Devon

After being shown to our rooms, Victoria joins Valeria for tea in the sitting room. Antonio nods for me to follow him outside, where he offers me an expensive looking cigar and sits down on the porch. It’s a little too hot and sticky to be smoking a cigar, but I’m not going to turn him down. I watch him as he unwraps and trims it. Some people are offended if you trim off too much of an expensive cigar, so I emulate him with precision. He scratches a wooden match against the old rocking chair that bears dozens of scratch marks from prior smoking sessions. I lean in as he lights my cigar before his own.

“There is nothing like a good cigar,” he says, blowing a thick cloud into the air above us. “I often think I should retire and become a tobacco farmer. With the free trade agreement, it’s finally a lucrative business.”

“I’m sure it would be less stress, but you probably wouldn’t make the kind of money you’re used to making,” I reply, curious as to just how lucrative this plantation is.

“I don’t make the kind of money that Victor makes, but then I don’t really need a billion a week,” he says with a roll of his eyes. “Of course, he has to pay off the government and everyone else to keep them at bay. But we’ve all done pretty good. I keep my end under control and he works his.”

“Yeah, I’ve been spreading the money around back home and it’s working pretty well so far,” I tell him, wanting to ease into a business conversation. “I was hoping to take over part of the supply chain in the coming months, but it appears that I’ll be stepping on Victor’s toes. Or as of next week, maybe Eduardo’s.”

Antonio’s eyes instantly grow dark. “Don’t bring up that name again. That boy was the death of Felicia.”

“Felicia was Victoria’s mother?” I ask, never having heard her actual name.

“It was. I lost her and then I lost my son, Tony Junior, about five years later.” He takes a puff of his cigar and stares off into the distance. “It’s true what they say . . . no one should have to bury a child. Especially both of them. It’s been awfully hard on Val.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine. I think my parents are relieved that both my brother and sister followed Dad into the corporate world. They wanted the same for me, but I love the thrill of the chase.” I take another puff of the cigar before billowing out a long cloud of smoke. “I was always fascinated by Papa Joe’s stories.”

“And believe me, he didn’t tell you the half of it,” he replies, raising his eyebrows. “Those were the glory days for the mob. Back when you could really run the show in a city like Detroit or Chicago.”

“Yeah, I remember him cleaning out his pockets and tossing a huge roll of hundred-dollar bills onto the dresser. I always wanted to walk around with a roll like that.” I pull mine from my pocket and tap it against the top of my leg.

“We’re a dying breed,” he replies nostalgically. “Nowadays, everyone uses credit cards, but that will never happen in our world. We’ll be fucked if the U.S. ever follows through and stops printing Franklins though.”

“Yeah, they’ve been threatening it for years.” I take another puff of the cigar, even though I’ve had more than enough of it already.

“That’s why Victor is smart to run everything through a legitimate business and pay the taxes,” he says, leaning forward in his chair. “Are you going to help Victoria?”

“Are you?” I ask in return. “That’s why we’re here. She was crushed when Victor told her that he was going to turn the reins over to her half-brother.”

“Well, I refuse to make that little fucker rich,” he says with venom in his voice. “So I’ve got a proposition for you.”

“That’s exactly what we were hoping for,” I admit. “We were hoping you could supply us with enough for my market, at least.”

He turns and looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “Even with my supply, you can’t compete against The Syndicate. That’s like someone trying to take the market share from me. They would crush you before you made your first sale. So believe me when I tell you that you never stood a chance in your local market unless you went through them.”

“Yeah, Victoria basically told me the same thing.” I tap the cigar against the bottom of my shoe, putting it out. “I’ll save the rest for later.”

“That’s okay. I can tell you’re not a cigar smoker,” he says with a grin. “Victoria needs to take over Victor’s position. That’s the only way things will work out.”

“But how?” I ask, not sure how we can get her into that position. From everything I’ve ever heard, Victor is a stubborn man and doesn’t change his mind.

“Victoria is his daughter, so she can get close enough,” he says with a glimmer in his eye. “He trusts her implicitly, even though he shouldn’t. I wish she would’ve called me sooner though. I could’ve gotten the two of you down here without his knowing about it.”

“Do you think he knows we’re here?” I ask, having not given it a second thought.

“Yes. His contacts at the airport informed him before you were even onboard,” he tells me. “He called me to ask what the visit was about. So I told him that Valeria is sick. She was just diagnosed with fourth-stage liver cancer last week. It was a timely excuse. He may have bought it, but who knows?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I shake my head, not knowing what else to say. I don’t know a lot about cancer, but I do know that fourth-stage anything is not good. “Is she going to take treatments?”

“No. There is no hope of recovery, so we’re just going to make sure she’s kept comfortable,” he says with the darkness returning to his eyes. “That’s why it’s time for me to start thinking about making a transition. I’m not going to sit out here by myself. My kids are gone, so what’s the point? Victoria is my closest heir, so I’m glad she’s interested in the business.”

“Do you still have quite a bit of ownership in it?” I ask based on what Victoria had said about her father not leaving himself exposed.

“One hundred percent,” he scoffs. “I bought out my partner in the mid-nineties and have owned it ever since.”

“Victoria thought that maybe you had sold part of it to Victor,” I say, wanting him to know why I would’ve thought otherwise.

“Victor owns the distribution,” he replies, narrowing his eyes. “There’s no way I would let him own the supply as well.” He looks at me as if I’m crazy. “Not that he didn’t try, but when Felicia died, I was damn glad I had followed my gut. After her passing, I told him never to ask again. I agreed to continue supplying him, but that’s it.”

Things suddenly begin to make sense. Victor knows that his daughter is the closest heir and that she will inherit control of this farm. Therefore, it makes sense that he would want his son to have control over The Syndicate. It has nothing to do with favoritism, but business as usual. “So basically, Eduardo will take over Victor’s role and Victoria will take over yours.” The look on his face tells me that I fucked up, saying Eduardo’s name again. “I’m sorry—it slipped.”

“Like I said, I refuse to make that little fucker rich.” He stares at me with a look of determination. “Victoria chose you for a reason. She knew Victor was a fan of your grandfather’s and there aren’t many single men with a family tree like yours. That MBA was the icing on the cake.”

“So you knew that she was stalking me?” I ask, surprised to hear that they had been in contact.

“Of course. Victor’s son wanted to snuff you out, but Victoria talked him into letting her neutralize you instead.” He gives me a sly look. “Since you’re sitting on my porch, I assume she was successful.”

I don’t like the fact that everyone keeps talking about neutralizing me. No one neutralized me. I’m the one who neutralizes people, usually with brute force. I can feel a rush of blood moving to my cheeks as my blood pressure rises. Part of me realizes that this is a necessary evil since Antonio and Victor control such a huge part of the cocaine market, but it’s insulting to think of myself as being controlled by everyone around me.

“She chose you based on your background and strength, not because she thought she could easily manipulate you,” he adds, apparently sensing my irritation. I nod, acknowledging his words, but it still bothers me to think of myself as some sort of pawn in a much larger game.

“So what’s my role?” I ask, wanting to know what is expected. “I’m not the type who likes to be played, especially by a woman.”

“Oh, Lord!” He laughs, slapping his knee with his free hand. “You should’ve figured out by now that Vicki is no ordinary woman. She is a combination of her father and me, all wrapped up in a pretty little dress. That woman could take on damn near anyone and come out on top.”

“Yeah, I knew the first time I met her that she was something special,” I assure him, thinking back to the incredible presence she had even when she was strapped to that carpet cutting table. “I think it’s funny that she always dresses up in pretty little dresses and high heels.”

“She does it so that people will underestimate her. It gives her an unfair advantage,” he says with a true look of pride.

“So, what’s my role?” I ask, not wanting our conversation to wander off course.

“To help her take control from Victor and Eduardo,” he says with nothing but determination in his eyes. “If you two can get Victor to turn control over to her, I’ll give her the keys to this place. Lock, stock, and barrel.”

“So, you wouldn’t allow Victor to have total control, but you would allow us?” I ask, not really understanding why he would make an exception for us.

He bites his top lip and looks out at the green coca fields on the horizon. After a long moment, he begins to speak. “I’d always intended for my son to take over for me and hoped that Victoria would take over The Syndicate. But that dream was stolen from me.”

“What happened?” I ask, wanting to know how he was killed.

“He always insisted on trying to prove himself to me.” He shakes his head and his eyelids begin to quiver as if it’s taking every ounce of strength to hold back the tears. “I always told him that this was all his. All he had to do was learn the trade and follow my example. Surround yourself with the best protection and keep your eye on the ball. That’s what I always drilled into him.” He pauses to collect himself, so I sit back and wait, not wanting to interrupt him. After a lengthy pause, he takes a deep breath and continues. “He threatened the wrong man and never made it out of town. He called me, scared out of his mind. Trapped and alone. I tried to get to him, but we were too late. It was a foolish move. We didn’t need any more territory, but he wanted to prove to me that he could expand the family business. It cost him his life and it cost me my heir to the throne. Now, my only goal is to make sure that the future belongs to Victoria and not that other punk. It’s an all or nothing proposition.”

“All or nothing?” I ask, looking for clarification.

“If Vicki doesn’t gain control of The Syndicate, I’m burning this place to the ground and turning it over to the authorities,” he replies with an emotionless expression. “I have more money than I’ll ever need, but without my wife and kids, it really doesn’t mean much. After Val dies, I’ll be leaving Colombia. I’ll have no reason to stay.”

“How do you propose we sway Victor to give Victoria control?” I ask, not understanding exactly what we’re supposed to do to change things.

“You need to talk to him about the things you learned from Papa Joe,” he advises, a light coming back into his eyes. “He needs to know that you can be a leader like he was, that you have it in you.” He pauses, his expression growing darker once again. “If that doesn’t work, then you can let him know that I won’t work with his bastard son.”

“You haven’t told him?” I ask, thinking that it would be much better coming from him.

“Not yet. I’ve told him that I want Vicki to be in charge, but I was going to keep those consequences as a surprise. He won’t find out until it’s all over the news. Otherwise, he’ll attempt a coup.” He takes another long drag from his cigar before throwing it off the porch and into the damp grass. “He’s not going to take losing his supplier without a fight. That’s why my only option will be to burn the place to the ground and turn it over to the authorities.”

“You would actually do that?” I can’t comprehend someone destroying billions of dollars’ worth of potential sales. “Why not just sell out to someone else?”

“Because the supply will keep going to The Syndicate regardless of whom I sell it to. Victor will make sure of it.” He rubs his face with his hands and lets out a long sigh. “He ruined my daughter’s life, which in turn ruined ours. I would’ve killed him long ago, but we both needed each other. I no longer have a need for him.” He pauses again as if he’s holding something back. I sit patiently, giving him time to work through his thoughts. He is revealing everything, so I don’t want to disrupt the natural flow. “Or you can do what I did to my business partner in the mid-nineties,” he finally discloses.

“What are you two talking about?” Victoria asks as she swings open the door and steps out onto the porch. “I don’t like that look on your face.” She walks up to Antonio and places a hand on his shoulder. “By the way, I’m sorry about Grandma,” she says with tears springing from the corners of her eyes as she leans down to give him a hug. “What are you going to do?”

“That’s what we were just talking about, sweetie,” he replies, giving her a sad smile. “Somehow, we have to convince that father of yours to turn over the reins to you and Devon here. Then I’ll turn over this place to you as well.”

“Really?” Her jaw drops open as she pulls back and looks him directly in the eyes. “You would do that?”

“Only if you have control over The Syndicate,” he replies sternly. “Otherwise, I told Devon that I’ll burn this place down and turn the keys over to the DAS. I’m not going to make that fucking half-brother of yours rich. He represents too much pain.”

Victoria crouches down, continuing to look him straight in the eyes. “I will kill him with my bare hands before I let you burn this place down.” Her lip quivers just slightly, adding extra punch to her words. “I have no problem with taking him out myself.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I don’t want him dead.” Antonio grabs hold of the arms of the rocking chair, pushing himself to his feet. “I would rather have him watching your success from the outside. I’ve had to watch Victor thrive for years after killing my daughter. So I want to return the favor. Besides, that young man is a bigger prick than your father ever was.”

“How do you propose we do that?” she asks, keeping him intensely within her line of vision.

“I was about to tell Devon how I handled my old partner,” he says, turning to go inside. “We’ll go over it after dinner.”

“Yeah, we’d better go help Grandma get things ready.” Victoria takes Antonio by the hand as they move through the doorway.

I’m not much help in the kitchen. It’s never been my thing. I reach over and pick up the box of wooden matches, taking one from the box and striking it against the side of the chair. As I relight my cigar, I look off into the distance and there’s nothing but coca plants for as far as the eye can see. It’s amazing to sit here and look at something so vast and so illicit. It would never be possible to grow anything like this in the U.S. no matter how remote you were. My thoughts turn to how amazing it would be if Victoria and I were not only in charge of The Syndicate, but also the entire supply chain. We would suddenly be the two most powerful people in all the underworld. Devon City suddenly seems like a kid’s playground in comparison. I look up at the billowing clouds against the deep blue sky. Papa Joe, I just might make you proud one day.