Duties & Responsibilities of a Casino Dealer Work ...

The night sky was clean, a pale moon shined on the lake and a pleasant breeze blew from the waters. The entrance to the Faestus was crowded: a line of expensive cars sneaked from the gates up to the parking lot, the valets were busy helping the guests out of their vehicles and into the structure.
Laughs echoed in the halls accompanied by the cheering at the tables and the constant blipping of the slot machines; the restaurants were both completely booked and the lounge bar was filled by excited jazz enthusiasts for the concert. In the private office at the 12th floor Miss. Lauro was busy: while reviewing surveillance live feeds from a monitor she held a phone to her hear and with the other hand was writing.
“I don't care, you have been told what to do.” she closed the call and addressed her secretary, a scrawny little girl of Asian origin. “The VIPs guests will soon take a break and go to dinner, everything is ready I assume.”
“Yes Miss. The private dinner hall is ready and the service will begin as soon as the VIPs will be ready.” the girl had been with Miss. Lauro for some time, even with her delicate features she was starting to mimic her employer in mannerism creating a strange, almost comic, oxymoron.
Down on the fifth floor, in one of the conference rooms, seven men were seated at a table. They were a very heterogenic group: different ages, different shapes, yet all dressed in fine suits and all speaking in Italian, or what passed for Italian among the Italo-American community. On the round table glasses of wine and ashtrays. Don Santi was speaking, charming as always and with his characteristic aura of 'wise man', a characteristic that with age was increasing drastically.
“Friends, we are sliding out of topic. We are not here to discuss the past but, to discuss the future.What I am proposing is to create a new Commission.”
“Santi those times are gone. Times have changed, there is no need for a Commission.” The man speaking was probably the youngest in the room, yet everyone seemed to keep in high regard everything he said.
“Yes, times have changed. The Commission has been abandoned years ago and now it's time to create a new one, because times are changing and not for the better. We are all aware of the war that is going down in Cicero right? We all know that those new gangs of blacks, Asians, Russians etc. hold the streets: they have the manpower and they don't respect any rule. The FBI has been hounding us for decades and in the meantime those local thugs, inch by inch, took control of thecity. I can't believe that this is ok with you.”
“It's not ok but, what has a Commission to do with this? The rules of the Commission never trulymattered in Chicago, the only good thing the Commission did was to convince Capone to get arrested, for the good that did to us. We have been managing fine.” The fat man was at his fifth glass of wine and his ashtray was brimming with spent cigarettes.
“We may have a very different idea of what 'fine' means... We owned Chicago, we were Chicago. Now we are just reduced to petty thugs holding to a few streets here and there. Squabbling betweenourselves at every chance.”
The exchange went on for another half hour, it was heated but everyone was doing his best to keep a cool head. It was decades since the last conference and, even though some families hadn't been invited, everyone knew how dangerous was to let emotions run wild in such formal meetings.
“I think it's time for our dinner, so let's stop here for today. I just want to say this, before we adjourn, we can do great things if we unite. We have money and influence, if we pool our resources together and leave behind our past differences we can do great things. We have so many external enemies that would be stupid not banding together right? Anyhow, let's go to eat and enjoy the night!”
After the dinner the VIPs scattered around the Faestus, some went into the Casino others enjoyed some professional female company in their suites.
On the first floor in the lounge bar Don Santi was enjoying a drink with the young man that for all the talkings had been the leading skeptic voice. “Do you think we will succeed?” the young man had his shirt unbuttoned and the tie was hanging from the back of the chair, like a forgotten noose of a distracted executioner.
“You are playing your part brilliantly, they will come around as soon as you show them how.”
“Yet not everyone was invited, the other families could see this as a threat.”
“The families down in Cicero have other concerns.”
“What about the Giovanni? Those guys always give me the creeps.”
“The Giovanni tend to stay away from other families, they are isolationists by nature. They will see this as troubling but if we don't cause them real trouble I am confident they will simply ignore us.”
“Why should they ignore us? If we succeed we are going to transform Chicago, they surely will want a piece.”
“When they will see the benefits of what we are doing for sure they will come demanding to get a share. We will see what will happen then, for now we need to focus on our plan.”
“I understand your tactic but, it's true that times have changed. Back in the days the Commission worked because we were all tied by the same projects, we had common businesses. Grandpa always said that no one liked the Commission but everyone wanted in to get a share.”
Don Santi smiled knowingly: “We have a common project, for now I am the only one aware of that, when I will reveal the project you will be convinced and everyone will follow.
The man was behind his desk watching a porno on his computer, the inter-phone rang: “It's Miss. Lauro.” The man jumped on his chair, immediately closed the porno: “Let her in.” The office was spacious, expensively furnished, posters of health care campaigns and how the administration was taking care for the wellbeing of the citizens were proudly displayed on the walls.
Miss. Lauro entered the office smiling, something that made the man behind the desk shiver. “I am sorry to come without a proper appointment. I hope I am not disturbing.” The man stood up “I was just reviewing a few things and then I was going to lunch, the door of myoffice is always open to you.”
“Always a gentleman.” She sat across the desk “How is your family?” “Well, thank you. My wife would love to see me more but, this city holds me hostage.” he laughed nervously while checking the clock on the computer.
“Well she surely is proud of your dedication to the public. I will not keep you from your duties for long. I received troubling news: the city hall is going to authorize the opening of a rehabilitation center.”
“Oh yes, I saw the papers. A no profit organization convinced the owner of a building to let themuse it for their center. Why is it troubling?”
“The center can't open there. The authorization has to be denied.”
The man looked puzzled, he felt completely taken by surprise. He knew of the project but he didn't knew the details and didn't care.
“Well, it's more a formality, some of the neighbours complained but they didn't manage to do much, there's no legal reason to block the center.”
“There's always a legal reason to do whatever is needed.”
“Miss. Lauro I don't see how I can help you. Probably you should try to make a petition...”
“You can block this for security reasons and for health reasons. If you make pressure 'voicing the concerns of the citizens' regarding the value of the properties in the neighbourhood, the risk of attracting and concentrating troubling individuals in an area that is residential with many children living there, the risk for the public safety considering the distance from the nearest police department and so on. There are hundreds of good reasons to oppose this. You just need to choose a few and do what politicians are supposed to do: push law to do what has to be done.”
The man felt the temperature in the office rising, he was sweating, probably the air conditioner was malfunctioning... he hoped.
“Well Miss. Lauro, I can look into this thing but I can't promise anything.”
“We are on the same side, I assure you that this is in your best interest.”
“Fine, I will do all I can.”
“Good, thank you for your time. I kept my word of not keeping you for long.” She smiled.
“The first deposit will be confirmed with a 24 alphanumeric code, the code will be used as a pin for your second deposit. When the two deposits are confirmed everything will be up and running.”
The man was extremely fat, when he talked his double chin vibrated like a crème caramel, his forehead was beaded with sweat.
“Fantastic.” Mr. Romanon shook the hand of the fat man, then took a good sip of his mojito. The fat man tried to remove some of the sweat on his face with his handkerchief, than saluted Mr. Romanon and with his computer left the beach as fast as his ponderous bulk allowed him. Mr. Romanon stood under the big beach umbrella watching the ocean and enjoying himself whenhis phone rang: “Miss. Lauro! I was wondering why you hadn't already called me.”
“Mr. Romanon I know you too well, let's ear this joke and be done with it.”
“You hurt me, I was just pointing out that every time I'm enjoying some, well earned, relaxing time you call with your honeyed words.”
“Are you finished?”
“Ready for duty! You say jump I say I can't, my feet ache.” “Very funny. Is the society ready?”
“It is. Dematerialized bearer shares, linked secure accounts and all the usual stuff.”
“You amaze me, I must admit that you are reliable even if you are completely insufferable.”
“Was that a compliment?” the line was closed.
The second day of the conference the VIPs guests woke up late in the morning after a good night of fun and an incredible lunch, in the late afternoon were finally ready to resume their work. The private meeting room was once again the theater of the elaborate play written by Don Santi, all the actors at their places on the scene ready to play their role.
“I hope you enjoyed the services of Faestus.” Don Santi opened with a wide smile. All the attendees agreed and laughed. “Well now let's focus on the matter at hand shall we?”
“That's exactly what the girl of the last night said!” the laughs continued but soon everyone was serious again, tension building up quickly.
“You had time to consider my proposal, do you want to share any thoughts about it?”
After the second break in the conference everyone was sure that the proposal of Don Santi wasn't viable, there was potential yes but too much history between the families, too much trust needed. The break for the day was seen as the last ditch effort of Don Santi and the few on his side to try to delay the inevitable refusal.
“Santi is an honorable man but he lives in a different age, honor means very little today and here inChicago never mattered.” The man was sprawled on a comfy chair, a bottle of beer in hand and acigar in the other.
“It's a nice dream though. No one wants a Commission to give them orders, yet...”
“Commission... puah... that is just a fucking nice way to say: 'I am the boss now'.”
On the third floor of the casino, five men were playing black jack: they were five of the seven 'consiglieri' of the bosses attending the conference. The room was booked for their enjoyment: the dealer was an half naked model with breasts that could have been sculpted on marble, other half naked models moved around bringing drinks and occasionally conceding some part of their luxurious bodies for a “lucky touch”.
“This conference, we will get nowhere really. It's like this game: we are playing but we already know what is the underlying truth.” The man was tall, his skin tanned by too many lamps, with square glasses and short hairs too much black to be natural.
“Which is?”
“That the dealer always win. We know the outcome even before starting yet, we hope that for some reason the outcome will be different and we hope that we can stop playing before we discover how wrong we have been.”
“Darling, a scotch please.” The man was Santi's family consigliere, overweight and bald with piercing eyes and a knowing smile “So you believe that this conference will not affect us? That everything will be as if nothing happened?”
“I know that I'm enjoying myself too much to even care. For all it's worth I hope this conference lasts for another week at least!” The man was with his shirt unbuttoned, sleeves rolled above his elbows and his cheeks were red from the alcohol. He was losing, and badly, but he didn't care, hewas too much entertained by the girl sitting on his lap.
“I am not against this idea you know? Some of the families are reduced to beggars almost, it's humiliating. Plus if we band together we stop pissing each other off, could be a nice change.”
“We would be arguing and fighting even more trust me. Every month someone would bring a grievance to the Commission asking for satisfaction, each month the Commission would refuse. After two years, at most, we will find ourselves shooting one another for every stupid reason.”
The third day of the congress was the day of truth: Don Santi was eating breakfast in his suite, the sun shone on the lake and there were no clouds in the sky. Down on the water sailing boats moved on the waves like white ducks, in the distance a ferry boat drew a shimmering line from East to West.
“Good morning Mr. Santi.” Miss. Lauro walked into the room, her heels clicking on the floor.
“Good morning Miss. Lauro, favorisce?”
“I will take some coffee thank you.” Miss. Lauro seated graciously on the other side of the table, took the moka from the table and poured some coffee in a cup.
“I prefer the moka to the espresso.” Don Santi explained.
“A good coffee is a good coffee.”
“What can I do for you Miss.?” Don Santi was spreading butter on a toast and covering it meticulously with marmalade.
“I just desired to wish 'in bocca al lupo'. And to inform you that everything is in order. I am sure thatyou will not disappoint our Benefactor.”
“Thank you. I do not plan to fail, everything is ready and they will come around.”
“Have you reviewed the papers?”
“I have and so has my consigliere. There's no need to worry.”
“I am not worried.”
This time the conference began before lunch, everyone was at his seat around the table, in front ofeach attendee a folder.
“Good morning my friends. In the last two days I proposed you the creation of a new Commission, an alliance between our families. You had time to discuss my proposal and to question it: 'is it a good idea? What do we have to gain? Can we trust each other? Why do we need a Commission?' This last question is the one I'm going to answer today. In front of each of you there's a folder, inside you will find the details. My son insisted I gave to this a pretentious name, like in a Bond movie, I simply call it The Project. This is the most ambitious project since the creation of Las Vegas, if that could be called a project. A urban, commercial and industrial renovation plan, massive coordinated and targeted investment in key areas of the city with the goal of creating the New Chicago: a North American Dubai.”
Everyone seemed puzzled, all focused on the speech of Don Santi but they clearly didn't know whatto expect.
“The Project consists in acquiring, improving and creating a network of connected businesses:lodging, entertainment, shopping, security, education, everything in a synergy aimed to attract the wealthy to the city and to offer ALL the services they may require in complete safety. The city will change face, the value of properties will sky rocket and from all around the world everyone will come to spend their money. In the Middle-East and in places like Singapore this kind of projects have been proven effective but, they were coordinated by local governments, here we, through the Commission, will be the ones coordinating everything. In the folder you will see that a society with dematerialized shares to the bearer has already been created, every member of the Commission will receive shares proportional to their investment and their vote will be tied to how many shares they hold for every business decision. For any other decision each member will hold one vote. There will be a president and that will be me. The president will be the only one that can accept new members into the Commission.”
Don Santi paused his speech and watched the reaction of those around the table: some were intentin reading the papers, others were clearly taken by surprise.
The youngest of the attendees spoke: “From what I am reading this is massive. Even with all our families together we can't possibly sustain such investments.”
“The Commission will be the one in charge but we will not be the only investors. There are investors ready from all over the world.” He casually gestured with a finger indicating the building“Many others will want to invest when they will see what we are creating. What's important isn't themoney for now, what's important is cooperation, your cooperation.”
“Even if we agree, you cannot possibly predict the profit this project of yours could make.” the young man continued.
“No, the exact amount can't be known right now. Just imagine all those businesses, all legal, tied together: no competition, all the employees putting their pensions together into an investment fundthat we control. And that is only the part of it under the sunlight!” Don Santi knew he succeeded, they were all hooked, all salivating to the prospect of untold riches, they needed only to be reeled in with a good, decisive pull. He looked in the eyes the youngest of the group and nodded.
“If, this project is solid, I'm in.”
The rest was pure formality.

Everyone wants to be special
Everyone wants to be special: we are raised hearing that we are special, we grow fearing we are not
special and one day we realize we really aren't and start to hope we will be.
We never ask ourselves if being 'special' is something that we really want. There are many kinds of
'special' and most of them aren't exactly 'a good way to be special', in the end what we really want is
a purpose, something to justify our existence, something to reassure us that we mean something.
Let's talk about John Kanisky, he was special: he ended up being the only case in human history of a
disease that never affected anyone else, a disease that is beyond rare and that has not even a name,
he died suffering in atrocious ways.
We could talk of Watanabe Keiichi: he was the first direct victim of an atomic bomb explosion.
We could talk of Roy Sullivan: the man was struck seven times in seven different occasions by
lightnings, the man in recorded history struck more times by the fury of Zeus.
We could list many more special humans that we would not desire to emulate in their specialty: if
we sum the grossly special and the tragically special we would realize that the 'happily special' are
so rare that they defy the concept of 'special' and enter into the concept of 'unique'.
Even our legends and folklore narrate of special people that have lived special existences that were
truly horrific: all the chosen by some god or great spirit lived tragic lives, even mundane heroes
became heroes only because they lived special tragedies and, most of them, became heroes in the
moment of their heroic death.
We know that being special is a good way to earn a great deal of suffering, all our history tells us
this truth yet, we still want to be special. Probably on a subconscious level we realize that life is, in
any case, about suffering and it is way better to suffer to be special than to suffer to be nobody.
The question than is: if we want to be special what about the others?
We look at everyone around us and we know, for a fact, that no one is special. We are driven to
consider those not special in a detrimental way, that is why we have heroes, gods, celebrities... they
are special and they are worthier than the masses, we even call them VIPs: Very Important Persons,
meaning that they are important above the others, in other words that they are important and others
aren't.
Now we usually delude ourselves saying “a special person is more important than those not special”
but, deep inside we know that we can't admit that there is no 'more important': you are important or
you are not, if we were to admit this simple truth we would find ourselves in a very difficult spot, so
we just ignore the logical issue and continue our lives trying to be special without worrying of what
this makes of us on an ethical level.
Someone may say “everyone is special”, a good way to avoid the issue of facing how selfish and
deluded we are, that is like saying “everyone is taller” but, in the first case we would appear to be
very empathetic and kind and altruistic, in the second case we would appear like idiots; to a more
accurate analysis we can realize that both sentences are idiotic in the same way and there is nothing
special in idiocy.
Marina wasn't special and, for a change, she didn't even desire to be special, yet she could be
special.
Marina had an average troubled life, if it had to be written in a book the literary genre would be
'contemporary drama', yet there are billions with far worse lives, nevertheless her life was peculiar
in one aspect: someone, against all odds, noticed her.
Marina could have been created by a random generator, one of those found online, or maybe
spawned by a bored writer without talent: she was raised by her mother, she had a troubled youth,
ended up in the hands of social services, then did some time in a reformatory, then did some school
working double shifts, dropped out of school when her mother got ill, ended up in a strip club, then
in a cat fight club, then in hospital, then her mother died, she was evicted, then she lived on the
streets for a couple of months and finally she started to pay the medical bills of her mother and hers
​
working again double shifts.
She doesn't have friends, worth mentioning, her sentimental life was and is sterile like a desert and
completely meaningless, she drifts through life without expectations, without ambitions, she is a
survivor.
Now the question would be: why talk of her at all? A good question.
As in every good story the protagonist isn't much until something or someone makes him special,
that's usually when the worst begins. For Marina the worst began sometime ago, five years ago to
be precise, when someone was given the task of finding, among the millions living in the area,
someone with the exact profile of Marina.
Marina didn't know that many of her troubles were not of her own making, she didn't know that
someone was making her life even harder, she survived as always.
What will be of her? Once was said that the journey is more important than the destination, I
believe that the journey doesn't mean much until it gets to its intended destination, Marina is in
transit, waiting to reach her unknown destination...
​
The golf club was empty this early in the morning, only 2 men on a course followed by their
caddies. The sun was bright, no clouds on the sky and the grass was still wet from the morning dew
shining a vivid green. In the distance the skyscrapers were like gigantic monoliths of glass
reflecting the blue of the sky and the burning solar globe, a mythic aura surrounded them, a sort of
reminiscent feeling of the lost stone age when wise men raised similar structures inspiring awe and
devotion into the unwise.
“Thank you sir for this game.”
“Don't mention it, I come here every Monday before going to work, I heard you liked golf and I told
myself I could relax and have a chat with a promising man.”
“Well I like the game but I am not exactly good at it...”
“Don't worry! This game is so boring and stupid that the only sport in this is to walk with a stick in
hand while someone else runs around getting the balls.”
The first man was in his thirties, lean, perfectly trimmed, perfect posture, he was an handsome man,
in his eyes a mix of anticipation and fear.
The second man was slightly overweight, almost sixty years old, with a bald patch on his head and
grayish hairs like a bay wreath around his head, he could have played the roman senator in any
movie.
“So how are you faring in the new office?”
“Well sir, when I arrived I expected to be put in some kind of under stair, a closet or such, an office
is an extremely welcome surprise!”
“That office is so small you have to watch what you eat son, put on a few pounds and you will need
a ton of lube to get inside and those two sharing it with you are the kind of people you want to stay
light years away from.”
“Mmm, why should I stay away from them? Not that I have a choice anyway...”
“Because they stink of failure son.” The older man stopped and turned to face the younger one.
“They are paper pushers, they have taken roots inside that moldy office, if you stay too much with
them the stink of mediocrity will stick to you for the rest of your life! I hope you have some
ambition son!”
“Yes sir, I consider myself ambitious...”
“Good!” the older man resumed his walk toward the next course, “Ambition is good, it's what
differentiate man from worms. You have potential.”
“Thank you sir.”
“Your curriculum is spotless, you advanced quickly, so quickly that you had to do dirty things for
sure.” The man placed a ball meticulously, took the club and got into position rising and lowering
​
his eyes between the ball and the hole trying to judge the distance, the wind and the perfect
trajectory to his goal.
“I was only lucky, I always...”
“Don't bullshit me son, I was in your shoes once: you do what you have to do to get on top, to move
up the ladder. If needed you pull down the one above you, you cheat and say the right things, lick
the right ass and if needed you give your ass or mouth to the right person. That is ambition!” The
man stroke the ball with a mighty swing, as to underline his words.
“Well sir, I am here.” The younger man smiled, he was gambling but he was confident.
The older man laughed, his belly vibrating under the shirt.
“Yes you are son.” he patted on the back of the younger man. “Yes you are! Well let's talk of serious
stuff.
You have potential and I know potential when I see it, there's a spot for someone like you, you
aren't like all the others, you are like me! Well you are like me when I was your age, you have a
great distance to cover before you can be like me.
What do you say? Do you want to get to the upper floor?”
The young man placed with care his ball mimicking the older man, he was good at noticing how
people move and talk, how they think and especially what they expect from others.
“Yes sir, I am astonished that I have been noticed so quickly and from a man like yourself.”
“Good, keep at it, I like the feeling of a tongue between my buttocks.” The man laughed “Anyway
tomorrow you get to the upper floor, remember you can do great things if you stick by me, I have
great plans for you if you keep up the good job!”
“Thank you sir.” He stroke the ball with a mighty swing.
​
“I'll split the eights.”
The casino wing of the Faestus was, as always, filled with people playing and throwing away their
fortunes, waitresses moved professionally between the tables and the slot machines bringing trays
with spumante, champagne, wine and cocktails to the customers. The lights of the games and the
electronic sounds mixed with the laughs and cheers of the players were creating the unique concert
typical of the casinos, the air was perfumed with scents specifically and scientifically designed to
excite the mind and push customers to spend more money.
The man was seated at a black jack table, dressed with a fine suite he was in his forties, he was
quite inebriated and his face was red with both excitement and alcohol.
He was the chief analyst of the finance board of a bank: his job was to tell the difference between a
good investment and a bad one, predicting the odds of a gain or a loss, judging were money was
likely going to flow, who was likely to be ruined or become rich, who was worth something and
who was worth nothing, a gambler by trade and vocation.
He had won a premium promotional ticket for a VIP night at the Faestus with five thousand dollars
to spend in the casino. He always believed he was a winner and when the promotional tickets
arrived at the bank he was sure he was going to win and now he was sure he would have left the
Faestus with a good amount of free cash in his pockets.
He had worked hard, endured much, God knows how much money he gained for others, now the
wheel of fortune was turning in his favor, the blind mistress of fate was smiling and he didn't want
to disappoint.
“The dealer goes bust.”
He exploded in a volcanic cheer, from the deepest of his chest his lungs contracted so quickly that
his head felt light and dizzy. He was winning!
“Thank you, I think I'll take a break.”
The man was smiling so much, he couldn't help it: his cheeks were pulling his mouth on their own
volition, he thought to himself 'I must look like an idiot' and the thought made him smile even
harder. He seated on a stool at one of the many bars, waved his premium pass and ordered a
​
Negroni, one last cocktail for the winner, the night was still young and he had already drank a lot,
wouldn't be wise to spoil the night puking his soul in the bathroom.
Two beautiful girls joined him at the bar: they were a mix of sensuality and grace with just the
promise of kinky thoughts in their smiles.
“Hello, what are you drinking?”
“This? A Negroni I believe, I don't know what's inside it but it's good.”
“Well then a Negroni for both of us.”
The bartender quickly served the drinks, the two girls payed in cash with a hundred dollars bill.
“We arrived in town just two days ago, this hotel is fantastic! We still have much to explore but we
would like to see the city too. Are you a local?”
“Yes, I live here. I mean not here in the hotel, in the city...”
“Wonderful! So you can guide us to the local attractions!”
“Uh... Well yes. There is much to see. Were are you from?”
“We are from Russia. Her dad and mine are on a business trip and we tagged along.”
“To dads' business trips then!” He rose his glass to toast.
This truly was his night! Two beautiful girls in search of adventure, a wallet exploding with cash
and a VIP pass for all the extra luxurious facilities of the most exclusive hotel/resort of the city!
​
The night was humid, a light rain was falling on the city, on the cars small pearls of water
shimmered under the city's lights.
Jason was seated on the front passenger seat of his patrol car, his partner driving into the traffic and
chewing an energetic bar.
“You know what? I should ask her out.” Jason's partner was one of those body building zealots,
always on a strict diet and always pumping their muscles, to Jason those kind of people reminded
him of some kind of religious fanatics, fanatics of the Muscle God.
“Why not? She is single, she seems nice enough.”
“Yeah, I thought about it and who cares? Right? What's the worst that could happen? If she says 'no'
it's not going to be the end of the world! I have plenty already to entertain my schwarzie... It's only
that I would love to fuck her you know...”
Jason couldn't care less but, that was his partner and you support your partner, no matter what.
“With your muscles and charms I am sure she will not resist.”
The patrol car waved in and out in the traffic moving quickly into a part of the town were police is
notoriously unwelcome. Hostile gazes followed the car from the sidewalks.
“And here we are...” Jason's partner pulled over in front of a pawn shop.
The shop's window was behind an iron grate, on display various baubles, plates, chinas, even
musical instruments and toys.
The two cops got out of the car and strode toward the entrance.
Jason wasn't a small guy, he was well built and fit but, compared to the amass of muscles of his
partner he appeared almost insignificant.
The door bell rang as the two entered into the shop, rows of scaffoldings filled the small room, the
air was tick with the smell of grease, rubber and dust.
Behind the counter a fat sweaty middle aged bald man raised his head from a clock he was intent
fixing: he had strange glasses on his face with many lenses and what appeared to be some kind of
magnifying apparatus, in his hands small metal tools completed the look of the mad doctor intent
into some kind of terrible experiment on a living and unwilling subject. The man visibly became
paler has he saw the two cops, his sweating increased.
“Good evening my friend.” Jason's partner walked over the counter passing his hand on various
objects on display.
“Hello officers, how may I help you?”
“Timothy you know what we want, it's that day of the month.”
Jason surveyed the room, peeking behind the scaffoldings and the counter to check for trouble,
​
when he was satisfied he started to get a look at the merchandise.
“Already? Sorry I lost track of time...”
“Ha! That is why you are messing with that clock?”
“Oh, yes, exactly... hehehe...” The owner laughter was so strained that probably his conscious brain
was fighting an epic battle against his reptilian brain that was screaming 'RUN!'.
“So, you know the drill, as they say in the army, it is time to pay.”
“Officer... I am... I...”
“Hey Timothy, do I look like I give a fuck? 'I-I-I-I-I am' what the fuck man!”
“Yes, well, I know that I shouldn't but, you see... I have been in a tough spot of late... I was
wondering if I could pay you the next month...”
“Timothy do I look like a charitable man?” Jason's partner grabbed the shirt of Timothy pulling him
over the counter, his strange glasses fell and clanked; meanwhile Jason found something interesting:
a nice big teddy bear of 40cm, his daughter would have loved it.
“Listen officer there's no need to get angry, I'll pay I'll pay!”
“Good.” Jason's partner released the owner that quickly ran to the cash register, fumbling with his
hands he took a handful of bills and trembling he put it on the counter, Jason's partner casually
picked up the ball of cash and pocketed it.
“Wasn't so hard eh? See you next month Timothy.”
“How much for the teddy bear?” Jason was holding the stuffed animal and looked like a normal
customer, both Timothy and his partner had a puzzled look and were looking incredulously.
“What? Can't I buy it?” Jason seemed completely out of place.
“Yes officer, well for you is free, a present you know, thank you.”
“If you insist, thank you Timothy.”
Both cops went back into the patrol car, Jason carefully put the teddy bear on the back seat.
To passersby the scene must have been comical: two cops arresting a giant teddy bear.
“That Timothy is getting bolder and bolder, I don't like it. Next month we need to break a thing or
two, just to remind him his place.”
“I expected you to punch him, better now than later, if he gets the idea we are getting soft things are
going to get ugly.” Jason was distant, in his mind he was already at home giving the teddy bear to
his daughter, he was excited to see his little princess jumping around hugging the stuffed animal.
“Yeah, maybe you are right... well next month... It's nice that bear you know? How's your family
man?”
Jason sighed “Mary is recovering, thank God the therapy is over, the doctors say she will be fine
and she only needs to take a few pills and get checked every six months. My little princess is
growing restless, with her mother feeling better she is now full of energies and almost trying to
recover the time lost with her.”
“I'm happy to hear that partner. I was scared shitless when you told me she had cancer.”
“Yeah... well it's over now, I plan to try to take some vacation from work as soon as she regains her
strength.”
“You do, you need to relax man, you have earned it.”
Jason was finally home: the house wasn't much but was a proper house of a respectable family, the
garden on the front was a little bit wild but soon he would have had time to fix it.
He parked and got out, took the teddy bear and went to the door, he rang the bell and knelt behind
the bear.
The door opened and Lucy froze, her eyelids beating quickly at the unexpected bear, than she
launched herself on the stuffed animal.
“Daddy!”
Jason hugged both the bear and his daughter and rose on his feet: “My sweet special princess!”
​
The SUV was moving fast, the woosh of passing streetlights was the only sound.
Mr. Costanzo was seated in the passenger seat, thinking, remembering. It was unusual for him to
​
dwell on the past, he was a man of action not a reflexive type, yet in the last few months he had
been so busy that his brain was now finding some relax in his memories.
He came from an humble family, grew in a difficult neighbourhood and risked a couple of times to
end up in jail, the call to serve in the military had been a blessing: he learned discipline and found
structure, when the time came he decided to stay and joined the special forces, there his nature
wasn't a flaw but a resource, they nurtured his aggressiveness and taught him so much.
After his first tour of duty on foreign soil he distinguished himself and was promoted and decorated,
after the second one he was politely asked to resign to avoid issues with the press and public
opinion after some ugly necessary operations.
As soon as he arrived back home he immediately found work for a local family and again his skills
and nature made him the top killer around. One day he received a work offer from a big shark and
since then his life changed, he now was a supernatural killer, one of the best.
He was shot at countless times, he was stabbed, beaten but, he never surrendered, he never took
anything personally, was just part of his life to be a target for someone, the life of a predator is
about killing or be killed, everything he was, everything he had he gained it through excellency in
one of the oldest arts of humanity: murder.
He once taught that he was wrong, some kind of monster or nature's mistake, with time he realized
that nature had put a lot of effort to forge him, evolution gave him the tools to excel and he
embraced his gifts. Civilized hypocrites shun those like him, they call them psychos, deranged but,
when they were needed to protect the weak, to kill to protect the weak, they became heroes, after
civilization used those heroes they quickly locked them away. Not him though. He found someone
that appreciated his gifts, his skills and even gave him tools to improve them.
This war was exciting, intriguing, so many enemies, so many dangers, so many chances to excel, to
do what he was born to do.

Sunday:
NORTHWEST:
· 1. Motorola Solutions sells remaining land in Schaumburg to Chicago-based UrbanStreet Group (Daily Herald)
· 2. Huntley Community School District 158 to provide Chromebooks for all high school students (Daily Herald)
· 3. Drunk driver hits motorcycle, injuring rider on Route 47 near Woodstock (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 4. Additions to three Elgin Area Unit School District U-46 elementary schools to be ready for school Aug. 17 (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 5. Fox River Initiative asks Kane County Board to fund programs that divert mentally ill from jail to treatment, expand police training (Daily Herald)
· 6. Aurora real-estate broker launches business that gives to charity that supports parents whose children pass away (Daily Herald)
· 7. Mother, daughter killed in three-vehicle crash on Grand Avenue near Bensenville (CBS 2)
· 8. World Relief DuPage Aurora allows 100 immigrants into citizenship clinic (Chicago Tribune)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 9. Inmate found dead Saturday morning in Crown Point's Kimbrough Center (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 10. Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission installs its own electric-car-charging station, part of 159-station chain (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 11. Lowell official calls for changes to how Lake County maps TIF districts, which may include properties that towns don't know about (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 12. Hobart denies resident's request for kennel license, but that doesn't stop her from trap-spay-release of feral cats on her 1.5-acre property (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 13. Merrillville officials to look into crime, suspicious activities at recently-reopened Deluxe Inn (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 14. Lowell gets second try at funding for solar-energy project at its sewage-treatment plant (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 15. Portage Police Department accepting applications for probationary patrol officers through Sept. 7 (Northwest Indiana Times)
Monday:
NORTH:
· 16. Eastbound Hawley Street in Mundelein reopened after construction (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 17. Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy in Glenview expands offerings to include EMS, police, public works training (Chicago Tribune/Skokie Review)
· 18. Illinois Attorney General settles lawsuit against Barrington Mobil station over January gasoline spill for $20,000 (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 18. Bridgeview-based used-car dealer Midway Autohaus considering location in Sleepy Hollow (Daily Herald)
· 20. Dundee Township Park District's first spray park opens in West Dundee (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 21. Chicago Cubs' second baseman Addison Russell to appear at Addison Goodwill store on Monday, Aug. 8 (CBS 2)
· 22. Anti-slavery organization SOS Enclaves addresses African slavery during event at Islamic Center of Naperville (Daily Herald)
· 23. Founders of PrivateBancorp return to Chicago area to take up positions with Aurora-based Old Second National Bank (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 24. Homeowners in Naperville subdivision claim mist from retention pond is toxic and making them sick (ABC 7)
· 25. Confrontation between motorcyclist, truck driver caught on camera in Aurora (ABC 7)
· 26. Illinois Department of Employment Security: Former College of DuPage controller deserves unemployment benefits (Chicago Tribune)
· 27. Schaumburg motorcyclist killed in crash while trying to pass a turning car near Sugar Grove (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 28. OSHA cites UPS facility in Addison for death of worker from Lansing in February (Chicago Sun-Times)
SOUTHWEST:
· 29. Truck from Channahon-based Allstar Trucking involved in deadly crash on I-80 near Ottawa (ABC 7)
SOUTH:
· 30. Man in custody following robbery of Manhattan gun shop (New Lenox Patch)
· 31. Calumet City approves $60 million budget, roughly $3.7 million decrease from 2016 budget (Northwest Indiana Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 32. LaPorte County Planning Commission OKs permit to build 4-acre lake to man with contract to sell sand being removed from land (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 33. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducting more-thorough investigation of lead contamination at East Chicago housing complex (CBS 2)
· 34. East Chicago City Councilman Juda Parks resigns, won't fight Lake County judge's decree that city employees can't also hold elected positions (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 35. Griffith man sentenced to 2 years in prison for his part in 'card-cracking' bank fraud scheme (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 36. Public-safety agencies are now using drones to monitor fires, search for suspects (WBBM AM 780)
· 37. Illinois Secretary of State to resume mailing out license-plate renewal notices (Northwest Indiana Times)
Tuesday:
NORTH:
· 38. One person dead, one wounded in shooting outside North Chicago gas station (Chicago Tribune/Lake County News-Sun)
· 39. New Trier High School graduate Charlie Tilson traded to Chicago White Sox, eager to play at U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago Tribune/Winnetka Talk)
· 40. Evanston removes rules, fees on taxis to level the playing field with Uber, Lyft (Chicago Tribune/Evanston Review)
· 41. Buffalo Creek Brewing LLC has eyes on former Long Grove art gallery for new brewery (Daily Herald)
· 42. Waukegan hires Maryland artist to create sculpture honoring science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury (Daily Herald)
· 43. Panera Bread to replace Pizza Hut location in Mundelein (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 44. Barrington motorcyclist killed in southern Wisconsin after trying to pass a truck in a no-passing zone (Daily Herald)
· 45. Arlington Heights considering hiking stormwater fee to pay for $40 million sewer project designed to alleviate flooding issues (Daily Herald)
· 46. Lake Zurich High School to have lacrosse team this coming school year ahead of state sanctioning in 2018 (Daily Herald)
· 47. Switzerland, San Francisco investment firms to jointly buy Rolling Meadows office building leased mainly to Capital One Financial (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 48. Des Plaines dentist settles lawsuit for $675,000 after dropping sharp object down Hoffman Estates man's throat during root-canal procedure (CBS 2)
· 49. Arlington Heights man charged with shooting his wife to death while she held the couple's 1-year-old baby (CBS 2)
· 50. Chicago man arrested, charged with residential burglary that occurred July 29 in Des Plaines (FOX 32)
· 51. Elgin Community College gets grant to help low-income, minority, first-generation immigrant students continue education (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 52. St. Charles City Council questions economic return of $526,000 payment to Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau (Daily Herald)
· 53. Hillside Fire Department responds to hazardous-materials situation along Mannheim Road (ABC 7)
· 54. WalletHub places Aurora as 103rd best city in which to flip a house (NBC 5)
· 55. Victims, families decry reinstatement of Aurora volleyball coach accused of sexual abuse of teens (ABC 7)
· 56. Windows of Naperville chiropractor's office shot out with BB guns over weekend (FOX 32)
· 57. Naperville man admits lying about not having been a member of Chinese Community Party in order to get immigration granted (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 58. New trail for Hidden Lake Forest Preserve near Downers Grove tied to improvements at Route 53 and Butterfield Road (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
· 59. Ikea, Samsung leasing industrial space at CenterPoint Intermodal Center near Joliet/Elwood (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 60. Alsip settles sexual-harassment lawsuit filed by former village treasurer against mayor for $120,000 (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
· 61. Bolingbrook police: Teen allegedly shot to death by Chicago police was driving a car stolen from Bolingbrook (Chicago Tribune)
SOUTH:
· 62. Federal prosecutors subpoena Lincoln-Way High School District 210's e-mails involving ex-superintendent, certain board members (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
· 63. Four people arrested after home invasion and armed robbery in Matteson turns into barricade situation (NBC 5)
· 64. Police: One person in custody after Lansing woman beaten to death in domestic dispute (Chicago Tribune)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 65. New Portage High School coach has shorter commute from Valparaiso than to his previous jobs (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 66. St. John Town Council removes member of Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals based on his registration as Democrat and his voting as Republican (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 67. Gary resident claims she was kicked out of Family Dollar store because of her Muslim clothing (ABC 7)
· 68. Crown Point to focus on getting new police station; new City Hall put on back burner (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 69. Merrillville-based Polycon Industries to hire 100 new employees after $15 million expansion is complete (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 70. Crown Point man convicted of illegally voting in Hebron after 2012 move (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 71. Municipalities' social-media policies place controls on public discussions (Chicago Tribune/Naperville Sun)
· 72. With 594 reported deaths, Illinois on pace to have more than 1,000 traffic fatalities in 2016 (WBBM AM 780)
Wednesday:
NORTH:
· 73. Evanston residents, cyclists at odds over narrowing of streets with the addition of bike lanes (Chicago Tribune/Evanston Review)
· 74. Speechwriter for former GOP Presidential candidate Jeb Bush sworn in as Grayslake village trustee (Daily Herald)
· 75. Victim of domestic abuse, seen being beat in Antioch bar, left with questions even after the man who attacked her is in prison (CBS 2)
· 76. Chicago Bears to have public practice at Warren Township High School in Gurnee on Aug. 20 (NBC 5)
· 77. Wilmette native Charlie Tilson, new Chicago White Sox center fielders, out for season with hamstring injury (CBS 2)
NORTHWEST:
· 78. Cream Bar Ice Cream Sandwiches to open shop in former Red Mango site at Streets of Woodfield in Schaumburg in late August (Daily Herald)
· 79. Headstone found in Arlington Heights back yard returned to Inverness cemetery (Daily Herald)
· 80. Laser Center to build manufacturing facility in Schaumburg (Daily Herald)
· 81. Neighbors upset that Schaumburg resident gets to keep 30-foot trailer in driveway; village says there's no ordinance prohibiting it (CBS 2)
· 82. Schaumburg look for shirtless man wants in connection with business burglary who may also have been responsible for another burglary in Elk Grove Village (FOX 32)
· 83. Black family from Mount Prospect wins lawsuit against white neighbor over racially-motivated harassment (Chicago Tribune)
· 84. Carpentersville Walmart refunds tax overcharges during first 11 days of store's operation (Chicago Tribune/Elgin Courier-News)
· 85. Owner of Rolling Meadows Walmart indicted on charges of bank fraud related to a mortgage scam run while he operated an Elmhurst mortgage company (Daily Herald)
· 86. Elgin Area Unit School District U-46, Geneva Unit School District 302 sign deal allowing joint swimming, diving teams at South Elgin High (Daily Herald)
· 87. Hanover Park Village Board appoints deputy police chief to top-cop post (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 88. USPS semi strikes SUV on Route 83 in Elmhurst, hospitalizing two people (Chicago Tribune)
· 89. Naperville police looking for man, naked except for a baseball cap, who got out of an SUV in front of a 15-year-old girl near the Prairie Path (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 90. Hispanic man sought in robbery of Elmwood Park bank (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 91. St. Charles-based Pheasant Run Resort abandons plans for houses, intends to build stores on property following fight with DuPage Airport Authority (Daily Herald)
· 92. Subsidiary of Toronto-based insurance company buys Oak Park apartment building for about $68 million (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 93. Aurora man charged with murder in shooting at Latin American Club (Chicago Tribune/Aurora Beacon-News)
· 94. Woman files lawsuit against driver, driver's employer over July 16 crash that killed both her parents on I-290 near Elmhurst (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 95. Naperville man arrested after his mother reports finding items stolen during recent vehicle burglaries (Daily Herald)
· 96. Graue Mill in Oak Brook reopens for the season (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
· 97. Man struck and killed by freight train in Blue Island (Chicago Tribune)
· 98. Evergreen Park man sentenced to 3 years in prison for reckless homicide after he struck and killed a German tourist in Chicago (CBS 2)
· 99. 50-year-old Oswego man charged with felony stalking of Naperville teen (Daily Herald)
SOUTH:
· 100. Grandfather dies after he and grandson pulled from pool in Lansing (CBS 2)
· 101. Man pleads guilty to two counts of aggravated DUI in crash that killed two parents, injured three children; sentenced to 15 years in prison (Chicago Sun-Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 102. Group looks to build multi-agency training facility similar to Glenview, Ill.-based Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Academy in Valparaiso (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 103. Indiana Department of Natural Resources releases $1.3 million in funds to improve lakes and streams throughout state, including Lake Michigan (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 104. Michigan City Common Council approves $5,000 annual scholarships for high school graduates funded by casino revenues (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 105. Lake Station man in prison for dealing drugs is among 214 people whose sentences were commuted Wednesday by President Barack Obama (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 106. LaPorte County Board decides to enforce 12-ton truck-weight limit on roads connected to sand-pit site that commissioners previously gave permission to operate (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 107. Taxpayers in 70 school districts footing bill for $4 million to send more than 3,000 teachers back to college (Daily Herald)
· 108. Illinois sets first-ever hunting/trapping regulations for bobcats, but northeastern Illinois is off limits (Chicago Sun-Times)
Thursday
NORTH:
· 109. Smithsonian's National Museum hopes skeleton of Glenview scientist who died 150 years ago will reveal his cause of death (Chicago Tribune)
· 110. Man shot in both legs during attempted robbery in Skokie; suspects at large (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 111. American lotuses return to bloom in Chain O' Lakes (Daily Herald)
· 112. Riverside police catch abused dog after resident reports animal outside their gate (CBS 2)
· 113. Man settles lawsuit alleging Fox Lake Police harassed him in Gliniewicz case (Chicago Tribune)
· 114. Light the Lamp Brewery in Grayslake plans expansion, move to 100-year-old building (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 115. Park Ridge Public Library considers allowing Maine Township High School District 207 teachers to get library cards, even if they don't live in the city (Daily Herald)
· 116. Hanover Park Runners group hopes to encourage community to run every week (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 117. Cook County judge appoints Kane County State's Attorney as special prosecutor in Laquan McDonald murder case (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 118. Kane County State's Attorney working to implement decriminalization of marijuana possession (Daily Herald)
· 119. Burr Ridge lake mysteriously drains in hours, leaving residents angry and confused (ABC 7)
· 120. Former Wheaton College student sentenced to 6 months in jail for secretly videotaping female students inside college-owner apartment building (ABC 7)
· 121. 19-year-old Auroran cited for driving while drugged in fatal Oct. 2015 crash on I-88 near Downers Grove (FOX 32)
· 122. Plainfield man charged with inappropriate contact with a child at Hinsdale Oasis (FOX 32)
· 123. Lombard Village Board considers raising restaurant tax, eliminate taxi-subsidy program to fill estimated $1.6 million budget deficit (Daily Herald)
· 124. Naperville collects 128 designs for new city flag; winner to be announced Nov. 4 at TEDx Naperville (Daily Herald)
· 125. Elmhurst couple jailed for wife's alleged sexual assault of a minor, husband's attempt to dissuade or bribe victim out of testifying (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
· 126. Authorities search for boyfriend of woman shot to death in Country Club Hills (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
· 127. Jailed ex-Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson sues village to get police pension back (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 128. Gear from Romeoville-based Isovac Products in place for use during Rio de Janeiro Olympics (Chicago Tribune)
SOUTH:
· 129. Harvey man charged with murder in infant's shaking death three years ago (Chicago Tribune)
· 130. Man who assaulted Lake County, Ind., police officers near Shelby, Ind., facing extradition to Illinois to face charge of murdering Lansing woman (Northwest Indiana Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 131. Gary Dollar Express issues apology after clerk kicked Muslim woman out of store for wearing hijab and niqab (ABC 7)
· 132. Crown Point Little League team to compete in Cal Ripkin Majo60 World Series on Aug. 13 in Florida (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 133. Indiana Court of Appeals rules that police must get warrant to obtain cell-phone location data (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 134. Illinois Department of Public Health reports 46 cases of Zika virus in state; eight are pregnant women (CBS 2)
· 135. Boston-based Drizly to expand alcohol-delivery platform to Arlington Heights, Barrington, Crystal Lake and Norridge (Chicago Tribune)
· 136. Victims of fiery crash on I-80 near Ottawa include man from Warrenville, couple from Highland, Ind. (Northwest Indiana Times)
Friday:
NORTH:
· 137. Lincolnwood gun shop/shooting range gets permit to open under court order (Chicago Tribune)
· 138. Virtual-reality roller coaster 'Demon' scheduled to debut Aug. 13 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee (NBC 5)
· 139. Deerfield couple, son to appear in court on charges related to domestic incident that injured three police officers (Chicago Tribune/Deerfield Review)
· 140. Lincolnshire working with Stevenson High School graduate on new village logo, municipal-marketing project (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 141. Longtime Maine Township trustee takes over for retired township highway commissioner (Daily Herald)
· 142. Man sues Palatine pet daycare facility for allegedly losing his dog (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 143. Schaumburg man who challenged village's treehouse ordinance removes structure, tree to get $100 fine dismissed (Daily Herald)
· 144. Commuters will be able to pay via mobile app at Fox River Grove Metra lot beginning Aug. 15 (Daily Herald)
· 145. Work on Arlington Heights' north parking garage completed (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 146. Illinois Attorney General investigating whether Aurora Public Library Board illegally discussed budget cuts, reduction in operating hours, layoffs in closed session (Chicago Tribune/Aurora Beacon-News)
· 147. Motorcyclist killed in crash on Randall Road in Batavia (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 148. Rosemont hotel evacuated after fire breaks out; firefighters find 'suspicious materials' inside room where blaze broke out (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 149. York High School cross-country coach Joe Newton to retire at end of 2016-17 school year (Daily Herald)
· 150. Naperville police arrest four people during reverse-prostitution sting (FOX 32)
· 151. Glendale Heights couple found dead in home, likely of carbon-monoxide poisoning (FOX 32)
· 152. Kane County Health Department reports 3 cases of Zika virus from travel (Chicago Tribune/Elgin Courier-News)
· 153. Downers Grove village attorney: Sandack's resignation from Legislature had nothing to due with his role at state representative (Chicago Sun-Times)
SOUTHWEST:
· 154. Patients at Palos Heights-based Palos Community Hospital relocated after construction workers let bat inside (ABC 7)
SOUTH:
· 155. Monee mayor charged with aggravated battery for punching ump during July game (NBC 5)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 156. Jury convicts Portage teen in 2014 shooting death of Portage man (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 157. Pure Cravings Paleo Meals offers prepackaged meals out of Crown Point (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 158. Former Merrillville Dollar Tree manager accused of robbing former employer with help of two Gary men (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 159. Illinois governor signs bill into law allowing 17-year-olds who turn 18 before the general election to vote in primaries (ABC 7)
Saturday:
NORTH:
· 160. Deer Park considers applying for grant to renovate, beautify D'Angelo Park (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 161. McHenry man turns himself in after sheriff's police raid his house, find heroin and scales (FOX 32)
· 162. Child struck by van while walking between O'Hare International Airport Terminal 1 and Hilton Hotel (ABC 7)
· 163. Judge dismisses felony official misconduct charges against former McHenry County coroner, whose office didn't bury two dead babies (Chicago Tribune)
· 164. Chicago man killed in forklift accident at Des Plaines warehouse (Chicago Sun-Times)
WEST:
· 165. Campton Hills looking to temp agency to fill village administrator's post (Daily Herald)
· 166. DuPage County Board ponders spending $282,000 on lobbyists in Springfield (Daily Herald)
· 167. Make-A-Wish Foundation gives Oak Park teen, who underwent three heart surgeries as an infant, a trip to Rio de Janeiro Olympics (NBC 5)
SOUTH:
· 168. Lansing-based Sunnybrook Elementary School District 171 sees only half the expected number of kindergartners enrolled as predicted (Northwest Indiana Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 169. Hammond woman killed by gun that discharged inside the car she was riding in (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 170. Valparaiso looking to buy Moose Lodge property, to build civic center there (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 171. Bureau of Motor Vehicles asks Indiana residents to vote for new license-plate design before Sept. 5 (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 172. Three local residents hope to establish hockey rink in Hobart (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 173. Suburbs turn attention to dead, dying trees on private properties, threatening or imposing fines to get homeowners to get rid of them (Chicago Tribune)

(My apologies for taking so long on this chapter. Work got busy, and I had so many little ideas I wanted to incorporate that I had to take my time working them in with being too confusing. Anyway, enjoy Part 2 of my SMERSH trilogy, one more to go!)
The streets of Hong Kong. Countless people fill the sidewalks, moving along. A man darts out of the crowd and down a quiet alley. A Chinese woman eyes the alley and speaks into her bracelet. The man loses himself in another crowd. He touches his ear as he says (in a British accent): “Repeat. This is brass farthing looking to deposit in the bank. Is the vault open?” The British man looks around desperately, then runs along, only to reveal a Chinese man immediately behind him watching the British man run. The British man arrives at a quiet apartment building and rings one of the bells, running inside when the buzzer sounds. The man walks to a particular door and knocks. Another Chinese man opens the door cautiously: “We thought you’d been compromised. Get in, hurry.” The British man walks past the reception desk into an office. But as he passes, we see a pair of feet sticking out from behind the desk. As the British man walks into another office, the door seals behind him and gas pours in through the vents. We see the other man standing outside the door as we hear the thud of the British man passing out: “Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west.”
Darkness. A big, rusty, metal door creaks open and three men enter the light; one in a lab coat, two in military uniforms. The man with the lab coat points off to the side, “Him.” The other two men open a cell door and drag out a tattered man. It is the British man from Hong Kong. The soldiers follow the lead man down a hallway, around several turns of some dank, nameless place. The man in the lab coat stops and opens a door, which leads into a medical examination room. In the center of the room is an examination table, and standing over the table is Klebb. “Hello 00. You know who I am, so you should have some idea what’s in store.”
The scene cuts to Bond in the shower at home in the midst of his usual routine: there is a lot of steam pouring over the room, but Bond then twists the knob and the water becomes ice cold. Bond steps out, dries off, and does some basic exercises on the floor of his room as May, his housekeeper yells that his breakfast is ready.
Back in the dingy room, the man responds: “I won’t answer any of your questions, so stop wasting your time and mine!”
“Ah, brave and to the point. Don’t I at least get name, rank, and serial number anymore? I miss the protocols of the old days.”
“My name is Lt. Cmmr. David Eden, number-”
“Double oh five.” The man is stunned. “Thank you for confirming, David. I don’t trust intelligence reports, they don’t satisfy me so much as what I can get face-to-face. This is so much more personal, tangible,…visceral.”
The scene revisits Bond, driving on his way to the office. He looks bored, groaning to himself, complaining that there is probably still a week’s worth of paperwork in his inbox. How he wishes something would happen soon.
The other men begin strapping 005 to the table while Klebb pulls down a large round lamp that hangs above it. Attached all along the perimeter of the lamp are several tools, some with bizarrely curved blades, some with electrical cables coming out the end, others are tubes of various colored chemicals. Klebb stands over the trembling 005: “Let me know if it becomes too much, my dear. Unfortunately, I don’t have any questions for you at the moment.”
“But then, why are you doing this?!?”
“Please David, I should have mentioned that I don’t like to be interrupted while I’m working. Now, Nikolai. Number 47.” One of the men pulls an electrical devices and a colored syringe from the side of the lamp.
Bond shuffles through the forms on his desk, clearly looking to procrastinate. He looks up and catches the eye of a colleague opposite him: “3! Where’s 5? Any news on his latest assignment to Singapore?” 003 shrugs his shoulders: “He hasn’t checked in for several days. M will probably get the itch for one of us to follow up sooner or later.”
Back in the dingy room. “One of your colleagues recently dispatched a few of our operatives in the Caribbean and the United States. The problem is, his file is never kept in the usual place like where yours is. He must be on active duty eternally. Our Chief Executioner got a good look at him, but we need a name to go with the face.”
Klebb gently caresses 005′s hair. 005 drained of all will, looks pleadingly to Klebb, who asks: “I want a name.”
The cuts back to Bond at his desk while we hear 005′s response: “Bond, James Bond.”
Cue a sexy title sequence.
G sits at the head of a table, surrounded with men and women; some in military uniform, others in suits. G has called a meeting of all departments of SMERSH. G begins by mentioning SMERSH has successfully reasserted its presence in the world, and despite a few setbacks, has accomplished its initial goals. “That said, although President Velichin engineered this organization’s resurrection, the political importance of deniability has severed any and all oversight beyond anyone in this room. It is crucial that from this point on, that we resist any outside influence. We are now more than an agency within an agency; we are a shadow nation within a nation, and this is our opportunity to be a power unto ourselves.”
One man at the table jumps to his feet: “General, how can we possibly do this? We are still accountable to our country even if we are unsupervised!” G responds that if SMERSH is to have the greatest possible impact, it must embrace its independence. Undeterred, the man worries that SMERSH risks turning itself into a state-sponsored version of SPECTRE and would invite brutal suppression from the leadership. Everyone at the table mumbles concern. G holds up his hands and tries to reassure them that he is no Blofeld. G reminds everyone that SPECTRE’s numerous cyberattacks on Russia’s most prominent businessmen, and attempted assassinations of the president’s closest advisors necessitated SMERSH’s return to defend Russia. But, G warns, most of the original agents of SMERSH were killed on the whims of Stalin and Khrushchev. SMERSH must internalize a lesson of the Cold War that its predecessor failed to appreciate: in espionage, the war is fought in countless small engagements, and losses must be, to some extent, tolerated. A minor setback one day may well lay the groundwork for a larger victory the next. Therefore, a degree of independence is crucial to protect themselves from a fickle political class. “Between the sword that hangs above our heads and the phantoms which threaten to strike from the shadows, we must be like a great fire that dispels the shadows and burns anyone who would touch us carelessly.”
G asks for each department’s representatives to report on past and current operations. Department III (Administration & Finance): Zolata Goldfinger stands and delivers a report on SMERSH’s accounts. She confirms that SMERSH is now financially independent based on the success of operations around the globe. Goldfinger recites a list of how much profit various enterprises netted in different countries throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Goldfinger mentions a new opportunity to undermine Britain has come to her attention. She requests permission to asses the sleeper’s idea and provide support if it sounds viable. G grants the request, contingent on Kronsteen’s review. Department IV (Investigations): a uniformed officer stands and reports on the failure of the Thunderstorm Initiative’s operation in the Americas. After investigating the matter, the officer concluded that the agent on detail from Fan Jian Ji, Dr. No, failed to secure classified documents and then fled to the United States, blowing the cover of our sleeper agent, Mr. Big. Although Mr. Big expected the British agent, Dr. No’s failures and the agent’s own cunning disrupted Big’s plans and undermined the operation. G notes that he will voice his displeasure to their Chinese partners personally. Department I (Counterintelligence): Rosa Klebb stands and reports on the information she has obtained from the captured British agent. According to 005, the British agent who killed Mr. Big was James Bond, 007. 007 should not be taken lightly, though he does possess certain weaknesses in his addiction to alcohol and women, and a rejection of authority, likely grounded in a cynicism and exhuastion from his long history in the field. Department II (Operations & Executions): Vladek Kronsteen stands and reports that Grant’s previous observation of Bond make him well-suited to continue following him through whatever his next mission may be. G tells Kronsteen that without knowing Bond’s next mission, especially since the loss of their mole in their Jamaican station, it will be difficult to send Grant after him. Instead, Grant will be kept on stand-by until Bond is sighted. G stops himself, “Better yet, put Grant on intelligence duties. This business of cleaning out jails every full moon is attracting unwanted attention. Have Grant assist Major Goldfinger until told otherwise.” Department V (Judgment): a man stands and reports that all judgments have been executed, except for the matter of the British spy in custody. G replies nonchalantly: “Our name sums up the sentence adequately…death to spies.”
Back at MI6, Bond receives a call from Moneypenny to come up to M’s office. Bond practically leaps from behind his desk, eager for the possibility of action after weeks of paperwork. Bond greets Moneypenny and Tanner, but moves to Moneypenny’s desk. He pulls out a single gardenia from his jacket and offers it to Moneypenny, noting that the flower means good luck and the hope that her call will bring him a little more fun. Tanner yanks the flower out of Bond’s hand, telling him that he has more to do with deciding Bond’s next mission than Moneypenny, and on that note, he would prefer if Bond brought him carnations instead. Moneypenny jokes to Tanner that he will be waiting a long time before he gets anything from James, she can attest to that.
Tanner leads Bond into M’s office. M tells Bond that SMERSH persists in various counterintelligence operations around the world, but nothing on a particularly large scale since he defeated Mr. Big. Tanner adds that unfortunately there isn’t much MI6 can do because SMERSH has popped up in countries hostile to British assistance. Much of the world has become less collaborative, especially since the fallout over Nine Eyes, and Britain’s general geopolitical disengagement over the last few years has made our job that much more difficult. M groans that Special Branch has had to close several stations, including Station G (Greece), Station M (Morocco), and Station I (India). Therefore unless SMERSH decides to be courteous and operate in a country that isn’t trying to handle its intelligence work alone, we may not be able to respond.
Bond asks if there is any update on 005′s work in Singapore. M looks down at his desk. Tanner informs Bond there are not many leads. The last report from 005 was a message to the local station chief in Hong Kong several weeks ago: “Fan Jian Ji”. Bond says that phrase sounds familiar. M says that it is one the Thirty-Six Strategems, specifically “Let the enemy’s own spy sow discord in the enemy camp.” “SMERSH?”, Bond asks. Tanner responds that it is unlikely: “Russia would not operate so deep in China’s sphere. 005 was looking into recent acts of sabotage and the disappearance of high-profile figures in Taiwan and Hong Kong. We think the Chinese have set up their own incarnation of SMERSH operating throughout southeast Asia, only we know nothing about it.”
Bond leans forward: “Sir, I volunteer to look into this. 005 was a good friend.”
M interjects: “Absolutely not, 007. After that business across the pond, and God knows what happened to 005, you are in heightened danger. I am reassigning you until we can be sure SMERSH is not targeting you specifically. Until then, your very presence puts anything near you in jeopardy.” Bond edges his chair back, as though doing so would keep M from catching Bond’s germs. M harrumphs: “Tanner, give him the details of Operation Sherwood.”
Tanner knocks Bond upside the head with the file. “Right. James, we’re sending you to Belfast. It’s no secret that some of the countries within the U.K. have been more vocal lately about strengthening their ties to the Continent, while the rest of Britain takes a step back. Not really our business, except whenever these grumblings get in the news, there is increased chatter picked up out of Russia. More concerning still, when Northern Ireland discussed reunification, there was a massive spike.”
M picks up the briefing: “If Northern Ireland leaves, Ireland would have to completely rebuild their intelligence infrastructure to include the new territory, and we would have to completely reset how we operate there.”
Bond realizes the threat: “And time devoted to reorganizing is the sort of distraction that allows moles to infiltrate a reunified Ireland, or at least harass us from much, much closer.”
M nods and hands Bond a folder: “Precisely. You’re booked on the next plane out. Your contact served as a loyalist during the Troubles in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. A dangerous police force to serve in. Badly injured in a bombing, lost his memory for a time, given less active duties in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. But he’s climbed the ladder quite a bit since then.”
Bond reads the name on the file: “Hugo Drax. Seems agreeable. What are we looking to obtain from him?”
“This won’t be as hopeless a mission as your interview with Tanaka in Japan. But it isn’t far off either. Though we need to prepare for the loss of Northern Ireland, we really have no sense of how much they want to stay friendly. Your job is to lay the groundwork for future intelligence cooperation in the event of reunification, and assess whether the opposition is trying to get its foot in the door. If that is the case…”
“It will be slammed firmly shut.”
Bond flies into Belfast, taking in the scenary as he drives to his hotel. Bond checks in and unpacks his luggage, while also checking the room for bugs. Bond heads back to the lobby, and asks a concierge how to get to a particular pub. While the concierge gives directions, Grants enters the lobby and walks past. In a strange incident of fate, neither man notices the other.
Bond makes his way to the selected pub, grumbling to himself how he’s supposed to make contact and it’s not supposed to draw attention to himself. Bond walks in the door and sits at the bar, under the watchful gaze of many locals at the surrounding tables. The bartender asks Bond what he can get for him. Bond sighs, and orders a shot of Jameson and Bailey’s and a pint of Guinness. The bartender glowers at Bond, muttering: “feckin’ englishmen.” A hard tap on the shoulder tells Bond someone else overheard the drink order. Bond turns around to see himself face to chest with a large man. “Fancy yerself a comedian, eh?” Another in the crowd shouts: “Probably another ambassador of goodwill!” The first man picks Bond off the ground by his shirt, “That’s too bad, because you’ll get none here.” The man pulls one arm back, drammatically preparing to deliver a hard punch. Bond quickly slashes at the inner elbow of the man’s other arms and breaks free. Bond then grabs the man’s arm and twists it around him, dislocating the man’s shoulder. As the man howls in pain, others slowly stand, ready for a brawl.
“That’s enough boys, it’s alright he’s with me.” The crowd stands back apprehensively and Drax steps forward. Drax looks at the man on the floor, who is rubbing his shoulder: “You’re alright Connor, aren’t ya?” Connor gruffly mumbles affirmation and walks back to his table, where there is another man eyeing Bond suspiciously. Drax holds out his hand to Bond, “Nice to meet you, Bond. I was hoping you’d stick to the contact code.”
“Yes, I spent the walk over trying to figure out if there was anything more offensive you could have had me say. How did either of our services agree to that?”
“Oh now, just having a bit of craic. I think your people assumed we were trying to see just how far we could push you, and my people wanted to find out if you’d really do it.” Drax takes Bond’s drinks, dropping the shot glass into the beer, and guzzles it. Bond notices a tattoo on Drax’s forearm. While Bond orders a new drink, Drax mentions it’s from a street gang he belonged to as a boy, and how that was the only way to keep safe growing up in a rough neighborhood. Gesturing to an out of the way table, Bond and Drax sit down. Bond notices the man across from Connor still staring at him, seemingly sizing Bond up. Drax talks about the current state of intelligence coordination and the problem that a reunited Ireland may be less cooperative with England as it reassesses its trust in other “companies”. Drax says they would have to rebuild the entire operation from scratch since Ireland would be incorporating Northern Ireland, yet they would be suspicious of intelligence officers who worked for Britain. All the more reason for Britain to get itself a better reputation amonf the locals. Bond nods, “Sometimes it’s because someone is our friend that we mistrust them more than an enemy.”
Bond notices the man still watching them. Drax looks over and says the man is Risico Ó Gallchobhair, “Former soldier for the Irish National Liberation Army and if you’re to believe what’s written on paper: an officer in An Garda Síochána.”
“Risico? That’s not an Irish name I recognize.”
“He’s only half Irish, the rest is Dutch. His name is supposedly Dutch for ‘a reckless venture’. Perhaps his mother knew all too well what life had in store for him.”
“What sort of life?”
Drax tells Risico’s story. Risico grew up in the same neighborhood as Drax, but they only knew each other through other acquaintances. But he was a bad seed. Risico was feared by everyone, he could wither the boldest man with a stare. Pets often went missing on his block. One night he got into an argument with a local cop at the store. The owner deescalated the situation and made Risico leave, but the next morning, some boys found the cop in the street in front of the police station with his throat cut. Soon after, Risico vanished. No one knew what happened, but no one worried he was gone. Missing, but not missed. A few years later we saw his picture in the paper after a bombing, he had joined the Irish National Liberation Army. A professional killer. After the peace, he joined An Garda Síochána, ascending the ranks as some kind of great investigator. I don’t know what he does, but he reeks. Whenever I see him, I keep a close eye on him. He seems to treat me the same. A silent, uneasy understanding.
Drax tells Bond Risico is bad, and that Risico has been in Belfast more frequently in the past few months. Bond suggests there is some kind of operation in the works. Drax agrees, but asks what the Irish Republic would do. Bond says it may not be Ireland, Risico may have a new employer from “overseas”. Drax looks very serious: “What? I just meant I think he’s still a political assassin. You know, ‘you can take the solider out of the war, but you can’t take the war out of the soldier.’”
Bond looks over at Risico across the bar, then turns back to Drax, but not before taking in a beautiful woman who just sat down at the bar, Goldinger. Bond’s gaze stops on her for a moment before finally facing Drax again: “I think he’s found a new war. Where does he stay when he’s here in Belfast?” Drax tells Bond that he’s had some of his men follow Risico. He recommends Bond stop by his office in a little while and they can go over the report. Glancing back toward Goldfinger, Bond says he’ll find some way to pass the time. Drax says he needs to get back to the office to dig up the report, and Bond should meet him there in an hour.
As Drax leaves, Bond sees Goldfinger at the bar. He walks over and flirts with her, while Risico looks on. Goldfinger introduces herself as “Lyuba”. After a few minutes of flirty banter, Goldfinger steps away to the bathroom. Bond peeks into her bag, looking at her ID, which reads “Lyuba Srebro”.
Risico, suddenly behind Bond as he rifles through Goldfinger’s bag, startles Bond: “I don’t blame you, if someone like her returned my advances, I’d want to make sure I’m not supposed to buy her some minerals instead of a martini. Then again at our age, we should be grateful they look at us at all. Eh, mister…?”
“Bond. James Bond.” Bond looks at Risico dryly, they banter for awhile in a way that is tense, yet playful.
Bond notices Goldfinger coming back from the bathroom: “Now if you’ll excuse me…”
“Fair enough, Mr. Bond. Just be careful, girls like that are death to men like us.” Risico turns and leaves. Goldfinger returns and they continue talking. Bond realizes he must leave, but they plan a date for later that evening.
Bond checks his phone and decides Drax’s station is close enough to walk, and that his hotel isn’t far away either. Bond walks to the station and meets Drax in his office. They read through the report from Risico’s tail. Of all Risico’s destinations, a few stick out as odd and away from his main neighborhoods. Drax pulls up the addresses on his computer: a tailor, an antiques store, a public park, a cafe. Bond thinks. The park might be a place to make drops. “What about the antiques store?” The store is an antiques dealer that opens by appointment only, with a few apartments located above the storefront. Bond notes that it sounds like a safe house, and he’ll check it out later tomorrow evening.
Drax asks: “Why not take a look tonight?”
Smiling, Bond replies: “I’m afraid I’ve already made an appointment elsewhere.”
On the walk back to the hotel, Bond feels a pang of uneasiness. The hair on the back of his neck stands up, his sixth sense tingles. Someone is following him. Bond veers off his planned path, checking a map in his phone for a larger place that might have a crowd. He sees a plaza and memorial, perfect. He changes course, noticing two men behind him now, but as he turns his head forward again, he sees another man a block to his left keeping pace. Bond’s pace quickens.
When Bond arrives at the plaza, he curses to himself when he sees it is under construction; there is no crowd he can lose himself. At that moment, Bond sees he is surrounded by five men, including Risico. “Mr. Bond. I think we should have a talk.”
“It looks like you’re busy entertaining these other lads. Maybe I should come back another time.” Bond backs away into one of the men. He swivels around and punches him. The other men then rush Bond. Bond puts up a good fight, but Risico and his men get the upper hand. Before they can subdue Bond however, a hand with a pipe drops down on one of the men. As he falls, our view pans up to reveal Grant joining the fight. Bond looks at Grant, seeming to recognize him, but unable to place him. The fight continues with Bond and Grant. While Bond knocks out another man, Grant breaks Risico’s arm. Arg! You bastard, may a cat eat you and the devil eat the cat!”. While Grant engages another of the men, Risico runs away. When Bond and Grant are the last men standing, Bond raises his hand to thank Grant for his help. However Grant pulls a large knife from his boot and rushes Bond. Bond does his best to resist, but he is unable to overpower Grant. Bond reaches for a loose brick from the construction pile and smashes into Grant’s head. Grant falls backward, stunned but conscious. At the sound of sirens in the distance, Bond runs until he reaches his hotel.
Bond shakes off the attack, changes his clothes, and meets Goldfinger for dinner. When Goldfinger asks Bond what brings him to Ireland, he responds that he is visiting a cousin, and trying to resecure some old family investments after a split in the family. Goldfinger says she understands, she came to Ireland to find new opportunities for her company. After dinner, Bond takes her back to his hotel. During the night, Goldfinger gets up and opens Bond’s computer, downloading his encrypted files before leaving. Bond gets up and turns off the computer’s decoy hard drive, looks through recent keystrokes and sees that Goldfinger tried to copy then delete his files on Drax and SMERSH. Bond calls Tanner and tells him about the earlier brawl and the attempted data theft. He also asks for information on “Lyuba” and sends photos he secretly took at the bar. Tanner responds that he’ll run the photos through their database, but for more information on Drax, Bond should consult the Americans as most of their intel came from the CIA. As far as Risico, everything they have on him is on the up-and-up except for Drax’s reports.
Bond calls Felix, asking about the CIA’s files on Drax and why SMERSH would want his file. Felix says it could mean Drax is a mole or is being targeted for assassination. Felix adds that from what the U.S. has gathered, Drax seems clean but underwent a serious personality change after the bombing that also gave him slight amnesia. Bond asks if that is unusual. Felix says that based on the extent of the brain damage Drax sustained, it wasn’t unheard of for a victim to experience a personality change. Like the story of Phineas Gage. Bond asks for the location of Drax’s relatives. Felix replies that all known relatives and associates died within a year of the accident. Bond asks for information on the relatives, including any pictures of Drax before the bombing. Felix says there isn’t much. Every known connection to Drax is dead under seemingly normal circumstances, and all possessions were either destroyed or kept in storage by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Bond wonders if maybe that was par for the course given how Drax grew up in a gang. Felix asks what gang. Bond tells Felix the same story Drax told him, and describes the tattoo. After a pause, Felix tells Bond that the gang that uses that symbol didn’t exist in that part of Northern Ireland until 10 years ago.
The next night, Bond looks into Drax’s tip, finding an abandoned safe house in the old antique shop. It is an old, derelict building, but shows some signs of recent use. Bond breaks in and searches the building. There are a number of desks, but judging from the dust voids, the computers were removed recently. There are a few filing cabinets, but when Bond breaks them open, he finds police files of decades-old cases. There is a creak in a distant floorboard. Bond’s head snaps in the direction he thinks the sound originated. Quietly, Bond moves in the direction of the sound, opening doors cautiously. Bond enters an office where a number of drawers are still locked. He lets go of the handle and looks at the ceiling in thought just as a cable is flung over his head and pulls back violently. Bond struggles but can’t see his attacker in the darkness. Bond’s arms flail for a light switch, which he finally finds. He flips the switch and finds Grant behind him. Bond rasply screams “WHO ARE YOU?!?” as he passes out.
Bond stirs, very groggy. As he clears the cobwebs from his head, Bond hears voices outside, and sees police assembling en masse. The police storm the building and try to shoot Bond. Bond scrambles to escape, using non-lethal force against any officer he encounters. Bond injures one officer and asks why they’re here. Risico stands over both and says they received a tip that a spy was building bombs here. Risico introduces himself as head of a joint Ireland-Northern Ireland task force dedicated to uproot terrorists and spies. Risico says that when he met Bond in the bar for the first time he thought Bond was the opposition; one mole cultivating another. But changed his mind when he saw that Bond didn’t kill any of us men back at the construction site in order to escape. Bond asks about Drax. Risico tells Bond they have a lot to talk about.
In the car ride to the station, Risico says that their intelligence indicated a major espionage figure was coming to Belfast to meet a contact. Bond utters: “Lyuba”.
Risico nods: “There has been a lot of chatter between Britain, Ireland, and America. Apparently, you said something to the Americans that made them doubt everything they knew about Drax.”
“He had a tattoo from his days in a street gang that didn’t exist while he was there.”
“Ugh, Hugo hated tattoos. He would tell me what his mother would say if he got one, defacing his body and such. Anyway, the CIA called your man, M, to say they thought you might be in trouble, talking to the wrong person. By then, your colleague Tanner was already briefing M about your photos.”
“It’s the most basic counterintelligence. You never think you’re going to fall for a honeytrap, but-”
“James, Lyuba wasn’t just some honeytrap, she was the honey-jackpot.” Risico hands Bond a file. “Meet Zolata Golfinger, SMERSH’s treasurer.” Bond’s eyes go wide. Risico appreciates Bond’s reaction: “My thoughts exactly. If she’s here, SMERSH has something big planned to put a wedge between our countries; probably hoping we’ll be more sympathetic to them. Not bloody likely. It’s ironic, they hoped to undermine Irish-British intelligence-sharing, and yet they’ve only managed to strengthen our bond. We’re going to root out the whole lot: Goldfinger, that behemoth she brought with her, and Drax’s imposter.”
Bond notices Risico said those last words with added bitterness. “Who is Drax really then?”
Risico catches himself. “We’re almost at HQ. I’ll explain there.”
The rest of the ride is silent. Once in Risico’s office, Risico says he doesn’t know who “Drax” is. He reveals that he knew Drax over the course of years of coordinated police work. After his accident, Drax didn’t fully recognize him, even after his amnesia passed. He remembered their general working relationship but that was it. Skeptical, Bond points out that it’s common for amnesiacs to lose some small memories even when they recover from a traumatic brain injury. A flash of anger passes across Risico’s face: “I am not a small memory.” Bond, confused and uncertain of his offense, says he doesn’t understand. Risico explains that he and the real Drax were secretly lovers. They hid it from their families who were devoutly religious, but eventually told them not long before the accident, only to find how supportive their families were. When the bombing happened, Drax’s mother came back from the hospital and told Risico that the man in the bed was not her son. She tried to look past his amnesia and scars, but insisted there was a completely different man there. Before Risico could see for himself, Drax’s other family and friends suddenly died. Risico didn’t know what was happening, he did his best to investigate each death, but Drax’s bureau called him off. In the meantime, Risico decided to keep his relationship a secret from anyone else until he knew more, especially since knowing Drax seemed to carry a death warrant.
“What do you think happened to the real Drax?”, Bond asks.
Risico’s eyes water slightly at the thought. “I think he died in the bombing. I think these people targeted him and switched his dead body with this other man. This double. I read the report of every dead body found since it happened, hoping I could at least know where he went, and have that closure. I never found him.”
“It’s time we find some answers. We must have enough now that we can search his office.”
“Right. Let’s go.”
At Drax’s station, a swarm of police surge into the building and immediately begin to pour through files and check computers, forcing back any attempts to resist them. Bond and Risico then search Drax’s office where he finds an encrypted file that intrigues him. He can’t break it until Risico remarks on the pictures of Drax in the office, all of which prominently display the tattoo that outed him. Bond asks what the name of the gang was. Risico answers they were called the “Whyos”, a callback to an old American street gang from the 19th century. Bond tries “whyos” as a password. Success! Inside they find files for a series of bombings all over Ireland that will be connected to England’s Special Branch. Risico suggests they split up and search those sites right away. He gives Bond his card with his number and tells him to start with that storefront they found him in.
Bond arrives at the antique store and resumes the search Grant interrupted earlier. However whatever was in the locked drawers before is gone. Drax and some henchmen enter and subdue Bond. Bond wakes up in a new building, tied to a chair. Drax taunts Bond’s accidental successes, telling Bond that he seems to get ahead more on luck than actual skill. Either way, Bond’s luck has finally run out. Grant enters the room. “Ah, and I believe you’ve met Mr. Grant. He’s told me a lot about you. It seems you owe him your life after he saved it in the Caribbean not too long ago.” Drax explains how the bombings are planned and tortures Bond for whatever information he has about the operation.
Grant grabs Drax’s shoulder, forcefully spinning him around: “Master Kronsteen would not appreciate you revealing the plans he so carefully prepared.”
“If he cares so much, he can come over here and put his arse on the line. Feckin’ armchair operatives. Who underwent the plastic surgery? Who studied Drax’s voice and mannerisms? Two years of my life studying to sleepwalk through another man’s life waiting for HIS call!!! I knew one day you would need me. Did I blackmail you for more money? No! All I asked for was the chance to move up when this was all over. That and some damned respect! This is MY operation. You and Kronsteen and Goldfinger, are just here to watch. If you don’t like it, then make yourself useful and take him to site 4: the church next to the station.”
Grant walks behind Bond and chops him in the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Bond comes to, tied up in one of the buildings Drax plans to bomb. Grant stands over him. “Unfortunately Mr. O-O-7, we cannot fight one on one. After watching you defeat No and Big, I had hoped to put you down myself, like the man who shoots his neighbor’s dog when he goes onto his property.”
“Yes, it’s a shame.”
Before he leaves, Grant explains when Bond can expect the blast: 19:16, as an homage to the Easter Rising and a symbol of new Troubles to come.
The minutes tick by until Bond hears Risico and calls to him. Risico unties Bond. Bond shouts they need to evacuate several buildings, but Risico tells Bond that in the night, MI6 and the Irish Directorate of Military Intelligence located and disarmed the bombs, replanting a few at the antique shop, well away from anywhere civilians might be harmed. Risico remarks Bond actually has a good view of the building through the window. Bond opens the window and peers out, where he sees Drax stand on the upper balcony of one of the apartments, waiting to survey the skyline and its imminent destruction. With seconds to go before the blast, Drax turns in Bond’s direction and smiles evilly. Bond gestures for Risico, who steps into Drax’s view. Drax is very confused until he starts to hear the beeping of the bomb that’s right under his feet. He looks back at Bond in panic and rage, while Bond looks back with the same cruel smirk from the moment in Casino Royale when the airplane bomber blew himself up.
Bond (well-dressed) walks up to a hotel door and knocks. Goldfinger answers the door. A quick second of shock registers on her face, but it dissipates as she grabs a bag and leaves with Bond for another dinner date. On the walk down to the hotel lobby, they are surrounded by Risico and a SWAT team. Bond confronts Goldfinger and takes her bag, finding several thumb drives and assorted surveillance gear. Risico steps up to Goldfinger with a set of handcuffs: “Miss Goldfinger, I’m afraid we’re closing your account here in Ireland. It’s no longer a bear market.”
G sits at his desk when he hears a commotion outside his office. The door swings open and several uniformed men walk in. Outraged, G asks what is happening. Suddenly, the uniformed men part and President Velichin walks in. “President Velichin! I…” Velichin cuts him off: “You saw SMERSH as a nation unto itself. Consider this a coup.”
G protests indignantly: “You can’t remove me, I built SMERSH from the ashes; it would crumble without me!”
An unseen voice calmly responds: “The true test of a great leader is that the organization should be able to function flawlessly in his absence. Mine is carrying out 36 counterintelligence operations while I stand here. 35 have a high probability for success. But you shouldn’t worry, I’m not replacing you, merely…supervising you.”
Nervous, G asks: “Who is that?”
Velichin answers: “Someone who will put your house in order. (a man (Donnie Yen) enters) Xiao Lam, Secretary-Director of Fan Jian Ji.”
Lam stares coldly into G’s eyes. “We should begin as soon as possible, general. Give me the file on James Bond.”
Mid-credits scene: Risico visits Bond in the hospital, offers information as thanks for his help: “Tell me James, are you familiar with a man named Kronsteen?” Bond smiles. Fade to black.

Hi,
So I'm a 4th year Psychology student at the moment, and although it's a bit late, I'd really love to start looking for some sort of a job that would have relevant experience to what I want to do later. Preferably, I would love to go into HR or some sort of analyst career. I think that getting an admin or HR assistant position or pretty much any entry-level office job would be a good starting point.
My problem is that I've worked in a casino as a dealer for the last 3 years. I really can't think of any transferable skills from that to what I want to do, besides maths. There really isn't much paperwork aside a few forms to sign once every few shifts, nor any computer software usage. It feels like the last 3 years have been relatively useless and this experience doesn't really contribute to any position that is not customer service. On the other hand, I have done some supervisory duties for a couple of months, before I transferred to a different department. I am also a team forum rep for my department, and I've been a school forum rep for a number of my Uni classes. Furthermore, I am quite computer savvy, and can/have done a good amount of IT support for family/friends.
So to me, it seems like I've worked for 3 years and none of that experience is really relevant, besides showing that I am somewhat driven to advance and committed. Most of the ads require some sort of office-environment experience. I am sure I could do pretty much any of those jobs well, and without the need for much training, as I pick up things quite fast and am pretty good with computers, but I have no idea how to convey that via my resume/cover letter.
Overall, it feels like the degree I'm working towards and the work experience I've got is pretty much useless in regards to what I want to pursue as a career. I've got a decent amount of skills for the career in mind, but they are not supported by anything "official". I am good with computers because I've used them since I was 6, always did the troubleshooting and non-hardware repairs on them myself or watched closely as others did, but I've never had a job that was based on using computers. I've always loved math, and loved our statistics classes in uni, so I find understanding and presenting stats fun and easy, but I've never done that in an official environment, just for my uni reports.
My question is how do I show these skills on a resume/cover letter, and make them seem credible, as opposed to it just sounding like empty bragging. Is that wrong? Would doing some online courses that are related to these topics help (I can put something along the lines of "did intro to statistics course on website X"?)
Thanks a lot, V