That Italian guy, who spoke terribly broken English, came to find Frederick again. This time, it was about the counterfeit alcohol—it had arrived, and they would be responsible for delivering it to Brook County by truck.
They wanted half of the payment upfront!
The rest would be paid once it arrived in Brook County. Don't worry, black gangs still have some code of honor in these times. If they promise something, it will be delivered. If not, they'll lose their reputation, and other gangs will be ready to take over.
Even if the federal government seizes the alcohol truck, they have ways to get both the truck and the alcohol back—it's just a matter of whether it takes a day earlier or later.
The only problem is that they only accept cash, and with recent crackdowns, they want Frederick to avoid withdrawing money in Pittsburgh. It would be best for him to run to a neighboring county, preferably farther away, and withdraw the cash from a bank. Though it feels a little awkward to ask, it's for the safety of the gang.
This was a hassle because of the "civil asset forfeiture" power that American police have. It stems from laws aimed at combating smuggling and piracy, giving law enforcement the right to seize any assets they suspect are linked to illegal activities, including cash, gold, silver, jewelry, etc.
Now, this power extends to all law enforcement officers, meaning anyone working for the government, whether in uniform or not, can seize assets. They don't need a warrant and can enter your home to search and seize whatever they like.
If you resist, you're in big trouble.
So asking Frederick to go to a different county to withdraw the money and then bring it back to Pittsburgh was effectively shifting all the risk onto him. No wonder the Italian guy felt a bit embarrassed; doing this kind of thing among fellow gang members was considered improper, and if it got out, it'd be quite embarrassing.
Frederick thought about it for a moment and agreed. On one hand, it was due to years of cooperation and mutual trust—he didn't think the gang would harm him. On the other hand, Frederick wanted to maintain a good relationship with Meyer Lansky, hoping to become his "angel investor."
After discussing, Frederick had Niall go with the Italian guy to inspect the goods and keep an eye on the quick delivery, while he took a train to the other county to withdraw the money.
By nightfall, Frederick returned to the hotel, tired but with thousands of dollars in hand. He had made it safely with no incidents. Niall handed him a glass of water to calm his nerves.
With the money secured, both Frederick and Niall were in high spirits, and it was time for the Italian guy to treat them to a meal. Niall and Frederick didn't hold back; after all, they'd taken such big risks crossing county lines to get the money—this was a chance to make the most of it.
They ate heartily, and the Italian guy, carrying the cash, left the hotel, disguised to avoid drawing attention. Although they weren't afraid of the police, they didn't want to share a portion of their earnings if they were stopped.
"How was the trip? No trouble, right?" Niall asked, lying sprawled out on the bed, feeling stuffed from eating too much.
"No, the train ride went smoothly—no surprise checks," Frederick replied, taking another drink.
He'd just had a long chat with the Italian guy, exchanging compliments. Despite eating a lot, he was still thirsty. It was common for Europeans to drink light beer like water, especially back when Europe didn't have running water, and beer was the substitute for water among everyone, from the nobles to the common folk.
"It seems like the feds are really cracking down on them," Niall remarked casually, now that they were done with their tasks.
"As long as the goods at home don't go bad, we're good," Frederick said, holding his glass and standing by the window.
Feeling a bit warm, he put his glass down and opened the window. The autumn breeze had started, helping clear out some of the city's smog. The air was fresher now, and it didn't smell unpleasant as it flowed into the room.
"You leaving tomorrow?" Niall asked.
"Better sooner than later," Frederick replied. He had ordered a large quantity of light beer and needed to get back quickly to handle things. Who knew when the economic crisis would hit? History showed that it could spread as quickly as a domino effect.
Once it starts, it spreads faster than the Spanish flu. With the communication industry so advanced, news would travel from New York's stock market crash in the morning to London, New York, and even Hong Kong or Tokyo by midday. Within two to three days, even the most remote county in America would have headlines about the economic crisis.
Time was of the essence—they had to move quickly!
The next morning, they set off, and the trip back was uneventful. By the afternoon, they were back in Brook County.
The familiar atmosphere of home welcomed them as they returned to town. Wayne'sburg was quiet in October, with few people on the streets. The cold weather had driven even the elderly chess players inside.
The geography of North America is well-known. There's no large mountain range blocking the Arctic cold, only mountains running north to south. When winter hits, it can be brutal, often freezing people to death.
There's a saying that despite North America's excellent agricultural conditions, it never formed a large-scale feudal empire because winters were too harsh. People would freeze to death before they could build a large enough population to establish such an empire. It wasn't until modern times, with the help of immigration, that a more mature modern nation was formed.
If only the scattered Native American tribes had lived there, even after a thousand or two thousand years, they would have remained in tribal forms, never advancing to the feudal empire stage.
Niall tightened his coat, said goodbye to Frederick, and quickly walked home before nightfall.