Guns, Alcohol, and Drugs, you like it, buy it its for sale.

Posted on Mon Jul 13th, 2020 @ 9:34am by Lieutenant Anthony Edwards Ph. D & Lieutenant Helena Wells
Edited on on Mon Aug 3rd, 2020 @ 5:00am

4,152 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: To catch a thief
Location: Station holosuite
Timeline: 1 April 2395

On:
Anthony was waiting for Helena they had agreed to play a holodrama about some of the criminal activities of the American Prohibition Era. He expected it meant running drugs and Alcohol, and lots of suits even on the criminals.

HG had gotten the invite and had parted with Jessica to see what Anthony had up his sleeve. He had said something about 1920s to early 1930s. At least in that era women could wear pants. She was definitely not the dress type and while she had her hair toned down had researched a bit on styles. Historically it had been palazzo or jodphur pants though sometimes a few gender bended by basically wearing men's style suits.

She decided to go with a look somewhere between. So now she walked toward the holodeck with a double breasted style suit, fedora style hat on her now all dark ruby head hair combined with high waisted long palazzo pants all in a smoke grey and with short heels.

She spotted him looking the other way and called out, "Well ain't you a hotsy-totsy bangtail of lout!" She had spent some final bits trying to pick up the lingo of the era as well.

Anthony laughed and said "Did you realise bangtail and hotsy-totsy would actually be used to describe you, rather than me. I will accept lout though. I'll take it that your meaning was that I scrub up well. So do you by the way."

"Oh..." HG cooed the word. "I do not think so. Your a tall drink, and good looking stud. Does that suit you better?"

"Some what though I think you certainly resemble Hotsy-Totsy! As I don't think you would drop so far to be a down on your luck prostitute, I think I will leave it as that. Did I disrupt anything important for you today?" He knew she'd had something planed with Jessica and hoped it hadn't been important. "Though if it was you could have invited her to come with you."

"I left the invite for later if she wishes. Besides, with this outfit, I get to play doctor," she reached for a certain part of anatomy. "Maybe check that everything is working just right..." she trailed it off and gave him a smooch.


"Then no shoot me in the bum.. They say they're nerves that connect almost directly from one side straight through the hips." Anthony said after to warm loving kiss she planted on his lips. "I might just get the do not disturb sigh out now.

HG broke the kiss and smiled. "Alright so who are we, what have you planned? We runners, sellers, top of the gang, middle men, G-men or just a pair of gum shoes?"

"Well I thought the way you go after things you would be a bit of a bearcat of a moll so that tends to rule out G-men unless of any ranking but would make for fairly good Runners or gang related sellers at a guess." Anthony said.

"Runners it is then. I can be your Canadian connection. How does this scenario float you boss. We got a deal, see, with a freighter company ferrying stuff back and forth across the Lakes. We meet the freighter Canadian side, then have the booze in barrels put underneath the tub. Ship sails across, inspectors inspect manifest and all good and then in the wee hours, pop the submerged cargo up and off they all go. We can make Chicago, New York and New Jersey easy that way. "

"We could do that because sometime connections need to connect." Anthony said and left the double entendre hanging. "Are you sure haven't been a syndicate boss in a past life, or are you just naturally sneaky."

"Just a bit of research when you mentioned about American prohibition. Canada had repealed its prohibition by 1920 and sharing the Great Lakes made water runs harder to patrol. While most just used fast boats like the Havana to Miami run, I just figured that freight passed back and forth all the time. No one bothered to look underwater for stuff, so hence our niche for our story." She tossed her shoulders. "Demand is high, and if you could supply sufficient and in good quality you where automatically in demand as well. "

“That and the what remained open, for international trade during the wartime national ban,Canada was a mass of manufacturing businesses all along the southern territories many of which has shorelines on four of the five Great Lakes of which all other shorelines were American which is exactly why water crossings were easier to hide things as you said.” Anthony added.

"Right, well then, shall we?" HG asked. "Let's say we are running from Thunder Bay down to Marquette Michigan for the Chicago boys for a start with a second operation from Kingston to Oswago New York for the New York group. How does that sound?"

“Sound plan I think. Having two routes is always and advantage because the G-Men were always out to close down imports simply because they couldn’t even control the movement of moonshine from place to place.” Anthony said with a smile.

HG nodded and then went over the panel and with eased practice inputted some parameters. The room vanished to be replaced with a dark cool night, a pier with water lapping against the pilings and a ship just typing up with a fading peeling paint with the word Noronic on the bow.

"Well there she is sweetheart. Not much to look at is she?" HG nodded a chin toward the ship. She whistled and from a couple of model T panel vans a bunch of girls in short flapper style dresses paraded out and lined up.

“They’ll do!” Anthony said with a chuckle to himself “Oh sorry you mean the ship, she’ll suffice, actually she seems perfect for the job.”

HG smiled as Anthony watched and said, "Something to entertain the crew that does not need to know too much." She turned as a hefty man with bristly beard and rolling like he was still on the waves came up and gave a nod.

"So captain, any problems?" HG asked.

"Nah, he answered with an accent she pegged as either from Nova Scotia or Brunswick. He turned to Anthony, " Guard stopped us, took a look and manifest, checked the hold, tapped on boxes and such and sent us on our way. Hidin' the stuff in old torpedo casings under the boat theya never suspected Youra clever man ye are." It was typical twenties, the men where still the big boys in charge never figuring most women had much other than between the legs still.

Anthony laughed and said as he played along with the Captain knowing that historically circa 1920’s America women were either a highly powerful brothel madame, or bare foot and pregnant, both of which were usually ignored. The only ones with an real power stood beside or supportively beside the alcohol barons which is exactly the part HG had picked for herself. “Well I knew you would like it me boyo. Not’ing wrong with a little free trade.”

The captain watched the sailors heading off with the girls and nodded. "Some easier than 'thers. Got some pulling 'em up with the deck crane. Sure no problems?" he inquired.

"Cops been paid to take a look the other way captain, they suddenly have other business to attend to, if you know what I mean." HG piped up.

Captain spared her a glance and nodded. Then stiffened as the sound of rattly chained Mac truck came around the corner with headlights off. HG tossed her head and said, "Relax captain, believe that is our connection. Luv, you want to go handle the transaction. I will take care of the merchandise."

Anthony approached the men in the truck as they came to a halt. “Good evening gentlemen, did you have any troubles getting here?” ($1,000 just a reminder for when we get there)

The driver with a slouch hat and a dangling smoke just looked straight ahead and did not respond. It was the passenger side that another man got out and came around. He was dressed in a dark suit, wide tie and fedora hat. The suit jacket was unbuttoned and the butt of shoulder holster 45 could just be seen.

"Long drive fella, but so far so good. Take it the coppers have decided to take the night off or workin' elsewhere." He had a suitcase in hand and came around to slap it on the fender. "Small bills as agreed. You got the stuff?"

“Strange how the police always seem to find somewhere else to be when I use the docks.” Anthony said with a smile at to his contact, then added “Thank you, for sticking to our arrangements as to the clams. It is much easier to use without drawing attention. The merchandise is just down the dock if you would like to take same samples?” Taking some samples of the merchandise would be expected.

The man simply nodded closing the case and taking it along. A couple of the others in the truck had gotten out but stayed behind.

HG moved down the pier to where two sleek ex-torpedos now sat dripping water.
Most the internals had been removed to store the bottles of fine Canadian whiskey. The only thing was a battery to power the electromagnet to keep them attached to the hull. The other was the head was still very active. It had been set on remote as well. One way to ensure that the freighter captain and crew where honest enough but they did not know that. Also, in case the US Feds got too close there would not be enough left to bother with. The merchandise was already unloaded and sitting on the pier and the torpedos being closed up to be sunk again under the ship. "Good work captain," HG nodded in approval.

Captain only grunted in return and waved the rest off. "Well pay was better than what we would get for the whole hold worth. That was an easy run, Feds been cracking down hard but they go through the entire ship even pry the boxes apart on some others never expect that what they are looking for is sitting pretty right under their feet."

"Indeed, Mounties can't bribe so much so have to be a bit more careful. I can't figure for the life of me why they would give much for the Americans."

Captain shrugged peering over his shoulder back down the pier. "Canada is a mouse next to an elephant. Gotta be careful the later don't roll over."

HG just chuckled hoping everything was well with Anthony. No gunfire so, so far so good.

“Those goons are almost as bad as the coppers. Their trying to gloom the product for a thousand clams.” Anthony said as he approached the captain and HG as they were talking.

HG nodded. "Well not much profit for that but right now it is all about getting the foot in the proverbial door. What say you? We dicker or play nice for a bigger catch later?"

“Yes building a footing is certainly necessary And we are borrowing these men from another delivery man so to please them now when they don’t know us is to show the a sample of our merchandise which is why the leader is coming now to try some to judge it’s strength of it.” Anthony said as the lead gangster arrived to stand with them next to the crates of booze.

The booze had been unloaded from the casings and as HG glanced behind she saw Anthony and another man headed her way. "Captain if you would be so good, toss some canvass over those. She nodded toward the two torpedos. The captain nodded and waved a couple of sailors over to cover the two. There was not the time to seal them back up and attach them back.

HG turned as the man with the case followed by a couple of others came up to halt. He stopped and eyed her for a moment and quipped, "What you need a little nooky on the trip over." He made eye contact with Anthony.

Anthony almost laughed then remembered it was the 1920s and it was expected. “Well it helps speed up the trip across that lake in the cold weather.”

"How about we just stick to business," HG said brusquely.

"Alright, alright," the man replied. He came over and glanced at the assorted crates with bottles grabbed one at random, looked at the label and then opened it, sniffed it and then sipped. He nodded. "Now that is the good stuff."

He set the case down and waved his compatriots over. "Get this loaded and let's get otta here." The others started rolling the crates with handcarts back to load on the truck which disgorged a couple of others.

"Pleasure," he touched his hand to the brim of his hat. "Boss in Chicago is going to be pleased."

HG nodded, "You tell him that plenty more. We can even get rum but the costs are a bit higher since got to run it up."

He looked at her a moment and then turned back to Anthony.

"I like her, ain't no shrinkin' violet that one."

Anthony smiled and said “And don’ya forget it. She very handy to those she likes.”

The man just nodded with a little gruff laugh and then waved the other men over.
"Alright boys, let's get this stuff out of here."

He then put the suitcase out to Anthony to take while the rest went to work very quickly moving things toward the trucks. "Glad ta know your on the up and up fella. Give ya call in a day or so and let's say an invite is probably in the offering ta take business."

“I’ll await ya call then.” Anthony was happy the first encounter was over with without bullets flying. Turning back to HG and the ships Captain and said “Shall we get those back where their safe too then get on board where we can get the money safe too.”

"Sounds like a plan. Coppers or lookie loos will not be away forever," the Captain waved to start the crane to hoist the torpedos back after closing the casings up.

HG just watched and smiled before following Anthony and the captain back up the ramp. Technically most sailors even now got a little superstitious about a woman on board. Supposedly bad luck, but then they had sailed for centuries that way.
She wondered where that myth had come from.

Laughing Anthony said "Come on Hotsy don't be a wet blanket and catch up or I might start counting with out you."

HG nodded and waved and then put a foot on the ramp and followed the two men. She suspected they would head to the captain's cabin for the final count and settlement. While the captain and crew had been paid already for they would not take the risk without some reward, there was the final pay up.

Sure enough they went down a hallway not far off the bridge and captain walked in and let the door hang open. The room was small for a captain's quarters. A bunk, a small gimbaled table, two wooden chairs, a small dresser with basin and mirror tacked on the wall.

The captain took a chair and waved at the other. HG simply pushed the door closed with one mid-heeled shoe and leaned against it. She pulled a compact out of her pocket and took a look before putting back in. It was just a ploy as also in the same pocket was a little 32 colt pocket pistol which she put her hand on.

She would leave the final bit up to the boys to handle.

Anthony took the money out of the case a left it in the stack that it came in. "Those goons have made this a lot easier they have put them in banded stacks for us i just need to could by stack rather than individual note that would have taken quite some time." As he said it he counted stack for stack out into three neat piles. As he finished counting out the stacks he said "Their you go captain they are your clams for the delivery and getting it passed the feds for us."

Captain had pulled a smoke which he lighted up and sat in the chair leaning back watching. Though he looked bored, his eyes missed nothing, making sure no slight of hand. He glanced once at HG eyeing her for second noting the hand in the pocket that still lingered there. Finally the counting was over and he nodded.
"Alright, now get off my ship. You two stick out like sore thumbs dressed as you are. We have cargo coming on at six and want to shove off by eight."

“Aye Cap’n! We’ll be in touch for when we need another delivery.” Anthony said as he smiled at HG as he put his and her money back in the case and began heading to the door of the captains cabin, which was almost smaller than captain Tigran’s ready room and said “Come on tootsie our friend the Captain is getting nervous about having a woman on his ship. At least one that isn’t there to entertain.”

HG pushed away from the door and smiled. "Sure sugar, say why don't we take a drive down south anyway. I am gettin' tired of the low rent life?"

“Sounds like a great idea a nice drive through the mountains should help clear the head.” Anthony said as he left the cabin and headed back through the bridge and back out into the still air of the night. There sitting exactly where it should be was a car for he and HG to do exactly that.

HG climbed into the passenger seat. The car was pretty non-descript, a ford with a V8 but subtle otherwise. There was no use drawing attention to themselves from the cops along the way.

"Bright lights here we come!" she laughed and off they went.

It was early morning when they passed the city limits. HG leaned over and said, "636 Michigan Ave, luv. Might as well be where the real action is at the Blackstone."

"We could tasted it an hour ago for free Tooties." Anthony said with a laugh, then added and he willingly drive to the Blackstone, it was his favourite dive in Chicago despite what he said. "But the Blackstone is such a dive."

HG snorted. "Right, the seat of Al 'scarface' Capone's empire. I imagine it has come up in the world."

As Anthony got the car parked, HG had gotten out and waited for him. A group of four suited guys stood near the entrance eyeing the cars the people coming and going. No quick moves she reminded herself especially since they had arrived without any luggage and fairly well dressed themselves. HG figured she really stood out in a suit like outfit with pants. Most of the ladies here still wore dresses.

She looped her arm in Anthony's and they started for the entrance.

"Whoa, hold up there fella!" One of the guys stepped forward as they got near and the others had hands going to pockets or inside of jackets.

"What's yer business here?"

"Making friends. No need for the gun in your pocket friend, we offer you no troubles here.we come in peace in the hope and having a bit of a dance."Anthony said smiling with his arms casually slightly away from his sides, alertly casual.

The toughs looked them over still frowning. "Hey Louie, go check with the boss." He turned to face one of the guys but still was blocking the way. "Why don't you two come on up into the lobby. Best not make much scene on the street." He nodded his chin and turned and head up with the others following along.

The lobby was palatial for the time. All marble with gold accents in an era where soup lines were still around. A couple more toughs glanced at them and headed out to keep an eye on the street.

It did not take long waiting before the one that had been called Louie came down the marble staircase. He called out, "Boss says, they are alright. He wants to meet them before they get settled."

The man with them nodded and jerked his head but seemed to relax a bit more. "Off you two go." He then turned and went back outside. Louie waved to the two and headed back up.

HG took Anthony's arm and said, "Right, let's go. Looks like we are getting into the big time now." She leaned over and whispered, "And behave yourself, cement just does not fit with my shoes."

"Don't do much for me overcoat neither deary." Anthony chuckled then added, Their too nice to ruin , You really out did yourself in getting into character by the way. "It's almost like you read my mind because your clothes are perfect."

"You are not going to catch me in a dress or a skirt!" HG said with a bit of huffiness. "I will blow up the universe first. Well, maybe not all of it, but enough to make a hole so big no one but no one will ever think about such an affront again!" She laughed and Louie looked back concerned.

As they got to the door to what would be the ball room, Louie put a hand up and said, "Alright, I know you two got pieces. I need 'em now."

HG slowly put her hand in her pocket and gingerly pulled out the 1903 Colt hammerless. It suited her, all chrome plated with pearl grips.

"That it?" he asked her.

"Unless you want my nail file," she quipped back.

Louie frowned. "Nah' toots, but best you leave your purse here. I ain't goin' to go through a ladies purse but justa be safe."

HG shrugged and slipped the small black case off her shoulder and put it on the table near the door. Man did not even think about the long hat pin that kept the rackish fedora in place.

Following suit Anthony with slow deliberate motions drew then reversed his colt 1911 to hold it by the barrel and handed it over to Louie. He repeated the process twice to hand over two switches from there places about his person. He knew he didn’t need the weapons because the holodeck safeties would keep them safe anyway. “Before you ask Louie yes they’re my only weapons.”

The man named Louie nodded but said, "Just for trust need to frisk." He made a quick pat down and then moved to HG.

"Too long and I am charging you," HG replied.

He snorted but just did a quick one without any lingering hands. Standing up straight he nodded toward the other two and they opened the doors.

"Heya Boss, these are the two just got that shipment from. You said you wanted to have a meet and greet with."

At a large dining table sat a portly man with a high tailored suit, flashy rings and eating a meal. There were at least five toughs standing behind him and eyeing the new comers. He continued for a moment and then looked up and nodded to Louie who closed the door. At that he snapped his fingers and one of the guys put one of the bottles on the table that HG and Anthony had gotten in.

He then made a gesture with his steak knife to two chairs across from him and then put his utensils down. A waiter appeared from almost nowhere and with a whispered word whisked away the plate.

The man wiped his mouth and then picked the bottle up.

"Now I had the boys sample this, and then I did as well. This is really good stuff, not watered down crap like some try to pawn off. The boys say you even got some Rum in the shipment as well. Nice. And you got it past the Guard as well. How'd you do it?"

HG spoke up. "Sorry trade secret, if everyone knew how to do it then everyone could do it."

The man looked at her and then to Anthony. "That broad always that mouthy?"

“In this case yes, but also in this case if we go givin’ away the trade secrets as tootsies said then you might get to thinkin’ of dropping’ the middle man and I for one wouldn’t be happy with that arrangement.” Anthony said.

TBC:

 

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