Status: CAUTION: AU AHEAD
The New York Halifax League
two.
It hadn’t taken Jon and Sidney long to round up a few select agents. Jon made calls to Edmonton, Colorado, and to a member of his team in Chicago. Sidney got in touch with friends in Boston and New York City. Within a matter of days, they had assembled a team that could get the job done. Whatever the job ended up being.
By Saturday, the group of men stood in Sidney’s home office in Pittsburgh. He’d sent his wife and daughter to Halifax to visit his parents and hopefully, they’d be able to put a plan in motion.
Sidney looked at the men in front of him. Jonathan was off to the side, standing attentively. He was another captain, one of the three in the room. He was smart, quick, and cunning – three qualities Sidney knew he would need in high quantities. Patrick, another member of the Chicago branch, was sprawled in a chair, casually observing the other men in the room. He was himself quick and cunning, although a bit too trigger happy – especially when it came to flame throwers.
Gabriel Landeskog, the youngest of the group, was the third captain and from Colorado. He’d been appointed just recently and had only barely broken Sidney’s record as youngest captain. Sidney’s wife, Christine, had seen a picture of him once and had commented that Sweden had baby-making down to a science. Their daughter had been conceived that night. The young man was now looking in awe at the men surrounding him.
Brad Marchand was from the Boston branch and judging by the stitches in his knuckles, he’d just reinforced his branding as the enforcer of his teams. He’d served on the Commissioners team of body guards for several years before his name suddenly began appearing on the roll call sheets for Boston. No one knew why.
Taylor Hall was another young agent – although by certain degrees, they were all young – who came from Edmonton. He might not look it, Sidney knew, but he was one of the best intel gatherers in the league. And by default, just because he was representing the only Canadian branch in the room, he wore a white shirt that was loudly emblazoned with a red maple leaf.
And finally was Michael Del Zotto, straight from NYC. He was suave and cool, Italian and oozing of money. Every team and every branch needed a little extra financing and that was DZ’s job. He might not have been the most cunning or the most skilled agent, but he was an asset vital to any sort of work being done.
“You all should know each other, so I don’t think introductions are in order,” Crosby reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out a stack of files. “You’ll find everything you need in –,”
“You’re forgetting someone here,” a female voice said from the doorway. “And how could you ever forget me?”
Altogether, heads turned towards the door where a dark haired maven stood casually, leaning against the doorframe.
Sidney said a silent prayer, thankful that his wife wasn’t home.
“You left your front door unlocked, Kid,” she smiled, sauntering into the room. “I don’t know if you know this, but we’re not in Canada anymore.”
“What are you doing here?” Sidney asked. “Last I heard you were -,”
“In Siberia,” she plopped down into a chair. “I was. For a while. Did some work for the Board. Decided I wanted out, though. I’ve been stateside for about a month now. I heard wind of you putting a team together for something special.” She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “I want in.”
“How’d you find out?” It was a conversation only including Sidney and the mystery woman. It was as though they’d had it before.
“Come on, Kid,” she rolled her eyes. “The Board’s getting ready to announce a League-wide lockout and you want me to think that you’re not going to do something about it? Let’s be real here.”
“Who is she?” Patrick spoke up, jutting his chin in her direction. He’d never seen someone quite like her.
“Bianca Tatem,” the brunette raised a hand in greeting. “And you’re Patrick Kane. Remind not to be around you with any open flames.”
Patrick fell back into his seat. “One fucking time and it’s like you’re a walking house fire.”
“Jon,” Sidney kept his eyes on Bianca. “Give us a minute.”
The room emptied quickly.
“Now tell me what you’re really doing here?” Sidney prodded her.
Bianca didn’t. Instead, she reached for a picture frame on Sidney’s desk and touched the two years olds face. “She’s beautiful. So’s your wife.” An almost bitter smile etched its way across Bianca’s face. “How long have you two been married?”
“Little over two years,” he recited. “Now answer my question.”
“Can’t I help out an old friend?” she reached into the neckline of her shirt and pulled out a cross, letting it dangle across her chest. “Maybe I’m just looking for a way back into the League. Get my feet wet.”
“You and I both know there are other ways for you to do that.”
Oh, if only he knew.
“But this is the way I want,” Bianca rose to her feet. “I’m staying at the Cambria – downtown. I’ve got a couple of days before I either need to be on a jet flying somewhere as a part of this team or headed home to Minnesota to wait this thing out. You can let me know if I’m in or not… Captain.”
Just as quickly as she’d arrived, Bianca Tatem was gone again.
Sidney’s team soon filed back into the room.
“Is she in?” Jon asked, resuming his previous place. “I didn’t see her on the original roll call sheet.”
“That’s because she wasn’t,” Sidney ran a hand across his face. He never knew how to deal with her. “And she’s not.” Yet. “Get some shut eye, boys. We’re out of here at noon tomorrow.”
Soon enough, only Jon and Sidney remained.
“So you’re letting join up? For now, at least?” Jon knew Sidney too well.
Sighing, Crosby nodded. “Yup.”
By Saturday, the group of men stood in Sidney’s home office in Pittsburgh. He’d sent his wife and daughter to Halifax to visit his parents and hopefully, they’d be able to put a plan in motion.
Sidney looked at the men in front of him. Jonathan was off to the side, standing attentively. He was another captain, one of the three in the room. He was smart, quick, and cunning – three qualities Sidney knew he would need in high quantities. Patrick, another member of the Chicago branch, was sprawled in a chair, casually observing the other men in the room. He was himself quick and cunning, although a bit too trigger happy – especially when it came to flame throwers.
Gabriel Landeskog, the youngest of the group, was the third captain and from Colorado. He’d been appointed just recently and had only barely broken Sidney’s record as youngest captain. Sidney’s wife, Christine, had seen a picture of him once and had commented that Sweden had baby-making down to a science. Their daughter had been conceived that night. The young man was now looking in awe at the men surrounding him.
Brad Marchand was from the Boston branch and judging by the stitches in his knuckles, he’d just reinforced his branding as the enforcer of his teams. He’d served on the Commissioners team of body guards for several years before his name suddenly began appearing on the roll call sheets for Boston. No one knew why.
Taylor Hall was another young agent – although by certain degrees, they were all young – who came from Edmonton. He might not look it, Sidney knew, but he was one of the best intel gatherers in the league. And by default, just because he was representing the only Canadian branch in the room, he wore a white shirt that was loudly emblazoned with a red maple leaf.
And finally was Michael Del Zotto, straight from NYC. He was suave and cool, Italian and oozing of money. Every team and every branch needed a little extra financing and that was DZ’s job. He might not have been the most cunning or the most skilled agent, but he was an asset vital to any sort of work being done.
“You all should know each other, so I don’t think introductions are in order,” Crosby reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out a stack of files. “You’ll find everything you need in –,”
“You’re forgetting someone here,” a female voice said from the doorway. “And how could you ever forget me?”
Altogether, heads turned towards the door where a dark haired maven stood casually, leaning against the doorframe.
Sidney said a silent prayer, thankful that his wife wasn’t home.
“You left your front door unlocked, Kid,” she smiled, sauntering into the room. “I don’t know if you know this, but we’re not in Canada anymore.”
“What are you doing here?” Sidney asked. “Last I heard you were -,”
“In Siberia,” she plopped down into a chair. “I was. For a while. Did some work for the Board. Decided I wanted out, though. I’ve been stateside for about a month now. I heard wind of you putting a team together for something special.” She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “I want in.”
“How’d you find out?” It was a conversation only including Sidney and the mystery woman. It was as though they’d had it before.
“Come on, Kid,” she rolled her eyes. “The Board’s getting ready to announce a League-wide lockout and you want me to think that you’re not going to do something about it? Let’s be real here.”
“Who is she?” Patrick spoke up, jutting his chin in her direction. He’d never seen someone quite like her.
“Bianca Tatem,” the brunette raised a hand in greeting. “And you’re Patrick Kane. Remind not to be around you with any open flames.”
Patrick fell back into his seat. “One fucking time and it’s like you’re a walking house fire.”
“Jon,” Sidney kept his eyes on Bianca. “Give us a minute.”
The room emptied quickly.
“Now tell me what you’re really doing here?” Sidney prodded her.
Bianca didn’t. Instead, she reached for a picture frame on Sidney’s desk and touched the two years olds face. “She’s beautiful. So’s your wife.” An almost bitter smile etched its way across Bianca’s face. “How long have you two been married?”
“Little over two years,” he recited. “Now answer my question.”
“Can’t I help out an old friend?” she reached into the neckline of her shirt and pulled out a cross, letting it dangle across her chest. “Maybe I’m just looking for a way back into the League. Get my feet wet.”
“You and I both know there are other ways for you to do that.”
Oh, if only he knew.
“But this is the way I want,” Bianca rose to her feet. “I’m staying at the Cambria – downtown. I’ve got a couple of days before I either need to be on a jet flying somewhere as a part of this team or headed home to Minnesota to wait this thing out. You can let me know if I’m in or not… Captain.”
Just as quickly as she’d arrived, Bianca Tatem was gone again.
Sidney’s team soon filed back into the room.
“Is she in?” Jon asked, resuming his previous place. “I didn’t see her on the original roll call sheet.”
“That’s because she wasn’t,” Sidney ran a hand across his face. He never knew how to deal with her. “And she’s not.” Yet. “Get some shut eye, boys. We’re out of here at noon tomorrow.”
Soon enough, only Jon and Sidney remained.
“So you’re letting join up? For now, at least?” Jon knew Sidney too well.
Sighing, Crosby nodded. “Yup.”