TAKEOVER

5

The car rolled through the night streets of Dar-es-salaam, Mathew sat in the back seat, legs crossed, his face partially obscured by the shadows, he stared out the window watching the blur of neon signs and nightlife with a mixture of boredom and calculation, he had been born and bred into this lifestyle, it's the only way of life he knew, taking a long drag of the cigarette in his hand holding the smoke in his lungs before exhaling it in a thin stream through his nose afterwards throwing the cigarette out the window

In the driver's seat, Isack was silent, focused on the road ahead, the hum of the engine filling the space between the two

After a few minutes of self-reflecting silence Mathew finally spoke " what do you think of the kid?"

Isack glanced at Mathew through the rearview mirror but didn't turn around "talks too much" he grunted, keeping his eyes on the road. "Too eager"

Mathew smirked, leaning back against the leather seat. "Yeah, but wager's not always bad. Especially when you've got something to prove" he stared at the rearview mirror, his mind drifting to a distant past, "he reminds me of someone"

Isack didn't respond immediately, his hands gripping the wheel a little tighter. "He's smart" he said after a pause "but I wouldn't trust him yet boss"

"That's why we're giving him a chance", Mathew replied, his voice smooth, but stern "not a full invitation, just enough rope to see what he does with it. Cleaning money through the clubs instead of the normal route, it's a good idea"

Isack's face tightened as he navigated through the narrow street "good idea or not, he's still too green. You think he's gonna pull this off?"

Mathew's eyes still transfixed on the rearview mirror. "The kid has potential. But he not in yet, he still has to back his whole talk"

Isack let out a breath, his voice tinged with skepticism. "And if he disappoints? Or worse he decides to take a bite out of the pie"

Mathew chuckled quietly, a hint of menace in his tone. "That's where you come in. If he steps out of line, you deal with it. Swiftly"

Isack glanced again in the rearview mirror his expression hardening. "Is he worth the risk?"

Mathew leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "Maybe, maybe not but he was right, we do need someone to manage the books, Roger's ways are far not suitable for the family to grow and besides, the kid is just a pawn for now"

Isack frowned, his jaws clenched "even loyal dogs bite their masters, he might use the financial records to blackmail"

Mathew broke into a full laughter "calm down Isack, he isn't even in the family. Just a prospect, if he shows to be useful he will be valuable. But if he becomes a nuisance-"

Isack's grip tightened "I'll handle it "

Mathew nodded, his voice low. "Exactly"

The Land Cruiser turned a corner, the familiar glow of another of the family's nightclubs came into view. Neon lights reflected off the wet pavement, casting long flickering shadows. Mathew leaned back into his seat, eyes on the building as they approached

***
The piercing light of the morning sun filled Stan's room, the busy city never asleep was filled with noises, car horns and loud hum of motorbikes zipping through the streets, a familiar ringtone was blasting from Stan's phone forcing his awakening

He groaned as he swiped the snooze button and returning to his slumber. But his phone rang again, this time a call from a familiar person, he picked up