The Syndicate (7 page)

“Anybody else want to get my fucking attention?” he yelled, spit flying from his mouth as he jabbed the fork in the air pointing at the other men and women around the table. “Anybody else wanna get my fucking attention! Don't ever, as long as the day we're out of commission, come for my family. Ever! You want to get my attention, huh? You niggas got my undivided fucking attention now.”

* * *

An hour later, we all sat in Mama's house, stunned to silence behind all that had happened. After ensuring that Melissa and Jojo were okay. Javon refused to talk about the murder he had just committed.

“I'm sorry,” Javon eventually said. He was still in bloody clothes. That same maddening look was still in his eyes. He sat with one hand up to his face with his thumb and pointer finger in the shape of an L. “I haven't been all that honest with you guys. For the last week, after learning all we had about Mama, I would come here several times a day, while everybody was away, and sit in that damn underground bunker and go through all the shit that was left down there. Went through all the videos, all the files. Learned the identities of those in the Syndicate. You can say I did my homework. I didn't know why then. I just knew my instincts told me to and I followed them.”

“Good thing you did,” Uncle Snap spoke up. “It gave you an advantage.”

“I got a meeting with these folks again in two days. I still have to figure out which one of them killed Mama. I know Cormac probably had something to do with it, but more than him had to make the call. I don't know what I'm going to do. Don't know what I'm going to say, but I know this: once we step into this game, we ain't gon' be playing marbles while these niggas playing chess. If I'm to run this shit, it's going to be my way, my rules. Jojo, let's get this out the way; you're not at this table. You're too young.”

Jojo frowned. “Come on, Von.
Y'all
always leaving me out of stuff.”

“Jojo, I said no. That's the end of it. My heart was almost ripped from my chest when I got that phone call that you and Melissa had been taken. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to any of you, but to have something happen to you, Jojo? I can't have that. It's no secret that you were Mama's favorite. Something happening to you would be like losing her all over again and none of us want that. The answer is no.”

Jojo sank back in the chair he was sitting in and looked dejected.

I had questions for Javon. I wanted to know why he didn't clue me in on what he had been doing. It was nothing more than my feelings had been hurt because the only reason I hadn't gone back to the bunker was because I wanted to do so with him.

“What you did, nephew, shows why Mama picked you to be the leader. Nobody else would have been wise enough to study these people like you did before you even decided to step into this game,” Uncle Snap praised Javon.

Javon stood. “Yeah. I'm going to go take a shower. We got work to do.” He looked as if he had aged ten years in less than three hours.

I could tell the pressure on him was almost unbearable. I decided against bringing my feelings to Javon. He had enough on his shoulders. I knew he didn't need to add my hurt feelings to the mixture. So I kept it to myself. This was bigger than me and my feelings.

* * *

Over the next few days shit was hectic. We had all pretty much been staying at Mama's house. Every night at six, Javon expected everyone to be home and gathered in the front room or around the dinner table so we could talk. It was a Thursday, three days after Javon had gone back to sit with the Syndicate. He had only taken Uncle Snap and, when he came home, he was hush mouth about what had gone on in the meeting.

“Cory, I need you to look up some shit called the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, also known as the Kingpin Act. See what that shit entails so you can be prepared just in case some shit goes down. Also, the RICO act and all that shit. See if you can get more hours at that law office you're interning at and, also, it would be a good idea to see if you can get an internship at the district attorney's office, feel me?” Javon asked him.

Cory nodded as he tore into his steak.

“Melissa, you and Inez finished going to all the banks yet?” he asked my sisters.

They both nodded eagerly. Melissa said, “Von, there is so much money, big bro. My pussy is wet just thinking about it.”

Uncle Snap choked on his coffee. Jojo's eyes widened. Cory frowned. Naveen and Monty chuckled, but never stopped eating while Inez cackled. I shook my head. Melissa had a sex problem. She was addicted to it. Most people would call her a whore, but we didn't. Mama taught us better than that.

“I mean just from the safe deposit boxes alone, we're set for life. Our kids' kids' kids are set. Not to mention we're splitting Mama's insurance policy, which gives us all a little over sixty-two thousand dollars each. We got this house and the equity in it. Mama's jewelry. Shit, the businesses. So much money coming from everywhere, big bro. It's almost maddening,” she said.

“How much of the money in the bank is clean money?”

“As far as I can tell, all of it.”

“Claudette was good at keeping clean money clean and dirty money dirty. You don't last in the game over thirty years by making mistakes like mixing money,” Uncle Snap said.

Javon nodded. “Inez, keep working with Melissa, but also remember what we talked about. Monty, focus on your fight coming up. That's all I want from you for now. Naveen, once dinner is over, show me the ins and outs of the secret trap doors in this house. We have to get these drugs out of here.”

“Speaking of which, there is a shipment supposed to be coming in at midnight at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport tonight. You need to be there. Also you need to meet the supplier who will be there in the morning,” Uncle Snap told Javon.

“Okay,” he answered.

“And have you decided who's going to take Cormac's seat yet?”

“I have. I want to reach out to Lucky in New York. Mama spoke fondly of him in her notes. I want to meet him.”

“Good call,” Uncle Snap said.

I watched as Javon gave orders. He sat at the head of the table like he had been born to be a leader. The dress shirt and dress slacks he had on were in vast contrast to the baggy shirt and jeans I'd met him in. Javon asked everyone to leave the table but me and Uncle. I ate quietly while Uncle Snap told Javon to pay attention to how things would change around him now. He wanted to him to take special note of the way people in high places would regard him with much more respect now.

“There're levels to this shit,” Uncle declared. “And Claudette paved the way so you could step in at the highest.”

Uncle finally left after a few more words between him and Javon. Silence engulfed the room when it was just me and Javon alone. My fork hitting my plate and Javon gulping down his drink were the only noises in the dining room.

“You mad at me?” he asked me.

“No,” I answered without looking up from my steak.

“Okay.”

There was silence between us again before he spoke up. “I need you,” he said.

I slowly looked over at him. “I know you do.”

“You have to keep me humble. Have to keep me on my toes.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“You see, it's in us, baby. In all of us. It's just been lying dormant. Mama must have known that. The lives we thought we left behind, we didn't. We just put it to bed. When the time called for it, we all stepped up to the plate. That innate ability to survive at all costs kicked in and all it took was the right button to be pushed.”

I kept eating as I listened. I chewed my steak slowly.

“I'm sorry,” he said then grabbed my hand. “Keeping you in the dark while I was researching all Mama's shit seemed like the right thing to do that time.”

I looked at him. “I'm not questioning that. But, we've always been honest with one another.”

“I didn't lie, Nelle.”

“You told me you needed space.”

“And I did. That wasn't a lie. I needed space to look into shit. I had to figure shit out, baby, and I had to do it without distraction.”

“I'm a distraction now?”

“Yes,” he answered honestly. “You've always been, baby. I can be mad as fuck. Ready to kill a nigga; but if you say my name, I falter a bit. Now that Mama is gone, Cory is the only other person who can do that, but you? You, Shanelle, have power that no one else has. That's why you've got the most important job of us all.”

“Which is?”

“Keeping me grounded. I'm no fool. I know with this life comes great power and I know what power does to a man.”

He squeezed my hand then stood, pulling me up with him. I walked into his embrace without him having to pull me closer. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

“Hold me accountable, baby. In all this shit, hold me accountable when I'm fucking up. Make me remember this moment because, after this, life as we once knew it is over.”

I played into everything that I wasn't trying to be, everything that Mama Claudette needed me to be, and it was playing over and over in my mind on rewind while I sat at work staring at the cursor on my screen. Cormac was my first true kill done maliciously. My conscience wanted to play it as self-preservation for my family but, honestly, another part of me called that bluff. There were other ways that I could have taken care of Cormac. Yet, I chose to kill and my family followed suit behind me.

Running my palms over my face then lacing my fingers to comb through my hair, I exhaled slowly and bowed my head. I was on the path of being a monster, all in the name of family and Mama Claudette. The type of man I was, was vastly shifting. Coffee cup in my hand, I stared at the latest viruses and security breaches to look out for. I also was adding the knowledge to the security compliance policy forms I had drafted. Combing over them, tweaking them here and there, I took a sip of my strong drink and thumbed my nose. To the left of me was my cell phone lighting up for my attention.

Various texts from the family drew my attention. Inez sent me a message excited about achieving an internship at Emory Hospital. A wide smile spread across my face. I quickly sent her a text back telling her how proud I was of her. With her working at the hospital I summed up that she'd be out of the picture of our new family business. I had given her a side plan that I knew would satisfy Mama's plans of her working for the Syndicate, while also keeping her safe in her personal life and her goals.

“Heading out?”

Briefcase in my hand, I gave a nod to my coworker Everett. Peeking from her computer was our other coworker, Gloria. We were the only black folk in our department. Let me note, I say black because we all look it, even though Everett is East Indian from Harlem, NYC. Funny, but not funny enough, we all worked together. All of us were working our way up to become supervisors and heads of our department. As of now, because of my effective style of working, I was ahead of all of them.

“Yeah, my mind is elsewhere,” I said heading to the door.

“I told Everett to take some slack off of you considering your loss,” Gloria said in concern.

My gaze focused on Gloria's caring smile. “Thank you for that, but everything is done on my end.”

“Oh, man! Even with a loss, you're steps ahead,” Everett said with a chuckle and clap of his hands. “High-achieving ass.”

I gave an amused chuckle. Both of them reminded me of an episode of
Parks and Recreation
in personalities, and their friendship with one another. Though it was policy not to date within the same department of the company, Everett and Gloria kept things secret. All friendly competition between us all stayed civil, because we were the only people of color in our hood, as we called it. None of us was going to block another or step on another, was our secret code. The goal was to knock out those who didn't support us, and do our thing. Funny enough, I was living that code with my new role.

“What's that saying, Everett man? We always have to work twice as hard to gain what they get with a cough and a sneeze?”

Both Everett and Gloria laughed. My assistant and fellow coworker who was close with us, Danny Ito, came from behind me, chuckling having heard me, and handed me folders.

“Thanks for these, Dan. All right, everyone, have a good evening. I'll see you all later.”

“If you do decide to take that personal leave let us know,” Everett said behind me.

“NA,” I said, which was code for “nigga ass,” “you're not getting my position.”

Chucking the deuces, I headed out, stopped at Shanelle's department to leave her a note; then I went to my ride. Driving off, I made sure to watch my surroundings while keeping myself active through the rest of the workday. It was a means to an end, to bide my time until what I had to do at midnight. The second text I received was from Cory and Uncle Snap. It was a message telling me to check my inbox. I knew from them using that term that it was code for me to use my blackout cell phone. Taking the highway and exiting near the airport, I parked in a quiet area and sat listening to messages on my blackout phone.

“Everything was cleared. Luck is on your side.” After that, I counted what was said then dropped my head back against my seat with a sigh.

Lucky was flying in at five in the morning, which meant meeting him at a set of modern condos that our mother and Uncle Snap owned. After everything, it was Shanelle's responsibility to oversee the real estate. I had explained to her that I needed her to be my conscience, but I knew she could do more than that, which she was.

The sound of my car alarm chipped behind me. I moved to the back of my Lexus, popped the trunk then pulled out a change of clothes. Tossing everything in it, I stood in nothing but black leather gloves, my boxers, and a tank in an empty car garage. Behind me was a truck. I walked to it, unlocked the back, and climbed in. Closing the doors, I looked around the tight quarters noting freshly pressed dark jeans, black dress boots with rubber bottoms so that I could move in them effectively, a black designer button-down shirt, and black suspenders.

Hurriedly putting everything on, I kept the top of my shirt unbuttoned then rolled up the sleeves of my shirt, showing off the tattoos on my forearms. I reached for a fitted gray houndstooth trench coat. Attached to it was a hoodie. When I pulled the coat on, I reached up and pulled the hood over my head. Keys sat in the driver's seat with directions from Uncle Snap to where I needed to go to swap out the van.

I drove in silence until I made it to my switch-off point. Parking, I hopped out and headed toward the waiting Benz. Hands in my pockets, I dropped my hoodie by tilting my head back, hit the unlock button on the keys I had in my pocket then slid into my ride.

My current location was deliberately close to the meeting spot. I sat back and watched planes lift in the air while others smoothly landed on the runway. Darkness cloaked the sky while I sat in wait. With a quick glance to my black Rolex, I checked the time. Currently it was eleven.

Allow me to break down what I was doing. One, I was exchanging supplies. Two, I was meeting the supplier. My mind was going a mile a minute causing me to shake my leg in my seat while in wait. Mama's notes were clean and to the point about what I needed to learn in shipping kilos. Because of her death, this meeting was important. I already knew that, after this, I would not meet a supplier in person again. This shit was for my extended cohorts to handle, which was why I was anxious.

Eyes were everywhere and with any whisper that product was flying in from somewhere or being delivered, problems could go down. Having my cover busted just because I was stepping in as the leader could work in favor of the Syndicate. They could gain from me being caught my first time out and I didn't need or want that. So, I was anxious.

My eyes darted back and forth as I watched people appear. With them was Uncle Snap and Cory. The side of my door opened and I didn't have to look to see who it was. Long legs pushed the passenger seat back, a small bag dropped between them, and the door closed.

“In the future, since you're my shadow now, you'll have to work with Shanelle to get cleaner with your gun aim. I'm glad you're with me though,” I said keeping my gaze ahead.

Rifling through the back, gloved hands checked a handgun, added a silencer extension, and then strapped up on his body wearing all black. My brother had a serious expression on his face, but a smile spread across it as he turned my way. “No one can touch how she handles a Glock, man,” Lamont said laughing.

I nodded in agreement with a slight chuckle. “You're right, which is why I said what did. From the fact that your face isn't blistered blue, I take it you won the practice round?”

Lamont flashed his purely whites in excitement. “Hell yeah, I did. Nigga went down before the one, two, three.”

Proud, I reached out and squeezed the back of his neck. “Good look. That means you have all eyes on you now for that belt, you know?”

“Yup, and I aim to get it. In the meantime, though, you good on everything?”

Mont watched me, concern in his eyes. I knew since killing Cormac that everyone was looking at me differently. Including myself. “As good as I'll ever be. You?” I asked, tilting my head to get a better look at him.

He pulled his seat belt on and looked around the car in awe, running his gloved hands over the surface of everything. “Yeah, yeah. Never thought I'd see you handle a nigga like you did. It changed the game and I appreciate it, I mean, what you're doing for us.”

“Family comes first. So it's nothing.” Shifting my focus ahead of me, I kept my inner thoughts locked.

Bags of building material, concrete, wood, barrels, and then some, were loaded in my van while other vans pulled up next to it. I focused ahead as Uncle Snap looked my way. Waving with two fingers out, he gave me a head nod and I pulled off through the gates of the large holding facility as he handled business. A long limo appeared at my side while I drove, following me in tandem. We drove through the streets around the airport while attempting to stay unassuming.

Whoever was driving the limo amused me. If I sped up, he or she would match my patterns, which had me grinning. I shifted gears, made a sharp right, and then pulled into a shielded empty parking lot. As I waited, the limo pulled up close to the car, both of our windows rolled down, and I kept my cool. Plumes of smoke rolled away with the wind as a hand with a well-manicured French tip appeared in view.

“Driver, pull up please. I wish to see our new friend's full body,” I heard commanded in a light feminine voice.

Just chilling where I was, the limo did as ordered. Stepping from the car were several meaty men. Each one wore glasses and pristine suits. From the way they moved, it was apparent that they were carrying heavy weight.

“You ready for this?” I asked undoing my seat belt.

“Been born ready,” Lamont said with a leering grin.

Lamont and I both climbed out of the car. I noticed my brother wore sagging black jeans with black Jordans. For a change, he too wore a button-down shirt that he wore out of his jeans. On his head was a snapback that he wore low over his eyes. While we stepped forward, we both kept our heads down. I kept my gaze on the limo door before me.

As the door opened by one of the big-ass security guards, my eyebrow quirked when a sparkling red Louboutin made contact with the pavement. Honey brown shapely legs had my attention as the body they were attached to stepped from the limo. In my mind, my mouth dropped. A beauty with plump red lips flashed a smile at me then reached behind her. Mama was lethal sexy and she knew it by the way she moved.

My connect wore a thigh-length white bandage dress that pushed up small but plump breasts and showed off a narrow waist with a lush backside. The wind whipped her large, natural sandy red afro that was braided on the side.

I watched, then glanced quickly at Lamont as her twin stepped out with her. This one wore a matching red dress as she waved sparkling red fingernails that matched her shoes.

“Bonjour,” the first twin said as her gray eyes shifted between Lamont and me.

Stepping forward, I gave a respectful nod. “Bonjour, Gemini. Welcome to Atlanta. I hope that by the reports sent to Paris, you know that I am Claudette's replacement.”

“Ah yes, we know all about you. However, what is your code name?” the second twin asked. The one in red kept her arms around her sister's waist as she rested her chin on the woman's shoulder.

“Call me Leo,” I said since their code name represented the zodiac.

Seductively giggling, both glanced up and down at me then flashed seductive grins. “Yes, that fits you,” both said then began making kissy sounds as they frowned and reached for me. “We are so sorry for your loss. Claudette was a beautiful old woman. So commanding and so knowledgeable.”

The twins covered my cheeks with kisses. Aurelia and Arielle were our French/Canadian connects. Both women were of French Creole descent with family and drug ties from Paris, Turkey, Israel, Cambodia, the Caribbean, and South Africa. From my research they were also working on having a larger pull in Germany and the UK as well. Heroin, and other popular Euro club drugs, were their specialty. From my mother's notes, it was our obligation to keep the pipeline flowing through the U.S. club ring and entertainment world with their product. Our links internationally also were required to distribute.

Our exchange was simple: we did for them, they did for us, needing our sourcing more than we needed their product. Knowing this, I flashed my own flirtatious smile as they hugged me. Stepping back, I took both women's hands and flipped them to kiss their tattooed wrists.

“Oh,” I heard one twin say as she whispered in French that she'd fuck me right where I stood.

Chuckling, I practiced the art of seduction as I locked my eyes on them and stepped back. “I'm glad you both approve and sincerely I thank you. I hope to keep her legacy strong.”

“
Oui.
Let us commence in our business shall we, in her honor?” the one in red, Arielle, said gazing at me, then Lamont.

Keeping at my side, my brother watched by rubbing his chin and licking his lips in the process. Both twins seemed to feed from his interest. They both stepped forward and moved to rest their arms over our biceps.

“From my understanding, distribution has not broken even with Claudette's departure,” I explained going straight to business. “The Canadian pipeline in my opinion can only do better and that's where you both come in.”

“Tell us why, Leo, hmm? As you've just explained that everything is still, as you all say, chill. How can it only do better?” Aurelia asked.