Grind Mode

by Willie Slaughter

  T shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t mean shit to me. I got something he don’t.”

  “And what’s that,” asked Henry?

  T looked at him and smiled. “Street smarts. Now let’s see what this fool talking ’bout.”

  As they got to the corner of 21st, T told him to let him out.

  Henry was curious. “For what?”

  T laughed. “He is waiting on you. Not me. If he makes a country break, I’ll knock his ass off from the blindside.”

  Henry nodded, liking the idea. “Smart move.”

  “Yeah. You just be careful. Talk to the nigga until I get in position,” said T.

  Henry frowned. “How will I know?”

  T shook his head. “You won’t.”

  T hopped out and crept low and fast. Henry pulled off, headed to his destination. As he came to a stop, he picked up his phone and hit Nod on speed dial.

  “Nigga, where you at?” Henry asked when he answered.

  “On my way. ’Bout two minutes out,” responded Nod.

  “A’ight,” said Henry and hung up the phone. Henry knew Nod better than he gave him credit for. He knew Nod was already there. He just was trying to see if he was alone.

  Nod watched as the car pulled up at a creep. He could see Henry was looking from warehouse to warehouse. He hopped out and walked into the first warehouse. Nobody was there. He went in warehouse number two thinking and hoping T would come through in the clutch.

  Henry turned on the light. Nobody there, but a few cars. “Damn,” he thought out loud. He looked around, but not up, and that’s where Nod was, on the roof watching him with his pistol already cocked.

  Henry was getting impatient. He got on the phone and called him.

  Nod answered with his Bluetooth. “Yeah, I’m here.”

  Henry looked around. “Good, let’s get this over with.”

  “Where you at?” asked Nod.

  “I’m in the second warehouse,” said Henry.

  Nod grinned. “Good.” Nod hung up and crept down the stairs. “What up, my nigga? No. No. Don’t do it. Hands up and turn around.”

  Henry closed his eyes in disbelief. He had gotten caught slipping. “What’s up with this shit? Nigga, you folding on a nigga for a hundred thousand, my nigga?”

  Nod came in down the stairs. “A lot more money. It seems like someone wanted you dead a lot more and gave me more reasons to get the job done.”

  Henry shrugged. “Since I’m dead, at least give me a name?”

  “If you must know, Mike,” Nod replied.

  Henry acted as if he was surprised. “I thought you offed him.”

  Nod laughed. “I damn near got offed. The nigga knows his craft.”

  Henry shook his head. He kept talking, thinking to buy some time for T to get in position. “Damn. Where is the loyalty in the game?”

  Nod smirked. “Nigga, loyalty only got one color. And it’s green. Well, nice knowing ya.”

  As Nod raised the gun, a shot came from behind him and he dropped dead. T had domed him, causing blood to splatter all over Henry.

  Henry looked at the blood staining his shirt and pants. “What the fuck?!”

  “Shhh… Let’s get the hell out of here. I ain’t tryin’ to do another bid,” T said at a whisper.

  He walked on down the same stairs Nod had come down. He fished Nod’s keys out of his pockets. “I’ll take that nice new Jeep he was driving.”

  “Fine by me. Follow me to my spot. I’ll let you in, but I got to go take care of my money business,” said Henry.

  “Sounds good to me,” replied T.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Inside the estate, the doorman welcomed the visitors into the meeting room. Inside was a ballroom-sized long table made out of black and grey swirled marble. The chairs were nicely carved oak padded with black leather.

  “Have a seat. Mr. Cobb will be with you momentarily. Would you like something to drink?” asked the butler.

  “No thanks,” replied Lil Will. Lil Will looked around. He was so caught up in the moment, he didn’t realize the man had entered the room.

  “You like what you see?” asked the man who’d stepped into the waiting room.

  Lil Will continued to look around. “It’s nice”

  The man watched him closely. “One day you will have your own.”

  Lil Will shook his head. “I’m good. It’s too big for my taste.”

  The two men hugged. And then another came walking down the stairs into the room. Lil Will couldn’t believe his eyes. They were twins.

  The first of the twins he’d encountered laughed. “What’s wrong, Lil Will? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Lil Will’s facial expression was priceless. “That’s why…”

  “Yes, that’s why nobody can put us in one place. Two heads and four eyes and ears,” the twin who was walking down the stairs said.

  Even Mark was awestruck.

  The head laughed. “Don’t look so surprised. We’ve been doing this forty plus years now. You two are the first to see us together under the same roof.”

  The head’s twin looked at Lil Will and smiled. “Wow! My brother looks at you like a son and I can see why. Let’s get down to business.”

  They walked down the hall to the other side of the estate. They entered another ballroom-sized room with the same setting. Only difference was, people were seated waiting on them. The twins walked in and everybody stood until they reached the head of the table and sat down.

  “Sit. Sit. You all are my guests,” said the head.

  Lil Will and Mark realized they were in the presence of the elite league. Judges, lawyers DA's, fed. You name it, it was at the table.

  The head and his brother took a seat. “Everyone, I put this meeting together for a great cause: to let you all know I’m retiring.” He looked at his brother. “Well, we are retiring, to be more specific.”

  Everyone gasped. One of the judges rose to his feet. “What? Why?”

  “Well, you spend forty years handling the most complex business on the planet then tell me about it. No, but seriously. It’s my time. I’ve given my blessing to the one who shall be taking my place.

  He knows the game in and out. And he’s been bringing great fortune to this business,” said the head.

  The doorman walked in. “Sir, Mr. Cobb, may I have a word with you?”

  He knew something wasn’t right. As his chief of security left the room, he called Lil Will up to him.

  “Yes? What is going on?” asked Lil Will.

  “I think we have a big problem,” he replied.

  Lil Will nodded. “Understood.”

  Lil Will nodded to Mark and they left the room. Out in the hallway, they stopped. “What’s up?” asked Mark.

  Lil Will rubbed his head. “Something is going on and he wants us to look into it.” Mark pulled out his twin 9 mm with extended clips. “Let’s do it.”

  The head of the estate and the guest left out through a secret passage. Lil Will and Mark had gone directly to the security room where Mr. Cobb was viewing the footage.

  “Mr. Cobb, what’s the problem?” asked Mark. He moved to the side.

  “See for yourself.”

  On the security camera screen, three masked men crept around the place, leaving bodies in their path. Mark looked a little closer. There was something familiar about the way one of the gunmen moved.

  “I’ll be damned,” said Mark.

  Mr. Cobb looked at him surprisingly. “What? You know them?”

  Mark nodded and pointed at the security cameras screen. “That walk. The third guy. That’s the exact way that nigga Ju-Ju walks. That means one of the other two must be his brother, Agent Scott. We got this, Mr. Cobb.”

  Mr. Cobb waved him off. “Nonsense. My man will help you.”

  The doorman walked in with a pump and a 9mm.

  Mark looked surprised. “Wait a minute. Ain’t he the doorman?”

  Mr. Cobb laughed and patted Mark on the
shoulder. “That’s just one of his many talents, Mark. But no. he’s my personal bodyguard.”

  Lil Will chuckled while cocking his gun. “Let’s handle this situation. Mark, go ’round back. I’ll go up on the roof.”

  The doorman looked his weapons over. “I’ll go with Mark.” The doorman shouldered the pump and cocked the 9mm.

  Lil Will checked his clip. “Let’s end this shit.”

  Ju-Ju, his brother and partner Tee posted up on the side of the house.

  “Man, this shit seems too easy. You sho’ they ain’t waiting on us?” asked Tee, feeling uneasy about the whole situation.

  Agent Scott peeped around the corner of the house. “I doubt it. Remember, they came for a meeting.”

  Tee frowned, really not believing shit Scott said. “Then where the cars? I don’t see shit.”

  Scott became irritated with Tee. “Shut the fuck up and move. It’s too late to turn back now”

  Just as Ju-Ju moved to the corner of the house, bullets started flying his way. He damn near caught one in the face.

  “Fuck!” Ju-Ju yelled as he ducked back around the house for a second. “Looks like you know what the fuck you were talking about, Scott.”

  He returned fire. His brother was right there with him. Scott tried to get a better shot off at the gunners and slipped on Mark and the doorman who came up from behind.

  “Watch out!” Tee jumped in the line of fire and caught every slug that was meant for Ju-Ju and his brother. His warning gave Scott just enough time to escape through the door he was next to. Ju-Ju, on the other hand, didn’t. Mark didn’t shoot to kill him, but he put one in his leg.

  Mark and the doorman kept their guns aimed at Ju-Ju. Mark stepped up near him. “Ju-Ju, it’s over with for you. Drop the gun. Slowly.”

  “Fuck you, nigga!” Ju-Ju spent fast, but not fast enough. The doorman laid him down with two shots to the head.

  He reloaded the 9 mm and the pump. “Two down. One to go.”

  Lil Will came running. He reached them just as Mark unmasked the two dead bodies. “Well, look at these two bitches.”

  Lil Will looked at the faces of Ju-Ju and Tee. “Dead bitches. Just like their bitches. Come on, man. Let’s go.”

  They walked back inside. Mr. Cobb met them in the hallway. “Great job. No need to worry about the other man. I watched him leave the compound in a hurry. Besides, you can consider him dead already.”

  Mr. Cobb smiled. “Right this way. The meeting is ready to be continued.”

  They walked down the long hallway making small talk. When they entered the room, everybody stood to their feet.

  The head of the estate clapped in response to how fast they handled the situation. “Everyone, meet your new head of this table. Lil Will, it’s your time, my son.”

  Everybody raised their glasses in salute to their new leader. Lil Will picked up a glass of wine himself and raised it, saluting everyone back.

  “I would like to thank you for your support and I will see to it that business stays business,” promised Lil Will.

  The head of the estate motioned for Lil Will to join him at the head of the table. “If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to make them known. I’m sure Lil Will does not mind listening to the concerns of people who will have his best interest in life. Besides, let’s keep business being business.”

  One of the judges stood up. He was an old, balding, gray-headed Caucasian who looked very familiar to Lil Will. “I have been of great service to you, sir.”

  The head of the estate nodded. “That you have, Mr. Sampson. And I hope to continue with our working business relationship.”

  Sampson scratched his balding head. “With all due respect, sir, I, for one, am not sure if he will be able to handle this position you have bestowed upon him. He is a street thug, a hoodlum. I honestly think we are going to spend more money and time having to deal with his preexisting problems than we are getting paid.”

  Lil Will held his right hand up. “If I may, Mr. Sampson?”

  “Go ahead,” the judge replied.

  Lil Will finished off his drink and set the glass on the table. “You have every right to feel like you do. To be honest with you, I don’t really give a fuck how you feel. You don’t put money in my account. I am the one who makes sure you are paid that nice salary you send your wife, children, and grandchildren on vacations with. If you want to stop being able to do that, then I suggest you get the fuck on.”

  The judge looked at Lil Will with a look of hatred. He then turned his attention to the head of the estate. “Do you see what I mean? The man is a menace to society. No respect for business.”

  The head of the estate shook his head. He already knew Judge Sampson was going to be a problem for Lil Will. That left him with only one decision to make concerning the judge.

  “Judge Sampson, are you saying that you want out of this business due to the fact that Lil Will is heading it now?”

  He downed his glass of wine and nodded. “You have said it, sir.”

  “So, you don’t trust my judgment Mr. Sampson,” asked the head?

  The judge shook his head. “Not on this one, sir. It has been a pleasure working with you; however, I will not jeopardize my family or myself by working with a street thug, who knows nothing about how this business really works.”

  The head of the estate nodded. “I - we - appreciate your honesty and I appreciate all you have done for me and this business, Mr. Sampson.” He looked over at his chief of security. “Mr. Cobb, would you be so kind to escort Judge Sampson here to a more suitable place until we are done with this meeting?”

  “Yes, sir.” The chief of security walked over to the judge and stood beside him. “Please follow me, sir.”

  Judge Sampson walked out of the room with Mr. Cobb.

  The head of the estate had asked that a laptop be brought into the room. The butler had brought it in and set it up on the table in a position where everyone was able to see the screen. They could see Judge Sampson being escorted somewhere off of the premises.

  As they watched the judge walking in front of the chief of security, the unexpected happened. Mr. Cobb pulled out a concealed handgun that had a silencer on it. He aimed directly at the back of the judge’s head and squeezed the trigger.

  “As I said beforehand,” the head began saying, “let’s keep business being business. No one likes an unhealthy business relationship. Let Sampson be a reminder to you all what happens to people who decide they know what is best for business. A business that none of you have to run, but continue to get paid for your great services in making sure everything runs smoothly.”

  Nobody said a word. Even Lil Will was quiet, in deep thought. He knew the business had its sacrifices and bloodshed when necessary, but now he was given to understand that nobody was exempt from dying when it came down to it. Damn, I have a lot to learn about this shit, he thought to himself.

  After the little show was over, the butler closed the laptop and took it off the table. The head of the estate excused himself, pulling Lil Will out of the room and off to the side in the hallway. “Lil Will, you have a lot of learning to do. Those people in there are your lifeline. You know what that means?”

  Lil Will nodded. “Yes sir. Keep them paid and happy, and they will keep me safe and sound.”

  The head of the estate shook his head and sighed. “Lil Will, that is only a small portion of this business. You got to know what to say more than you do when. You don’t need to bite off the hands of the people who holds the offices that can ruin your life.”

  Understanding what he was saying to him, Lil Will nodded. “I appreciate the talk. Hopefully, you will continue to be an advisor to me until I get this down to a science.”

  The head of the estate patted him on the shoulder. “Just when I thought you would never ask. Of course, I will assist you where I see fit. This business isn’t that hard to run. It pretty much runs itself. All you need to concern yourself with is directing the
flow of the intake and out take of money and product.”

  Lil Will nodded. The head of the estate, seeing that he understood, walked back into the meeting room with Lil Will following in his footsteps. They took their seats. But this time, Lil Will sat at the head of the table.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Agent Scott had made it back to Boston. He had slept during the flight so he was rested and ready to go to work. The airport was having a busy day, so the luggage department was moving slowly. Since he had to use the bathroom, he did not mind. He walked into the restroom.

  “Shit, I got to piss,” he thought out loud. He closed his eyes as he relieved himself at the urinal.

  The door opened behind him, but he didn’t pay the person any attention, which was a fatal mistake. He didn’t hear the gunshots, but he felt the heat as the bullets pierced him through the back of the head.

  The man, dressed in the blue pinstripe Armani suit and casual low cut Timberland’s, unscrewed the silencer off the gun and placed it in a case. He took out his phone and made a call.

  “Hello?” the man on the other end of the line said as he answered his phone.

  The man in the Armani suit closed the case and wiped down while he talked on the phone with his employer. “Business handled.”

  “We appreciate your service, Agent Dunlap. The money is being transferred to your account now,” said the employer.

  “Thank you,” he replied.

  He hung up and walked out of the bathroom, leaving the dead man slumped face down in the in the urinal.

  The employer pressed the end call icon on the phone. He leaned back in his chair, thinking to himself what a hell of a day it had been. But he knew it wasn’t as bad as the coming days have the potential to be. With that thought, he picked up his phone and made an important call.

  “Hello?” the female answered.

  “Hi my friend.” He started saying. “I hope you’re really up to the task of keeping our mutual friend on the straight and narrow.”

  The woman laughed. “No pressure Demetri. I got him.”