"Lobos Walker, runs one of the biggest drug empires in California, hides in a butcher shop. Arrested thrice for a parking ticket, served in the Fox River prison two years for burglary," Tancredi says, closing his file and slams on the iron table. Lobos seats hands on his laps, chest out, with a cup of coffee on the table. "Someone is quite familiar with the proceedings of going to prison," Tancredi tells Lobos
"I didn't commit any crime,"
"Oh we should go to court, because videos and pictures say you are a drug dealer," Lobos kept quiet scratching his back, "that's what I thought. So tell me, what do you know about the other four gangs that runs the street of California that I don't, huh"
"I'm not telling you a thing,"
"Then you got yourself 25 years. Don't worry I'll come visiting, once, once,"
"You don't understand what we're doing here, the magnitude of good it's bringing to the society,"
"Funny cocaine has any good other than making the society unsafe for all of us," Tencredi says, "You know your friend IC ran away with one truck. He's smart, other than you that is 2 hours away from 25 years in a box"
"Who sold me out, hmm, which of my men sold me out,"
"Let's just say our sources gave us a legit information and we acted accordingly,"
"Pengman, he sold me out,"
"You see, he did the right thing and he's safe. You can be too,"
"How can you assure that?"
"Let's assume you get to tell us all you know about the other four empires. Then the 25 years will be cleared. You will have just 6 months probation and that's all," Lobos takes a deep breath,
"You can do it, we're very close to letting you get back to your family. Your boy? Red door, black hair…I hear the motherless does a good job"
"Don't you talk about him,"
"If you want me to keep quiet start saying something I want to hear,"
"...I always had this deal with ManPower and his men anytime I'm being arrested. I'll break out on my way to wherever they're taking me. Since he didn't show up on my way here, my best guess is he'll show up on my way to the prison,"
"This Man Power empire never heard of their crime,"
"They run low key, sell drugs to college boys, shop owners. They're the retailers, but be careful the have the guns and the equipments to pull off whatever the want to,"
"Let me handle the guns you handle how we will get the other four,"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deep in the woods of California, a well furnitured duplex sits in its middle. The Man Power empire is one of the smallest but secretive empires in California. They run small businesses but in a big way. One of his soldiers, Shawn, dark, tall, second in command walks into the sitting room, "Boss, Lobos is in trouble, he has been taken by the Feds, we need to act now,"
"We won't be saving Lobos today. Our sources in the Feds just whispered he betrayed us, sold us out to the Feds,"
"We had a deal, we will have his drugs for our protection,"
"Don't you get it, NYPD is on our ass, any wrong move, we go down,"
"Soooo,"
"Send the code, get all our men off the streets. If Lobos can tell them that, he can tell them everything," Man Power says
"What?"
"Send the code Shawn, don't ask me shit,"
Shawn trots out his phone, press a few tabs and sends, '33¥', "done,"
"I want to be left alone, if he's planning something we need to be there first,"
"One last thing boss, why did he target to expose you first?"
"You two have never been in loggerheads. Not even a pen fight,"
"I'm short of words… Lobos is capable of anything. We will reopen the street in two days. Heard IC was in same location when the Feds arrived,"
"Yeah, the federalist dropped two of IC's men. The water bag ran away with the money and Lobos was caught in handcuff,"
"IC, where's he now?"
"He has run into hiding, his men went off the street yesterday, only TBC and de Desperados sell their product,"
"Be vigilant Shawn, desperate times, desperate times,"
________________________________
Insistent knocking on the door threw Rina off the long wooden chair in the sitting room. "Stay here," Linc said, as he walked towards the door with his rifle. He opens the small circular iron and peeped, "It's Pengman,"
"My brother is alive," Rina said, she ran out of the bent chair and pressed the handle of the door, "Peng…you survived, how?"
"Long story, we are leaving," he turns around and looks at Linc, "thanks man, I'll take it from here,"
"Always, enjoy. I'll just go now, have some other business to handle,"
"I owe you one man," Peng says "thank you Linc, see you later," Rina says as Linc took his rifle and exit the room,
"What happened?" Rina says
"I fell into the hands of Lobos happened,"
"Not a good person if you ask me,"
"Who's good nowadays? But we are free now. Lobos was arrested in a shipment deal, IC is on the run and Lobos was taken by the Feds,"
"The best time to disappear…"
A fat Colombia, middle fourties, walks into the house with a couple of no smiling dudes, "yeah into thin air…hmmm two folks being stupid and crazy,"
"Who are these people?" Rina asked
"Ever heard of TBC," the fat Colombia said
"Linc sold us out, left the door open on his way out," Peng says
"Linc works for me…and just so you know he didn't betray anyone, he just gave information, and as you can see you're in such a position too. To give information…and you'll go to wherever location you have in heart," he holds this chest and laughs
"I have no dealings with you and I won't do anything for you,"
"Look around you, I got men if I want to send errands. Unlike IC I don't need a middle age rat to run my steal,"
"What do you want?"
"My money…the bag,"
"Oh now it's everyone's money right,"
"I and Lobos contributed for a shipment and now all I can say is; shipment went wrong. Because you went on sharping your guts and called the Feds. We all know IC used fake money to get a free product…the question is where is the real thing.. hmmm," he walks a little and drops his fat ass on the sofa, "so what's it gonna be, are you ready to talk or we should help widen the mouth," TBC says
"Rina, where's the bag?" Peng says
"What?" Rina turned and looked Peng in the eye
"If IC used fake to get half the shipment then you didn't give him the bag, so where's the bag," Peng yells
"Ok, ok don't shout. When I and Linc left IC's territory, we left the bag inside the blue van. We didn't bother carrying it. Linc said moving around with such bag would raise eyebrows,"
"Go check for any blue van," TBC orders one of his men. He moves out and returns after sometime, "boss no blue van,"
"Are you lying to me? Cuz heads will roll if you are," T says
"It's the truth, the money is in the blue van," Rina says
One of TBC's men tabs a few button and dial at Linc and drops after a few tries "Boss, just tried Linc cell, when straight to voicemail,"
"Can we go now? You have who you want, we are of no good,"
"I haven't found the bag yet, papi. I will tell when to go,"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sir, he lied to us," Agent Kayden tells Tancredi badging into his office, "Are you sure? That was a solid Intel Kayden. Do you do the routine checks and everything we discussed," Tancredi says
"I did the rounds, five times, checked all corners of the street couldn't find Manpower or any of his men,"
"Son of a bitch was lying to me. Where's he?"
"The basement sir…"
• • • •
"You know if you continue with this habit, you won't get enough time to negotiate," Tancredi holds Lobos in the shirt
"What are you talking about?"
"What I'm I talking about?" Tancredi laughed, "do you notice any action today,"
"Everywhere was calm and quiet, why?"
"None of Man Power's men showed up," Tancredi showed an outrage slamming the back of the van Lobos sat in
"I don't know what happened but that was the deal I and Man Power made," Lobos talks shivering
"I don't want any fuckin Man Power I want TBC, Desperados, and IC. I don't care how you want to get them to me. I want them in my hands. That's the only way I can make your 25 years disappear. Or the next time we go outside we won't be roaming the streets, you'll be forced to see the inside of a prison cell,"
"If you send me to prison, how will you get the rest of the gangs?"
"There are other ways other than you"
"If there was really any other way, why are we discussing? I could have been locked up already,"
"You get me the other four gangs, then we can continue this conversation," Tancredi looks at one police officer, "take this idiot to his cell, he'll be seeing an actual prison after four days if he fails to be useful,"
"Yes sir,"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC paced the sitting room, walked a few times into the kitchen, picked a plate one of the times and threw through the corridor"I hate being stolen from. I hate it. I hate it"
"The old lady is now a rat," one of TBC'S men says, "soft like a baby's ass, unstable like water is now the rat," he continues
"I could have known. I could have told him to wait there, I'm coming and all this…"
"I have a plan, but I'll need something in exchange," Pengman says
"What's your plan?" TBC replied
"I'll go look for Linc. I know the Mama's boy more than he knows himself. I'll find him and bring your money. All I want is a passport new name and identity for me and my sister,"
"Got it. You deliver me his head and my money. I give you passport for you and your sister,"
"We can't trust him boss?" Another says
"Are you going to do the hunt?" TBC looks around
"Rina, let's go, we got a lot of grounds to cover,"
"That would be an exception. Rina would not be going anywhere," T holds Rina back for a while
"That wasn't the agreement," Pengman looks worried
"It is now," TBC walked towards Pengman, "just Incase you try calling the Feds, she dies,"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting back at the steel chair mounted in his cell, "I still don't understand how the last stuff went down but I got real gist now,"
"If you make us keeping wasting resources because you suck at doing your job then you have two days not four,"
"Ok stop reducing my days as a free man. I got legit Intel," Lobos looks downwards
"Start talking…"
"There's this place at the river side where TBC's men usually reside after the day's work. I don't know TBC's present location but I bet you'll get something out of it,"
"Do you think I'm dumb? The moment we arrested you all drugs business seized from the street for a week or two,"
"Those are IC's men, TBC fears no one, not the government not anyone,"
"If this is a mess like the last one…"
"It's legit…I swear," Tancredi walks towards the door and tells Agent Kayden behind the big white mirror, "go get it done. I want all of them by the end of the day," he returned to Lobos,
"What now? I told you all I know,"
"Well we still have Desperados and IC on the run so…"
"I told you I know nothing,"
"Yes you do. Tell me about de Desperados. They have little foot print on our system,"
"What do you want to know?"
"Their mode of operation, how the run things,"
"They are the big guys, you know. The sell for the big names, you feel me," Lobos said,
"Hmmm thought IC was the biggest,"
"IC runs family, the Desperados run blood, hmm, blood. Every member of the family is involved,"
"That's very interesting…what I don't quite understand is. If they sell to the big guys. Who run errands for them, cuz they won't use tout," Lobos stays silence for a moment, "they don't use the tout do they," Tancredi asked
"The use the secret service," Lobos says, "Just forget about de Desperados, you won't get them,"
"Hell ya I will, we need a clean society and de Desperados they're not helping matters," Tancredi continues, "And so you know, you've just earned two more weeks of grace, give yourself a hand"