Make It Shine

Chapter 2

"The disappointments in our lives today are long term effects of yesterdays mistakes" - Desh

Santiago Reves stared at his laptop screen with an uptight expression. He relit his cigarette and relaxed some more in his recliner. 40, Santiago was the leader of the rockers; one of the most troublesome gangsters in California. He reminisced 15 years ago in 2000 when he had started the group. He had been an expelled student from the University of California, Berkeley. He was so angry wi6th the school for expelling him for such a 'little crime'. After his expulsion he had moved to a small house near the campus and become a robber. From robbery he made $100,000's of Dollars. Gradually he started moving through the school. After about 5 years, 2 students came and offered to join him. With them he wrecked even more havoc. He introduced drug dealing into the business which earned him 3 more members. He was getting powerful. He became a known threat to ever Law Enforcement in California from the LAPD to the San Francisco and Los Vegas. After 12 years in the business he had shifted his capital to Los Vegas where he bought over a casino and named it 'Santiago's inn'. It was in one of his trips that year to visit his Berkeley crew he met Bill Corbs. Bill had been a Psychology student at the campus. His first run-in with Bill was a day when Bill was preaching in the Park, he had stopped to listen and afterwards instructed his boys to get Bill over to their side. Despite different invites even some by Santiago himself, Bill remained resolute and didn't succumb to their offer of 'friendship'. Finally, one day about a year later when he was on yet again one of his visits that Bill had worked into Berkeley's branch of Santiago's inn. Bill had apparently come on an evangelizing mission. However, 30 minutes later as soon as the strippers had done their work and him and he was coerced into taking a few pills, evangelism was a paradox to him. From that day, Bill became a member and to everyone's surprise became the most devoted member. Bill had wrecked more Havoc than any other member of the Rockers even Santiago himself hadn't done up to Bill. Bill was his boy, the ideal gangster. While his other members had hesitated at various points because of family and other ties, Bill hadn't at all. He gave it all.

A knock on his office door brought him back to reality.

"Come in" he said grimly

In walked Bill Corbs

"Bill!! Just the man I was thinking about"

"Yes Boss"

"Take a sit, what brings you here?"

"Well, Boss I have a request"

"And what might that be?" Santiago asked

"I want to suggest opening a NY branch of the Rockers"

"NY that's splendid. We have California, why not move to NY. Splendid idea Bill, I always knew you'd be the innovative one. We could have a branch in times square another in Brooklyn...."

"I see you buy the idea Boss" Bill said

"Yes"

"Well if you're still down I'll provide half the capital and Man the business in NY"

"Wha What!! You're tryna move to NY?"

"Yes Boss, it could be great..."

"No, No" Santiago shouted cutting Bill short, "You can't leave here period. You're a second in command to me in case you never figured that out, you can't leave LA"

"But Boss, I can double between here and there please hear me out"

"Nope" Santiago replied

"Well in that case, I'm leaving Boss, I can run my own Gang" Bill said and with that he walked out