The Mob War Part 2: June 8, 1926

Cleanup on Aisle Three

Let us spare a moment to detail the cleanup events after the massacre that occurred last session. Johnny drove down the team’s truck to dispose of the bodies and to pick up the pieces of the Disc of R’lyeh. Ron parked the dead mafiosi’s cars in various places on the Atlantic City boardwalk with the keys in the ignition. Dr. Black mopped up afterward.

June 8^th

Early in the afternoon of June 8^th, the London Group convenes at Judge Putnam’s.

Ron shows up an hour late, looking discomfited and wearing a brand-new suit. He asks Dr. Black to tend to a rather nasty, ragged wound in his abdomen. Dr. Black does so, noting that the wound could have been made by a dull knife or a pair of scissors. Vivian shoots Ron several, “What the *$#@ did you do, Ron Deluca?” looks, but no information is forthcoming.

A short time later, Mikhail arrives, breathless, from his investigations at the New York Public Library. He informs everyone that Anne Chantraine is, based on his research, a 300-year-old wizard, and likely cut from similar cloth as Carl Stanford.

Looking Pretty Good for 300

Once everyone calms down a little bit, Judge Putnam tries to focus the group’s attention on more practical matters. He informs everyone that he has a meeting with the New York District Attorney tomorrow, likely about his freezing of Look to the Future’s assets. The group works with the judge to create a credible story as to why the judge would do such a thing. Eventually, they settle on the documented facts that the judge has been attacked in his home, the recent mob war, and similar, to show that the judge has been trying to stop the mafia, and that the mafia has retaliated.

Meanwhile, Johnny has had enough of the disc pieces and wants to get rid of them permanently. Fortunately, Kane Eastman had a similar thought. For the cost of a few bucks, he has gained temporary access to a warehouse on the east river that contains some smelting equipment. He tells the group that they can use the warehouse starting at 10 pm that evening, and that the equipment should be sufficient to melt down the disk.

Phone Calls

Throughout these conversations, the judge’s house gets a series of phone calls. Judge Putnam, desperately trying to be a more modern man, has been practicing answering his own phone. Johnny lets him answer all of these calls, not without a trace of amusement.

The first call is from Luca to Ron. Luca informs Ron that the cops have been at the Bernouse place looking for him. He informs Ron that it might be better to turn himself in than to wait until the cops find him, especially now. After this conversation, Ron makes some vague excuses, tells his friends that he has to “see a guy about a thing,” and quickly leaves the judge’s house. Johnny is tasked with driving Vivian home later, which he is happy to do.

The second call, which comes about forty minutes later, is from a Detective Kavanagh of the NYPD. He is looking for one Ron Deluca, and has heard that he sometimes associates with Judge Putnam. The judge tells Kavanagh that Ron left quite a while ago. The detective thanks him and hangs up. The group’s earlier suspicions that Ron has been involved in something shady are now confirmed.

The third call, which comes about forty minutes after that, is from a desk sergeant at one of NYPD’s many precincts. The sergeant is looking for Mikhail, because one of his clients has requested an attorney. That client? Ron Deluca.

Where Ron Went

When Ron left Judge Putnam’s house, he went to his brother-in-law Darragh’s house and not, as one might expect, to the police department. Darragh’s wife was none-too-happy to see Ron, and told him that, no, Darragh wasn’t there, and that he was, in fact, upstate with his sister and his nephew, who Ron had earlier convinced to flee the city.

The conversation ends abruptly with Ron’s sister-in-law slamming the front door in his face. He leaves, only to notice a NYPD patrol car drive up the block, make a U-turn, and then drive back toward him. Ron realizes that the jig is up and, for once, decides not to fight it. The uniformed police officers tell him that he needs to come down with them because they need to ask him a few questions. Ron accepts, but immediately proclaims that he wants a lawyer.

Fortunately, Ron has Mikhail’s card and a coupon from Mikhail in his pockets. The desk sergeant calls Mikhail.

Let’s Split Up

Back at the judge’s house, Mikhail bids the group farewell and drives down to the precinct to represent his new client. Everyone else helps Johnny load the disc pieces into the truck and makes plans to get to Kane’s rented smelter as soon as it becomes available.

The Interrogation

Detective Kavanagh

Down at the precinct, Mikhail and Ron have a few minutes alone together to get Ron’s story straight before they are interviewed by one Detective Kavanagh.

Kavanaugh starts out attempting to ascertain Ron’s whereabouts for earlier in the day. Ron mentions that he was in Queens, where he bought a suit. As Kavanagh’s questioning continues, it becomes clear that he is more interested where Ron was earlier in the day. Ron mentions that he was at Central Park earlier in the day. As the questioning continues, Ron reveals that he went to visit his friend, Gabriella Puglisi, who lives in an apartment there. 

Satisfied with how the interrogation is going, Kavanagh leaves the room for a bit. Ron and Mikhail huddle. Mikhail is certain that something has happened to Gabby, and that Kavanagh is trying to put the blame for it on Ron. Ron confesses to Mikhail that he did go to see Gabby, just for a conversation, but that he blacked out and he doesn’t remember most of the visit.

Mikhail and Ron decide to use a similar stratagem to the one suggested for Judge Putnam—blame it on “Big Grin” Bianco. Bianco knew that Ron had a previous association with Gabby, and knew that Ron would take the fall for it if something happened to her, so…

Kavanaugh returns a short time later with a manilla folder. In it are pictures of Gabby, deceased, in her apartment, a pair of bloodied scissors by her hand. Mikhail and Ron recount their prepared statement, and, based on this, Kavanagh lets them both go. For now. He advises Ron not to leave town.

At the Smelter

Johnny drives up to the small warehouse and backs the truck up to the front door, so that it’s easier for the group to carry the disc pieces inside. Johnny remains seated in the truck, cradling his future gun, and watching for any signs of intruders.

The rest go in and, fortuitously, find some instructions that allow them to turn on the smelter. The group soon realizes that the melting point of gold is much, much higher than they expected, and so they sit around and wait, watching the crucible as the gold slowly heats up.

Johnny sees no people around anywhere, but does see a large, ominous shadow pass overhead. He gets out of the truck and hefts his future gun as a byakhee screeches and dives down at the truck. Johnny opens fire, riddling the byakhee and causing it to spray silver-black blood everywhere, but does not kill it. The byakhee lands and grapples with Johnny, who tries to fight it off with the butt of his future gun.

Everyone inside the warehouse hears this commotion. Vivian, realizing that the sky has seen her and is moving against her huddles in a corner and has a panic attack. Judge Putnam and Kane race outside to help Johnny, while Dr. Black minds the smelter.

A pitched gun battle occurs outside by the truck. The byakhee, overwhelmed by the group’s impressive firepower, releases Johnny, tries to retreat, but collapses in a decaying heap against one of the other warehouses. Relieved at their relatively easy victory, the group congratulate one another and light up celebratory smokes.

And then Johnny spots another shadow looming overhead.

The second byakhee swoops down, seizes Judge Putnam, and savagely bites him in the shoulder. The group open fire on the creature—including Vivian, who has recovered enough to take pot shots at the byakhee from the door. The creature shrugs off the initial onslaught and takes wing, hauling Judge Putnam up with it into the sky over the East River.

Judge Putnam realizes that the byakhee is feeding on his blood and is rapidly depleting his strength and vitality. Realizing that two can play at this game, the judge calls upon the bloodlust that he gained from drinking too deeply from the fountain in the Nameless City and savagely bites the byakhee’s chest. He feeds on the byakhee’s blood as the byakhee feeds on his, all the while Kane and Johnny desperately fire up at the judge’s abductor from below.

Some Old Friends from Beyond Time and Space

The Cavalry

Released from the police department, Ron and Mikhail take Ron’s car and head over to the warehouse to see how the rest of the group is doing. They arrive on the scene to see the second bykahee flying overhead, keening in rage, with Judge Putnam in tow. Ron stops the car for a moment, trying to decide what to do. Mikhail takes advantage of this to get out of the car.

The byakhee, still feeding on the judge. Swings out over the East River and dives down for another run at the group. Ron floors the accelerator on his car, hoping to ram the byakhee with it and free the judge. Mikhail, realizing Ron’s intentions, runs along behind the car, Masonic blade in his hand.

The byakhee charges at the car and rakes down at it with its powerful leg talons, tearing the roof off completely. Ron, stunned by this display of physical prowess, slams on the brakes and comes to an abrupt stop. This allows Mikhail to catch up to the car, leap onto the rear bumper, and jump at the byakhee. He manages to grab onto the byakhee’s leg, swatting at it with his sword as the creature flaps its leathery wings and climbs.

Johnny, realizing that he definitely cannot shoot at the byakhee without risk of hitting Mikhail or the judge, watches helplessly as the creature wheels for another pass. Kane takes careful aim at the charging creature and tries to take another shot, only for his old, much-used gun that he purchased from Vito the caretaker, to jam. Kane quickly clears the round and reloads.

Ron, enraged and still wanting to go car jousting, executes a perfect bootlegger turn and drives straight at the byakhee. He manages to get up to just above 40 mph when he crashes into the hideous monster from beyond space. The impact utterly destroys Ron’s car, kills the byakhee, and critically injures both Judge Putnam and Mikhail.

Johnny rushes over to Judge Putnam and uses his coat to make the unconscious man a makeshift pillow. If he is discomfited at the sight of the ring of silver-black blood around the judge’s mouth, he doesn’t say anything about it.

Dr. Black arrives on the scene moments later and, using reverse of the technique of the half-men from the Nameless City, he pushes his own vitality into the judge. This leaves Dr. Black woozy and weak, but also heals the judge enough to allow him to regain consciousness.

Dr. Black treats Mikhail as well, and manages to coax the swashbuckling lawyer back to wakefulness.

Meanwhile, Vivian, who has refused to leave the safety of the warehouse, watches in delight as the disc pieces begin to liquefy in the crucible…

What Remained of Ron's Car