had him convinced that he was going to be a gimp for the rest of his life."

"I was ready to do it."

"I know, and that's why i'm paying you."

++ I took the wad of cash from Vito and stuffed it into my pocket. ++

"Thanks boss. Where to next?'

"Next? Next we take you to meet the man behind the curtain."

"Anything I need to know?"

"Speak when spoken to. Remain silent when you aren't."

"Seriously? That's all you're going to give me. I get that to you this is no big deal but to me this is everything. I can never be an official member of the family so this is as good as it gets for me."

"You're right, you can never be a part of "this thing of ours" but that doesn't mean you can't be an important part of what we do. Hell, you already are. You think the boss just let's anyone meet him? To put that into perspective you are the first non member to ever get an audience with him. Even the guys below "Capo" only ever meet him when they get "made" and that's it. And that's the way the boss wants it. So you're going to go in there and if he gives you the opportunity you are going to thank him for this honor and then you're going to shut the fuck up. "

"Aye aye Skipper."

"And stop calling me that."

"Sorry skip...boss. Where we going anyway?"

++ Vito reaches into the glove compartment and pulls out a small GPS. He turns the device on, taps the screen a few times and then attaches the GPS to the mount on the dash. ++

"Go where it tells you to."

"Alright."

++ Where it tells me to is an abandoned factory of some sort. Broken windows and graffiti are the buildings most unique characteristics. Vito and I exit the vehicle and proceed towards the building. I try and take in as much of the building and what I can see of its surroundings as possible before entering. ++

"What is this place?"

"One of the many properties we own throughout the city. We use this place for meetings and exchanges from time to time."

"And Hysteria works out of here?"

"No. If you ever happen to be back at this building I promise you Hysteria will not be here. Only a few people really ever know where Hysteria is at any given moment and even less know where he conducts his business."

"That's smart."

"Yes it is. I don't know why exactly he picked this place specifically, maybe he threw a dart and it landed on this property I have no idea. All I know is that we're here now. Are you ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be."

++ We walked down a long hallway and then up a flight of metal stairs until we get into a room that overlooks the ground floor. There standing against a bank of windows looking out on the floor below him is the man I presume to be Hysteria. As he hears us enter the room he turns around to face us but says nothing. The man is wearing a black rain coat with black gloves and a scarf. Covering his face is a white mask with what appear to be randomly placed black inkblots. Resting comfortable atop his head is a black hat. He takes a step closer, tilting his head slightly as if he were studying me. Still he says nothing. ++

"Vito tells me you've done good work."

"I've done what I was asked to do."

"I see."

"Mr. Hysteria I wanted to take a second to thank you for..."

++ Before I could finish my thought Bruno Vala enters the room. He walks over to Hysteria and with his back to me starts speaking into Hysteria's ear. He's speaking softly and for most people it would be inaudible but for me, someone with extremely good hearing it's loud enough that I can make out some of what he is saying. Yuri. Three o'clock at the Strat. The Strat must mean the Stratosphere Tower. The Casino built to look like a space needle. There are rumors that Hysteria owns a controlling stake in the operation but it is something I have been unable to verify. ++

"Alright time to go."

"Thank you again Mr. Hysteria."

++ Quickly Vito and I exit the room and then the facility. Neither of us speak until we are back in the car. ++

"What was that about?"

"Need to know only."

"Gottcha. Now what?"

"Now you take me back to the Aces and Eights. After that I don't care what you do."

++ I drove Vito back to the Aces and Eights as fast as legally possible. As soon as we got there I gave Vito back his keys then got into my own vehicle and drove to my dingy apartment in record time. Once there I fumbled through a pile of clothes until I found the burner phone that Captain Burrell gave me. I dialed his numbers, the only number programmed into the phone and waited for him to pick up.++

"Garrett?"

"It's happening."

"What is?"

"The exchange. Russian AK's for US missile defense secrets. This is it. The chance we've been waiting for."

"When and where?"

"The Stratosphere, 3pm."

"Hysteria will be there?"

"Yes. I met him. I finally met him. Him and Bruno will both be there. Probably Vito but I can't guarantee that."

"Ok. Ok. Great work son. You're coming home. I want you to get to the safe house and wait there. Ditch your phones, ditch your car. There will be a phone at the safe house. I will call you on it when it's over."

"Yes Captain. Can someone check on Emma?"

"We have someone there 24/7 but yes I will send someone else just to make sure everything is ok."

"Thank you Captain."

++ Finally. After 6 months I'm almost home. ++

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