Category: CITW: Side Story

Blinds: A Holiday Story in Three Scenes

A/N: Updated. Thanks to Mary and MantLady for pointing out gaffes! I initially had Ram hunting deer and forgot to make the relevant changes for elk.

Ram’s POV

Scene One

Steady hands.

Steady hands, soldier.

Target is about 500 yards away. I’ve been watching for at least twenty minutes.

My phone beeps. I flick my eyes at the display.

What are you waiting for?

I grin and take aim.

Squawk!

We’re having the traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. Continue reading →

Unpleasant Duties, Part IV

Tank‘s POV

A month earlier

“Pierre, what do you know about Lula’s people?” Momma asks, rinsing the last of the dinner dishes.

Not enough. I’ve had the background done. Her mother is a restaurant manager. Her father is unknown and her step-father is a truck driver. Her brother works a help desk and her sister is a hair stylist. Solid working class family. Neither of her siblings is married or has kids, they attend church on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and her sister still lives at home. Sister is divorced. Brother never married. No records, no scandals, nothing.

Lula, however, is known in her parents’ community as the wild child, the one who took off to New Jersey with her boyfriend against her mother’s permission. She fell into sin and vice, selling her body on the streets, in and out of jail. No one’s heard from her in years and it’s widely believed she’s probably dead. Continue reading →

The Fallen Plum Society Meets Again

A/N: Yes, there is a chapter or two between 110 and this, but I’ll let you have this now.

Diego’s POV

At 1700 Friday, I follow Bobby, Lester, and Tank down to Tank’s Escalade and get in the back seat. We return to the hotel, where Hector and Ranger are waiting.

“Diego.”

“Sir.” Being in front of Ranger is always nerve-racking. I look around and we’re alone.

“Sit.” I sit and Ranger disappears to the kitchen. He returns with a folder and two bottles of water. “I’ve heard about your performance this year.” He stares at me. “Impressive.”

I fight the grin.

“Not just the work you’ve been doing in Miami, which alone is notable, but your work in stabilizing RM-NYC. I heard about that not only from my partners but also from the CO. We’ve all been extremely impressed by your dedication and hard work.”

Yes! Fuck! I impressed Ranger! That’s not easy. Continue reading →

Chapter 104.5: I Learn to Waltz, Part III

A/N: Don’t flay me alive. I’m basing part of this story on a real life situation I’m keeping my eyes on.
Slanged: sold drugs.
La Cubana: A Greyhound-style bus service that run between Miami and New York.

Lesson Two: Dress for Success

Mack’s POV

“Mommy! Mommy!”

Yala sinks to her knees in the middle of the Rikers visiting area and grabs the boys in a tight hug. I see the tears in her eyes and I kneel and wipe her face with my hankie.

She opens one eye and peers at me. “Thank you,” she whispers.

I nod and back away. This is her time. I know how she feels.

-oOo-

Earlier

Javi has my ass working like a cheap trick. I’m starting to get a flava, a style to work the streets, and I’m pulling back bigger and bigger contracts. The street guys are thrilled. We’re certain we’re gonna push past Trenton this month. We just know it.

After watching me handle that, Javi changes my job again! Now he wants me to handle more of Jorge’s stuff while Jorge works with Hector and Danny to get the technical setup for the Business Investigations group really moving. I start participating in the strategist calls and learn my new teammates across the company are good peeps. Continue reading →

Chapter 103.5 WE Run This Show

Mark’s POV

Tank calls Diego and me into his office on Friday afternoon, before we leave for the restaurant, to speak to us. He motions for us to take a seat in front of his desk.

The late afternoon sun is shining into the room and I can see Diego checking everything out. The knowledge that this might become his new home is obvious if you know Diego as well as I do. He’s trying to hold it in but he’s excited.

I expect him to do a toothbrush-level inspection. I can’t wait to call Mando!

“First, welcome to RMSA. Glad to have other members of the leadership here with us.”

Surprising. “Thank you, sir. Glad to be here,” Diego replies, getting comfortable. Continue reading →

Chapter 96.5 Humbled, Part III

Chenae’s POV

She’s back. Tallulah showed up on campus today and was waiting on me when I got back from practicum. I stopped and stared. She’s lost some weight and she looks good. I hate her less. Mrs. Jacobson was right. I’m responsible for my own hell. If anyone had treated Momma the way I treated Lula, I’d kill ’em and ask Pierre to hide the body.

“Chenae.” She stands and smiles and, for some reason, I smile at her.

“Lula. What’s up?” I nod at Mrs. Baker, the residence hall manager. “My future sister-in-law.” Mrs. Baker nods and I wave for Lula to follow me.

“Not much. I hear you’re in a pinch.” Continue reading →

Chapter 93.5: Girls Night Out, Part III

Connie’s POV

“What in the hell is a shiksa?” I’m contemplating a pedicure. I need to go get one, the sooner the better.

Marvin sighs. “It means non-Jew.”

I’m eyeing him, annoyed. “And your mother chose to call me one, because?”

Marvin rolls on top of me and smiles. “Because you’re not a Jew. It’s not an insult. It’s an endearment, really.” He kisses the side of my neck but I can tell he really wants to try for round three. “All the years you’ve lived in Jersey and you’ve never heard the word shiksa?”

“Italian. I heard every insult for Italians ever invented. I have every insult for mobster memorized. Unless you were a Meyer Lansky, I wasn’t gonna meet you.” Continue reading →

I Learn to Waltz, Part I

A/N: OK, so this is Part I of a new series entitled: I Learn to Waltz. Many thanks to Lisa Trent, who suggested this One-Shot, but once I started writing, it was like writing for the Housekeepers’ War all over again!
Also, in this context: ‘swing my balls’ means bragging. Versatile phrase, huh? LOL.

Mack’s POV

Jorge and Javi are major! Homies who went through the first session of business etiquette classes said it was major. Worth it. They been using the skills and we hittin’ major numbers with the contracts. Javi said he expect us to take the crown this month. We asked what’s keeping us from takin’ it now.

Trenton. Continue reading →

RangeMan Reading Club: Selection One

Prompt from guynellheard.

Hal’s POV

We sensed a problem when we realized Sis was reading The Art of War.

She’s already sneaky enough. If she’s really trying to hone her skills, we’d have another Les here. That’s nerve racking.

Vince pointed out the obvious. The Art of War is thin. Barely 100 pages. Certainly not novel sized. Still, it is an amazing book. Maybe she’d picked up a critical review edition, with a bunch of academics parsing every phrase. It would make sense. It’s one of Ranger’s favorites.

Sis is devoted to the book. She reads it all the time, during meetings, during dinner, during lunch. You could be in the middle of a serious discussion with her and see her eyes slide toward the book with a barely concealed eagerness.

We’re getting lots of things approved lately because she’s in a great mood. Continue reading →

An Award Winning Story

A/N: Much thanks to Vulcan Rider for this little brain dropping! I know she didn’t expect me to go in this direction but . . . I felt inspired and my beta is devious.
 
And MUCH thanks to MantLady for allowing me to pick her brain for her extensive knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases and treatments! Consider this part one.
 
Warning: You will end up feeling sympathy for a hated enemy at the end.

Alan Watkins sits in his office at the Trenton Gazette and stares out of the window. There aren’t a lot of really good, news-worthy stories to focus on lately. Just the usual business at the Capitol, some random burglaries, and the usual gossip.

Nothing Pulitzer worthy. Continue reading →