The Deal
Daryl opened the trunk of the Toyota and picked up the blue duffel bag, he tossed it to Ben and Ben caught it deftly. Ben stared at him until Daryl broke the stare.
"If you want it any time you can have it," Ben said softly.
Daryl's eyes cut back up. "What's that supposed to mean, white boy?" His hand plunged into his jacket pocket.
"Words to an old song," Ben said and smiled. The smile didn't extend to his eyes. His eyes said, 'If you want a piece of me you can have it.' Daryl looked away again.
Ben set the bag down and ran the zipper. He pulled a few bricks out, counted and then looked back at Daryl who refused to meet his gaze. His eyes kept sliding way.
"A little short," Ben said.
"My ass," Daryl said.
"It is going to be your ass," Ben agreed quietly. "There are two and two missing. See this mark?" He turned one of the bricks over to show a mark in the shape of a star. "I know that mark. That mark tells me a lot: Where it came from, which clan made it and what it is: Pure heroin. I mean pure. Hasn't been touched. From Torres, deep Mexico." He turned the other brick upside down. A double circle with a triangle was stamped on the wrapper. "Also pure, this time cocaine: Almonte's crew, Ecuador. I know this stuff, like I said. And I know what should be here. Two and two missing. Cough it up." His gun magically appeared in his hand.
"Hey, man," Danny said. "I think we need to calm down. Why you wanna kill someone right off the bat, man, huh?"
"Where is it?" Ben asked. He set the duffel bag into the trunk and switched the gun to his shooting hand. "I don't necessarily want to kill anyone, but I will. I have no problem with that." He lifted the gun and aimed it at Daryl's head.