Quagmire: Day 17

Word Count: 102,024

Summary of Events:

Jesse tried to smuggle Georgia back into the house after their outing, but his mother suspected right away and they got into an argument that prompted Jesse to leave in fury, followed by Georgia; he then ran into the downstairs neighbour, who insulted him and Georgia and prompted Jesse to fight with him. Jesse attended another gangster meeting and learned that they were going to collect four truckloads of liquor north of Chicago. Jesse snuck along in the trunk of one of the gangsters' cars, as he'd tipped off the police and didn't want to be identified as who he really was in front of the gangsters; when the car slowed down he looked to see what was going on and saw two of the gangsters' vehicles heading back the way they'd come . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"Jesse quickly slid out of the trunk and crawled for shelter as the third truck roared by. He watched in hiding as all of the vehicles turned around and went back. He then looked up toward where they'd originally been heading.

Flashlights shone in the distance and there was a crowd of cars around four trucks full of crates. Jesse smiled to himself: the police had, likely, initially, sent a few men to check out the validity of the claim, and upon meeting the gangsters who were bringing the illegal liquor into the country, they'd called for backup and were now arresting the couriers.

Quietly Jesse crept toward the scene, where policemen were manhandling gangsters into their cars. He was going to want a ride back in either the trunk of one of the cars, or the back of one of the trucks, and then he'd have to find some way to conveniently appear when they arrived back at the detachment with their booty.

Jesse could soon hear what the officers were saying:

"Those vehicles that turned around there must've been the men coming to pick this up," one said.

"Too bad it was too dark for us to get their plate numbers," another said. "We would've been able to catch them and shut down whatever they're running."

"Exactly," a third one said. "Probably why they turned around so soon."

"Not that it really matters," the first one said. "If these are their sole suppliers then they aren't getting any more liquor and will likely close up shop in short order anyways."

"So what are we going to do with this lot?" a fourth officer asked, walking into the conversation, indicating the trucks full of liquor.

"We'll haul these boys in, get some press to come take pictures of our prizes, dump a little liquor ceremonially, and then give everybody a bottle on the quiet, divide the rest between ourselves, and go home," the first one replied.

"But it's illegal to have liquor!" the fourth one protested.

"Boy, you've got a lot to learn," the third one said. "The only people in this country who wanted that law were the women, especially those of the WCTU, and they're the domineering sort that forced their husbands and sons to vote dry — if they didn't even somehow fill out the mens' ballots for them — we didn't vote for this, but we don't want to paint the picture that we're contravening the government's orders. This is all for show kid."

Jesse raised his eyebrows in surprise. He knew that, in truth, many people — including himself and the editors and owner of the Tribune — didn't support the idea of Prohibition, but had somehow ended up with it forced upon them, but he wouldn't have expected this sort of action or thought."