Justus and Panee stole away behind the staircase at the end of the hallway. Once they were alone, Justus slammed Panee against the wall.
“I can’t believe you trying to play me, gurl!”
“Jus, what are you talking about? We were just talking.”
“Talking my ass!” Justus exploded. “I stood there and watched you kee-keeing all up in that nigga face.”
“You are really tripping,” Panee mumbled angrily. “You just can’t wait to fly off the handle like some Neanderthal.” She tried to turn away, but Justus spun her back around.
“You see me fuckin’ talking to you. Don’t play wit’ me dawg.”
Panee had enough. “Oh, you mad now? Justus is upset. What’s new?” She asked herself. “Do I get upset when all of those hood rats are in your face, Mr. Basketball? And I know for a fact that you are fucking them!”
“Don’t try to change the subject.”
“This is the subject!”
“No, it’s not!!”
“Yes, it is!!!”
“A’ight gurl, I’m serious now,” Justus warned.
“I’m for real too, Jus. You know what? Maybe we should take a break from each other because this is not going anywhere.”
“What?” Damn, Justus did not expect this.
“Y-yo, what you saying? You wanna break up ’cause of a little argument? We’ve argued before.”
Panee exhaled, “I know, but it’s more than that. I mean, we’re graduating soon. I’m going to college. You’re going to be working with your dad. How could this work?” She asked, practically begging for a solution. Justus, finally realizing the seriousness of the situation, couldn’t offer one. He couldn’t believe his P.Y.T. was breaking up with him. Imagine that?
“So when were you going to tell me this?” Justus asked, stalling for time.
“I’ve been feeling this way for quite some time now. You’re just always too busy to talk. If you want, we can talk some more tonight. I have to go to class now.”
Justus slowly shook his head, “Nah, tonight’s no good for me. I gotta help my cousin, Pug, with something.”
“Pug? When he get out?”
“The other day.”
“Well, can’t he get somebody else to help him?” Panee snapped.
“I gave him my word.”
“So now you a man of your word?”
“What?” He couldn’t believe she was coming at him like that! “Look, I see you had your little moment of clarity or whatever. Even though I wasn’t consulted, it’s obvious your mind is made up so . . .”
“Jus wait! Don’t walk away. Please?”
Justus spun around to face her. “Why? It’s obvious there’s nothing more to say here.”
“It’s not like that.”
“What’s it like then?”
Panee dropped her head. “We’re just too different,” she whispered. “We’re going in two different directions.”
This time when Justus walked away, he didn’t turn back when Panee called out to him. Instead he focused on the future. Maybe this was for the best, he thought. 71st had no shortage of honies. Different nationalities too. Puerto Ricans, Vietnamese, Filipinas, Germans, Mexicans. And a heavy mixture of everything in between, courtesy of Fort Bragg. As a single man Justus was free to explore with his remaining time at 71st.
Also on Justus’s mind was Nikki. He could tell he had struck a nerve with her that night. She had been the object of his affection since he was a child. Now he was finally beginning to convince her to see him as a man. Justus felt if he could bag Nikki, then fuck Panee! Nikki was a WOMAN.
Leader had always taught Justus that when one door closed another opened. Maybe this was for the best. Justus knew Pug could help put him in the car with Nikki, and he had every intention of approaching him with the idea later that night.
That was his intention anyway.
Chapter 4
Leader stared back at the bald-faced man in the mirror, pleased at what he saw. He had taken the liberty to shave his entire body again once he settled into his hotel room. Then he began the arduous task of applying electrical tape to his limbs, all the way from his hands up to his shoulders. Then from his knees down to his toes.
This was his way.
Law enforcement held a theory that proved true 99.9% of the time. This was that for every murder committed, two things held true for the crime scene: the assailant always brought something foreign to the scene, and the assailant always took something away from the scene. These “things” accounted for the majority of clues found in homicide cases.
Leader had full knowledge of this theory, so he sought to use it to his advantage, minimizing anything that could be left to implicate him. In most cases, hair or blood would be extracted from the crime scene, allowing investigators to draw a DNA sample. To combat this, Leader shaved his entire body bald minutes before he went out on a job. He would then tape his limbs with thick electrical tape just in case a struggle ensued, the victim would not have any of his skin underneath their fingertips.
No hair deposited. No blood extracted. No DNA. The battle was halfway won.
For the second part of the theory, Leader would manipulate the crime scene. For instance, he would wear either bigger or smaller shoes to imprint the crime scene. He would walk extra heavy or light to simulate a different weight distribution on the ground. He would walk very erect or slouched over to appear taller or shorter. This would derail any would-be witnesses that he couldn’t get to himself. Sometimes he would set the crime scene ablaze or simply blow it up. After a job was completed, he would find a remote location (sometimes in another state) to burn his clothing. He would then stuff the ashes in a bag and flush them down a toilet.
Whatever the situation called for, Leader would handle it in the most professional manner, for he was nothing if not swift and interchangeable.
Satisfied with his appearance, Leader pulled himself away from the mirror to get dressed. On the bed lay a Gary, Indiana police uniform replica, complete with badge, gun, and cap. The only thing different about his uniform was the long sleeves, but this would not pose a problem. Most people didn’t give policemen the twice-over to critique their apparel. They were too busy trying to stay the hell out of their way, especially in Gary, Indiana. Policemen in Gary had established their reputation over the years that they were not to be trifled with. This particular night, Leader had plans to shatter that myth.
All he had to do was wait for night to fall.
* * *
The music bumped at low volume in the old-school bucket as it drifted down the highway. Pug was slumped low in the driver’s seat while Justus fiddled with the food in his lap as he rode shotgun. His heart was heavy with the situation with Panee, so he had been bending Pug’s ear with is grievances for the better part of an hour. Finally, Pug grew tired.
“Man, cuz, fuck that bitch! If she don’t want you no mo’ then fuck her.” Pug had been saying the same thing, in so many words, the entire trip. Finally, he grew disgusted, and had to make it plain. “That’s what’s wrong wit’ dem seditty hoes anyway. They be thinking they betta than a nigga an’ shit. All they want is a hen picked nigga fo’ dem to run over anyway.” Pug sat up briefly to get a better look at a road sign then slumped back into the seat and continued, “That li’l hoe young anyway. Whatchu wetting that for’? She can’t even take care of herself, more less, you. Don’t be fucking these li’l broads for free. Make ’em bring sumthin’ to the table, ya dig?”
“I dig.”
“Good. Now check this out.” Pug exited the road they were traveling, found the first gas station on the right, and backed the Cutlass in the cut on the side of the building. The gas station was still open, but only a clerk, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, was inside. The store was in the middle of the boonies so it was no surprise that the store had no customers.
Pug cut the engine, pulled his bucket hat lower on his face, and leaned even further back into the seat.
“What the fuck are you doing, dawg? You ’bout to rob the joint?” Justus wondered, looking around, scoping out the surroundings.
“Chill cousin. You’ll see,” answered Pug calmly. “Now back to what I was saying earlier . . .” He paused like he was about to tell Justus who killed Kennedy.
“What fool?”
“Ole’ girl digging you.”
“Who?”
“Nikki.”
“Who?” Justus wasn’t sure he heard him right.
“Nigga, you heard me! Nikki.”
“Say word! How you figure?”
Pug shrugged his shoulders like he hadn’t just told Justus the most important news of his life, “She told Jackie.”
“What she told Jackie?” Justus wanted details. He wanted Pug to turn into Picasso.
“Calm down, nigga. Damn!” Pug swore as he looked around the lot suspiciously. “She told Jackie that you tried to holla at her on some ole’ put-her-on-top shit.”
Justus blushed.
“It was lame,” Pug informed him. “but ole’ girl said she was digging it though. She told Jackie she would turn your li’l young ass out. Wouldn’t mind her trying to turn me out. I’ll knock the bottom out that pussy! Shit look like it’s blazing too,” Pug thought aloud. “Anyway, me and J s’posed to be going to the movies Friday. Y’all wanna go? I can set it up an’ shit.”
“No doubt,” Justus agreed.
“Shit, say no more. It’s on then.” Pug scoped the parking lot again. It appeared he was waiting on someone. A car traveled from the highway in the opposite direction from the way they were facing. Pug scrutinized it closely before relaxing in his seat.
“Yo, you think she really digging me?” Justus asked, snapping Pug out of his trance.
“What? Who?”
“Nikki.”
“Oh, I guess so. Look, I put you in the car, you gotta drive yourself.”
“True. You right,” Justus smirked in the dark. The two men sat in silence for a while. Car after car came and went.
“Damn, where this muthafucka at!” Pug swore to himself, impatiently looking at his watch.
“Who man?” Justus was tired of playing in the dark, and not knowing why, Pug glanced at him from the side, sizing him up before he pulled on his coat. He finally decided it was time to let the cat out of the bag.
“This punk ass C.O., from when I was locked down,” Pug relayed quietly. “The nigga kept fuckin’ wit’ me when I was down. I tried to warn him, but he kept acting like he couldn’t get it or something.”
“So, what you gon’ do then?” Justus asked, a little concerned.
“Look, don’t go bitchin’ up on me!” Pug snapped. “You here now.”
“Ain’t nobody bitchin’ up. I was just asking,” Justus said.
Pug nodded his head. “Um-hmm. We ’bout to see right now.” Justus raised his head and peeped a blue Eclipse pulling into the gas station. At the same time, Pug reached in the backseat and retrieved a shotgun from under the blanket. Upon closer inspection, Justus realized Pug didn’t hold just any shotgun. He held an automatic shotgun, known on the streets as a “streetsweeper” for its ability to clear a whole block out. The weapon was equipped with a cylinder drum holding up to one hundred rounds of ammunition. Pug double-checked the weapon, chambered a round, and then focused his attention on the Eclipse. He watched the tall, lanky driver, still in his corrections uniform, pump gas then go inside to pay.
“Take the wheel!” Pug demanded, switching places with Justus. “When he come out, do exactly as I say!”
* * *
Leader waited patiently until Moose reached a two-lane highway before he planted his portable blue light onto the roof of the cruiser. Moose spotted the blue lights in his rearview, traveled a few more feet, then pulled to the shoulder of the road. Leader lingered inside the car a few extra moments for good measure then exited the vehicle.
As Leader approached the car, his mouth began to water unconsciously in anticipation of some action. On the sly, he surveyed his surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. No sooner than he arrived at the car window, Moose began pleading his case expecting leniency because he was a fellow officer of the law.
“Ah, was I speeding, Officer?” Moose asked, chuckling. As he searched for his I.D. inside of his wallet, he made sure to let his badge show. “You know how it is, get used to speeding around in those department cruisers, and it just becomes a habit.” He continued to ramble, while Leader looked at him unfazed by his spiel. Leader’s heart thumped in anticipation. He wanted to crack him in the face with his pistol until the blood stopped spurting. But this was business. “Surely, you can let this one slide, huh?” Moose pleaded.
“Maybe we can, but first I need to see some identification, sir.”
Leader scanned the road as Moose reached inside his glove box to retrieve his papers. When Moose looked up, he was looking directly at the prongs of Leader’s stun gun. The second he realized what it was, it flashed. A burst of hot pain seized Moose’s upper chest. His body convulsed uncontrollably, then darkness enveloped him.
Leader moved with efficient precision, snatching open the door to remove Moose from the car. At the moment he extracted Moose, a motorist passed from the opposite direction, slowing down to be nosy. Leader waved a gloved hand to move the car on then returned to the task at hand.
He hoisted Moose over his shoulder, and carried him to the already open trunk. He dumped Moose into the trunk with a thud and slammed it shut. When he was done, he returned to the car, started the engine, and turned the cruiser in the opposite direction. With the engine still idling, he got out.
Leader walked back toward Moose’s car, stopping mere feet away. He clenched the bottle in his right hand tightly, lit the hankie, and then tossed the Molotov cocktail through the air.
He was back at his car by the time he heard the minor explosion from the Molotov. He drove away slowly with his eyes riveted on the rearview mirror while mentally checking the next phase of his plan. Suddenly his mirror ignited with a flash, and the ground shook violently. Leader smiled, then floored the accelerator to his next destination.
* * *
The Corrections Officer paid for his gas then ventured back out into the unseasonably cool Carolina air, none-the-wiser that just a few feet away someone was planning to do him harm.
Inside the bucket, Pug passed Justus a hat to pull over his head, and instructed him to follow the Eclipse. When the C.O. pulled out, Justus was right behind him.
Justus was tripping. All he kept thinking was, Damn!! I didn’t know Pug wanted me to be an accomplice to murder! When he agreed to help Pug he never dreamed it would entail this. Now he understood why Pug insisted he help him. Pug knew that Justus would never betray him. Justus was pissed that Pug didn’t confide in him earlier, but now was not the time to address it.
“You a’ight?” Pug asked. Justus didn’t answer. Instead, he mean-mugged Pug something vicious, however Pug didn’t care. “Pull up beside the car,” he instructed.
Pug leaned out the window, holding the shotgun in both hands, aiming at the window of the Eclipse. The wind whipped past his head nearly taking his bucket hat off. Pug gritted his teeth and smiled. He felt alive! He lived for the action, and teaching this arrogant wannabe cop a lesson was an unparalleled adrenaline rush.
Pug held the barrel trained on the window for what seemed like an eternity. Justus didn’t know what was taking so long. He was ready to be gone already. Pug aimed the shotgun a little while longer then pulled the trigger.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Shots erupted in rapid succession, stealing the calm from the cool night air. Instinctively, Justus jerked the wheel to the left to avoid being sideswiped, then sped up with Pug hanging on to the window. They heard a loud hiss, then a flapping sound, as the Eclipse’s two tires were blown out.
“Yeeah muthafucka!” Pug screamed, holding the streetsweeper up like a trophy. Pug ducked back into the vehicle with his energy on a thous
and. “We got that muthafucka, Jus!”
Justus punched the throttle and put some distance between them and the unstable Eclipse. In his rearview, he witnessed the car continuing to slide and swerve perpendicularly in the road before it toppled over and flipped a dozen times. The roof of the car slammed into a tree violently, and the other halves of the vehicle wrapped around it.
Justus looked at Pug in bewilderment. He knew if Pug wanted to kill him, he could have just shot into the car. Instead he aimed at the tires and decided to leave it to fate. Justus was about to demand an explanation, but before he could, Pug stuck the shotgun out the window and unleashed the entire drum. Justus clamped his hands over his ears to deafen the lead orchestra. The strong stench of gunpowder drifted back into the car and singed Justus’s nostrils.
“Yooo, what the fuck, Pug?” Justus barked.
Pug snickered and peered out the back window. “If the cocksucker lives through that, it’s on him,” he stated apathetically. “If he dies, he dies.”
* * *
Leader pulled his cruiser to the shoulder of the dark road, looked both ways, and then exited when he was sure the coast was clear. He popped the trunk to retrieve his package.
Officer Moose was just beginning to regain consciousness. He attempted to say something, but due to the rag crammed inside his mouth, secured with tape, everything was muffled. Leader had Moose restrained with his own handcuffs behind his back. His feet were tied together extra tight with rope, and another rope ran from his feet to the handcuffs, connecting the two, causing Moose to resemble a triangle.
Leader double-checked his surroundings, before snatching Moose from the trunk by the rope. He made sure to inflict as much pain as possible. Moose’s screams were barely audible through the gag, but they were enough to suffice Leader’s lust. He knew time was of the essence, so he sped up the process. Leader slammed Moose on the ground face first then issued a swift kick in the ass. Moose’s teeth scraped through the concrete.
“You remember this place, motherfucker?”
Normally, Leader wouldn’t taunt his victims. He’d heard stories of victims turning the tables on their assassins because they didn’t stick to the script. They waxed poetic seeking validation for their actions and ended up paying for their amateurish ways. Leader was far beyond seeking validation, but this was different. He was tired of cops gunning down young brothas and sistas in the streets of Amerikkka, only to be set free by their peers. He was tired of seeing the broken-hearted pleas of the have-nots crying out for justice. An opportunity that made sense to him had finally presented itself. He finally had a way to exact a slice of revenge on the overseers for the lives they’d squashed and killed with no retribution. Therefore, he couldn’t resist the taunts.
Blood Ties Page 4
