Participants:
| Scene Title | For All The Marbles |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Kain Zarek finally gets what he's been looking for in Chicago… |
| Date | July 4, 2010 |
North Avenue Beach, Boardwalk
Chicago, Illinois
Out here on the boardwalk, with crowds of tourists and citizens of Chicago poured out onto the beaches, one face can easily be lost in the crowd. Leaning on the boardwalk railing, staring out at the water and the beach goers, Kain Zarek squints blue eyes against the dark of night and the twilight gloom setting in on that eastern horizon ahead.
By now it's already night back home in New York, and out here on the boardwalk, the crowds have gathered for Fourth of July celebration. Fireworks will be starting at any minute, and it's no surprise that at least one person is taking advantage of the festivities. Clomping over with heavy, scuffing footsteps, Manny Calavera has the smile of a kid that was let loose in a candy store with a blank check.
"Kain," Manny sharply calls out, hefting up a styrofoam cup with a lump of ice cream in it and something else wedged in the cup at the side of the ice cream. "Kain you ain't gonna believe this! They got the fried dough stand next to the soft serve ice cream! I got me a chunk a'fried dough with a scoop of vanilla ice cream an' chocolate syrup in a fuckin' cup!" He sounds like that aforementioned child.
One of Kain's brows go up, lips creep into a reluctantly honest smile. "Manny, you know th' way you pack away shit like that Ah'm amazed you ain't dropped dead of a heart attack yet." Content to happily ignore Kain, Manny begins scooping a spoonful of his dreaded concoction past his lips as he shuffles on over across the boardwalk, suit jacket slung over one shoulder and a drop of ice cream on his black tie.
"So, we meetin' Mines after the fireworks?" There's a hopeful look from Manny over the frames of his sunglasses to Kain. The answer is a shrug of Kain's shoulders leaning forward to fold his hands on the boardwalk railing, eyes scanning the crowd of people gathered down on the beach. "Mmnh, you know maybe after spendin' all'a this time goin' back an' forth from New York t'here to make this deal, Richie'll have everything solved for us when we get back?"
Dark brows furrow as Kain gives a slow shake of his head, lips downturning into a frown and eyes falling shut. "Ah' doubt it, gonna' be in for the long haul t'get this whole thing a done deal. We're in this for all'a th' marbles, Manny…" Blue eyes shift to the side, and Kain offers a wistful look to his erstwhile bodyguard, then back out to the people gathered on the beach. "Ain't no tellin' how this is gonna' go. Maybe Danny boy figures out what's what, puts a bullet in'na both'a our heads."
Pausing at that, Manny gives Kain a long, flat look, staring vacantly at him as worry dawns across his features. It takes a moment for that expression to fade to something more pensive, and with a gesture of his cup of ice cream and fried dough, Manny motions to someone heading down the boardwalk. Kain twists, turning to follow the gesture, and spots the darkly dressed frame of Jason Mines on his approach.
Eyes shaded behind sunglasses he can't need at this hour, navy blue suit jacket unbuttoned, Mines makes his approach with a flick of a cigarette from mouth to hand to underfoot. "Zarek," is a curt greeting, formerly cigarette-laden hand thrust out in greeting, met by Kain's in a tense handshake. In the presence of business, Manny takes on the attitude of business, setting down the styrofoam cup he holds on the railing.
"What's the good word, Hoss?" Both of Kain's dark brows rise up, blue eyes assessing his own reflection in Mines' sunglasses. The response is slow cominb as Mines' hands come to rest on his hips, weight shifting to one foot.
"You check out," is exactly what Kain wants to hear. "C'mon, we're leavin' now. I'm takin' you t'meet Mister d'Sarthe." Trying to hide his surprise at Mines' response, Kain looks briefly back over his shoulder to Manny, then bobs his head into a nod, stepping across the boardwalk with one clunked foot, hands tucked into his pockets and shoulders squared.
"What're we waitin' for then, let's get'a move on." Kain's eagerness earns a momentary stare from Mines, content of it hidden behind his sunglasses. There's a sharp nod of his head, a look to Manny, and then Mines turns down the boardwalk, letting Kain Zarek and Manny Calevera follow on his heels.
The whistle and pop of the first of the nights fireworks going off sounds out behind the trio with a flash of red light. The following pops and bangs grow louder and louder, creating dancing shadows they follow away from the beach. Kain has a hard time determining if the fireworks sound like fanfare to him…
…or a 21 gun salute.