Not to the Swift

Chapter 7

Lamar ignored the greeting and nodded at Chris. "This the kid you told me about?"

Jamal paused. "Yeah, I'm tellin' you man, he don't look like much maybe. But dude is a beast with numbers. He could keep your cash flow straight, help you figure out, y'know, some fool stiffin' you on profits or something."

Lamar folded his arms across his chest. "I don't like this. He looks risky." He turned to Chris. "You look risky to me, kid. Like someone who will fold if he gets caught. Someone who'll cry to mama and spill details to every cop that's listenin'."

Chris should have been happy to be excluded, but a touch of pride rose up within. Man, you don't know me.

Jamal waved his hands to get Lamar's attention. "Hey, dawg, nah, it ain't like that. Look, you give us some product to store for you, I keep it at my place, not his. You know me, man, you know I'm good for it. No risk."

Lamar cocked his head at Jamal. "Then why is he here?"

"Man, he gotta learn somehow," Jamal said. "Someone need to take him under the wing, be his mentor. That's me, a'ight? I know he ain't what you need right now, but gimme some time an' he will be."

Lamar considered the suggestion.

Jamal pressed it further. "Did you ever have someone come alongside and teach you how to hustle, how to get by on the streets? I want to be that guy for Chris."

"A'ight, we'll try it out," Lamar said. He handed Jamal a black duffel bag. "I'm givin' you two brick for you to hang onto until we get some permanent arrangement set up. And I got half a brick for you to push in your set. Chris can help you sell it if you want, and get some of the profits—on one condition. The part you're sellin' on your set—that doesn't stay with the part you're storing for us."

Chris stepped forward. "Wouldn't spreading it around increase risk?"

Lamar glared at him. "I don't want it all in one spot. You fools get caught sellin', they're gonna check Jamal's house before they give you your phone call. If you lose a few bags of my goods, it won't be hard for you to replace that. But if you lose whole bricks... that ain't all you gonna lose, let's just say that."

Jamal nodded. "Sure, dawg. 'Course. We can use Chris's place." He shoved the bag toward Chris.

Chris stared at Jamal and took the duffel. You know I can't store nothin' at my house. What are you doin', J?

"Now about my set, I was thinkin' if I could cover—"

A car squealed to a halt in the other end of the alley. Gunfire and shouts erupted, and Chris pulled Jamal to the ground.

"All vehicles, Headquarters," the woman's voice blared from the cruiser radio. "We got a two forty-five in progress between multiple four seventeens. Two suspected gangs in an alley between Madison and Nelson on the southside eighteen hundred block."