Small Town Crime Cabal: Brotherhood of the Streets, #1

By Frank Hyden

Evan Hendricks and his sister Tavian run a drug and gambling ring in their small hometown of Warsaw, Indiana. Evan becomes paralyzed during a robbery gone wrong after he tries to protect his family. Despite this, he must navigate the complicated world of crime as his ambitions grow beyond the limits of their hometown.
He can only do this with the help of his family and friends, a tight-knit group dedicated to each other. Their bonds will be tested as they argue and disagree but at the end of the day, they'll always have each other's back. For many, the group is the only family they have and they'll fight to protect it.

 

Contains course language, violence, and drugs.

 

This is the first book in the Brotherhood of the Streets series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Hyden
• Release date: Feb 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201808860

Frank Hyden

Frank Hyden has spent his entire life reading and watching every book, movie, and TV show he can in his relentless pursuit of knowledge. He considers open-mindedness and empathy to be among the most important traits one should strive for. A lifelong sports fan, Frank enjoys following the ups and downs of a game and season.

Book preview

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Evan Hendricks and his two sisters, Tavian and Linette, are at their local bank in Warsaw, Indiana when it was robbed. They were all born in Warsaw and grew up there and enjoyed the small-town life. Warsaw has a little less than 15,000 citizens but has a lot of stuff you wouldn't expect to find in a town that size. There are many reasons for that, one being that Warsaw is the orthopedic capital of the world and thus gets a lot of through traffic.

That comes into play for the other major reason as well. Warsaw is between two heavily populated cities in Fort Wayne and South Bend. It's not quite halfway between those cities exactly but it's close enough that it serves as a great connector for the intrastate drug trade. That's where Evan and Tavian come in. Or, more accurately, where they would like to come in. As things are currently, they're small-timers slinging a tiny amount of dope. However, they have ambition and they're hoping things change soon.

As for Linette, she's not involved in the drug trade in any way and she wants to keep it that way. She just works her job at a local public relations firm and lives her life. She knows of what her siblings do but doesn't care beyond that. She just turned 22 years old and wants to live her life. She's of average height but her cascading blonde hair, brilliant blue eyes, fit body, and beautiful smile ensure that her height is the only average thing about her.

25-year-old Tavian is also beautiful but in a different way. She has gorgeous red hair and sparkling green eyes and a nice smile when she chooses to show it, but she also harbors a deep rage that explodes in violence when she's pushed. She's a little taller than the average woman at 5'8" and also practices yoga and boxing so she's developed a surprisingly strong body.

Evan is 28 years old and serves as your typical older brother who wants to protect his sisters. He spends a lot of time in the gym working out and using the steroids he's able to get from his drug hook-ups. He's preternaturally intelligent, he doesn't have an eidetic memory, though it is prodigious. He's also a bit taller than the average man at 6'1". His muscles and height help make up for his average at best physical appearance. He has short dark brown hair and always seems to have a few days of beard growth.

Evan and Tavian have taken Linette to Warsaw Central Bank to make a withdrawal before they were to meet their parents for their 30th-anniversary dinner later that evening. It's a warm September day, nearly a perfect day until an unknown man decided to rob the bank.

Everybody get on the damn ground now! The masked man yells as he waves his handgun around. This is a robbery! The 5 patrons in the bank and the tellers start panicking and shouting before getting on the ground. WCB didn't have a guard on duty on Tuesdays, the only day during the week in which that was true, so clearly this man has done at least some of his homework before striking.

Ah, shit! Evan swears under his breath as he puts his hands up and slowly gets on the ground, while also motioning for his sisters to do the same.

You know...if I had my gun, this wouldn't be a problem. Tavian whispers as she shakes her head. Linette looks at her like she's an alien while Evan looks at Tavian with a 'Huh?' expression. I'm just saying. Tavian shrugs as the masked man continues yelling at the tellers. Everyone recoils and gasps when the masked man shoots one of them in the lower leg when she didn't move as quickly as he wanted.

Just let me handle it. Evan gestures to Tavian as they whisper. I'll deal with it. Evan mouths as Tavian silently protests with one of her patented looks, eyes widened with a steely gaze. He knows he better do something before she does.

Hold up, Cool Breeze! What you think you're doing? The masked man asks as Evan slowly stands up, hands raised in the air. Some of the customers begin helping the teller who was shot, trying to bandage her wounds.

Easy, man, easy. Evan quietly says. I'm here to help you. We both know you're not getting out of here alone. You shot somebody, you got a target on you now. You need a hostage...me. Linette looks up at her brother with horrified eyes.

Evan, no! Linette starts to stand but Tavian pulls her back down. Get off me! Don't do this! Linette starts crying.

Time's wasting, man. Evan's voice trembles as he shrugs and looks at the masked man. We doing this or are you going to get into a long, drawn-out hostage situation with the police? Who should be here any second, by the way. Evan knows he needs to get the robber out of there quickly, both to avoid a shootout with the police and to get him away from his sisters.

Let's go. The masked man gestures with his gun towards Evan, who turns towards his sisters. Linette is already sobbing, even Tavian has a tear in her eye.

If anything...if anything happens, tell Mom and Dad I love them. Evan has tears in his eyes, as he fully expects to get shot and killed by the robber. Linette tries to stand, but Tavian pulls her back down to the floor.

No! Nooo....noo Linette's cries trail off as she stops resisting and falls into her sister's arms.

I love you. Evan sighs deeply.

Let's go, god damnit! The masked man yells as he grabs Evan's arm and pushes him out of the building and to the car. Drive! The masked man tosses Evan the keys and gets in the passenger seat, grabbing and throwing Evan's phone out the window. Within seconds, the pair speed off. A minute later, two police cars roar up to the bank, the officers storming the building.

They already left! Tavian stands up and shouts at the officers who come in wielding their guns. Linette is still crying and Tavian wants to comfort her so she lets some of the other people there inform the officers of what happened. Paramedics are called and other officers arrive on the scene.

How could you...let him leave? Linette sobs as she asks Tavian after they were both looked at by a paramedic.

I must have missed the part where he started doing what I tell him. Tavian answers. Besides, he's the big brother, there's no way he would have let me go.

Well, I don't want you to go either! Linette says. I don't want either of you to go!

Hey, I need you to do something. Tavian grabs her phone and starts typing a message. I need you to deal with Mom and Dad when they get here.

What are you going to do? Linette asks, sniffling.

I'm going to go get him! Tavian strides purposefully towards her car. By the time she gets to the car, her phone is chiming from the reply to the text she had sent to Andrew Patterson. Drew, as everyone called him, went to the same high school Tavian had but was 4 years behind her. Drew works as one of the dealers for Evan and Tavian, along with his best friend Antonio Perez. The two were usually inseparable, which made their physical differences more noticeable. Drew was 5'7 while Antonio was 6'4, though both were on the thin side. Drew had longer blonde hair while Antonio had black hair closely cropped. They both had an easy-going, laid-back personality, though.

Tavian had texted Drew to get Antonio and start looking for Evan. Drew texted back that they were on it. Tavian then also sent a text to another friend, Morley Davis, who went by his middle name Keith. He also replied back fairly quickly. Keith was the same age as Evan, a little shorter at 5'11", had long brown hair and a beard, and also worked as a dealer within the group. He and Evan had been friends the longest out of anyone in the group, nearly 20 years. He joined the search and the four of them split up and started scouring the city.

Where we going, man? Evan asks the masked man, who responds by pointing his gun at Evan and then gesturing towards the road. Yeah, yeah, just drive. Evan's been driving for about 10 minutes so far and they're out of town so he slows down a bit. What's your name? Evan tries again.

Just call me Ty Roddy.The man takes off his ski mask and throws it onto the floor. Take a right here. The pair had been driving west for most of the 10 minutes, though now it appeared that Ty was wanting to heads towards Goshen. They drove for a bit longer until they came across some secluded forestland. Pull in here. Evan parks the car and turns it off, eyeing Ty to see what he would do. Get out. Ty points his gun at Evan, who was hesitant to move too quickly but complied. As he was getting out of the car and walking around the side of it, Evan took his watch off and he drops it on the ground by the passenger side. Ty marches Evan into the woods a bit and grabs the car keys from him.

You don't, you don't have to do this! Evan says. Come on, man, don't kill me. I'm not going to tell anyone! Why would I?

Quiet! Ty shouts, pointing the gun at Evan.

Don't do it, man! Evan pleads, putting his hands up in front of him. Don't do it, please! I don't want to die! Evan gets a few tears in his eyes. I got people to take care of, man!

Bitch! Ty snorts derisively, then chuckles as he shoots Evan in the stomach twice. Enjoy that bleeding out, punk! Ty walks back to the car and drives away as Evan crumples to the ground, holding his stomach.

Tavian, Drew, Antonio, and Keith have all been searching for Evan for a little over an hour to no avail. They split up to cover more ground, and each took a quadrant. They also all called in some other friends and acquaintances to help. A growing sense of desperation grows in them as each minute passes. The police are helping to look as well, but with such a potentially wide area to check, it's going to be hard.

Evan has propped himself up against a tree and has his shirt off and pressed firmly against his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. He's seen enough television to know to do that. He's also seen enough to know that if he doesn't get help soon, he'll die. He's trying to slow his vital signs down as much as possible, anything to help. He slowly breathes, in then out. He's also thinking to himself, going over events of his life. He thinks about the time he beat up the guy who attacked Keith with a baseball bat. He also thinks about when he and Tavian stole 5 kilos of cocaine from a dealer in Indianapolis and got chased across 3 counties. They also had product stolen from them before but hopefully, that doesn't happen anymore in the future.

If I even have a future... Evan weakly says.

I don't know, I'm not seeing anything. Tavian is talking to Keith over the phone as she drives. Neither one is having much luck. As she's talking, a text from Drew pops up. He's not finding anything as well. The police search parties aren't having any success either. I'm really starting to wonder if they came this way or not. Tavian tells Keith. I'm debating whether to keep going or turn back? Suddenly, a black compact SUV comes screaming past her on the road. You son of a bitch! Tavian screams as she flips the vehicle off and honks her horn.

What's going on? Keith asks over the phone.

Oh, some asshole in a black SUV just blew past me! Tavian curses.

Wait a minute, I just got a text from Antonio. Keith says. Shit, that might be him! It says he's got a lead that they came north, where you are.

What the hell? Why didn't he text me? Tavian takes off after the black SUV. Screw it, I'm calling him! Tavian hangs up on Keith and calls Antonio. The phone rings and rings, but he's not picking up. This only annoys Tavian even further. Damnit! Tavian notices the SUV slowing down, then speeding up, then slowing way down before turning into a parking lot near a wooded area. Tavian intently watches as the SUV pulls into an empty space and Antonio gets out. She whips her metallic blue sedan into the lot after Antonio and jumps out. Hey, asshole! Why didn't you text me?

I did. Antonio calmly says as he starts looking around the parking lot. Didn't you get it?

Uh, no! Are you sure you sent the damn thing? Tavian starts looking around too.

Yeah. Antonio continues looking.

Bullshit! I think I would know if-... Suddenly, Tavian's phone chimes to signify a text. Antonio shoots her a bemused look as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. Well, there it is. I guess you did send it. Wait a minute... Tavian looks at her phone closely. Someone told you Evan was out here?

Well, kind of. Antonio is checking everywhere. One of my guys saw somebody who looks like Evan driving out this way, in a car that's not his. So if that guy dumped him somewhere, he might be... Antonio trails off as he spots something and walks over to pick it up. Look at this.

Wait, that's... Tavian rushes over just as Antonio picks up a watch. Antonio starts looking around as Tavian takes the watch. This...this is Evan's! Antonio takes off running into the woods.

Hey, over here! Antonio yells at Tavian. He's found Evan and rushes over to him. Shit, call an ambulance!

Oh God! Tavian runs over as well. She starts crying as she sees all the blood and how pale Evan is. She drops to the ground and starts cradling him, sobbing uncontrollably. Antonio pulls out his phone and calls 911, telling them where they're at. However, not wanting to wait, Antonio picks up Evan and carries him to his SUV. He tells Tavian to keep pressure on the wounds and they take off driving like hell to get to the hospital. Antonio tells the 911 operator that they're driving to the hospital. Within a few minutes, they pull into Goshen Hospital and people are there waiting. They put Evan on a stretcher and immediately take him to the operating room. Antonio holds Tavian as she cries in the waiting room, where they're soon joined by the rest of the family and friends.

Chapter 2: The Aftermath

It's 3 months later . Evan has had a handful of surgeries and has recovered from the shooting. However, the bullets shattered his spine and he's paralyzed from the waist down and will never walk again. He's out of the hospital, though, and getting used to his new circumstances. Today is his first day back on the job, so to speak.

So, what's changed since you've been running things? Evan asks Tavian, pointing at her as he talks.

Well, we've kind of been treading water here. I didn't really want to do anything different until you got back. Tavian paces around the kitchen in the house they use as their base of operations. Keith started calling it The Chill House and the name stuck. It's a nice-sized 3 bedroom house on the outskirts of Warsaw, close enough to town to not make it inconvenient but secluded enough to make it a good place to do business. It's a communal house that any of the group can use, though it's expected that you keep the place clean. The siblings are meeting the rest of the crew, who are waiting in the living room.

Why not? Evan looks at her with a confused expression.

Because...you're in charge, not me. Tavian has an equally confused look on her face.

Well, that was before the shooting. Now... Evan points at his wheelchair.

Come on. Tavian snorts. We both know I'm too emotional to be in charge. Well, alone at least. We'll just do it like before, where we kind of run it together. You in charge of the business and deals and all that stuff, and when it's time to kick ass, I'll take over.

All right. Evan shrugs. And also...you know I can still kick your ass, right?

Oh really? Tavian raises her left eyebrow.

Hell yeah! I still got the guns! Evan flexes his arms, to which Tavian chuckles a bit.

All right, all right, let's get in there. Tavian says as she walks into the large living room. Drew, Antonio, and Keith are sitting around the long wooden table in the center of the room they put out for important meetings, along with a few other people.

Howie King has been friends with Evan and Tavian the longest of everyone, having known them for 19 years. He's a large man, about 6'2" and 250 pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair and beard. He has a pretty agreeable personality and usually goes along with everybody to avoid conflicts.

Sarah McKenzie is a friend of Howie's that he recruited a few years ago to help him out with his sales. Howie has other interests and doesn't want to devote all of his time to slinging, so he brought Sarah in to help with that as much as possible. Sarah's pretty eager to please and she's using the money she earns to pay for college. She's only 19 years old, just a bit over 5 foot tall, with beautiful long black hair.

Melissa David was the Hendricks family's neighbor growing up who they lost touch with when she went off to college when Evan was 14. Things went south and she got addicted to heroin and dropped out of college, then became homeless as her addiction spiraled. She got clean 3 years ago and now works as the accountant for the group. She's also regained her previous beauty that had been robbed from by drug use. Her 5'6" frame filled back out with the curves she had before and her curly black hair has grown back and the full color has come back to her mahogany skin.

Evan wheels into the living room and is immediately greeted by a chorus of hellos from everyone. Melissa even gets up and hugs him, she feels a special sense of gratitude to him as he helped her get clean. In return, she created the accounting system they use now, which is fully coded to avoid detection if anyone were to ever find the books she uses to catalog everything in.

It's good to have you back, boss. Melissa says as she walks back to her seat. Evan smiles back at her.

So, let's get right to it. Where are we with everything? Evan asks.

Weed is down, pills are up. gambling and loans are down. Howie tells him. And I've got a guy who can hook me up with some othe-...

Yeah, and I already told you, we don't do that shit. Tavian interrupts before leaning over to Evan. I didn't want to start any new stuff with you out.

Well, what are we talking here? Evan asks.

Acid, coke, methamphetamines, heroin...

Pfft, let me stop you right there. Evan interrupts. We're not doing that shit. Maybe acid, although that's a little niche, but that other shit? Hell no.

Coke ain't that bad, man. Drew shrugs.

I don't know, coke leads to crack and I don't want to be involved in any of that stuff. Keith says.

Yeah, we can't do that. Evan gestures. Hell, I want to get out of pills, not get further into this shit. I don't want to do stuff that destroys lives. I'd just as soon do weed, gambling, and loans. I just want to push stuff that should be legal everywhere.

Well, gambling is legal in Indiana. Antonio says quietly.

Yeah, but still... Evan trails off before looking at Howie. Go ahead and look into the acid maybe, but none of that other stuff.

Also, we should talk about the Silvers. Tavian announces. The South Bend Silvers are the crew that Evan and Tavian get their product from. They started as a street gang in the 1990s and worked their way up to become the second biggest crew in South Bend. They're headed by Alberto Gonzalez and a squad of hardcore killers, most of which have spent time in federal prison.

What about them? Evan asks.

Well...the short story is, they want a bigger cut.. Tavian answers.

How much? Evan leans forward.

40% more. Tavian tilts her head to the side. Evan closes his eyes and shakes his head as several of the others voice their collective displeasure.

You gotta be kidding me! Drew yells.

I'm saying! Tavian yells as well. You know how hard it was for me to not tell that guy to fuck right off with that? It's bullshit!

Man, that'll really cut into our profits. This sucks. Keith says almost more to himself than anyone else.

Well... Evan bites the thumbnail on his left hand, a common habit of his. We'll go up there tomorrow and see if we can figure something out.

All the more reason to start getting from my guy... Howie shrugs his shoulders.

It's not that simple, though. Evan gestures with his hands. We don't just buy product from Al and those guys, we also buy like...like the license to sell on the streets. Or maybe you could look at it like protection. That's why nobody else fucks with us. It's complicated. That's one of the reasons why we're looking and trying to get into legitimate business. For one, to wash any of the money from slinging but also so we can go legit fully. That way we don't have to worry about this crap.

Chapter 3: The Meeting

Evan and Tavian make the drive northwest to South Bend. It takes a little over an hour due to traffic and the bad December weather. They're accompanied by their friend Trent Akiyama, Evan's workout buddy and a hulking man who's 6'3" and 250 pounds of nearly pure muscle. Trent has a shaved head and a body full of tattoos. He's become Evan's driver and assistant.

The South Bend Silvers have moved most of their operations to a palatial estate on the outskirts of South Bend. It's a beautiful compound with lots of trees, shrubs, and greenery. It also houses several buildings of various sizes that people live in year-round. They seem to take their security seriously, there's at least four guards on duty at all times, as well as a large variety of members hanging around the grounds. The 20 room mansion Alberto Gonzalez and a few of his captains live in is situated right in the middle of the multi-acre property.

Evan, Tavian, and Trent get out of their vehicle, leaving their guns behind, and come up to the front of the 2 story mansion. There's no ramp so Trent picks up Evan in one arm and his chair in the other and walks up the steps. None of the SBS guys are dumb enough to laugh, at least not to their faces. They go inside and are greeted by Nayoko Nagano. She's more of an accountant for the SBS but she also counsels them on legal matters, as she's in college getting her law degree.

Hello, I trust your trip went well? Nayoko asks, bowing.

Yes. Evan replies, clasping his hands together. Is Alberto ready to see us?

Yes, almost. Nayoko smiles and points to the living area to their right. Please, go sit down and relax and...I'm sorry. Nayoko bows again but Evan waves his hand.

It's fine. Evans wheels into the room, followed by Tavian and Trent.

Yes, I'll come get you when he's ready. Nayoko bows and walks away.

You believe that shit? Tavian mutters under her breath to Evan, who makes a face.

I'm not worried about that, that's...that's just an expression. Evan tells her, checking his watch. It's 10:30 am, just when they told Alberto they'd be there. 15 minutes later and they're still sitting there and Tavian is fuming.

This is bullshit! Tavian spits through clenched teeth.

Yeah, it's your classic power move. Evan nods his head.

We should leave, fuck this guy! Tavian is pacing around now.

We still need to talk to him. Evan calmly states. Finally, after 10 more minutes and Tavian getting even more red-faced, Nayoko comes back into the room.

Alberto's ready for you now. Nayoko says with a smile, pointing behind her to where the meeting room is.

About damn time. Tavian mutters. Evan gestures for her to not be too loud, though he does make a mental note of this insult. Nayoko leads them to the meeting room, where Alberto and 4 of his guys wait. Evan recognizes 2 of them, Jimmy Lips and Randall Owens, but the other two are new.

It's good to see you, my friend. Alberto smiles as he gets up from his seat and walks over to Evan, shaking his hand. How are you?

I'm all right. Evan answers.

Good, good. Alberto says as he walks back to his seat. So, I assume you're here because of the increase? Evan nods yes. "I understand, I understand. And believe me, this isn't something I wanted to do. It's largely out of my hands, though. My suppliers are jacking their prices up on me. In fact, they raised their prices by over 60%. I didn't want to do the same to you