Cash nodded slowly. “There are two buildings in New York he’s had his eye on. One he wants to turn into a laundromat, the other some kind of cafe situation.” He leaned back in his chair. “We’re gonna buy them first, under market value, in cash. Then turn around and sell it to somebody else for twice as much. He loses out and he’ll be pissed that somebody gotthere before him.”
“And it won’t look like y’all?” CJ asked.
“We have shell companies set up for shit like this,” Cash said. “Far as he’s concerned, some random got the one up on him.”
“Messiah’s shipments come through three ports I’ve been watching for a while. Things start coming up short or go missing.” CJ said, tilting his head. “He’s gonna get paranoid. Nigga’s gonna start thinking it’s rivals or somebody in his organization skimming.”
“He’s gonna start putting people down,” I said.
“That’s the point,” CJ replied, looking at me pointedly. “Let him get suspicious of the people around him. Won’t take long before he gets sloppy and starts burning bridges.”
“Hate that shit has to take so long,” Cash grumbled.
“I know,” Jelani said. “But if we move too fast, Messiah will bring a war to our front door. Everyone in this room has much to lose.”
Cash was quiet for a long moment before reaching for his glass. “Aight.”
We toasted and drank on it.
Messiah Lawson had an expiration date. He just didn’t know it yet.
Nai was still up when I got back.
She was on the couch with her legs tucked under her as she watched some trashy reality TV show.
She looked up at me. “How’d it go?”
“We’re about to get the ball rolling.” I kicked off my shoes and dropped onto the couch beside her. I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling. As much as I missed my friend, I wanted to shoot him for getting usin this bullshit. “We know what we gotta do. Everybody just has to play their part.”
She moved closer and curled into me. I let the scent of her body butter ground me like it always did.
We sat like that for a few minutes, the Housewives yelling at each other on the TV.
“Hana gave me my first assignment,” she said.
I looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. “When?”
“I leave in three weeks.”
Three weeks. The last time Nairobi left, she’d disappeared and refused to come back even after I’d tracked her down. I knew this was different. She’d changed. Both of us had changed. She was showing me every day that she wanted us to work. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little bit of doubt—fear—that she’d get out there and disappear on me again.
“How long will you be gone?” I asked.
“Two weeks minimum. Depends on how the job goes.”
“Okay.”
She shifted and looked at me. “There’s something else.”
“I don’t know the full picture yet, but this is a diplomat who coincidentally grew up in the same neighborhood with Messiah Lawson. I think they’re connected. Hana’s been vague, but I know she’s planning on giving me a workup of all of Messiah’s political allies. This one looks like he was getting ready to help him set up some overseas dealings that might directly interfere with the Order’s business.”
“Your sister trying to help you out?”
Nairobi sucked her teeth. “Our interests align for the moment, so this is a freebie. Kill two birds with one stone.”
“Okay.”
“That’s all you got? ‘Okay’?”
