Cradles 3

Pengman sat solo in a fancy beach bar at one corner uptown where Linc's mom serves as a waiter, "hello ma I came to see Linc, is he around?"

"No, he hasn't come home since morning," she says

"So you don't know where he could be, any place at all,"

"No, no I don't," she behaves strange and Pengman notices, "can I serve you a beer or some," she picks up a glass from ye shelf

"I'm fine, just wanted Linc, I'll be going," Peng stood up and walked a little distance, "when you see him, tell him to give me a call It's very important,"

"I will. Thought you had his number,"

"Oh it's going straight to voicemail…just tell him I stopped by, he'll understand,"

"I will when he's back," Linc's mom says. She watches Pengman walks out of the door then sneak into the back room and dial at Lincoln, "mom anybody stopped by yet," Linc says

"It's your friend Pengman, he just left,"

"Don't tell him anything, more will come, just keep telling them the same thing…"

"Making the call already Mrs. Smith," Pengman says looking her full in the face,

"How do you enter?"

"Forgot you showed me the back door once. I'll take the call from here," Pengman forcefully collects the phone from her, "mom was going on there,"

"Hello, Lincoln, where are you?"

"Pengman! Hey what's up why are you with my mom?"

"Cut the crab where's the bag,"

"Don't know what you're talking about. What bag?"

"Don't know what you convinced Rina to drop in the blue van,"

"I'm not giving you anything,"

"Yes you will or your mom will bear the consequences,"

"Please don't hurt me, please…" Linc's mom says

"Behave, Mrs. Smith, you'll be fine but that's totally up to your son. If he cooperates, then we won't have a problem,"

"I know you Pengman, you won't kill my mom for some bloody cash,"

"You're right you know me I won't. But I can drive and I know the location of TBC. I bet she'll make a good fit in the quarters,"

"You want to take my mom to TBC,"

"As I said that's totally up to you,"

"Where are you now?"

"Your mom's restaurant. Here's what to bring and what not to bring,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's the middle of the day and Lobos is still held in the NYPD's office, he sits with Tancredi on the slender bed in his cell "you know I never thought of a bigger disgrace when I heard you say 'big names', but secret service,"

"Many people are involved in drugs. You'd be surprised the level of atrocities that are going on,"

"If we work together…"

"We ain't working together. I'm a prisoner and you're Fed,"

"A lion always has a friend in the midst of the cat you know,"

"I'll be a rat and what example will I show,"

"Example? Do you call this example?" Lobos sat silent for a moment, "the Intel you gave us was solid. As long as you keep giving us some solid intel like that one. You'll be one step closer to getting out,"

"The men you arrested, did you identify anyone as Sharon,"

"What Sharon?"

"Sharon Tate…was he among the men you arrested," Lobos talks with a sense of urgency

"We didn't identify anyone like that, who's he anyway,"

"TBC's right-hand man,"

"TBC's second in command was present and you didn't say a word earlier,"

"You assured me that you're going to arrest everyone, so needless saying names,"

"Those names are very important, and you won't miss them next time right,"

"We are equal in the world of drugs,"

"But some are more equal than others and you know it," Tancredi yells

"I've given all I know,"

"A drug lord who runs a shipment business and controls one of the biggest drug territories in LA has told me all he knows just soon. I doubt it. Keep thinking I'll be back,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Boss we were busted by the Feds. Turns out someone has been talking," Sharon walks into TBC, "we need to leave now,"

"We aren't leaving Pengman is not back with the money,"

"We need to forget about the money and move now,"

"If Lobos is really talking we could have been busted by now," TBC says, "maybe he's not talking, he is sending a message that his still with the Feds,"

"How do you know that," Sharon asked, "he's sold us out and I managed to escape,

"That's the point he wanted you to escape that's why he told them about riverside because he knows you'd jump into the water and run,"

"We can't trust suggestions on this one, we are dealing with Feds,"

"I know Lobos he won't sell me out,"

"If you say so boss," Sharon pulldown his hoodie and says, "So about Pengman and his little puppy how's it going,"

"He promised Linc got to meet, but he needed some motivation and he used his mom,"

"Son of a bitch don't have respect, stole from the wrong mother fucker,"

"The very wrong one…"

"Don't worry boss when he comes, we'll treat him well,"

"I trust your judgment," both chuckled, "prepare the men we'll go get our man out of NYPD once Peng is back with the bag," TBC says

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You stole from TBC and wanted I and my little sis to go down for it," Pengman points his gun towards Linc's skull as he tries to enter through the back door of the restaurant,

"What's going on here is a little bit bigger than you think, Peng, you know I can never steal from TBC,"

"Shut up and sit," Peng extends the hammer on the top of the gun

"Ok, I'll move. There is a lot you don't know,"

"You'll get to tell him yourself…where's the money,"

"Are you gonna take me to TBC,"

"I don't see you with the money Lincoln,"

"It's in the truck,"

"In the truck, thought I told you what to bring and what not to,"

"If I'm gonna die then you'll have to work towards killing me,"

"You're gonna go back outside and get the money inside the truck, fat ass,"

"Hear me out ok, I was forced to do it because they knew TBC would never believe it was me who took the money,"

"I won't say this again if you have any claim you tell TBC not me. Now go get the money or your mom would have a safe ride to TBC's territory,"

"Please let my mom go, don't hurt her please,"

"Yeah I won't but TBC would and you don't want that right,"

"I don't want many things right now,"

"If you don't get that bag Lincoln, you'd wish you did," Lincoln's eye moved side to side but Peng didn't even notice he was busy watching his two hands move mechanically, "Linc, we'll see when you actually know what to do,"

"Wait! I'll go get it,"

"One more minute wasted your mom's life is in danger," Linc stood up from the ground he sat and walked towards the threshold, opened the van, and returned to the restaurant, "that's the bag,"

"Good boy," Peng unzips and stares at a bunch of dollars tied to each other, "your mom is in my truck I'll drop her at your house and get these to TBC," Peng wraps up to get out. He walks through the back door facing Linc. The face of the gun still pointing towards him,

"TBC will kill you,"

"You're a joker as always,"

"I'm serious, those are all fake,"

"You gave me fake coins, you're a dead man," Peng drops the bag, walks back towards Linc and draws his shirt, "last chance where is the money,"

"That's the problem you don't wanna listen,"

"Where is the real bag?"

"I'm not with it anymore,"

"Then who is,"

"Sharon, he was the one who forced me to steal,"

"If you're lying to me,"

"Have I ever lied to you before,"

"Linc, where's the money, no Sharon this time,"

"Sharon's men threatened to kill my little sister if I don't accept the deal," little drops of tears started dripping from Linc's eyes, "it's the truth, let my mom go and we can fix this. Like old times me and you,"

"They got my sis," Peng says, "if you're lying to me just say it man, I'll understand, please,"

"I'm not, it's the truth. Sharon got me in the middle of all of this,"

"TBC gave me three days from yesterday, and today is the second day, if I don't get him your head and the bag, my sister goes to quarters"

"There's only one option right now, smuggle your sister out, that's all we got,"

"No no no, this isn't happening,"

"Yes it is, and it's your only choice. Inside that bag are all fake coins and beneath are papers," Linc says, "our little sisters will get to live again when we run,"

"We aren't running, my sister will die if we run,"

"We will all be safe if we run, all of us. Why? Because that's the only way to survive,"

"That's not the only way to survive, that's the only way to run. And if we keep running TBC will keep assuming we stole the money, and he will keep getting more pissed. Which means he will keep sending more men and it's good for any of us. Who knows what one of those men would do to your mom, with such fine ass she got there,"

"Watch your tone man,"

"Just saying, but you know that's the truth,"

"What do we do now?"

"We go talk with TBC,"

"Negotiate with TBC. GOD, I'm not coming with you,"

"Yes, you are?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tancredi walks into Lobos' cell and pulls up a man from his tablet, "is this the Sharon you talked about. Dark hair has diastema in his front teeth,"

"Yes, Lobos' right-hand man,"

"Which club do they attend?"

"Jasper club. But who will be so stupid to go to a club now the know the Feds are on thier asses,"

"We'll just keep an eye on it, just Incase someone comes in to take a drink," Tancredi approaches the threshold of Lobos Cell,

"Tancredi, de Desperados you said you'll track down,"

"Yes what about e′m,"

"I don't know who the sell the product to,"

"You told me that already, what else do you know that I don't,"

"...I know how they pass their messages,"

"Through cell phone I guess,"

"No not by cell phone, through some kind of white plane paper called veins,"

"What's viens and how do they carry it around,"

"It's a white plane paper in an envelope, only the person who wrote the message and the person who is receiving really knows what's on the paper and how to read it,"

"Very impressive,"

"Again the run the big names forget about them, you won't stand a chance,"

"These envelopes, how can I get them?"

"I don't know. My work is to give information, your work is to carry out the investigation,"

"Well it turns out your information is not enough and I can't carry out an investigation with half information,"

"I'll think of something then,"

"Good job. You'll be served the best food from now on," Tancredi giggles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pengman walks into TBC's territory with Linc in his right hand, a gun in his left, and the bag of money hanged across his chest, "this is a bad idea, we could still run now, it's early,"

"We aren't running, so if there's anything you are not telling me, now is the time,"

"I'm just scared,"

"I am too, and so will TBC and Sharon when I get there,"

"We will all die,"

"This is the place," Lincoln says, an old abandoned hotel somewhere in a remote area in LA,

"we in and out alive, both of us, as old times," Peng says

"Let's do this," they both walk pass two of TBC's men,

"Where's TBC?" Linc asked one of the men,

"No need for that. TBC runs cameras, he saw us from the very first time we stepped into his territory,"

TBC walks out from a room upstairs, "you brought the rat and my bag, good job, you got yourself all you asked for,"

"You tell me why you set me up?" Peng yells

"what are you talking about?" TBC looks surprised,

"You sent Sharon to steal from me, and I hunt an innocent boy with a bag full of cards," Peng throws the bag on the floor,

"Are you trying to mean something…" TBC walks down the stairs

"Where's Sharon?" Peng shouts

"Call me Sharon," TBC tells one of his men

"Sharon went out to get something, he'll be back boss," he answered

"Where's Sharon, I need Sharon…" TBC gets more pissed, "SHARON…SHARON…SHARON,"