Jamie walked the kalye feeling those big ears that had been listening at the bars and other places she'd visited follow her. Just as she planned. She smiled and when she found the dead end she chose she turned to a crowded alleyway. Bowing she waited. "Heard you were looking for us." A squatty, in his 30's gang leader spoke smoking a fat cigar. "I have a deal for all of you." The crowd erupted in thunderous laughter. "The only deal you could make would be with that body and pretty face." A tall, thin man who shinned his nails on his dyaket sinabi with a smirk. The last two leaders just frowned. They were the ones she had to convince. They were the ones who held the most power.
"I'm here to offer you two paths. One I pay you to leave the area, two you help me help you and this sector of the city."
The squatty one frowned. "What do you mean help? What if we like our areas like they are?" Jamie frowned. "Really? You like going out to the rest of the city." The tall one stopped shinning his nails. "I never leave." Jamie rolled her eyes. "O.K. fine. So you don't mind having the police come here dragging you in for line ups because when a crime is committed the first place they think of is here and all of you. " That made madami than a few of them wince in obvious pain. Even the two silent ones. "So you don't care if your younger siblings go out and have to lie about who they are and where they come from just to get a job they don't have to be ashamed of. Or what you have to do so they can advance in their lives out there and not end up back here." The two talkers paled and were speechless. She sat back and let her words sink in.
"What do you want us to do change our stripes? Turn over a new leaf? We aren't young or innocent. What can you offer us that will make a difference?" Jamie snorted.
"I told you. Money or a chance to change your self for the better and make this city sector better." Jamie saw some of them thinking, others doubting, but all had a small gleam of a dream of hope. "I know some of you have gone down a path that to get to the right one will take time, effort and a true change in your hearts. Even if that means having to spend time in jail or prison, I can help you even in there if you truly want to change." Jamie saw sweat bead on many of the members and the two silent leaders. The right sided silent leader looked at the other two before turning to his left. Who nodded and the four walked off to the side.
"Do you really believe any of this toro she's spraying?" the squatty one asked first to the other 3. The tall one started chewing his nails. "I hate my job, I'd rather earn money for myself other than my sister who goes to a private school." The right silent one sighed. "It would be nice to be able to walk any where in the city and not have to think about running into a cop on the street."
The left looked at the others. "So you don't want to hold her for ransom? I mean she sinabi she has enough to pay us all off. She can't be madami than 15 maybe 16 at the most. What kind of parents would allow their child to come here?" The others thought for a moment when she suddenly appeared inside their circle. "Well boys, is it money or change." The squatty one dropped his cigar and swore. Picking it up he frowned. "What kind of help can you offer those of us who may need to go away for a few years?" Jamie eyed the 4. "Depends what you did. I'm not a miracle worker, but visitations, prisons that will allow certain people to have a prisoner in a nice ligtas quarter with private outdoor courtyards. That way the man or woman can live without fear of ending up dead within a week. For others, the companies my family owns have programs that are not easy but those that come out of them are known for being deadly with or without a weapon. Of course the mind can be the most deadly weapon a person can have. So are you in or are you out, its up to you." The 4 eyed each other. "We're in."
Jamie smiled, nodded and disappeared just as she'd appeared in the circle. The right silent one sinabi drily as they started to take out their smokes and lighters. "You know I think we made a right choice. I'd hate to be on the wrong side of that one. She could make us all disappear."
"I'm here to offer you two paths. One I pay you to leave the area, two you help me help you and this sector of the city."
The squatty one frowned. "What do you mean help? What if we like our areas like they are?" Jamie frowned. "Really? You like going out to the rest of the city." The tall one stopped shinning his nails. "I never leave." Jamie rolled her eyes. "O.K. fine. So you don't mind having the police come here dragging you in for line ups because when a crime is committed the first place they think of is here and all of you. " That made madami than a few of them wince in obvious pain. Even the two silent ones. "So you don't care if your younger siblings go out and have to lie about who they are and where they come from just to get a job they don't have to be ashamed of. Or what you have to do so they can advance in their lives out there and not end up back here." The two talkers paled and were speechless. She sat back and let her words sink in.
"What do you want us to do change our stripes? Turn over a new leaf? We aren't young or innocent. What can you offer us that will make a difference?" Jamie snorted.
"I told you. Money or a chance to change your self for the better and make this city sector better." Jamie saw some of them thinking, others doubting, but all had a small gleam of a dream of hope. "I know some of you have gone down a path that to get to the right one will take time, effort and a true change in your hearts. Even if that means having to spend time in jail or prison, I can help you even in there if you truly want to change." Jamie saw sweat bead on many of the members and the two silent leaders. The right sided silent leader looked at the other two before turning to his left. Who nodded and the four walked off to the side.
"Do you really believe any of this toro she's spraying?" the squatty one asked first to the other 3. The tall one started chewing his nails. "I hate my job, I'd rather earn money for myself other than my sister who goes to a private school." The right silent one sighed. "It would be nice to be able to walk any where in the city and not have to think about running into a cop on the street."
The left looked at the others. "So you don't want to hold her for ransom? I mean she sinabi she has enough to pay us all off. She can't be madami than 15 maybe 16 at the most. What kind of parents would allow their child to come here?" The others thought for a moment when she suddenly appeared inside their circle. "Well boys, is it money or change." The squatty one dropped his cigar and swore. Picking it up he frowned. "What kind of help can you offer those of us who may need to go away for a few years?" Jamie eyed the 4. "Depends what you did. I'm not a miracle worker, but visitations, prisons that will allow certain people to have a prisoner in a nice ligtas quarter with private outdoor courtyards. That way the man or woman can live without fear of ending up dead within a week. For others, the companies my family owns have programs that are not easy but those that come out of them are known for being deadly with or without a weapon. Of course the mind can be the most deadly weapon a person can have. So are you in or are you out, its up to you." The 4 eyed each other. "We're in."
Jamie smiled, nodded and disappeared just as she'd appeared in the circle. The right silent one sinabi drily as they started to take out their smokes and lighters. "You know I think we made a right choice. I'd hate to be on the wrong side of that one. She could make us all disappear."
