My people Part 2.

My people_P2
New York City, New York, U.S.A
One and a half months ago

“And then they bring the money” Said Ricardo as he straightened up and brushed dirt off his hands. He smiled at the girl bound to the pole, she gave him a poisonous glare and made a growl in her throat, her mouth was stuffed with a cloth to keep her from screaming for help. She was a pretty thing, auburn hair resting on her shoulders, big black eyes cold to the very depth and a swollen lower lip. Even when sweaty and angry she looked beautiful-to usual people- to Ricardo she was just a stubborn money check.
“Oh, I’m sorry” said Ricardo and bent down to pull the cloth out of her mouth. The girl flexed her jaw once and instead of screaming, whispered in the coldest of voice. “You’re going to die, one way or another.”
This would’ve made other people flinch or at the least taken aback. Ricardo laughed and brought his face close to the girl’s face and licked her cheek. It was for the girl to grasp the possibility of rape and not because Ricardo was even remotely turned on by her. Kidnapping wasn’t unknown to Ricardo and it was his belief that a scared captive is less likely to throw tantrums.
“I think differently, your father wasn’t half as brave as you’re trying to be, sugar”
The girl didn’t utter a word but just stared at him with cold loathing. Ricardo got up and went out of the basement; a slightly taller man took his place in the basement. This man was Antonio, Ricardo’s cousin, only family Ricardo knew.
Ricardo got in his new Chevrolet and pulled out of the garage. He went through his plan on his way to the meeting. He was finally getting some good jobs and if it continued like this he’d soon have a gang under him. But Ricardo wasn’t very interested in working under people; he didn’t trust anyone else’s brain but his. Ricardo’s real interest wasn’t money either, it wasn’t hard to get if you weren’t afraid of dirtying hands. No, Ricardo was hungry for power. For power, he needed control. Control over the biggest thing in U.S, the drug business. He needed a break in the narcotics; it was a big thing in New York, from street junkies to rich, spoiled kids. Coke, Heroine, Marijuana; he wanted his hands elbow deep in everything. So he planned to buy cocaine off Ben, gang-lord of a local gang. Ben had taken a lot of pampering to open up enough to mention the cocaine supplying job he was given. He worked for the Bosco family, one of the crime families of the city and was given the job of acquiring the supply from the manufacturers and distributing it to the various drug-dealers. Ben had repeatedly acquired the reputation of a distracted man during the years and he wasn’t one the Bosco family could happily rely on for the whole job, so he was allotted a limited area for distribution. All his job was that he had to assign some people to get the supply and assign some smarter ones to do the distributing; he got a benefitting 10 per cent. Ricardo had to spare Ben many whiskeys before he spilled it out, and even more whiskeys and nights to gain his trust. Finally, after lots of insignificant stories Ben agreed to let Ricardo wet his beak a little. Ricardo offered to buy all the supply off him, if he would let Ricardo pay for it in two instalments-both to be paid within seven days, and a big advance for being given the opportunity. Ben would get slightly more money out of this transaction as now the extra expenses were none, but he had to keep the gangs of other families under supervision as they might get offended by the presence of a new dealer, Bosco family couldn’t intervene for Ben wasn’t planning to tell them so it was Ben’s responsibility to keep other gangs at bay.
Ricardo reached a near empty street and on seeing girls wearing a lot of make-up and glittering clothes pulled in to a small-time strip-club and pub. A lady bent in an unusual position which emphasized her buttocks greeted him, she was half-sitting, half hanging off the chair. Ricardo gave her no notice and straight away walked inside.
The club was half-empty, with only some old perverted men enjoying the grinding of girls of their daughters’ age. Ricardo scanned the dim club, glittering from all corners due to the glitter on semi-naked girls’ bodies; Ricardo walked past an old man with a girl no more than 16 rubbing her chest on the man’s face and spotted Ben sitting in the corner with a girl who looked exactly as old as the other one. Ricardo walked up over to him, and the girl noticing him said,” Paid for a private lap dance, you can’t-“She was cut off by Ben, who slapped her back and said,” You don’t tell who sits where, you whore.” He was obviously drunk and his face shone with glitter. He wiped his moustache, spreading glitter all over the bushy thing and it now looked like a Christmas shrub.
Ricardo passed the girl a 20 dollars note, and she got up off Ben and climbed the stage on the centre. Ricardo extended his hand to greet him and Ben stood up, shook Ricardo’s hand and slapped his shoulder with a smile. Ricardo let him display his affection and smiled to convey friendliness. Ben dropped back into his seat with a puff noise and filled up his glass. Ricardo took the bottle from him and poured some whiskey in it, he poured some in another glass, added ice to it and drank a little giving Ben time to gather his thoughts.
“Ben brother, you need any ice?”
“Yerss” was Ben’s slurred word.
Ricardo patiently waited for Ben to speak and sipped his whiskey. Ben finished his glass and wiped his moustache on his sleeve, Ricardo sat up straight and Ben said,” So, are you and Antonio ready for picking up the package?”
“Yes, Antonio is preparing as we talk”
“Good, good. I knew you were a man who can do a job when I saw you” Ben again slapped his shoulder. Ricardo stayed quiet. Ben poured himself another drink and when he was sitting comfortably with a drink in his hands he said without a slur in his words,” Ricky, you’re my friend so I warn you that if the boss doesn’t get his promised money in a week, it’ll be a big problem and the advance you’d promised” He made a noise with his tongue and then said,” I even agreed to let you pay that advance” he said advance in a slightly higher pitch. “After you get the supply, so homie, don’t mess it up.” He tried to be as friendly yet curt as he could and Ricardo gave him his most genuine-looking smile and said that he needn’t worry about anything, he had planned it all. Ben looking slightly relieved smiled a glittery smile and put his hand in his breast pocket and pulled out a paper and gave it Ricardo. Ricardo pocketed the paper, finished his drink in one go and signalled the girl to come back to the table. Ben extended his hand again, Ricardo shook it and this time he slapped Ben’s shoulder. Ben wished him luck and Ricardo walked away with a smile, when he turned to look at Ben, he was at the exit door and the even through the dim lighting he saw the girl dry-humping him again, Ricardo didn’t hover but in the last glance saw him spill his drink all over himself. Pathetic, thought Ricardo as he walked out of the bar and sat in his car, going over the most important part of his plan.