The Mafia Empire

Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Capturing Wood's Men

Meanwhile, the three wagons were moving faster on their return journey than wh they had arrived. Having unloaded a hundred cases of alcohol, ev the horses seemed more spirited. In the back of the wagon, Graf lifted a hidd compartmt and stashed the money box inside.

Julian had specifically requested the compartmt be built, not just to hide money, but also to store contraband in case of a

With the added light, two more of the stalkers were captured and tied up, their hands bound as they were hauled into the back of the wagon. Graf looked curiously at Dave and asked, "What's this? Out catching thieves in the middle of the night? What did they do to piss you off?"

Dave, looking a bit disheveled with grass stuck to his beloved checkered wool sweater and mud on his shoes and pants, panted heavily as he responded, "These guys… they've be tailing you ever since you unloaded the goods. I thought something was off about them."

...

"In this world, tertainmt options were limited. Without the luxury of television, most people turned to simple pastimes like reading the newspaper or finding their own ways to pass the time. Many busied themselves by having as many childr as they could while still able to work.

Some, however, might not have truly wanted so many childr, but didn't know how to avoid it.

Julian, still single, didn't ev have that distraction, so he simply wt to bed early."

By the time Graf returned, it was already past t. Julian had long be cozied up in his warm bed, fast asleep. Despite the Hu family's poverty, they had kept their house well maintained, especially the beds and lins.

Just as Julian was deep in a bizarre dream, a knock on the door startled him awake. He immediately sat up, reaching under his bed for the dagger he kept hidd there, gripping it tightly in his hand.

"Who is it?" His voice was calm and steady, showing no signs of panic or fear. He quietly slipped out of bed, threw on a piece of clothing, and stood outside his bedroom door.

Soon ough, a familiar voice answered from outside. "It's me. Are you asleep?" Graf's deep voice, which always sounded a bit muffled, came through the door. Julian wasn't sure if all big guys sounded like that, but Graf certainly did.

Julian tucked the dagger into the waistband at the back of his pants and oped the door. Standing there was Graf, still dressed in the same clothes from earlier, with no time to change. Julian looked him up and down before asking, "Why ar't you sleeping? What's going on?"

Graf hesitated, scratching his head, unsure of how to begin. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "We attacked two police officers on the road… and caught some people who were following us."

Julian's drowsiness vanished at Graf's words. He turned back to quickly dress and th followed Graf outside. As they walked, Graf recounted the evts from the afternoon and eving. Julian had no complaints about Graf's choices.

Allowing those police officers to take the shipmt and get away with it might seem like an easy solution, but it would only feed their greed, making them a problem that could grow into an unmanageable black hole.