The Adventures of Will Irving: Automaton Trouble

Chapter 27

"Maybe we should just lie low for now, boss," Jasper suggested. "You know...until we find out who's behind all this."

Jasper and Julius were standing in one of the rooms of Moe's mansion. A short distance away, Moe was reclining in a chair as a doctor sat next to him, bandaging his right hand. Even though they had somehow survived the blast at the warehouse, all three of the mobsters were actually in quite bad shape. Moe was the worst of the three. In addition to the gunshot wound in his shoulder and other smaller shrapnel wounds, he had been badly burned during the explosion at the warehouse and now had bandages covering his head and part of his face, as well as his arms and left hand. Julius and Jasper had also both received serious burns and shrapnel wounds, and they, too, had bandages wrapped around their hands and arms. Julius' nose had been broken by the pipe that Atticus had used to knock him down.

"Lie low?! Are you kidding me?!" Moe exclaimed, sitting forward in his chair and pushing aside the doctor. "And let this asshole think he won? Not for a second! Besides, I might own this town, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other wolves around. No...we're gonna find this bastard and his tin can and make them pay. In fact, you're gonna start looking right now."

"Are you serious? What chance do we stand against that thing?!" Jasper protested. "You saw what it did to Danny...we're lucky to be alive."

"What's that stench?! Did you shit yourself, Jasper?! Does mommy need to clean your diapee?! Quit being so soft!" Moe angrily chastised. "Or let me know if you've outlived your usefulness!"

"We'll go, boss. Don't worry. We'll go. It's just that it's still fresh...that's all," Julius intervened. "And Irving? What do you want us to do about him?"

"Forget Irving for now. We can get to him later. Besides, I don't think he's in on it, and the girl is useless to us now," Moe stated.

"I don't know, boss. I still say he's part of it," Julius argued.

"You weren't there when I questioned him. He said he was the one who shot the tin can and saved Jasper at the Emporium," Moe shared. "Arthur said he didn't know him...and he didn't seem too interested in saving him. Maybe Irving was telling the truth..."

Julius looked at Jasper questioningly.

"That's what he said," Jasper said with a shrug.

"And if he is...then you should be thanking him," Moe stated.

"Maybe," Julius replied. "But that doesn't mean I won't keep my eye on him."

"I said forget about him for now!" Moe shouted. "How hard is it to do what you're told?! I want everyone we've got on this, and I want to be informed at all times! Now can you do that, or do I need to find someone else?!"

"You got it, boss," Julius agreed.

Julius then turned to his brother and nodded, and they both left the room. Moe leaned back in his chair and motioned for the doctor to resume his work.

"Make it quick, doc," Moe snapped. "I don't have all day."