“I never told anyone before either. I just preferred it that way. Truth is, though, I can help you, and so I’ll tell you something. I was star linebacker at a high school in Detroit. I went to the Marines after high school, and if you think you got involved in a whole different world, it was nothing like I saw.”
“Vietnam?” I asked.
“Just after. As far as the world knew we weren’t fighting wars anymore. The problem was, we were fighting in wars and I was fighting in them. You probably don’t even know about Biafra, Congo or El Salvador, but I fought in places like that. We were trying to take out governments, and the shit I saw and did makes what happened to Georgie a walk in the park. The fucked-up thing is when we were finished we became a problem. The CIA didn’t want us around anymore. They couldn’t use us and they didn’t want anyone to know about us. So they started taking us out.”
“When you say out, you mean.... “
“Out is out. It was sick shit. Luckily, I did a few really big guys some huge ‘solids’ in my day and they ended up doing the right thing by me. They got me to disappear. You know, become invisible.”
“Invisible, like Kosher World invisible?”
“Exactly. Nobody here knows my past, so if somehow, someone has a great discovery, you and I are gonna do some discussin’ and I ain’t as easy as Bino.”
“Sev, I’m not gonna say anything, for real. Why do you think this can help me?”
“You remind me a lot of me. Different worlds but, at the core, more or less the same. You’re gonna have some choices, some roads are gonna fork. I thought I was a badass, and I ended up killing guys that I didn’t even know. Why? Because some colonel told me to. Then they turn around and try to waste me and my buddies. You can do better. Look at me. Do I look like I’m fulfilling my potential?”
I have nothing to say to that, so Sev continues. “That shit with Bino in the lounge, it’s a waste.”
“C’mon, Sev, that guy.... ”
Sev interrupts me. “That guy is a fuckin’ pimple on your ass. He probably was done bustin’ your balls like the rest of us. You just had a hornet up your ass and you weren’t smart enough to let it go. I’m sure it felt real good to grind him down in front of everyone. But now, you know he’s gonna try to do something back at you. The thing is that if you keep doing that kinda crap, then you become Bino. How do you think Bino got like he is? The point is, don’t make enemies you don’t have to. Keep piling up worthless enemies and you’ll never know who puts a cap in your head when you’re not looking.”
Sev pauses and looks over at Tina. There are three workers from another factory, and one of them keeps trying to pat Tina on the ass. Sev kinda half stands up, leans over the table and barks out, “Yo.” He glares at the three guys. “Everything okay, Tina?”
“Seems to be fine,” Tina says. “I got yours here, too. I’ll be right over.”
Sev turns back to me and picks up where we left off. “You and me, we have some inner demons. If you’re gonna be better than me, then control those demons. Do you want to fulfill your potential? Listen up. You are gonna kill someone sometime. Maybe you think I’m on crack. How can I know something like that? Because I’ve been around, that’s how. I was the same lost hotshit with a big set of balls and some ambition. You don’t even know what you are capable of and willing to do. When you do it, you better make it count. Make it worthwhile.”
Tina drops off more shots, she lights them and we drink them. I am definitely feeling it now. I haven’t eaten in a while and this stuff is rocket fuel, but I think it’s going down smoother. I have some weird thoughts. I don’t think Sev asked me here to get info, even though he was asking me a lot of questions. He’s carrying a lot of baggage, and he’s doing most of the talking. Could I really be the first guy he told that
“Vietnam?” I asked.
“Just after. As far as the world knew we weren’t fighting wars anymore. The problem was, we were fighting in wars and I was fighting in them. You probably don’t even know about Biafra, Congo or El Salvador, but I fought in places like that. We were trying to take out governments, and the shit I saw and did makes what happened to Georgie a walk in the park. The fucked-up thing is when we were finished we became a problem. The CIA didn’t want us around anymore. They couldn’t use us and they didn’t want anyone to know about us. So they started taking us out.”
“When you say out, you mean.... “
“Out is out. It was sick shit. Luckily, I did a few really big guys some huge ‘solids’ in my day and they ended up doing the right thing by me. They got me to disappear. You know, become invisible.”
“Invisible, like Kosher World invisible?”
“Exactly. Nobody here knows my past, so if somehow, someone has a great discovery, you and I are gonna do some discussin’ and I ain’t as easy as Bino.”
“Sev, I’m not gonna say anything, for real. Why do you think this can help me?”
“You remind me a lot of me. Different worlds but, at the core, more or less the same. You’re gonna have some choices, some roads are gonna fork. I thought I was a badass, and I ended up killing guys that I didn’t even know. Why? Because some colonel told me to. Then they turn around and try to waste me and my buddies. You can do better. Look at me. Do I look like I’m fulfilling my potential?”
I have nothing to say to that, so Sev continues. “That shit with Bino in the lounge, it’s a waste.”
“C’mon, Sev, that guy.... ”
Sev interrupts me. “That guy is a fuckin’ pimple on your ass. He probably was done bustin’ your balls like the rest of us. You just had a hornet up your ass and you weren’t smart enough to let it go. I’m sure it felt real good to grind him down in front of everyone. But now, you know he’s gonna try to do something back at you. The thing is that if you keep doing that kinda crap, then you become Bino. How do you think Bino got like he is? The point is, don’t make enemies you don’t have to. Keep piling up worthless enemies and you’ll never know who puts a cap in your head when you’re not looking.”
Sev pauses and looks over at Tina. There are three workers from another factory, and one of them keeps trying to pat Tina on the ass. Sev kinda half stands up, leans over the table and barks out, “Yo.” He glares at the three guys. “Everything okay, Tina?”
“Seems to be fine,” Tina says. “I got yours here, too. I’ll be right over.”
Sev turns back to me and picks up where we left off. “You and me, we have some inner demons. If you’re gonna be better than me, then control those demons. Do you want to fulfill your potential? Listen up. You are gonna kill someone sometime. Maybe you think I’m on crack. How can I know something like that? Because I’ve been around, that’s how. I was the same lost hotshit with a big set of balls and some ambition. You don’t even know what you are capable of and willing to do. When you do it, you better make it count. Make it worthwhile.”
Tina drops off more shots, she lights them and we drink them. I am definitely feeling it now. I haven’t eaten in a while and this stuff is rocket fuel, but I think it’s going down smoother. I have some weird thoughts. I don’t think Sev asked me here to get info, even though he was asking me a lot of questions. He’s carrying a lot of baggage, and he’s doing most of the talking. Could I really be the first guy he told that
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