Hardhearted

by Sherrod Tunstall

  He’d been through a lot these last few weeks, particularly from getting locked up in one of Brazil’s notorious prisons for trying to traffic drugs back to the United States. He was thankful that Paco Hernandez, the former head of the Hernandez Cartel of Texas and Mexico, saw potential in him and the fellas. If it weren’t for Paco, he and the fellas would’ve been someone’s bitch in that cell. The whole ordeal was scary, and Swag regretted what had happened to his friend, Stan, in prison. His conscience started to kick in, and Swag knew he was dead wrong for feeding Stan to the wolves. He should have known Stan wasn’t built for, or about, that life, and he had betrayed him.

  Back in the day, he viewed Stan as one of the lucky ones who grew up in a two-parent home with a father, who was the chief of police of Creve Coeur, and his mother was a nurse-turned-homemaker and president of Creve Coeur Police Wives Club. She spent most of her days taking care of her home, family, and planning/organizing events for the club. Stan was living the dream that every little black boy in the hood wished they had. He grew up not wanting for anything, but then Swag remembered that Stan’s parents cut him off when they found out he flunked out at Lincoln University. After that, they made him get a job at the restaurant. It wasn’t enough to pay his bills, so when their friend Armand mentioned the 50K deal to the boys, Stan saw a way out of his financial state and a chance to get out of his parents’ home. Swag knew Stan was too much of a sheltered suburban type to take on this type of work, and in the end, it cost Stan his sanity, pride, and his life.

  Swag knew Karma would come back to him, and even though he didn’t want to be in the van with the other fools, he was glad to be free thanks to his new connections and poisoning others. His job title had changed from drug dealer to stickup kid, thief, trafficker, and now, fugitive from justice. He was on the run and had to play low key for a minute. He missed his kids, Solomon Jr., aka Li’l Swag, and Namond. He really missed his down chick, Zaria, too. She’d held him down in the past, even though he’d lied and cheated on her with many of the thots in St. Louis. All they wanted was his money and jock. No one ever gave him unconditional love like Zaria. It was like what his late grandma used to tell him when he was little, “You don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.” She was right, and so was Brad. He’d also told Swag what a good woman Zaria was, and all he could think about was why he hadn’t listened. He lowered his head, and with eyes full of sorrow and pain, all he could whisper was, “Damn.”

  “Yo, Swag, yo, Swag, Swag!” Tyler shouted and interrupted his thoughts.

  Swag lifted his head and looked at him. “What, dude?”

  “Man, you wanna hit this?” Tyler placed a fat, twisted joint close to Swag’s nose so he could sniff it. He smelled it for a moment—it was a smell he missed while he was in prison. Since he was in desperate need to erase the bullshit that was happening in his life, he gave in.

  “Pass that shit here, man.”

  Tyler smiled and watched Swag take a hit. It took a second for the weed to affect him, but soon, Swag was fucked up and started to think happy thoughts. His head fell back, and with a broad smile on his face, the horrific memories of that day washed away.

  Chapter 2

  Bow Down to the King

  Finally, after several hours of driving, Midnight arrived at the Port of Santos in the city of São Paulo. He nudged Paco, who was knocked out in the passenger’s seat.

  “Boss, wake up. We here.”

  Paco slowly opened his eyes, still a little tipsy from the beer and blinded by the bright lights from the boats. But once he realized he was at the port, his eyes grew wide. Yes, yes, yes, he thought. We made it with no distractions, except for that fat-ass fool Brad. Paco looked in the backseat to see his boys Swag, Tyler, and Travis were all out like lights from celebrating their escape from prison. Paco quickly got into boss mode.

  “Wake up!” He clapped his hands. “Hurry up. We here now, and we need to go.”

  Everyone started to wake up from their slumber.

  Swag woke up, wiping his nose and the corner of his mouth. He gazed out the window, seeing all kinds of boats from fishing boats, light boats, and this huge, brightly lit cruise ship with weird foreign writing on it.

  “Paco, what’s going on? I thought we were getting out of Brazil,” Swag asked.

  “What are you talking about, fool? We are getting out of Brazil.” He was irritated. All he wanted was some coffee and weed.

  “But what’s up with the boats?” Travis asked.

  “Yeah, where’s a getaway plane that’ll get us outta here a little faster?” Tyler questioned.

  “You fellas are some damn idiots. I can’t afford for all of us to get on a plane. Y’all watch too many movies. The best way to get out of this country is by a ship, the last thing the authorities will expect.”

  Paco removed a cigar from the glove compartment. He lit it and took a puff before whistling the thick smoke into the air. The fellas waved their hands in front of their faces to clear the air. With Paco’s nasty tone, they were now starting to see the asshole he truly was. Not to mention how he had spoken to Brad. But the fellas had to remain cool. They owed him a lot for getting them out of prison.

  “A ship is less conspicuous, and before long, the FBI and Feds will be looking for us. We all can’t look like targets. As I said earlier, my friend in Costa Rica got us. And once we get there, we’ll be living like kings.” And I will bring down my father’s operation and kill that bastard for what he did to the business and his infidelity causing my mother’s nervous breakdown, Paco thought, hating that his father had his mother committed to an asylum.

  “P, is that the boat that says, Malo La Perra El Rey?” Midnight asked.

  Paco looked at it. It was a big, beautiful cruise ship. It had numerous levels and a top deck that people could live on for the rest of their lives, sailing the ocean. Paco smiled. “Yes, that’s the one. Park this van out of sight, and let’s go.”

  Once the coast was clear, they got out of the van and headed toward the ship. Paco reminded everyone to stay cool and not look suspicious. By making conversation with each other and laughing, they seemed to be friends who were about to go on vacation. Once they got closer to the ships, a husky man wearing a black suit stopped them. His face was full of potholes, and his devilish eyes made him look wicked.

  Paco and the man spoke in Spanish for a moment, and then he spoke into his headset. Once the conversion ended, he looked at Paco and the guys with him. “Go up. The boss is waiting for you all.”

  Paco grinned as he and his men made their way up to the ship with smiles on their faces.

  “Thank God,” Swag said, taking a deep breath. “It’s finally on.”

  The others agreed, and they stood for a moment in disbelief. They were grateful for their newfound freedom. But they knew once they got on that ship, there was no turning back. They had to say goodbye to their families, St. Louis, their dreams, and goals. But as Paco said, they would live like kings. And to them, losing some to gain a lot seemed like the right plan.

  Paco shouted as they stood in thought, “Y’all coming or what?”

  Tyler and Travis rushed on the ship like there was no tomorrow. Swag slowly walked up the ship. He was thinking of the wise words of his cousin, Brad, who he was sure he would never see again.

  “Man, you gon’ get yo’ ass caught up one of these days. You got your girl and your boys to think about.”

  While that may have been true for Swag, he also had to think about himself. Still, Brad’s words wouldn’t depart from his head. He thought about his sons and what life would have been like with Zaria had he done right by her. He thought about his life, mainly being a high school dropout. Swag was thinking about how he should have been in college by now or in the NBA. Back in Swag’s teen years, he was a great basketball player on the courts. But one of his regrets was not telling Brad about his surprise. He wanted to let Brad know that after this drop, he was going to stop working for Armand and being a stickup gu
y. He was going to return to St. Louis, study for his GED, and open up a business with the money he had been saving. But now, it was all too late to make things right. Now, he was a fugitive, and whatever Paco and this new partner wanted him to be in Costa Rica.

  Once on the ship, all the guys saw how amazing it was. The main thing was the numerous, sexy, topless women walking around and conversing with other men on board. Swag, Tyler, and Travis wanted to forget about their dealings with Paco. They stood with lust in their eyes, hoping that they would be allowed to entertain the women soon.

  In the meantime, one of the security guards led the guys to the ship’s dining room. It was so large that it could fit, at least, 10,000 people. Gold and diamond chandeliers hung from the ceiling. White silk tablecloths, solid gold plates, solid gold silverware, and crystal champagne flutes covered the tables.

  Swag couldn’t believe his eyes. Money always excited him, and he loved this type of atmosphere. The men sat down. Once everyone was seated, a loud horn blew, and the ship started to sail. Relief came over the fellas, and they were eager to make it to their final destination.

  * * *

  As the ship sailed, the guys were served a breakfast feast fit for kings, thanks to their new boss. They ate French toast, bacon, eggs, and biscuits with gravy. Also, there were Costa Rican dishes such as gallo pinto (red beans and rice) and fried plantains. Champagne was available as well, from Cristal to Dom Pérignon, and Chardonnay. They were served it all. That included shoulder and dick rubs from the topless ladies, as well. They felt as if they were in heaven, and compared to where they had come from, it was heaven to them.

  As they were eating, a bell rang. The guys looked up and saw the large guy from earlier who blocked them from entering the ship.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention, please,” he said. All eyes were on him. “It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to my boss and the king of all bosses. Give it up for King!”

  The man stepped aside, and everyone’s eyes shifted to the grand staircase. Swag, Tyler, and Travis were expecting a Marlon Brando Godfather mob boss to come down. But all the guys were amazed by a five-foot-seven Costa Rican chick who looked to be no more than 21 years old. She appeared to be mixed with Italian ancestry, and she cascaded down the stairs with the vision of billions of dollars blowing around her. She had long, curly, honey-blond hair that went past her shoulders. Her makeup was flawless, but her natural beauty didn’t require her to need much at all. She had a body that would put many video girls out of work. It showed well in a black lace teddy that left nothing to the imagination. Her black heels were at least seven inches, and her arms and legs were toned. A tattoo of a leopard was on her left arm. And on the right of her 32DDDs was a tattoo that read Femme Fatale with a crown on top.

  After her feet touched the dining room floor, she sauntered over to the table where Paco, Midnight, Swag, Tyler, and Travis were sitting. Going over to Paco first, she passionately kissed him while rubbing his face. “Hello, Paco.” She sat on his lap, then snapped her fingers. One of the topless girls gave her a glass of champagne.

  Paco smiled. “Fellas, this is our new business partner who is going to make us all wealthy men. Meet King Kia Costello.”

  She smiled. King had the most beautiful pearly white teeth, and her green eyes sparkled with excitement.

  Swag was in total shock and disbelief, but he sensed something very wrong. He didn’t like doing business with women. Oh shit! Now, me and my boys are doing business with an even deadlier mofo.

  He remembered seeing something about her. It was on Gangland, on the History Channel. The show was titled, The Green-Eyed Beauty King, Not Beauty Queen: The Rise of a Costa Rican Gangstress.

  According to the program, King Kia Costello, aka King K, aka K.K., aka K.C., is an international female don of the Leopard Clit. The Leopard Clit was a criminal organization that specialized in smuggling diamonds, gold, and military machine guns across the globe. She was also a madam running a powerful prostitution ring that ran from Costa Rica, Japan, and Puerto Rico. Also, King was a deadly female assassin who would kill you without even blinking twice. She was even offered $2 million from the Ku Klux Klan to assassinate President Barack Obama when he first got into the Oval Office. But two million was chump change to a femme fatale who was worth $150 billion.

  King was born to an Afro-Costa Rican prostitute, Ivy, and her father was believed to be the notorious Italian mobster, Bruno Bello, head of the Bello Family, an American Mafia crime organization. In interviews, Bruno denied King being his child and said that Ivy was a liar. But Ivy knew the truth. That family didn’t want any Negro or Hispanic biracial bastard child’s blood messing up their perfect Italian, pasta-eating bloodline. And that all women of color like her were only useful for a good time. Ivy told King when she’d first met King’s father, he was charming and made all kinds of promises to get her out of the whorehouse where she lived and worked. He promised to take her back to America, marry her, and make her a proper lady. But like all the men she’d slept with, he left, and she was stuck with his seed.

  When King was born, her mother wanted to name her something special, so “King” fit perfectly. It was a way of letting her know that she came from royalty, and she was the child of Bruno, who her mother once believed was her king. Eventually, King and her mother were kicked out of the whorehouse to fend for themselves. King grew up on the hardcore streets of La Carpio, one of Costa Rica’s dangerous ghettos, where crime, drugs, and prostitution flourished everywhere. Ivy got a small apartment in the area. To support herself and King, she became the one thing she knew how to do. That was becoming a whore once again. But Ivy soon became a drug addict as well, addicted to cocaine.

  King hated the way her father just played her mother like a doll and then threw her away. She made a promise to herself not to end up like her mother and to get revenge on the Bello Family, who she knew would never claim her. Through her youthful years, without any proper education, she taught herself to read, learned about art, different cultures, and fashion. She began her life of crime by seducing men, just as her mother had done. She learned the art of killing from one of her mother’s clients. She would seduce some of the wealthiest men in Costa Rica, then rob them blind and send them to meet their maker. The art of smuggling came from a drug powerhouse in her neighborhood. At the young age of 14, she smuggled drugs from Costa Rica to Miami successfully, but the drug thing wasn’t for her. She wanted to smuggle items of extreme value, and that’s when she learned the art of stealing jewelry.

  At the age of 16, King was the diva of crime, commanding over a hundred soldiers who would lie, kill, and steal for her. King was brought to trial seven times in places away from her home, like Miami, Germany, and Korea, for stealing, smuggling, and possibly assassinating many political leaders. Seven juries saw her beautiful face, and with her sweet, well-cultured voice and her enchanting smile, no one believed she could’ve done those things. And the evidence always just seemed to disappear anyway.

  Now, at 21, she was loved—and feared—by many in Costa Rica as boss. She owned one of the most beautiful properties she shared with her now-sober mother. All she wanted was to get revenge against her father, who left her and her mother in poverty while he lived a life of luxury in America. And the only way to do that was to team up with Paco, wanting to get over her fears of the effects of drugs and get some of the drug trafficking money she was missing out on. Once she got rid of her father and the Bello Family, she would be the number one kingpin.

  Even though Swag knew she was a dangerous chick, he couldn’t see how someone so beautiful could be so deadly. He also remembered in the documentary that she was well known for her many sexual vices and that King was openly bisexual. She had said, “The one type of people I love to have sex with is a transgender because you get the best of both worlds.”

  Remembering all this about her, Swag knew he had to stay in her good graces. She was definitely not one to be messed with.
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br />   “King? What kind of name is that for a chick?” Travis shouted. He was slightly tipsy from all the wine.

  Everyone, including his boys, glared at him as if he had just lost his mind.

  “You a chick. You supposed to be a queen,” Travis laughed.

  Man, would this dude just please shut the hell up, thought Swag, who was no longer calling the shots. This dude doesn’t know who he fucking wit’. This chick is a monster.

  King looked at him like a lioness hunting for her prey. She got off of Paco’s lap and went over to Travis, where she leaned forward to kiss his bottom lip. He could feel his dick rising and seriously thought she was interested in him. She licked his cheek. Then her lips traveled to his left earlobe. She sucked on it for a second—but then she chomped down hard on it with her teeth.

  Travis screamed like a bitch. “Aaaaah, shit shit shit!”

  King bit off a small piece of his earlobe, spitting it out on the floor. As blood rushed from Travis’s earlobe, he tearfully held it with his hand.

  “Only a King can do that,” she said, reaching for a napkin to wipe her bloody mouth. As she walked away, she put her long manicured, black fingernail in her mouth, licking more blood before returning to Paco’s lap. The smile returned to her face as everyone stared in silence.

  The other thing that Swag remembered from the documentary was that, for some sick reason, she loved to lick the blood of her many victims and enemies. Travis looked at her, still holding his wounded ear. She kept smiling at him, admiring her handiwork. Paco and his men began to laugh at Travis.