Ramon, whose street name was Chela, walked quickly down the stairs of the university. All he could think about was the payday he would soon get for stabbing that professor. Ramon had no ill will toward Steve, as he did not even know Steve. It was just a job.
Ramon wanted to become a member of a Calle Ocho gang, a street gang that operated in Miami. The gang primarily sold drugs but was pushed out by the much stronger Mexican cartels. As a result, Cuban gangs turned into hired hitmen and gunrunners. This hit was a chance to join the gang. He could “make his bones” and become a member, following in his older brother’s footsteps, who’d died in a knife fight with a gang from Coconut Grove.
Ramon hastened across the university lawn. A car was waiting for him. His adrenaline was pumping. He ju
