Classifieds.

Message Received.

It's been a few weeks since the incident at the mansion. Denise had heard through the grapevine that McNulty's guys have been seething about what happened, but he wanted a meeting with the head honcho of this new organisation. Denise had heard from people in the legal profession, that McNulty doesn't take things lying down and for him not to retaliate with force, has shown he's weak, this type of violence is something that even he hasn't dealt out to his enemies and as far as they were concerned, he's a dangerous man.

Denise agreed to a meeting, but with conditions set, the meeting is in a public place and he must come alone, like she will. Frank for the first time since he began his illicit business, plans to go anywhere without a minder. Denise had a plan, she didn't want to turn up as a female, as McNulty has a history of trafficking of women.

Loretta told her that she has a diploma that she's only ever used once and it was in make up, she can create silicone prosthetics to make her look like a man. Denise tells her it's the perfect idea, that if this works, she will take her away for a few weeks to celebrate as they've been working so hard they have hardly touched each other.

Loretta made the prosthetics, she applied them to Denise's face, she wrapped her chest, she even made a fake penis that would sit like every man's does in his underwear. Denise had the gift of being tall and athletic too, she was muscular due to working on the farm, Loretta even gave her a fake sleeve of tattoos, once finished she looked, walked and talked like a man.

Loretta asked her why did she want to meet him as a man, is it because she thinks women fail in this business?

Denise laughs, "have you ever heard of the Black Widow? The Colombian Narco that built half of Miami?"

Loretta replies, "oh, I think I have, I watched a program on her."

Denise says, "it's not that I don't want him seeing that I'm a woman, I don't  want him knowing my identity at all. Maybe when I'm more powerful and I've a decent territory, I'll tell him, until then he has to earn my trust."

Loretta replies, "that makes sense." The meeting is planned for a few hours time, Denise has to get out of the mansion and to the main road unseen. McNulty could have men waiting to take her out, they'll have learned from the last time not to venture onto the property. The grounds were vast, but at the edge of the property was a path, it lead through a short bit of brush, the car was placed about one hundred metres from it by Gus.

Denise had Loretta implant a tracker in the back of her neck in case the meeting went sideways. Denise gets into the car and drives towards the mutually decided meeting point. As Denise exits the car, she looks around and doesn't see anyone, she looks straight ahead to the window of the little cafe, McNulty was sat drinking coffee at the window, he didn't see her coming, Denise opens the door and the little bell rings, the pair had a code word, as soon as she was to enter the cafe, she was to ask for a dark roast Colombian coffee, it's where he would recognise her.

Denise ordered the coffee and sits at the table adjacent to Frank's, they make eye contact and he says, "come and sit here, I won't bite."

Denise sits at the corner of the table, legs spread, acting and really passing off for a man as many of the female staff were looking at her blushing as they did.

Denise's nerves slipped away, she looks at Frank and says, "you wanted me here, but you're not very talkative?"

Frank replies, "I'm just looking at you, you remind me of someone but I can't place where?"

Denise had read he had been in a prison where she had clients, he was in the court room when she was defending clients and she says, "might've been in jail? Was in there quite a few times?"

Frank looks at her and says, "someone that's been in jail, when I was in jail and lives in a huge mansion, is someone I'd remember?"

Denise laughs, "not being funny, but you certainly don't have a face that's memorable."

Frank looks at her and says, "touché, let's get this business sorted out then?"

Denise replies, "that's what we're here for init?"

Frank says, "that was cruel what your organisation did to Terry, he was a good kid, he was there on my orders, then two taken out by arrows to their heads. If you want to continue doing business. I have to say something first, as much as they were my guys, I like your no shit attitude but those lads families need restitution, secondly, I would like to know your name a first name will do?"

Denise replies, "I'm Dennis, I prefer Den though. As for your guys, they were trespassing, trying to kill me, I'm giving no restitutions to anyone, the country is free, there's enough people to feed our wares to, we can work alongside each other or continue killing each other? You choose?"

McNulty wasn't expecting that, he looks at her deeply then says, "ok Den, you want to work alongside me and everyone else's toes you've stepped on and not expect repercussions?"

Denise looks at him sternly, then whispers, "i know all about you McNulty, right down to your granny, the woman in the hospice, a five minute drive from here, you've three young kids and a wife that knows nothing of your dealings. So, if you want to get tough, then I'd suggest you get them all protected now."

Frank begins to sweat, he's getting frustrated then he says, "it seems you've done your homework and you're right to, I tried to on you, but came up empty, but I don't want my family to hear a whisper about this life, if we can work together without bloodshed, then all the better? You can have the south east, I'll remain in the south west? Your message has been received."

Denise has him right where she wants him, cornered with no place to go, she hit his weak spot and his Achilles heel and that's his family. Denise finally has the territory she has always wanted. Once the formal meeting was over, they drank some tea and set out a plan on what shipments can be passed through each area.

Denise tells him that anything but weed can go through hers, he replies, "if you can continue with that coke you get, it can go through my area, it seems it sold better than mine?"

Denise tells him that she can get tonnes of it, but of course he has to come up with transportation costs if he wants it? Frank thinks and tells her that he'll pay 35% of the transportation costs.

Then Frank throws her a curveball, he asks her, "where do you get that weed from?"

Denise says, "a private source, it's the best shit on the market."

Frank agrees, he tells her that the weed she sells is the best he's ever came across in his life. The two round up their meeting and as they're about to leave, she tells Frank to keep his men away from her house otherwise he'll be getting a home visit himself.

Frank says, "it'll stop after today, I'll pay those families myself, after all the blood is on my hands, I shouldn't have sent them there."

Denise replies, "no you shouldn't have, a quick phone call as the house phone is in the phone book and we would've had this dealt with."

Frank nods his head in agreement and leaves the cafe. Denise finally has her own territory, Frank used to run the entire south, it's now split in two.