The Gig [Finished]

[accalia]

Tony looks puzzledly at Giovanni, of course they weren't on an even footing! Tony's on the backfoot and so far outnumbered his only prayer is mutually assured destruction. He picks up the envelope cautiously and opens it with a finger, not daring to go for his pen knife to do a neater job of it.

[yamikuronue]

Reproductions of photographs. They're blurry, but there's more than enough evidence here of his wrongdoing to roast him... not even counting the last photo, of his backyard with an illegal still in it. Uh oh. When did that happen?

[accalia]

Tony shrugs, cleverly done.... cleverly done... Doesn't change a thing though, if things went south he already was going to end up either dead or as good as dead, ex-cops don't have much of a life expectancy behind bars. "As I said, we each have the power to destroy the other. I've made preparation in the case of accidents, and you... well if anything happens to you my days could be counted on the fingers of a man with no hands. Like I said, We can talk, we can have our eternal standoff, or we can have the whole thing come crashing down around our ears. I'd much prefer the talking or the stalemate myself, but really the decision's yours."  Tony sounds confident, the pictures changed nothing.

[yamikuronue]

"And you believe your... evidence.. will do more than inconvenience me?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Truly? I had taken you for a smarter man than that."

[accalia]

"Having the feds interested in you would be more than an inconvenience I would think, but hey, if you believe that it wouldn't be..." oh crap oh crap oh crap....... he's got an out. this was stupid this was stupid this was stupid.

[yamikuronue]

"The feds? And what makes you think they'll ever hear of it?" He laughs, coldly. "Did you think you were the only cop looking to line his pockets?"

[accalia]

"Well, No, as a matter of fact i'm sure you have others on the force. That's why the evidence won't just be going through the department, I have enough other ways to get that attention that i don't have to worry about the police report going missing. Though it will be interesting to see what happens when the investigation turns up the fact that my final report got misfiled." Tony's not bluffing there at least. he's got three other communications ready and waiting, if he bites it they'll get sent and Giovanni will have to stop them all, and of course he first has to find them. Course.... how much does Giovanni already know?

[yamikuronue]

"By then, it'll be one more anomaly in your long record of anomalies. Tell me, how does it feel to be a high-ranking Family member at last? Of course, you won't be able to enjoy it, being dead and all."

[accalia]

Tony shrugs.... he had tried...

'Well, i guess you've made your mind up. I do so wish we could have come to some agreement, it didn't have to end this way. Been nice knowing you, send my best to your wife and kids and all that. You want I should stand against a wall so i don't bleed all over Tony's stock? It seems the least i can do considering all the trouble I've given him over the years."

[yamikuronue]

"It is a shame." He says, coolly. "Of course, it doesn't have to go like this."

[accalia]

"I was rather hoping it wouldn't" Tony replies "I certainly didn't want it to come to this, but I can't back down on supporting my friends, so if there's no room for negotiation then you really only have one other option. Do you offer a fellow a last meal? Or will this be more informal than that?"

Tony perks up at Giovanni's comment..... he doesnt' want to kill me? interesting.... well i'm in deep enough as it is, push him a bit more, see what he wants.

[yamikuronue]

"Your friends?" asks Giovanni. "An odd choice."

[accalia]

"I'm an odd man. Even bent I'm pretty straight." Tony agrees "I protect my friends, because I believe that power is worthless if you don't use it to protect your friends and family."

[yamikuronue]

"Then you understand why I need the boy." he says, flatly. "What he did to my family is unacceptable."

[accalia]

"And you understand why I protect him.' Tony replies evenly, his tone still light and crisp. "He came to you to do the right thing, and to tell you what needed to be told. And yet, you banished him, well that's within your rights to do so, he's not bound to you by blood and you were not obligated to him, But he is my friend, my family, and I will stand with him. Against you if necessary, though I hope very much that it is not."