Friday, November 23/Cheektowaga, New York
Ted Skowronski arrived in Cheektowaga late Friday night after a final meeting with Felicia Giordano. Ted made it clear to Felicia that after this contract was fulfilled his obligation to the Giordano family would be concluded.
In a somber moment Ted turned to Felicia and said, "Your father was an honorable man, and he earned my respect. Though you are his daughter, it saddens me that your heart is as cold as ice. Your father would not have been proud." Felicia stared into his eyes as he spoke and remained quiet until he was done. His words could have been his death sentence, saved only by his loyalty to the Giordano family.
"You are correct. I am my father's daughter. But you are wrong when you say I feel nothing for those whose lives I choose to take. As you once said, it is our way of life. Such is the path we must take to ensure the integrity of the family. This life is not for the faint of heart, nor those who point fingers at others and take no responsibility for their negligence. And I disagree with you. I believe my father would have been very proud," Felicia told him as she stared into his eyes.
Ted Skowronski stared back at her and finally conceded with, "Yes, my dear child, you're probably right. Your father would have been very proud of you. My deepest sympathy to anyone who crosses your path without permission. Goodbye and good luck, Miss Giordano."
Now down in his basement, he extracted a thick manila envelope. Ted began to sift through pictures, as if in a scene from a popular television series, putting them into two stacks; individuals who would be accompanying him on this final mission and those to be discarded. Lori came down the stairs as he placed the last picture on one of the stacks. It was a picture of her brother. She stared at it for a few seconds and then turned to Ted.
"Does he have to go?" she asked.
Ted looked up at her and nodded. "He's the best at what he does. I really need him on this one," he responded.
When Ted was done he had the following list:
Ron & Chris Cironski: explosives. (Ron (aka Dynamite), had an uncanny reputation for being precise with explosives.)
James & Barbara Kruzinski: transportation. (James, nicknamed Kruzer (Cruiser), had an ability to drive that was rivaled by only the best on the tracks.)
Norbert & Joann Tatkowski: weapons. (Norbie, as he was referred to, knew all the best black market dealers, and would be able to fence the goods easily immediately afterward.)
Hal & Carol Fergon: location layout and assault planning. (Hal “The Hacker” was a former CIA operative who was best at hacking into mainframes, and securing building plans and security settings.)
"Lori, this is the last time, and you know what needs to be done," Ted said handing her the stack of pictures.
She stared at him as she took the stack and nodded.
"Ok, Ted. It's the last time. I'll make the calls and ask them to be here on Monday. Do you have a date yet?" she asked him.
"Yes, the day before Christmas," he responded.
"Crap, what a bitch!" Lori said, visibly upset about the day Felicia Giordano selected.
Over the next few weeks, Ted met with his team while Lori made transportation arrangements. Chris, Lori's sister, was in charge of finding an event that required tickets, thus providing an alibi should anyone question the whereabouts of the men. Though it had never come up, it was a precaution they took each time they went on a mission. Meanwhile, the others handled the packing, putting the weapons they would use into bags.
Finally, Ted met with Lori's brother, Jerry, separately to discuss his assignment in all this. Jerry earned the nickname "Mouse" for his ability to get in and out of places without leaving a trail. He was a ruthless, professional killer with the stealth of a cat burglar. His assignment would bring him into the lion's den with no room for error, or means of escape. He was never one to say much, and listened intently as Ted unraveled the plan before him.
"I don't trust her," Jerry told Ted.
"I know, but I do. You have my word that no harm will come to you," Ted replied.
"Nonetheless, I want to bring in a couple of people. Just in case. You understand?" Jerry said.
Ted stared at Jerry knowing full well he was right; there was no reason to trust Felicia Giordano, especially after what she was planning. He conceded and nodded his approval.
The money was a good incentive for Jerry to accept the assignment, and this time it was more than any of them had seen on a single mission. He would be set for life.
That night Jerry confided in Yvonne, his sweetheart, who had been on several of his previous assignments. He decided that they would take along Jimmy Mostallic, who was an accomplished sniper in Vietnam; just in case anyone got any ideas about eliminating Jerry.
So after weeks of planning, everyone except Jerry, Yvonne and Jimmy, would board a tour bus along with twelve other couples (unaware of the true nature of the trip) for a three-day, fun filled Christmas holiday. Two days after that, Jerry, Yvonne and Jimmy would board another bus headed in the opposite direction for their Christmas vacation. The unsuspecting drivers of both buses will have delivered hired killers who would change the face of organized crime in two major cities.