by Jacob Spears
“And I really appreciate you looking out for us, China. We just want to hold shit down for Smooth.”
“Don’t we all!” China said with a chuckle. “When we leave here, we will handle business. But first, my mom insists on your coming inside. She finds it rude,” China said.
“Sure, I’ll come inside,” Sue Rabbit said as he exited his Range Rover and walked inside with China to help GaGa with dinner.
When dinner was ready, the foursome sat together at the kitchen table and enjoyed GaGa’s delicious soul food. China thought about her and Roxy’s days of growing up in the old home that GaGa refused to leave for a better view. GaGa was an old-school mother who had just adjusted to driving new-model luxury cars as opposed to old classics. China enjoyed the company of her mother as much as GaGa loved having both of her daughters in the same room.
Damn, Smooth! It would be so good to have you here with us, China thought, missing him to the extreme. She wished that she could hold him and smell his distinct scent. Don’t worry, baby. I’ll make sure this snitch gets his day in hell! China thought.
“I have some good news to tell everyone. Well, Sue Rabbit already knows, so it’ll only be news to Mom and China,” Roxy began.
“What? Are you pregnant now?” GaGa asked as she took of sip of water.
“No! She’s having twins, Mom!” China said, causing everyone to laugh.
“Both of y’all are wrong!” Roxy said. “Me and Sue Rabbit are planning on opening up four more Roxy’s restaurants.”
“Wow! That’s wonderful! Roxy’s bringing in that much money? I would have never expected that!” GaGa said.
“That’s what up, Roxy!” China said.
“Yeah, China. And you will be over one of them. You could run the place however you want to,” Roxy said.
“Are you serious?” China asked.
“Dead serious!” Roxy replied.
China hopped out of her seat and ran around the table and hugged Roxy. GaGa and Sue Rabbit smiled at the two siblings. Seeing her two daughters happy truly delighted GaGa and warmed her heart. When she looked over and saw the smile on Sue’s face, she just knew without a doubt that he was the right man for Roxy.
Lord, thank you for this day! GaGa thought.
* * *
The rest of the day, Smooth was in his own world, depressed after being hit with the news of the loss of his unborn child. To make matters worse, Amanda wasn’t accepting any of his calls. It wasn’t like her to just stop talking to him. Smooth was worried and thought that maybe she was sick.
But why would she refuse my calls instead of just accepting them and telling me? Smooth pondered as he lay on his top bunk while Rosco and Baby Dread played chess on the bottom bunk.
Smooth had informed Rosco about the loss of his unborn child and appreciated the support that Rosco had given him. And China could have been killed by his enemies, if it were not for Spencer being there to save her.
I owe that man big time, Smooth thought.
“Checkmate!” Baby Dread screamed.
Smooth was surprised and didn’t believe that Baby Dread had finally checkmated Rosco, until he saw it with his own eyes.
“Well I’ll be damned!” Rosco said, double-checking the board to see if he had a chance to swindle himself out of checkmate, but he did not.
Baby Dread had his queen face-to-face with Rosco’s king, who couldn’t defeat his cousin’s queen because Baby Dread’s rook was lined up protecting his queen.
“Checkmate!” Baby Dread shouted hysterically.
“Rematch!” Rosco said to Baby Dread as he began resetting the pieces.
“Baby Dread done finally got tired, old man!” Smooth said while still looking down at the two contenders.
“Yeah, I slipped and let him eat my rook and knight,” Rosco explained.
“Can’t be slipping, old man!”
“How ’bout you get your ass down here instead of cheering behind the scenes,” Rosco challenged.
“I will after I get off the phone,” Smooth replied as he jumped down from the top bunk.
“Amanda still not picking up?”
“Still not picking up. That shit is crazy!” Smooth said to Rosco.
Rosco felt that Amanda was seeing someone else, but he didn’t want to tell Smooth. Smooth also thought about that prospect, but he couldn’t see it happening to him, especially after Amanda had declared how strong her love for him was.
Hell no! She isn’t seeing anybody else! Smooth thought as he walked out of the cell to make a phone call.
Smooth picked up the phone and dialed Amanda’s number. The phone rang twice, indicating that she had picked up. Smooth waited for the line to clear, but like lately, Amanda refused to accept the call.
Damn it, Amanda! What’s wrong with you? Smooth thought angrily as he tried her number again, only to get the same results.
“Something’s not right!” Smooth said as he then dialed Sue Rabbit’s number.
Sue picked up his phone on the third ring, went through all the prompts, and then accepted the call.
“What’s good, nigga?” Sue Rabbit spoke.
“Just cooling it, man. You tell me what’s good!”
“Shit! I just left your mother-in-law’s house with China and Roxy. GaGa put together a delicious dinner and got a nigga tank on swole,” Sue Rabbit informed Smooth.
“Damn! I know how good that shit was. So tell me, did China holla at you?”
“Yeah, she really came through. We were on our last slow motion, canceling everything major, feel me?” Sue Rabbit said.
“Damn! I know what you mean. Y’all should be straight now. China will drive the ship like me. Feel me, Sue?”
“I feel you, bro,” Sue Rabbit replied.
“My nigga, I got something else to ask you.”
“What’s that, bro?”
“When the last time you met up with Amanda?” Smooth asked.
“Shit! Last week, bro. She baked thirty for me and Guru.”
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of her, bro, but she keeps blocking me out.”
“She acting weird?” Sue Rabbit asked.
“Very strange!” Smooth informed him.
“I’ll stop by and see what’s up with her. How ’bout you give me a call in the morning, nigga, and I’ll just drive over there,” Sue Rabbit suggested.
“Yeah, that’ll be cool, bro. Because I don’t know what this bitch’s problem is,” Smooth said.
“Don’t worry, bro.”
“You have sixty seconds left,” the automated voice chimed in.
“Bro! Get some rest. Don’t sweat yourself.”
“That’s why I got mad love for you, man.”
“The same over—”
“Thank you for using GTL,” the automated voice said before disconnecting the line.
Well I guess I’ll see what’s going on in the morning, Smooth thought as he walked back to his cell to play a game of chess against Rosco.
“Did it work out?” Rosco asked.
“I’ll find out in the morning.”
“Well, that’s progress. Now, get this ass-whipping,” Rosco said.
“Whatever! Looks like Baby Dread done found your weakness,” Smooth said as he sat down and began the game.
14
THE NEXT MORNING Smooth awoke anxious to get to the phone. It was 9:00 a.m., and he knew that Sue Rabbit was an early bird. Smooth climbed down out of the bunk and saw that Rosco was still asleep. They had talked each other to sleep last night about the beautiful women in Jamaica, a place where Smooth had never visited. He had promised to visit with China as soon as he was a free man again.
Smooth did his hygiene in a hurry without disturbing Rosco, and he then walked out to the phone area. Smooth first called Amanda’s phone and got no answer. He then called Sue Rabbit, who picked up on the first ring and accepted his call after completing all the prompts.
“What’s up, bro?” Smooth asked.
“Bad news, bro.�
��
“What’s going on, Sue?” Smooth asked, concerned about Amanda’s safety now. He didn’t know what to expect. He heard Sue Rabbit sigh before he spoke.
“I’m at the apartment, but she’s not here.”
There’s a pad on the door, and neighbors said she moved out yesterday!” Sue exclaimed.
“Say what? Moved out? You sure she didn’t move over to the trap? She said her neighbors were too nosey. So it wouldn’t surprise me if she moved in the trap to lay low.”
“Bro, she’s not at the trap. I stopped there before I came here, to drop off some product,” Sue Rabbit told him.
“Shit!” Smooth exclaimed angrily.
“This shit not adding up. Did you call her phone?”
“Three different times, bro! She’s not picking up.”
Could she be in trouble? Smooth thought. Hell no. She moved out. But why?
“Bro, I got a feeling that we need to be looking for another cook. Feel me?” Sue Rabbit suggested.
“Yeah, bro. Do you have anybody in mind?” Smooth asked.
“I have a couple, but they’ll never spice it up like Amanda. She’s the best I’ve ever seen.”
“Tell me about it.”
“You have sixty seconds left,” the automated voice said.
“Keep your eyes open, bro. Even if you have to sit one of yo’ lil niggas outside her front, door, do it!”
“Thank you for using GTL,” the automated voice said before disconnecting the call.
Damn! Where the fuck is Amanda, and why is she acting the way she is? Smooth contemplated.
“No!” Smooth exclaimed when the prospect came to him of Amanda playing a role in setting him up too.
Could Amanda be down with Ham? Hell no! No way! I’m tripping. She was with me and walked inside the store, Smooth thought.
He knew he was thinking of an impossible prospect. It was something that was making Amanda run away.
Oh shit! She found out about China’s pregnancy on the news. The entire Miami area heard that China had a miscarriage, Smooth thought, realizing what the only problem could be to cause Amanda to go mute on him.
“Damn it!” he exclaimed, kicking himself in the ass for not informing her that him and China expected a child.
“I fucked up! I really fucked up!” Smooth admitted as he picked up the phone to call China.
* * *
“Jenny Davis. Mail call!” the CO sorting mail announced. “Jenny Davis again! Mail call!”
Jenny came out of her cell and walked up to the table to grab her mail. When she saw that it was mail from China, she got excited and smelled the letter. China always sprayed perfume on her letters and cards. Jenny couldn’t wait until she was able to wake up in the same bed every day with China and smell her addicting scent. Jenny saw that she had no more mail, so she strutted off back to her cell.
She sat down on her bottom bunk and tore open the first letter. Jenny felt a sharp pain in her chest when she read the first line: “I lost the baby.”
“What the fuck happened?” Jenny asked herself as she continued to read China’s heartbreaking letter.
China had put Jenny up on all that happened, and what she planned to do about it. Jenny was afraid for China’s safety. She didn’t want anything to happen to her. She loved China so much and couldn’t stand to lose her to Smooth’s enemies.
How could he put her in that situation where her damn life is at risk? Jenny wondered.
Jenny was too hurt and shaken up about the news to open up her second letter from China.
I hope she comes to see me soon. Maybe I can talk her into moving out of Miami, Jenny thought.
“Recreation! All inmates not assigned as house women, get out of the dorm and report to the recreation yard,” the sergeant of the dorm exclaimed over the PA system.
“Just what I need. Some damn fresh air,” Jenny said as she changed out of her uniform into her gym shorts, sports bra, and tennis shoes.
While she was bending over tying her shoes, Carlisha came into the cell and smacked her on her phat ass.
“You coming to watch me play softball, baby?” Carlisha asked.
“All day in America,” Jenny replied as she gave Carlisha a quick kiss on the lips.
“It smells like China in here. I heard your name called for mail.”
“Yeah, she lost our baby,” Jenny said with tears forming in her eyes.
“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry to hear that,” Carlisha said as she embraced Jenny.
Every day, Jenny talked about China’s baby and how she couldn’t wait to get home and be a family with China and Smooth.
“Don’t let this bring you down.”
“Someone tried to kill her too,” Jenny explained while wiping her eyes.
“Damn! Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she said she made it out safe. Her only loss was the baby,” Jenny explained.
“Let’s just be glad that she’s alive and not dead, baby. That means you three could still be a family, boo.”
“You’re right,” Jenny said as she kissed Carlisha passionately. “I’ll be a wreck without you, Carlisha. You’re always here for me, and I’ll never forget this, baby,” Jenny said.
“I know you won’t. Now come watch me kick some ass!” Carlisha said as they filed outside, where she would play softball.
* * *
When Smooth walked into the lawyer/client visitation room, he saw his lawyer, who had driven all the way from Miami to see him for the first time, since he had fired his Martin County attorney. Mike Spruce was a middle-aged white man in his thirties, who was the best lawyer in Miami to go against the feds in a drug case.
“Nice meeting with you, Donavan. Sorry that I couldn’t come sooner, but before I do come see my clients on the first visit, I study their case thoroughly to know what I’m dealing with. I was hired by your girlfriend, China Preston, and it only took me a day to get acquainted with this case. And from what I’ve read thus far, the reliance of the case—for the most part—will fall on their CI, whoever it is. My first motion will be to force the state to reveal the CI so we can see the background of him or her and see how credible the CI is, if the CI takes the stand,” Spruce explained to Smooth.
“So how soon will you present this motion to the court?” Smooth asked.
“As soon as possible.”
“Without this CI, does the state have a case to continue with the prosecution?” Smooth asked.
“Will they have a case without a CI?” Spruce said, with a laugh. “The same rules still apply. No CI, no case.”
I like him already, Smooth thought. “What about the drugs?”
“What about probable cause?” Spruce replied.
“I figured that was the same case here,” Smooth said.
“This is Florida. A lot of laws in Florida make the state hate themselves at the end of the day,” Spruce said.
“So tell me, are you looking for a trial or a good deal?” Spruce asked Smooth.
“Sir, I’m looking to go home, not prison,” Smooth announced.
“I got you, Donavan. Just watch me destroy them. You do your job, and I will do mine,” Spruce said as he leaned in toward Smooth for more privacy. “Let’s remember. No CI, no case. I will not go to trial with a CI. Do you understand me?” Spruce asked Smooth.
Smooth knew exactly what his lawyer was talking about. It was Smooth’s responsibility to get rid of the CI. He just prayed that Ham was the only CI on his case that he had to worry about.
Could Amanda be an informer? Hell naw! Smooth thought.
Smooth looked his lawyer in his eyes and told him, “I got you, sir. I will do my part. You just do yours.”
Spruce offered his hand, and Smooth shook it.
“I will, Donavan. I will,” Spruce said.
* * *
Mall sat at the interrogation table again, listening to DEA agent Debrah Jones try her best to break him and get him to give up Smooth. After she had learned earlier today that the sta
te was offering Mall forty-five years, she flew over to Metro-Dade Federal Holding. Mall was looking at a life sentence if he didn’t settle for a deal. He didn’t care. Snitching was against the damn code, and he refused to go out like a sucker. A lot of Smooth’s people had turned state on each other, but they couldn’t identify the man in the photos who consistently wore a hat. However, it took Mall one glance to know that it was Smooth. He played dumb and claimed never to have seen the man in the photo. But Debrah Jones was growing tired of everyone lying.
“Listen, Monroe. Why do you persist on lying to me about a man who’s not even keeping it real with you? We hear the phone calls you make to Money, and we heard others selling out the boss.”
“So, what does this have to do with me, ma’am?” Mall exploded, slamming his fist down on the table.
“It has a lot to do with you. Your life will be taken away while you rot in prison, because you don’t want to give up the boss. We know that this man is your boss,” Agent Jones said, pointing at Smooth’s photo.
Mall began to chuckle, causing Agent Jones to get frustrated.
“Bitch! Listen!” Mall started, then “Awww shit!” he screamed when Jones came from under the table and sprayed him with pepper spray.
“I got yo’ bitch, nigga. Burn in hell, fucker!” Agent Jones said as she departed the interrogation room, leaving a shrilling Mall behind and alone.
Agent Jones knew that the name of the man in the photo was Smooth. Too many people had given him up. Some knew him as the boss and others knew him as Smooth, but no data or agency could stumble across his government name.
“Agent Jones, don’t worry yourself. Something tells me that we’re getting real close,” Jones’s boss said to her while watching Mall burn from the pepper spray.
“I just hope so, boss,” Jones said.
15
TINA STIRRED FROM her sleep when she heard someone rapping at the front door. She felt for Ham next to her and discovered that he was gone. She was used to it, and since the last incident of Ham choking her unconscious, she had refrained from asking him where he was running off to.
