Devante was 14 when he cut his teeth for the criminal world.  He was a runner for the Queen.  She owned a betting policy game that made her 3 million a year.  Back then several betting houses in New York.  He got the job because her husband saw him on the street corner in a fight with two older boys.   Devante was giving them what for, his punches were quick and hard and the fast he punched the hard they were.  Devante never like being picked on nor did he like anyone touching his relatives and these two thought that picking on his older sister while she was walking home from school was a good idea.  

He smashed one of the boys in the head with a garbage can and then again with the lid of that garbage can.  He smiled as he stomped on the kids hand breaking several bones then he went back toward the other boy who was trying to stand after getting kicked a few times where it counts.  This was the boy that his sister hated the most and Devante wanted him to understand that his family was off limits and a message needed to be sent so everyone understands it without confusion.  It was another kick to the boy’s private parts and he dropped like a sack of potatoes.  

Devante pushed him over onto his back as he knelt on his chest punching him in the face.  He punched him so many times that the young man’s face was disfigured.  The nose was broken and so was the jaw and with a swollen face and both eyes closed he looked like he was hit with a baseball bat.  Then Devante went into their pockets and took what little money they had.  He amounted to three bucks and a nickel.  Then with a grin he put the money in his pocket and walked away.  Ms. St Clair husband was a pimp and liked finding young talent.  He had one of his thugs follow the boy and talk with him.  

The young man stopped Devante as he was standing with his friends Bumpy, Beans and Tank.  The young man asked him what was the fight about but Devante just gave a smirk and balled his fist ready to go at the man.  The man smiled and shook his head. He told him that his boss wanted to offer him a job.  Then he told Devante that his name was Quinn.  They shook hands and Devante followed the man with his friends in tow.  The man told Devante one one was going to get a job.  Devante smiled and looked at them and to the man they work for him and what he makes they get a piece.   

Ed smiled when he saw Devante but then questioned about the others.  Devante told him that they were his posse and they followed him.  Ed sat Devante down and told him that he wanted him to work for him.  Protection for his girls.  Devante declined and told him he wanted to make money faster, he wanted to be a runner.  Ed smiled and told him he would do both.  Devante agreed with a slight twist.  Any one that touched his girls he would deal with but that would be at a higher cost.  The running he would do like the older kids.  Ed agreed and asked what was it about pimping he didn’t like.  Devante told him that he didn’t like forcing girls to give up their bodies nor did he like slapping them around when they didn’t make enough.  Ed told him to man up that the price of doing business.  Devante looked at him and nodded but deep inside he knew that he wanted to see exactly how he ran the numbers racket so he could do in in another state.

Three months had past and Devante was about to celebrating his 15th birthday after he dropped off his collections from his run.  He was two blocks away from Madam St Clair’s bank to verify that the numbers were placed and the count was correct.  He was happy until he got punched in the jaw and his bag taken.  As he tried to stand he felt his ribs as a foot smashed into his rib cage.  Then he was rolled over as a man stood over him.  Then the man bent down and started punching Devante in the face.  After a few minutes he stopped and they took the cash and left the bag with the betting slips.  Devante slowly made it to his feet but they were gone.  He grabbed the bag with the betting slips.  

He made it to the house and was helped in as he explained what happen.  The Queen was upset as the count was now six hundred dollars short.  She was yelling and slamming things down on the table.  Devante looked over at Sosa and whispered to him and Sosa was off like a shot.  Devante was holding his ribs as a doctor finally came to look at his wounds.   He cleaned Devante up.  He had a black eye, broken nose and both lips swollen.  He had four broken ribs and all the doctor could do was bandage him up and give him some pain pills.  The Queen paid the doctor and as the doctor was leaving Sosa entered the room and attempted to hand Devante the envelope.  He shook his head no and told Sosa to pay the Queen six hundred and fifty dollars.  

The Queen looked at Sosa and asked where did he get that money.  He told her that Devante saved his money to ensure if something like this ever happened he would cover the loss.  Then he told her that Devante will get his money back from the two men that ripped him off and worked him over.  The Queen took the money and gave it to the accountant.  Devante was helped home by his pals as he explained where to find one of the men but he needed time to recover.  Sosa and Victor made his runs for the following two weeks.  Beans and Keith kept tabs on the man Devante named as one of the culperates that beat him down.  When he was ready he got dressed and loaded.  

Devante waited until nightfall and then he met with his friends outside the house of his target.  They came in through a window.  The man was eating dinner in his kitchen with the radio on.  Victor and Keith stood at the back door.  Beans and Carlos at the front door.  Sosa was with Devante slowly walking up the basement steps.  Then they opened the door looking at the man eating.  Sosa hit him in the back of the head with a pipe as Devante opened the back door letting Victor and Keith in.  He had Keith go open the front door to let Carlos and Beans in.  Devante sat in the man’s chair as Sosa and Victor beat on the man with pipes.  After a good two minutes Devante raised his hand for them to stop.  Then he asked for his money.  The man told him to go get bent.  

Devante smiled and gave a nod and the beating continued for another two minutes and repeated that routine several times.  Then the man pointed to the cabinet and Keith looked and found a can with two hundred dollars as Carlos came out the bedroom with a pound of heroin.  Devante now had more than what was taken and then the beating started again as Devante wanted the whereabouts of his partner.  The man gave him up much faster than he did the loot.  Then they sat the man in a chair and taped him to it.   Beans then poured gasoline on him as he tried to beg for forgiveness from Devante.  Devante looked at him and said that he was forgiven but he couldn’t spare a fool for not knowing who not to fuck with.  Then he set the man and his house on fire.  

They went to the second home, but he wasn’t there.  They waited inside until he came in drunk.  Keith did the honors with a baseball bat.  They had already found the pound of heroin he had and eight hundred dollars.  Keith finished the job Devante didn't even say a word.  The man never even looked up after the first connection with the bat to the back of his head.  Beans wiped everything down and the young men went home.  Victor and Sosa moved the smack on the streets in less than a week.   He was learning fast.