AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It took a few seconds for me to drag my attention away. “Yeah. It’s too quiet tonight.” It had been months since I’d been dragged back to my own private hell. All it had taken was a fucking abandoned stuffed animal. I allowed anger to replace the haunted sickness, eager to return to my house and into my private gym. Maybe a few hours of hitting the punching bag would exorcise the ugly demon.
“And that’s not a good thing?” My second in command chuckled even though he knew my instincts were almost always spot on.
“Not always, my friend.” I’d come downtown to check out the latest shipment of party favors that had only arrived in port a few hours before. I’d had extra precautions taken since the port authority and the coast guard were working with the local DEA agency to crack down on drugs coming into the capital city. I couldn’t blame them. Drug overdoses had increased significantly over the last few years, but usually the offending proclivity was heroin, fentanyl, or a toxic combination of opioids.
We catered to the rich and famous, those who could afford the high-quality white powder crafted in Latin America. The family’s client list would likely shock anyone if they ever got their hands on it. The scandals would all but crumble the upper echelon of politicians, corporate moguls, stars, and musicians. That wasn’t the only one reason I took extra precautions with the merchandise, taking my time with distribution. There would always be enemies determined to bring down the family empire on both sides of the law.
Maybe that’s why something bothered me about the stillness, my instinct always on the alert.
“Do you want me to call in backup?” Andres asked.
“No. Let’s just get this over with.” I headed inside, struck by the dampness even though the humidity was thick outside for an early May evening. “Are the points of distribution set?”
“You bet. The product will be in all four locations by morning.”
“Good.” Our footsteps echoed in the mostly empty space. I constantly moved the shipment arrival and processing locations between a dozen destinations in my attempt to prevent interference or hijacking by other criminal elements. To date, we’d experienced mostly minor skirmishes, which was totally unlike my grandfather’s and even my father’s days when there’d been constant wars between crime syndicates.
That didn’t mean our enemies weren’t powerful. It simply meant an alliance had been formed between many of the most ruthless organizations, preventing the loss of innocent lives. As if I’d ever shied away from painting the streets in red if necessary. I was exactly like my grandfather after all.
Savage.
We headed into the most secure part of the factory and I nodded to the four men keeping guard.
“Sir. Everything is in order,” Martin said as he stepped away from the crates.
I walked closer, peering inside one of them. After digging down by almost six inches, I selected a bag, bringing it to the single table that had been left from the former owners. I tugged my pocketknife from my jacket, slitting the bag a couple of inches. I wet my finger, dipping it into the substance. As I brought it to my lips, I realized how much I loathed anyone who resorted to using recreational drugs to get their jollies. I’d initiated a rule within the ranks within a month of my takeover. No one in my employ, either legitimate or illegitimate, was allowed to use recreational drugs under any circumstances.
Hell, I’d almost beaten to death a made man after he’d nearly botched a legitimate deal, his inebriated behavior almost proving to be the single time the police had arrested me. That’s why a codicil of being strict had been placed alongside my brutal reputation. I kind of liked it.
Sure, I had my own set of proclivities, but nothing that I couldn’t control at a moment’s notice. However, I knew an excellent product when I tasted it and the cocaine that had been provided was top notch, well worth every penny. We’d make millions on the few crates alone. Easy money.
All five men waited for my acknowledgment. They knew how I got when I was angry. No one wanted to ever see me enraged. People usually died when that occurred.
“Excellent. Please extend my appreciation to Señor Juarez for me, Martin.”
There wasn’t a single man inside the room who didn’t breathe a sigh of relief. “Will do, sir.” He immediately grabbed a roll of duct tape, securing the open bag before placing it back into the crate.
“When is the next shipment due in?” I asked as I headed to the rusted sink to wash my hands. I was headed to my brother’s house and the last thing I wanted was any cocaine residue on my fingers when I picked up my nephew.
“Two weeks. That’s the last for the quarter,” Andres answered.
“Good. We’re right on schedule. I’m headed out to a family dinner. Make certain the shipments get out as anticipated.” I didn’t waste any time, heading for the entrance, stopping short the moment I heard an unusual cracking sound. I immediately yanked my weapon into my hand, removing the safety.
“Do you want me to see what that was, boss?” Andres asked.
I tipped my head toward him, placing my finger across my lips. Using careful and quiet steps, I headed toward the other room, stopping just inside the doorway, darting my head inside the front room. My hackles immediately rose when I noticed the main door was swinging open in the light breeze.
Andres moved into the room, cursing under his breath. “Shit. I thought I secured the door.” The moment he stepped all the way into the room, another crack could be heard. My lieutenant was highly trained but his reaction to seeing a grenade tossed into the warehouse was slow. The explosion was almost instantaneous, pitching us both back by several feet, a rush of adrenaline fueling me when I was slammed into the hard concrete floor.
What the fuck?
I rolled over, gasping for air as rancid smoke swept through the space. While echoes pounded into my ears, they didn’t stop the sound of boots racing through the door. We were under attack.
My other soldiers had fared better, their reactions immediate. As they raced into the room, Martin grabbed me by the arm, dragging me to my feet.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
The sound of gunfire was immediate, the shots coming from at least two directions.
