New Kids on the Block

[Alex]

“Let’s go over the order of battle one more time.” Alexis said, cooly, from the passenger’s side seat of the van that her new impromptu street gang took to Houston. “Vasquez, your orders are?”

The burly man, holding the assault rifle that Luma’s money had bought the crew responded properly. “Me, Thompson, Richards, and Valdez wait till five minutes past your mark. Then we pull up behind Objective Alpha - the crack house. Thompson is on me on the front, Richards leads Valdez in the back. We blow away anyone flying Nuestra colors and secure the supply and the cash, then prepare for a counterattack.”

Alexis gave a nod. “Johnson, your orders?”

The middle aged redheaded woman, scarred by years of battle and hard living replied, cooly “Get into position outside the whorehouse. Five minutes past your mark, Garcia and I go through the front door, find Objective Bravo - the lieutenant Jamez Williams - and neutralize him. We then roll to Objective Alpha to reinforce Vasquez.”

Another nod from Alexis “Smith, your orders?”

The young man, scarcely of legal drinking age but hardened from years of fighting on the periphery of Big Cats territory, replied. “We’re overwatch. Me and my team stay in the van, monitor police frequencies. At five minutes past your mark, ma’am, we hit the road. We opportunistically engage any targets wearing Nuestra colors - with an eye to the hot spots you identified. We prepare to reinforce Alpha, Bravo, or Charlie as-required. We’ll keep an ear out for the pigs. And I will be in charge of overall operations until you’re able to report in, ma’am.”

Still looking at the man, Alexis cooly says “What are the rules of engagement?”

The man immediately replies “No getting bystanders caught up in the crossfire. Boss wouldn’t stand for it.”

Finally Alexis looked to the very back of the van, making eye contact with a statuesque Hispanic beauty. “And you, Vega?”

The woman gave a bright, million dollar smile “Ma’am, I'm on Objective Charlie - their other lieutenant James Matheson. I’m going to meet up with him at the Velvet Nights bar. And I’m going to make sure he’s not in a position to know anything about the mischief we’re up to… and I’ll dispose of him at the end of the night if I have to”

“Remind me to compliment Sister Bailey. She knows how to train them up properly.” Alexis said with a grin crossing her new face. “We do this in one clean strike. Strike at the head, the heart, and the eyes all at once and they won’t be able to touch us. Then tomorrow, we work this turf like we own it.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Alexis Delacroix had studied her prey well. Marcus Jones was entirely predictable and entirely unimpressive. A man who made up for what he lacked in intelligence and guile with endless bravado, an imposing physical presence, and a sort of brutish charisma. Who clearly thought that he was The Hottest Shit in Houston but would never in a thousand years amount to more than the pusher for a few city blocks he now was. She knew he always returned home from his nightly rounds around 1 in the morning, accompanied by one bodyguard. And she knew that his home security system a lowest bidder system she could bypass in her sleep. So the Cainite slipped in the back at midnight, found a linen closet to hide in, and waited.

Marcus and his guard arrived at the house as anticipated, finding their way to a plushly apportioned living room (leather couches and recliners, 144” projector and screen, booming sound system, and a crude VI running the mood lighting and whole thing) and turning on some reality show. Once they were well and engrossed Alexis slipped into the room from a blind side, sticking to the shadows.

The guard never knew what hit him. In a flash, one thrown knife struck him in the head and one in the heart, and he would never move again. Marcus jumped to his feet, whipping out his sidepiece. “You’re dead bitch!” He yelled out as he fired off a pair of quick shots at Alexis.

The bullet struck true but barely seemed to scratch the Cainite, and in an instant she was upon Marcus. A swift side kick sent the firearm clattering uselessly out of the way. Marcus landed a couple of good punches before getting leveled by a potence fueled haymaker from Alexis. Alexis was on top of Marcus pinning him to the floor in a second, and it was only a heartbeat longer before the Cainite’s fangs found the mortal’s jugular. And Alexis drank deeply.

“Alright Marcus… we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“What ARE you??” The dazed and weakened gangbanger managed to mumble softly

“The new owner of this block. And the woman you’d better impress if you want to live past this night.”

Marcus let out a weak chuckle at that. “Bitch my men will never follow you. They’ll avenge me. And when they do… oh they will have fun with you. You gonna wish you’d never missed with the Nuestras.”

“Your men, at least the ones who matter, are being dealt with as we speak.” Alexis said, with a smirk “The foot soldiers will fall in or be replaced. Now, I want to know where you keep your weapon and cash caches, who you get your supply from, who buys your product, and any dirt you can give me on the other gangs in this ‘hood and whoever they’ve got running them. Now you can tell me this, now, willingly, and I’ll let you live. Or I can pull it out of you. Your choice.”

“Go to hell.”

“You’ve chosen the hard way.”