Her Gangster Boyfriend

In prisons around the world, almost every day was a special day for a particular prisoner. It would be the day when he becomes a free man and picks up the title of 'ex-convict'. Spending so long a time behind bars can be very trying. The isolation, the loneliness, the quiet. The prisoner is cut off from the society, but not for nothing. He is kept locked mainly for the good of the society and also for his own good.

The quiet and free time gives him more than enough opportunity to think things through and perhaps regret his actions, so that when he is finally released, he would be positively useful, not only to himself but to the entire society at large. But how often does this happen?

It was Thursday, the eve of John Baldwin's special day and he was looking forward to it with as much anticipation as his little frame could muster. He had been arrested and imprisoned for possession and dealing in heroine. Up until six months ago, he had been serving his sentence in a medium-security prison before he was brought to finish off the sentence in Ramsden or so the records said. Now walking leisurely in the yard, he could not help but try to imagine what exactly would happen with him after tomorrow.

"Yo Johnny? Wadup?"

John looked sharply behind him to find his friend and cell-mate, Henry Gonzalez running after him with no small difficulty due to his enormous size. Both men were about the same height, but Henry was much older and had a very large belly which was quivering as he fell in step with John.

"Tomorrow's your day, right?", he asked breathlessly.

"Yeah. Can't wait for tomorrow."

"Look at ya. Ha ha. Can't wait for mine too, you know. Wish we could swap places."

"Not on your life."

Henry laughed loud and long. John stopped and looked at his friend, his large bass-like mouth was turned upward, howling a laugh that sounded like a hyena's. He knew from experience that if he let him, Henry would keep laughing till he fainted. John punched him on the shoulder in an effort to get him serious again.

"Wha... what say you, I kill you now and take your place, huh?", Henry gasped between laughs.

"Impossible. But hey, you haven't given me that stuff."

Henry was suddenly serious again. He looked furtively around and huddled closer to John. Clearing his throat, he put his hand into his large overall through the neck and after a lot of struggling, pulled out a piece of paper that was folded into a tiny square shape. Glancing furtively around again, he handed it over to John.

"There's the whole thing, man," he whispered. "Directions and numbers. Everything you need."

John nodded enthusiastically and quickly hid it away.

"Thanks man."

They shook hands and embraced. Just when John thought he would get pulverized, his large friend released him and held his face with meaty hands. A couple of slaps and pats and Henry was on his way, his large belly leading the way. John stared at the heavy figure of his friend rushing across the yard. He couldn't imagine how he managed to breathe at all with such a large belly. He shrugged and patted the part of his overall where he had stowed the all-important paper. Just then, the loud prison alarm blared, announcing the end of yard time and John had to join the crowd of prisoners heading for their various cells.

***

It was early evening and Henry was snoring just few feet away from him and John, knowing the talkative nature of his friend, knew that it was the best time to do what he wanted to do. He brought out the paper Henry had earlier given him and carefully unfolded it. He glanced back at Henry again before perusing the little document. He found that it contained exactly what his friend had promised him: phone numbers and directions to Henry's friends on the outside.

Studying it minutely, he memorized every detail and silently recited them over and over again until he was satisfied that everything was committed to his elastic memory. Time was of the essence, so he quickly folded the paper and tucked it into the tiny space between the last bar and the wall before going to sleep.

**

The merciless blaring of the loud alarm woke everyone including Henry, but John himself had actually been up for over an hour, mentally and psychologically preparing himself for the long day ahead. Soon after, a guard came for him and with just a few words of gratitude and farewell to Henry, he went to get processed for release immediately.

He got his personal effects and a bus pass along with a stern warning never to come back. Standing on that quiet road in that bright and cheery morning, John Baldwin looked left, right and straight ahead, but never backward. The world was open to him, but he had only one place to go, one destination to turn to: Quarker. This was the next town after Ramsden. It was the place where the friends of Henry Gonzalez could be found.

The directions and other details still fresh in his memory, John began his journey out of the town. He was no newcomer, he had been here for six months, but only behind bars the entire time. Seeing the city and its inhabitants outside the prison walls felt refreshing and fascinating. Little as it was, the town was lively and looked industrious. There was human and commercial activity in every cranny albeit in small scale. John loved the town. He liked the vigor and the energy and he would have loved to stick around for much longer, but his destination was calling. He wasn't so unhappy leaving the town behind though, instincts told him he'll be back here before long.

Getting off the bus at Quarker, John didn't display any sign of hesitation or confusion. He walked quickly off the main road and took the side walk towards his first stop. Mentally arranging the memorized locations in the right order, it didn't take him long to get to his final destination.

It was dark when he got there and approaching the building casually, he saw the fence lined by pot-smoking street ruffians who he guessed were acting as gatekeepers and informants. Seeing him focused on the building, one of them accosted him before he could reach the gate.

"Hey, what you prying around for? Lost or something?", he growled, puffing smoke into John's face.

John looked him up and down, right and left and then focused on his eyes. He wasn't just acting fearless, he really was fearless.

"I'm here to see Nico, is he in?"

"Who the fuck are you?"

"A friend of Henry Gonzalez. Nico's expecting me."

The ruffian was slightly taken aback. He tried to look unconvinced, but John could see that he was checked by the fact that John knew two such influential men.

"Wait here," he mumbled and swaggered his way through the gate.

The cold was bitingly intense and showed no sign of relenting which made John increasingly impatient and annoyed. He hated waiting out there in such harsh weather, but he had to tell himself that it would soon be over although how soon would depend on how fast that idiot moved.

Few minutes later, he heard the sound of the gate being opened. The ruffian appeared and asked him, in a far more polite language, to follow him. John would jump at any chance to get out of the cold, but for pride's sake, he screwed up his face and moved slowly, with as much air of importance as he could summon, past the ruffian into the compound.

It was a beautiful structure, Nico's building, no doubt built with proceeds from illicit drug deals and many other crimes. The surroundings were well decorated with ornamental flowers and trees and some relaxation spots, in fact it looked like a little villa. Getting into the house itself, he was treated to more splashes of luxury. It was clear that Nico had fine taste. From the expensive technology procured for security and amusement to the interior decoration which included superb works of art, plush sofas, expensive rugs, etc, John couldn't help but believe that Nico was living in a state of bliss not far from that in heaven. But what could be said of the man himself?

Tall, slim, blonde and sharp-looking, he was evidently the smartest person in the room. John didn't need a clairvoyant to tell him that Nico was not one to be trifled with. One glance at him and John could judge the man's acute sense of perception. Nothing went unnoticed in Nico's presence and John was already fighting hard within himself not to be subdued by the man's aura.

"Hey, you must be the Baldwin guy," Nico bellowed as he approached John with outstretched hands and a confident stride.

Everything about him exuded superiority. He held John by his shoulders and looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding approvingly and showing him to a sofa. John had managed to meet his gaze without blinking and he congratulated himself for the feat. Even though it lasted for just a few seconds, it felt like a thousand years to him. This was far from John's earlier expectations.

He had expected Nico to be very smart, but still a ruffian. He was not prepared to meet an educated, cunning and superior-aired personality. As he sat quietly, taking in his surroundings, he knew he'd have to work on certain things about himself if he would be successful in this new venture.

Hands behind his back, John was taking a stroll through the grounds of Nico's little villa. He had just finished admiring the Olympic-sized swimming pool at the back of the compound and was making his way to the front when he saw Nico heading towards him, dressed in sportswear and running shoes.

"Hello, Mr. Baldwin," he hailed in his loud oppressive voice.

The smile on his face was quite in contrast with the the sound of his voice. He had a clever way of smiling that reminded John of a cunning monkey. That smile always served as a reminder to him that around Nico, he must always be on his guard.

"Hello," John answered with a slight nod.

"Well, you can call me Nico," he shrugged. "So how was your night?"

"Perfect. Yours?"

"Not bad. Just returned from my morning run. I see you're keeping yourself busy."

"Just being familiar with the surroundings if you don't mind."

"Oh not at all."

Nico had fallen in step with him and both of them walked together toward the front of the compound, but each was studying the other closely without giving him the slightest indication of doing so. Suddenly, Nico stopped. He cleared his throat, folded his arms and turned to face John. His face was now a model of seriousness.

"So John Baldwin," he began, eyeing him critically. "I hear good things about you and I'd love to believe they're true. Henry is a trusted soul, but still, people are liable to make mistakes. So what do you think... tell me why you're good enough to take Henry's place."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nico..."

"Nico please."

"Nico, of course. Sorry but I'm not used to explaining myself and advertising my supposedly good qualities. Instead, I prefer to do the job and be graded according to my rate of success."

"Hmm," Nico sighed, looking thoughtful. "Well said, well said. Hmmmm... well, if that's your style, then I'll say you have the job... based on Henry's recommendation."

"Thanks," John nodded, shaking his outstretched hand.

"Welcome. But of course, there are rules. Most of them you'll learn as you go, but there are some that I'd like to highlight right now. One, orders are orders. Straight and simple. Two, no stealing from me. You'll learn about the consequences later. Three, traitors die. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good," Nico nodded with that cunning smile on his face. "Let me leave you to your sightseeing."

With that, he was off with such speed and rapidity that if John hadn't seen him go through the door, he could have sworn that he vanished into thin air.

John was not surprised by what Nico told him. In fact, he had expected to hear something of the sort and if he hadn't, he would have been surprised or even suspicious. This new environment was jungle-like and to live through it, one had to be jungle savvy. It would not do to stick to conventional methods alone. New methods would have to be formed up and changes must be effected with time.

Day by day, John was getting more prepared and feeling more confident of his chances of survival and success in this new line of work. Yes, he had served time for dealing and possession, but Nico's business was twenty steps from drugs alone. It was a known fact that Nico controlled Quarker. He and his gang ruled every inch of the little town, placing illegal taxes on businesses of all kinds, engaging in trafficking of goods and people, running the only illegal narcotics business in the town and rumors even had it that he had his hands in some terrorism-related activities. The few law enforcement agents that were not in his pockets were always in constant fear for their lives. In fact, the entire town was covered by a web of criminals controlled by one cunning mastermind: Nico. John had heard of his ever-increasingly negative reputation even when he was far away in his home state and he had hoped to see this master spider face to face. Now that he had gotten the chance, he was even more impressed. A lot of questions nagged him.

How did a man as educated as Nico end up as chief criminal and deadly oppressor in the little town of Quarker? That was the most pressing question on his mind which begged for an answer. He would have to find out more about this man as fast as possible. Who the hell was he dealing with? Ex-military? Ex-intelligence agent? He must find out soon, but meanwhile his eyes and ears would have to be wide open.

***

It was a loud crash followed by a loud bang that drew John Baldwin's attention. He was making his way forward from the back of the house where he had been watching the sun set. He quickly peeped at the window and found that he could see almost nothing at all, so he walked as casually as possible toward the room where the sound had emanated from. He stood at the open doorway, a little to the left, out of sight and watched with interest the proceedings going on in the room.

"Damn you!", Nico's voice boomed loud and angry. "I asked you to find me a way, you dog and you went about it in a very slow manner. Now, he's out of our reach forever. Damn you, bastard! Damn you!"

He was fuming, howling like a madman and bounding about the room like a big cat and looking as if he would devour the cowering subordinate standing before him. John had never seen him in such a state, but this new experience served to tell him more about the man. He stepped a little to the right just as Nico seized a small but heavy sculpture preparatory to hurling it at the subordinate whose eyes had widened in fear by at least an inch in diameter. But at the sight of John, Nico relaxed his grip on the sculpture and shooed his man away.

When the man had hurried off like a rat escaping from the presence of a huge snake, he turned to John, smiling and rubbing his hands as if he were expecting to get a beautiful gift from him.

"Sorry you're meeting me at a bad time," he said as he approached John in the doorway.

"Seems I was just in time," John replied in his calm but firm style.

"Oh don't mind that. I couldn't have hurt him too badly... maybe a couple of fractures, but nothing he doesn't deserve."

He led John back into the room and motioned for him to take a seat in one of the plush sofas while he pocketed his hands and paced about the room, deep in thought like someone who had a tough riddle to solve.

"You see," Nico began suddenly, "this concerns you too. I asked that goat in human form to draw up a plan for a break into where Henry's being held, but the fool... well, you know how foolish goats are. He took a lifetime in getting a plan ready, but you see, the most foolish thing the goat did was to bring me, together with the plan, the information that Henry has just been transferred to medium-security!"

He was not looking as angry as before, but his pacing had increased two-fold in speed. He seemed more thoughtful and more in earnest than ever. John knew he had to say something if for nothing but for the purpose of hurrying things along.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Nico but what are your plans now?"

"No plans," he clipped. "The goat has managed to waste the precious opportunity. His first assignment and he messes it up. Should have trusted such an important assignment to someone with at least a more human brain."

Nico was now almost whispering to himself and John watched him intently like a research doctor monitoring his test subjects. Suddenly, he stopped pacing and turned abruptly to face John. The suddenness of the move made John's heart skip a beat and it confirmed to him the fact that he still was not immune from the influence of Nico's personality.

"That means you'll spend much more time with us," Nico droned in a grave thoughtful voice. "Yes, you'll take Henry's place and by God you better fit in properly. I believe I have outlined to you the most important of the ground rules?"

"You have."

"Good. I expect you to remember them always... and one more thing, the animal that cannot keep up with the herd gets taken down. Good night."

With that, he turned on his heels and disappeared behind a curtain, making absolutely no sound at all. John knew he had opened a door and walked through it, but he just could not imagine how someone could do everything noiselessly except talking. In his estimation, this made Nico much more slippery and cunning - clearly a dangerous individual that no one would wish to have as an adversary even in dreams.

John clearly understood his statement of the lagging animal getting cut down and that made him resolve to be more on his guard. He was one criminal among a group of savage criminals led by a much more savage master. It was clear that he had a lot of work to do and a lot of records to break if he was to avoid being cut down. He didn't need a seer to inform him that the shoes of Henry Gonzalez were no small ones nor were they easy to fill. He would have to put a lot of effort in order to rise above the bar. It was a free-for-all and survival would surely be for the fittest.

Nico's villa, from what John could see, was well-secured and very comfortable, but he was feeling a little claustrophobic from being within its walls for so long, exactly ten days, without going past the gates. He needed to see something of the little bustling town outside. In Nico's domain, rules were strict, tight and hardly spoken about, so it was quite impossible to know which was being broken at any point in time.

Barely a week into his stay, the last thing John wanted was to be used as an example to the rest of the crew. From what he had experienced so far, Nico seemed to be an explosive ready to go off at the slightest wrong touch, so it would be wise to be wary and watch his steps as carefully as possible.

"I would love to have a word," John called as he sighted Nico running up the steps into the large parlour.

"Then come right in," Nico replied without glancing at him.

John strolled leisurely into the parlour in his usual way, hands behind his back and his brow creased as if in thought. One glance at him would serve to satisfy a stranger that he was the master of the villa, but the appearance of Nico on the scene would quickly set things in the right order. The man had a presence that dwarfed all else, even the roughest of ruffians cowed before him. You didn't need to ask around to know that he was feared. It shone from his eyes and his manner.

"What did you want to talk about?", Nico asked as John walked in.

"Me," John replied as he took a seat opposite him.

Nico eyed him for a while. Not angrily, but with a kind of curious expression like the way a fearless cat eyes something new.

"What about you?", he sighed at last.

"Seeing that you're my host, I'd like to be courteous enough to ask what you think of my seeing the town for myself."

"You can see the town, Mr. Baldwin. It's ours, so you're safe here, but... that's about it. Our control ends where the town ends. One step past that boundary and you're on your own."

"Understood."

John was glad and relieved to hear this new piece of information. He had no need to venture outside Quarker, at least not yet, but when that time would come, he would surely be prepared for any eventualities. As he exited the parlour, ready to begin his tour of the town, Nico called after him: "And Mr. Baldwin, be careful how you identify yourself."

John simply nodded and went on his way. He really did not understand what Nico meant by being careful with his identity, but he believed it was nothing too savoury. Nico had said the words with that cunning monkey smile on his face.

Starting from the huge gate of the villa, John began his tour. He went eastward, hoping to find a circuitous route that would take him back to the villa from the west. He was looking for nothing in particular, but he knew from experience that it would be very helpful to be minutely familiar with the town. He had an elastic memory, so storing locations and routes would be quite easy. On foot, he moved slowly along, his eyes taking in everything and everywhere; his brain picking out and storing significant landmarks and his nostrils breathing in the exotic smells all around him.

After strolling for about a quarter of an hour, he caught sight of some taxis whose drivers seemed idle since they were gathered, chatting loudly. Choosing a serious-looking fellow, he boarded a taxi and off they went.

"You're new here?", the cabman asked after stealing several glances at John from his rearview mirror.

"Yeah," John replied, glad to be in the conversation. "Anything I need to know?"

"No, nothing," the man shrugged. "Just watch your tongue is all."

"What sort of things should I avoid saying?"

"Nothing in particular, but... where do you live?"

"I stay with a friend just across the road from some high-walled fancy compound few miles back."

The taxi driver didn't say a word. He simply concentrated on the road ahead. John was quite uncomfortable with the silence and he felt the need to break it.

"Won't you be kind enough to tell me about some of these places we're zooming past?"

"Well," the man shrugged again, "that big old building we just seen is the only Catholic church around."

He went mute again. Just when John was about to restart the conversation, the cabman suddenly spoke up.

"That compound across from where you live, can you describe it?"

"Why?"

"Nothing. Just curious, I guess."

"Well, it's pretty big. The walls are high, the gate blue and a lot of rough guys line the walls out..."

"Your friend don't tell you anything about the place?"

"No he didn't. Why?"

"Well, nothing. You just do well to stay far away from it. It's not a very nice place. Now, I only tell you this because you look like a good person."

"Okay. Thanks. Why don't you pull over here."

The taxi driver pulled over and John paid him, offering him a generous tip before stepping out. He waited till he had driven off before turning back. While in the taxi, he had caught sight of something that he'd like to investigate.

Walking back a few hundred paces from where the cabman had dropped him, he found the place. It was a large and ancient-looking building. Though a lot of effort had been made to make it look very modern by the application of glass doors and security cameras, it still had the air of a pre-modern building.

Standing across from it on the other side of the road, John stared up at what really had caught his attention. It was a large stone statue mounted on the roof of the old building. It was the statue of a young chubby child whose arms were folded behind him and his eyes staring down at the busy traffic below. John knew he had seen this statue before, but where exactly, he could not recall. He was still staring at it in an effort to jog his memory when he heard a voice behind him. He turned around to find a young shopkeeper smiling at him.

"Beautiful, right?", she asked.

"Um... yeah. It's beautiful, very beautiful."

"You are a tourist, yes? Or a historian?"

"No," John quickly replied with a low chuckle. "Just an admirer. It looks very familiar, that's all."

"Maybe you saw it on your first visit to Quarker?"

"No, no. This is the first time I've been in this town and the first time I've come around this area."

"Then I think the sun is playing a trick with you. Come, sit and have a cold drink."

The offer seemed splendid enough. The sun was scorching and at the thought of a cold drink, he felt his mouth go dry and his throat parched. John was naturally wary around young women, but this one seemed harmless enough and her smile was too inviting to be ignored. He took the seat she offered and accepted the cold drink gratefully. As he sipped away, they both watched the statue on the building across the road.

"Have you been inside... the building, I mean?", the girl suddenly asked.

"No. What's in it?"

"Oh books, art, many things. It's a library, a museum and other things. Nice place. You should go sometimes."

As she talked, John took the opportunity to study her. She was very good looking and young too. Perhaps in her mid twenties. She had a healthy, jovial face that seemed to radiate joy and frankness. From her intonation, he knew she was not a native of Quarker. He guessed she was European, but he would have to ask her some other time, if he would see her again. She was saying something.

"... so I go there and relax. It's a nice place. A lot of history and art. Very interesting and some, very funny. Do you live here?"

"Um... yeah. I do. As a matter of fact, I live with a friend across the road from a fancy mansion over there with the blue gate."

"Nico's house?", she sharply demanded, her face contorted into an expression of disgust.

"Uhh... Nico?", John said in feigned confusion.

"You're new here, yes?", she asked with an expectant look.

"Just over a week."

"And you live in Nico's place?"

"Well, I have no idea where Nico's place is, but I live with a friend..."

"Across from Nico's place?"

"Uhh... Well, if that high-walled building with the blue gate is the place, then I live across the road from it."

The girl simply nodded and diverted her attention back to the statue. John watched her keenly and noticed a similar reaction to that of the taxi driver.

"You should be careful," the girl said suddenly, not taking her eyes from the statue.

"Careful? Why?"

"You live near Nico's villa is why. It is a bad place. Nico... is a bad man. Nico and his men cause a lot of trouble in this town."

"Wow. I didn't know. I'll keep that in mind."

"Good," she nodded and shrugged.

John's assurance that he would keep her advice in mind seemed to make her a lot more comfortable. When she turned to him, she was all smiles.

"What do you say?", she asked as she beamed at him. "I take you to the library and teach you many good things about Quarker."

"Well," John blurted, obviously taken unawares, "I... I'll be very grateful."

"Good," she nodded decidedly. "Give me some time. I will close the shop in... two hours. Can you wait or can you come back another time?"

"Uh, I'll stick with waiting. Nothing much to do back home."

"Good," she said, beaming and clapping her hands excitedly. "Sit and relax. Two hours... only."

John simply nodded and smiled back, glad to have an eager guide.

"Sir," she called on her way out of the shop.

"Yes?", John answered expectantly.

"What can I call you... your name?"

"Oh. I'm John. John Baldwin."

"Wilhelmina Hoffman. But everyone calls me Mina."

"German?"

"I'll be right back," she simply said after a brief smile.