Chapter Eight
It was the day of Boomer's funeral service. The cemetery yard was packed, and cloudy skies loomed over the city on that day. Macy's bodyguards acted as pallbearers as they carried the silver-plated casket to the burial site. Supporters and family friends gathered around the rectangular dugout that would be Boomer's final resting place.
Macy stood next to his wife, consoling her as she cried in his arms. They both were draped in all black, mourning the death of their loved one. Macy had mixed emotions and began to regret what he did after seeing the pain and suffering his wife had endured because of his spontaneous action. Macy's conscience was getting the best of him because every time he looked at his wife, he saw Boomer.
As the casket was set on the foundation, preparing for it to be lowered into the ground, the spectators looked on as the preacher began the sermon.
Damn, Boomer. Why did you have to do this to yourself
? Macy thought as he shook his head in shame. A veteran of the street game and having past experience with people who held envy in their heart, Macy knew that if he didn't kill Boomer when he did, Boomer would have eventually done him in. Macy regretted it, but it was necessary.
As the preacher finished up the sermon, a slightly heavyset lady with a big black hat stepped out of the crowd. A soulful voice emerged from her vocal cords as she began to sing her own rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come.” It seemed as if her voice was touched by the angels, and her song only ignited more tears within the audience.
As she sang, the casket was slowly being lowered, and that was when Fatima lost it. Her knees buckled, and Macy had to catch her from falling.
“I got you, baby,” he whispered into her ear as he held her up. As he looked at his wife falling apart, he really contemplated resigning as mayor. He began to question his choices in life. Here he was, a real street nigga in a political realm. He didn't fit in and he knew it. No matter how many fancy suits or rich friends he had, he still was a boy from the ghetto. The only difference was that he made it out. However, you can take the boy out of the ghetto, but not the ghetto out of the boy. Macy knew that the hood mentality was still in him, and burying Boomer was the proof.
Light rain began to fall, and while other people assumed that it was just an act of Mother Nature, Macy knew that it was tears of the late Boomer.
Meanwhile, Case was on the other side, itching to get to Macy. He had always had a slight jealousy issue with Macy. He believed that Macy purposely kept him underneath him and stunted his growth in the drug game. He believed Case only gave him a chance to grow once he himself was out of the drug game. Case didn't understand that it wasn't Macy keeping him from growing, but his own brute approach and lack of business skills.
The birth of the green-eyed monster that society calls jealousy came into play years ago. It was when Macy didn't allow Case to meet the out-of-town coke connect. Case always believed that he and Macy were equal partners until that day. Case could remember it like it was yesterday... .
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It was the year of 1998, and crack had just reached full stride in the black community. Macy and his squad of goons had the whole city on lock and afraid. He ran a flawless operation with over fifteen operating crack houses within the city. Macy was virtually unstoppable. Macy was what you called a people's champ. The community embraced him even though he was the one responsible for tearing it down.At the time, Case was Macy's head street general and mostly handled all of the dirty work for him.
Friends since childhood, they had a bond, and both played an integral part in the operation. Macy was the brains and Case was the muscle. They both understood their role and everything was smooth, but as the old saying goes, once envy enters, reason leaves. This was a prime example of that saying, and it didn't show up until Macy was on his way to Florida to visit his coke connection.
Macy suavely looked at his watch and then slid his hand into his right pocket. He was standing in line so that he could go through the security checkpoint. His heart beat fast as his adrenaline began to pick up. He wasn't usually the nervous type, but with $150,000 of unreported cash in his briefcase, it made him uneasy, and rightfully so. He stood in line as the security guards stood by the metal detector. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow, and he hoped like hell that he wasn't going to be a subject for a random search.
He usually would have sent a female to make the run for him, but that weekend was a special one. His coke connect had finally agreed to meet him face to face.
The connect was a man by the name of Carter Diamond, who was well associated with a Dominican supplier. Macy had been dealing with a third party for the past two summers, and finally the connect wanted to meet the man who bought ten bricks or more from him every month. It was a common courtesy. Macy saw the bigger picture and knew that by meeting the coke connect, his prices would go down. The fewer hands the cocaine traveled through, the purer the product and the cheaper the price.
Macy smiled as he thought about the opportunity that was in front of him. He slid past the metal detector and guards without a problem and took a deep breath once he got a few yards away. He quickly made his way over to a pay phone so that he could phone Case to make sure he was on his way driving down to Miami. Because Macy couldn't travel with guns, he ordered Case to meet him in Miami by car.
Macy placed the briefcase by his feet, and he attempted to make a call on the pay phone. He slid his back to the phone as he placed the receiver to his ear. He wanted to make sure everything was going as planned.
Macy confirmed that Case had arrived and hung up the phone. He only had an hour before he was supposed to be meeting with the infamous Carter Diamond. Carter was notorious and one of the richest hustlers in the game. He was an extraordinary businessman on top of being a supplier of large quantities of blow. This was what set him away from the pack. He married into a cocaine family and got instantly plugged.
Macy walked outside the airport and waited for a limo to pick him up, compliments of Carter Diamond. The limo pulled off, and Macy got to ride through the city of Miami for the very first timeâthe city where the crime family “The Cartel” ruled.
After a thirty-minute ride, the limo pulled up to a gigantic mansion that was surrounded by tall steel gates. The beautiful home sat on an estateâthe Diamond estate, to be exact. Macy couldn't believe he was about to visit the home of the biggest drug lord North America had ever seen.
Macy was young, but he had an old soul, which enabled him to move up in the ranks and gain control of the streets; but he never thought that it would get him to this level. Butterflies formed in his stomach as the driver rolled down his window to show his face for entry. As they bypassed the gates, Macy noticed that Carter had armed men around his fence, and he was taking notes. He wanted to handle his operation just as his connect wasâwith power and security.
They pulled up to the wrap-around driveway and parked. Macy was let out by the driver. He then escorted him around the house to the back, where the pool was located. The back was immaculate. The pool was shaped like a diamond, and the flowers around the yards were exotic and colorful, only adding to the beautiful view. The sound of laughter and water splashing filled the air as Macy noticed a couple kids playing in the water. Macy looked down at the yard and had not seen grass so green his entire life.
The driver stopped in his tracks and placed his hand on the shoulder of Macy. “Mr. Diamond is waiting for you just ahead,” he said in his deep and raspy voice.
“Thank you,” Macy said in a low tone as he nodded his head in acknowledgment.
Macy noticed a man sitting at the pool with an open linen shirt and linen pants. He also sipped on a glass of cognac on ice as he watched the young kids play in the pool. Macy immediately knew who the man was; it was Carter Diamond.
As Macy approached the man, his heart began to beat harder and harder. He was far from scared, but the feeling of anxiety overcame him. Carter stood up and extended his hand as Macy approached.
“How was your trip?” Carter asked as he firmly shook the hand of his guest.
“Good, good,” Macy answered.
“Have a seat,” Carter suggested as he waved at the chair at the table. Macy took a seat and Carter did also.
Carter looked into the eyes of the up-and-coming hustler he had sent for. “So you're the man that can move bricks like magic, huh?” Carter said as he took a pull of his cigar.
“I guess you can say that,” Macy answered as a smile formed on his face.
Carter looked into Macy's eyes and tried to read him. He wanted to see if there was any fear or hesitation evident. However, Carter could sense no trace of fear whatsoever. If he really knew that Macy was nervous, he would have ended the meeting right then and there. Carter liked to have strong people around him, and being timid would have gotten Macy a first-class ticket back home.
“I have been watching you for some time now. Not to startle you, but it's just the truth. I sent my goons down there to see what was going on. I thought to myself, how does the young black man move so much weight? He has to be a fed
,
I said to myself. But shit, you just a natural-born hustler,” Carter said just before he took a puff of his cigar.
Two young boys began to tussle near the poolside and took Carter's attention off of Macy. “Hey, hey! Mecca and Monroe, stop fighting each other!” Carter yelled as he gave the two young boys a stern look. They quickly stopped at the sound of their father's voice, and Carter focused his attention back on Macy. “Sorry about that. My boys are kind of rough,” Carter said proudly.
“Yeah, I see,” Macy said as he glanced over at the half-black, half-Dominican twin boys.
“Look, I invited you out here where I rest my head. As you can see, I am a family man. I really see potential in you. I don't open my home to just anybody, and I want you to know that.”
“I appreciate the gesture,” Macy said as a waiter came and poured him a glass of cognac. Macy nodded and took a sip of the liquor.
“Okay, let's get to business. I am willing to give you as many bricks as you can handleâon consignment. However, your man ... I don't like the way he moves,” Carter said as his smile turned upside down, signaling that he was dead serious.
“I don't understand,” Macy answered, trying to figure out Carter's angle.
“Follow me. Let's go inside,” Carter said as he stood up. Macy's mind began to race, wondering what exactly Carter was getting at. However, he stood and followed Carter as he headed to the beach house that was a few yards away.
“Like I said, my men have been watching you for some time. I got word that he is a hothead and tends to be flashy. Those are two traits that a good drug dealer doesn't need to have. Do you know how to spell flashy?” Carter asked as they walked side by side. “F-E-D-S,” he stated before Macy could get a chance to respond.
They stepped into the pool house, where a man was waiting for them.
“This is my right-hand man, Polo,” Carter said as he nodded his head toward Polo. Macy and Polo nodded at each other in acknowledgment, and a cold, intense look was in Polo's eyes. Macy didn't back down and returned the glare without an ounce of fear.
Carter broke the tension by suggesting that they go downstairs. Macy looked around confused. It was a small room, and no stairs to even offer a downstairs existed.
Carter smoothly walked over to the bookshelf and pulled a book that was actually a hidden lever. Almost immediately a portion of the wall slid over, revealing a secret passage.
“Follow me, gentlemen,” Carter said as he headed down.
Macy tried not to have a surprised look and kept his ice grill, but nevertheless, he was impressed. He had never seen anything like it before. It was like a scene straight out of a movie.
They all went down the stairs where the sound of Miles Davis was playing and the room was dimly lit. The stairs and floors were carpeted with a deep red color and it seemed more like a lair than a basement. It was a relaxing setting, but that soon changed when Macy noticed the man who sat bound to a chair. The man had a potato bag over his head and was squirming, trying to free himself.
“What the fuck?” Macy asked as he looked at Carter, who had a slight grin on his face.
Polo walked over to the man and pulled out a handgun. He placed the gun to the squirming man's head and looked at Carter. Carter then looked at Macy and began to speak.
“This is you right-hand man, Case. I had one of my goons snatch him up from the hotel room where he was waiting for you at. You have a choice. I am only going to ask you this one time, so listen close. If you make the decision right now to off your man, you have my word that you will be connected for life. You will have grade-A coke and my political connections. You will virtually be transformed to a kingpin overnight,” Carter carefully said. He made sure Macy understood every single word that escaped his mouth.