by Ashley
As soon as they stepped into the cold building, the sounds of their footsteps echoed throughout. They all looked around in confusion, wondering why he had brought them into a big empty warehouse.
“I know what you guys are thinking. Why is it so cold? Why is it empty, right?” Ghost said slyly as he led the way through the building. He clasped his hands together and turned on the spurs of his heels so he was facing the group.
“This is where the magic happens. We have gathered the top scientists in the country and invited them to be part of this creation. After years of trial and error, we have finally created the perfect drug. As I said before it’s a ‘super brain’ drug that gives you a rush of cocaine and, as it fades, a feeling of euphoria, which helps relaxation and your libido. At its final stage, it works as a strong melatonin that puts you to sleep like a baby. This drug totally regulates your life and will give you the most productive day while allowing you to sleep like a baby to do it all over the next day. This is literally the perfect drug. No other drug can give you all three of these phases with a single pill. Ladies and gentlemen, we have discovered a rare flower that produces this phenomenal substance. It’s a slice of the devil’s pie, without the downfall.”
The sight of the multi-million-dollar facility was mind-blowing to them all. The frosted-glass floors and walls were impeccable. The place looked like a brand-new hospital without the patients. It smelled so clean and fresh and the silence was relaxing. Only the sound of the gushing air-conditioning unit hummed throughout the corridor. The bright lights almost strained their eyes. Everything was so bright and transparent. It almost felt as if they stepped into the future. The immaculate, well-lit lab had five rows of tables all filled with test tubes, boiling pots, and other substances that they had no idea what they were. Various scientists of Indian descent were scattered throughout the spacious room at the steel tables creating, testing, observing the creation of the drug. Ghost motioned for a scientist to come over and a male that looked to be in his late forties came over, wearing a full doctor’s robe and a face mask. He approached the team and pulled down his mask, displaying his cleanly shaved face.
“Hello all. Hello Ghost,” he said as he nodded at them. “My name is Dr. Ishban. We have been waiting on your arrival for some time now. We are at the final stages of a batch now. Allow me to give you guys a tour and show you what we’ve been working on. Shall we?” he asked as he began to stroll down the aisles where scientists were working diligently on each side.
The entire team watched and listened closely as Dr. Ishban explained the process of turning the leaves into paste, then powder form, and finally into a pill. He led them to the back of the facility where a large greenhouse was. They entered the all-glass room and a beautiful row of reddish flowers bloomed and gave the air a sweet smell, like jasmine. The sea of red was an amazing sight. The large flower bloomed widely and had traces of purple near the center, giving it an exotic appearance. They walked and listened closely as Dr. Ishban explained the life cycle of the flower all the way until its final stage. Carter and Anari walked side by side, both listening very closely while the others asked questions and randomly talked among one another. At the end of the tour they were led to a back room. A projector and screen were at the head of the room and the seats and tables resembled a college classroom.
“Have a seat everyone,” Ghost said as he walked to the front of the room where a podium sat. He then lifted the laptop that was placed on the podium and turned it on. Everyone took a seat and all eyes were on Ghost as he used the remote control to dim the lights. The projector began and he started the briefing. The first thing that appeared on the screen was the map of the United States and some sections were colored in red and some in orange.
“This is the United States map and as you can see, some areas are tinted in red. These places are the launching points of the distribution of this new drug. We have about eighteen months before the FDA approves this and it will be open season to any pharmacy in the country. During this eighteen-month span we plan to move 200 million dollars’ worth before the millionaire investors and the medicine world even get wind of it. As you can see we are starting where you guys have done well. These targeted areas are your stomping grounds. Each one of you will have a region. The Detroit, Flint, Chicago, South Florida, and DMV areas.” Ghost used a red beam to highlight each area of the map as he spoke. “You guys have proven that you know how to distribute and control these areas and that’s why you guys were hand selected by my partners. Each of you stands to make at least twenty-five million over this span. Just enough for each one of you to retire and ride into the sunset unscathed,” Ghost explained.
“This sounds good, but what about the law? What if we get caught, do you guys step forward and get us out of the jam? You mentioned political connections at the Vatican. Would these connections and resources be utilized?” Brick asked as he dug deeper into different scenarios.
“Unfortunately, we theoretically don’t exist. If one of you gets caught or jammed by any authorities, we will have no affiliation with you whatsoever. At that point, our relationship would be instantly terminated. This is the risk that you take to be part of this thing of ours. The bright side is that this game has a due date. Eighteen months is all that is needed to complete our goal. After that, the corporate world will have this drug and it is open season for knockoffs and copycats. We have the source and in return, we have no competition,” Ghost explained.
“What are the blue areas?” Anari asked as she frowned in puzzlement.
“Good question. These are the cold zones. These are the areas where law enforcement has special drug units focused specifically on stopping narcotics. We have highlighted these areas so it cuts the risk of getting heat from the feds nearly in half. We have studied each area throughout the States and narrowed it down to five cities that would be lucrative and the least likely to get attention from the feds,” Ghost replied.
“I see, I see,” Anari said as she nodded her head, understanding the infrastructure of the elaborate operation.
“This is absolutely genius,” Millie said aloud as she also nodded her head while rubbing her hands together. She could see the money piling up in her mind already. It was just the lick that she had been praying for. Everyone had been waiting for an opportunity like this. This is something that drug dealers never had: an exit plan. This was their one-way ticket to paradise and it was in the near future.
Carter, on the other hand, remained quiet and listened closely. He had no choice but to participate, knowing this would be the only chance to ever get his wife and son back. He was going for broke. He had made all the money in the world, more than he could ever spend, so money was no longer his motivation. He honestly just wanted to live a normal life with his family. He had been involved with the Cartel for years and was tired. He was drained and the weight on his shoulders was that of the world. He could see the excitement in everyone’s eyes and he couldn’t share their sentiments because his heart ached for his family. It was so bad that he literally felt pain in his chest thinking about them. He was a man broken and it was starting to weigh on him physically. He clenched his chest, feeling a slight pain on his left side. He knew it was from his previous injury, when he got shot. His body wasn’t the same as it used to be and he never felt full strength.
Anari noticed Carter wince and leaned over and whispered to him. “Yo, you good?” she asked, with genuine concern.
“Yeah, I’m good, it’s just heartburn,” he said to avoid showing weakness. She nodded and focused back on Ghost as he began to discuss the route and pipeline of the drugs. Carter zoned out, only thinking about his love. However, the plan was under way. They would be the new regime and connection to the States for the new drug. They concluded their meeting with everything they needed to know to take over. After a few hours of breaking down the logistics, pickup points, and syndicate they were ready to dismiss for the day.
“One more thing: cell phones and laptops are in e
ach of your rooms,” Ghost said as he smiled widely.
They all laughed, feeling like they were at a strict camp and finally got a little bit of freedom.
“We had to make sure you guys were fully on board before we could trust you. But I think it’s safe to say that we all are business partners and hopefully will grow to be great friends,” Ghost said. “Over the next two weeks we will go over and over the plan so when you return to the States you guys can hit the ground running. We have already set up dummy transportation businesses to cater the drug directly to your hub in your particular city.”
“You guys have every base covered,” Brick said, as he was thoroughly impressed.
“As I said before, we have been working on this operation for years and have thought about every possible scenario to make this successful. This is a win-win for everybody,” Ghost said.
He then raised his hands and clapped loudly twice and almost instantly the door opened and two waiters came in with trays with flute glasses on them. “I believe it’s time for celebration,” Ghost said as he grabbed a flute and raised it in the air. “A toast,” he said. “To the beginning of something great.” Everyone else followed suit and joined in on the toast.
“To the future!” Ghost said.
“To the future,” everyone repeated in unison as the sound of glasses clinking echoed throughout the room. Anari and Carter locked eyes as they toasted and it was as if they shared a connection. It wasn’t a sexual energy but more of a real connection. They both knew something was unusual about the entire situation. However, it seemed as if they were playing chess and withholding their moves from the rest of the team. They were on the same wavelength and wanted to know more about this grand scheme.
CHAPTER 5
Mo sat with his head down, waiting for his case to be called. He had never been in this kind of trouble before and knowing that he was facing the dilemma alone terrified him. If he could just get his heart to stop thundering inside his chest, he would be able to calm himself. If only …
He had spent three days in juvenile city lockup going crazy. It had been so cold inside the holding cell that he was grateful for this warmth inside the courtroom. Detective after detective had tried to get him to divulge information about Carter’s whereabouts, but Mo had kept his mouth shut. He didn’t know much, but the one thing he knew was to never go against his family. He worried about his cousin. No one would tell him how C.J. was and he had no idea what fate lay ahead for either of them. They had hauled him to court each day and made him wait all day, handcuffed and afraid, only for his case to be postponed until the following day. Finally, he heard his name and made his way to the podium that sat directly in front of the judge. “Next up on the docket, Monroe Diamond versus the City of Miami.
“You are charged with aggravated assault. How do you plead?” the judge asked.
Mo didn’t even know what aggravated assault was. He looked at the public defender who stood beside him. Mo didn’t know where the man had come from. He had shown up out of nowhere claiming he would help Mo. So far, he hadn’t helped much at all.
“Do you need a moment to confer with your client?” the judge asked, noticing Mo’s confused expression.
“Just a brief one, your honor,” the man replied. He pulled Mo aside and said, “This is where you plead guilty?”
“Guilty?” Mo asked. “He hurt my cousin. I was just defending—”
“Look kid, you plead guilty and the judge will take it easy on you. You can take this to trial but there are witnesses and footage that will show you stabbing a U.S. attorney in the eye. You take a plea, it will be much better for you.” The court-assigned lawyer was trying to close cases at a rapid rate. He had a hundred cases of juvenile offenders on his desk. None of them would go to trial if he had anything to do with it. He was just turning cases over, convincing his clients to take whatever crap deal was being offered without even considering the pursuit of justice by trial and jury. “Just trust me kid. If you fight this you will have much worse coming to you.”
Mo felt it in his gut that listening to this man was the wrong move, but he hadn’t learned to trust his intuition yet. He was only twelve years old and this adult was talking over his head.
“Counsel are you ready to proceed?” the judge asked with intolerance.
“Yes, your honor.”
Mo inched back to the podium and faced the judge. She was a stern-looking woman with red hair and dark eyes that were hidden behind wire-framed glasses.
“On the charge of aggravated assault, how do you plead?”
Mo looked at his lawyer once more. The man nodded. Mo felt sick to his stomach as he opened his mouth to speak. “Guilty.” His voice wasn’t much bigger than a whisper. He was unnerved as his chin began to quiver and his shoulders sagged.
“And you have reached an agreement with the people, correct?” the judge looked at him, waiting for an answer. Mo shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how to respond.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t understand.”
“Where are your parents, young man?” the judge asked.
“I don’t have parents,” Mo responded. “They’re gone. They died.”
“Counsel, have you advised your client about the deal he is entering into?” the judge asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” counsel replied.
Mo looked back at his lawyer and then up at the judge. If advising meant pushing him toward a plea then sure, the lawyer had done his job, but Mo hadn’t gotten any helpful information from the overworked, underpaid, court-appointed attorney at all. Even when Mo asked questions, they were dismissed, shrugged off. “Do you want to get more time?” the lawyer had asked. “Keep your mouth closed and do as I say.” That was the gist of the advice. The judge looked at him skeptically before speaking.
“Okay, well, Monroe Diamond. You are hereby sentenced to seven years. Six of which will be served in juvenile detention and upon your eighteenth birthday you will be transferred to Dade County Department of Corrections. You will…”
Mo didn’t even hear the rest. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the bailiff came to escort him out of the courtroom. “Hey … wait! Wait, man!” Mo shouted. He looked at his lawyer, eyes wide with fear, but the man wouldn’t even look at him. “You said it would be okay!” He had been railroaded. Tricked into pleading out his case, because it was much cheaper for the state if they avoided trial. It was the way of American justice, or rather injustice, and Mo had just fallen victim to it. Mo’s stomach went hollow because he knew that his life would never be the same. Seven years might as well be life. It was an eternity. He was being locked up for defending his family. “This isn’t fair!” he shouted. “This isn’t right!”
The ominous feeling of loneliness he felt made him emotional. All he wanted to do was cry but the eyes of the other juvenile inmates watching him caused him to hold in his tears. He couldn’t display fear or weakness. Not where he was going. He was passed to an awaiting guard, who escorted him outside. He was put on a white bus and shackled to the seat. Things had spiraled out of control so quickly that it felt unreal. It wasn’t long ago that he was in Baraka’s clutches. He had just gotten readjusted at home when the feds came raining down on the Cartel’s regime. Now everyone he had ever loved was gone, either dead or locked up. They had been erased from his life as if they had never even existed. It seemed to be a generational curse that came with his last night and predictably, he had followed the same path straight to imprisonment.
He hoped life treated C.J. more kindly. If he is even alive, Mo thought sadly. The knot in his stomach tightened as the bus rolled away. No one spoke. A daunting silence filled the space as each boy on the bus battled with himself to be brave. How easy the notion of courage was when it wasn’t tested. He remembered this feeling, of insecurity, of trepidation. He had felt it when he had been taken away from his family and he felt it in this moment. He was walking into the unknown and all he could hear was his aunt Breeze’s voice in
his ear saying, “Your names are all you have but if you use it right, it’s all you’ll need.” He wasn’t so sure that it would be enough to see him through the seven years ahead of him. Through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy, that amount of time felt like an eternity. It was a punishment that would change him … harden him. Mo would be raised by bars and steel, sectioned off from the outside world. The idea shook him to his core.
The bus stopped and Mo looked up at the daunting brick building. The anticipation of what waited inside frightened him. He wouldn’t walk back out of these gates until he was a grown man. It was a long punishment, an unjust punishment, but it was his to serve all the same. The circumstances that had landed him there didn’t matter. With the bang of a gavel his fate had been ordered. He had been condemned and there was no changing it. He was stuck and there was no way out.
* * *
“Let me out of here! Please! I just want to go home!” C.J.’s voice echoed against the stone walls as he pounded his fists frantically against them. Terror seized him. He didn’t know where he was or who had taken him, but he knew that he was in danger. He wanted to cry. Emotion swelled in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe, and his eyes stung as he tried his hardest to hold his tears at bay. His heart had never felt this heavy. It was like an anvil weighed down his chest as he struggled to breathe in, then out, in, then out. Bravery was hard to hold on to in the face of fear, and he tried to think of what his father would do in that moment.
He knew that Diamond blood coursed through his veins. He had heard stories of his father, his uncles, and even his grandfather. He came from a long line of gangsters, men who lived by the gun; some even had died by it as well. Carter and Miamor had tried to keep his lineage from him. Immersing him in private schools and speaking in hushed tones whenever family business was the topic. They hadn’t wanted to choose the lifestyle for him, but instead he had inherited it. His family was legendary in the city of Miami and fear wasn’t part of their DNA. His father wouldn’t break if he were in his shoes. His uncles wouldn’t cry. They would fight until the strength left their bodies. He was bred from that. Right? He wanted to make them proud, to uphold the expectation that came with his last name, but it was almost impossible to fill the empty pit that had formed in his stomach.