John would appear infrequently over the next couple of days. Each time he failed to have an answer for my proposal. Each day I pushed him to get me an answer–any answer really–that was clear. If Ben accepted? That's perfect. I could move on with the next step.
If he refused?
Then at least I could divert my thinking power into new schemes.
Finally, after another day of uncertain answers, John approached me once more.
"Hey Jamal…"
John shuffled with hands put together, one foot barely leaving the ground, and head down. Between steps I heard several utterances and mumbles. He raised his head when in arms reach of me and sighed.
"Good news or bad news?"
I asked him for the good news.
"Ben is alright with you comin' over to see what's up. He's not gonna–"
"Yes, the neck snapping, please skip that. What's the bad news?"
"It's what he wants."
"That doesn't matter. As long as it's nothing foreign–"
"It's heroin. He wants enough for everybody."
I glanced in confusion. John looked at me, gauging my reaction.
"What's heroin?" I asked
John's eyes bulged from his sockets.
"The FUCK you mean, 'what's heroin'? You never heard of heroin before?"
I shook my head. I knew many concoctions and powders made to create a sense of ecstasy. Guller root powder from the fields of Fivarr, the secretions of the giant toads of Rezia, and even fairy dust, which shared a name on this world as well.
"I mean I've never heard of this 'heroin' before. That doesn't even sound like a real word. Surely, Ben is sending me on a chase."
"It's real! And that nigga wants a fuck ton," John sighed, "What kinda dope boy don't know heroin? Shit is foreign as fuck."
"Foreign as fuck…," I trailed, "How foreign is a fuck?"
"...I'm not even gonna–I got your money, look."
John took out the usual wad of green. He waved it around as he continued speaking.
"What we got going on? That's good. That's solid. I don't know what more a corner boy would want."
"Information."
I handed over the purchased goods to John with a huff.
"And I'm going to get it,' I continued, "I don't care how foreign this 'heroin' may be. Tell Ben he'll get what he requests. I swear it."
—
"Fuck no. And they didn't even say an amount? Where do you want me to get a fuck ton of heroin from? My ass?"
Q reclined in his seat. This was third I had been denied. Will, who sat on the stairs of the basement, had declined my offer and brought me to Rod. He laughed when Will told him the story, now parading me down to the basement to tell the story to Q. No amount of asking seemed to change their mind.
Even the dap up bonus had failed me.
"There's no way you're up to anything good moving that much heroin onto the street," said Will, "Damn that, if word gets out that Three-Six is branching into heroin, we could get killed."
"It's a peace offering," I responded, "A gift to stand in the good graces of a certain leader."
Rod scoffed, "Didn't know we were fighting somebody. Who did you piss off?"
"And I don't care who you're trying to impress," Q chimed, "There's no way you can move that much without it going noticed. They don't know you, they know me. Takes one guy saying we're trying to take over the market–"
Q made a gun with his fingers and pointed it at each person in the room. Everyone nodded in agreement while I found the words to continue.
"We're doing it for information. Information on people that we wouldn't have access to."
Will stood from the stairs and came down to the floor in order to meet my eyes.
"Fuck kinda information you need that requires a fuck ton of heroin? Are you still chasing that one nigga?"
"The kind that brings me closer to my goal, Will. There's a way we all benefit. A way that Three-Six expands larger than just four men on a street."
The three looked amongst each other.
"There was talk of…expanding…the operation. But we ain't moving weight like North Forest, June Park, or FVR."
"FVR? Dayleon's gang?"
"It isn't Dayleon's," Q said, "Flower Valley Range is the neighborhood south of here, real rough."
"And they crash out when someone messes with their money," added Rod, "Any heroin moved here is their territory."
"What if I told you I had buyers in North Forest?"
Another round of glances. Once again, Will spoke first.
"And you just happen to know that? There's just money in North Forest just waiting to be claimed by us?"
"It isn't money we're acquiring."
Rod stood in a fit of frustration and went to the staircase.
"This motherfucker wants to give out heroin for charity–get the fuck outta here. I'm gonna have dinner with my baby momma."
Will and Q followed upstairs.
"It's information on North Forest!"
All three men froze in place. One by one, they turned to look at me down in the basement.
"An information broker with access to their part of the city," I added, "He's been a regular customer for some time now."
—
"What about the location of their warehouses?" I asked.
John paced back and forth, scratching what was left of his hair. This had been the third day he hesitated to give me any information I could use.
"It ain't like that. I can't just find that shit out."
"How did you find Xay Thomas then?"
"Someone said they saw him over there, that's just what I told you! Where's the heroin? I promised Ben I would bring it soon. He's getting…angry."
The plan was coming apart. The rest of Three-Six were growing restless with my lack of an answer for them.
"John, there is no heroin until they know you're legit. The way I see it? You have two options. Either find something–ANYTHING–we can use on North Forest. Otherwise?"
I made a snapping motion with my hands.
"Ben can give you a first hand experience of what you've seen. You've been good to get the money, and for that? I'm grateful. Truly, I am. But you promised information. I don't care how it's acquired."
John sighed and looked away.
"There's one thing."
He kicked a rock and shook his head.
"I only saw it once though. It was dark. You have to swear that you didn't hear it from me."
"What was it?"
"A stash. A real one. Trunk full of it."
—
"A what?!" Rod screamed, "Nope. No way."
Will and Q choked on the smoke they were blowing, dumbfounded. Q especially had a hard time, as he fell off the couch hacking and wheezing.
"What would even do with all those guns?," he continued, "And–and! How do we bring them back across the river?
"Carefully."
We turned to Will.
"This is big, Jamal. This is some real big boy shit you're tryna do."
"Almost too big," said Q, "Why though? What's so personal with North Forest you want to do all this shit?"
The eyes of the room fell onto me. I took a hit from my pipe and calmly replied.
"Just doing what y'all taught me to do. Chasing the bag, as it were."
"Bullshit!"
Rod moved. One hand turned to a fist and the other grabbed me by the collar. Q and Will stood to remove him as I raised my hands in surrender.
"What are you really after? What's so goddamn important?"
I took a couple of seconds to think about my answer. They would never agree to do all this if they knew it was just a step to gain access to Xay.
"I just think we have potential," I replied, "Imagine if it were able to expand? Your operation moves so cleanly. The reason I joined you in the first place was because I saw potential."
Rod allowed Q and Will to pull him off of me. They dispersed around the living room and sat in silence for a moment. After a lengthy sigh, Will spoke first.
"You want to use homeless people to gather information on North Forest in exchange for heroin? On top of the stuff they pay you for regular shit?"
"There's no way we're actually considering this," said Rod, "They're bums! Junkies! We can't trust shit they say."
"But if this junkie-ass friend is right…" Q said, "We'll have access. Whenever they're not wacked out on heroin."
"I'll only select the best and brightest among them," I said, "John will make sure the information is legit."
Rod scoffed and threw his hands up.
"Oh, the junkie will make sure the information is right? That's all you had to say! Fuck outta here."
Q scratched his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it.
"What's up, Q?" Will asked.
He stroked his stubble and sighed. Shaking his head, he paced around the room muttering to himself. Finally, after completing a lap, he spoke.
"This is some shit. Some real shit. Man, I don't know. On one hand? Fuck North Forest."
Will and Rod agreed.
"On the other hand? This plan is fucking nuts. We've jacked cars and stole shit but stealing trunk full? We ain't ever done something like this."
"We ain't ever had the opportunity, either," said Will, "No one here had been crazy enough to find out. We've never really tried to expand either."
"That's cause we never needed to expand. It's worked the way it is. Fuck North Forest, don't get it twisted," said Rod, "But this nigga? Walking in with these plans? That's how you fuck up what ain't broke."
"Or I could enhance it."
The room turned to me once more.
"That is why I said potential. The method you use works, no doubt. I was able to come in and prosper under it. But now may be the time for expansion."
I stood and gestured my pipe around the room.
"How many gangs are in Stanlowe?"
No one in the room gave a straight answer.
"Exactly. From what I've seen and heard only a handful of them hold actual power. But we hold the cards. They don't even know we're in the game."
"He's right."
Will took a hit before continuing.
"Think about it. Let's say it's legit. That's money. We sell it to gangs that wanna see North Forest fall. We don't say shit about where we got it from."
"Will, there's no fuckin' way you're considering this. We're gonna–"
"I'm not considering shit," he said, "I'm just pointing out the obvious. But…"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Get us proof you and your junkie friend aren't tripping. Go to the place, take a photo and come back without getting shot. Then we can talk."
—
"And that's what they said."
John held his hands together nervously.
"They said they'd shoot my ass if they saw me over there again, man! Fuck!"
"You said it was a small hoard! All we need to do is take a photo and we're gone, John. No biggie. Ben gets the heroin, I get information, and you get a steady stream of Q's various creations. Everyone wins."
I turned around and began to walk away.
"Until someone loses."
"Well, John, I guess neither of us can afford to lose."
I kept walking.
"So don't be the one that does."