The older woman stood in front of the large double window, staring vacantly. Her body was motionless except for a small nod from her head as she listened to the person on the other end of the phone. Even the love birds she kept in a floor to ceiling cage over in the corner of the room were not chirping. They seemed to know there was a bad energy in their normally, sweet owner. They were feeling the calm before the storm.

"Okay, Tony, call your brothers and get over here, now." The older woman, known as GG, by the young, and Queenie by the older ones, spoke sternly before hanging up the phone. She continued to stand and stare out the window another minute before turning and walking briskly to a coffee table next to a large leather chair. Her fingers moved along the underside of the front edge of that table until she found what she was looking for. She heard a soft 'click' and pulled up with her fingers, bringing the top of the table up with them. Inside the hidden space was a 357 magnum, some stacks of hundred dollar bills, and 3 small flip phones. GG reached in and picked up one of the flip phones, quickly opening it and making a call.

"Yes." She stopped briefly as the other person spoke. "I will contact you with the specifics before the nights end." She tossed the flip phone back into the hiding spot and closed the top, hearing another soft 'click' as it latched into place. 

"Ruth." She called out to the maid she knew was just around the corner as she sat on the expensive couch to wait for her family to arrive. "You can go home early, Dear, I won't be needing you this evening." 

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, I'll see you in the morning then." The woman dressed in the black and white uniform spoke from the doorway before getting her purse from the closet and walking to the back of the house and out the service entrance. 

"Yes, Dear, have a lovely night." GG picked up the remote control and turned on the TV until she heard Ruth's car start up and drive off. She turned the TV back off and got up to pour herself a drink from the bar before walking back to the window to watch for her guests to arrive. 

It wasn't long before several cars began pulling up in front of her house. GG watched as the men in her family stepped out of each vehicle, young and old, short and tall, handsome and not, each one climbed out of their cars and walked to the front door. 

"Hi Grandma." The first one through the door was a tall muscular man in his 30's. "What's wrong?" The young man asked as he kissed each of the older woman's cheeks. 

"Hello, Mitchell." She replied, turning her head from side to side to accept his kisses. "Have a seat, sweetheart, I'll tell you all at the same time." 

Once everyone had said hello and poured drinks, they all sat down and waited for GG to speak.  She sat in an armchair, straightened her blazer and started speaking.

"I just got off the phone with Michelle," GG paused to keep the emotion out of her voice before going on. "It appears that HoodRat did not get the message I had you send, Tony." She looked directly at her Nephew. "They sold my grandbabies dope again! Michelle's daughter is in the hospital from an overdose." GG held up her hand to stop Tony from speaking. "I don't care what the reasons are, I don't care about anything except taking down that entire block." 

"Okay, Queenie, what's the plan?" GG's cousin asked right away.

"Robert, do you still have the contact for that Rapper you promoted 3 years ago?" 

"Yes, GG, I do." The youngest man in the group said with a smile starting on his lips.

"Okay, good." She said softly, pausing briefly. "I want you to set up a big party in the empty warehouse on 23rd. Have your contact create a big buzz about it, all over the hood but not publicly. I want it to be by invitation only." She sipped her drink slowly. "And I want you to make sure, make damn sure, that every single one of those drug dealers from Vine to Hollywood St. get their own personal invitations." 

"Okay, GG. When do you want it to be?"

"Make it exactly 1 month from today, Robert. Saturday April 12th." GG looked back at her eldest grandson. "Mitchell, I want you to get Andre to listen for any jibbering that comes up. Starting yesterday." 

"Yes, Ma'am." Mitchell said as he stood up out of his chair, pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and walked out of the room into the hallway.

"This will be an outside team, boys." GG continued after taking another sip from her drink. "There will be no one from our organization even remotely close. Robert, make sure your contact is not aware that this event has anything at all to do with us. You understand me?"

"Yes, GG. I understand. You can count on me, I won't fu...uhm, mess it up." 

"Good, sweetheart." GG smiled. "You'll be using the warehouse that is owned by the state. That's the one in the middle, not either of the 2 on the end. Use the excuse that it has to stay quiet because it's a public building but that no one goes down there to check on it." She paused as the young man nodded. "John, bring in the alcohol and big tubs of ice, don't bring in anything that is connected to us." 

"I'll take care of it, Queenie. You want a hot party scene but don't use the real stuff." The man named John said with a laugh. "Just like the time Granny took care of those Locust that year." 

"Yes, exactly like that, John." GG replied to her brother. "Just like Granny did." She winked at him before standing up. "Okay, boys, you know what has to be done so hop on it."