The Kingpin

•01•

1986, Oakland

Amelia knew she needed a new dealer but after two years in the city, she still didn't know very many people. She had neighbors in her building but they weren't the kind to just speak to. Maybe one of the people coming for an appointment today would know of someone.

Ever since she got here, she's heard whispers of someone they call the Black Ace. People seem pretty scared of him and but know he's the best pusher around. He moves out only quality product.

She is taking her walk, cigarette pressed between her lips, when a man bumps into her.

"Mm, sorry." Amelia mumbles quickly and speeds up a bit.

"You're fine." The man replies before stopping on the dark street. "You need something?"

"What?"

"This is Drug Alley. People walk when they need somethin'. So... do you?"

"Anything you got." She admits rather quickly as smoke billows from her mouth.

A dark chuckle leaves the man and he seems to nod before he says, "Come back tomorrow at eight sharp. Ya heard?"

"Yeah, yeah I got it."

                                       ••••

  Amelia re-enters her apartment and forces herself into the shower before crawling back onto the couch to shake under a blanket in the fully heated room. She soon falls asleep here, clutching nothing in her hands but hallucinating just hard enough before she passes out that she's holding her.

  Two loud knocks at the door jolt Amelia out of a deep sleep. She pads to the door cautiously before standing on her tiptoes to see out of the peephole.

  Her client Josh is waiting outside. She opens the door for him and he enters quickly. He's a bit flighty but he pays well for her work.

  "The chair is ready for you in the usual room."

  He nods and heads to her second bedroom. From afar, she sees him take off his shirt and lay down on his stomach onto the black chair set up.

  Amelia walks into the room and sits on the stool before swiveling over to him, her tray already prepared with tools.

  "Are we finishing up the piece today?" She asks him as she wipes green soap under the most recent work with her gloved hand.

  "Yeah."

  "Okay."

  As she works, Josh drifts off to sleep and Amelia works in silence. The slight buzz of the tattoo machine calms her anxieties for now but she is secretly dreading the moment the tattoo is over.

  It only takes about 20 more minutes of work before she gently shakes Josh awake and he flutters his eyes open quickly.

  "My bad." He speaks as he sits up from the chair, his sweat sticking a bit to the leather.

  "You're fine. It's gonna be $200 for today."

  Josh nods and pulls out two 100-dollar bills before placing them in her hand. "Thanks again."

  "Don't forget about the aftercare. Your shirt is laying on the desk."

  He walks over to the mirror and turns to admire her work before she helps to wrap his upper back and chest. He slips his shirt on with some great caution before leaving her apartment.

  She had money for a quarter now and a bit to spare. Just two more hours until eight.

                                      ••••

Amelia walked onto Drug Alley ten minutes early and stood near one of the street lamps. She had a gun tucked into the back waistband of her jeans if anything looked sketchy.

A man sauntered down the alleyway about 15 minutes after she arrived with hands stuffed into the pockets of a coat.

"How much you got?" He asks.

She was pretty sure it was the same man from before.

"$50."

"Decent. For a *quarter?"

"S'what I was hopin' for."

The man nods and takes a hand out of his pocket but as he does this, Amelia begins to move her hand toward her jeans.

"Yo, if you're packin', I'm not tryna get any heat. This is just where I keep my merchandise."

"Fine." Amelia begins to lower her hand as the man reaches out his own, and in his grasp is a little baggy of just what she was craving.

"Coke. Premium. My guy wants to impress you."

"That's how they all work." She replies with a smirk before pressing the money into his hand as she exchanges it for the bag.

"Smart girl." The man replies after a moment before turning and walking back to the direction he came from.

Amelia had hopefully just found her new supplier.

                               —————

*Quarter- a unit of measurement for product; usually the smallest quantity