Night time came and Lisa phones comes to life. They were all laid back in their hotel room watching a movie on television. Lisa pauses the movie and puts the phone on speaker, "hello"
"Yeah my man is ready for you. Same address, he leaving in an hour so make your way over there" Desmond says feeling like a boss.
Lisa was about to tell him off but decided not to. "Cool we on our way" she hangs up before he could say anything else. "Some people just need to fall from the face of this earth" Lisa comments, she got out of bed and stretched. "You guys ready?"
"WE don't all have to go to pick up the car. I'll go with you to drive the car back here and we'll leave tomorrow morning to get back the city" Stacey replies. This made sense to everyone, Lisa nods and then they were off.
xxxxxx
On the road back to the city Lisa and CooCoo drove Desmond car while Stacey and Tiffany drove Lisa's car. "What you think their driving back?" Tiffany asked Stacey looking at the car ahead of them.
"Since whatever it is their driving is hidden within the car, I think it's drugs. You've dealt with him long enough to know that it's hard to stash away artillery, especially in a dump like that" Stacey replies.
"I think it's drugs also" the ride back to the city was twenty hours. When they arrived to the city they dropped the car off at one of Desmond's car shops. They were paid them thousand dollars total for the trip. They split the money four ways and headed towards Stacey apartment. They get to Stacey's apartment after stopping at the store about Desmond and other hustlers they knew, until Tiffany's phone rang. "Excuse me my bu is calling" Tiffany say leaving the living room and going into Stacey's bedroom.
"So your parents is for sure making that move?" CooCoo said referring to the corner store in New Jersey.
"They said they were. Sounds like a good plan too. They said Donte found the spot for us and all that" Stacey confirmed.
"Where Donte sexy ass anyway. I haven't seen him in months" Lisa say. It was no secret that Lisa crushed on Donate. He knew this but stayed his distance. They all know Lisa was a little off on the head and messing with her feelings would definitely stir up the craziness in her head.
"I don't know , but my guess is his ass is staying far away from your crazy ass" CooCoo say making them laugh. They begin watching television, when Tiffany joined in them.
"I hope he laying some bills. The way you looking" Stacey say to her best friend, seeing that she was gloating.
Tiffany smiles slyly and says, "more than that. So the question is now, who wants to make some more money"
"Ah man" CooCoo say making everyone laugh again, "Serious though, what are we the come up crew. Do it look like I'm broke or something"
"No, but hey money can always be made, and by the way we're crime lord's that's what we do" Stacey says to CooCoo. "So what your bu talking about?" She adds once her point was absorbed.
"Well he didn't give ma all the details, but from what I gathered I know it has something to do with what we just did" Tiffany says with a shrug.of her shoulders.
"Wait ain't Desmond and your bu like brothers?" Lisa adds.
"No, but they know each other. My bu was on some basketball shit and Desmond was the school football star. They know of each other" Tiffany says in defense.
"Bitch, you be doing too much for me" Stacey says making everyone laugh.
xxxxxx
Paco lifts up doing his one hundredth pull up. He always kept his body in shape because of the profession he was in. He wanted to make sure that when he did bump into a challenge, he was physically fit to win any hand to hand combat. Paco wipes his face with a damp rag once he gets off the pull up bar, he installed in his living room. He had been invited to a party tonight. He knew this was so he could be briefed on the next hit. Paco could only imagine the thought of the reason why someone deserved to die. Not that it really mattered as long as the pay was right, that was all that mattered to him.
He goes to his bathroom and runs the shower. After prepping for the shower he climbed in and washed. After ten minutes of washing he stepped out of the shower. His tuxedo was already laid out for tonight's events. He looks at the tuxedo and smiles. A pretty penny was spent for this event. He wanted to make sure that he was flawless. Tonight he could bring in a couple million dollars of clientele. "Tonight is your night" he says on Spanish to the tailor made tux.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"Sandra I think it's a good idea"/. I mean you were always the one in the family who was the most argumentative. You said one day you would become a lawyer and here's your chance" Donte says. They were inside their mother's house in New Jersey. With their mom company, they were discussing Sandra future. Their mom wanted the best for her and this was something besides the many things that Sandra was good at.
"All those years in college" Sandra complains. She wasn't putting up a good argument. She knew what she wanted as did her family. The only thing that was holding her back was the years it would take to obtain her law degree. She wasn't worried about the task that would have to be done, just the time it would take to obtain the degree.
"Hunny, if that's all your worried about them you will be just fine" Mrs. Patrick says to her daughter with a smile on her face.
"You guys are making this sound so easy" Sandra replies.
"For you almost everything is easy. Your a quick study. I can't think of a time that you weren't trying to find reason in something" Donte puts in.
This conversation sprung out from a scholarship to Yale college. Sandra was proud that she was given a chance of a lifetime, but she was worried about spending so much time in college. Sandra smiles, "Alright, I'll go but in case I don't make it, I just want you guys to know that in tried my best"
"You will do fine hunny" her mother assures her. She got up and kissed Sandra on her forehead then heads to the kitchen. She was cooking for the family dinner.
Donte and Sandra spoke a little while longer until he got a text. "Well I have to go you want me to drop you off in the city" Sandra declines the offer. He nods his head and says, "peace" then leaves.
Donte Junior came in the living room two minutes after his father leaves. "Auntie can you take me to the park while grandma cooks?"
"Sure get your coat and I will take you" Sandra replies. She needed the air. She needed to think about what she just committed herself to. Though college was deemed to be fun she still would wonder what she was missing. Donte Junior comes back with a coat on and his boots laced to the top tied in a child knot. Sandra told him to sit down, so she could tie his boots properly. After she was done, they headed out the door. They hopped inside her mother's car and headed to the park. After finding parking they went and played. Well, Donte Junior played while she watched. She didn't remember much of her childhood but she knew a lot of principles were stored in her head as a kid. This was why she was the way she was now. She was always taught to think positive and results would come out as so. As she watches Donte Junior play in the park with his friends, she thought about going to college for the next four to six years. She knew she could handle the excessive work that came with obtaining such degree.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar male voice. She turns around and observes her friend Matt, someone she went to highschool with. He was in his senior year and was climbing the ropes to graduate. "Hey wassup?" Matt said breaking her train of thought.
"Hey Matthew. How have you been?" She questions getting off the bench to give him a hug.
"Cold. My little brother practically begged me to bring him outside. So here I am" Matt says rubbing his gloves hands together.
"Well sit let's keep each other warm" she said patting a spot on the bench next to her. Matt sits down and Sandra continues to talk, "So I've come to a dilemma that maybe you could help me out with" He nods and she continues, "So my parents and my brother want to go to college to get my law degree. I'm interested but...."
"You don't want to be in school any more years the you already have been" Matt says cutting her off and finishing her sentence.
"Exactly, see I knew someone would understand me" Sandra says happy.
"Yeah but is that a reasonable reason not to go to college. Your bright. Younger then me and graduated high school. So why let a couple, okay a few years in college hold you back from getting that degree?" Matt asked knowing that he had a point.
"Your starting to sound like my brother"
Sandra says smiling at Matt.
"He must be a very smart man. Anyway, did you get accepted to Yale yet?"
"On a full scholarship"
"And you want to waste your time in the streets? Okay let's trade lives. I'm going to Yale but unfortunately I have to pay my way through college" Matt says his family weren't rich but they weren't low class people either. It was just a hard hit to the wallet as anyone would.
"Wait how do you know your going to Yale?" Sandra asked interested.
"A little mouse told me. That doesn't matter though. What matters is we will be in school together. I promise that I'll be your backbone if you are mine" Matt says with a smile.
Sandra thought about this and smiles harder, "okay, you have a deal"
xxxxxxxx
Stacey puts her car keys in her basket upon entering her apartment. She just dropped Tiffany home and was tired. After a quick shower she laid in bed and went straight to sleep. After a couple hours of sleep Stacey was awaken by the sound of her ringing phone. She wanted to ignore the ringing but decided to answer, "hello"
"Stacey get up! It's me, someone has shit your father" this made Stacey jumped out of bed.
"What? How? Where are you?" She questions after question. Her mother tells her the location. Stacey could hear in her words that the whole situation was killing her insides. Stacey wondered why they weren't in a hospital. The worst thought came to.mind. "I'm on my way" Being that she was all the way in New York, it would take a couple hours to reach her parents. She put in a sweat suit and grabbed her keys locking the door behind her. Stacey didn't know it but after tonight she would never be the same.
Xxxxxxxx
Paco couldn't believe His target got away from him. This never happens to him before. He got two good shots in him, by any means the target should of died right there but instead he kept running. Now the target was gone. How in the hell did he allow this to happen? Paco looks at his watch, eleven-thirty. He had spent an hour searching for his target and by the looks of things he wouldn't find him tonight, if ever. He still had the event to attend that started in an half an hour. He decided to let this be his first mistake he made. He turns around and goes back to his vehicle. Pissed. Two hours later he was in his apartment getting cleaned from his day of hunting. He got out the shower and dressed into his tailor made tuxedo. After he was confident that he was looking flawless he heads out the door, grabbing his set of keys that belonged to his most expensive car. His black Bentley. He climb in his two door sports car and drives off.
He gets to the party thirty minutes later. He parks his car and hands his keys to the valet with a twenty dollar tip. He proceeds to the door of the huge mansion. A big .an with a shaved head was at the door with a clip board in his hand, "Name?" He asked with authority and non existence with eye contact.
"Paco Escabar" Paco say in his broken English. The man scans the sheet of paper with the list of names and nods when he spots Paco's name. He moves to the side and allows Paco entrance to the party. The mansion where the party was being held in overlooked Mount Vernon. The people in attendance all looked like money and Paco was glad he fit in. Even though he made probably half their yearly salary, he was still pleased to be on the guest list. Upon entering the mansion, Paco hands his coat off to the coat boy and receives a ticket, which he placed in his right hand pocket. After he cleared that he walks down a long hallway and into the grand living room, spacious enough to hold over one hundred people. He was sure at least half of the capacity was in attendance. There were doors all around and a staircase that swirled around all the way up to the top floor. He could see the landings that started the next floor of each landing. Not many people ventured up the stairs but there was activity up there. Paco made a mental note to at least check out the second floor before he exit the party. He walks to one of the mini bars sectioned off on the first floor. Someone Was on a built in stage singing. He couldn't recollect the name of the song or the singer, but he knew the song very well.
He orders a drink and sits at the bar. Ten minutes later a Cuban woman walks up to him and greets him in Spanish, "Hello. How are you?"
Paco replies back in Spanish, "fine. This is a nice party"
The woman smiles and says with a quick wave of her hand, "I will make sure to pass the word along. My name is Cherish. You must be Paco" Her smile said that she was use to having the advantage over people. She looked to take pleasure in knowing that he was surprised. Besides, even though he was dressed like them didn't mean he was one of them. She knew this as did he. To her he carried the burden of a work class man. She also knew that his line of work came with a cold heart and this made him a dangerous man.
Paco nods at the recognition of his name. He also knew who Cherish was. Well at least who knew who her father name was. He was the Cuban drug lord. He wasn't in attendance but his daughter being there was on his behalf. He replies in Spanish, "I recognize your name" he didn't have much to say. He was a man of very few words and Cherish caught on to this.
She smiles, "I'm just checking to make sure you are enjoying yourself. It's my honor to have you here Mr. Paco" with that they shake hands and she departs. Paco watched her back as she walked away. He enjoyed the view and didn't tend to forget about it. He could tell by the shape that she was wearing the less of under clothes she had. Since the party was filled with people of his origins, he didn't feel left out like he did with most of the world. Being that he only spoke Spanish he had to at least learn how to understand certain English words. After another shot he decided to mingle within the party.
xxxxxxx
By the time Stacey arrived, her dad already passed away. The police there when she arrived taping off the scene. Mrs. Patrick was hysterical of the lost of her husband. Donte, Demmec, Stacey, and Sandra were all in tears at the lost of a great man and father. None of them understood why someone would want to kill their father, it didn't make any sense. After the detectives asked questions they were told the house would be sealed off for forensics, and would be labeled as the primary crime scene. They all knew that he wasn't shot by the house. His blood trailed him. But it stopped at his car, which there was a pool of blood. They had no clue how he got away from his killer but the killer succeeded in killing him.
xxxxxxxxx
.........FIVE YEARS LATER....
Donte walks into the apartment where his drug operation started. Inside the house was his thief. Over a year things have been coming up short and Donte ignored it for as long as possible while keeping an eye on where the shorts were coming from. When he got wind of the thief he immediately took his chance. Now here they were. He has the thief tied up in the kitchen, on a kitchen table. His main lieutenant was a standing guard. Donte walks in the kitchen and looks at the thief. The man was no one in particular. Maybe someone that was just put on, Donte didn't really care. But it did make it easier to do what he was about to do. "I'm going to ask you once and your truth or lie will be the sort of punishment you get" Donte looked the scared man.
"I'll tell you anything just don't kill me please!" Begs the thief.
"Who else is involved with my money going missing?" Donte asked ignoring his please. To him they were nothing, Donte had no heart when it came down to things he really disliked and stealing from him was something he hated.
"Just me. I'm sorry man. Just give me a chance. I'll make it up to you I swear." The man continues to beg. He'd been caught with his hands in the cookie jar and now he was about to get the benefits of being caught.
"Stop begging. You made your bed now lay in it" Donte say. He also hated beggars, when they knew they messed up. As he thinks of the punishment, his cell phone rings, giving him a reason to stall. He walks out the kitchen into the living room and answers the phone. "Yo"
"Hey bu, you coming over tonight?" Questions the women on the other line. Donte had a line of females calling him, wanting to spend time with him, even though he didn't recognize the voice, he played a long.
"Yeah, depends where I'm coming to" he says hiding the suspension from his voice.
"East New York. You act like you don't know who I am silly?" The woman says sounding a bit offended.
Donte didn't know any of his females being from East New York. "Where at in the east?"
"Cypress Projects" she replies, now this made even less sense because he was beefing with people from Cypress Projects. Who ever this was, was looking for trouble and they were barking up the right tree.
"Who is this? Refresh my memory" Donte, still playing the game. Who ever she was, she was definitely apart of the for category in his life.
"Champagne" the woman replies. She sounded as if she was up to something. The name didn't ring any alarms in his head nor did it ring any sort of recognition in his mind. One thing Donte had was a good memory and he was sure he didn't know any woman named Champagne. A name like that was hard to forget, unless he never ran across it.
"Alright, who is this for real, I don't have time to keep playing these games" Donte say tired of racking his brain to see if he knew who this woman was.
"I'm serious, well if you don't remember me then I'll send you a picture and let's see if that rang memory" Champagne say.
"Alright, you do that" with that he hung up the phone and goes back to his captured, "Now where was I..... .OH yeah I was thinking about your punishment. Say Brock how long has this guy been stealing from us?"
Brock the main lieutenant fixed his face in thinking posture, "Give or take a year"
"Twelve months. You've been stealing twelve months. I guess when the getting is good, why not get good on the getting, right? Okay, I've made up my mind. I want twelve fingers or a hand. Which one do you prefer?" He was talking to his captured Now.
The decision to lose twelve fingers sounded worst then losing a hand. He knew that the decision he made would put him out of business but he would still have his life. So he thought, "I only have ten fingers"
"Is that your final answer?" Donte asked with a smirk like he wanted him to figure out his word game.
"No, no, um I'll lose a hand" the man quickly decides not wanting to experience the lost of twelve fingers.
"Good choice. Now Brock what hand should I chop off" Donte asked.
"Both" the man heads pops up hearing Brock make announcement of both of his hands , to be chopped off. He was hoping that this wasn't agreed upon.
Donte thinks about it and says, "you did use both hands to rob me, right? It sounds like a fair trade"
"No, no, no, please... I... I.... I can help you" the man please with his words coming out fast and stumbling over each other. It was a desperate attempt but it was one he hoped caught Donte's attention.
"You can help me?" Donte asked repeating the words slowly as if he didn't hear the words correctly. "And how do you suppose I do that..... I mean how can you help me?" This made Donte chuckle.
"I know about your beef on Cypress, it's news. I know some people that work inside that camp a couple guys that... I... I um.."
Donte cuts him off and completes his sentence. "Steal with"
"Yeah, well they have already told me something that could help you move on their turf."
"And why would I do that?" Donte was interested in what was being said but he wanted to first see if the information was authentic and not just used as a weak plea bargaining.
"Because you take over their turf you will make more money. Slowly take over Brooklyn." The man please hoping his pave to kingship was being bought. And his plead wasn't falling to deaf ears.
"You got my ear. You got six minutes to convince me that this is worth saving your hands." Donte really wanted to hear what the man had to in mind. The man mentioned taking over Brooklyn this wasn't Donte's plan but it did have a ring to it.