Seanday Shorts: Turf Wars

I rounded the corner and searched the faces in the crowded mall. Milo's voice grated across my mobile, "Find him, FIND HIM!" I gritted my teeth, and ended the call. This was the gang's turf, and Antonio was trespassing. My mobile rang again--Milo. I hated him, what he'd done to my family, the advantage he had on me.

I heard shouting, the others had spotted Antonio running towards the exits, he hadn't seen me and I ducked back around the corner to head him off. I watched him running towards me, a look of panic on his face; our eyes locked and he shook his head, almost begging me to step aside. I looked away for a split second, and saw my kid brother taken away by one of Milo's guys--just a distant memory. I had no choice, and stepped into Antonio's path and tackled him to the ground. Seconds later the others were lifting him to his feet, dragging him to one of the quiet corners of the mall. Reluctantly I followed knowing Milo's plans for poor Antonio.

Milo sauntered up, cocky as ever. He was ruthless in his greed for power, but still small fry in the district. Six months ago, I'd been careless when I'd borrowed the identity of one of his men--they'd seen me. News got back to Milo, and he tried to recruit me into his gang, I wasn't interested. This really twisted him into a rage, he yelled threatening my life--but he didn't scare me. Then he went quiet, and the others shifted nervously. I had the impression that this wasn't a good sign. He pulled one of his guys to one side and muttered something in his ear, I swallowed when his eyes flicked towards me, and then his goon left.

He walked up, looking up at me; although he was short, his demeanour was that of a wild and dangerous animal. He smiled, corners edged into a sneer of a predator that's just cornered its prey. An hour later, he had my kid brother and to keep him alive I found myself working for Milo.

---

We crowded around Antonio, holding him in place. We waited, Milo waited until he'd said his piece, threatening that his brother would kill us all. I knew his brothers background, Milo was small fry in comparison. I discarded the thought and focused on my own brother. Milo picked at Antonio's sunglasses, but had his hand slapped away. His hands balled, and he mustered himself as the smile returned. "Let's see how valuable you are, I want to extend my 'hood--" he prodded at Antonio's chest, "now I've got you, I don't think your brother will stand in my way."

I watched Milo make a FaceTime call to Antonio's brother--Raymond. Antonio started to struggle again; I leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Stop moving, otherwise you’re a dead man."

"You know my brother will come for me," he muttered to Milo.

"So what if he does, I got all the cards," he replied with a sneer.

Raymond's face appeared on the screen. "You! What the fuck as you calling me for you weasel."

"I want you to give me the south district," Milo grinned.

"You're an idiot, don't waste time."

"Have you lost anything?" Milo lifted the phone and showed Antonio. "Look what I've found, on my turf," Milo sneered. Then he dropped the facade, "I don't want your shit stinking up my 'hood."

"They hurt you?" Raymond asked his brother quietly. Antonio shook his head. "I swear, if you hurt him, I will hunt you down and slowly cut you apart."

I glanced at Milo, lines farrowed his brow. “You talk too much," he hissed through his teeth. "Give me the south, and I'll let him go."

Raymond paused, a tension in the air hung. "OK."

Milo grinned and hung up. "I think you could have got more boss," the guy next to me muttered.

"Yeah, but I'm not finished with him yet. He had to think he'd got a sweet deal, but I want it all and him dead."

"You shit," Antonio shouted and lunged at Milo only to be pulled back by the guys. "If you don't let me go, my brother will come for you and hunt you down."

"Oh, I'm going to let you go, but you'll be working for me. Tell me his plans, and piece by piece I'll take him apart."

"I'd rather die than help you."

"You're not going to have a choice," Milo replied and nodded to his men. They grabbed his arms and braced against his shoulders. Milo looked at me, "You know what you have to do."

I shook my arms, loosening up and rolling my shoulders as I approached Antonio's back. He was a few years younger than me, a good-looking kid. I touched his back and he looked over his shoulder. "What are you doing man?" His voice was shaky. "You gonna kill me?"

Milo grinned, "No, he's going to be you, and THEN I'll send you back."

I continued to push into Antonio's back; he tensed as I began to take control of his strong compact body. Wriggling under his shoulders, I completed my transformation forcing my head into the back of his. Gasping I pulled myself free of Milo's men, "You can let go now--I'm in," I growled in my new voice. I stretched again feeling the tightness of the new identity that I'd taken.

Milo reached for the sunglasses again and swatted his hand away again. I could see he was torn, a worrying glint in his eye. "Don't cross me, I can still kill you, or your kid brother."

"Just staying in character," I muttered.

He snorted a laugh. "You know what you need to do, learn all you can and feed it back to me."

I nodded and I left. Antonio's mind was already mine; I felt his muscles, his bicep through his shirt cupping its weight. I stopped and looked at my reflection in a window, good looking, and eighteen, strong and popular at school. I knew he was going far, and had no interest in following his brother. I slipped on his sunglasses, and made my way back to his SUV.

---

I pulled up outside Raymond's house; it looked like a regular house apart from the numerous pickups outside. Groups of men sat outside, only suggesting at the family business.

As I walk towards the house, men would give me a nod acknowledging my position in the pecking order. I knew where to find Raymond, as I walked past armed goons and into his office. His eyes brightened when he saw me, and he greeted me with a hug. "Damn, what the fuck were you doing on their turf without taking a couple of guys with you?"

I knew the answer of course, he wanted to get away from this nightmare he lives in. "I forgot," I lied.

Raymond playfully wrestled with me, putting me in a loose headlock. "You got to smarten up bro' otherwise you'll get hurt."

I pulled myself free and looked at him. Even though he was a thug, I felt a connection with him, he too had his brother taken from him, but he just wasn't aware of it--yet. "Sit down Raymond; I have to tell you something. It's important."

His face screwed up, "Did they do something to you--god I'm going to kill them."

"Chill, I have to tell you--" I swallowed hard, "I'm not Antonio." He looked at me confused as I explained what I could do, and what had happened to my own brother.

He paused thinking, passing glances at me. One of his men came in and he shouted at them to leave. He walked over, a giant of a man and grabbed my throat, "Get the fuck out of my brother," he snarled.

"No, you'll only kill me if I do," I choked. "You'll have to kill your own brother first."

He released me, and I dropped into a chair gasping for air. "What do you want?" He asked.

"I want you to help me get my brother back, get rid of Milo and then I'll release Antonio."

"Fine!" He growled, slamming his fist into the table.

---

I'd turned the tables on Milo, and started a fight to get my brother back. But I hated holding Antonio as a hostage…

 

To be continued.