# American Mook

By Erik Bjarnar.

So I'm hanging out in front of the SIP'N'FILL with Randy and a couple of our buddies when this big-ass Cadillac pulls up. The door opens and these three mobster-looking guys in suits come out. The other dudes split but Randy and me, we're just about black belt in the karate class our parents make us take, so we aren't afraid of nothing. But we see they're each packing a piece, so we don't argue when one says, "The gentleman wants to speak with you."

We go up to the car. This tall bearded guy wearing Armani gets out. He tells us he "admired our kicking prowess in the alley."

Whoa! He musta seen us when we broke into that video arcade the other night! "Individuals such as yourselves are something the world never seems to run out of." He says there's a big war going on. I know it's a Mob war, cause when I ask him, he just says it's a secret. Or Secret War, or something. Cool. We don't ask no more questions after he tosses us that rolled-up wad of twenties. He tells us to meet him back here at one a.m., do a job for him, and we'll get ten more wads like this one. Hell yes!

Me and Randy get there early. Right on schedule, the Cadillac pulls up. This time it's just the Tall Guy and a driver. We get in, and... Oh no! The driver is that desk cop I saw at the police station the first time I got busted! He just scowls at us. Must be on the take. After we get going, Tall Dude's cellular phone rings. He listens for a minute, then hangs up. "Lotus," he says to the Cop. "Park at a distance."

We go to this strip mall outside of town. We park outside the Mandarin Moon Restaurant. Tall Dude says, "We wait." Pretty soon the lights come on in the food place. Only it's strange, 'cause it's the same light inside and out, and there's a mist all over.

"Sure paved over a beautiful place when they built this mall," the Cop says.

"Powerful," answers the Tall Guy.

Guns start popping, and people are shouting. A Ferrari pulls up and out jumps... a sumo wrestler? Weird. The mall's parking lot lights flicker. Some big guy covered in mud comes out from nowhere and goes inside. He's got to be nine feet tall. How come he's wearing a costume to a mob hit? The lights go out. Flashes from guns strobe-light everything. Man, this is nuts! Some more costumed weirdos, hopping in from around the corner. Hopping?!? Is this a gang war or Mardi gras? What the hell...? Some head-shaped balloon floats by? With tentacles? What?!?

Tall Dude tells the Cop something about dragons being an even match for them because of a Tink-Tink, or Ting-Thing. I'm not liking this. Randy and me look at each other, I can tell he wants out right now. So can Tall Dude. "You want your money or not?" We wait.

After five minutes, everything stops. Tall Dude reaches under his seat and gives us each a really big piece. "They're loaded. Go in there and shoot the place up. If you see anybody still standing, take care of them, too." We leave the car.

Randy's acting really strange. Like an idiot, he asks, "So what's your name, anyways?" Then he snaps. "I don't wanna do this!" He throws the gun down and starts running. The Tall Guy jumps in from nowhere and he, well, he kind of whips Randy into the ground like a rope. "My name is Draco." Then he glares at me. "He'll wake up after a while. You want to nap permanently?" No. I have this funny feeling he could dodge the bullet if I used the gun on him. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Oh well. Money's money.

I walk up to the restaurant scared to death. I go in, shaking. I look around and don't see nothing. My eyes adjust to the dark some more. There's a bunch of people on the floor, some of them moaning. The nine-footer is lying next to the sumo guy. Nobody's standing. Good! I can go, right after I... Wait! Somebody's here! Didn't think I'd actually have to shoot anyone. He sees me. Like some cat he twirls around to face me. Suddenly, the lights in the parking lot come back up. It's not a he, it's...

She's beautiful...

All dressed in red silk, with a yellow sash around her waist. She sees me. She looks at me. She looks right through me. My heart stops. She's beautiful... Those eyes. That smile. I could take the money I already got, bring her here, after they fix the place up, bring her back here and treat her right. Have anything on the menu you want, you're with me. Baby, you wanna get out of here? She's walking up to me. Oh man! Can she see my heart pounding? She wants a hug. That's so cool. She lifts her arm...

Wallpaper.

I wake up the next day in a dumpster. My jaw is killing me. Who was she? She's beautiful...

Shadowfist and Feng Shui: The Shadowfist Roleplaying Game as well as all characters described therein are copyrights and trademarks of Daedalus Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.

Last modified: September 19, 1996;