“Good evening, gentlemen,” Kane said as he smiled. He walked over and put his hand on Fat Rat’s shoulder.
“Yo, what’s up, Kane?” Fat Rat said as he never took his eyes off the game. He took the glass from Moriah and took a sip, eyes still glued to the screen. Basil looked at Fat Rat and noticed that he seemed nervous and on edge as he watched the closing minutes of the intense game. Kane looked over at Basil and said, “He’s locked in,” as he smiled, knowing how his right-hand man could get on Sundays when the games were on.
“Basil. My man. Let me show you the ranch,” Kane said as he motioned for him to follow him out the back patio door. Basil instantly stood up and followed Kane out the back, but quickly took a glance at Moriah, who was in the kitchen. To his surprise, she was looking at him as well. Just before he faded out the back entrance, she smiled and he returned the favor.
Kane led the way as they walked into the huge backyard. Gorgeous horses ran around inside of the wooden fence and the grass was green and vibrant.
“You have a beautiful place here, Kane,” Basil said as he strolled alongside him.
“Yeah, this is one of the only things they didn’t take from me,” Kane said as he slid his hands into his slack’s pockets.
“I plan on getting something like this,” Basil said.
“Don’t worry. You will … in due time. How’s that last batch coming along?” Kane asked, cutting straight to business.
“Everything is running smoothly. They loving that shit. We don’t step all over it, so we got people flocking from the north and east sides trying to cop from us. They taking it back to their area and turning ones into twos. Everybody eating,” Basil stated.
“Good. Good,” Kane said as he slowly nodded in approval. “You got you a solid team in place?” he asked, covering all bases with his young protégé.
“Yeah, I got that for sure,” Basil said confidently.
“That’s good. Always let your right-hand man eat. You have to let him be a boss in his own right. If you don’t, he will always envy you and envy your position. He has to feel like a boss as well. That’s how the love stays strong. You the plug; he needs you, but he has to also feel needed. Let him run a crew. That will keep your team solid and him loyal to you.”
Basil nodded, soaking up the game Kane was giving. Basil was a thinker, so he instantly began to analyze Kane’s words. He started to think about Kane’s advice and how he wasn’t practicing what he preached. Basil slightly frowned without even knowing he was doing it. The wrinkles in his forehead gave him away.
Kane put his hand on Basil’s shoulder and spoke. “I know what you’re thinking. You asking yourself, ‘Why doesn’t he put Fat Rat in place?’ The answer to that is … he gambles. In order to be in a position of power, you can’t have any vices. I’m not saying he’s flawed because that man is the most loyal gangster nigga I know. He is as solid as they come. However, with any vice comes moments of weakness. He is too close to me for me to chance it. So I keep him fed to watch my back. He’s probably the highest-paid security in history,” Kane said as he added a smile and winked at Basil.
Basil smiled, amazed how Kane always seemed to read his mind. What Kane said made a lot of sense to him and he took a mental note to potentially use it later. They walked toward a gigantic brown barn that was about a quarter mile from the house. Basil was amazed by how much land Kane owned.
“This is my barn. My favorite part of the property. Let me show you why,” Kane said as he slid the steel door lock. As soon as he pulled open the tall door, the smell of filth invaded their nostrils. The spacious barn was filled with haystacks and red mud. Basil quickly dipped his nose into his shirt, trying to mask the horrendous smell.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Come on,” Kane said as he led him to the steel skyway staircase that stretched from bottom to top. It overlooked the entire barn. Basil followed Kane and couldn’t get over the pungent smell. What the fuck? he thought as he shook his head in disgust. They got to the top of the platform and Kane looked down onto the red mud and hay. They formed a big oval ring that you would see at a bull riding arena.
“This is where I solve all of my problems,” Kane said just before he put both of his pinky fingers into his mouth. He blew, a loud whistling noise, and almost immediately, the sounds of rumbling and pitter-patter filled the air. “This is where I make things disappear,” Kane said without displaying any particular emotion. A herd of warthogs began coming out of stables as they scrambled in a frenzy into the oval-shaped area. Basil was taken by surprise as he stared down at the hairy, gruesome-looking creatures. They were the biggest pigs he had ever seen. Their hairy, wet bodies and excessive snorting made Basil’s soul uneasy.
“What the fuck are those?” Basil asked as he looked down at the massive group of wild animals.
“Those, my friend, are African warthogs. A gangster’s best-kept secret. You see, I use them to take care of problems that I need to disappear, feel me? I feed them just enough to survive so they always stay ready. So they are always in survival mode, ready to eat anything that is put in front of them. Bones and all,” Kane said as he stared into Basil’s eyes, seeing if he would flinch at the thought. Basil didn’t budge, though.
“Humans, so they eat humans?” Basil asked, trying to fully grasp what was being told to him.
“They eat anything. When beasts are pushed into a corner and have no other choice, they go into survival mode. They even eat their own if it comes down to it. Think about that.”
“So how do you keep them from eating each other?” Basil asked.
“I can’t. You see how many are down there now. Uhhh … about twenty, right? Last month I had thirty-four. I constantly have to get more shipped in to keep them around for a rainy day. You never know when you have to feed a nigga to the wolves … feel me?” Kane said, brutally honest with the kid. “If I put someone in here, a week later, everything is gone. No bones … no anything. They disappear as if they never existed.” Basil just nodded his head in approval and looked in amazement at the pigs. He made a mental note to never eat pork again.
Kane glanced at his watch and then put his hand on Basil’s shoulder. “Let’s head back for dinner. Moriah has been over the stove all day. I don’t want to keep her waiting,” Kane said as they headed down the stairs, out of the barn, and back to the house. Needless to say, Basil’s mind was blown. He truly understood the coldhearted nature that came with being a boss. Kane had always showed him the strategic side of his job, but at that moment he had just showed him the colder side of the position.
* * *
Kane, Rat, Moriah, and Basil sat at the table eating. No business was discussed at the table, just as Kane instructed. He never wanted to let his daughter hear about the business that they were in. Although Moriah had heard stories and knew about her father’s legend, he never directly put it in her face. Basil was slightly nervous, but not because of what he had just seen in the barn. Moriah was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her skin was so smooth and her lips were full and puckered. He kept catching himself staring at her in amazement. Just by chance, Moriah caught Basil staring at her and they locked eyes. Moriah discreetly grinned and Basil couldn’t help but return the gesture.
“Moriah, please clear the table and give us time to talk business,” Kane said, interrupting their short-lived stare-down.
“No problem, Daddy,” she said as she got up and began to clear the table.
“Let’s go in the den, shall we?” Kane suggested as he stood up and grabbed the bottle of scotch and headed to the den. The men followed suit. Basil looked back at Moriah and noticed she was staring at him. They had an obvious connection and Basil was interested in learning more about the beauty queen. But he instantly felt that Moriah was out of his league. She seemed so sophisticated and reserved.
She probably dates a square-ass, corny dude, he thought to himself as he tried his best not to stare at her for an extended time. However, it was
hard. Her skin was perfect, her eyes were perfect, and her aura was perfect. She was a good girl and he was a bad boy who was about to get badder. What he had in his possession were the tools to become the street’s next king. She would never go for a guy like him; that’s what Basil was thinking.
“Daddy, I’m going to the university library to study with my friend Maria. I’ll be kind of late tonight,” she said as she peeked into the den.
“Okay, don’t stay out too late, honey. Love you, baby girl.”
“Love you too,” she replied.
The men sat down around a beautiful red oak coffee table, and in the center of it was a chess board. Fat Rat and Kane sat across from each other and Basil sat in the middle as he watched closely and listened.
Kane and Fat Rat began to set up the board, pulling the chess pieces from underneath the table. A subtle calm took over the room. Both men were ready to have a friendly war. Kane took off his diamond cuff links and set them to the side. The diamonds sparkled in the light, and Basil couldn’t help but stare at them in awe. Kane began to roll up his sleeves, slowly displaying his jail tats, which were drawn up both arms.
“Pour us some scotch, Youngblood,” Fat Rat said to Basil as he threw his head in the direction of the scotch bottle, now sitting on a china cabinet in the corner of the room. Under different circumstances, Basil wouldn’t have fetched drinks for any man, but this was different. He was in the middle of something epic. The streets had talked about Kane and his reign for years and they would talk about it more for years to come. Basil couldn’t believe that he was right there with the plug. Basil pulled out three glasses and then grabbed the crystal container that held the golden-brown aged scotch. Basil poured the drinks and took a seat as the game began.
It was an intense match with not much being said, just slow, strategic moves with random chuckles between the two men when a respected move had been made.
“The pawns are the soul of the game,” Kane said as he pushed a piece on the board. “Francois Philidor said that many moons ago,” he added as he looked over at Basil. Basil nodded his head in agreement as he soaked up the game Kane was trying to teach him.
“See, ya pawns are very, very important. They are there to protect you. They are there to protect the king. So as a king, you do everything to protect them. You are only as strong as your team,” Kane said as he picked up his glass and downed the remaining scotch.
“Yup, got to treat your soldiers like kings or they’ll resent you,” Fat Rat added.
“You have a chance to make some real paper. You have the keys to the empire. Make sure you put a strong team together and make sure they feel appreciated. It’ll take you a long way, trust me. Like I said before, pawns are the soul of the game,” Kane said as he focused back on the board to make his move.
“Checkmate in three,” he added and shot Fat Rat a menacing grin, knowing that it would be over soon. Kane watched Basil closely and noticed that he didn’t take his eyes off of the chess board. Fat Rat reached toward the board, preparing to make a move, and Basil instantly sucked his teeth, knowing that Fat Rat was about to make a bad move. Both Kane’s and Fat Rat’s eyes shot to Basil, surprised by his impromptu interjection.
“What? You see something, Youngblood?” Kane asked, already knowing what Basil saw on the board. Fat Rat was setting himself up for destruction as he held the queen between his index finger and thumb. Basil calmly nodded his head.
“You should do this,” Basil said as he reached over to the board and made a move for Fat Rat. Kane smiled, admiring his sharpness, and then he made his move.
Basil made another move.
Kane countered.
Basil grinned and made another move.
Kane frowned and made his move.
Basil made a swift move. “Checkmate,” he said proudly as he rubbed his hands together.
“Ain’t this about a bitch?” Kane said as he smiled from ear to ear. They all burst out into laughter as Fat Rat and Kane nodded their heads in approval. Kane, at that moment, knew that he had chosen the right kid to take over the streets.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
You’re playing with fire.
—FAT RAT
The moist summer night was lit up by a full moon. Basil, Lil Noah, and a few members of their Regency crew all were in attendance. Basil had made the call and told everyone that he wanted to go out and relax before they put the bag in the streets. With the fish scale that Basil had in his possession, he knew that things were about to change. He was sitting on gold. Basil wanted to make sure his team was in order and moved as a unit, so he told Noah to gather the streets. The streets would feel their presence on that specific night. They were at the club Purple Moon, a popular spot right in the heart of the ghetto. This is where all the gangsters met to show off and toss their names in the hat for king of the streets. Basil had instructed Lil Noah to meet up with the owner earlier that day to prepay for their table and bottles of champagne.
Basil and his crew entered through the kitchen and avoided the long line. All of them draped in black, they came through like a mob. The owner guided them through the back of the club and then to the main floor, where the party was. The music pumped out of the speakers and the bass seemed as if it shook the floor every time it hit. They made their way through the crowd and to their table, where buckets of ice and champagne bottles were waiting.
After they got settled in, Basil didn’t say much. He just sat back and observed his crew having a good time. He rarely drank and the club scene wasn’t his thing. His main goal that night was to establish comradery and a presence with his crew. While everyone was thinking about partying, Basil was thinking about the things to come. He had a plan and it was flawless, in his eyes. He thought about how much game that he had soaked up over the past semester. Kane had given him the blueprint to take over the projects and he had never seen things so clearly. He stood in the VIP section, which overlooked the main floor of the club. Basil stared at the people and thought about how everyone in that club would know his name soon. Lil Noah came from behind and threw his arm around Basil’s shoulder.
“Yo, bro, we about to set the city on fire!” he said in an excited voice, holding a bottle of champagne in his free hand. He took a gulp and looked down at the crowd alongside of his partner.
“A yo … ain’t that Kane’s daughter?” Noah asked as he pointed to the corner of the dance floor. Basil’s eyes shot in the direction that Noah was referring to and just like he said, there she was. Moriah danced with an attractive Latina girl as they laughed, talked, and grooved to the music.
“What is she doing in here?” he asked himself, totally not expecting a girl like Moriah to be in a party in the middle of the ghetto. I know Kane doesn’t know she’s in here, he thought to himself. Basil watched her slowly wind to the beat of the drums and grind her hips in the air. He admired the small black dress that hugged her curves and showed her wide hips and bubbled ass. Basil smiled, appreciative of her figure. She was a far cry from the good girl he had seen previously. That good girl and meek young lady was looking like something else. Basil couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Her bright red lipstick matched the bottoms of her nude-colored heels, which seemed to light up the room. Basil watched closely as Moriah danced with another lady and laughed, displaying a beautiful smile. Basil smiled too, as his admiration for her grew.
“She bad,” Noah whispered to him as he watched as well. He looked closer when a tall bearded guy approached her with lustful eyes. Noah laughed and nudged Basil, and nodded his head down toward Moriah.
“Look at Boone’s thirsty ass trying to get some play,” Noah said as he watched the man creep behind her and begin to dance on her while aggressively gripping her plump ass cheeks. Basil looked down and watched the scene unfold. Basil didn’t care for Boone too much. He was the first cousin of Viv, and Basil always had a bad feeling about him. He never trusted him. As they looked closer they saw that Moriah was trying to push Boone off of her and he was b
ecoming increasingly aggressive. Boone had grabbed both of her arms and Moriah was struggling, trying to get him to release her from his grasp. Basil quickly headed down the staircase to get a better look at the situation.
* * *
“Tired of stuck-up bitches like you,” Boone said as he drunkenly barked at Moriah.
“Get your fuckin’ hands off of me,” Moriah said as she dug her nails into Boone’s arms, trying to get him to release her.
“Let her go, asshole,” Moriah’s female friend said as she stood by and watched the drama unfold.
“Shut up, bitch!” Boone said as he glanced over at the young Latina woman. He then focused his attention back on Moriah. The thought of rejection angered him even more as he looked at her with eyes of hatred.
“Let me go!” Moriah yelled. Almost as a natural reaction, Boone reached back his hand to smack her. He was taken aback when he felt a strong hand grab his own. He turned and looked directly into the face of Basil.
“What the…,” Boone said, confused.
“Fall back, Boone,” Basil stated calmly as he squeezed Boone’s wrist with all his strength.
“Yo, Basil, mind ya business, bruh. This has nothing to do with you, potna,” Boone said as he matched Basil’s scowl.
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. This has everything to do with me,” Basil said as he released Boone’s hand. Noah and the rest of the crew began to crowd around Basil. It was their first time being able to flex their muscle for their new plug, so every one of them had something to prove. The tension built and Boone looked around and saw that he was outnumbered. He threw his hands up in defeat.
“Whoa … you got this one,” Boone said as he put on a fake smile.
“Good. Go have a drink. It’s on me,” Basil said, still calm. He looked at Noah and then Noah shot to the bar and waved over a waitress.
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