Female Novel
Chapter 5529
As tension etched Jordan’s features.
Charlie, who had maintained a quiet vigil, instantly discerned the growing rumble of a motorcycle enginedrawing nearer. It was heading their way.
In that charged moment, Hogan grasped the gravity of Jordan’s potential entanglement.
His voice turned stern as he demanded, “Jordan, lay it bare. Who have you crossed?”
Conceding that the truth could no longer be masked, Jordan, resigned, began, “Uncle Hogan, these folkshere belong to a fresh gang making waves in New York…”
Hogan interjected, “Debt collectors, are they?”
Jordan hastened to clarify, “No, Uncle Hogan! They’ve just laid claim to Chinatown two days past. Nowthey’re squeezing folks for protection money, three grand a month. If you don’t pay up, they rough you upand threaten to ransack your store.”
Furrowing his brows, Hogan inquired, “Hasn’t Chinatown always been run by Chinese syndicates? Thefee’s been a mere three hundred a month for the past few years. Why this sudden usurpation?”
Jordan sighed, weariness settling in, “Chinese gangs ceded it to them last week after a fierce showdownand heavy losses. Big Vigo has thrown in the towel and handed Chinatown over…”
This revelation caught Hogan off guard.
He probed further, “What’s the story with this new gang? It’s only been a month since they’ve startedyapping about three grand. Sounds rather fishy, doesn’t it?”
Jordan’s voice bristled with frustration. “Who’s denying that! We toil from dawn till dusk in these stores,paying rent and working under the table since we lack legal status to foot the bills. You’re overseeing it all
and after all’s said and done, you’re only scraping together a few grand a month. They want threethousand, essentially turning everyone into their indentured servants!”
Hogan queried, “Who’s behind this new gang?”novelbin
Jordan responded, “They go by the name ‘Burning-Angel’. Mostly African-Americans with a sprinkling ofLatinos from Brooklyn and downtown. Word is, they’re backed by Italians. The Italians are slowly fadinginto the background, pulling the strings but keeping out of the fray. They’d rather let these ruthlessAfrican-Americans run the show…”
“Did they inflict those wounds on your face?” Hogan pressed.
“Yes,” Jordan’s voice was edged with resentment. “They came to collect their ‘protection’ money. Icouldn’t cough up the sum, so they beat me down. They’ve given me until tonight. If I don’t produce thecash, they’ll ransack the store.”
“Have you contacted the police?” Hogan’s tone carried a mix of anger and concern.
“I did,” Jordan’s posture slumped. “But it’s no use. You know the deal in New York. The police focus onthe affluent areas. They came, gave it a cursory glance, and told me they couldn’t locate anything.”
Annoyance flared in Hogan’s eyes. “It’s utterly unreasonable!”
Jordan’s voice held a tinge of hopelessness. “I called them, told them they’d be back. The police saidthere aren’t enough officers to keep tabs here. They told me to call as soon as I spotted them. Dial 911for the police, but what good does it do? If they roll in with guns blazing, I’d be eight ways to dead beforethe cops showed up.”
With a sigh, Jordan continued, “They’re American citizens, we’re undocumented. The American policecouldn’t care less whether we live or die…”
As he spoke, the motorcycle’s roar reached the doorstep of the roast goose shop, and Jordan’s nervesratcheted up.
He implored Hogan and Jagoan, “Uncle Hogan, Mr. Jagoan, hurry upstairs!”