The Mafia Empire

Meanwhile, the three wagons were moving faster on their return journey than wh they had arrived. Having unloaded a hundred cases of alcohol, ev the horses seemed more spirited. In the back of the wagon, Graf lifted a hidd compartmt and stashed the money box inside.

Julian had specifically requested the compartmt be built, not just to hide money, but also to store contraband in case of a search.

Sitting in the wagon with the two unconscious police officers still lying at his feet, Graf couldn't shake the feeling of unease. He glanced at the officers, unsure of what to do next. After all, these were police officers, and no matter where they were dumped, their discovery would undoubtedly cause big problems. For now, taking them back to the farm seemed like the best option.

Perhaps Julian would have a better solution.

The wagons had be traveling for about t minutes wh they left the bustling cter of Ternell City behind. The streets grew quieter, with only the occasional passerby, heads down and hurrying along.

Graf, lulled by the wagon's movemts, dozed off.

What Graf didn't know was that, just as Wood was unaware of Graf's path, Julian had arranged for Dave and his m to follow them to prevt any surprises.

At that momt, Dave was watching as five or six m in felt hats and trch coats trailed the wagons. After thinking it over, he decided not to make a move just yet. It wasn't that he was afraid—far from it. But there were too many people in the city, and who knew wh a vagrant might pop out of a dark alley like earlier? If a fight broke out and someone witnessed it, things could go south quickly.

On top of that, the m following the wagons didn't seem to want to intercept them. They were keeping a safe distance, which made Dave think it would be better to wait until they reached the outskirts before confronting them.

Ternell City wasn't large. About forty minutes outside the city cter, the buildings had become smaller and more run-down. After passing the last intersection, ev the streetlights disappeared. The only light in the darkness was the faint moonlight and the dim glow from the wagon's lamps, like a lure for the "fish" trailing behind them.

Wh they were just t minutes from the farm, Dave and his m sprang into action. As they charged forward, the m following the wagons, alerted by the noise, immediately scattered, diving into the tall grass on either side of the road. Dave quickly split his group in two, pursuing a couple of the stragglers, shouting orders as he ran.

The sudd noise roused Graf from his sleep. He wiped the drool from his mouth, groggy but alert ough to hear the commotion.

"Stop the wagons!" Graf knocked on the wood panel betwe the driver's seat and the back of the wagon. The three wagons came to a halt. Graf jumped out, shivering slightly in the cool autumn air. The breeze brought with it the sound of Dave's voice.

"We got one! Don't let the other one get away!"

That single stce was ough to snap Graf fully awake. The muscles in his cheeks twitched, and he banged on the side of the wagon, pulling down the oil lamp. "Hurry! Let's see what's going on!"

With the added light, two more of the stalkers were captured and tied up, their hands bound as they were hauled into the back of the wagon. Graf looked curiously at Dave and asked, "What's this? Out catching thieves in the middle of the night? What did they do to piss you off?"

Dave, looking a bit disheveled with grass stuck to his beloved checkered wool sweater and mud on his shoes and pants, panted heavily as he responded, "These guys… they've be tailing you ever since you unloaded the goods. I thought something was off about them."

...

"In this world, tertainmt options were limited. Without the luxury of television, most people turned to simple pastimes like reading the newspaper or finding their own ways to pass the time. Many busied themselves by having as many childr as they could while still able to work.

Some, however, might not have truly wanted so many childr, but didn't know how to avoid it.

Julian, still single, didn't ev have that distraction, so he simply wt to bed early."

By the time Graf returned, it was already past t. Julian had long be cozied up in his warm bed, fast asleep. Despite the Hu family's poverty, they had kept their house well maintained, especially the beds and lins.

Just as Julian was deep in a bizarre dream, a knock on the door startled him awake. He immediately sat up, reaching under his bed for the dagger he kept hidd there, gripping it tightly in his hand.

"Who is it?" His voice was calm and steady, showing no signs of panic or fear. He quietly slipped out of bed, threw on a piece of clothing, and stood outside his bedroom door.

Soon ough, a familiar voice answered from outside. "It's me. Are you asleep?" Graf's deep voice, which always sounded a bit muffled, came through the door. Julian wasn't sure if all big guys sounded like that, but Graf certainly did.

Julian tucked the dagger into the waistband at the back of his pants and oped the door. Standing there was Graf, still dressed in the same clothes from earlier, with no time to change. Julian looked him up and down before asking, "Why ar't you sleeping? What's going on?"

Graf hesitated, scratching his head, unsure of how to begin. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "We attacked two police officers on the road… and caught some people who were following us."

Julian's drowsiness vanished at Graf's words. He turned back to quickly dress and th followed Graf outside. As they walked, Graf recounted the evts from the afternoon and eving. Julian had no complaints about Graf's choices.

Allowing those police officers to take the shipmt and get away with it might seem like an easy solution, but it would only feed their greed, making them a problem that could grow into an unmanageable black hole.