EPISODE 5: THE CYCLE

Night – The Sinclairs

The small apartment was filled with the aroma of home-cooked food as Felix, Mary, Elijah, and Tamika sat around the dining table. The clinking of silverware was the only sound until Elijah’s gaze fixed on Felix, his eyes burning with a silent, simmering rage. The tension was broken when the door opened and Deon stepped in. Mary looked up, her face brightening with a welcoming smile.

“I thought Deon is part of us, right?” Mary asked, looking around the table. “The cycle?”

Everyone managed a smile as Deon took a seat, though Elijah remained stiff, his jaw set tight in frustration.

Six Hours Earlier

Elijah paced the floor of his apartment while Tamika finished getting ready. They were set to meet the Colombian, but Elijah’s mind was elsewhere.

“Where the fuck did you go to this morning?” Elijah snapped, his voice sharp.

Tamika didn't look at him, her fingers fumbling with her jewelry. “My girl... she just needed my help about somethin’,” she muttered nervously.

Across town, Felix stood in the center of Oscar’s opulent mansion. He handed over the cash from the previous night’s sales. Oscar, draped in a silk jumpsuit and surrounded by four women, looked at the money with an amazed grin.

“Aha! Look at the effort on this kid!” Oscar shouted. He turned to his guards and signaled toward the back room. “Give him five more packs. That is three-hundred-fifty kilos total.”

Felix felt the blood drain from his face. “No, Oscar... I won’t be takin’ that much. I can't move that.”

Oscar’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Did you forget about our deal, kid?”

“No, but—”

In one fluid motion, Oscar pulled his chrome pistol and leveled it at Felix’s head. At that exact moment, the heavy double doors swung open. Elijah and Tamika froze in the doorway, their eyes widening in pure shock as they saw Felix standing there at gunpoint. Elijah’s heart nearly stopped.

“I have guests,” Oscar purred, never taking the gun off Felix. “What do you say, kid?”

Felix swallowed hard, nodding in sheer terror. The guards thrust the five packs into his arms, and he bolted out of the mansion without saying a single word to his uncle or Tamika.

Tamika stepped forward, trying to find her voice. “Oscar... this is the man who wants to do business. Elijah.”

Oscar chuckled. “Tamika, baby, your man look serious.”

Elijah stared at the door where Felix had just vanished. “Who’s the kid who just left?”

Oscar whirled around, the gun now pointed directly at Elijah’s nose. “That is none of your fucking business.”

Elijah went still, nodding slowly. “Understood.”

Deon’s Apartment

Felix sat on the edge of the sofa, his head in his hands, his eyes red and teary. He had just finished telling Deon the nightmare that had unfolded at the mansion.

“I’m fucked, man,” Felix choked out, his voice trembling. “What if Unc tells my mama ‘bout this shit? Fuck!” He slammed his fist against his knee in a fit of anger.

Deon stepped up, grabbing Felix by the shoulders. “Sinclair, look at me. You ain’t a kid no more. Either way, your moms gonna find out eventually. But what you need to be worried ‘bout right now is how we gonna move three-hundred-fifty kilos in twenty-four hours!”

Felix looked up, his face pale with fear. He stood up, grabbing the bag. “I’ll talk to Nakia.”

In the Car

Elijah gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white as he drove back from the meeting. Tamika sat beside him, staring out the window.

“Fuck, T! How could you not tell me ‘bout this?” Elijah roared.

“He didn’t mention no Oscar to me!” Tamika shouted back. “He just said some name... Ivy!”

Elijah shook his head, his expression pained. “Not that. How is Felix even in the drug game? If Mary hears ‘bout this, she gonna be shattered. It’ll kill her.”

Nakia’s Office

Felix unzipped the backpack, revealing the five heavy bricks. Nakia leaned back, looking at the haul with a skeptical smirk.

“Boy, you gotta be fucking kidding me to think I can buy all this shit,” she said. “The ones I bought last night ain’t even moved yet.”

“Please, ma’am,” Felix pleaded. “I’ll cut the price for you. Real low.”

Nakia smiled, leaning forward. “Stop callin’ me ma’am. It’s Kia. Look, boy, I’m gonna be honest with you ‘cause of your aunt, but I don’t got the cash for all this. I can manage two bricks.”

“Alright,” Felix said quickly. “But same price as yesterday.”

Nakia’s smirk turned into a sneer. “Fuck that. You said you’d cut the price down. Either do that, or get the fuck on.”

Felix sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Alright. Sure.” He reached for the bag.

“Uh-uh, not so fast,” Nakia interrupted. “Last night I did shit for free. But today? Today you got to pay.”

Felix looked confused. “I... I don’t understand.”

“Today, I’m feelin’ real tired,” Nakia said, stretching out on her bed. “You need to massage me.”

Later That Evening

Felix stepped out of the bar into the cool evening air. Before he could even reach the corner, two men lunged from the shadows. They blindsided him, knocking him to the pavement, and snatched the backpack full of cocaine. Felix sat in the dirt, tears streaming down his face. He scrambled back inside to Nakia’s office, frantic.

“Boy, go find your shit,” Nakia said coldly.

Felix stepped close to her, his voice a broken whisper of fear. “Kia, please. I’ll do whatever you want. I can massage you all day, every day... just give me a fucking name.”

Nakia watched him for a second, then gave a small nod. “They some pocket snatchers. Preach and Rodney.”

Felix lunged forward, hugging Nakia in a blur of fear and gratitude, then turned and ran.

Presently – The Sinclairs

Back at the dining table, the meal was over. Mary stood up, raising her glass. “To this happy and lovely family,” she announced.

“Cheers,” they all chorused, clinking their cups together.

Elijah set his glass down, his eyes locking onto Felix. “Felix, I want to talk to you after this.”

Felix nodded, his stomach doing flips. As soon as the table was cleared, he grabbed his jacket. “Ma, I’m gonna be sleepin’ over at Deon’s tonight.”

He slipped out the door before Elijah could utter another word.

KV’s House

Felix and Deon stood in front of a weathered door. “D, you sure this nigga can help us find and get our stuff back?” Felix asked.

“Yes, don’t worry,” Deon muttered.

They pushed the door open to find a man named Kevin—better known as KV. The room was vibrating with the heavy bass and West Coast rhythm of “California Love” by 2pac. KV was in the middle of the room, mercilessly flogging a woman.

Felix and Deon stood frozen in the doorway, paralyzed by the shock and the raw violence of the scene. KV looked up, seeing them through the haze. A dark smirk crossed his face as he lowered the whip, letting the woman scramble away into the back.

The music pounded on—“California... knows how to party...”—as KV stared them down.

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