Dealing in Death
By: Don Simkovich
Tags: Crime, Novel, Drugs, Fiction, Thriller

Dealing in Death

An excerpt from the crime thriller novel Tom Stone: Day of the Dead.

Copyright Lon Casler Bixby

A ngel inhaled through a small golden straw, taking the rush through his nostrils and yielding to the euphoria. It was a night to celebrate in a way that he considered as obscene as possible — like a slap to the face of those who doubted and hunted him. The nude model lay face down on a glass coffee table with lines of cocaine decorating her ass, an Asian stripper that Angel knew and paid a wad of cash for the occasion.

“Next?” He grinned and motioned to his friends, Arturo and Lil’ Jo sitting next to him on a sofa inside the hotel’s penthouse suite.

Lil’ Jo leaned forward while Arturo sat back and glanced out the window that rose high above LA Live, the trendy destination spot in the southern part of downtown Los Angeles.

“Nice.” She spoke softly, lost in the blissful moment. “You did good, Angel.” She ran the Victor Boyz and surpassed every member in toughness and callousness.

“Enjoy it,” he replied.

Lil’ Jo took her turn inhaling the white powder. Muscles rippled through her tattooed arms, slender yet taut. She finished and brushed back her close-cropped hair. “Good shit, man.”

Angel laughed. “A sample of what we’re delivering.”

“Quality,” muttered Lil’ Jo.

“Nothing but the best. Pure and uncut.” He patted the brick of cocaine that lay open next to the model along with a few bags of weed.

Several guests had already mingled earlier and left. Angel was ready to nail down business and dismissed his living prop. “Leila, you can go now.”

“Yeah?” She spoke like she had been lulled in to a dream state and didn’t want to wake up.

“Yep. Thanks, Babe.”

She glided off the table and scooped her underwear and jean shorts off the floor. “Am I going to see you again? Soon I hope?” She asked Angel while getting dressed.

“Of course,” he answered. He handed her a couple of vials of coke. “A little extra to thank you and your friends.”

“Sweet.” She smiled and pocketed the gift.

Leila was the perfect replacement for Sara, the bitch who was about to abandon him and give up on his dream.

“Why settle for him when you can have me?” Lil’ Jo said with the confidence that came from commanding a few dozen guys.

Leila winked. “Yeah. We could hook up. It’d be fun. Later. Got to meet my friends and party some more.” She opened the door to the hallway and walked into the night.

“Hot. I think I’m getting a little yellow fever.” Lil’ Jo stared at the door after it closed. “Is she part of the deal?”

Angel laughed. “You do this job with me and you can buy anything or anybody you want.”

Arturo listened quietly. “So what if we say no? What happens? You going to have us hunted down and killed?”

Angelino dismissed the fear. “’Course not, vato. You’re my friends, my homies.”

Arturo wrinkled his brow and commented. “Speaking of friends. What’s up with Sara? How come she’s not partying with us?”

“Don’t know. Busy with school I guess. I texted her the address but haven’t heard from her.”

“Careful, Dude. She’s going to get smart and leave you one of these days.” Arturo got up off the couch and walked to the window.

“What’s the matter with you?” snapped Angel. “You’ve been acting weird and shit all night.”

Arturo turned to Angel with eyes full of concern.

“What? You can’t believe this is mine?” asked Angel. He had purchased a few nights atop one of LA’s plushest hotels. From so high up, the view of Staples Center and surrounding movie theaters, shops, and bars made them look miniature.

“Jesus, dawg, you’ve got a warrant out,” cautioned Arturo. “DeVito’s guys are all over town asking a lot of questions.”

“Ask away, baby.” Angelino smiled.

“You shouldn’t be so out in the open, man. The cops are looking, too, and for the sake of your own ass it might be best if they found you before DeVito does.”

The comment pissed off Angelino. “I don’t need to hide. They want to find me? I’m right here with some of my best friends.” He motioned to the guns laying in the open. “And besides, they would never think to look for me here.”

“I’m just saying. Shouldn’t you celebrate after everything’s wrapped up?” Arturo spoke quietly.

Angelino smiled. “Tonight’s an investment. I’m showing appreciation for my two friends who will rake in tens of thousands of dollars. Like we’ve already discussed, all you need to do is drive a few vans from here to there. And then you stand around looking tough while I finalize the deal and collect my money.”

Lil’ Jo had no problem returning to reality. “I like the way you think, Angel.” She perched on the sofa, sitting on the edge of the cushions like she was eager to get going. “Hey? Did you really cut off Amman’s finger and toss him out a helicopter?”

Angel beamed with pride, like his name had been called for an Academy Award. “People talking about me, huh?”

“You’re a hero.”

Arturo spoke up, sounding disgusted. “What about Ramon? You kill him, too? Huh, Angel?”

Lil’ Jo waved off the question. “Ramon was a pendejo. We’re better off without him.”

“So what about us getting paid? When does that happen?” asked Arturo.

“Don’t worry, it will.” Angel laughed and teased him. “What are you so nervous about? You should have done some lines.”

“You know I don’t do that shit.”

Angel tossed him the bag of weed. “Smoke a bowl of this. King Moses will chill you the hell out.”

“Maybe later.” Arturo set the bag aside.

“No worries. Come on, man. We’ve laid everything out. The warehouse in Santa Monica is secured. The buyer’s even wired a test deposit to my account. You’ll get your first share on the spot. Then I’ll be taking off to Mexico and within seventy-two hours you’ll get the rest of it wired to you. Halloween night. You’ll remember it for the rest of your lives.”

“Halloween night? I was going to West Hollywood with my homies.”

“Yeah, okay, Arturo. You’ll be there with plenty of time to party. Look, man, you in on this or not?”

Arturo glanced around the room like he was weighing his options. “Yeah. Okay. I am. So you really leaving, huh?”

“For now. Going to ride this shit out.” Angel was looking forward to the trip.

After the delivery, one of the Victor Boyz would drive with him deep into the Mexican state of Zacatecas. From there, Angel would make it to his hometown, using his money to live like a king and making it easy to plot his next deal. Fuck any illusions of grandeur. He was going to make it happen and be bigger than DeVito. Becoming the next legendary drug lord.

“You done good work fixing up the grow house.” Li’ Jo acknowledged Arturo, changing the subject and easing the tension.

“Thanks.”

She started to roll a joint and turned to Angel. “How do you want to handle your cut from the pot?”

“It’ll all be in the contract.” Residual income. Lil’ Jo and Arturo had both agreed to work with Angel. He’d be the silent partner, financing grow houses and marijuana dispensaries while his friends became the face of the operation.

He was eager to recoup his investment on the cannabis plants, but those details would come later. Right now, the coke transaction was all that mattered.

LA’s lights spread below him south and east. As the moments passed from his last line, an image of Sara smiling at him filtered into his mind. Fuck that. Some memories were better off dead.