Array Ashley - The Last Chapter

“Where is she now?” Carter asked.

“I took her to my crib. I didn’t know if you wanted her to know the location of the warehouse. Three thousand joints are too many to take any risks,” Zyir stated.

“You can show her, and only her, where we keep ‘em,” Carter stated. “She doesn’t need a key, however. If the Mexicans want her here to make sure everything is moving right, then we have nothing to hide from them. It’ll show good faith.”

Carter began to walk away, and Zyir stated, “I know we gon’ celebrate tonight. This is a power move we’re making.”

Carter turned around and shook his head as he looked at Mecca. Disappointment, anger, sadness… it all consumed him simultaneously. Without responding, Carter made his exit. He had thought when he emerged from prison that all of his problems would be behind him, but now the dilemmas in his life seemed even more prevalent than before.

“Fuck is up with him?” Mecca stated.

Zyir feigned ignorance and replied, “I don’t know, but I’d hate to be a problem of his. Just because he don’t talk about it, don’t mean he ain’t about it, nah mean? Carter ain’t about playing gangster. He don’t got to be all extra in order to get his point across. That macho shit is for dumb niggas, and dumb mu’fuckas are the easiest to clip.”

Zyir sat in the apartment like a seasoned chemist as he took it back to his humble roots, cooking dope with ten naked women around him. The titties and ass that were on display were of no interest to him. It only ensured that nobody got sticky fingers. Theft was impossible when you wore no clothes to stash the product. The Cartel took to the streets like never before, and in addition to selling the bricks wholesale, they had chosen to break down three hundred of them.

Zyir was a perfectionist when it came to stretching cocaine, and he was more than willing to put in the work to turn three hundred into six hundred, with the help of the lovely ladies around him. While Mecca thought he was above serving fiends, Zyir wasn’t for turning away a single dollar. He loved money, and while Mecca had the wholesale market covered, Zyir was taking over the streets. He kept it hood and set up his operation on every inner city block in Dade County.

He wasn’t about the gunplay, because he did not need any unnecessary attention from the boys in blue, so instead of forcing his competition out, he played fair and simply offered them an opportunity to work for him. His affiliation with The Cartel put stars in niggas’ eyes and they instantly jumped at the chance just to be down by association. Zyir had so many hustlers working for him that he never personally saw the blocks. He simply organized the operation, supplied the dope, and sat back as the money piled in. Nobody caused conflicts because everybody was eating.

Miami had never seen a movement like The Cartel’s. It was calculated carefully and executed with efficiency. It was all about the money, and the more they accumulated, the more the streets began to forget the troubles that had plagued them surrounding the law.

The Cartel was back and better than ever. They had learned from their mistakes, and this time what they were building was untouchable. The only thing that could tear down their empire was self-destruction.

Carter pulled up to Felipe’s estate. He had moved through the bricks and it was re-up time. Carter made hustling look easy. Most men wouldn’t know how to handle one brick, and within a month, he had burned through three thousand. Now he was back in Mexico to pay the piper.

He was eager to meet his connect face to face for the first time. He no longer needed Zyir to play middleman. Now that he was free, he could handle his own affairs.

He was unimpressed by the opulence around him as he entered Felipe Garza’s estate. If anything, the flashiness of the place turned him off. It was obvious that Felipe was living the lavish life, and Carter only hoped that his new connect was smart enough to ensure his longevity. If Felipe’s spotlight was too bright, then others would surely be watching. The estate was beautiful, but it was excessive and massive, too much for any one man.

Carter hoped that linking up with this new connect did not prove to be a costly mistake. He took a deep breath to calm himself before he exited the car. His recent stay in prison had caused him to be increasingly aware of every move he made. He viewed the streets as a chess game, and he wanted nothing more than to win.

“Carter Jones, my brother Josiah Garza speaks highly of you. It is good to finally meet with you,” Felipe greeted, extending his hand as the two men shook.

“Likewise. I know this visit is unexpected. We were not scheduled to meet for another three months, but I like to move quickly… efficiently,” Carter stated.

“I understand. I was under the impression that we would meet once you were done with the entire package. It does me no good to receive my money in pieces. I’d like the entire forty million back at one time,” Felipe replied.

Before he responded, he walked over to the limo and knocked on the window. The driver emerged and popped the trunk where duffel bag after duffel bag filled the interior.

“Like I said, I move quickly. That’s the entire forty with an extra five for you as repayment for the work you put in concerning my case,” Carter stated. “You can have your men unload it. The first deal proved to be very lucrative. Let us waste no time in doing it again.”

Although it was Carter who was the guest, he took charge as if he were on home turf. He held out his arm and motioned for Felipe to walk with him. He could see the displeasure in Felipe’s eyes. The Mexican drug lord was used to other men following his lead, but it was clear that Carter Jones had no intentions of playing the back. He was a boss, and conducted himself as such.

Felipe had taken a keen interest in Zyir. He had liked the young fellow because he had displayed the proper etiquette in dealing with someone superior to him. Carter, however, had put a different taste in his mouth. In his presence, Felipe felt inadequate, and it was then that he realized that all of the things he had heard about The Cartel was true. He was staring into the eyes of their leader, a man even greater than himself. Carter had experienced a minor setback when he had fallen under a federal microscope, but now that things were back on track, he had the potential to overthrow any empire. Felipe knew that this was not the intention of Carter, but his demeanor indicated that it was always a possibility. Felipe would have to be careful with how much power he helped The Cartel re-attain.

“Now I see that young Zyir is simply a protégé of yours. You both are men of little patience, always eager to get to the dinero,” Felipe stated. “Let us get to know each other as men first, and then we will discuss our arrangement. I own a few brothels and gentlemen’s establishments that I’m sure you will enjoy.”

Carter nodded and obliged with a discreet smirk because he knew that Felipe was trying to feel him out. He had sent Zyir to Mexico with specific instructions to go with the flow, because he did not know what he was getting his li’l man into. He, on the other hand, was there to establish boundaries and to ensure that both parties understood each other clearly. He wasn’t there to party and bullshit, but this would give him a perfect opportunity to turn the tables and learn more about the Garza Cartel’s operation.

Murder discreetly picked the lock to Miamor’s old condo, the same place where Carter had recently taken residence, and slipped inside. The place still held Miamor’s scent, and Carter had removed none of her old belongings, which made memories of his li’l mama come rushing back to Murder. It was as if she still lived there and could walk through the door at any moment.