C17 Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: The Debt (A Past Favor)

**Two Days Later**

**Warehouse 11**

"Gather around, men. The boss wants to have a meeting with us," Fernando announced, marking two days since Vandel's return from his journey.

The men assembled in the main hall, the designated place for their meetings.

"Today is another day in the business as usual. However, it seems that for a while now, we've been lying low and not engaging in any significant transactions or deals. But that's all going to change now. A few days ago, I went on a little trip to finalize all the paperwork and necessary documents for our new business. I'm happy to announce that we can now officially start laundering money both within and outside El Paso," Vandel proclaimed. He paused briefly, letting the news settle before continuing.

"From now on, each and every one of you will need to work extra hard to ensure that every transaction proceeds smoothly and successfully. I expect no mistakes, and I won't tolerate any slacking off from anyone. Is that understood?" Vandel questioned.

"Yes, boss!" The men shouted in unison.

"Very well. You may all return to your posts and commence the necessary preparations for the incoming transactions," Vandel instructed as the men dispersed, heading back to their positions.

"Bryson," Vandel called after Mason as he was about to leave.

"Yes, boss," Mason (Bryson) replied, returning to his position.

"Get ready. We'll be going out in a few minutes," Vandel said without divulging further details about their destination.

"Alright, boss," Mason responded and promptly left to prepare for the unexpected journey.

**One Hour Later**

**Warehouse 14**

After an hour-long drive, they arrived at Warehouse 14. This warehouse was quite different from Warehouse 11. It had more men, and several rooms stored various types of illegal drugs.

"Vandel, it's been a while since your last visit. What brings you here today?" Thiago inquired as he welcomed Vandel into the building.

"Wait here," Vandel instructed Mason before entering the building with Thiago.

Most of Thiago's men were stationed outside the main entrance, with only a few guarding the building's doors, providing Mason an opportunity to discreetly enter. He searched diligently throughout the building until he found a room where two people were engaged in an argument. Mason decided to wait and eavesdrop on their conversation.

"The last drug trade I attended, about two days ago, was a complete success. We supplied a substantial amount of drugs to Don Phillipe, and he paid a small fortune for it. I'll be leaving for another delivery in a few days, and this one will be even larger than the last," Thiago shared.

"That's what I needed to hear. I'm glad the drug business is thriving. However, that's not why I came to see you today," Vandel replied with a serious tone.

"What's the matter? You sound unhappy about something," Thiago observed, adjusting his sitting position.

"While I was on my way back to El Paso, I received a call from Alfonso. He expressed his desire to redistribute the profit percentages among us. He wants to reduce my share of the profits by ten percent because he feels I'm taking the lion's share. Since you're the eldest of the three brothers, I hoped you could discuss this matter with your brothers and persuade them to reconsider Alfonso's proposal," Vandel suggested.

"While you were away, my brothers and I deliberated on the profit distribution issue. We've decided that it's best for our profits to increase, considering we're the ones doing most of the work now," Thiago responded, his face bearing a smug grin.

"What?" Vandel exclaimed, rising in anger. "How dare you conspire against me behind my back? Don't forget, I own this drug business that you're currently managing. Without me, you wouldn't be as wealthy and influential as you are today."

"I hope you also remember that without our connections, you wouldn't have a foothold in the international black market, and you wouldn't be able to launder money from El Paso to the city. We're not asking for all your shares and profits. We're only requesting an increase in our profits. We're not asking for much; we simply want what we rightfully deserve. So, think about it and don't be too hasty to reject the offer. I can see you're not in the mood to talk further. I'll see you later," Thiago concluded, standing up and leaving.

Mason discreetly exited the room and quickly returned to his original position. A few minutes later, Vandel emerged from the building and headed straight to his car.

"Bunch of greedy bastards," Vandel muttered under his breath. "Let's go," he said to Mason as they both got into the car and drove away.

AT THE WAREHOUSE

"Tell Antonio and Miguel to meet me immediately I have something urgent to discuss with them and also and also,tell Fernando to get the men ready cause we need to get down to business immediately". Vandel ordered as he angrily stormed into the main meeting area as Mason hurriedly left to pass the information.

Its said that trust doesn't come with a refill, once its gone you probably won't get it back and if you can,it probably won't be the same and that's a fact. It is important that that for a partnership to be formed between two more people, there has to be complete trust between them, but once this is broken even just a little bit it is almost impossible to fix even after a long period of time.

When we trust someone, we have confidence in them and in their honesty and integrity. We believe that they will do the things they say they will. We recognize their abilities and strengths, and we place our faith in them.

Trust can be a fragile thing, but it is the foundation on which all relationships are built.

Trust is integral to happy and fulfilling relationships, whether they are professional or personal. Without trust, relationships fail because one or both parties feel insecure or let down.

You can do this by being open and transparent in the beginning; being dependable, consistent, and reliable; and taking responsibility when things don’t work out quite how you planned.

Gradually, the trust between Vandel and his partners began to diminish slowly . They had each become blinded by their endless search for more money and power that they forgot the true essence of partnership and that marked the beginning of their inevitable downfall.