The price you pay for living in Prosperity *for Daliha and I*

[BLACK BART]

Imagine if you will a City built by engineers with grand designs in mind... It rests on two sides of a river flowing southward with pure, fresh water, a natural forest of tall evergreens on the north sheltering it from the cool winter winds while the south remains open to the cloudless, sunny days that never failed to arrive when needed.

Imagine beaches along the river where the children and families could fish and play, schools within walking distance, a college and a family hospital that boasted the best trained staff in 17 counties... A city where the police spent more time visiting with the locals then fighting crime, and the streets and businesses were taken care of with a sense of Pride... The bells of the churches ringing every noon and six o'clock, to welcome the people back home to family and friends.

Imagine looking down the city streets and see them lined with tall, leaved trees, the lawns filled with cut green grass, the houses ringed with flower beds and back yards that smelled of grilled food and where laughter of happy children filled the air each and every day of the year.

So was the City of Prosperity designed and built, it's investors Proud to be a part of something so Grand, confident that the investment would soon double in it's size of return, then triple.... making life good and easy for all.

The engineers out did themselves, the structure of the City was flawless, each block perfectly fitted to the next, street lights casting their cheery glow on every corner, fire hydrants gleaming with fresh paint and sidewalks situated exactly so the children could ride the bikes safely every time they wished. The schools were built, the college well on it's way, and the first emergency in the new hospital was none other then a new baby being delivered to the Proud family of the Jones... It all worked with out a hitch, good people moved in by the hundreds, and jobs were plentiful to find and employers willing to pay fair wages to keep everyone there for a lifetime if they so desired.

~~~~~~​

They had planned for everything, or so they thought... everything in the world of carpenters, plumbers, brick layers... but not for the differences in man, and the seven sins each created without thought of what they were doing. Nothing was thought of in that category, and nothing was planned for in the "worst case" scenario, and as the City grew so too did outside interests who saw the chance to profit from the fair City of Prosperity.

Crime moved carefully behind the scenes, a few new businesses opening along the back alley, an industrial building permit bought close to the northern Forrest, a movie theater famous for the showing of classic films sold and the hours extended late into the nights. Nothing major, said the hard working folk of the City, and they went to sleep unaware that lust and greed was living among them...

10 years passed and the City still stood righteous and proud, the residents ignoring the broken lights along the south east corner of town, the women no longer taking their children for long walks in the parks since young Mary was raped... and the sky each morning no longer guaranteed to be cloudless if the winds punished the smoke and soot from the flourishing Industrial District across the City to dull it's streets and sidewalks.

20 years passed and the bars and brothels no longer worked out of the alley, instead filling the "Ma & Pa" businesses that became deserted over night, the Theater now advertising it's porn films in broad daylight, and the Police Force no longer had time to visit... only try to investigate the growing crimes...

40 years passed and like the weathered sign that announced the City as you traveled into it on filthy streets, few new families ever moved in unless they were part of "THE Family", the entire south side of the City now controlled by the Crime Bosses, the buildings no longer cared for and grass forgotten unless a dead body was found in it...

There were still "good" people, but they lived in fear each night behind locked doors, the lone church that still existed no longer ringing it's rusted bell, the college now turned into a Mansion for the richest and most powerful family who still championed the City called Prosperity... While the Hospital no longer delivered babies as they were too busy trying to keep the mothers and families off drugs and simply alive....

50 Years and the City of Prosperity should be celebrating, but the City Council is broke and is forced to sell the last of the once magnificent Forrest to pay their own taxes and city workers... and we begin the tale of a new heroine who comes to the City with the righteous beliefs she can make a difference

 

[Daliha]

Her violet gaze slowly danced over the City that lay before her, surveying her new home. The once grand City seemed to lay in ruins. Though in truth it merely waited. That's the way she like to think of it. She'd seen many pictures, read dozen of articles about the City she would call home that it was hard not to see once was laying just beneath the grime of human failings and trash.

Daliha had been there less than a week, but already she could hear the cry of the innocent, felt the pull of them at her very soul and it pissed her right off. Never had she been in a city that's cry was so loud. A friend had told her about the jobs here, volunteer, but jobs all the same. The money meant nothing as her parents had made sure she would never want no matter her lifestyle, but for a city to call for help like that still left her amazed.

She turned on her heels and went back inside, coffee held in one hand and the Daily News in the other. Five A.M. seemed to be the only time the filth of the City actually slept....at least for now. Daliha needed very little sleep and did her best work within the shadows of the moon. To look at her one might think her frail, but that was the worst mistake anyone could make. Secrets lay beneath the delicate flesh and tender gaze.

She dropped the paper on the coffee table and headed into her bedroom to get ready for her first day on the job as the new Prosecuting Attorney. There was only three of them and the case load was enough to make even the most eager turn in tears. But for Daliha it just made her hungry for more. It was time to clean house and bring justice to a once beautiful City.

The hot water seemed to soak into her flesh and warm her, chasing the feelings that seemed to engulf her as she had read the paper and as she stepped from the marbled surface she paused to gaze at her reflection. At 5'6", 120 lbs she had to agree that she looked just like every other woman...only she had the curves of her mother. It wasn't easy to hide the gentle hips or the voluptuous fullness of her breasts. Thankfully she had a damn good tailor.

Her raven tresses were bound and tucked up after she carefully braided it. It was her one vanity that she would not give up. When it was free it seemed to dance about the slender shoulders and brush over the top of her firm rear. But this was business and Daliha knew that for anyone to take her seriously she had to look the part and hide her shape. The jacket of her suit was cut in such a manner that you couldn't guess or even imagine the curves and dips of her form.

Turning her on her 3 inch leather heels she looked over her place to make sure nothing had been forgotten and set the alarm. If anyone even thought to try the door knob she would know instantly by remote notice. Briefcase in hand she headed out into the City, ready.

 

[BLACK BART]

"We got us a new fish in the D.A.'s off ice Boss"

The broad shouldered, well dressed man walked into the office and slid a thin folder over the expensive mahogany desk to the man sitting in the shadows.

"First day on the job and she looks like a REAL go getter, and from the look of her file she might be a tough nut to crack!"

The man bearing the file stood quiet after his last comment, making no attempt to peer into the darkness for a chance glimpse of a face yet unseen by anyone who worked for the seated man, simply choosing the wiser path and waiting to see if his "services" were needed any more that night.

"Thank You Raymond, please call in Charles so we three can have a talk."

Raymond nodded, knowing he was well paid for his "services" and that though his new Boss was younger then most, and had his peculiar ways like calling his men by their full names, he had lifted the small, disorganized group of men from the lowest ranks to the fourth most powerful in the City.The "Boss" was a thinker, all the men now agreed, and once the Boss had weeded the weaker seeds from the ranks the rest began to see his methods were effective, and effective in the game of crime paid much, much better...

"Charles is here Boss"

Raymond announced and stood quietly as he returned, knowing the file in the seated mans hand was being studied critically, and that usually meant there would be action.

"Yes, thank you, have a seat both of you."

The two men quickly obeyed, Raymond sitting calmly while Charles fidgeted a bit, until the file was once again laying on the finely polished desk and the Boss began to speak.

"Since our new Prosecuting Attorney Miss Westland wants to BE busy, let's be good citizens and help her out... Get the snitches who work for us in the 12th Avenue District busy about where the drug houses are located, and who takes the biggest piece of the action over there, then get that information back to me by Ten a.m. tomorrow. That will be all for now, gentleman."

The two lieutenants nodded and bid the man a good night, then carefully closed the doors behind them as they left the room and house, knowing from experience not to second guess what was happening and simply do the job that was given to them as well and soon as possible.

Inside the room the man stood and stretched, his tanned, clean cut face and rugged looks showing no signs of stress or fatigue despite the late hour, and as he dialed a number on the phone at his desk his deep voice rumbled pleasantly as he gave another set of orders.

"Chance Dangers here, contact the D.A.'s office and extend a personal invitation to Miss Daliha Westland for dinner, this Friday Noon"

He nodded and then smiled, reaching to the ornate coat rack to retrieve his own suit jacket, then moved to a door that led to his private elevator and the garage below.

Miss Westland would come, Chance was sure of it, for his family was not only the richest family in the city AND county... but also the staunchest and most vocal supporter of fighting crime. IF she was truly a "do-gooder" she'd have to check him out simply to see what kind of Allie he'd make...

Chance ran his strong fingers through his jet black hair, his deep blue eyes flashing in the light of the elevator as he stepped out to his car, a smile curling his lips in anticipation of meeting the City's newest Champion...

 

[Daliha]

Dahila stood in the doorway of her office unable to stop herself from staring. She knew things had been bad. The D.A.’s office under staffed, but she hadn’t expected to find her desk already buried under a mound of folders. From what she could tell it was a sweet little oak desk that at one time had been well taken care of. Carefully her eyes scanned the space. It wasn’t small, but it was hardly what she was use too. It didn’t matter. Give her a closet and a laptop and she was good to go, but as her gaze finally fell upon the system her heart sank. It looked like it was a million years old. “Hell...” She bit her lip trying to keep the words from spilling from her lips.

With a sigh she squared her shoulders and tossed her briefcase on the nearest chair and started with the piles of folders. By the time the rest of the office began to trudge into work Dahila was sitting at a perfectly clean and polished desk. The computer, old as it was, hummed softly as she clicked away at the keys. She’d already read through more than a dozen cases and she could feel the dull throb start and stop in the back of her neck after only two hours. First thing on her list to do was get a damn computer that could at least boot up in less than 5 minutes.

Another hour passed before anyone bothered to even poke their head into her office and then it was only to tell her there was a call on line two for her. She looked around for the phone and found it stuffed into a drawer and laughed.

“Good morning D.A.’s office...Dahila Westmont speaking.” At first she thought it might be her new boss or one of her friends calling to check on her, but then a spoke smooth as silk spoke. “Miss Westmont...Mr. Dangers would like to extend and invitation to dinner Friday night at 8. He’ll send a car to pick you.”

For a moment she was taken aback by the arrogance of the man, but the name began to tickle her brain till, like a movie, the information on the family buzzed by. “Yes, please tell Mr. Dangers I will be ready at 8pm.” She hung the phone and turned back to her work. There was plenty of time to think about the call later.

The day was a blur after the call. One person after another seemed to drift in to meet the new girl on the block. The men seemed to linger and the few females seemed to have something urgent pulling them away after getting a look at her. She was use to it though.

It wasn’t till she caught sight of the setting sun out her window that she realized that the day had slipped away. She’d still yet to meet with her boss. It would have to wait till morning. She’d put in nearly ten hours and was more than ready to get out of there. She shut down the system, grabbed the stack of files and slipped them into her briefcase and shut down.

The weather wasn’t so bad outside, but the stench from the factors seemed to coat the warm air with a layer of filth. She wondered for the first time about the call. The gentlemen didn’t so much a ask her, but told her she’d be having dinner. As Daliha walked down the street she pulled the print out she done on the family. They were rich, but she didn’t hold that against them as money didn’t corrupt all. She was living proof of that. The family had many articles written about them and not just from the local paper. They were very outspoken about ridding the city of the slime that had taken over.

Her violet gaze lingered over the pictures and article, but not a single one had a good picture of the man himself. He always seemed to be shadowed somehow and somehow that little fact had her wanting to know more about him.

 

[BLACK BART]

Chance Danger knew the value of maintaining the aura of mystery about him, knew it gave him power over others as to how they saw him, and he used that power wisely just as his parents had as he grew up idolizing them.

He had learned carefully from the pair, using his mothers subtle, manipulative skills when it was required and casting the Danger family image of a wealthy but concerned for the average person, then using his fathers blunter, dominating force when dealing with the criminal element he had organized into a very dangerous and effective force.

"Do we have the information on the 12th Avenue dealers yet?"

He questioned the driver softly and removed the dark glasses, his blue eyes flashing in the shadowed interior of the car, his dark tan and tailored charcoal suit letting him blend into the interior of the armored limousine as the driver informed him the information was indeed ready.

"Excellent, have it delivered via blind courier to my table at Des Lacs, I'll present it to her over dessert.. as a gift from my family"


Chance smiled at the thought, his full lips and white teeth transforming his face, his soft laugh low and strong within the interior of the luxury sedan as the driver nodded, then gave quick instructions over the cars scrambled communications system.

Chance knew the value of remaining mysterious... he cultivated it with his social appearances, reinforced it with the Danger Family donations to the seemingly endless string of public charities that kept their name as a trusted household word, then quietly, anonymously behind the scenes commanded and guided the growing force of criminals in a very lucrative and profitable underworld style business.

The car slowed, then stopped and he smiled again, knowing the car's driver would escort Miss Westmont to his car, his tall figure relaxing into the custom leather seats as he waited patiently and wondered if he'd be able to use the young attorney effectively for his means, or simply have her disappear as he had others who stood in his way. The door opened and a long pair of legs became visible, his hand extending to offer her assistance into the car as he greeted her softly in his baritone voice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Westmont, I've looked forward to your arrival in this city since the day I heard you took the position...."