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Choices Chapter 9: The Ultimatum

The crew of Esther, Ricky, and Joe arrive back at the house. Esther does her best to debrief all that happened, but Wardlow doesn't seem to be listening. Ricky's past is revealed, along with his secret.

Warnings/Promises: cw blood, gun appearance, reminder that Wardlow is a ruthless gangster

Word Count: 4240

Chapter 8: Under the Gun

Sunday, February 24, 1929

Bridgeport Township

The car hurtled down the street. It almost couldn’t handle the sudden turn into the alley. When it did, Spears had to leap out of the way. His gun was pointed at the car until Joe hopped out.

“Tell Mrs. Anne to get some bandages.”

Spears shook his head. “The Gusenburgs left already. Are you hurt? What’s – Miss Garnier!” He rushed to help her out of the floor of the car, then stumbled back. “Starks?” The grin that Ricky gave him was not returned. Instead, trepidation kept his shoulders taunt, and his grip on his gun tense. “Joe-” he stammered, “the house is empty besides Wardlow and-”

“That’s good.” Joe eyed the briefcase in Esther’s hand. “Let’s get everyone inside before somebody sees.”

The kitchen doors never seemed so welcoming to Esther. Though empty, the kitchen was never warmer. Or maybe her shivering wasn’t from the cold, but from the fear and the rush still trying to figure out where to go in her limbs. As they walked deeper into the house, her shivers abated. Everything was a comfort. The carpet under her shoes. The wallpaper in its lovely green. And Ricky by her side. She held him close with her arm tight around his waist.

Joe gently moved to her other side and shouted, “Hey, Mike! You’re never going to believe this.”

Gun first, Wardlow darted out from his office. He stopped in his tracks, face bright with worry, then elation when he saw Esther. It drained away when he saw the man at her side. “Ricky.” He glanced over his shoulder, motioning to someone to stay put. When he focused his attention back on Esther, it was hesitant. “Esther-”

“Oh.” She assumed he was waiting for an explanation. And maybe any details she was able to retain. After taking a breath to steady herself, she launched with everything she could remember. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t just – It all worked out. We made it. And we know for sure that Friedman isn’t the Dealer. But he is behind Valentine’s day. A personal vendetta. He thought you and Mr. Omega were ‘making a move.’ But he’s working with him. He said that he…” she ran her fingertips over the hollow of her throat. “He said that the Dealer put me to sleep. When I got there – everything happened so fast… they had Ricky. Tried to use me against him. But Baker showed up. Gave Friedman this briefcase.” After lifting the case like an afterthought, she slowed her breathing.

“Mr. Wardlow, I don’t think there is a list,” Esther continued. “Friedman didn’t care about one. Baker asked one of Friedman’s crew, Darret? Darby? Asked him flat out if he was going to be at the meeting tonight. Friedman said he didn’t care who was in on the Game, but he was angry at Darby. Like he didn’t know which of his crew members were joining the Dealer.”

Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. Catching her elbows, Ricky and Joe kept her on her feet. Only then did she realize how quiet everyone was. Especially Ricky. The briefcase fell into Joe’s hand as she leaned into Ricky’s arms.

“They – they were going to send me back to you. Alone. With-” A tear tracked down her cheek. “With a bullet between my ribs.”

Ricky’s arms squeezed tightly around her. If she hadn’t squeezed her eyes shut tight against the fear she could have wondered if the glare Ricky shot towards Wardlow was protective, or possessive.

“But I shot Page before he-”

Joe’s eyebrows shot up. “She- you shot Page?” He hummed, impressed. “Glad to be rid of him. Did you take his gun or…?”

“Yes, I took his. And it was just his leg. Mine was – he had taken the bullets out, but I didn’t know at the time, and-”

“Where did you get a gun?” Wardlow’s question hung accusingly.

Esther swallowed. “Britt- Britt Baker gave it to me. Last night. She- she surprised us at Giovanni’s.” Again, the overwhelming dampness of the silence surprised her. “I was going to tell you. She did offer me a job. But I turned it down, and since she didn’t press…” The ice in Wardlow’s eyes scared her. Made her tremble all over like a ferocious January blast. Just as she thought she couldn’t tremble anymore, Joe lightly took her by the elbow.

“Let’s get you a glass of water.” He gently glanced at Ricky, catching his breath when he let her go. “We’ll be out in a minute.”

Wardlow moved not a muscle. Not until Esther and Joe were out of sight did he inhale deeply. Like a warrior before a battle cry. “Starks… how about you step into my office.”

\\*//

In the kitchen, Esther couldn’t stop shaking. Not after Joe guided her into a chair. Or after passing the cold glass into her hand. It threatened to slosh all over when she tried to take a sip. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d drenched herself in the kitchen that day. Her lungs stuttered to think she’d been doing laundry with Mrs. Anne just that morning. With the sheets hanging everywhere like a hall of unreflective mirrors with surprises around every corner.

The clasp of the briefcase lock shook her. “So, what’s in it? What did Friedman want so badly?”

Joe riffled through some of the pages. “Personal papers of his. Helpful, but not important right this second.” One particular page, which Esther noted was of thick, fine paper and marked with a crest on the front, made him nod. He buried it under the rest before shutting up the case. It disappeared from sight as he moved it to sit on the floor.

“I’m sorry.” Esther sat the now empty glass to one side. “We should have come straight home last night when we ran into Baker. But she-”

“She’s not an easy woman to step away from.” He fixed her with an unreadable stare. “You got back when you could.”

“I was going to tell you. But Ricky spoke up first, and you were all… armed. I thought telling you then would make things worse. Then, at- at breakfast, everyone separated so quick. I didn’t get the chance, and-”

“Miss Garnier. There’s nothing to be done. All we can do is move forward.” His hand flashed to his side holster when angry shouting came from the room next to them. “We knew you’d be offered a job. Wardlow would have liked to be told sooner, instead of finding out like this. But-” He stood as the shouting grew louder. “You did what you could. I understand that. Esther… about Ricky…”

She swallowed hard, suddenly needing another glass of water.

“What about Ricky?”

Something crashed, sending the both of them towards the door. Joe turned back for the briefcase.

“Esther, wait!”

But she ran towards the volume, unable to hear it clearly for the pounding of her heart in her ears. She burst through the doors into Wardlow’s office, stopping short to see Ricky kneeling in the center of the room. Joe skid to a stop behind her. Then she noticed the visitor leaning against the bookcase. “Mr. Taz.” With a dip of her head, she tried to figure out how he was involved. But she couldn’t think. Couldn’t hardly breathe.

It had taken most of the drive back to stop Ricky’s bleeding. But there he was, bleeding from the same wounds, and a few new ones. Wardlow’s shirt sleeves were rolled back. His jacket was long gone, revealing the crisscrossing leather of his shoulder holster, clipped tight around a pair of pistols. His fist was still pulled back, ready to fly. The heavy ring on his finger, not dissimilar to the one Taz had given to Cargil, was the most likely cause of Ricky’s new cut on his cheek.

Spears, standing in the far corner by the window, couldn’t meet her eye. His hand held fast to Ares’s collar. Esther shoved off Joe’s attempted comforting hand on her shoulder.

“What is this?”

“Confronting a traitor. Joe and I had been racking our brains as to why he would turn on us.” Wardlow hissed, adjusting the ring. “But then Taz came in with some valuable information.”

The visitor, a man who was supposed to be retired from his way of life, pushed himself off the bookcases. If he couldn’t break clean, Esther worried about her ability to eventually get away. He spared a glance at Ricky, almost sorry it was ending like this. “He used to work for me. Before he left, I gave him a job to do.” His gaze darkened. “Turns out he lied to me about its completion.”

“He’s been lying to everyone. He’s the leak Joe and I have been trying to find. The traitor.” Wardlow ticked his head towards Taz. “Did Ricky tell you? Taz was the one who recommended him to this crew when I started it. With such a letter, I trusted him. He’s been the go-between for all the families. All the links we kept as a system of checks and balances, picking up information. And, apparently, passing it around.”

Despite the tremor in Esther’s knees, she remained standing, resisting Joe’s light push towards a chair. She wanted to lay down. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream until everything made sense. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare. She wanted a drink. Something clicked into place. “Cole,” she breathed. “You were supposed to kill Adam Cole. That’s why you looked like you’d seen a ghost last night.” Her breath caught in her throat until she swallowed. “Because you had.”

From his knees, Ricky looked small. Defeated. The cut on his cheek was still trickling, though it had lessened. He nodded. “Guess this is a good time as any. I knew this morning I was a dead man. Everyone in the room knew it, besides Miss Garnier.” Nobody could meet his eye. Except for Esther, who was watching him like he would disappear in the blink of an eye if she didn’t hold him there. “She doesn’t know a thing about it, Wardlow. If that’s the only truth you believe out of me today, let that be enough.” He swallowed, eyeing Wardlow’s ring, the shiny gold dulled with his blood. “Without the good parson Omega here, maybe you all will hear my confession. Give me a chance to clear my name…”

He took a deep breath. Like he was counting down the last chances at oxygen. “I had worked myself up to do the… job. The gun was cocked before I walked through the door.” Ricky smiled, remembering the day. “To his credit, he didn’t beg. Like I told you, Taz. That bit was true. But then Britt walked in.” His smile dropped into a frown. “And – they’ve got a kid. It was just an infant. She was shocked to see me, to see the gun. That’s when Adam started begging. Begging me not to hurt his family.” Slumping more on his knees, Ricky struggled to continue. “I – I couldn’t – I couldn’t do it. I’ll take punches and bleed and gather information all day, but I’m not a cold-blooded killer. I couldn’t stare into Britt’s eyes one second and make her a widow the next.”

With a shuddered breath, he looked at each man in turn. All around until his eyes stopped on Esther. “I’m sorry.” His gaze dropped to the floor as if dragged down by a great weight. When he looked up again, he rolled back his shoulders with a wince, and his eyes were backlit with an inner fire. “You can do what you want with me now. But I wouldn’t change a thing about that day.” He looked up at Wardlow. “Could you have done anything more if it had been you standing in that room?”

Wardlow didn’t answer. He didn’t move.

Joe nudged out his chin. “Why didn’t you clean out all of them? Would have solved the widow problem.”

“I couldn’t.” Ricky eyed Joe with a new understanding of the man’s ruthlessness. “Not in cold blood. Britt was innocent back then. No one knew she’d take up the business. Imagine how ruthless she’d be if I had shot him. Or hurt the kid.”

Wardlow stirred. “Boy or girl?”

“Don’t know. Didn’t stick around to find out. I took Adam outside, explained I was going to flip him. Then shot into the air. And I ran. Taz, you sent me up here, then came up a few months later when things still didn’t work out.” Ricky paused. Thinking. “Kid’s probably four or five now.” A smile cracked, and he glanced at Esther. “It was a surgical masterstroke from Mrs. Baker, giving you my gun. I had given it to Adam, retiring it when I retired him. So, you can imagine my shock when she dropped it into your purse yesterday. They kept it. All this time. And gave it to you, Esther, the gun that didn’t kill Adam Cole, as a way to defend yourself. Allotta good that did.”

Crossing his arms, Joe hmphed. “If you had finished the job, it would’ve saved us a lot of grief and countless lives.”

“Adam is the Dealer,” Taz said.

Ricky’s brow creased. “No. He isn’t. He told me last night. The Dealer is another guy moving in for territory. They have an agreement, but he’s still been hitting Adam’s places before they can open. To keep him in line. The Dealer didn’t reveal him, but he hasn’t been helping either.” He eyed Taz. “How’d you find out?”

“Saw Ms. Baker – well, Mrs. Baker and Cole walking arm in arm in broad daylight. After finalizing Cargill’s buyout. About keeled over right there on ninth street. But I made inquiries before coming to Wardlow.”

“Did he tell you?” Joe’s crossed arms tensed. “Did he tell you who the Dealer is?”

“No, the bastard. He’d said I’d find out soon enough. So, I kept snooping. Looking around and hoping I could buy forgiveness with the information.” He glanced at Wardlow. “If I lived long enough.”

At first, the world waited for Wardlow’s response. It waited several infinite seconds before he turned back to his desk. The lamp that usually sat on the corner was on the floor, and his papers were in disarray. Esther could picture him slamming Ricky onto it, summoning her and Joe with the noise. When he turned back, he tossed a handful of cards onto the floor in front of Ricky. “We found these in your room.” As Ricky picked up the closest card, the Jack of Hearts, Wardlow continued. “I believe you. I believe your story about flipping Cole. And that you were shocked to see him again. But don’t for one second think that I believe you’re not working with the Dealer.” His temples flexed as he struggled to keep his composure. “I would be impressed how long you kept the wool over our eyes, but you should have kept Miss Garnier out of it. You’ve been using her as a cover since Jericho picked you up. You’ve been using all of us.”

Esther startled. That day felt like a lifetime ago. Had it really just been a week? Only a few sleeps since she had cowered in the alley behind her old apartment? Only a few days since Ricky cowered behind the car while Jericho and his men shot it up? But that – that trip had been spur of the moment. For a forgotten scarf at Mary’s. And he had come back in such a rough state. Almost as rough as he was there on Wardlow’s office floor.

Turning the card between his fingers, Ricky tried to set things right. “Boss, these aren’t mine. I’ve never seen them. Where would I keep them? And I would never use Esther. For anything.” He tossed the card at Wardlow’s feet. “The second I joined your crew, I have been completely on your side-”

“Don’t feed me that applesauce.” Faster than Esther could blink, he had Ricky on his feet and pinned to the map by his shredded lapels. “You’ve been making plans since you stepped foot in Chicago. I don’t know, and I don’t care what those plans were. To get out, to join another crew. To start your own. Every move you’ve ever made was for yourself and for your benefit.”

He shifted his grip so one thick hand squeezed around Ricky’s throat. Joe and Spears hastened to stand behind Wardlow. To stop him or assist him, Esther wasn’t sure. But she could see between the gaps in their shoulders how Ricky clawed at Wardlow’s hand until he made enough room to breathe.

“As if you would have done anything differently in my position. You did everything you could to watch your own back when you left Friedman,” Ricky spat. “But I swear, I’ve never taken a single step against you.” He sputtered, coughing hard. “What will it take for you to believe me?” 

Wardlow’s grip loosened. It was less than a split second, the peek he chanced back at Esther. She held her breath. Glancing over their shoulders, Joe and Spears quickly looked at her too. Spears turned back, looking up at his old friend, cheeks ashen. The same realization tugged at the corner of Joe’s mouth, but he turned back too fast for Esther to read. Their reactions made Starks lean into the grip around his throat.

“I’d rather you kill me than that.”

“That can be arranged.”

Wardlow landed a solid left-handed jab to Ricky’s thrice-bruised ribs. They all stepped back as he dropped again to his knees, wheezing. He clawed at Wardlow’s shoes and pantleg.

“Stop! Please.” Esther pushed her way through till she could kneel beside him. Ares appeared at her side, baring his teeth at Joe when he reached for her. She ignored Ricky’s weak attempts to push her away. “Please. I’ll do anything. Just stop hurting him.”

“Anything?”

Occasionally, Esther had read in her penny novels where some character or another had looked at their co-star and had ‘nothing’ behind their eyes. She had wondered what ‘nothing’ would even look like. Now she wondered if she’d ever forget. No Chicago winter wind could have frozen her as much as his empty gaze. He had completely shut her out.

She did her best to fill her voice with a similar nothingness. “Anything.”

“No,” Ricky rasped. “Don’t worry about me. Spears, please, get her out of here.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She kept her gaze level with Wardlow, catching Ricky’s hand from her shoulder, squeezing it in her lap. Kneeling in the shadow of him chilled her to the bone, but she refused to shiver.

He held her gaze. Ignoring Ricky’s scrabbling hand at his shoe, he said, “you should listen to your girl. She’s the smart one. If you can let me have just one night with your girl to prove your loyalty,” the side of his mouth quirked, “you’ll get to live. Or… we can take a trip out back.”

“Don’t-” Ricky ripped his hand from Esther’s lap and tried to stand. But he breathed too deep and collapsed from the strain in his ribs.

Esther swallowed. “A trip out back. Like with Dante Martin.”

That did startle Wardlow. Even Joe sucked in air.

Despite her best effort, a few tears dripped down her cheeks. “Yes. I saw. You were going to show mercy then. Actual mercy. But Joe pointed out he knew Spears followed us to Giovanni’s. You knew about Baker and Cole. You sent Ricky into a trap for it. But I brought him back. And I saw you shoot that boy. Point blank.” With a deep breath, she settled herself. “I kept it to myself. Didn’t even tell Ricky. But just keeping silent, being your eyes and ears will never be enough loyalty for you, will it? You’re one of the kings of Chicago. And that means you require action. Raised fists and guns, and boots on the ground. Yes, I’ll do anything. Anything to pause the bloodshed I can’t seem to escape. We all know what you’re asking of me.” She tightened her jaw. “I’ll do it.”

“Esther, no.” The man at her side took her face in his hands. “Not for me. Work a deal to go back to your folks. Get out of this life-”

“It’s just one night.”

His eyes filled with pity. “We both know it won’t be just that for you.”

Biting her lip, hoping it would stop her tears, Esther took his face in her hands, linking them together like an unsolvable knot. “But you’ll be alive.”

Before he could say another word, she pressed her lips to his forehead. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she hurried to her feet. Wardlow still loomed over her, but at least the emptiness in his eyes was replaced with respect.

“Spears, show Miss Garnier to my room.” To his credit, Wardlow didn’t smile or leer at her in any way. “And Joe, make sure Starks doesn’t try to interfere. Don’t hurt him. As agreed.” He glanced down. “But don’t let him out of this room.”

Head held high, Esther felt Spears gently tap at her elbow.

“This way, Miss Garnier.”

He shut the double doors behind them on the way out. The front stairs soon loomed in front of them. Esther wondered if he was thinking about the times he’d helped her down those steps, as she was. They kept climbing. Up to the second floor. Past her curved corner room. And around the bend to the next flight. Then up again.

Spears cleared his throat. “This is a brave thing you’re doing. But, if you need it… there’s a fire escape on the other side of this floor-”

“I won’t.” Still, her footing slipped as the last step as she continued to think instead of watching her feet. “Just one thing. The only thing I can’t make sense of – what were those cards?”

“The rest of the deck that everyone’s been receiving from. It was missing the ones from your list.” He helped her to her feet. “Joe found them in the safe last night while you two were – were out.”

“The safe. Ricky’s safe?” She pursed her lips. That didn’t seem right.

In front of them, only one door existed at the far end of the hall. Esther realized that Wardlow’s suite was exactly over hers. As well as taking up the majority of the front floor.

\\*//

Down in the office, Ricky managed to struggle to his feet. He winced as Joe pinned him to the wall with one hand placed squarely on his chest.

Wardlow loosened his tie. “Why don’t you take a seat, Starks. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Don’t do this.” Ricky glared at Joe as he was shoved against the map. “If you do this, it’ll break her. Forget about me. You obviously don’t give a damn about what happens to me. But Esther… she’s hanging on by a thread. If you care about her as much as you claim to, then you won’t go through with this. She’s not some corner Sheba. Esther’s been this crew’s rock, she’s been your rock, since you brought her into this. You got her into this.” He shuddered a breath as Joe tossed him into a chair. “This is wrong, and you know it. Michael-”

But the boss was already halfway out the door. Taz met him there, placing his hand over his on the doorknob.

“I know I don’t get a say here, but – This is unlike you. I don’t think-”

“You’re right. You don’t get a say.” He fixed Taz with a stare. “I nearly lost everything by ‘acting like me.’ Not this time. It’s time to take control as I should have from the beginning. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he shook away Taz’s hand, “I have some business to handle.” With a final nod to Joe, he was gone.

Joe waited until he couldn’t hear Wardlow on the stairs anymore. He gave Ricky’s chest one more shove into the chair. Ares hurried forward. He took a stance between Ricky’s legs, his warning growl occasionally baring his teeth. Joe nodded at the dog and stepped away. “Mr. Taz, keep an eye on ‘im. We both know how slippery he is.” With purposeful steps, he moved to the desk, the safe behind the map, and various drawers and books around the office. At each one, he collected one document or another.

“Where are you off to?” Ricky stretched out the ache in his ribs. “I thought you were supposed to watch me.”

“Got a little business to handle at Howls. But you won’t go anywhere.” One by one, he placed the papers into Friedman’s briefcase. “I’d hate to hear when I got back that our fearless leader had to take out his frustrations on your girl because you couldn’t behave. Wouldn’t I?” When Ricky shook his head, disbelieving the threat, Joe arched an eyebrow at him. “No? Considering the last twenty minutes, I believe Mike’s finally capable of anything.” On a whim, he picked up a card and flicked it into Ricky’s lap. The same Jack of hearts as before. “Until next time, Starks.”

The door slammed shut, blocking Ricky in with his guilt and his former boss.

\\***//

Chapter 10: Never His