5 Bad Moon Read Free

anymore.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “Oh, yeah? Bartolo doesn’t listen to you. He listens to Juicy Vacarini now.”
    “Juicy?”
    “Yeah, Juicy. Most of the captains listen to him. He’s been running things lately because you don’t care no more. Juicy might as well be the boss. He’s just waiting for you to croak so he can take the title.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “I know what I’m talking about. I know that Bartolo owes me four hundred grand and nothing you say is gonna make him give it up. I also know that he and Juicy got a contract out on me, and even if you cancel it, they ain’t gonna listen.”
    “They’ll listen. We’ll have a sit-down and you’ll tell them to their faces that you ain’t talking to the prosecutors down in Trenton. We’ll call off the hit.”
    “You ain’t got the power.” Sal extended his arm so that the muzzle was leveled on the knot in Mistretta’s tie.
    The old boss couldn’t help swallowing. Getting shot in the throat was supposed to be very painful. He’d seen people suffer that way. He grit his teeth and cold air hit that tooth again. He glanced down at Jerry’s body. His shirt was completely red now.
    “Whad’ja kill Jerry for, Sal? He was a nice guy.”
    “He was a nice guy. I used to like him. But he woulda killed me if he saw me down here. Look at him. His hand is on his gun.”
    “He wouldn’t have killed you. Not if I told him not to.”
    Sal’s eyes flared. “Don’t bullshit me, Mistretta.” He lowered the gun and jabbed it into Mistretta’s knee.
    Pfittt!
    It felt like a blasting cap went off on his knee. Mistretta instinctively went to clutch it, but he lost his balance and fell forward. He tumbled down the stairs, banging up his shoulder and back, and landed on top of Jerry. Spooked by all the blood, he rolled off fast, despite the pain, and pushed himself up against the wall. He was sitting up halfway, propped on one hand, his eyes blinking out of control. His knee looked like a fresh road kill.
    “I was gonna retire,” he mumbled. “I’m tired of all this shit. I just wanna retire and take it easy.”
    “This is bad. Very bad. Very bad.” The scrawny guy on the couch was staring at him, wild-eyed, rocking back and forth, making the sign of the cross over and over again. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, amen. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, amen. In the name of the Father … Mistretta thought about doing that himself, but he was afraid he’d fall over if he moved his arm.
    “Give him another pill,” Sal said to the black guy.
    “He’s okay. Can’t give him no more now anyway. Too soon.”
    “You sure he’s all right?”
    “He fine.”
    “Then keep him quiet.” Sal glared down at Mistretta.
    Mistretta held his chest. He was having a hard time breathing. “Whattaya want, Sal? Just tell me. You want the money from Bartolo? I’ll help you get it.”
    “Fuck the money, Mistretta. I’ll get that for myself. You wanna know what I really want?”
    “What? Tell me.”
    “I want your job. I wanna be boss.”
    “You’re crazy.”
    “I got guys still loyal to me. As many as Juicy’s got. They thought I shoulda had your job a long time ago. Now I’m gonna get it.”
    “C’mon, Sal. Be for real here. Whattaya want? Let me help you.”
    Sal’s nostrils flared. “I told you. I wanna be boss. And what I really want, I get. You wanna see how I’m gonna do it?”
    Mistretta kept blinking. He couldn’t focus on Sal’s face. “C’mon, Sal. You’re acting fucking crazy now.”
    “You think I’m crazy? Just watch.”
    Sal stepped over Jerry’s body, straddling him. He squinted down the long barrel, holding the gun with both hands and taking aim. “Watch. I’m gonna give Jerry his last rites. Extrem’ unction.” Sal put the silencer to Jerry’s forehead. “In the name of the Father … ”
    Pfittt!
    Jerry’s head