Bad Boy Judah

f o u r

I pick up two packs of ramen noodles. It's late and I can't really afford to buy take-out. I stand idly in the small convenience store that's not too far from my dorm. I juggle between beef flavour or chicken. I step over to the drink aisle, figuring that I'll need something to wash down all the salt. One light fixture flickers lamely above my head, which bothers my eyes. I reach for an iced tea.

The old owner sits behind the counter and in front of his tiny 70's looking television that has antennas sticking upright. He quietly watches the news and cashes in a couple of people's speedy purchases. I take a trip to the sunglasses stand and try on a pair. I decide that they're mostly too big for my face after looking into the plastic mirror. I try to think of other things I might need. But the loud news report makes me pause.

The anchor spells, "It has just been reported that organized crime has reached new heights with a $1.2 billion profit margin from illegal drug trafficking this week alone. Police are unable to commence a crackdown on serious gang affiliated groups—Joining me today on the gang discussion is criminal attorney, Will Brian; legal expert, Anne Herring; and crime control analyst, Dave Ire."

I now stare at the TV. I raise the odd sunglasses atop my head for a clearer view. I watch the anchorman turn to his panel. I can't help but listen, as this applies to me. I've been in contact with what I believe is a gang member. Judah. Maybe the severity of all this gang talk will scare me straight and prevent me from thinking about Judah so much. As far as I know, he's who they're talking about.

"Why hasn't the police stepped up to stop these gangs?" asks the anchor.

"Asking that question, Tom, is like asking why can't we breathe in space—It's simply just not possible," Anne lightly chuckles, opening the discussion. "At this level, there is no protocol for authorities to take this on."

"What's important to note is, first, we're not talking about just any gang. We're talking about the two largest gangs in the Western world, in history. The Mafia and the Brag," Will counts on his fingers, shaking his head. "Second, the number of members keeps growing everyday. The scale isn't like it used to be. These people are highly trained criminals across the board."

Anchorman Tom pitches, "The Mafia has been around for decades and decades. But, the Brag is fairly recent. We just started to talk about them only a few years back—how did they become such an empire so fast?"

"They are an empire onto themselves, and they are a rival to the Mafia. From what we've discovered, trafficking is their biggest wheel. They also have spread into business stocks, which solidify their tight grasp on illegal, yet steady, profits," Dave weighs in, "Because of this spread, it's hard to tell who they are. Few arrests have been made, but evidence that confirms criminal activity is just not there."

I frown. Hard to tell? I found one and I wasn't even looking! No wonder these gangs are successful. Police are beyond clueless.

Anne opens her mouth, "These gangs know how to clean up their mess quickly and disappear quickly. They have hands around the globe. What's scary is that they have loyal members who are also in the justice system to help cover up their tracks, which make it a hundred times harder to find these people."

"The police system, what you're saying, is corrupt. So is the bank sector. So is the business sector. These fundamental industries have secret gang members working from within. How can any citizen feel safe? What's going on is that they're unstoppable," Anchorman Tom criticizes.

The three all talk over each other for a minute.

"I wouldn't say that," Dave says, tapping the table with his palm, "I would say that they're good at what they do and it'll just take us more time to destroy this network."