“Dude, how do you even know how to do this stuff?” Chris asked.
“I do my research. Now, I have something even bigger than that to talk to you guys about,” Eddie said.
“What! There’s something even bigger than what you’ve just told us?! I don’t think I can handle this,” Chris said.
“Ha-ha. Chris, our lives are about to change, man. Trust me on this, we will have everything that we ever wanted. I have access to some drugs, eight bricks of cocaine and six bricks of heroin. It’s important that the cartel not find out about this, so you can’t tell anyone. My father’s cousin Raphael has connections in Fynnwood, and with his help we’ll be able to move the drugs. Once he has agreed to help us, I will need you guys to work with us to sell the drugs. Once all the drugs have been sold, I will give you twenty-five percent each on the total profit. All I ask for is your loyalty and that you always have my back. Are we good on that?” Eddie asked.
“Wow, definitely bro, we’ve got your back,” Chris said
“Hey, you know that we’d do anything for you, bro,” Alex said.
“Good to hear. So, after selling the dope, the only money that we will be making for a while will be what we get from the cartel and money from selling merch. Guys, this only works if we agree to do this together, and we can’t talk to anyone else about it. If the wrong people find out, we can end up in prison or even worse, we could be killed by anyone looking to rip us off. Word could also get back to the cartel about the drugs, and they’ll kill us. So, we have to keep this low-key. Are we all in agreement?” Eddie asked.
“Are you kidding, Dom? Me and Chris are in, all the way in! You’re in, right, Chris?” Alex asked.
“Umm, let me think about it… of course man, why would I pass this up? Look Dom, we’ve always talked about getting rich. I am all the way in,” Chris said.
“Okay, cool. I’ll go into more detail later. Remember, do not tell a single person about this! We’ll talk some more this evening. Let’s meet up at the restaurant around 6:30p.m.,” Eddie said.
After all the whispering, it was now official, Eddie had successfully convinced his friends to join him in the business. He needed people he could trust to watch his back at all times and Alex and Chris were perfect for that. Eddie had no intention of telling the guys exactly how he managed to get his hands on the drugs, but he was sure they had an idea. The next thing to do was get in touch with Raphael and have the conversation with him.
Chapter 20
Jason’s Departure
Where: Edom Group warehouse, The United Nations of Europe and Americas, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: 1935 hours, Wednesday, November 6, 2041
Currency: UNEA credits
Alex and Chris picked me up from the house around 7:30, and we headed for the warehouse on the south side of Milwaukee where Jason was being held. By now he would have figured out why he was being detained. He would have known his predicament was a result of his big mouth. I never understood that about people—they show their hand when they don’t know what the opposition has in their deck. If Jason had kept his mouth shut, this would have never happened. He would have remained in a well-paid job, spending most evenings at his favourite bar. Instead, he put me in a very awkward position.
As we approached the industrial area where the warehouse was located, Alex informed me that the Turk had already arrived. He would oversee the disposal of Jason’s body once I was done questioning him. The SUV came to a halt, and after the security team from the other vehicle scanned the area, they gave the signal that it was safe for us to step out of our vehicle. Alex jumped out of the front seat, and Chris hopped out from the rear driver’s side. The chauffer opened my door on the rear passenger side, and as I emerged, I did a quick scan as well. It was already dark, but it looked like the coast was clear. We’d owned this warehouse for a few years now, but we didn’t use the building for anything important. It was where we stored old machinery, office supplies, and endless rolls of fibre-optic cable. The building could do with a bit of refurbishment; fresh paint and new windows would make it look less abandoned.
As we walked in, I saw the Henry the Turk standing next to Jason, who was sat in a wooden chair, looking terrified. The Turk’s guys were with him, and as expected they were all armed. As I got closer, the Turk gave me the usual respectful nod.
“Hello Henry, how’ve you been?” I said.
“I’ve been okay, boss,” the Turk responded.
“Family okay?” I asked.
“Yes sir, everyone is doing well,” he responded.
The Turk was a man of few words—at least when dealing with me he was. There was something about him that commanded everyone’s respect; he had a certain presence. He was quite the professional as well.
