Chapter 1

"Blam!" A loud bang from a car door could have been heard from miles away on an early Sunday morning. It was early September, with a gentle breeze blowing from behind the nearby woods.

 "Keep it down, Fal. It's about 6 in the morning. Geez man."

"Sorry, bro. I just wanted to make a quick stop and get that over with," said a young man with a small grin across his small face.
"How are we doing for time, Liam?"

"Twenty minutes to the hour," I replied.

"Already that late? Crap!" 

Fal quickly started the engine, put the car into reverse, drove on to the main road, and made a left. Where were we heading, you may ask? The funeral of someone special to us. Who could have ever seen it coming...I heard folks say. However, I knew they were just sugarcoating in front of us. I don't blame them either.

“How do I look, Liam?"

"Why are you asking me?" I said, shaking my head. "You look like you do on any other normal day. Just like me. Now let's hurry before the bells ring."

We entered the church yard with a slow stride in our walk. To the right was that old barn where the kids gathered for Sunday school, while on the left was a path leading to a red shed for storage and a cemetery further down below. Inside the church, we came across our mother lending a hand with the arrangements for the deceased and providing emotional support to his mother, so we didn't get to speak much. After the service, Fal and I helped carry the casket down to the cemetery with a few other men to a location not so far away. As the choir sang their last hymn before the casket was lowered, a woman three rows ahead of me collapsed in tears, which stirred a concerned buzz among the crowd.

"Mum, it's going to be alright. Please don't cry anymore," said Vincent. "It's going to be alright”.

“They took my husband; now they have to take my son," the woman said while continuing to cry. "What have I done to deserve this? Oh Lord, why me?"

At that moment, it was getting too hard for me to watch any longer. That woman was my aunt. A nice middle-aged lady who tried to make a better way for her kids at any cost. The kid consoling her is my cousin. The deceased was his older brother, my cousin Hugo.

"Wait up bro, I'll come too," said Fal, coming from another side.

As we walked to the front of the churchyard, we saw a group of men gathered around an aging yew tree. All dressed in black coats. Somewhat familiar men to mention.

"Looks like we didn't get invited to the meeting, huh, Fal?" I chuckled. "What's good, fellas?

“Oi Liam! We didn't want to cause a scene and upset the old lady," replied a rough-looking man with an eye patch. Most referred to him as Mr. Carpenter. One of many trades in the local area.

"Yeah, luckily we didn't. You can hear her all the way from over here," added another voice.

"It's a lot to take on. I'm sure she will appreciate the thought of you guys here to watch him go off," I said.

"Carpenter, lighten up," Fal said while busily searching his pockets. "We got an order from the foreigners. Someone's going to need to flip this stuff before midweek."

"Even at the boss's funeral, you still keep working, eh, Fal?" grunted Carpenter.

"We like your enthusiasm, but not right now," chuckled a man lying on the grass around the tree base.

"Dent, you know how they get down."

"You don't have to tell me twice," laughed the man lying on the ground.

The mood got more tense after the smiles disappeared. All that could be heard were the light drags in the dirt from the previous rain shower as some paced back and forth. Until a voice interrupted. "It's up to you two now," said Carpenter. "Hugo trusted you guys with his life, and we've been through thick and thin since our school days." I bit my lip and leaned in to listen carefully. "Fal, and especially you, Lee, just remember what I said. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I suspect someone is pulling the strings. There was no reason for Hugo to go out that way."

"I know… The Ravens have been acting up, along with the other gangs, for a piece of the pie. It could even be the foreigners," I replied. "Whatever the case, It could be anyone. We've got to remain strong if we want to keep this operation going."

After the service, we paid our final respects and stopped by a drive-through to pick up lunch for Mom when we got back. Driving home, Fal was continuously checking his phone while I drove. We took turns driving regularly.

"Haven't found anyone for the job yet?" I asked.

"Nope, not at all. The recruits have been turning down most of the jobs. Who needs them, though? A bunch of scaredy-cats." He said it in a mocking response.

We sat there for a moment at the traffic lights. Thoughts of Hugo kept running through my mind. His pleasant demeanor, tough approach when needed, and welcoming charisma. That time, he took the blame for me and Fal so we wouldn’t be kicked out of school. Why did he have to leave us? It made no sense. Then a thought came to mind. Looking at Fal, still twiddling his fingers on the phone, I made an internal oath. To survive.