Nathaniel #3
“And what? You think you all have more buying power than the people who actually love the land do?” My brother was a genius and he really saw technical problems like a ten-piece puzzle.
It was easy for him to see what shit didn’t make sense and discard it for a new solution.
We’d collected information on the low. Once we had their names it wasn’t hard to discover what business they were a part of.
Finding that business’s landholdings and recent purchases were public record.
Discussing the angles they took when laying out their sales pitch helped us craft our defense before it was needed.
Thinking we had no allies and no money meant they didn’t change the approach they’d taken with other towns.
Black Gold Valley wasn’t filled with heirs who were desperate to sell for a quick buck.
Our blood was in this land and nobody was going to take it.
“We can come to an arrangement—”
“Yeah, you get to leave with your life. You think I’m joking but there’s a conglomerate forming.
In small towns like ours that are pooling their resources to protect the interests of themselves and their neighbors.
Now for us, it is a race thing. We have the roadmap of every Black farmer you’ve tried to buy out.
Instead of taking their land we’re helping them diversify what they plant in order to grow their business and remain successful.
Our family is launching a racing program and those horses eat a lot.
What better way to control what they eat than to know the farmer who grows their feed? ”
And this was why Samp would always be my hero. He’d found a way to not just provide money to stop their immediate problems, but he always worked out a plan that would ensure their long-term success.
“Fires can happen.” One of the men from the back spoke up and put a larger target on his back.
“They can. But there’s insurance that can cover that.
And for us we always have multiple sources to ensure our animals are provided for.
But you think they stopped making malatov cocktails when they made yours?
You talking about burning fields I’m talking about ruining legacies.
Ending lives. You really want to spend the rest of your life trying to play with us and wonder when we’re about to strike?
Matter of fact, call your mama.” I nodded toward his hip where his cell phone was attached.
“My mother?”
“Yeah. I mean I know yours is dead but we got somebody sitting on her tombstone right now ready to light that bitch up. You got the pictures?”
I was having too much fun teasing them but it didn’t matter. Each of their phones rang and I was sure they were confused because they’d put them on silent. They dug them out of their pockets each hoping that I was full of shit.
Spoiler alert: I wasn’t.
Two immediately tried to call their wives but they weren’t going to get through. Signal was blocked where the men were stationed and I was sure they were going to happily leave us the fuck alone to make sure their loved ones were okay.
“We’ll back off—”
“I know you will. Because if you don’t you’ll never see us coming.
You won’t know if the maintenance on your private jet was actually done.
If the controls have been tampered with.
If the pilot will jump out mid-flight with a parachute and leave you to die.
There’s so many ways for us to get to you.
People will work for snakes because times are tough.
But people like you don’t inspire loyalty.
Just like you bought them, so can we.” Sampson tipped his hat after giving that final warning before he turned to head back to his truck.
I smiled, Lou flipped the men off and Terrence lifted his shirt to show them he was on whatever time they were.
The men hustled back to the cars waiting for them.
Another clue they were on bullshit. Not having drivers to bring them out here because they couldn’t be assured what side the locals would be on.
It didn’t matter because for now they were getting away from us.
We climbed in the truck and waited for them to pull off.
“This ain’t over.”
Lou was saying exactly what we were all thinking and the idea of them coming back didn’t bother us. We had shit in place and would be ready if they did.
“It ain’t. But for now we find our joy without losing our edge.” Sampson cranked up the engine ready to take us home.
“They’re going to underestimate us. And that is going to be their downfall. But let’s head back. I’m ready to show Charmy my new shiesty. I’ll make memories with her since y’all ruined our fun.”
“The memories you’re going to make with her in that thing are much better than whatever bonding your silly ass thought you would do with us. You should be thanking us in advance.”
These niggas talked about my silliness making sense and damn if I didn’t understand what they meant now. Terrence was spitting facts and I leaned back thinking about what I was finna do to Charmy in my ski mask.
I leaned over with my fist extended and this fool acted reluctant to bump his with mine.
“I’m wit you when you right, my nigga. Good looking out.”