[With that hurdle out of the way without a fuss or more questions, it's easy to move into the business they came here for. It's like watching a prosecutor have to go back to their notes, and that little kick imbues her with an old confidence.
Her gaze is serious. Her tone has the faintest touch of concern.]
And you've been dealing with the cartel throughout that time?
Not really. I only really dealt with one Cartel dude directly, and that was before we hired Saul. It was, uh. It was this guy named Tuco. Tuco Salamanca. We needed somebody who could buy in bulk because we weren't moving product quick enough with just me doin' all the footwork. But he, um. He was a little...much. Liked to get into the product too much. Not that it mattered. He got himself gunned down by the DEA. So we started working the streets again but one of my guys got busted. That's when I hit up Sa--uh--your husband.
[ Jesse lets out a breath, sipping his coffee again before laying his palms flat on the table, smoothing them over the cheap tabletop. That was a lot to admit to at once, but for some reason he's deciding to trust this lady. Jesse's not sure what it is. But he believes the things she's told him, and if she is Saul's wife, then snitching on Jesse would only cause problems for her and her husband, so he figures the information is safe with her.
Plus, it surprisingly feels like a weight off of his shoulders, even disclosing that small amount of information. It takes a toll on you, having to keep everything bottled up and not really having any outside source you can talk about this shit with. Everyone talks about how being a drug dealer is easy money, but nobody talks about how difficult and stressful it really is.
Jesse leans back and moves his hands off of the table when the waitress arrives with the food: a plate stacked high with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage for Jesse, and a small plate of toast for Kim. He watches as the waitress leaves, making sure she's out of earshot before he re-directs his attention to Kim. ]
[Salamanca. It doesn't sit easily; there's a glimmer of fear there, even if the danger is long passed, and there's a flinch in her expression when it sinks in. What would the odds be that it's the same cartel family?
Sitting through the waitress's visit is agonizing, leaving her to try to poker face her way through it. It doesn't go down smoothly. She watches the food for that moment, plate after plate.]
Uh, thank you.
[She's still thinking on where to start when the waitress steps away, but she might as well start somewhere.]
No one from the cartel has followed up? They just dropped a lead on bulk production, just like that?
[ Even with Kim struggling through a poker face, Jesse knows that look of fear anywhere, because it'd be the same look on his face if someone was bringing up the Salamancas to him. It makes him think. What's got her so afraid? What happened the last time Saul had dealings with the cartel? But Jesse bides his time, letting the conversation flow naturally. He doesn't want to spook her. ]
I guess. I couldn't have been the only one selling to Tuco. He had his own production set up in place way before I started sellin' to him. We weren't doing, like, serious bulk or anything. Probably not compared to what he got from all his other sources. That and the only one who knew us was Tuco. Aside from, like, his old-ass uncle I met one time, and he's stuck in a wheelchair. Guy drools on himself and his only form of communication is, like, ringing a bell. So, yeah. I don't think I'll be hearing from the family any time soon. Thankfully.
[ He doesn't think so, anyway. They've been back on track with selling their own stuff, even since Badger getting caught. They just have to be more careful; lesson learned. Jesse stabs a sausage link with his fork and takes a bite, chewing as he thinks things over. At least she isn't judging him. Not like the average person would if he'd told anyone else this. ]
And I haven't heard your husband mention anything about cartel shit, either. I didn't even know he had dealings with 'em back in the day.
[Cooking meth is new, but who would she be, having done what she’s done, have loved who she’s loved, to turn a cold shoulder here? She listens attentively, putting the pieces together. It sounds like a clean enough break, but she knows better than to think it is.
Does this kid have anyone watching over him like they did? Would it matter?
She hasn’t managed a single bite of her toast.]
He wouldn’t touch a Salamanca. [Who is she reassuring, Jesse or herself?] You keep saying “we.” You have a partner in this?
I don't think they'd even know where to find me. I mean, I'm not even sure the old guy knows my name. Even if he did, what's he gonna do? Spell it out in morse code? He definitely doesn't know where I live at. Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if he got picked up by the PD and charged with somethin' himself after they found him where they shot down Tuco.
[ Once upon a time, this whole discussion might have been too much to stomach, but he's slowly becoming conditioned to the constant goings-on of a distributor's life. He has an appetite, for one, and makes quick work of a piece of bacon before he moves on to shovel a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. At least he's feeling polite enough to finish chewing before he talks. Mostly.
And then it comes. Shit. Jesse had hardly even realized how he'd been saying 'we' instead of 'I'. He's so used to talking to Goodman about stuff like this, that it must've just slipped out. He ought to be paying more attention to what he says, but it's not like he can backpedal now. There's no way she wouldn't know he's lying, and if she suspects he's lying, the trust goes out the window, and trust has to flow both ways here for anyone to stay safe. ]
Yeah. I mean, kind of. He just cooks. He's not really involved in the sales-force side of things. Saul knows him, too.
And he's on the same page? Because when it comes to the cartel, "not sure" doesn't really cut it, and a cook is still valuable to them.
[She says it calmly, but it's from a place of disbelief. She'd been sure once. Lalo had been dead, and when that little fiction was corrected, she'd been so sure that he wouldn't be able to approach them without someone watching over them. Now?
She's not sure. She'll never be sure that he's permanently in the rearview mirror. She could make it to her hundredth birthday and the thought might still cross her mind from time to time.
Kim shakes her head suddenly.]
Anything my husband can dig up on his clients and their interests, you have to assume the cartel can know that and more. The kind of money they have, the resources –– it's tenfold.
Yeah. I mean, Tuco was the only threat and he's gone. The cartel's got no reason to come after us. It was the DEA that fucked him over, and I mean, it's not like they don't already have beef with those guys, all things considered.
[ Jesse's just gonna keep the little fact to himself that the DEA agent who shot Tuco also just so happens to be his cook partner's brother-in-law. Yeah, that's definitely information he's keeping tucked close. A need-to-know basis sort of deal. Telling Kim would only make her more nervous and, as calmly as she's trying to speak with him, Jesse can see beyond that. There's a palpable fear in her, particularly when it comes to speaking about the cartel. It makes him wonder what sort of dealings she's had with them. Because this kind of fear only comes with experience. He knows. ]
I just don't see them wasting their resources on us. Like I said, we're small fish compared to the guys Tuco's been dealing with. We're just a two-man team. Worked our asses off just to meet a two-pound per week quota. Look--I'm pretty sure your husband knows what he's doing. He wouldn't work with us if he thought we were gonna crash and burn. He...did mention he might be able to set us up with someone who deals in bulk. But it was just mentioned in passing. We don't have anything concrete set up. It's just me, my partner, and a few street-level guys right now.
[ Jesse's spilling a whole lot more information than he really needs to, but it's nice to get a clear perspective from someone else. Someone who doesn't necessarily have skin in the game, like his partner, but also someone who's connected enough to give him an honest opinion and not threaten to rat on him. Kim seems like the ideal person to tell all of this to, if he's able to tell anyone at all. This is probably the best option. ]
[Jesse's faith in Saul Goodman feels just as bracing as it does frightening. As many times as Jimmy came out on top, it's never been without setbacks, and she's spent enough evenings daubing antiseptic onto cotton pads and watching him slink out the door to tidy up some overlooked mess to know better. Everyone makes mistakes. No one can control all the variables. The moment you think you can, that's what you're most likely to get burned.]
Jesse, maybe you're just two people, and maybe it's just two pounds. For now.
[It feels difficult to conceive of what two pounds even works out to, but money is money.]
But it's not about whether Saul knows what he's doing, or what he's offering. He does. It's that when you deal with the cartel, you've made a choice for life.
[She picks up a piece of toast just to keep her hands from fidgeting.]
We thought that business was done, but it didn't matter. The minute it was convenient for them, the cartel went through us to get to someone we didn't even know. We'll never even know why. [With deepening concern:] Being a small fish doesn't protect you from paying big prices.
[ Jesse has a different perspective. It's usually him and Mr. White making mistakes and getting caught up in the bullshit. Saul's the one they go to when the shit hits the fan. He's the magic man who makes it all go away and cleans their messes up tidily.
Jesse's never seen the other end of things--what happens when shit goes wrong on Saul's end, and it's a good thing he hasn't witnessed that or he'd probably have less faith in the guy than he does. But, per his experience, the guy hasn't steered him wrong yet. ]
Yeah, for now. What, you think every dealer's next move when it comes time to expand is 'hey, let's get involved with some really fucked up guys, and hit up the cartel'? 'Cause, not all of us are that stupid. Not me. I'd rather make money slower slingin' teenths on a corner than deal with any of those psychopaths. Thing is, my partner...he's kind of got a time-limit. So we're seeing how to handle shit right. So we make money at a decent rate. But cartel shit's off the table.
[ Jesse scoops up another mouthful of eggs and then takes another bite of sausage, chewing as he listens to Kim talk. She's nervous. She's way to nervous about all this shit to not know from experience--and then she says it. Not in great detail, but it's made clear that she's been witness to just how ugly the cartel can get.
Jesse almost shudders at the thought, a headache threatening to throb in his temples as he remembers how unpredictable Tuco had been. Laughing and joking one minute, then throwing him through a door and putting a fucking machine gun to the back of his head the next. Jesse swallows thickly, suddenly feeling like he doesn't have much appetite anymore, more pushing the food around his plate now than eating it. ]
So, what, you think they're gonna come after us or some shit? For what? Is there something you know?
I don't know. I haven't talked to a Salamanca since we were told he wasn't going to be a problem anymore. [And thank god for that, but what if Jimmy has? What if he knows?] And I'm sure you know your business inside and out, and you know what the right moves for you and yours are.
[She lays a land on the table. Not reaching for his hand, not exactly, but just to say she's there. She's now as much concerned for him as the rest of them.]
But the cartel doesn't wait for you to go to them. They have wind of you, and they could show up any day to collect. Do you think someone who'd make someone a cook slave would hesitate if they thought there was something to be gained?
Which Salamanca were you dealing with, exactly? 'Cause, like I said, Tuco's in the ground and the old guy in the wheelchair ain't much of a threat. The DEA even brought him into the station and the guy wouldn't roll on me. They're real big on not cooperating with The Fuzz, y'know? Acted like he never seen me before in his life. I'm pretty sure if they were gonna come after me, right after I got released would've been pretty good timing. They knew where I was at and all, but I'm still kickin' around, so maybe they found better shit to do than fuck with the small-time guys like me and my partner. Like I said, we aren't exactly that high up on the chain.
[ Jesse eyes Kim's hand as it comes to rest on the table, his eyes going from her hand, back up to her face. He's trying to read her expression, trying to look between the lines of what she's saying. He can't really understand what her concern is for him. He knows she's worried about her husband obviously, but it seems like there's more to it than just that. ]
No. I mean, no, they wouldn't hesitate. But that's the thing. Like, there's nothin' I can do to stop 'em anyway. If they're coming for me, they're coming for me. I don't exactly got a say in the matter.
[ He lifts a hand to scrub over his face, letting his hand come to rest at the back of his neck; a nervous habit. His blue eyes settle on Kim again, an almost pleading look in them. ]
[What she wouldn't give to exist with even the remotest bit of comfort in the idea that her future is so surely beyond her control, but then again, she was small-time once and she's regretted it every day since. That regret consumes her pause, eats her up while she glances down the aisle of booths. She half expects Mike to be there, his expression stern. Don't.
But she does.]
Lalo Salamanca. He has no qualms about interacting with the police –– he seems to enjoy playing with people, but especially the law. Money is nothing to him, life is nothing to him. It's...
[Twisted. Unnerving.
Kim purses her lips momentarily.]
There is no amount of money in the world that would make it worth it to work with him, or men like him.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zvi
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 03:00 am (UTC)Her gaze is serious. Her tone has the faintest touch of concern.]
And you've been dealing with the cartel throughout that time?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 04:08 am (UTC)[ Jesse lets out a breath, sipping his coffee again before laying his palms flat on the table, smoothing them over the cheap tabletop. That was a lot to admit to at once, but for some reason he's deciding to trust this lady. Jesse's not sure what it is. But he believes the things she's told him, and if she is Saul's wife, then snitching on Jesse would only cause problems for her and her husband, so he figures the information is safe with her.
Plus, it surprisingly feels like a weight off of his shoulders, even disclosing that small amount of information. It takes a toll on you, having to keep everything bottled up and not really having any outside source you can talk about this shit with. Everyone talks about how being a drug dealer is easy money, but nobody talks about how difficult and stressful it really is.
Jesse leans back and moves his hands off of the table when the waitress arrives with the food: a plate stacked high with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage for Jesse, and a small plate of toast for Kim. He watches as the waitress leaves, making sure she's out of earshot before he re-directs his attention to Kim. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 04:37 am (UTC)Sitting through the waitress's visit is agonizing, leaving her to try to poker face her way through it. It doesn't go down smoothly. She watches the food for that moment, plate after plate.]
Uh, thank you.
[She's still thinking on where to start when the waitress steps away, but she might as well start somewhere.]
No one from the cartel has followed up? They just dropped a lead on bulk production, just like that?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 04:51 am (UTC)I guess. I couldn't have been the only one selling to Tuco. He had his own production set up in place way before I started sellin' to him. We weren't doing, like, serious bulk or anything. Probably not compared to what he got from all his other sources. That and the only one who knew us was Tuco. Aside from, like, his old-ass uncle I met one time, and he's stuck in a wheelchair. Guy drools on himself and his only form of communication is, like, ringing a bell. So, yeah. I don't think I'll be hearing from the family any time soon. Thankfully.
[ He doesn't think so, anyway. They've been back on track with selling their own stuff, even since Badger getting caught. They just have to be more careful; lesson learned. Jesse stabs a sausage link with his fork and takes a bite, chewing as he thinks things over. At least she isn't judging him. Not like the average person would if he'd told anyone else this. ]
And I haven't heard your husband mention anything about cartel shit, either. I didn't even know he had dealings with 'em back in the day.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 05:37 am (UTC)Does this kid have anyone watching over him like they did? Would it matter?
She hasn’t managed a single bite of her toast.]
He wouldn’t touch a Salamanca. [Who is she reassuring, Jesse or herself?] You keep saying “we.” You have a partner in this?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 06:05 am (UTC)[ Once upon a time, this whole discussion might have been too much to stomach, but he's slowly becoming conditioned to the constant goings-on of a distributor's life. He has an appetite, for one, and makes quick work of a piece of bacon before he moves on to shovel a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. At least he's feeling polite enough to finish chewing before he talks. Mostly.
And then it comes. Shit. Jesse had hardly even realized how he'd been saying 'we' instead of 'I'. He's so used to talking to Goodman about stuff like this, that it must've just slipped out. He ought to be paying more attention to what he says, but it's not like he can backpedal now. There's no way she wouldn't know he's lying, and if she suspects he's lying, the trust goes out the window, and trust has to flow both ways here for anyone to stay safe. ]
Yeah. I mean, kind of. He just cooks. He's not really involved in the sales-force side of things. Saul knows him, too.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 04:30 pm (UTC)[She says it calmly, but it's from a place of disbelief. She'd been sure once. Lalo had been dead, and when that little fiction was corrected, she'd been so sure that he wouldn't be able to approach them without someone watching over them. Now?
She's not sure. She'll never be sure that he's permanently in the rearview mirror. She could make it to her hundredth birthday and the thought might still cross her mind from time to time.
Kim shakes her head suddenly.]
Anything my husband can dig up on his clients and their interests, you have to assume the cartel can know that and more. The kind of money they have, the resources –– it's tenfold.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 08:35 pm (UTC)[ Jesse's just gonna keep the little fact to himself that the DEA agent who shot Tuco also just so happens to be his cook partner's brother-in-law. Yeah, that's definitely information he's keeping tucked close. A need-to-know basis sort of deal. Telling Kim would only make her more nervous and, as calmly as she's trying to speak with him, Jesse can see beyond that. There's a palpable fear in her, particularly when it comes to speaking about the cartel. It makes him wonder what sort of dealings she's had with them. Because this kind of fear only comes with experience. He knows. ]
I just don't see them wasting their resources on us. Like I said, we're small fish compared to the guys Tuco's been dealing with. We're just a two-man team. Worked our asses off just to meet a two-pound per week quota. Look--I'm pretty sure your husband knows what he's doing. He wouldn't work with us if he thought we were gonna crash and burn. He...did mention he might be able to set us up with someone who deals in bulk. But it was just mentioned in passing. We don't have anything concrete set up. It's just me, my partner, and a few street-level guys right now.
[ Jesse's spilling a whole lot more information than he really needs to, but it's nice to get a clear perspective from someone else. Someone who doesn't necessarily have skin in the game, like his partner, but also someone who's connected enough to give him an honest opinion and not threaten to rat on him. Kim seems like the ideal person to tell all of this to, if he's able to tell anyone at all. This is probably the best option. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-08-07 09:13 pm (UTC)Jesse, maybe you're just two people, and maybe it's just two pounds. For now.
[It feels difficult to conceive of what two pounds even works out to, but money is money.]
But it's not about whether Saul knows what he's doing, or what he's offering. He does. It's that when you deal with the cartel, you've made a choice for life.
[She picks up a piece of toast just to keep her hands from fidgeting.]
We thought that business was done, but it didn't matter. The minute it was convenient for them, the cartel went through us to get to someone we didn't even know. We'll never even know why. [With deepening concern:] Being a small fish doesn't protect you from paying big prices.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-08 05:44 am (UTC)Jesse's never seen the other end of things--what happens when shit goes wrong on Saul's end, and it's a good thing he hasn't witnessed that or he'd probably have less faith in the guy than he does. But, per his experience, the guy hasn't steered him wrong yet. ]
Yeah, for now. What, you think every dealer's next move when it comes time to expand is 'hey, let's get involved with some really fucked up guys, and hit up the cartel'? 'Cause, not all of us are that stupid. Not me. I'd rather make money slower slingin' teenths on a corner than deal with any of those psychopaths. Thing is, my partner...he's kind of got a time-limit. So we're seeing how to handle shit right. So we make money at a decent rate. But cartel shit's off the table.
[ Jesse scoops up another mouthful of eggs and then takes another bite of sausage, chewing as he listens to Kim talk. She's nervous. She's way to nervous about all this shit to not know from experience--and then she says it. Not in great detail, but it's made clear that she's been witness to just how ugly the cartel can get.
Jesse almost shudders at the thought, a headache threatening to throb in his temples as he remembers how unpredictable Tuco had been. Laughing and joking one minute, then throwing him through a door and putting a fucking machine gun to the back of his head the next. Jesse swallows thickly, suddenly feeling like he doesn't have much appetite anymore, more pushing the food around his plate now than eating it. ]
So, what, you think they're gonna come after us or some shit? For what? Is there something you know?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-08 02:05 pm (UTC)[She lays a land on the table. Not reaching for his hand, not exactly, but just to say she's there. She's now as much concerned for him as the rest of them.]
But the cartel doesn't wait for you to go to them. They have wind of you, and they could show up any day to collect. Do you think someone who'd make someone a cook slave would hesitate if they thought there was something to be gained?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-20 08:59 pm (UTC)[ Jesse eyes Kim's hand as it comes to rest on the table, his eyes going from her hand, back up to her face. He's trying to read her expression, trying to look between the lines of what she's saying. He can't really understand what her concern is for him. He knows she's worried about her husband obviously, but it seems like there's more to it than just that. ]
No. I mean, no, they wouldn't hesitate. But that's the thing. Like, there's nothin' I can do to stop 'em anyway. If they're coming for me, they're coming for me. I don't exactly got a say in the matter.
[ He lifts a hand to scrub over his face, letting his hand come to rest at the back of his neck; a nervous habit. His blue eyes settle on Kim again, an almost pleading look in them. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-08-21 12:54 am (UTC)But she does.]
Lalo Salamanca. He has no qualms about interacting with the police –– he seems to enjoy playing with people, but especially the law. Money is nothing to him, life is nothing to him. It's...
[Twisted. Unnerving.
Kim purses her lips momentarily.]
There is no amount of money in the world that would make it worth it to work with him, or men like him.