George is dead. There he is, sipping his drink. Dreck brings out the good stuff, the top shelf brandy. Normally when the good stuff gets poured somebody dies. I think it is going to be George. But I don’t’ know, I’m not the one in charge. Dreck is the crime-lord of our city. I know right not a real good name to strike fear into the hearts. His name is Dreck Humphey and he was an accountant in his previous life. A nerd, can you believe it? A nerd took over from the mob bosses. The tough guys started to die off from old age and then some nerd named Dreck took their place. He started out by doing the books for Donny Kingsman. Donny was the crime boss that ran these streets with an iron fist. Nobody would ever cross old Donny; he would whack his own mother if it would help his bottom line. But this college boy needed a few extra bucks and helped Donny run a better system. Then after a year or two, Donny retired and gave the enterprise to this accountant. Donny’s kids were either dead, illegitimate or wanted nothing to do with him.

So that’s how a nerd took over for the crime family. No one could have predicted the fact that Dreck would monopolize crime in the whole city. It is pitiful. Not one crime is committed that Dreck doesn't know about. He had us whack a few kids that stole a few bucks from a convenience store. They were just kids but don’t nobody commit crime on Dreck’s streets. Death is just so permanent and messy. Donny killed people but he always had a good reason. This new guy just kills people for the fun of it. Now he pours the death Brandy. Who’s getting whacked tonight?

I really think it could George. I look at him, scratching my neck in discomfort. It looks like he put on a few pounds since I last saw him. George is a relic of the old times, with the gangsters that were loyal and tough as nails. Now it is all about power and how to get more and then how to hold on to it. There used to be honor among thieves, but the game changes and so do the players. The young bosses all have trigger-happy fingers and once somebody is no longer useful they are dead. It scares me. Still, George is the best candidate. He is just the most stuck in the past out of the rest of us. Come to think of it, a lot of Dreck’s crew is left over from the crime boss. But George was not there for long under Donny before Dreck took over. Donny kept a tight ship. We would all take a bullet for Donny but not this new kid. The nerd. I do not know that much about him. Hopefully, he is a good leader. But the room still has the death brandy out.

This guy Dreck has whacked a few people and every time he does he gets the good brandy and organizes a morbid farewell party. This time there is a lot of brandy and no one has any clue why we are all here. Sometimes the name of the doomed member gets leaked and we all know who to say our goodbyes to, but not today. As the ice melts in the glass holding the death brandy the room gets more and more tense. People’s wills become more strained as the brandy gets watered down. The condensation falls down the side of the container. This is killing us. No one knows who is getting whacked. Then again, even if we knew, we would not tell. Remembering the loyalty we felt towards Donny, we feel obligated to be loyal to the kid for a few weeks. But eventually, he’s got to earn his keep, because loyalty does not grow on trees.

George is sweating like a rainstorm. But that actually means nothing; we all are sweating bullets. We all hope the bullet that is coming is not for us. Eventually, the tensions rise to a boil. People start to burst out screaming and slamming on the door to leave, but it is locked. All the doors are locked. The furniture is being thrown at the window to break through and escape when the guns open fire. The hailstorm of bullets ends Donny’s reign of terror as all of the remaining members of his crew are wiped out. Except for George. He stands tall and smiles as he watches the relics of the old game get gunned down. The fat bastard lights a cigar and chuckles as it all goes black.

Then I remember George is an accountant.