Free Tracking Shadows (Shadows of Justice 4) by Regan Black Page B

burned out slice of Chicago.
    He forced his thoughts back to the grunt work and details that kept his girls and the rest of the team safe. The cigarette delivery out of Canada had been uneventful and he contacted the new supplier to arrange another pick up. He ordered the same amount, but he'd see how Ben and Darlene managed without him.
    He issued those assignments and reviewed the latest numbers from his legitimate operations. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he switched on the news again.
    Keeping up with the government antics and posturing had kept him in business for more years than he'd thought to enjoy in such a cut throat industry. While his street rep was frightful it kept the truth safe. Other crime bosses might deal in hard liquor and real drugs, but he'd found a broader customer base in the general population jonesing for fully caffeinated coffee. And since, contrary to government propaganda, coffee didn't actually kill anyone, his clients weren't dying after a few weeks on the product. His customers, in turn, were more than happy to keep his secrets.
    He hoped the government never repealed the stupid caffeine laws. Sugar and nicotine were all right, but coffee was his gold mine.
    He crunched numbers in the supply chain, adjusting his orders for the coming month. He reviewed recent deliveries, mules, and routes. Smiling to himself, he wondered how people would react if they knew how he managed the scope of his operation.
    The smile soon faded as he looked over personnel and adjusted his security teams to give the girls and incoming shipments more protection. He would not have a repeat of Sis. Knowing it was an illogical reaction didn't make it less real. Whoever was gunning for him was one of a very small group who knew the truth about his past. Just one of the reasons he made such a concerted effort not to be connected to any of his mules. To any one , for that matter.
    The thought sent him careening back to high school, to those simple days when natural sugar was his only product. Days when his personal high came from a few minutes alone with Trina Durham by the gym. She'd kill him if she knew he remembered her that way, but it had been such a struggle to be only her friend when he wanted to dive into her and never come up for air.
    Then any possible chance went up in flames with that god-awful explosion.
    Micky longed for Sis to pull him out of this horrendous melancholy. He'd made a habit, a life really, of looking to the future while taking care of the present and forgetting everything ugly about the past.
    Sure he appreciated the valuable resources and lessons of recent and distant history, but he never wallowed in it. Not like this.
    His grandmother had taught him how to shift his focus in challenging times by turning his attention to others when he got too absorbed with his own interests. Putting her advice into action, he left his office and headed out to check on the girls who called this warehouse complex home. It always soothed him to see them relaxed and content after the tough circumstances most of them had escaped by joining his team.
    That team spirit was what the Gypsy Smith march had taught his many greats-grandmother way back when the old district was full up with gaming halls, opium dens, and brothels like her own. Options, choices, and dignity mattered to the people who worked in any business. That wise woman had listened to the evangelist's message, but she'd taken away a very different idea of what and who to reform. Her reorganized business model had trickled down through the generations and her ideals helped Micky capitalize on his opportunities, expanding his network and territories.
    He headed up the stairs to the sugar packaging room. The four girls currently assigned to the task were chatting up a storm and more than willing to include him. Micky exchanged a few pleasantries, confirmed they were all well, and evaded the questions about Sis. Word had gone around quick enough about her