Blood Roses Rising

[Kevin Kingswell]

"You got the paint man?" shouted the young man driving the Ford Mondeo, his eyes glancing to the rear view mirror before quickly returning to the road allowing him to just weave past a garbage truck, angering its driver it seemed going by the vehicles loud horn blasts. Shaking his head the young man in the back looked from the near miss to the cans of spray paint then to the driver before replying. "Christ man you got to drive so crazily. You could have killed us and yes I have the paint".

Laughing the driver brought the Mondeo around a corner and parked it up outside a very busy mall centre, where being a hot sunny day many people were out shopping. "Okay this is the place, remember what Sandra said we got five minutes to spray our tags and get the hell out. Remember though if the cops come try to make a run for it, no one will be coming to rescue you" said the driver as he grabbed a few cans of spray paint and exited the car, his younger passenger quickly doing the same.

Splitting up the duo went their different ways, the older ganger going to the top floor via the escalators whilst the younger man stayed on the bottom floor. Both men ignored the strange looks they kept recieving from the various shoppers. After all it was quite clear from their clothes and manner they were from some gang or other and the shoppers quickly got out of their way.

Finding suitable locations the two gang members began to spray the Blood Roses tag onto the walls. This was their test to see if they were good enough to join the Blood Roses, if they could spray the tags and get back to a hideout successfully then they were in. If they were caught, killed or failed then they were no good and would eventually end up dead in a ditch somewhere. Knowing that their lives were on the line the men worked quickly but carefully hoping to finish the tags before the cops showed up.

[Michael McBride]

"Patrol, we've got a report of two vandals up on Broadway and 42nd who are spray painting inside a shopping center. Mall cops are requesting street backup to grab them."

"This is Patrol 42-1, we're on our way." Red and blue lights flashed as the patrol car sped towards the vandalized area. Another car joined them outside the shopping center, one officer staying with the vehicles while the other three went inside.

Inside the shopping center, shoppers had noticed the vandals nearly immediately and had alerted mall security and called the police. The mall officers began running towards the two hooligans while the cops entered the lower levels, looking for them.

[Kevin Kingswell]

As soon as the police cars pulled up outside the mall with their sirens blaring the two gangers knew that their time was up. Making the finishing touches to their tags the two men made their get away choices in two different ways.

The older man took off at a flat out run in the opposite direction to the policemen and the mall security officers. As he ran past different objects that were not bolted down to the floor, such as sweet machines, he would grasp them in his hands and throw them down to the floor behind him in the hope of slowing down anyone trying to pursue him. At no point did he draw his handgun that remained tucked into its holster.

The same however, could not be said for the younger man as he quickly pulled out his handgun and grasping it sideways began firing it at the mall security officers who were running towards him whilst shouting "The Blood Roses are in town piggys!!!" at the top of his voice. His aim wasn't very good but the fact he was emptying a full clip into the mall officers might mean he would get lucky and kill or more that likely injure one of them. But only if he got lucky.

[Kevin Kingswell]

As it turned out he did get lucky, okay so he didn't actually kill or even hit any of the cops or mall guards but his hail of bullets did keep their heads down long enough for him to see he was a dead man if hung around for much longer. Spotting a side door he bolted for it and slammed through it shoulder first. After that it wasn't much of a long run till he was out of the mall and in the streets outside.

Out here he was at an advantage as the crowds were milling by, many of them drawn to the police action, and he used them to quickly make his way across the road from the mall and into the back streets of the city. Navigating his way through these he tried his best to make sure no one was able to follow him before setting off for a safehouse. As long as everything went to plan he would make it back alive and well.

Meanwhile the smarter and older man of the two had quickly made his exit without firing on the cops and security guards which should mean that he could slip out without being noticed. Keeping himself to a low profile with a casual but brisk walk he mad ehis way out of the mall whilst the shooting went on.

Outside he walked a short distance from the mall before hailing down a passing cab driver. Inside he asked to be driven to the docks and just sat back as the driver took him on the journey and once they reached the docks the man payed the driver for the trip as well as leaving him a small tip. From the dockside he walked to one of the older warehouses which the Blood Roses owned and after letting the guards make sure he was one of them walked inside to the sounds of the other gangsters cheers and applauds.

Meanwhile in the city's suburbs inside a well maintained country house

"So you think the cops and the mayor will take notice of us Blood Roses?" asked Sandra Blood Rose as she sipped at her ice tea whilst watching the news. "I would hope so Sandra but just in case they havn't let's have the boys stir up some real trouble. There are a couple of business not paying us the money they should be. Time to teach them a lesson I think" replied Jose with a wicked smile.