Empire of Ashes - Chapter 7: Blood on the Hudson

The sound of the Hudson River slapping against the docks had always been a constant comfort to John Sullivan. It was the pulse of the city, the lifeblood of New York’s criminal underworld. But now, that sound was mixed with something darker—whispers of war, carried on the wind from the bodies that floated beneath the surface.

Two dead Russians had washed up near the piers that morning. The first Sullivan had heard of it was from Tommy Mulligan, the street kid who ran messages between the docks and Sullivan’s headquarters. The boy had come barreling into Sullivan’s office, breathless and pale, stammering about the bodies.

“They’re all talkin’ about it, boss,” Tommy had said, wide-eyed, his hands trembling as he wrung his cap. “Two of ‘em, Russians. They were tied up, throats slit, floatin’ down near Battery Park. Cops got ‘em.”