WARNING - STRONG LANGUAGE. READER DISCRETION ADVISED

After that the crews reported their figures for the last two weeks as well as their projections for the next two. The War Dogs lead the way with the Irons lagging and threatening to lose more territory which did not sit well with the Don and the other leaders. Reason for this is that the Don distributed their payment after the profits of the Congregation were counted. It was distributed as bonuses, and a budget was allocated to each crew.

If the territory shrank, that meant each group would share the burden of the financial loss. This was to show unity and keep any one crew from becoming too weak to fight of a moving threat. Which was the case for the South side Irons. The rest of the leaders were mostly concerned with making as much money as possible with doing the least or exposing themselves the least possible.

As much as they all spoke of unity and family, they were all only concerned with what they could get for themselves, just like the Don. This made sense because the majority of the leaders were older and had been with the gang from their youth. At their age, they were more concerned with reaping the fruits of their labor and enjoying the good life.

Alex was a sign of the new, smarter, more ambitious generation. They wanted to make serious money as well as making a name for himself and his crew. There were many young members like Alex, but none as disciplined and thorough as him. This set Alex aside even from some of the older, more experienced leaders.

Truth is, even the Don felt a bit threatened by the ambition of Alex, who was the one who talked the Don into expanding to bigger territories and taking the organization nationwide.

The sad truth of the business was that it was a young man's game. The older members in their 40's or so who survived that long were often pushed out unless they had something valuable to contribute. There wasn't much security in the gang world. It was a dog eat dog world, even from within.

After the crews reported their results, the Don ended the meeting but requested an audience with Alex before leaving.

"Listen son, I didn't want to take too much time in there talking to fools like Cronk, but you gotta assure me that you got things under control in your hood. I don't want to be hearing from others that someone is giving you trouble up in there and bringing attention we don't want. I want you focused on the deal we cooking and not running around putting fires out yourself. That what your crew is there for," said the Don leaning in close to Alex, almost whispering in his ear.

Alex understood, having given his men the same speech earlier but still having to sit there listening to the Don repeat it. While this was going on, the other leaders of the crews stuck around wanting to have a talk with the Don. His personal guard known as the Wranglers kept every one away while he spoke with Alex.

"Man, what's with this shit. I got way more important things to go over with the Don than anyone else here," said Cronk as he waited.

"That's your problem. You think we all here to revolve around you," said Zyrus, still upset with Cronk for the loss of territory, profits, and the comment regarding his own men.

"I'm the only one who has to deal with two other gangs hot on my ass around here so don't give me none of that lip!" said Cronk.

"Now you know that aint even true. We all got people trying to more in on our zones but all at least are able to keep 'em off and not make a whole scene 'bout it," said the leader of the West Side Cruisers named Pinky. A six foot five, body builder type, with high cholesterol, who was blind from his left eye.

"Whatever man, yo just gotta worry about fats. I have the freaking Cartels starting to creep up as we speak, so don't talk to me about making a scene. You seen what they do to their own people? Don't tell me I don't got shit to look over," said Cronk.

"You aint got no cartel moving up you," said Albert, the leader of the East side Bruisers.

"You have been watching too much T.V. You just being paranoid," continued Albert.

"Shut up dude, what do you know? I seen shit. Those boys are coming and they are bringing all sorts of crazy shit with 'em. You bout to see things blowing up here like you never seen before!" warned Cronk, known to exaggerate to get more attention for himself and blow his own horn. For that reason, Cronk's claims were quickly dismissed.

"Come on man, tell the Don to hurry it. I need to talk to him," demanded Cronk from one of the Don's guards.

"Sorry, he's done for the night. You'll have to wait for him to get a hold of you," said the imposing man.

"Aint that some shit! He always giving me shit about not meeting his quotas and telling me to do more and he not even around to hear me out. Ha! Aint that something," said Cronk as the other leaders were starting to pack up. Murmuring to themselves as they all wanted to speak to the Don, but they were also tiring of Cronks loud and obnoxious mouth. Even if they agreed with him, his scandalous nature was overwhelming over long periods of time.

"Maybe he doesn't want to hear your loud, whinny ass anymore," said Brianna still scorn by the dismissive Cronk, and the lack of support from the Don and the other crews.

"Girl, I don't have time to bake pies with you," said Cronk as he walked past Brianna and slapped one of her girls in the ass on his way out.

This agitated the girl and the rest of the H.C.'s and caused a commotion that prompted other members to separate the battling factions. Brianna pulled her girls back begrudgingly and headed out of the meeting. Alex and Q-ball having left the presence of the Don now joined the crews as they all were set to leave the meeting as well.

"Well, well, aint this something? What's it that you have on the Don? Why is he so buddy, buddy with you? What's so special that he'll meet with you, while the rest of us have to work and make appointments with him?" wanted to know Cronk.

"If you have to ask, then you already know," said Alex as he patted Crank on the shoulder on his way out.

"Nah nah nah, boy. I'm not one your bitches to be all mysterious around me," said Cronk as he put his hand on Alex and tried to grab him by his shoulder.

"Careful. I'm not like your other bitches to be putting your hands on me. I will put you out," threatened Alex as Cronk backed off with his palms up in the air. Clearly he had gotten the message.

"If you are so curious and need to know, ask the Don. I don't have anything to hide. But I don't have anything to tell you either," said Alex addressing everyone in the room as he and Q-ball made their way out of the warehouse. Everyone else parted to let them through.

"I don't like any of this. I don't like secrets in the family. Especially if I'm not in the know," said Cronk to one of his lieutenants.

The rest of the crews started to make their way out once again, with Cronk and his Irons waiting on the Don. But the Don had left before Alex did and upon realizing this, Cronk and his Irons left, being the last one to do so. Cronk was talking to one of his men as he made his was to his car which was parked in the alley on the side of the warehouse. It was lit by the lights of the building, and burned out, opaque street lights.

"And we gotta move Zyrus' homme boy. I don't want them anywhere near the cook house. I don't know what go up his ass today. And what are those hoes showing up to the meeting? If the Don wants some ass he should go to the whorehouse like everyone else," said Crank mid conversation when he noticed he was talking to himself.

"Maybe he's tired of saving your crusty ass," said a woman's voice who came from behind him. As Cronk turned around he was greeted by the butt of a sawed off shot gun that smashed into his forehead. Brianna and the H.C. had gotten a drop on the Irons.

"Ahh goddamn you little whore!" said Crank as he tried to shake the cobwebs.

"Ohh come on. It wasn't even that hard. But seriously, next time you want to lay hands on one of my girls, know that I'm going to take one of your little stubs of with my knife. And I'll start with the smallest one, cook it, and serve it to you for dinner," said Brianna, pointing her switchblade to Cronks crotch.

"I don't care if you want to speak your stupid mouth during the meetings, mocking me. I'm a big girl. I can take it. But you cross the line with any of my girls, or me, and it'll be the last feel you get. Ok Daddy?" said Brianna as she planted a kiss on Cronks forehead.

The girls ran out into the darkness of the alley, hollering and shouting in clear enjoyment of themselves. They jumped into a Chevy Impala, convertible and speed off.

The Irons, having been laid down by the H.C. got to their feet as Cronk demanded them to do so.

"Get up you suck-a's! Come on get in. Quick get after them! I want that bitch on her knees begging for mercy!" said Cronk, but as soon as the group was in the car, and the driver turned over the key, the car did not start. In all of the commotion, none of the men noticed that none of lights turned on in the car.

"What the hell man! Let's go!" shouted Cronk.

"It won't turn man. It's dead!" said the driver.

"What the hell you mean it's dead?" asked Cronk.

Just then, Alex pulled up on his car alongside of Cronks.

"Now I may not be as experienced as you, but if I were you, I'd check the battery. But that's just me," said Alex mockingly.

"That bitch," said Crank quietly.

"Check the hood!" said Cronk to his driver. Sure enough, the battery had been removed and was nowhere to be found. Brianna and the H.C.'s removed the battery after the meeting and were waiting to get payback on the Irons for ridiculing them in the meeting.

"I'd give you a jump but you aint got no battery! Ha," said Alex driving off.

The rest of the Congregation laughing around Cronk and his crew as they gathered around to inspect the situation.

"Ohh I'm a get her. I'm a get that girl and make them all pay!" said Cronk.

Alex sped off laughing.

"What a clown. All of these boys are nothing but brute force. No brains in the lot of them. Everyone in there is just out for what they can get. None of them are thinking about the future, of legacy. They are only concerned with the now," said Alex thinking out loud to Q-ball who was riding with him.

"These old men. It aint what it used to be," said Q-ball.

"They just greedy. All of them either greedy or stupid. Just wanting basic satisfaction," said Alex as he drove through the quiet street night. No other cars on the road at that time. The street light shining the way as he thought and plotted. Hypnotically and therapeutically.

"The Don is no different. He's just as greedy as the rest. That bastard. He doesn't know what's going on in the streets. Doesn't even care. He just wants money like the rest. That's why we gotta be smart. There's too many block heads in the room and the waters are filling up with fresh hungry sharks that want to take ours," continued Alex.

"It's lonely at the top, and too many haters out there boss," said Q-Ball.

"Brianna and her girls are the only hungry ones in there. They been knocking at the door for some time but they still green, unproven. But they are sharp man, they are sharp," said Alex, always keep on new, raw talent.

Brianna was not much younger than Alex. The H.C.'s were only a year or so old. All of the girls had been specifically picked by Brianna out of long time gang members who wanted more and do more. The Congregation had seen the rise of the H.C.'s and even encouraged it to an extent. But there was still apprehension of the crew being involved in some of the more dangerous and profitable tasks.

The Don and other leaders were bringing the H.C.'s along slowly, too slowly in Brianna's opinion and Alex had been aware of this for some time.

"Maybe it's time to give them a shot don't you think?" asked Alex.

"What do you want to bring them in to?" asked Q-Ball.

"Maybe it's also time to push T.J.'s crew to do some serious hauling," said Alex as he continued to drive through the cold, clear night on that empty road of the typically bustling city industrial district.

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