The Corner II (26 page)

“Fuck, why he have to go and get them damn dago muthafucka’s in the mix!”

“I heard they still got a hard on for ya man, Slim.”

Lucky said, “Yeah, but we team together and ain’t shit gonna stop us.”

“Now you sure Slim’s gonna agree with this partnership?”

Lucky laughed, “Carlos, he’s been thinking about this for awhile, but you have to look past that Felix shit. He crossed Slim for millions and had to get got, you feel me?” Lucky said of Carlos’ lieutenant that Slim ordered a hit on a couple of years ago.

“I’m a business man, and I know that was business. See you tomorrow.”

Carlos hung up the phone and leaned back in his leather chair. He rocked back and forth thinking about all that had transpired; the death of his father, his people’s spots that were getting hit and the possible war that was about to jump off if he didn’t do something about it. That was the reason he decided to join forces with Lucky and Slim’s crew. If he tried to fight them and Bone he could possibly lose. Fight one at a time and he’d have a better chance at winning so he had to be smart and do what would make him the most money with the least amount of casualties. His office phone rang. He answered and it was Angelica. She told him that she went to the doctor and found out that she was having a boy. He told her that was good and if she needed anything to call. She told him that she needed to talk because she was worried and scared with this being her first child. He told her he couldn’t make it tonight but he’d be there tomorrow after he took care of some business.

The two got off of the phone and LaTanza put away her listening device. She had installed it a couple of days ago trying to catch Carlos talking to Angelica. She did and was hurt hearing about Angelica being pregnant. The conversation she’d heard before that was finding out about a meet between Carlos and Lucky. A meet that would have the two crime families joining forces was what she needed to hear. She now despised her husband, and now knew the she was going to get her husband in the worst way. She thought about having Fernando kill him, but he was the father of her child so that wasn’t an option. So it meant the next best thing. If she was right with what she was thinking, his gift to Lucky had Carlos in for a big surprise.

*     *     *

LaTanza and LaDonna were at the mall, and LaDonna was buying Carlita everything she wanted. Whatever she asked for she got it. They even had to make a trip to the car to put some of the things in the trunk before they canvassed the mall some more. The child was used to getting what she wanted, but it coming from her aunt who she didn’t remember made the gifts seem special. After some more shopping Carlita wanted to hit the arcade. Once they made it to the kids’ haven, they kept watch on her as she roamed playing the various games. That’s when LaTanza laid it on he sister.

“Sis, I need your help.”

LaDonna who was engulfed in the whole family thing at the moment was ready to help her sister with anything so she asked, “Whatever you need.”

“I want to get away from Carlos so I can lead a normal life.” She looked at Carlita and continued. “So Carlita can grow up living a good and righteous life.”

“I can understand you feeling that way,” LaDonna told her with genuine concern painted all over her face.

LaTanza poured on the pity. “Well, I mean when Carlita and I went to church after the service she asked if she was going to heaven and of course I told her yes. Then she asked why if she was getting more stuff than her friends because her daddy sold drugs and killed people,” she told her sister the lie.

Shocked LaDonna asked, “She really asked that?”

“Have kids of your own and you’ll find out that they are so smart. But in this case some kids at her school told her that she only had more because her daddy was a drug dealer and killed people for his money.”

LaDonna shook her head, “Kids can be so cruel.”

“That’s why I need your help.”

They were sitting on one of the benches across from the entrance to the arcade, and LaDonna put her hand on her sister’s lap to let her know that she truly cared when she asked, “Just tell me what you need.”

“Well, like I told you before, he said that he’d kill me if I ever left him so I came up with a plan that would help both of us out.”

Confused but then realizing what her baby sister was saying she asked, “How?”

And that was it. LaTanza broke it down that Carlos was going to meet with Lucky, the other leader of Slim’s crew and that she knew that Carlos would be carrying heroin in his car. It would be hidden in compartments but if they got a good K-9 out there, he should hit on it. She told her sister that they would have to hit Carlos before he got to the downtown restaurant where he was to meet a rival crew leader for dinner. If not, they could miss Carlos handling the drugs. LaDonna couldn’t understand why a kingpin would be carrying the drugs himself. LaTanza told her that it was going to be an offering of what Carlos’ supplier had to supply. That Carlos was going to try to join forces with a black crew from the south side and it was some powerful heroin that’s about to be put on the streets. Something that their cocaine supplier has come up with.

LaDonna was skeptical, but when her sister told her to wait a second and went and got Carlita, she knew what she had to do after the child bounced and played with her. She even hugged her telling her that she loved her Auntie. That threw LaDonna over the edge and the thought of getting Carlos Fuentes off the streets, her sister safe, and all the accolades that were going to come with her making this type of bust. That along with the case the undercover she had in the field was putting together, her rise to the top was inevitable.

*     *     *

Lucky and Frank were about thirty minutes early. That was the way they operated. They never wanted to be strolling in to a meet while the other parties were already there. They left Jamel in the parking garage in the bullet proof Escalade that the crew had purchased last week from a security service. The specialized truck cost almost one hundred grand over its original price but was well worth it and would keep Lucky at ease a bit while riding. It could sustain up to a fifty caliber round and the blast of a fragmentation grenade. The Fuentes’ were always on the up and up when it came to sit downs and that meant that it shouldn’t be any shit in the game but Lucky was being careful.

They decided to order a drink while they waited on Carlos. So instead of ordering a meal, they told the waitress that they had two more members of their party that they were waiting on, so the waitress headed for the bar to fill their order of two Martells.

“So what’s up with the youngster, Jamel?”

“What you mean?” Lucky asked as he stood to take off the suit jacket he was wearing so he could get comfortable. Frank decided to do the same.

“You seem to have taken a liking to him. You take him with you whenever you got some shit going on.”

“It’s something about the kid, he’s got heart. And the youngster can shoot. We were at the gun range in Hammond just bullshitting firing off some rounds getting some practice in. That little fool out shot everyone. He had a Glock 23 and damn near every shot was either a bulls-eye or just off it. And besides, I’m thinking about pulling some strings to get him back into the ring. The kid can be somebody. I swear I ain’t never seen someone with a left jab and hook like him. I think I’m going to get him back in the gym so he can make them Olympics in 2012.”

The men paused as the waitress placed their drinks on the table. She told them that she’d be back when the rest of their party showed, but if they needed anything don’t hesitate to ask. The men told her okay, and she was on her way to serve the other people with money that dropped fat tips in the ritzy downtown spot.

“That’s good. He shouldn’t have ever stopped. You know his ass got a record of twenty-six wins and only one loss. Twenty-one are knockouts,” Frank smiled.

“That boy done put in his work on the streets and in the ring. It’s too bad about him getting caught up and put out of the Police Athletic League. But I’m about to have him back on track,” Lucky held up his Martell on the rocks to toast with Frank. Their glasses clinked.

“I haven’t even proposed anything yet, and you two are already toasting,” Carlos said as he smiled and opened his arms to the men as he walked up with his man, Rios, behind him. Carlos was wearing a dark brown contemporary solid cashmere suit with a pair of Ostrich shoes that cost a grip. He dressed it down a bit by not wearing a tie. His partner was dressed the same but in all black.

“Carlos, good to see you,” Lucky said as he and Frank stood to greet the head of the Fuentes’. They hugged, then Carlos introduced Rios to them. They remembered him from when they had the sit down when Bone showed his true colors. He hadn’t talked at all then but it wasn’t his job to talk.

“I like that suit, Lucky. You should be modeling them instead of that one actor. What’s his name?”  He snapped his fingers trying to get the name to come to him.   

“Ving Rhames,” Frank told him.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Carlos said.

Lucky saw the young waitress and waved her over to the table. Even though he didn’t have to because she was on her way as soon as she finished taking the order of an older white couple. She had seen Lucky and Carlos embrace and she was in school for fashion design. She knew expensive clothes when she saw them and knew that it was money sitting at the table, which meant fat tips.

The four men ordered drinks. Once the young lady brought them, they told her to hold off for about fifteen minutes before she came back to get their order. When she walked off they made small talk about families and associates. Carlos didn’t get into the specifics of why they were there; they just had to know each other a bit more seeing as how they had never really dealt. Carlos told Lucky that Rios was his underboss, and he was the one who would run things if he wasn’t around. That is why he brought him to the meet with him, so they could get to know Rios, who wasn’t Cuban like Carlos. He was Columbian and had been friends and done dirt with Carlos since they were in elementary school, so they went way back.

They ordered Caesar salads; and the restaurant special homemade rolls were brought out first along with a bottle of Ruffino wine that was straight from Italy. The men sipped and ate while they waited on the main course. Carlos discussed a little bit of business but saved the important stuff for after they finished their meals.

“So what have you heard about Bone?” Carlos asked.

Lucky sipped his wine, “This is some good wine.”  He set the glass down then continued, “I confirmed what you advised me of the other day. That he’s getting his drugs from the Giadanos.” 

Carlos replied, “You can’t be too happy about that since they’re still tripping over that shit that happened damn near two years ago.” 

Carlos was talking about the money Slim owed the mob. When Slim’s worker, Myte, put her cousin, Felix, up on the movement of over a million dollars of money that Slim was delivering to the mob, Felix had the money jacked from Slim by his soldier, Chavez. The same Chavez who takes orders from Carlos. Chavez killed Slim’s best friend, Vic, and it set off a wave of killing and get back. Slim was going to get the mob their money, but they killed his best friend Skills over the heist, so Slim said fuck paying the dagos since they took the life of his friend.

“You know the mob don’t forget shit. But before we do any business we need to settle up. I can’t go talking to Slim about a deal with you guys and if the people on your team are still tripping about Felix and Myte getting taken care of.”

Carlos shook his head agreeing.

Lucky said, “So what are we going to do about that?  Chavez killed Vic and stole a mill. Then Giadonos killed Skills. I don’t think we’re even.”

Carlos had a look of deep thought on his face, and then said, “Nobody ever gets even in this game. Look, sometimes men have to put the past behind them to get to the future, and that’s what we need to do. My Pops is dead and I don’t know who killed him. I have an idea that Bone may be behind it, but I’m not sure. My dad had old values and did things the old fashioned way. Times and the laws are changing, and if we keep shit going with all the killing and shit we all will be sitting in prison doing a stretch. Never to see the light of day.”

Frank and Rios were nodding their heads agreeing. Lucky continued to listen. He didn’t want bloodshed, and he could tell Carlos didn’t either. What good was money if you were dead or in jail?

Carlos gave Lucky a moment to think then he told him, “I tell you what. The Giadonos were never paid, right?”

“We didn’t give them dagos shit!” Lucky frowned.

“Let’s have a sit down with them. I’ll pay half of whatever they want. You know they gonna tack on interest. We’ll pay them
well
if they’ll call a truce and we find out if they’re supplying Bone. If so, they will know we’re a team and the wop fuckers will think twice about fucking with you or should I say us.”

The men’s meals were served and they ate. Lucky was down with the deal but didn’t say. He told Carlos that he thought it was a good idea, but he had to have a conference with his men and Carlos knew that meant Slim. There was a lot at stake. Men had been killed, regular foot soldiers and loved ones, but sometimes that had to be put on the backburner to save the lives of others that would be wasted during a war.

After they finished their meal and another bottle of the hundred and fifty dollar wine Lucky asked, “What about my gift?”