“You think that just because you read a few articles about me that you can summarize my life? You have no idea what I’ve been through!” Marty was livid. He reached for a half empty bottle of cheap vodka, removed the top and chugged a huge portion. “I’ve been stabbed in the back by everyone in my life. I was loyal to all of them!” he ranted emotionally.
“You’re right. I don’t know you or all that you’ve been through. But you can’t keep living in the past and you definitely can’t keep drowning your sorrows in alcohol. Listen man, I’m no mentor. All I know is I have the financial ability to put you back in the game. I think you have the mindset to rise to the top again. But there’s no way I’m going to invest in a loser. And keeping it real, right now that’s what you are.”
“Yeah? Well, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think!” Marty took another gulp.
“I know you don’t. You don’t give a fuck about anything. Not even yourself. But the only way you’ll have a chance at turning your life back around is if you start giving a rat’s ass.”
Mack’s words seemed to effectively penetrate Marty’s wall of denial. He remained humbly quiet as Mack continued. Marty slowly opened up and shared his crushing past with Mack, who listened intently. The release of his accumulated hurt, anger and disappointment actually caused Marty to feel a little better about himself. Mack understood that their conversation was the first step in a long journey, but it was a step that Marty willingly took. It signified that Marty wanted change. The question was if he was prepared for the change.
“Let me ask you a question,” Mack said. “Do you think you can leave the alcohol alone?”
“The easy answer is ‘yes’, but the honest answer is ‘it’s possible’. I know deep down I can do it, but I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work and commitment.”
“In order to leave the liquor alone you’ll have to make the decision to stop wasting your life and find your purpose.”
“I agree.”
“If I had fifty thousand dollars to invest in you, do you think you could turn a profit with it?”
“I didn’t lose my career because I wasn’t good enough, I lost it because of misguided trust and naivety. I was one of the best in my field...I still am. If you believe in me enough to invest fifty thousand dollars, I promise that I will make you a rich man.”
“Alright. I’ll invest the money into you and we’ll split the profits three ways; between you, myself and my friend that I was with at the coffee shop. But this can only be done under one condition: you have to get yourself together. I have to know that you are going to be committed. You have five grand. It’s yours to use any way you want. I just hope you use it to better yourself. I’m going to check up on you in three weeks. If you’re straightened up and sober when I come back, then we have a deal. If you’re not, then it’ll show you never wanted change and we’ll move on with our lives.”
They sealed the deal by shaking hands. They conversed a little more, afterwards Mack left the apartment building and New York City...
CHAPTER 22
Jihad and Shawn sat next to each other on their flight from Miami, Florida, en route to Philadelphia. The argument Jihad had with Terry was never mentioned to Shawn. Jihad thought everything out clearly before reacting.
Terry was no longer the same person he had grown so close to. By sharing the common goals of overcoming adversity and ensuring survival, they had formed a seemingly impenetrable bond.
However, now that they had achieved and surpassed their initial goals, their second tier of goals were different. Because of this, it appeared that their lives were headed in different directions. The thread that held their bond together was beginning to wither away.
It was undeniable that their friendship had become distant. The only time that he received a call from Terry was to discuss business matters. Hanging out and having fun together had become a thing of the past.
While their friendship began to dissipate, Mack and Terry, steadily grew closer. After the argument it had become evident to Jihad that he was being used solely for the position he played in the SP movement. Terry had no intention to elevate Jihad’s status, while, he and Mack, continued to rise in wealth and power. He thought about making an attempt to sit Terry down to try to hash everything out, but odds were it would prove worthless and damaging. Terry was an intelligent man who was well aware of the decisions he was making. Terry was knowingly removing himself from their friendship. Two best friends were on a fast track to become distant strangers. And in their way of life, strangers received neither love nor remorse. Accepting reality, Jihad pondered his options. The only way he could turn the odds in his favor was to increase his power while weakening Terry’s. In the process of doing that, he could never be viewed as Terry’s enemy. At least not until it would be too late for Terry and Mack. In order for his takeover to be a success he would have to recruit Shawn, who was
Mack’s top soldier.
Jihad turned to Shawn, who was reclined in the plane’s seat listening to music on his phone, and tapped him.
Shawn removed his left ear bud. “Wassup, cannon?”
“I need to holla at you about some real shit.”
Shawn turned off his phone and removed the other ear bud, giving Jihad his full attention. “Talk to me.”
“Let’s say your homies was driving a car and you knew it was going to crash. You tried to warn them, but they wouldn’t listen. Would you jump out, or take the chance of surviving the crash with them?” Jihad asked.
“What kind of question is that?” Shawn laughed. “You already know the answer. Come on, Jihad. You know you ain’t gotta speak in riddles to me. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Jihad paused for a contemplative moment. “Alright, but you have to give me your word that everything I say remains between us.”
“You got my word. What’s going on?”
“Terry and Mack is gon’ end up getting knocked.”
Jihad’s revelation caused Shawn to sit upright, “What? Why you say that?”
“They’re getting too hot. It’s too much going on, and all fingers are pointing to them,” Jihad explained. “Do you remember Tricia?”
“Yeah, you talkin’ about the dark skinned chick you been smashing, right?”
“Yeah. Her uncle is a cop. He works for the narcotics unit. He told her that they’re on to him,” Jihad lied.
“Why would he tell her?”
“’Cause one day I was driving Terry’s Benz and I stopped by her house. I guess he happened to drive past. He told Tricia he didn’t want to see her get trapped off in his shit.”
“Fuck! That means they know about us, too.” Worry began to set in.
“Nah, they’re not watching us, not yet. But if we keep on, we’re definitely going down with them.”
“We gotta tell them what’s going on.”
“You don’t think I tried to put them on already? They’re on some ride or die shit. Them niggas really think they’re untouchable. Now, if I keep bringing this up and they end up getting knocked, who are they going to think snitched on them?”
“You.” Shawn answered in a low voice.
“Exactly. At this point it’s all about self-preservation, my nigga. I did all I can do. I’m puttin’ you on game ‘cause you a real ass nigga, and I fuck with you.”
“Yo, that’s wassup. I appreciate that.”
“Now, there’s a way that we can save ourselves, and come out of this with the money that we’re supposed to have as well. Are you with me?”
Shawn thought about it for a moment. He looked Jihad in the eyes, and said, “I’m with you, my dude...”
CHAPTER 23
Terry and Mack were inside of Dynasty Luxury Rentals pouring over the company’s records.
“Business is steadily growing,” Terry commented, keying at his computer.
“We’re definitely bringing in more customers. Our SUVs have been booked up for three weeks straight. It looks like we have to bu
y a few more.” “Imagine how far we can take this company if we put our all into it.”
Mack placed the portfolio he was reviewing down on his desk. “What do you mean? If we weren’t putting our all into this place, it would have been tanked.”
“Nah. We ain’t fail because we’re natural hustlers. What I’m saying is if we leave our other business alone, we’ll have a lot less stress and more time to focus strictly on the growth of Dynasty.”
“So, you’re saying you want to go one hundred percent legit?”
For the first time, Terry looked away from his computer screen. His eyes met Mack’s. “Yeah.”
There was a light knock on their office door. Kerri, their secretary, poked her head inside. “Excuse me, Mr. Mack, Mr. Frankel is here to see you.”
The name quickly registered to Mack. However, it was a complete shock that Marty not only found out about the rental company, but he also made the trip from Manhattan to pay him a visit. “Show him in, Kerri.”
A moment later an impeccably dressed, clean shaven and vibrant, Marty Frankel, walked into the office accompanied by his reestablished comrade, Vincent. Mack slowly stood from his desk, surprised at the man who stood before him. Marty approached, displaying a pleasant smile. He extended his hand, giving Mack a firm handshake.
“Good afternoon, Mack”.
“Is this really you? What are you doing here?”
“You said you’d be back in three weeks. It’s been three weeks and two days, so I figured I’d come and check on you. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a friend with me.” He turned to Vincent and introduced them. They shook hands.
“Marty, you remember my friend, Terry, right?” Mack asked.
“Sure.” Marty turned to Terry. “How are you doing?”
Terry stopped typing on the computer long enough to look up. “I’m doing well. I’m sorry, but I can’t think of where I remember you from.”
“Remember the guy from Starbucks in New York who gave us the advice on the stocks?”
Terry studied the man’s face more closely. “Oh, shit, that’s him!” He quickly stood from his desk and walked over to Marty. He shook his hand. “You look like a new man.”
“I am a new man. Thanks to Mack and Vincent...oh, I almost forgot.” Marty reached inside his suit pocket, pulled out a white envelope and handed it to Mack.
“What’s this?” Mack accepted the envelope.
“That’s the five thousand you gave me, plus an extra thousand bucks. Within the past three weeks, I turned that five grand into thirty-six large.” He then recited a line from Coming To America, “Mortimer, we’re back!”
Mack, Terry and Vincent laughed. “I appreciate this, but I didn’t loan you that money. I gave it to you. I’m just happy that you used it to get back on your feet.” Mack gave the envelope back.
“I have always been a man of my word. I told you that I’d get myself together. I haven’t had a drink since the day you left my apartment. Our conversation and the faith you had in me played a pivotal role in me taking the needed steps to get my life back on track.”
“My words could only do but so much.” Mack gestured for Marty and Vincent to take a seat, and resumed his place behind his desk. “It was your actions that created the change.”
“Nice try at being modest and minimizing your role, young man. However, I’m not letting you off that easy. Like I said, I’m a man of my word. I told you that I’d make you rich. By the looks of this place, you’re not doing bad at all, but I want to introduce you and your friend to generational wealth. Are you guys ready to play in the big leagues?”
Terry looked over to Mack, unsure of what was going on. “Mack, why didn’t you tell me that you went to see Starbucks?” he asked, referring to Marty.
“Because you didn’t see what I saw at the time.”
“Well, I see this man standing in front of me, and I’ll be the first to admit that he’s a completely different version of the guy we met. It’s obvious he knows what he’s talking about, and we’d be fools not to listen to him for the second time.”
“No question,” Mack said, then turned to Marty. “Mr. Frankel, if it’s okay with you, we’d love to become your students as well as investors and partners.” All four men shook hands, solidifying their starting point...
CHAPTER 24
Terry and Mack had learned more than they had ever imagined about commodities trading since partnering with Marty and Vincent, who made it a priority that while under their tutelage they obtained knowledge along with wealth.
Vincent was an integral part of their operation because he was still employed by Goldman’s. Marty’s former mentor, Jack, had taken a liking to Vincent, which in Marty’s eyes only meant that he would be offered as the company’s sacrificial lamb if the need ever arose.
Now that Vincent was aware of Jack’s cold-hearted, callous ways, he took advantage by absorbing valuable information and using it for his benefit. His inside access combined with Marty’s uncanny knowledge proved to create a winning team. Marty’s ingenious trading decisions were based on extremely complex mathematical algorithms to process data on market developments and execute trades rapidly.
In forty-five days, Terry and Mack’s combined one hundred thousand dollar investment saw a nearly forty percent return and there was no sign of slowing down.
The lives they lived on the other side of the fence, however, proved to be much more difficult to maintain. Mack’s relationship with Sandra had fallen completely apart. One day after buying her an assortment of gifts and flowers, he went to her house and found that Sandra no longer lived there. The house was vacant with a For Rent sign in the window. He tried calling and texting her. He even made attempts to contact her through Facebook and Instagram, to no avail.
Mack did his best to suppress his feelings, but reflections of the tremendous amount of pain he caused her, coupled with her constant pleas for him to change that went ignored, consumed him. Attempting to keep the multiple aspects of his life separate was becoming more and more difficult.
On his way to a business meeting, Mack received a call from Boogs asking him to
come over right away. The urgency in Boogs’ voice made it clear that it was extremely important. Mack was forced to cancel the meeting. He drove directly to Boogs’ house. Terry had made it there minutes earlier.
As soon as Mack stepped into the house he sensed tension. “Wassup?”
“Somebody broke into the stash house, setting it on fire. That shit has been on the news all morning.”
Mack was fuming. “What? What the fuck you mean somebody broke into the house?”
“Whoever did it shot the dogs, took the work, and got out of the house before the police responded to the alarm,” Terry said.
“What the fuck is going on? First, somebody robs Shawn for sixty stacks, now they’re runnin’ up in our houses?” Mack began to pace. “How much did we have in the house?”
“Fourteen bricks,” Terry answered.
“Fourteen jawns? You’re telling me it’s a muthafucka out there with fourteen ki’s of our coke? Hell nah.” Mack shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t give a fuck what it takes to find out who did this, I want them muthafuckas dead. Period!”
“Say no more,” Boogs said, feeling his friend’s pain...
CHAPTER 25
Mack and Terry decided to temporarily shut down their drug operation. Their objective was to find out who was behind Shawn being robbed and their stash house being burglarized. With the understanding that no one could be excluded from being considered a suspect, every high positioned member of SP was informed that a drought had come. They were told that the drought was expected to last a while.
Feeling the pinch from not having any drugs to hustle, Boogs kept his eyes and ears open. The streets not only watched, but they also talked. In time information would surface and whoever was responsible would pay for their actions with their lives. Everyone laid low and remained attentive.
To Boogs’ relief, Reek had finally made it out of jail after the judge set his bail at seventy-five hundred dollars for the Felon in Possession of a Weapon charge. It pained him deeply to see his cousin in such a debilitated state. However, Reek’s unyielding resilience left Boogs no other choice but to remain strong and optimistic for him. Three days out of the week, Boogs picked him up, and escorted him to the rehabilitation center. He remained by his cousin’s side, encouraging him every step of the way. As Reek continued to grow stronger physically, Boogs grew more confident that he would eventually be back, or at least very close to normal.
Because of their complex schedule, Terry and Mack were unable to spend as much time as they would have liked with Reek. However, they made it their business to check up on him, and also to make sure he was fully taken care of financially.
Reek understood that he was involved in a very serious open case. He was also aware that Terry had been questioned by the same homicide detectives who attempted to interrogate him. With the understanding that it would have been foolish for them to remain in close contact with each other, they remained in touch while maintaining distance.
On a Wednesday morning, Boogs was preparing to pick Reek up when he got a call from Keith.
“Wassup, Keith?”
“Ain’t shit. Watchu up to?”
“I’m ‘bout to scoop Reek up and take him to the rehabilitation center.”
“Oh, yeah? Damn, I ain’t seen my nigga since before that shit popped off. Yo, I need a favor from you. I need you to take me to pick my truck up. I had to get the back end repainted. Some broad scratched my jawn up.”
“Aaight. Be ready in about twenty minutes. I’ma pick Reek up, then come and get you.”
“Good lookin’.”
They hung up. Boogs got into his pearl white Cadillac XTS and headed to Reek’s place. Once there, he wheeled him to the passenger side, helped him in, folded the wheelchair up, and placed it in the trunk.