The Trouble With Dames Part 4

It took some doing but Jason managed to track down the guy he was looking for, but a few days later his asking around the seediest parts of town netted him exactly what he wanted. As Jason stared into the darkness of the alley he was told to meet this guy at he clenched his hands into white knuckled fists. Ever since he had that dream he tried to stay clear of alleys altogether. Not that Jason normally took stock in his dreams but something about this one made him worried, especially since he'd been having it off and on for the past year and a half.

"Come on you chicken this is for your family," Jason muttered to himself as he stepped into the alley, shaking his head at the absurdity of the whole situation. In his old life he was a being of the dark alleys as comfortable in them as a rat in a sewer. It took only a few years and that unnerving dream to turn him into something he never thought he'd be.

"You Jason?" a raspy voice cut into Jason's thoughts like a knife through a sheet of paper.

"Yeah that's me, you got the thing?"

"Course I do. You got the cash?"

"Three hundred just like we agreed on. Go ahead and count it if you want."

"Good, good. I don't like it when people squelch on me, so you better not be squelching on me Jason. I ain't someone you want to try and cross."

"I believe that."

"Took some doing to find this particular item, these things ain't common place no more. But I like it that you owe me a favor now. Ol' One Eyed Jack likes people owing him favors."

Jason just nodded in response as he waited, "So is it all there?"

"Yep yep. It's all there. My friend you just bought yourself the best kinda protection money can buy. Gotcha some extra rounds for it. Free of charge. Ol' One Eyed Jack likes to take care of his customers."

"Well I'm grateful for that."

"Alright we're done here. I likes you so if you ever need anything else you just give One Eyed Jack a call."

"Will do."

Shoving the heavy metal gun into the pocket of his coat and the extra ammunition into the other pocket Jason made a hasty retreat from the alley and walked the three blocks back to his car. Now all he had to do was waiting for Shepherd to call.

Shepherd wasn't a man you wanted to cross but Jason would be damned if he wasn't going into this meeting packing some sort of heat. As he got in the car he took the gun from his pocket. Beautiful glimmering silver, Jason allowed himself a smile as he cracked open the cylinder and inspected a bullet, just like he asked for hollowed points. Jack knew his stuff he'd give him that even if he was a pretty unsavory guy, slipping the gun into the glove box with the box of bullets Jason slipped the car into gear and drove back home. His mind going back over the conversation he had with Shepherd on the phone a few days ago. Jason was lucky Shepherd gave him this much time, seems like the old gangster had some other business to attend to before his social visit to Jason. The old man said he was getting soft in his old age he had a softness for his memories he said he just wanted to touch base with Jason. Alexander Shepherd must be getting senile in his old age if he thought that Jason would fall for a line like that. As he pulled into the parking stall of their apartment complex Jason turned off the car and sat there in the silence for a moment. Shepherd wanted to meet him at Grainery Park at four. Jason was going to be there by three to case the park. He may be out of the game but he sure as hell wasn't going to go into this unprepared. He looked at his watch, it was only one o'clock. Jason went upstairs to check on Darien before he left. He left his son with their next door neighbor Mrs. Rockwell, a retired old lady who took to Darien pretty well. She said she'd be glad to baby-sit him whenever. This was the first time Jason actually needed her services but this was a special need. Stopping by Mrs. Rockwell's Jason once again insisted he pay her and once again she shooed him out the door, "Nonsense nonsense. Little Darien's company is enough, all my boys are grown up and they don't bother to visit their old mum anymore. Now off you go."

Heading back down the stairs Jason allowed himself a smile at Mrs. Rockwell's words. He returned to the car and pulled away from the apartment after checking the glove box one more time just to make sure the gun was there.