Chapter 15 10-2

Michael opened his brother's hand, went to the desk, and poured some scotch, hoping the drink would ease the pain in his wired jaw. The five of them sat in a circle, but the atmosphere was different from the previous meetings.Sonny seemed happier, more lively; Michael knew what that happiness meant.There was no longer any doubt in his brother's mind.He made up his mind, and nothing could shake him.Sollozzo's trick the night before had given Sanji his last reassurance; there was no longer any question of a truce. "While you weren't home, we got a call from a contact," Sonny said to Hagen. "The 'Turk' wanted to talk."

Sonny laughed. "That son of a bitch," he said appreciatively, "had just lost a bet last night and asked for negotiations today or tomorrow. Meanwhile, they think we're just sitting there waiting for them to serve us. Eat whatever you want. They are crazy to think so. " Tom asked worriedly, "How did you answer?" Sonny grinned and said: "I said, of course, any time is fine. I'm not in a hurry. I have a hundred military workers patrolling the streets twenty-four hours a day. If Sollozzo shows a hair on his buttocks, he will Immediate death. Let people think about it as long as they want."

Hagen asked, "Any specific suggestions?" "Yes," Sollozzo said, "he wants us to send Mike to talk to him and hear his plans. The contact keeps Mike safe. Sollozzo didn't ask us to keep him safe; he knew that couldn't be asked, so The meeting will be held at the place they decide. His people will pick up Mike and send him to the meeting place. Mike listens to Sollozzo's plan, and then let Mike go home by himself. But the meeting place is confidential. It seems that this It's a good deal, and we can't refuse it." Hagen asked, "What about the Tattaglias? How did they deal with Bruno's death?"

"That's part of the deal, and the contacts say the Tattaglias have agreed to go with Sollozzo. They're going to forget about Bruno Tattaglia. Bruno paid for what they did to my father. If it is offset, the account will be cleared." Sonny laughed. "What a deranged bastard." Hagen said cautiously, "We ought to hear what people have to say." Sonny shook his head and said: "No, no, staff, at least not this time." There was still a hint of Italian in his accent.He was deliberately imitating his father's tone as a joke. "No more talks, no more arguments, no more machinations by Sollozzo. Next time the contact contacts us, I ask you to send him a message, just say: I want Sollozzo, If we don't give it, it will be like an all-out war. We need to prepare mattresses and concentrate manpower; I plan to put all the military workers on the street. Of course, business will suffer."

"No other big family would approve of a war," said Hagen. "It would piss everybody too much." Sonny shrugged. "They have a way to solve this problem, and that is to hand over Sollozzo to me, or fight the Corleone family." Sonny paused for a moment, then said emphatically: "Stop suggesting tinkering, Tom, now that I've made up my mind, it's your job to help me win, understand?" Hagen thought for a moment with his head down, and then said: "I'd like to say a few words about what the insiders in the police department have provided," he said. "Officer McCloskey's name must be on Sollozzo's payroll, and he gets a lot of money. Not only that, McCloskey agreed to serve as Sollozzo's bodyguard. Without McCluskey, Sollozzo would not be there." Dare to poke the dog's head out of his dog hole. McCloskey was sitting next to Mike when he was talking to Mike. In civilian clothes, but with a gun. One thing you have to understand, Sollozzo To be so closely guarded is to have a talisman. Never before has a man been seen to have shot and killed a police officer in New York City and still got away with it. If so, the whole city would be furious and no one could stand it, plus the newspapers, the police The bureau, the church and all kinds of societies will also shout and shout. If this is the case, it will be a disaster. The major families will also attack together, and you will become the target of public criticism. The Corleone family will also face At that time, even the political background of the old man will have to protect himself wisely. This has to be considered.”

Sonny shrugged. "McCloskey can't stay with the 'Turk' forever, we'll just have to wait and see." Both Tessio and Clemenza smoked uneasily, too afraid to intervene.If a wrong decision is made here, the two of them will be on the front line throwing their heads and blood. Michael spoke for the first time, and he asked Hagen: "Can you move the old man out of the hospital and into the avenue?" Hagen shook his head and said: "That's the first question I wanted to ask. It's impossible, it's very serious. He'll be out of danger, but he's going to need all sorts of care and maybe surgery at the moment. Moving home, at the moment. impossible."

"Then you have to get rid of Sollozzo immediately," Mike said. "We can't sit still. This guy is too dangerous, and he will come up with new tricks at any time. Remember, the key now is still whether he can get rid of him." Old man. This, he knows it well. Yes, he understands that it is very difficult at the moment, so he is willing to admit defeat for the time being in order to save himself. But if he finds that he will be killed sooner or later, he will do it again to the old man. Sudden attack. He had the help of the police officer, and the officer knew what might happen next. We can't try our luck on this one, we must get rid of Sollozzo immediately."

Sonny scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You're right, kid," he said. "You're getting to the heart of the matter. We can't let Sollozzo make another surprise attack on our old man." Hagen said calmly, "What about Officer McCloskey?" Sonny looked back at Michael with an odd smile on his face. "Hey kid, how do you deal with that difficult police officer?" Michael said unhurriedly: "Yes, this is a last resort. But sometimes it makes sense to take the last resort. We have to get rid of McCloskey, and now let's figure out how. His method should be this: To make a big splash, say that he is not a good and honest police officer, but an unruly police officer caught up in a hooligan who deserves what he deserves like any hooligan. We There are also people from the newspaper on the salary list, and we can provide these people with specific plots with sufficient evidence, so that they can cooperate with each other and echo each other. In this way, social sentiment will be weakened. What do you think of this method?"

After all, Michael looked around with a respectful attitude.Tessio and Clemenza were both sad and silent, and Sonny said, with the same strange smile just now: "Little devil, go on, you are amazing. Just like the mantra that the old man often said, the child speaks the truth. Mike, go on, tell us your thoughts in more detail." Hagen smiled, but turned his head away at the same time.Michael blushed. "Well, they want me to go to a meeting with Sollozzo, and it's me, Sollozzo, and McCluskey, and it's voluntary. Schedule the meeting for two days, and then we'll mobilize intelligence agents to snoop on the meeting Location. We must insist that the meeting place must be in a public place; do not let them choose any apartment or private house, preferably a restaurant or bar; the best time is the most crowded time when eating. In this way, I will feel Safe; they'll feel safe too. It wouldn't even occur to Sollozzo that we dared to shoot a police officer. When I meet them they're sure to search me, so I must never carry a weapon. But we've got to figure out a way, You can send me a gun while I talk to them. That way I can kill two birds with one stone."

The four people sitting there all turned their heads and stared at him dumbfounded.Both Clemenza and Tessio were shocked.Hagen was a little worried, but he didn't look surprised.He began to speak, thinking that this approach has merit.But Sonny beamed with joy and laughed aloud.It's a genuine laugh, not a fake one.He laughed so hard his stomach hurt like he was going to explode.Pointing at Michael with a finger, he gasped and said: "You're a college student who didn't want to get involved in the family business. Now you're killing the police officer and the 'Turk' because McCluskey bruised your face. You're emotional. It's pure It's business, and you're emotional. You want to kill these two guys because you got punched in the face. It's all farce, and it's been farce for years."

Both Clemenza and Tessio, completely misunderstood, thought that Sonny was laughing at his younger brother to recommend himself, so they laughed too, and looked at Michael with a little elder sympathy.Only Hagen carefully maintained his usual expression of indifference. Michael looked everyone around, then stared at Sonny, who still couldn't help laughing. "You're going to kill them both?" Sonny said. "Hey, kid, instead of giving you a medal, they're going to put you in the electric chair. That, you know? It's not a hero thing." Boy, you don't shoot at people from a mile away, you shoot where you can see the roll of their eyes, like hand-to-hand combat we learned in school, remember? You stand next to people Come on, knock people's heads off, and the splattered brains might splash all over your beautiful prestigious university uniform. How about it, kid, just because a stupid police officer slapped you, are you uncharacteristically trying to kill ?” He still couldn't help laughing. Michael stood up abruptly. "Stop laughing," he said, in an unusual manner.The smiles on both Clemenza's and Tessio's faces disappeared instantly.Michael was not tall and not strong, but his fierce appearance seemed to exude frightening power.For a split second, he was Don Corleone himself.His eyes had turned gray-brown, and his face had turned gray-white.At any moment, he might pounce on his older and stronger brother like a tiger.There was no doubt that Sonny's life would have been in danger if he had had a weapon in his hand, and Sonny stopped laughing.Michael said in a cold tone: "You bastard, do you think I can't do it?" Sonny's urge to laugh had passed. "I know you can do it," he said, "and it's not what you say that I laugh at, it's how miracles happen. I always say you're the toughest man in the family, tougher than the old man. You're The only one who can beat the old man. I still remember how you were when you were a child. You were so hot back then! Hey, you even hit me often, and I am much older than you. Now Sollozzo Thinks you're a pussy in our family just because you let McCloskey beat you and you don't want to get involved in family feuds. He thinks meeting you is nothing to worry about. Also, McCluskey is right You think the same way, he even treats you as a wimp." Sonny paused for a moment, then said softly: "But you don't deserve your name Corleone, you bastard. I'm the only one who understands that. I've been sitting here waiting for you to come out of the ivory tower of that prestigious university since my old man was shot. Jump out and break free from the shackles of your shit hero. I've been waiting for you to be my right hand man so we can take out the bastards who are trying to destroy our dad and our family After being punched on the palate, my mind cleared up. Do you like this? " Sonny made a comic gesture, tried his fist in the face, and repeated: "Do you like this?" The tension in the room eased, and Michael shook his head and said: "Sollozzo, I had to do it. I can't bear to let Sollozzo attack me again. It seems that I'm the only one who can get close to Sollozzo. I thought it all over. I want to knock out a police officer. You There is no one else to be found. Sonny, maybe you can do it yourself, but you have a wife and children, and you have to take care of family affairs until the old man is well. So this task must be done by me and Freddie , and Freddie is in a state of shock and can't move. After all, this task is the most suitable for me. A punch in the jaw has nothing to do with this." Sonny came and embraced him, and said: "You've been with us so long that I've never thought of you. I'll just say this: You've been right. Tom, what have you got to say?" Hagen shrugged and said, "His reason is valid, and the reason it works is because the 'Turk' isn't serious about making a deal. I think he still wants to get rid of the old man, we His present must be judged by his past. So we have to try to get rid of Sollozzo, and if we have to get rid of the police officer, we have to get rid of him. But whoever completes this task will eventually get rid of him. It must be passionate. Does this task have to be completed by Michael?" Sonny said softly, "I can do this." Hagen shook his head hastily, and said, "Even if Sollozzo had ten police officers and bodyguards, he wouldn't let you come within a mile of him. Besides, you are the acting head of the family right now, so you can't take risks with me." .” Hagen paused for a moment, then said to Clemenza and Tessio: "Can the two of you find a truly outstanding military worker to accept this task? Whoever accepts this task will have no worries about money for the rest of his life." Clemenza spoke first: "Solozzo knows all my people. Whoever shows up will be arrested immediately. Even if I or Tessio accompany him, he will be arrested immediately." Hagen said, "How about finding someone unknown and recruiting a new recruit?" Both commanders shook their heads.Tessio smiled first, trying to remove the sting from what he was about to say, and said: "It's like putting a baby boy against the best boxers in the world." Sonny broke in bluntly, "Looks like Mike should go. There's a million reasons to go, but the main thing is that they think he's a douchebag. He'll get the job done, I'm sure; it's very Important task, because this is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to kill that 'Turk'. So we must think of the best way to fulfill him. Tom, Clemenza, Tessio, ask, look at Sollozzo I'm going to take him somewhere for a meeting. If I can find out, I will pay any price. When we find out the place of the meeting, we can imagine how to get the weapon to him on the way. Clemenza , you look for a real "safe" gun from your gun collection, the "coldest" unpopular item in your inventory, the kind that's impossible to track down. Short barrel and high explosive power , the accuracy doesn't have to be high, he shoots directly at his skull. Mike, as soon as you use it, throw the gun on the floor. Don't let someone grab you while you still have Gun. Clemenza, wrap the barrel and trigger with that special tape of yours so his fingerprints won't get on it. Remember, Michael, we'll get through anything, Witness Yeah what, but if you have a gun when they grab you, then we can't make sense. We have to prepare the delivery and cover, and then we will let you disappear for a considerable period of time, wait until the mood of the society After fading away, you reappear. Mike, you will be gone for a long, long time, but I won't let you say goodbye to your girlfriend or call her. When you've completed your mission and left the country, we can send her a message that you're safe and well.The above words are commands. Sonny smiled at his brother and said: "Now you're with Clemenza, and you're going to learn to use the gun he chose for you. Practice maybe. We'll take care of everything else. Okay, kid?" Michael Corleone felt that sweet exhilarating pleasure rush over him again.He said to his brother: "You don't have to lecture me about not telling stories like this to your girlfriend. What do you think I'm calling her to say goodbye to?" Sonny said quickly: "Okay then, but you are still a novice with no experience, so I just blurted out and said some nasty things, don't take it to heart." Michael grinned and said: "What do you mean by 'inexperienced novice'? I used to try my best to obey our old man's words like you. Why do you think me so rebellious?" The two brothers laughed knowingly. Hagen poured everyone some wine, looking a little sullen.Politicians desperately resort to war; lawyers desperately resort to law. “Okay, whatever it is, now we have a clear idea of ​​what to do next,” he said.