Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 13:53:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Flcl flcl Subject: Rafello the Raven son of Jack the Wolf Chapter 11 This is one of the more emotional chapters of book. I liked it a lot. A lot of passion is in this one. If you have any questions, comments ot sggestions send them to neptunewolf05@yahoo.com all comments are welcome.Enjoy! Chapter 11: A lesson Before Dying "Where's Hige? I haven't seen him in a while." Ra asked. "He said he was going on a business trip."Eli answered. "Where to? He's been gone for about 2 weeks now. He's never been on a business trip for that long" "He said he was getting a new shipment of cars from Japan. He said he was going there to make sure nothing happens to them." "How many cars is this guy going to have?" "People order the cars that can't be imported legally into the U.S. He somehow gets them over the borders in his ships." Eli said. "But he has been gone for a while." "Lets go check out the warehouse today." Ra said. They left to the warehouse in Ra's Camero. When they got there, they spoke with several of the employees, none of them have heard anything from him since he left. Hige put Davidoff in charge every time he went on his trips. He was a tough guy. Usually he would work as a guard for the warehouse, but Hige trusted him with this responsibility. "Hey Davidoff, you seen Hige lately?" Eli asked. "Nope. I was about to ask you two the same thing. He's never gone this long. He hasn't answered his cell phone either. This is weird. I've talked to the guys over there in Japan, and they say he never showed up, so they just sent the ship out with the goods. Now I have to sort this mess out `till he gets back." Davidoff said. Ra and Eli left. They were perplexed by Hige's disappearance. It was about 3 in the afternoon. They stopped at a Chinese place and got some food to go. When they got back to the apartment, they turned on the t.v..There was nothing much on. Neptune was restless and paced around the room. He then started barking. Neptune rarely barked. This alarmed Rafello, who stood up about to run. "Calm this dog down!" Ra yelled. Eli called to the dog. Neptune ignored his master and started howling. "What's wrong boy?" Eli said. "He must want to go for a walk." Eli said to Ra. He walked over and picked up Neptune's chain. It was a 100-pound chain. It was the only thing to stop the dog from mauling someone to death. Eli tried to put it around Neptune's neck, but he wouldn't let him. He just barked even more loudly and growled at Eli. Then there was a knock at the door. The dog stopped barking and growling ran into the bedroom. "What's gotten into him?" Ra asked. "Who knows. You answer the door. I'll give him some more food." Eli said. He went to the back and drug him out of the room by the scruff of his neck into the kitchen. Ra went to the door and opened it. He was shocked. It was Nikki. She was wearing a deep orange, tight fitting dress with a half-jacket around her shoulders. She had lost a lot of weight because of the intense training. She looked like a . . . girl. Ra stood there in shock. Eli looked over to him. "Who is it Ra?" Eli asked from across the apartment. "Its. . . its my sister, Nikki." he said. Eli reached into the kitchen cabinet and pulled out a Desert Eagle. He knew there would be trouble. "So, little bro, you gonna let me in" Nikki said. Once she said that, all of the blood in Rafello's body rushed to his face. He wanted to get his sword, which was only a few feet away on a stand. He glanced at it for less than a second. "Don't even think about it Ra." She said as she pointed her long muzzled 44 caliber magnum to his face. "Just let me in and no one has to repaint their living room." Ra opens the door more and lets her in. "This is a nice place you got here. Dad said it was nice, but not this nice." Nikki said as she walked in and took a look around. She sat down on the couch. "We have to talk, Ra." Ra closes the door. Eli put the dog in a back room next to the kitchen. It was basically Neptune's room. Eli closed the door and walked towards Ra. He had the gun tucked away in his pants. Ra walked over and sat in the couch across from Nikki. Eli sat next to him. "So your Eli Coleman eh? I've heard a lot about you. The way you corrupted my little brother's mind with your trifling way of life." Nikki said calmly. "And you mus be Nikki Chance, the Bitch that was so jealous of her little brother that she hurt him to take his place." Eli said back to her. Nikki just laughed. "Enough of the introductions, I'm here on a serious matter." Nikki looked over to Ra. "This is very important. A year ago, I diagnosed dad with cancer. He may not have 6 months left." Ra looked at her. He was extremely furious, but the news dampened his spirit. "Cancer?" Ra said. "Yeah. Loung cancer." She said as she lit her cigarette. She took a drag and exhaled the blueish, grey smoke. It loomed around the room and dissipated as it reached Ra's face. "I told him years ago to stop smoking, but he never listened to me, that is until I got rid of you. I'm his number one. I couldn't be better. The family couldn't be better. They made the right choice choosing me as leader of the new generation of Chance." Nikki laughs a little. " When Jack dies, and I am the leader, there will be lots of changes in the family. Vinnie is going to be mayor next year. We'll own everything." Nikki said with a grin. "By the way, I heard about the heist a few weeks ago. I was hired by Natalia Nwokedi to steal the gems back. I did the next best thing, I killed the guy in charge. His name was Hige or something." Nikki said. She was expecting Ra to react, and he did. He had a look of grief on his face. A tear rolled down both Ra and Eli's cheek. Hige was their best friend and boss. Nikki frowned. She thought Hige was lying when he said Rafello was a member of the Kitsune gang. He betrayed his family for a few extra bucks. Nikki was disgusted. "So its true? You are a member of the Kitsune gang! I'm glad I killed the son of a bitch." Nikki said. Eli reached for the gun and stood up. He had the gun pointed right at Nikki's head. "YOU BITCH! YOU KILLED HIM?" Eli said with fury. He had tears in his eyes. Hige was like a father to him when his parents died. He took care of him, fed him clothed him, gave him money and even hooked him up with the apartment he lived in now. It like Nikki killed his father or older brother. Ra had never seen him like this. Eli was always the calm one and now he had a gun to boyfriend's sister's face. He pulled the trigger. . . It missed, for the first time, Eli missed at a close range. But Nikki didn't miss. She pulled out her magnum and shot him in the leg. Ra stood up and got his swords. "You've gone too far Nikki. First you take my place in the family, then you kill one of my best friends, and now you try to kill my boyfriend? You done lost your mind." Rafello said with the sword in his hand. Nikki gritted her teeth when he called Eli his "Boyfriend". She hated all gay people. She pointed her gun at Ra's face. "DON"T CALL HIM THAT!" She yelled. "ENOUGH! Nikki, you have to stop or I'll have to stop you." "Ha! My training exceeds yours ten fold, even though you have Master Kakashi's training. I trained with dad and Jimbo for years. You don't have a chance." Nikki stood up and put her lit cigarette out on the couch. "You don't have the heart to fight me. I'm your sister." she said. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with your faggot ass and when your dead, I'll be the one to perform your autopsy. I'm the family doctor you know. " Neptune was barking madly from the back room. Ra took the sword out of its sheath. It was his favorite, a 35inch, Japanese blade, its what Master Kakashi said was best for the Wolf's Rain technique. Nikki put up the magnum and pulled out a pair of small Japanese swords, about 10inches long each, from the back of her dress. "So the fagot wants to dance, lets danse. Dad taught me more than just gun techniques." Nikki said. Eli was on the floor, he had lost consciousness from loss of blood a while ago. Just then some ne bust through the door. It was Verona. "We gotta go. Someone called the cops and they're on the way up here now. . . what the fucks going on up here? You told me you guys were gonna talk and I come in here and there's a dead guy on the floor and you took out those damn little swords. Get yo ass in the car before I leave yo ass. You know we haven't paid the cops off for a while." Verona says. Nikki looks at Rafello. "Next time." Nikki said as she rushed for the door. They run out. Seconds later the police arrive. They take Eli to the hospital. Neptune never stopped barking and growling and howling from the room. It was as if he knew what happened, like he sensed it before hand. Ra told the cops what happened, but apparently Jack must have heard what happened and paid them off to make sure the family stays out of the dirt before election time. The "reported", but Ra knows it didn't get further than the trash can next to the front desk of the hospital. Eli has to be in crutches for a while, but over time the wound will heal. The bullet only nicked his leg, but it hit an artery, he almost bled to death. That was proof that Nikki was bluffing about her training. Even though Ra wasn't as good as Eli, Jack taught him how to aim high enough to kill. Either Jack was getting old and couldn't teach her everything or she didn't have the heart to take everything away from her little brother. The next day, Ra picked Eli up from the hospital. He passed Nikki. She was in her doctor uniform, she couldn't touch him. "Don't worry, Ra. I didn't even touch your little friend." Nikki said. Ra just kept walking, afraid that he might lose his cool and kill her in the sight of the little kids, doctors, police officers, and innocent people. Ra and Eli left the hospital. They went home and had a rest. The next day, they realized that they had no source of income now that Hige was dead. They broke the news to the rest of the Kitsune gand at the warehouse. They all had a little memorial fro Hige. They even went to his house and put up a grave stone to symbolize his body. Davidoff dug a grave and they put some of Hige's favorite possessions inside, his gun, his leather jacket, a picture of his parents. Eli said a few words to the grave in private. Ra looked on from the side. "I know we have been best of friends since I was like 6. Its fucked up she killed you man. I promise I will get her for you.. ." He tried to hold back his tears. " Man, you did so much for me. It would be the best way I can repay you, to kill that bitch even though she is my boyfriend's sister. I just want you to be in peace. I know you in a better place and uh, I hope to see you again, me and Ra." Eli threw in a picture with Ra, Eli and Hige all sitting at the table playing cards and drinking. It started to rain. Davidoff started to cover the things in the soil. Ra walked up to Eli and held him in his arms. They stood there until the grave was completely covered in soil. Ra remembered the last thing Hige said to them before he left for Japan, " Don't let the sky fall while I'm gone..." They walked slowly to the car. Ra drove the Jaguar xj8. "So what do we do next?" Eli said. As they sat on the new couch in front of the new t.v. and table. "I say we start over." "From what?" Eli said. "The beginning. I say we go into the gun for hire business." "You know what, That's a good Idea" From that day forward, They were officially guns for hire. Their business flourished. They made about 400,000 grand in 6 months. They moved from the apartment and got into a mansion. Things were great, until. . . Jack Chance died. In the next chapter, Jack has his funeral at the house, But Ra shows up. This causes a lot of controversy throughout the family.