Joe is sitting at the table eating some spaghetti while he is listening to the news on the radio. His nurse is in the corner packing up her equipment and writing down some final notes in her journal. She turns to look at Joe.

Nurse: Ok, today was just the first day. Everyone has a hard time on their first day.

Joe: Yeah.. tell that to my fucking legs. Feels like you ran me the fuck over.

Nurse: (Slinging her bag over her shoulder and placing her hand on Joe's arm) You are a strong guy. Suck it up.

She pats him on the shoulder and leaves. Joe smiles as he watches her walk out to her car. He can see Joey Merlino walking up to the house along with John. They both look rather miserable. Joe lets out a sigh and pours himself another coffee. John and Joey give a rap at the door and let themselves in. Joe motions for them to grab a coffee as they come in and sit down. After some minor chit chat Joe settles down to find out the real reason they are here.

Joe: So what's up? You two look like shit.

John looks at Joey and then back at Joe.

John: It's your cousin.. Carlito. They whacked him Joe.

Joe: (throwing his food off the table) What the fuck are you talking about? I just spoke to him last night.

Joey: He's telling the truth Joe. My guy down at the hospital said they brought him in early this morning. Someone shot him in the back of the head.

Joe: Jesus Fucking Christ! Who the fuck killed him John?

John: Look, I don't want to upset you any more than you are...

Joe: Fuck that! What else?

John: I don't know who killed Carlito, but someone tried to kill Jimmy Chang last night.

Joe: One of our guys?

John: I don't know.

Joe: What the fuck do you know at this point?

Joey: We do know this.. nobody knows where Ritchie is.

John: Akasha and Crystal are missing as well.

Joe: Missing? Or just not around?

Joey: We can't find them anywhere.

Joe: Motherfucker! I told him to leave it to me.

John: Leave what?

Joey: Ritchie wanted a green light to go after Chang over that dispute with Carlos. Joe told him to back off so that he could take care of shit. Ritchie flipped.

John: Carlos and Ritchie go back a long way Joe.

Joe: What? now you gotta bust my balls over this? Like I don't have enough on my plate right now?

John: You're right. Forget I even brought it up.

Joe: You know somethin, you two are starting make me nervous. What the fuck is up? I count on you to have my back, and right now I am feeling like my back is against the wall.

John: I'm sorry you feel that way Joe. you know we got your back.

Joe: Then just trust me.

Joey: What do we do about Chang?

Joe: What about him?

John: He killed Carlito.

Joe: We don't know that.

Joey: Get the fuck outta here. Of course he killed him.

Joe: Can you be sure on that?

Joey: Absolutely!

Joe: You willing to bet your fucking life on it?

John: Hey come on Joe. We are not the enemy here.

Joe: We don't know if Chang killed Carlito. We don't know if Ritchie tried to kill Chang. What we know is Carlito is dead and 3 of our people are missing. That's what we know.

John: Fair enough. So what do you want done.

Joe: First I want Ritchie found. Then we will find out who killed Carlito.

Joey: Don't you think you should contact Chang to avoid any further bullshit?

Joe: You kidding me? If I make the attempt to call him now it will look we had something to do with it. best that we don't contact him. If he comes to me, we will deal with that at the time.

John: And if he contacts you through the barrel of a gun?

The scene ends as Joe stares into his cup of coffee.

Scene 2: Johns Night Club

John is in his office along with Joey Merlino. They are waiting for Mikey Wall street to come in with this weeks take from the casino. John is going through some paperwork as Joey stares out the 2-way mirror over looking the club.

Joey: The renovations are fantastic John. how much did this run you?

John: Considering that the contract was done by my company.. not much really. Roughly, 500k give or take a few grand.

Joey: Nice! The place is packed.

Joey notices Mikey walk into the club. He sees the doormen have stopped Mikey due to no identification. Joey open the office door and steps out onto the balcony. He signals to the doormen to let Mikey in. Mikey stares down the doormen and mutters something to them which makes both doormen put their hands up telling him they don't want any beefs. Mikey shoves them out of the way and makes his way up to the office. He makes his way in and hugs both John and Joe before sitting down.

Joey: Give the boys a break Mike. They are only doing their jobs.

Mike: Yeah, well the fucks didn't have to grab me like that. This is a two thousand dollar suit.

John: Anyway, what you got for me.

Mike hands John a fat envelope. John smiles and tucks the envelope into his jacket.

John: You never fail to put a smile on my face Mikey!

Mike: There is a little extra in there for you this week. A thank you for that tip you gave me at the track last week.

John: Yeah well, I was gonna ask you about that but I figured you'd remember. Listen, Mike... I need you to do something for me. I need to you put your ear to the street. get your boys out there. Ritchie Degrazzio is missing. We don't know what happened or if he is even still alive. Akasha and Crystal are also missing but we are assuming they are with Ritchie as always.

Mike: Why me?

Joey: You got a problem with it?

Mike: That's not what I meant. I meant  why now? You could have used me for lots of things. I am sick of being a bag man.

John: Your a fucking Captain?

Mike: I know John. I really appreciate what you've done for me. but I need more. I can handle the bigger shit. The casino is great but I'm losing my fucking mind over there John.

John: Ok look, find out what you can about what happened to Ritchie and I will see what I can do about getting you a piece of our garbage routes.

Mike: That's not what I mean John.

John: You're one sick fuck you know that?

mike: Just keep that in mind when the time comes.

John: Oh I will...

mike gets up and hugs John and Joey before returning to the club for a drink and leaving John and Joey alone.

Joey: I get the impression that he likes to kill people.

John: That fucking guy is one sick son of a bitch I will say that.

Joey: You talk like you've experienced his work?

John: You remember about 4 or 5 years ago. The cops found that guy up in Boston. They said his tongue has been ripped out through his throat and his eyes had been cut out.

Joey: I heard about that but I thought it was bullshit.

John: Mike is one sick fuck but he is as loyal as you can get. He took a bullet for the Old Man before he died back in 67 when some young punk tried to make a name for himself. Vito would have been dead if it weren't for Mikey jumping on top of him and taking the bullet in his back. He could have been in a chair like Joe. He was lucky. Vito "made" him shortly after that.

Joey: I love hearing about the old days. I bet things were a lot different back then.

John: The feds weren't up our ass as much I can tell ya that much. Let's get the fuck outta here. Let's go get something to eat.

Both men leave the club. From across the street you can see a blue van parked in between 2 other vehicles. Inside the van are 2 federal agents taking pictures of John and Joey as they leave the club and get into John's car. As the car pulls out of the parking lot and drives past the van, the agents continue snapping pictures. As the car goes by, the agents notice Joey looking out the window, fingering them as they drive by. Both agents sit back in their seat and smile with the knowledge that they were made.

End of scene.

Scene 3: China town

There is a meeting going on in the back of a small dimly lit store on the south side of China Town. Jimmy Chang and several high ranking Triad members are holding a meeting. Jimmy is going on and on about his troubles with the Degrazzio Organization which they have business dealing with. One of the members by the name of Chi Yip Hong, the Boss of Chang's organization, speaks up immediately silencing Jimmy.

Hong: How can you be sure it was the Degrazzio's who tried to kill you? I mean, let's face it Jimmy...you are not very well liked in that neighborhood to begin with?

Chang: So that gives them the right to kill our people? That gives them the right to walk all over us and we just stand by and let it happen? Have we not learn from our mistakes in the past?

Hong: We have endured peace with the other families for almost 20 years. What little squabbles that did erupt, we have always been able to work out. What you are asking for, this council cannot afford to support!

Chang: This council will not support me?

Hong: You want to kill a Boss when you cannot tell us for sure if it was he who ordered the attack in the first place? I am sorry Jimmy. We can't support that kind of move. Not without solid proof.

Chang: I lost men. Good men. What about their wives? Their families? What do I tell them.

Hong: This all started because you and your crew went after Carlos. Up until then, Carlos had passage from us due to a mutual business agreement between us and the Degrazzio's.

Chang: Bullshit! He was in MY Territory and I deserved to get paid. He got what was coming to him.

As Jimmy says this, he gets a nod of agreement from several of the other Bosses at the Table. One of them, Chow Yun Li, decides to speak up on behalf of Jimmy.

Li: This is getting out of hand and something needs to be done. Jimmy is one of us and if we stand by and let this go, how long will it be before they are coming into China Town and muscling us out of our own territory? I for one side with Jimmy. It's time to make a statement.

Hong: Does anyone else share this feeling? Speak now.

The camera pans around the room as several of the Bosses raise their hands in agreement with Li.

Hong: It's settled then. But know this.. You do what it is you feel needs to be done. But remember one thing.. You may be opening a whole new book of problems. The Gambale organization has strong ties to the Degrazzio's...Namely the Gomezabino brothers. Getting to Jay will not be easy.

Chang: You leave that to me. That prick is lying in a hospital bed down at CW General Hospital. My people can get in there. I just want to know that you are behind me when the fallout happens.

Hong: This council agrees to back you in avenging your friends.. but killing a Boss? You do that on your own..but remember.. if you do.. you do not have the backing of this organization. And if you are caught, we will not help you. Do you understand?

Chang: Understood.

The camera pans back as all the men stand up and shake hands and one by one they file out of the room. Jimmy turns to look at Hong before he goes. Hong just looks away from him in disgust. Jimmy leaves the room and the scene ends.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK..........