Black Monday (The White Powder Fund)

By Don Swann II

Once a stock trader is burned by the piffalls of Wall Street on Black Monday (1987) Devin makes his triumphant return, creating an agricultural stock giving a return on investment of one's wildest dreams. For which, you may be willing to turn a blind eye, should the truth ever surface...

The secret to Devin's success... The farms are growing coca leaves for his version of the lucrative "under the counter" pharmaceutical trade and the business of cocaine hasn't been better.

Think "Breaking Bad" meets "Wall Street", in this comedic, hard-boiled thriller of a ride, thru the greed and excess that was the 1980s, "Me" generation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen of Tales Publications
• Release date: Dec 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311528179

Don Swann II

Don is an island boy at heart, growing up on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, a former surfer and out doors man, its influence still runs deep in his core. Previously a banker, entrepreneur and coach, now taking aim at writing.Author of the well received novel "Black Monday (The White Powder Fund)" Don is currently working on the finishing touches of "Plight", which is scheduled for a late summer release in 2015, while beginning his follow up to Black Monday.Taking aim at the world of authorship (if that is actually a word?). Ambitious enough to dare not be limited by genre, in an attempt to tell a compelling story, while taking on the challenge of tackling an entirely different audience in the effort of making adults want to turn the page.

Book preview

BLACK MONDAY

The White Powder Fund

By Don Swann II

Copyright © Don Swann II 2014

Rev. 9/2015, 8/2015, 1/2015

Third Edition

Published by Pen of Tales Publications at Smashwords

All Rights Reserved

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2015

ISBN: 9781311528179

Chapter One

When the Rain Stops and the Buckets Empty

Guttenberg is credited with perhaps the most important invention of the last two thousand years, the printing press…

However, the narcissist in me thinks that maybe he gets too much credit for a device that wouldn’t work if it weren’t for the invention of paper, so I think that it’s a tie between the two. Many people believe paper shouldn’t be in the same category, but I respectfully disagree. Would his press have worked out if we were still using rock tablets or lamb and sheep skin?

No, it wouldn’t, there wouldn’t have been convenient, pocket-sized, stone tablet versions of the bible carried around by ministers and Ben Franklin wouldn’t have documented so well his ideas and somehow the Constitution of the United States of America wouldn’t have held up so well, with the rewrites to it, in stone form.

Paper rules our world and we don’t even realize it. It’s used in every aspect of our lives, don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you… the letters of approval or rejection and the bills we don’t want all come in the mail… by paper. The news of the day that conveniently shows up at your door step or at the newsstand is printed on paper.

Our salutations of congratulations and conveying our sorrows for your loss, printed on the greeting cards and the business identity that proudly displays our importance in the world, by title on #20lb card stock and the resume you handed to another company in the hopes of a better job, making more of the point of this conversation all printed on very expensive paper.

That eighty dollar parking ticket that ruined my day yesterday, on carbon copy printed paper. We make it so that we can buy things and yet the same stuff is used to wipe our ass. Want updates at work? It comes on an inter-office memo and your paycheck is also printed on paper, so you can take it to the bank to trade for the monetary equivalent, you guessed it… in paper form... Even when you pay by plastic, you must sign on paper and you need paper to buy more paper!

Our life’s are distinguished in how much of it we have obtained and yet a hoarder is someone who collects too much of the wrong kind. On Wall Street, it can measure the difference between the winner’s and loser’s, judged by how many of those order slips are left in your brokers hands at the end of the day and not on the floor.

This is just me stalling for time in my thoughts, while considering if I should speak during the next uncomfortable pause, or not? Either way, when I’m finished… I have a story to tell you about how a stock broker could start out with the best intentions of making money and fall low enough to climb out from a huge hole and inadvertently create one of the largest illegal, drug related, agricultural stocks ever to trade on Wall Street.

It was never supposed to get this big, nor did I want it to become so popular, but hundreds of millions of dollars were waiving in front of my face and I couldn’t say no. I thought that I could handle it, but it just spiraled out of control. When something this big takes place, it starts to take on a life of itself and to think I only started this business as a way to launder money for special needs clients’ and Black Monday is the story of that journey.

But I guess I really should speak up since it’s what I’m here for…

Hello, my name is Devin Drakes… and I am an addict… pausing as his eyes stared off in the distance while he focuses on an inanimate object while talking to a room filled with strangers willing to listen, in their show of support sitting in a circle as he found the courage to speak candidly, while attending only his third meeting. Devin continues...

I know that for some people their addiction causes them to lie, cheat and steal, but I can’t say that my behavior is caused by my addiction, but I must admit that it’s those three qualities that make me very successful at my job. You see I’m a stock broker and my whole purpose is to help pick the winners and avoid the losers," hoping that at the end of the day, week, month, year, I’m on the side celebrating the most victories.

The stress can be both addictive and exhausting and unlike my comrade’s, I’m not an adrenaline junky and I see them all day long, willing to do dumb or reckless things to keep up that high, even after the closing bell. One day at my tailor’s shop, while I was getting fitted for a new suit, I was introduced to it, but it wasn’t heroine, pills, alcohol, or sex, but I do dabble in the last one as often as I can" (directing his comment at the pretty, twenty something girl, sitting across from him in the circle)

"I’m sorry for bringing that up, it might be a sore subject for a few of us here and that’s not why I am here and I don’t want to break our circle of trust, as it was so well described earlier.

Anyways, I didn’t intend for it to take control of my life, or expenses, but it did." (Clinching his fist and taking a moment to gather his thoughts, while staring at the floor).

Addiction Counselor: It’s alright Devin, there is no judgment in this circle, so take your time and get it out.

Twenty Something Lady Yes, Devin get it all out. (Teasing him, crossing her legs and putting her lipstick on) Large Man sitting next to Devin: You’re almost there man. It starts with admitting the problem and the rest is just realizing the patterns. (Tear running down his cheek, placing his arm on Devin’s shoulder, in support).

Devin: It was a way to celebrate my success and I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but it gives me so much comfort in the way it feels. (As he struggles to hold his emotions together) he continues… almost as if it softly embraces my soul (Closing his eyes, wrapping his arms around his shoulders to convey that initial feeling of euphoria, his addiction gives him, hearing the groans of understanding from the others listening to his confession).

It started out as simple gifts from my tailor; he threw in a few for free when I bought a bunch of suits ‘Here you go, the first one is always free’ He told me. With that devious smile on his face, (pausing, taking a deep breath) "but that bastard knew what he was doing! That he could get me hooked, if I just tried them! It was like fluffy, soft candy, that I’d need more and it was seventy five bucks a pop.

So, I finally took them out of the package and was worried that I needed to be gentle, not to tear them, so I took my time and used the scissors. I remember how it felt for the first time and it was perfect and I was hooked! At first, only when I closed a big deal, or had a great month. Then, it became a good week and later, for having a great day! (Devin pauses, taking another deep breath, exhaling) But it’s become my outlet, when I’ve had a really shitty day!

So I remember it wasn’t but a few minutes after the closing bell… when thinking about it all day and coming to the realization that I could never have enough, because it was now an everyday thing… I had to buy more, so I called him up and asked how late he would be open and he said he was closing early.

I remembered leaving work early, even though the bell hadn’t sounded yet and sped all the way there, arriving just before he was about to close and he wasn’t happy that he had to stay open a few minutes late, but I was a paying customer and he was gonna’ show me what he had! (Angrily pointing his finger at the floor in Etherege). Every time I visited his shop, he would tell me that he had better quality and I’d try it and it was even better than the last.

He had me hooked and walked me over to his secret stash he had in the cabinet drawer, behind the counter and he just had to tease me with such a variety and I knew that I had to have them all, one in every color for each day of the week, so I bought enough to get me thru the week, but then I needed them on weekends and then I wouldn’t have enough for the next week.

It was madness! They were all I thought about when I wasn’t at work, or on a date. I needed fresh one’s every day. So I kept going back and he always had more, but the price went up and soon they were a hundred and ten dollars for a pair, it had gotten out of control and every week he’d call me to let me know that I was the first call, that he had some more in. Thursday I needed that… that fix and I walked into his store, when he showed me his newest arrival, from Afghanistan.

He handed them over knowing I needed, unable to hide it and then he confidently gave me the price. ‘That’ll be Five Hundred and fifty dollars, please.’ I reached for my credit card intending to pay and before I handed it to him, I heard ‘don’t do it.... you’re better than this!’ That’s when I put my card back in my wallet and walked out of the store. I saw the flyer about your meetings on the way home and that afternoon I attended my first meeting and just listened quietly, realizing I wasn’t alone." (Wiping the tears as they uncontrollably fell from his eyes).

The crowd nodding their heads, understanding his struggles, as Devin has the full attention of the room We hear you Devin! A large, bald man speaks out loudly, as the rest of the group positively encourage his admissions, understanding his struggles and the first step to starting down the path of recovery.

Devin: It’s something that I wear every day. He so aptly puts as another seated member: Um Humh! Like a mask. I hear you. feeling his words as testament to addiction and the need to live in two worlds at the same time. I keep telling myself there’s nothing special about that blend! Perceptive of a feeling won’t last! They’re not worth it!!! Raising his voice with his frustrations evident as the room is silent for a moment, before the counselor takes Devin’s elongated pause for being finished, finally taking back the floor to speak once again.

Counselor: We all have a name for our addictions, I don’t know if anyone ever conveyed their addiction, so clearly before, but today you just took a giant step forward. Congratulations Devin. handing a first day sobriety pin to Devin to the welcomed applause of its members.

Afterwards, Devin stood by the snack table enjoying a doughnut in one hand, his eyes on the cookie challenging his will power as the pretty, twenty something girl approaches, with open arms to offer a comforting embrace, taking the moment to whisper in his ear I want you so bad, Devin!

If it seemed inappropriate to disclose a libidos yearning, apparent she was anything but shy, concealed in a show of adoration, as if she were there for other reasons than treatment of her unnamed addiction.

Twenty-Something: Hi. I really liked what you said… the way you opened up and your words were amazing.

Devin: Thanks so much. It was hard, but that feeling of unloading your darkest secrets was a bit scary, but everyone was so welcoming and supportive.

(Twenty-Something walking closer, with shot from shoulder level, both in close proximity)

Twenty-Something: Yeah. My name is Libbi. (She offers with an alluring smile)

Devin: Hi Libbi, I’m Devin, but you already know my story.

Libbi: Hi Devin, anytime you’re feeling vulnerable, call me, okay? Bye.

Raising his eyebrows as she moved in closer for another hug, while