Prologue

CANOGA PARK Sinister Design Auto Parts Retail Shop. 10:28 AM.

Rome sat down with a hard sigh and rubbed his raw hands and sore shoulders. As the Prospect, he was required to do the grunt work, but manually loading heavy car part boxes in the storage room in the back to make way for the employees room all by himself was physically taxing to the degree his mind was slowing to a numbing crawl. With a sigh, he studied the room in silence as the other employees busied themselves with their work. Money was on the phone in heated debate over the price of parts, three weeks late and still not sent. It was not necessary to go into the office to hear him, his voice was carrying in two languagesand Rome had been around Persians enough to know that what Money was saying to the man on the phone was not friendly. Jeff flirted with the sexy fifteen-year-old girl who had decided to skip school. Marcos played with the new Playstation 2, while Toby did his best to distract him by waving his penis in front of him at key moments in the game, thereby offending Jeff, as the fifteen-year-old girl grew more and more interested in Toby. Jeff and Toby took turns punching each other in the arm as they argued over who had rights to the girl. Jeff insisted he put in the effort to entice her; therefore, he deserved the gratification. Toby insisted it was a free country. That he had a God given right to play with his penis, and if she decides on him over Jeff, he shouldnt be held accountable and if Jeff thought it mattered so much, to simply pull his penis out and see if she still wants him. Since neither Toby nor Jeff was interested in compromise, they settled it the way they always settled debates over property rights. They gambled. Two out of three, four out of six Eight out of sixteen After a minute of shooting dice, Jeff and Toby agreed to share the excited girl, and took her by the hand. She eagerly accepted, as they pulled her by the hand into the back room. Everything was normal. Then, thunder. The shops glass door blew open, shattering as it collided with the B-16 turbo engine propped against the viewing window next to the car wheel rims. Instantly, the room filled with

men in black armor over black military uniforms, their masks down under their riot helmets. They had no time to respond, as the barrage of shouts and commands barked at them demanded compliance. Get down on the ground, cock sucker! bellowed the masked LAPD Task Force officer. They were already on the ground. They just traded looks of monotony. Hands where I can see em! bellowed another. The space behind the counter was so tight; you could not reveal a hand without hiding it under another man. Jeff was the only one with a space to move his hand to. Unfortunately, Tobys penis lay there, throbbing. They laid perfectly still.

10:30 AM. The auto shop was in shambles, and FBI agents were kicking over displays looking for drugs, guns and credit cards. Soon the questions revolved around the scantily clad fifteen-yearold in the employees room. Oh, and Money got arrested, too. Everythings normal.