The Pincers gang always had a place and unique position in Slough. There was a reason as to why the other gangs hadn’t wanted to touch their toes, and it was because of their special relationships they had. Not just with those within Slough but also those outside of it.
Which is why, even though it had only been a few hours, one afternoon and evening, since their demise, the news had spread like wildfire. It didn't help with the drastic actions the Howlers gang had taken, and those who had decided to leave the Pincers had made sure to let everyone know why they were disappointed with Olivia Pearl.
The Pincers also told their contacts and their workers involved in trafficking that they would no longer be needed and involved in such a thing. The whole reason for this… was the gang known as the Howlers.
“Ha!” Brandon couldn’t help but laugh. The two leaders of the Grey Elephants were once again in the warehouse, in a special office placed in the top corner just for them. The matter they had just been discussing were all the rumours that had gone on about this new gang.
“Have you heard the ridiculous claims that have been coming out from their mouths? They say that it was only five teenagers who had come to take over the entire place. If they want to make it sound believable, they should at least say that Jayden Tiger was with them.”
The event that happened not too long ago was still fresh in Brandon’s mind. In fact, Raven had been forced to listen to his old friend talk about it non-stop since they came back, whether they should have attempted to take out the Altered there and then. However, they both seemed aware of what the result would have been if they had attempted that.
“However, we don’t have the time to care about them.” Brandon continued. “That bastard from the Phoenix gang contacted me yesterday. He told me that he would come over in a week or so, and if we couldn’t show him any results, he would just get rid of the Grey Elephants and Underdogs altogether.
“While I doubt that he can do that without any repercussions from the other Kings, I’m afraid nothing good will come out of antagonising him.” Taking a puff of his large cigar, it was clear that Brandon was quite worried. “So, any bright ideas?”
“Only a skeleton crew is left after the stunt Riv has pulled, and the grey colour gang isn’t faring much better. While we put Buffin in charge of what’s left of both gangs, they’re just a shadow of their former self. The only silver lining is that the black colour gang is in a similar situation, still recovering from the attack that day.
“In other words, it’s basically us against the Underdogs… who still outnumber us, mind you. Not to mention they have that Altered on their side.” Raven let out a deep sigh. “In summary, if we declare war on them on our own, the best we can hope for is to inflict as much damage as possible. That also seems to be the only reason why Damion hasn’t come out to attack us himself.
“Our only choice seems to be to get one of the smaller gangs on our side for support. The problem is, they’re all on the fence about joining either side… and you don’t need me to tell you that they just use that as an excuse to gobble up the loser's territory.”
“So what? You are suggesting we approach these Howlers to help us?” Brandon scoffed at the idea.
“Rumours or not, Olivia Pearl has started spreading the news that they’ve been taken over. That woman might be ambitious, but she’s also someone who understands the pecking order. I can’t really imagine that to be some ploy of hers. Anyway, unless you have a better idea, we should at least make sure that they won’t end up helping the Underdogs.” Raven folded his arms as he leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
“You seem overly interested in those Howlers. Tell me, is that because you think it’s the best for the Grey Elephants… or is this somehow related to your personal matter? I thought you would have dealt with it by now…”
“No.” Raven replied immediately, clearly annoyed. The Howlers were a mysterious gang that seemed to have come out of nowhere, so he knew as little about them as everyone else. “I have a lead, and I'm just biding my time till the lead feels safe, and eventually I will use her again. I only have a name and a school to go on, and after what those red idiots did, it’s not like I can just come barging in, now can I?
“All of my actions have reasons behind them, even if others think they are a bit over the top, but at least I got good results because of it. This time, I need to make sure I have the right person, and when I do, I’ll crush him slowly.”
The smile on Raven's face reminded Brandon why he had teamed up with him and Yovan when creating the Grey Elephants in the first place. The two of them knew that many of them felt like Brandon was the real leader of the Grey Elephants, even though the three of them were supposed to be equal heads of the gang.
However, all gangs started from somewhere, and so Brandon was acting as the brawn to Raven’s brain. Unfortunately, Yovan was no longer with them. He had been the glue that held both sides together, acting as the middleman when the two of them would butt heads, which wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence. They had to use their smarts to rise to the position they were in, and Brandon could tell he had a plan set up for whoever had messed with him.
“Well, since you seem to have put your personal life on hold, I actually have a plan on how we can utilise the resources that Phoenix bastard gave us without losing more of our own men in the process. That little experiment of yours worked out in our favour. Let's just say it's a good thing we still have plenty of that liquid left.”