CHAPTER 26
Five families controlled suburban Miami; The Swiss, Valdez, Monterey, Nelson and the Smith. These were the founding members. They were rich, powerful and highly connected. The Valdez were into Estate management. Most of the buildings in the suburbs were built by them. They leased out, sell and mortgage them for public use. They also owned the widely used commercial bank, with the Swiss being the majority shareholder. Their connections went beyond the suburbs. They had powerful allies within and outside the state.
The Smiths were an organized corporate body. A little too organized. Their companies and deals were very well managed that when you wouldn't think they were into anything illegal. But on a closer look, you will start to notice the discrepancies. The overdressed hefty men in the pubs. The excessive extras on security. Restricted bars and limited access to some of their facilities. And then there were the exotic cars they drove. That alone was a clue into some other businesses the family did underground. They owned pubs, bars, gaming houses, liquor businesses, bets and pools. Yes, the Smiths were corporate criminals. A lot of shady deals went on in their pubs and bars. But they were smart too. They've never being caught.
The Monterey, on their part, were drug lords; Dangerous and feared. Though they had legal businesses here and there in the country, their money came from their hard drugs. Unlike the Smiths, they have no fear of showing their dirty hands. They were known to be hot-blooded and not scared to shed blood in broad daylight. They were always in possession of strange ammunitions. Now and then, the law catches up with them, but nothing solid ever holds. In court cases involving them, victims have disappeared or died in mysterious ways. Everybody avoided the Monterey.
The Nelsons were also equally powerful allies. They owned coffee shops, Cafes and commercial offices in the suburb. Unlike the other families, they were the quiet ones. Also rich and influential but not like the others. In the years that settlers have settled in Miami, there has never been any incident involving them. Perhaps that was a mistake. If there had been, the residents would have discovered that these quiet members were related to another drug cartel on the outskirt of suburban Miami.
For power to be restored in the city, a balance needed to be put in place. The Swiss held this power. Power in suburban Miami was balanced using the law. And though the Swiss held power, it wasn't strange to hear of occasional sabotage. It was not unusual to have a fall between two families. The cases were settled in court. But most times, things go south. Victims disappear, never to be seen. Some found dead. And most times, an incidence like this happened when the case involved a Monterey. Once in a while, dead bodies were found shot, decapitated, maimed and dumped in hidden corners of the county. Sometimes the culprit was apprehended. Sometimes, the culprit is sentenced to death or jailed. At times the prosecution isn't smooth. Victims end up dying in some cases. Still, the Swiss did their best to serve the country.
To stay safe and maintain peace, the Swiss were rumored to run under thugs that did the dirty work. It wasn't ascertained. It was mere speculations which the family refused to say anything about to the public. The legal system in Miami was unlike now, where everyone has a good idea of what the law says. Then, the presiding judge ruled as he or she deems, which was why the thugs could have been a problem now. But then, no one minds; as long as the intention was pure, all was fair in cooking and in battle, until some couple of years ago when a really dangerous incident happened that threatened the peace of Miami and the five founding families. A daughter of the Nelsons was found dead and dumped in front of her father's house in the most despicable manner. And the one's quiet family in Miami showed their true color.
Witnesses claimed the young lady dated a Monterey boy. It was only right that the primary suspect was the Monterey boyfriend. The Swiss sent their thugs to sniff around. As expected, the Monterey boy was placed at the murder scene at the time of the murder. Though the CCTV was tampered with, they had their way. The buried murder weapon was also unearthed, and his prints were all over it. As it happened, the Nelson girl was at the wrong place at the wrong time. She had witnessed something she wasn't to live to tell. Everything was in place: the murder scene, the victim, the motive. Everything but one! No witness wanted to step out for fear of what the Monterey would do to them. Heck, they just murdered a supposed future spouse. The frustrated judge knew the implication of that. It was looking like it again. The Monterey was going to get away with yet another murder. But the Nelsons wouldn't hear of it. They were ready for war. Their allies were beginning to troop into the country, ready for war. The Swiss was in a dilemma on how to solve the case with no witness stepping forward.
Then, at the brink of open war, a witness stepped forward. The witness, a young boy, had strong evidence that could nail the Monterey. The salvaged CCTV recording placed him just a few miles away from the real murder scene. He had a direct view into what had happened that night. It was a closed deal. But his mother was scared. She requested that her child be put under witness protection to stand against the Monterey in court. The Swiss agreed, and the Nelsons were in full support. And so the prosecution started. From the moment the case was opened, it was evident that the Monterey boy was going to jail. So, they tried what they always do; take out the witness. It wasn't the first. They had done it severally. But what made Robert Swiss angry and why he chose to deal with the Monterey was how they forced his hands with how they executed the witness.
Typically, witnesses were taken to a secured location until court started. But no one could be trusted. Barbers, supposed neighbors, thugs, even Police officers were on the Monterey's payroll. The location had to be changed almost every day. Nobody except a few could tell where the witness would spend the night. The Monterey had no way to keep a tab on him. All attempt was futile. They were always too late and leaving dead innocent bodies in their wake. Once, they had come close to almost shooting the boy who was being moved to another location when the lawyer realized there had been a compromise. He noticed the officer on the last duty was receiving a dodged call and quickly alerted the judge. The officer was immediately arrested, and the location was changed.
