Tatsu - The Threat

Chapter 19 - The Empire Grows

Revolutionizing the money laundering industry turned out to be extremely hectic and stressful. Anxiety would become so general at times for Brian that he would not be able to pinpoint what was causing his uneasiness.

Success can be such a curse sometimes. Long work shifts, four hours of sleep, bad eating habits, and high stress destroy the health people have to get what they want. Brian was not the exception. He had peace once, his mind was clear. His conscience was quiet. He let his own warped desires lead him to walk in the darkness. His ambition, his pain and his insecurity overshadowed what he had already attained. All he wanted was to be American and buy his mom a damn house. It would not be ironic to one day hear Brian say he liked the good old days more. The times when he ate bologna sandwiches and had a thick accent, but he was a good son, a good student and the hero at The Projects.

A phrase often said is that money changes people, but Brian was already changed since he was kid. And now that he had money, his desire to feel in control intensified. Brian's heart and focus began to deviate from what Mr. Walker envisioned with this powerful business.

HEG owned several old abandoned warehouses and Brian selected the perfect one to transform into and state of the art gym with a huge dojo, basketball court, Spa and an assortment of weights and workout equipment. This became his private space where he escaped the pressures of building an empire. He adored the place, but had developed a harsh sense of loneliness. He felt a sudden need to reconnect with friends so he called Red, Rasta, Sho and Smokey. The guys where there for him unconditionally. They were the ones who helped him from the start. They helped build the storage facilities that now stored billions. It was them who hustled to get the best deals with construction companies while Brian spent his time helping Mr. Walker. They worked around the clock for Brian with the promise of rising to the top with him and Mr. Walker. But Brian never come through. He kept them far away and paid them ordinary salaries.

Now he needed them again and had the audacity to call them and they came to his rescue once again, to their beloved Brian.

What Brian basically needed at this point was distraction. Senseless conversation and unmeasured laughter with his young friends would certainly help lower his stress levels. But after a few weeks that was not enough. Brian had an empire now and he needed the entertainment of an emperor. His hardening soul needed to see beyond the dead end of his kegare. Infected by his own corroding tsumi. Brian read books about emperors to learn to be one and he was fascinated by Emperor Vespasian's story. So much that he named his gym "The Colosseum".

His young energy in company of his four old friends led plan an event of leisure like no other. The kind that only a criminal tycoon could pull off. Behind Mr. Walker's back, Brian planned and organized one of the bloodiest gladiatorial combat shows of modern times. His business partners and customers knew wicked souls from the darkest corners of the earth so the show seemed very promising and lucrative. The invitation was extended to all who would be willing to battle to the death. Gladiators, men and women, soon began enrolling driven by their ambition. Others were signing up to fight out of debt to their own demons. But there was one among them who registered who was going to participate just because he was the darkness. His name was Beelzebub.

Brian's had plenty of support from partners who assisted in devising a complex betting system with a level of secrecy unmatched even by the federal government. A great plan indeed. Human kind has loved violence since its beginning. Folks seek pleasure in making dogs and roosters fight. They enjoy stabbing a bull to death. We, the people, enjoy watching two men or women beat the blood out of each other as a sport. But the harsh truth is that if it was still legal, people of all races would love to watch two human beings kill each other in a ring. They have before. And powerful person like Brian, could make this happen. That's the way life works for the rich and powerful. They get away with murder.