THE ALGORITHM

4.

Bilal just shrugged. He didn't care to explain the situation.

David only stared at his grandson without speaking. Greg set his fork down and decided to do the same thing as his father—examine Bilal and his stubbornness.

"I understand you getting rid of that slimy bastard Ricardo..." Greg started. "But you have an Asian woman in this house, and not only that...she's a senator's daughter. If the media finds out about this, everything is going to go wrong."

"I have everything under control." Bilal rasped.

Greg's best friend and assistant, Cecil, sat at the table. He spoke to everyone and immediately began to feast on the breakfast before him. Bilal gave Cecil the chin, which was a quiet greeting. He'd known the man ever since he was a baby. Cecil had been a part of the family for years.

"Have you reached out to the senator yet?" David questioned his grandson.

"I have..." Bilal trailed off. "Her father is supposed to meet us today."

"Good," Greg interjected. "You need to get this shit over with."

David pointed his finger at Bilal and said, "What you did was very irresponsible. Let this be a lesson for you." He eyed his grandson with a stern expression. "I understand you want to help the girl, but you need to think about this family. Who knows what's going to happen next? Remember, Yusef is as wise as you are." David narrowed his eyes and added, "The Lawson family always thinks before we take action. You are a Lawson, and as the head of this family, you should uphold the rules that are already in place. Keep that in mind."

Bilal couldn't believe his grandfather was upset about him saving Cameron's life. He figured it would be wise to stay put and not argue with him. Instead, he nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

"This should explain why Yusef wanted to kidnap the senator's daughter." Cecil grabbed everyone's attention. He held the iPad mini in his hands and pressed play. Immediately, Andrew Choi appeared on the screen with a microphone in front of him.

[Video starts]

"Thank you for joining me today. I want to discuss a matter of great importance. This matter affects our district and the safety of New York citizens. We need to discuss the issue of organized crime, specifically the distribution of drugs." Andrew paused to clear his throat. "The drugs are causing a wave of overdoses on methamphetamine."

One of the reporters decided to ask the Senator a question. "Senator Choi, can you elaborate on your proposal? How does this relate to our district in Manhattan?"

"Of course." The senator nodded and said, "Lately, there has been a concern in drug-related overdoses, particularly involving methamphetamine. This is something that needs to be taken seriously. I believe it's important that we go over our existing laws and establish some strength in the laws related to drug trafficking."

"Could you tell us what kind of changes you propose for this district?"

"We need to start by enhancing the penalties for those involved in drug trafficking, especially in this area. We should consider Mandatory minimum sentences for those caught distributing these dangerous substances."

[Video ends]

"No wonder Yusef is fighting back. The kidnapping was supposed to be some kind of retaliation." Bilal spoke smoothly.

"Exactly." Cecil agreed with Bilal.

"Andrew was getting too cocky for him," Greg added. "He wants the old laws to be reviewed and strengthened. Harsher penalties for drug trafficking."