A Crisis With Hop

Dirty Little Problems

During the withdrawal period of any addictive drug there comes a time when the addict becomes aware of what they were and what they are. They hate themselves for allowing the drug to ruin their lives. They also look for excuses so that they don't have to hate themselves. Failing that, the addict take their anger, frustration, and resulting hatred of themselves out on those around them.

Phillip said some venomous things to me as I gave him a reduced shot of opium. I tried to tune it out. It is hard to not take such comments personal. I know that if Phillip recovers he will either regret or even forget he said these things. At the moment, I was glad that Phillip did not know my secret. If it got out it would hurt both Luke and I. At this stage; Phillip would have revealed my secret, for no other reason than to hurt me.

Phillip was too afraid of the men keeping him in the cellar to antagonize them and he had learned the consequences of violence. I felt no sympathy for Phillip when the two men had beaten him into submission a couple times. He had hit my Sister. If Phillip was roughed up a little during this treatment, he deserved it for that alone.

As Marco predicted the war had begun. Not long after Luke had expelled the dealers from his clubs and boats. Some of the dealers had been thrown over board. Not all were picked up by the Coast Guard or managed to swim ashore. Bodies that washed up on shore were not connected directly to us, but police had their suspicions.

One of our men ended up on the doorstep of one of our speakeasies on land. Luke in turn retaliated and left the bodies of ten drug dealers on the doorstep of an opium den. This got the attention of the police. They had no evidence of who did it. The message was clear to whoever was now the drug kingpin in New York. For each one of our men killed we would kill ten of theirs.

In our business it is necessary for the competition to know that we can kill, will kill, and will not hesitate to kill to set an example. I don't like to target innocents. If someone must die, then it is the soldiers of the competition. Not innocent family such as wives, children, or other relatives not directly involved in the business. I do have some ethics. Unlike some of our competition. Luke shares these views. We kill only when we must. We don't involve the innocent if we can keep from it.

"Several of the girls have had overdoses or gotten hold of bad hop from these new dealers." Marco informed us. "I don't like having the girls die on me before they are completely used up."

Marco handled the dirty little problem of prostitution that neither Luke or I were willing to soil our souls with. Bootlegging was one thing, prostitution was something else. Getting involved in some business where women and some boys sold their bodies for money seemed sordid. It seemed necessary. I simply didn't want to be part of it, neither did Luke.

"You talk about those girls like they are bottles of beer. You use it until it is empty then discard the bottle." I said. Unable to help myself.

"That is the truth of the matter." Marco replied. "I know it is an inconvenient truth for you to face, but they are used up and discarded when they have no more use. Merely a product to be exploited until they are of no further use."

"I don't have to like it." I earned a dirty look from Luke. He agreed with me, but he didn't like to voice those views. He thought it might be misinterpreted as a weakness. "I suppose it must be discussed; as distasteful as it is."

"We are talking about saving those commodities." Luke said. "At least for the moment."

"These bad drugs are just as bad for business as bad booze would be. We need to find the source and eliminate it." O'Brien said.

"I've had problems with these bad drugs in my clubs too." Thane spoke up. Usually he was silent. Taking in information, but seldom sharing. "Mr. O'Brian is right. We need to find the source of these bad drugs and take care of who is behind it."

"We have a source for some of the most popular opium dens in the city and the dealers." Luke said. "It's time we utilized it."

Luke was talking about Phillip.  I had to wonder if Phillip would be up to the task.  He was still weaning off the opium.