One Way To Heaven

by J. M. Benjamin

  “Where’s the bitch Heaven at?” Grim stood over Sonya.

  Although tears streamed down her face from the pain, Sonya let out a chilling laugh through coughs. “Fuck you,” she spat. Blood poured out of her mouth. “I’ll see you in hell.”

  “Maybe.” Grim smirked. “Or maybe not.”

  The three shots Grim pumped into Sonya’s face distorted her appearance beyond recognition.

  As far as he was concerned, his job was done there. As he headed towards the door, he paused at the sound of the ring tone. He doubled back over to Sonya’s dead body. He removed her cell phone from her hip. He instantly filled with anger and rage behind the text message that had just come through. He didn’t need confirmation to know the words, “We about to pull up and take care of this,” was in reference to his boy.

  Grim didn’t waste another minute. He shoved Sonya’s cell phone into his pocket then rushed out of the condo and jumped in his ride. Seconds later he navigated his was through Plainfield like a maniac hoping to reach Monty’s back in New Brunswick before it was too late…

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Monty’s eyes shot open from the impact of the smack. When he regained his vision, he saw Mia standing there with a pipe in her hand. He realized she was the one who had just delivered the blow to his face and probably the one earlier.

  “What the fuck you lookin’ at?” Mia barked. She conjured up a glob of mucus and spit in Monty’s face.

  Monty squinted and let the saliva drip down his face. Not that he had a choice. Heaven and Mia had him tied to a chair in the kitchen. He didn’t recognize Mia because he didn’t know her. But there was no mistaking the woman who had been invading his thoughts at night for the past year. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He thought he was seeing a ghost as he zeroed in on Heaven standing before him with hands behind her back. The pain in his face from the pipe he had been hit with and the tight ropes around his wrist let him know he was not dreaming. He wondered how she had found him. As the thought crossed his mind, he quickly did a process of elimination. He realized his heart had deceived him and he had been betrayed.

  Heaven couldn’t believe she was standing in front of the man who had taken her best friend and the only man she had loved away from, deprived her of motherhood and changed her life forever. She had waited for this moment for a year and now that the moment had finally arrived she was not as angry as she thought she was. She was actually relieved. It was if dead weight had been lifted off her shoulders. To her, Monty represented all of her stress and worries. All of that was about to change. For what seemed like an eternity, the two of them stared at each other without blinking. Their eyes said it all. Monty’s demonstrated he had been caught slipping. Heaven’s spoke volumes of her victory.

  “Mi, search the house,” Heaven instructed, never breaking her stare as she moved in closer.

  Mia did as she was told.

  Monty held his stare as well, making no reaction or expression.

  Heaven circled around Monty’s tied up body with hands behind her back. She contemplated her next move. She had dreamed about so many different ways she could take his life and how she would go about executing it when the time came. She was tempted to grab him by the head and slit his throat from ear to ear but felt that would be too easy of a death for him. She wanted him to suffer and feel the pain as the life exited his body.

  Heaven leaned in until her lips were nearly touching Monty’s ear lobe.

  Mia had just returned with a pillowcase she’d use to stuff all of the money she found under Monty’s mattress.

  “This is for everything and everybody you took from me,” she said just loud enough for Monty to hear.

  Mia hadn’t heard what her boss said but she stood back and witnessed the attack Heaven launched on Monty.

  Heaven repeated stabbed Monty in the gut with the butcher knife she possessed behind her back. Monty had gone in and out of consciousness a few times before breathing his final breath. He was long dead before Heaven had discontinued her murderous act. On what wind up being the fiftieth stab, Heaven plunged the knife upward and deep inside Monty’s mid.

  Heaven’s hand was covered in Monty’s blood. She calmly walked over to the kitchen sink and rinsed his blood off of her.

  Mia was somewhat wide eyed. She had shot people and beat people down in the past and recently stabbed someone, but to see how Heaven repeated stabbed Monty to death up close and personal impressed her young mind. She had always viewed Earth as the gangsta of the operation but at that moment she realized the equal status of the two. Mia had gained a newfound respect for Heaven. She smiled and opened up the pillowcase to reveal their new riches to Heaven.

  “Let’s get out of here and go get Sonya and Shell,” Heaven announced as she peered her eyes into the pillowcase. “We got a plane to catch.”

  “Hold up, it’s something I gotta do first,” Mia replied.

  She walked over to Monty’s body.

  “This is for Earth.”

  Mia let off six rounds point blank range into Monty’s face, emptying the 38 revolver. She then turned around and said, “Now we can go.”…

  Chapter Thirty- Eight

  Grim already had his car door ajar before he slammed the gearshift in park. He took a quick scan of the area as he hopped out with his gun in hand and rushed to the house.

  He had made it back to town in record-breaking time hoping he wasn’t too late. He thought the worse as he shook his head seeing the front door slightly cracked. As cautious as his friend was, he knew Monty would never leave the front door open.

  Grim pushed his way inside.

  “Damn,” he cursed.

  He spotted Monty’s lifeless body tied down in the chair with his head slumped on his chest. As he made his way into the kitchen he noticed that his friend had been both shot and stabbed to death.

  “My bad yo.” Grim shook his head. “I should’ve been here.”

  Grim hadn’t felt that much pain since the news about his mother. A world of emotions stirred up inside of him. Monty was like the father he never had and was the only real friend Grim ever had. It was as though a piece of Grim had just been taken away from him. For the first time in a long time, Bobbie Grim wept. The sound of the ring tone snapped Grim out of his emotional state. He wiped his face and pulled out the phone.

  It ain’t over yet, bitch! he told himself, as the text message re-routed him in the right direction…

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  “You okay sis?” Mia asked as they pulled in the complex.

  “Yeah, I’m fine now.” Heaven smiled. “I just can’t believe it’s over.”

  The fact that they had managed to track down and kill Monty still seemed surreal to her.

  “Yeah, now big sis can rest in peace,” Mia agreed.

  They both exited the car. “Melissa’s gonna be happy as hell to see you,” Mia stated as they made their way towards her cousin’s apartment.

  “Yeah, it’ll be good to see her too.”

  “What the fuck?” Mia drew her weapon. She was the first to notice the dent in Melissa’s door as they approached the apartment.

  Her reaction caught Heaven by surprise and startled her. By now, Heaven had also noticed the huge dent in the door. They could see that the door had been partially kicked off the hinges.

  Mia turned the knob, which was un-locked, and forced it open with a shove. When she entered the apartment and look down, the first thing she saw was Melissa lying in a puddle of her own blood.

  “Aw, nah,” Mia cried out. “Nah, this can’t be real.” She immediately dropped to the floor.

  “Mel?” she called out her cousin’s name.

  Heaven entered behind Mia. She became furious at the sight. She saw both Shell and Sonya’s bodies sprawled out on the floor on opposites sides. The apartment was in disarray.

  How could this be? She thought. She was sure Monty was surprised to see her when he woke up. He can’t be responsible for this she told herself a
s she recalled the look of defeat in his eyes. She could not or rather did not want to believe what she was staring at. So many thoughts invaded Heaven’s mind. The one that stood out above all was that while they were hunting for Monty, they were also being hunted. By who? Heaven asked herself. She could not stand to look at her two crew members another minute. She wanted to remember them the way she last saw them. She knew there was nothing she could do for them or Melissa now. Heaven turned and faced Mia.

  “They’re gone,” she started out with. “And we can’t bring ‘em back.”

  Mia banged her fist against the wall. “Mutha’ fucka!” she cursed.

  “I know,” Heaven tried to console her. She knew how close she was to her cousin. “We don’t have time to figure this shit out though. We gotta get up out of here and stick to the plan. That’s what they would’ve wanted,” Heaven concluded.

  Mia stood to her feet. “Just like we did for that mutha’ fucka, we gotta come back and find out who did this,” Mia demanded. “I don’t care how many years it takes,” she added.

  “I’m with you on that. But for now, we need to get to the house and then head out.”

  Mia followed as Heaven made her way out the door. Moments later, Mia was pulling wildly out of the complex and onto East Front Street.

  Grim had just bucked a left onto Johnson Avenue off of East Second Street. As he approached the corner of East Front Street he saw the bronze Chevy Impala whiz past. Once ongoing traffic had slowed he hooked a right onto East Front Street. Out of nowhere he slammed on breaks and pulled over to the side. A passing car blew the horn frantically behind his sudden actions. Once traffic was once again clear, he bust a u-turn in the middle of the street. He had a strong feeling that the Bronze Impala that had just flew past him was the very same Impala LaLa had mentioned to him about…

  Chapter Forty

  “Attention, any available unit in the George’s Road area, 911 anonymous caller reported possible domestic,” the dispatcher chimed in.

  Both Officer Brown and Officer Stevens looked at one another.

  “You gonna take it?” Officer Stevens asked his partner while munching on a mouthful of a chocolate glazed donut.

  There was a brief pause. “Shit,” Officer Brown cursed. He put down his cup of Dunkin Donut’s light and sweet coffee and picked up his radio.

  “This is unit 3, go.”

  “Caller reported yelling and screaming and sounds of property being broken.”

  “What’s the 20?”

  “36 George’s Road.”

  “We’re in the area. We got it.”

  “Copy that,” the dispatcher ended.

  “I bet it’s one of those drug dealers beating up one of his baby momma’s or something,” Officer Brown dryly remarked.

  Officer Stevens shook his head and chuckled. He was used to his partner making stereotypical comments. Despite the fact that his partner was African American, based on his remarks it was apparent to officer Stevens that Brown had a certain resentment towards other African Americans, particularly the ones that lived in the ghetto.

  “You’re something else,” officer Stevens replied.

  “I’m serious Josh,” he addressed his partner by his first name. “I mean, just think, every time we turn around there’s a freaking call in this area dealing with some ignorant stuff. There’s nothing but crack heads, dope fiends, wino’s, prostitutes and drug dealers.” officer brown stated in disgust. “A hundred bucks says I’m right, drug dealer and baby momma drama.” He challenged his partner.

  “I’ll pass,” officer Stevens said as they approached George’s Road.

  When they pulled up, they noticed two other officers on the porch of the address.

  “What are they doing here?” Officer Stevens asked.

  “Beats me.” Officer Stevens shrugged. “Didn’t hear anybody call it in.”

  Officer Brown pulled over along side of his colleague’s patrol car and parked.

  Just as he and his partner were exiting the vehicle, all hell broke loose, catching them by surprise…

  Chapter Forty-One

  The banging on the door continued as Heaven and Mia cautiously moved around the apartment.

  “This is the police, please open up.”

  “Get the fuck outta here,” Mia laughed to herself at the officer’s words. She grabbed the handguns and stuffed two in her waist and two by the small of her back, then tightened her belt so the guns would stay in place.

  “I bet you it was that crack head bitch that asked for a dollar when we was comin’ in,” Mia whispered in regards to the female drug addict she had dismissed with the wave of a hand and a sly remark earlier.

  “It don’t matter, they here. Our concern now is gettin’ out of here,” Heaven whispered back.

  “Oh, don’t worry we gettin’ the fuck outta here,” she assured Heaven as she snatched up the pistol grip double barrel shot gun up. She stuffed extra shells, clips and boxes of bullets in the pockets of her army jacket.

  Heaven looped the shoulder strap of the machine gun around her neck and scooped up the 40 caliber then peered out the window again. She noticed the other squad car pull up and two more officers exited the vehicle. She knew it was either now or never.

  “Fuckin’ pigs,” Heaven mumbled. The rage she was feeling could barely be contained.

  Heaven backed up then centered herself in front of the apartment door and raised the machine gun. She was in too deep now and knew there was no turning back now. It was all or nothing. She thought about her life and everybody who had lost theirs since there reign began to spiral downhill. She thought about Earth, Sonya and Shell and tears rolled down her face. Somebody had to pay for her pain she felt.

  Heaven heard the sound of the doorknob jiggle and saw it twist. She immediately sprung into action. The shotgun blast exploded through the door and the buckshot ripped the white male officer’s face clean off, killing him instantly.

  Mia came from the left and charged the front door. She stopped, snatched the door open and quickly stepped out onto the porch, catching two officers completely by surprise. They made an attempt to raise their guns, but weren’t quick enough. Mia aimed and released the two twin cannons. She delivered head shots to both of the officer’s back to back, while Heaven made her way onto the porch and provided a barrage of machine gun bullets at the remaining two officers by the squad car.

  Officer Brown and Officer Stevens both made failed attempts to escape the attack launched on them. Brown caught a bullet to the lower part of his back, upper shoulder and left calf muscle, while the officer Stevens received several shots to the ass and thigh as he attempted to take cover behind his squad car.

  “Mi, come on, let’s get the hell outta here,” Heaven yelled, seeing an opening to flee.

  Mia pumped one more shot each into the back of the two officer’s heads that lay sprawled out before exiting the porch.

  Instead of following Heaven to the getaway car, she jotted over to the wounded men.

  “Fuckin’ pieces of shit!” she exclaimed.

  “Mia let’s go.” Heaven stuck her head out of the driver’s side window.

  “I’m comin’,” Mia called back.

  Just as she was raising her guns, preparing to finish the officer’s off, a black Crown Victoria came screeching around the corner.

  Mia re-directed her weapons at the car at the oncoming vehicle…

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Saleski and Crawford were just coming up on George’s Road when the gunshots echoed in the distance from up the street. They both looked at each other. Crawford grabbed her walkie-talkie. “All units! All units, shots fired in the 30 block of George’s Rd!” Crawford radioed in as Saleski mashed down on the gas pedal. He pushed the Crown Victoria to 75 miles per hour. The first thing he noticed was the figure hovering over the fallen officers with a shotgun. Saleski wildly honked the horn as a form of a diversion. The tactic did the trick. The figure withdrew the weapon from the officers but shi
fted it in his and Crawford’s direction.

  “Oh shit. Duck,” Saleski yelled. The blast rocked the car, causing the hood to fly up, taking out the windshield and showering the detectives with glass.

  No longer able to see, Saleski slammed on brakes. He felt a solid thump as the car hit something right before he crashed into the parked police car.

  Heaven’s eyes widened with horror at the sight of the Crown Victoria pinning Mia up against the squad car. She threw the car back in park and hopped out. In a blind rage, she unleashed the machine gun in the direction of the Crown Victoria. After the first rapid-fire the gun jammed on Heaven. As she made an attempt to un-jam the weapon, a bullet to the shoulder slammed her into the back of the car and stopped her in her tracks. Heaven screamed in agony and drew the 40 caliber. Detective Saleski dove for cover. He was fresh out of ammunition for his Glock. He cursed himself for not having his back up clip. Heaven let off three more shots in a hiding Saleski’s direction. The brief pause gave her enough time to jump in her car and make a break for it. Saleski heard the screeching tires and came from out of hiding.

  “Are you okay?” He asked Crawford, who was just regaining consciousness.

  “I’m fine,” Crawford answered, rubbing the back of her neck.

  Saleski located his walkie-talkie on the floor. “Code 187, officer’s down,” Saleski shouted. “36 George’s Road. Suspect heading south bound toward Remsen Avenue in a midnight blue BMW. Suspect is armed and dangerous.”

  Saleski concluded the call. Something made him feel like he was being watched. When he looked up, he could see the woman, who he initially thought was a man, that had launched an attack on him and his partner, looking at him. He noticed she was still alive.