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Chapter Text

As the moon shined over the forest, Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi finally finished burying their latest victims, the drug kingpin Frank Lopez and the cop-turned-crook Mel Bernstein. 

"Fucking cockroaches," said Tony in disgust. "Got exactly what they deserved."

"They sure did, Tony," said Manny in agreement. "Those guys were total pieces of shit." 

"Why am I even here?" said Chi Chi, feeling uncomfortable and guilty about helping with the burial. "I didn't kill either of them. You guys did." 

Just as Tony, Manny, and Chi were ready to head back, they noticed a pair of headlights in the darkness and then turned their heads and saw a car headed toward the forest. The car stopped, and three men stepped out.

"Mob guys," Tony whispered to Manny and Chi Chi.

"How do you know?" whispered Manny.

"I know a mobster when I see one."

The three mobsters went behind the car and stared at the trunk, from which a banging sound was coming. The one in the middle appeared to be hiding something under his coat, the one to his left was holding a shovel, and the one to the right was holding something in his hands. The mobster in the middle then took out a large knife from under his coat, and the mobster on the right revealed a ring of keys and walked over to the trunk, then opened the trunk, revealing a man inside, who was barely breathing and was moaning weakly. "No... no... no, Tommy, no..." the man inside the trunk started to muster to the mobster who was wielding the knife.

"He's still alive," said Tommy. "You fucking piece of shit." Tommy then walked over to the man inside the trunk and started stabbing him.

"¡Coño!" shouted Tony in horror.

Tommy immediately stopped upon hearing the strange voice. "Did you guys hear something?"

"No," lied the mobster who had opened the trunk. "Jimmy, put Billy out of his misery."

Jimmy did as he was told and shot Billy several times in the stomach, finishing him off.

"I definitely heard something, Henry," said Tommy. "Sounds like it came from over there." The three mobsters then turned their heads toward Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi as the realization dawned upon them that the horrific act they had just committed had three witnesses.

Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi knew they had to make a run for it, but they were now so frightened that they were unable to move. Tommy walked over to Tony, Manny and Chi Chi and raised the bloodied knife.

"Wait!" yelled Henry. "Maybe they don't speak English."

"It doesn't matter," said Tommy. "Latino cops speak Spanish. If they tell the fuzz, I'm fucked. We're all fucked."

Tony used his shovel to hit Tommy in the head, then dropped his shovel and started running as Manny and Chi Chi did the same.

"They're gettin' away!" yelled Jimmy frantically, pointing in their direction as Tommy started to recover from the pain and dizziness. Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi decided to split up, each heading in a different direction to confuse their pursuers. As Tony set off deeper into the forest, he could hear the mobsters shouting behind him, their footsteps growing louder. Tony knew he had to think fast to evade them.

Feeling the weight of the pistol in his pocket, Tony got an idea. He knew it was a risky move, but he also understood that it might be his only chance to scare off the mobsters and make a run for it. With a deep breath, he took the gun from his pocket, raised it, and fired a shot into the air, the sound echoing through the forest.

Tommy, Jimmy, and Henry, startled by the sound of the gunshot, paused in their pursuit, looking around in confusion. Tony seized the opportunity and took off running, the underbrush whipping against his legs as he sprinted through the trees. The adrenaline surged through him as he pushed himself to keep moving, his heart pounding in his chest.

As he ran, Tony could hear the mobsters shouting behind him, their voices growing more distant with each passing moment. He knew he had to keep going, to put as much distance between himself and them as possible.

After what felt like an eternity, Tony finally slowed down, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He looked around, the moon casting a soft glow over the forest, grateful that he had managed to scare off the mobsters and escape.

The next morning, Tony sat in front of the TV with Manny and Chi Chi, their faces pale as they listened to the news report.

"Last night, the sound of a gunshot in the forest attracted the attention of the police, leading them to the discovery of a dead body in the trunk of an abandoned car."

"Ha!" said Tony with a chuckle. "Those mob guys are in trouble now. Bet the entire mob is gonna be after them."

"This isn't funny, Tony," said Manny. "They're gonna kill us."

Tony's heart skipped a beat as he realized the ramifications of his actions - Manny was right; the mobsters would surely come after them for revenge.

The room fell silent as the weight of the situation settled over them. Tony could see the fear reflected in Manny and Chi Chi's eyes, knowing they were all in grave danger. They needed to come up with a plan to protect themselves and evade the mobsters' wrath.

"Near the car, they found four shovels, and what appeared to be a gravesite. The police suspect that the murderers had buried their previous victims here and were going to bury the body in the trunk as well but took off when the police showed up."

Tony's worry deepened as he remembered they had left the shovels at the burial site, realizing their fingerprints might still be on them. The fear of the police tracing the shovels back to them added another layer of anxiety to the already tense situation. Tony knew they needed to act fast to cover their tracks and avoid getting caught.

Chapter Text

Tony grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, his heart pounding. The trio sat there stunned for the next several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Tony couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, knowing that no one was to blame but him for getting himself, Manny, and Chi Chi into this predicament. How could he be so reckless?

"What should we do now?" Manny asked anxiously, breaking the silence.

"I suggest we flee the country," Chi Chi proposed.

"No!" Tony responded firmly. "We're not doing that again." He had longed for life in America for as long as he could remember and wasn't willing to surrender his freedom.

"So, I guess we just go into hiding, then?" said Chi Chi.

"No, Chi Chi," replied Tony. "We can't hide forever. We need a plan."

"What if they come for us tonight?" said Manny frantically. "We can't wait!"

"So what's your plan, Tony?" Chi Chi inquired.

"We return to the forest to dispose of the evidence," Tony declared confidently. "Tonight."

"Sounds like a plan," Manny concurred. Abruptly, a knock at the door startled them. Exchanging nervous glances, Tony approached the window, peeked through the blinds, and sighed in relief upon seeing his bodyguard, Ernie. He opened the door.

"Ernie! We're in deep trouble," Tony announced. Together with Manny and Chi Chi, they briefed the perplexed bodyguard.

"Wow. You guys are in hot water," Ernie remarked, shaking his head.

"That's not helpful," Manny retorted, visibly annoyed.

"I apologize," Ernie said. "By the way, would you like to join me for lunch?"

Manny and Chi Chi looked to Tony for a decision.

"Sure," Tony agreed. "It'll distract me for a while."

As the four men strolled around the block, Tony's anxiety mounted when they neared an Italian deli, its scent of garlic and cured meats wafting through the air.

"Tony? Are you alright?" Manny asked, noting Tony's distress.

"Everything's fine," Tony assured, feigning calmness.

"He's tense because we passed an Italian eatery," Chi Chi observed.

"The city's vast, Tony. It's unlikely we'll bump into them again," Manny comforted him.

"Right," Tony acknowledged. "It's just that I'm uneasy around—" He halted mid-sentence as an Italian-American couple entered the deli.

"What makes you uneasy, Tony?" Manny pressed, curious.

"Never mind," Tony said. "Hey, how about that restaurant?" He pointed to a fancy Chinese restaurant across the street.

"Sounds good to me," Ernie agreed. The four men approached the restaurant, entered, and were seated at a table. Not long after, a waiter came to take their orders. They forgot all their troubles as they chatted, laughed, and enjoyed their meals. But the carefree atmosphere didn't last very long.

"Here is your check, sir," the waiter said, returning to the table. Tony pulled out his wallet but froze when he noticed two men in with black, slicked back hair walking in and sitting at another table, speaking to each other in thick New York accents. "Sir?" the waiter prompted.

Suddenly, Tony jumped out of his chair and ran out of the restaurant, leaving his wallet behind.

"Hey, buddy! You dropped your wallet!" the younger of the two unfamiliar men called after him. Panic set in, and Tony ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Tony was sure the man would use it to blackmail him. Manny, Chi Chi, Ernie, and the stranger were all in hot pursuit, concerned for Tony's wellbeing as he dodged vehicles and pedestrians. 

"Wait! I'm just trying to return it to you!" the stranger panted.

Tony ran four blocks before he was too exhausted to continue. The four men finally caught up to Tony.

"Will... you... slow... down?" the stranger said between heavy breaths. "I was just trying to be a good Samaritan." He held up the leather billfold.

Tony's face flushed as he snatched the wallet. "Th-thank you," he said sheepishly.

The stranger smiled warmly. "No problem, pal." As the kindhearted stranger walked away, Tony felt ashamed for allowing prejudice to cloud his judgment about an entire group of people. He silently vowed to see people for who they truly were, not just stereotypes.

"What was that all about, Tony?" Manny asked. "Why did you run?"

"N-nothing," Tony replied. "Just a little paranoid, is all."

"Oh, I see what's going on here," Manny said as the pieces started to fall together for him. "You're afraid of Italians, aren't you?"

"Can you blame me? We were almost killed by one last night!" Tony shot back angrily.

"That doesn't explain why you were refusing to make deals with Italians before that incident," Manny remarked skeptically.

Tony sighed. "Okay, I never trusted Italians until now," he admitted." But I learned my lesson."

"Good," said Manny, smiling. "I'm proud of you, Tony."

"Ernie," said Tony, turning towards Ernie. "Will you help us get rid of the evidence?"

"Nothing doing, Tony," said Ernie. "You guys got yourselves into this mess. You're gonna get yourselves out." 

"Some bodyguard," scoffed Tony as Ernie walked away. "Alright, here's the plan. We go back to the crime scene and thoroughly clean the shovels to remove any fingerprints that could help trace the crime back to use."

As night fell, Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi returned to the crime scene. Trying to ignore the profuse jangling of their nerves throughout their body, the three men crawled under the "DO NOT CROSS" tapes. Tony took out his flashlight and turned it on, scanning the area. The three men then strapped on their gloves, ready to work tampering with the evidence. Suddenly, Tommy, Jimmy, and Henry, the three mobsters they had evaded earlier, emerged from their hiding places, pointing guns at them. The sight of Tommy's devious grin sent a shiver down Tony's spine as the realization dawned upon him that they had walked right into a trap.

"Hiya, pal."

Chapter Text

Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi put their hands up in defeat as Tommy, Henry, and Jimmy closed in on them, pistols raised. A rush of adrenaline coursed through Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi, but they knew trying to make a run for it would only seal their fate.

"I'll tie up the one with the scar. You guys tie up the other two," Tommy ordered Henry and Jimmy, his tone calm but authoritative. As Tommy and Jimmy got to work subduing Tony and Manny, Henry silently gestured at Chi Chi to make a run for it. Chi Chi stood there and stared at Henry with genuine confusion. What could Henry possibly gain from letting him escape? As Chi Chi noticed the look of concern on Henry's face, he realized that Henry was only trying to help. Chi Chi was reluctant at first, not wanting to leave his friends behind with two psychopaths who would certainly murder them. But it dawned on Chi Chi that escaping could create a distraction, buying some time for Henry to devise a plan. Chi Chi finally took off, running as fast as he could.

"Guys, he got away," Henry informed Tommy and Jimmy, who were now almost finished securing the ropes on Tony and Manny. "Fella just ran off before I could touch him. We'll have to call this off until we find him."

"No, that's fine, Henry," Tommy replied as he looked Tony in the eyes, ready to take revenge. "We can take care of him later."

"There will be no whacking until all three of them are present," Henry insisted, walking over to Tony and Tommy and putting himself between them.

Tommy sighed. "Fine," he gave in, handing Henry his knife. "Which way did he go?"

"He went that way," Henry told Tommy and Jimmy, intentionally pointing in the wrong direction.

As Tommy and Jimmy went to look for Chi Chi, Henry looked down at Tony and Manny, who were now hogtied and gagged. Henry bent down and removed the gag from Tony’s mouth.

"¡Coño!" shrieked Tony in horror at seeing the large knife Henry was wielding.

"Look, I'm not going to harm you. I'm just going to cut the ropes so you can escape," Henry said, hoping Tony and Manny understood English. "Once I've cut the ropes, you need to leave immediately because my friends Tommy and Jimmy want you dead. Understand?" Tony and Manny nodded, and Henry began slicing through the ropes.

Henry had always been uncomfortable with his friends' violent tendencies, and this was his opportunity to do something right. He glanced around nervously, ensuring Tommy and Jimmy were still distracted by their search for Chi Chi. He knew that as soon as Tony and Manny were free, they had to flee. There was a creeping feeling that Tommy and Jimmy would return any minute now, and every rustle of leaves felt foreboding.

As soon as Tony and Manny were untethered, they sprinted into the night.

"This is taking forever," Tommy told Jimmy as the two continued their search for Chi Chi. "We're going to need Henry's help."

"Agreed, Tommy." Tommy and Jimmy stopped, turned around, and returned to Henry. As they approached Henry, they noticed Tony and Manny were gone, leaving only a pair of gags and sliced ropes in their place. As Tommy eyed Henry with suspicion, Henry's heart raced, and his hands trembled as he prepared for the confrontation, uncertain how his friends would react to his betrayal.

"YOU HELPED THEM ESCAPE!" Tommy roared, boiling over at Henry's defiance.

"I couldn't let you execute them," Henry declared, not caring that he had acted against his friends' wishes. "They don't deserve to die." 

"You've betrayed us, Henry," Tommy growled as he stepped towards Henry, his fists ready. "They were our foes, and you set them free. You've crossed a line." 

Henry inhaled deeply, standing resolute, and tried to see if he could reason with Tommy. "Tommy, I understand you're angry, but I couldn't just watch any more people be murdered. There has to be another way to resolve this without killing."

"You're making a big mistake, Henry. They're our enemies, and you're choosing to protect them over us," Tommy growled, his hand impulsively reaching for his gun. Jimmy raised a hand, silently gesturing for Tommy to stop.

"I can't be a part of this anymore." Henry stood his ground, his resolve unwavering even in the face of Tommy's wrath. "I won't stand by and watch you kill any more people," 

"Come on, let's go find them," barked Tommy, not wanting to waste any more time. "They couldn't have gotten too far."

"I can't do it, Tommy. I won't help you find them," Henry declared, his voice unwavering despite the palpable tension in the air. He couldn't bring himself to lead Tommy and Jimmy to the Cubans; the guilt of betraying them after helping them escape would weigh heavily on his conscience. Standing firm in his decision, Henry refused to help Tommy and Jimmy, knowing his sense of right and wrong outweighed his loyalty to his friends or his fear of the consequences.

"Tommy, let's focus on finding them first. We can deal with Henry later," Jimmy intervened, sensing the escalating tension between Tommy and Henry. 

Tommy hesitated, his eyes shifting between Henry and the path ahead. "Fine. We'll deal with you later, Henry. Right now, let's find those pieces of shit and make them pay."

Henry watched as Tommy and Jimmy disappeared into the forest, his heart heavy with the weight of Tommy's words as they rang in his ears. We'll deal with you later, Henry. He knew he had taken a dangerous path that would undoubtedly lead to a deadly confrontation with his former allies.

Chapter Text

Grateful for Henry's selfless act, but also worried about the potential danger they still had to escape from, Tony and Manny kept running to ensure their own safety. They knew they had to keep going. They knew Tommy and Jimmy were coming for them - all Henry had done was give them a head start. They knew Tommy and Jimmy were not going to hesitate this time - if they let Tommy and Jimmy catch up to them, they would be as dead as a doornail. So they kept on running, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the two mobsters as possible. Sure enough, they soon started to hear the footsteps of the two mobsters coming from behind. Tony and Manny gave chase. They sped up, now running as fast as their legs could carry them. It was an exhausting chase, and, eventually, they had to stop to catch their breath. But they were now certain that Tommy and Jimmy were off their tails.

"I think we lost them," Manny told Tony with a sigh of relief.

"Manny," Tony uttered between heavy pants of breath. "Do you think they got Chi Chi?" 

"I hope not," Manny replied, but he remained uncertain. "But we can't give up. Chi Chi would want us to go on without him."

"You're right," Tony acknowledged. "We have to keep going for Chi Chi."

Once the two had finally caught their breaths, they resumed their journey, now walking peacefully.

"Wait till Elvira hears about this," Tony said with a chuckle. "Can you imagine the look on her face?"

"She'll probably slap you, and then hug you and tell you she's so glad that you're alright," Manny added with a chuckle. "That's what my mama used to do to me whenever I told her about the trouble I got into."

"Knowing her, she'll probably hug me, and then slap me."

Tony and Manny laughed at the thought.

"You guys aren't even married, and you act like you've known her your whole life," Manny remarked.

"Elvira is going to be my wife," Tony declared with a smirk. "No woman can resist my charm."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Tony. Her ex-husband was a rich man," Manny pointed out, shaking his head. "She seems like a gold digger to me."

"You underestimate me, Manny," Tony said, his voice filled with determination. "One of these days, I'm gonna be the richest man in Miami."

"It's good to dream big, but your goals should be realistic," Manny replied skeptically.

"You think I'm not being realistic?" Tony scoffed. "Frank's dead. I take his place as the top dog in the Miami drug trade. What's stopping me now?"

Manny laughed and shook his head. The two continued to chat, ascending out of the forest, but they stopped in their tracks when they saw a familiar face.

"Tony! Manny! You're alive!" Chi Chi yelled as he ran up to them.

"So are you," Manny replied as the three embraced.

"Oh, Chi Chi, we thought you were dead," Tony said tearfully.

"I thought you guys were dead," Chi Chi replied.

The three reconciled and continued their journey out of the dense forest, eventually making it back to the city after what felt like an eternity. After escaping death so narrowly in the eerie forest, the noisy, chaotic streets of the urban life they were accustomed to had never before seemed so peaceful, now welcoming them with open arms. 

"Karen's gonna be so mad," Henry said to no one in particular as he walked back home. He had promised her and his daughters he'd be home by 9 o'clock for dinner. Knowing his daughters, they would surely forgive him, but Karen wasn't one to forgive and forget. Karen lived up to her name - obnoxious, entitled, angry, and demanding. Just this morning, Henry had woken up with a gun cocked to his face. The memory flashed in his mind - the pistol shaking in Karen's hands, her finger pulled back on the hammer. He shuddered just thinking about it. How was he going to explain himself this time? Would she understand? Would she even listen? He felt he had done the right thing. He couldn't let those strangers die. He just couldn't. He would never have been able to forgive himself if he did. As he approached the suburban house, he took a deep breath as he braced himself for the confrontation. 

"Boy," Henry said as he entered the household, reaching desperately for something he could say to distract Karen before she got the chance to unleash her rage on him. "Something smells goo-"

"You promised," Karen snapped, blazing with fury. "Why'd you go and do that, Henry? How many times have I told you if you're not going to be here in time for dinner, don't say you're going to be here?I had to throw out your spaghetti."

"Couldn't you have saved that for later?" Henry said, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"That's besides the point, Henry," Karen shouted, her patience reaching its end. "It's not about the spaghetti. It's about spending time together. The girls kept looking at me, asking 'When is Daddy coming?' It broke my heart. I don't care if you flake out on me. Well, I do care, but I married you. It was my choice. The kids don't have a choice. One day, they'll be all grown up, and you're gonna look back and regret all these empty promises you made them. You're gonna look back and say, 'I wish I had spent more time with my family."

"Karen..." Henry started, hoping to sway her.

"Don't talk to me," Karen interrupted. She walked back upstairs, leaving Henry alone with his thoughts in the dimly lighted kitchen.