The Baker And The Queen Pin

Chapter 45: Business As Usual

~~~Maria

As I yawned callously, I realized this High Table meeting was getting more and more complicated. I did not expect this to be a den of vipers quite literally. Not only is everyone willing to gun everyone down for the bare minimum of anything but this operates on a fragile form of understanding. For starters, the only reason why we don't take each other's lives is because of an oath that you must take and your loyalty must be cemented by killing someone you care about.

The reason why the High Table is never discovered by any local law enforcement is that they're a greater evil, the evil you're supposed to avoid. With the power they have now, I never have to worry about being caught unless someone with plausible evidence can stand against me. As all the others sit in their chairs comfortably, I had to get used to my new role. I was the Queen Pin of the East Coast, I had established a grip they had been trying to establish in the United States for a long time. America managed to keep Russia from ever being able to thrive in the illegal black market strictly because most American weapons were made better.

Most of the drugs that everyone wanted were readily available in America, Russia struggled in this market for a while that they couldn't understand. Their only successes were in human trafficking and money laundering and their grip was quickly slipping with Putin. The new embargos coming up are going to weaken their grip, even more, they may need other options. Outside of the neighboring countries in the Eurasian atmosphere, those countries had their own thriving markets. From the cocaine ring, all the way down to marijuana and opium but drugs are evolving. People are evolving, and soon we will need new methods but will the world change in time for that?

'Miss Smirnoff,' I hear Victor ask, 'How is the flow of money going in your area?' "It is going well. Profits are up everywhere and with your added help and resources, I'm able to make sure all of our paid informants are under our control. With my monthly deposits to our neighboring companies, I'm sure we're all benefitting well." 'Yes. Ever since we had the companies merge, we've been able to double our legal profits, too.'

As we sit in the comfort of one of my mansions, all of the men are enjoying the amenities. From the high-paid prostitutes to all of the help that's around the building. 'We've gained plenty of resources by merging with you and you with us.' I hear one of the men say. It was Damien, the man who offered to kill my father. "Of course but I also recommend that we also keep some individual profits separate." 'You're quite perceptive, much better than Yosef.' He says with a smile.

"Of course." I say, "It's only better that we benefit inside and out." 'It seems like the meeting is coming to a close.' Volkov fixes his glasses as he says, 'And what about the bakery?' "What about the bakery?' Victoria says, 'I'm just saying that she's laundering some of our cleanest money through there.'

"Yes, and it's safe there. It's not attached to me, it's attached to someone I care about." 'Your negro fiancé and that bakery? With respect, Miss Smirnoff, she should not have our money fluctuating through such a questionable individual. Have you seen his past?' It's then that I get up and walk toward him, he begins to smile to see what my reaction is and I grab a gun and put it in his mouth.

All of the Hight Table members have their guns at my head but I didn't want to hear any of his whore mouth talking bout my man. 'Maria,' I hear Victoria say, 'I'm not going to shoot you but they may shoot you.' "What is your issue with me, you son-of-a-bitch that you have to keep harassing my soon-to-be husband?" As I pulled the gun out of his mouth, he says to me,' You're smart. If you would have pulled the trigger, they wouldn't have shot you first.'

I looked at the sniper in the window and realized he knew he would die if he had done something stupid. That was his insurance policy. 'Really, it's the fact that it's a negro that's controlling our money. Your father, my predecessor lost millions of dollars, being stupid. I refuse for me to pay for such a thing.'  "You won't," I say calmly. "My husband is a kind man and he does not need to be involved with any more of this business." 'So, does he know what you're really about? Does he know who you are?' I hear Victoria ask me.