The Green Lantern IV

“Now we're all friends here,” Bryan said, it was clear that he was starting to panic. I would feel bad for putting him in this position but I was past caring.

“I'm no friend of theirs,” I snapped, rounding on Bryan. Bryan was still feeling sympathetic though, which was lucky for me.

“Well you're a friend of mine,” was his only response. “Try to keep the peace for my sake anyway. You too Fred.”

“So long as he doesn't do anything else,” Fred said, relaxing slightly. I hadn't noticed that he had been tense until that point. It didn't make a difference to me though, I was still sailing high on anger.

“Stop talking about me like I'm not here,” I turned on Fred. “You want to say something to me, you say it to me, not Bryan.”

That was the last straw for Fred, he started towards me with murder apparently on his mind. I could hear the crowd behind us become quiet which I assumed was everyone waiting for me to die. It was very noticeable when compared to the usual loud hum that prevailed in The Green Lantern. The barman noticed the change in atmosphere because he looked up and put down the cloth he had been using to wipe the counter.

“I don't want you fighting in here,” the bartender called across the bar. “We've only just reopened after the murder.”

“Mind your own business,” I shouted back, not looking away from Fred. I must have been suicidal at this point. It's the only explanation.

“Then I'll have to make it my business won't I.” The note in the bartender's voice caught my attention and I actually turned to face him. He reached under the bar and pulled out a tommy gun. He held it was an amazingly steady hand, pointed directly at our group.

“I hate this place,” I commented, now fully distracted from Fred. “Even the bartender's a mobster.”

“Well of course, that's Pat Reilly, he runs errands for Dillinger,” Bryan said out of the side of his mouth.

“That's right,” Pat agreed, I don't know how he heard what we had said but he clearly had. “And the boss said that I could keep this with me to take care of any problems since we had the murder. Are you boys going to be a problem?”

“You won't cause any problems will you Fred?” asked Paula, twining herself around Fred.

“If you touch Jet you can count me out for the next job and I know you need me,” said Bryan, folding his arms and glaring at Fred. Ma Barker must have felt left out because she chimed in.

“Don't you go killing anyone in front of me Freddy,” she scolded, and then rounded on Pat. “And you leave my boy alone, he didn't do nothing.”

“It's true we don't want to get on the bad side of the Dillinger gang, and we need this place to be on our good side too. We can't have Sawyer holding a grudge against us this close to the job, and if we go and kill this pencil pusher in his joint, he will hold a grudge,” Creepy said. Fred pulled away from Paula and looked at them all with indignation. Pat meanwhile seemed to decide that there was no danger because he lowered his gun and went back to serving drinks.

“Why is everyone acting like I'm the one who started this?” asked Fred angrily.

“Because Jet has every reason to be angry with you,” Bryan said. I wanted to yell at him for his big mouth but I was afraid it would catch the attention of Pat's gun again.

“Well I'd love to know what it is because I've never seen him before in my life,” Fred complained.

To be continued...