Chapter Eleven: Travel Light

Alone in my place in Oakland, I rolled a J, sat by my window, and peered through the curtains. I could see Brutus across the street doing his jailhouse pushups. He looked free and happy. Old, bent, and shacked up with a girl with eleven teeth maybe, but happy. For the first time, I envied the motherfucker.

Unlike him, I had troubles. Something was off in my business. I both deduced and sensed it.

I was almost done moving all of the stuff from Laila and Jay and the other Cali farms, but there was that trouble with my cousin’s run that still nagged. I had two separate packs, with two totally separate people in two totally different cities get hit. They were either getting lost entirely, or else they were arriving short, like with Lawrence in Baltimore.

Short! That part of it fucked me up. What jack boy busts open a ten pack and only takes four units? Someone actually robbing you either takes it all, or takes so little you’re not supposed to notice, even if you do.

But taking not quite half?…