The Knights Of Birmingham

The Name Of Our Mistakes

This time I made a whole game plan in my head of different scenarios that could happen once I arrived back in town. Would I jump into Michael's arms? Would Tommy be dead? I couldn't take a sleep this time my nerves were more pumped than ever. I was insane for doing this, yet I knew it was the right thing. I should've listened to Polly. Maybe less people would get hurt. Hopefully I'd arrive in time before anything happened. I'd sacrifice myself for them.

The rain had stopped in Birmingham. Only a lingering fog hovered the streets. I had given the driver the address of the Shelby's mansion in the country. He pulled up amazes and terrified.

"Sorry ma'am I can't pull all the way up." He stopped in the hill.

"Why?"

"It's the Shelby's ma'am."

"Ugh, fine!" I spastically threw money at him. "Keep the change."

I ran down the hill and into the drive way of the Shelby's. There were no cars parked on the outside. I ended up slipping off my heels and running up to the door. I knocked rapidly as I caught my breath. Ada answered shocked.

"Mamie, I thought you had skipped town!" She shut the door behind her.

"I did, then didnt it's complicated."

"Well if you're looking for Tommy he's not here."

"What do you mean?" I asked more worried.

"Him, Arthur, Polly, and Michael are out at Parliament. Some big discussion if you know what I mean."

"They are in grave danger, You here me?" I grabbed onto Ada's arms and shook her.

"Are you feeling alright Mamie? They'll be back in an hour I swear, you can always wait here."

"No I can't. They can get killed Ada." I released my grasp from her. "I have to go there." I turned my head to see the cabbie left.

"Well don't say I let you, Tommy has a spare car around the back." She quickly ran back inside the mansion then threw me the keys.

"I'm coming with though." She grabbed a coat from the rack. "We women have to stick together."

"Let's go!" We ran around the back and started up the car.

I hadn't driven more recklessly in my life. Though I hadn't driven in almost a year. I had to get used to the feeling again. I sped over twenty and flew through stops. I needed to protect them.

We arrived almost a half hour sooner than usual. We jumped out of the vehicle, a police officer immediately walked up to us.

"Excuse me ladies, but you aren't allowed to park here."

"It'll be really quick I promise." I said frantically.

"Sorry have to follow the rules like everybody else."

"She works here!" Ada jumped in.

"Don't care."

"I'll stay with the car, go." Ada took the keys from my hand.

I ran through the gate, double doors, and through security. I didn't even bother fiddling with the elevators. I ran up five flights to Tommy's office. There a crowd of people were screaming in fear.

"What's going on?" I asked another secretary I knew.

"I don't know it happened all so fast!"

"What did?" My heart was beating out of my chest. She pointed down the hall to Tommy's office. Tears began forming around my eyes.

I shoved people aside and finally made it to the door. It was wide open. There laid Michael on the floor in Polly's arms sobbing. Tommy was pacing around the room on the phone while Arthur was banging his fists against walls. I stood silently in the door way. My heart fell. Tommy glanced up at me, his jaw dropped.

"Mamie?" Escaped from Tommy's lips. Polly looked up at me.

"I'm so sorry." I placed my hands over my mouth. Tear viciously left my eyes. Tommy came over to comfort me. "This is all my fault. I should've never left."

"What are You doing back, I thought you were leaving?" Tommy asked.

I walked over to Michael and squatted down. He was breathing hard, blood rolled down from his chest. I took him from Polly and held him in my arms. My tears fell on his face. He smiled at me tenderly.

"You did leave?" He painfully said.

"Don't speak," I sobbed. "Polly dropped off your ring this morning."

"A ring?" Arthur added.

"Im not leaving you again." I looked over at Tommy listening in. "Who did this?"

"I don't know, some man in a beige overcoat and brown hat. Michael jumped in front of me when he saw him pull the gun. He threw this at us too." Tommy handed over a letter that in bold letters read My apologies, Capone. I crumpled up the paper in my hand. My eyes narrowed in on the thought of Al. That spineless bastard. I let him go with my brother, I wouldn't allow him do this to them. They were my family now. If Al wanted a war he'd get one. I was done hiding in fear of him. I'd make sure he was dead.

"Mamie, are you alright?" Polly asked concernedly. She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't call me that." I kissed Michael on the forehead and passed him back to Polly. "It's Melvina." I stood up as nurses and doctors finally fled into the room to take him. Polly smirked at me. She knew something deep inside me had woken up. The woman she hired all along. I blankly walked to Tommy.

"Are you okay?" I grabbed Tommy's cigarettes from his best pocket and stroked a match to light it.

"I need a place to stay for a while."

"There's plenty of room back at the mansion." He also began lighting himself a cigarette. "So Melvina, is it?"

"I need to make a call in the next hour." I took the emerald ring from the blue box and slipped it onto my ring finger. "Then I need you to write to Alfie Solomons for me."

"Why?"

"I'm going to kill him."