Street Dreams

by K'wan

  “So,” Stark began, “what’ve we got so far?”

  “They’ve got a pretty sweet thing going on over there,” Jenkins said. “The first night that we got on, they checked at least ten grand.”

  “Ten grand ain’t peanuts, but it ain’t a staggering number either.”

  “But you’re not seeing the bigger picture, Stark. That ten grand was made in about eight hours. Now you figure that there are about a dozen or so buildings in the projects, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. So imagine if every last building is checking in those numbers or better every few hours? Prince was probably checking at least a hundred grand or better per week, just in Douglass.”

  “Well, Prince won’t be checking shit anymore. After all these years somebody finally laid that mean old bastard down.”

  “Yeah,” Brown added, “things have been crazy in the hood over the last few days.”

  “Only gonna get crazier,” Stark said. “Now that Prince is dead, they’re gonna need another leader. Truck being his last remaining son, he’ll probably be taking over.”

  “I dunno,” Brown challenged. “There's another candidate that we can’t rule out.”

  “And who might that be?”

  “Rio.”

  “Rio? Nah, I doubt that. Truck's got seniority on this one. I’m betting that it’ll go to him.”

  “Don’t count Rio out, Stark. He's got what it takes.”

  “Brown, I don’t care what kinda child genius you’re trying to make this Santana kid out to be, it ain’t gonna happen. What makes you think that Truck, or any of the other Capos for that matter, are gonna stand by and allow him to step into Prince's shoes?”

  “Because,” Brown said, “I patrol these streets every day. I know these people and how they think. The streets respect Truck out of fear. They respect Rio out of love. If Truck were to take over, everything would turn to shit. He’d end up getting the whole shit shut down. Now under, Rio they would prosper. He's smart and fair. A lot of the folks are gonna stand behind him.”

  “Brown,” Jenkins said, “you’re making this kid out to be the second coming or something.”

  “Might as well be. I don’t agree with how Rio's moving, but I respect his wit. Cats like him only come around once in a great while. If Rio takes over we’re going to have a serious problem.”

  “Don’t you worry,” Stark said, slyly. “This thing means too much to us all just to let it go to shit. Brown, in a day or so you’re going to see Trinity. Drop the bomb on her, but do it smooth. When she needs that shoulder to cry on, you make sure you’re there with a box of Kleenex.”

  Trinity came out of her building carrying a shopping bag with some of Rio's things in it. After three long days, he was finally being released from the hospital. She had about twenty minutes to get there and meet him, so she got on the good foot. When Trinity made it to the avenue to catch a taxi, Officer Brown was coming up the hill.

  “Trinity!” Brown called. “Can I speak to you for a minute?”

  “Hey, Officer Brown,” Trinity said, not bothering to slow up. “I’m kind of in a rush. Can it wait?”

  “Afraid not. It's about your father.”

  “My father?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you guys find him?”

  “Well… yes and no.”

  “I don’t understand?”

  “Trinity, I really don’t know how to say this to you.”

  “Oh, no. He's dead, isn’t he?” Trinity's voice trembled.

  “Well, we’re not exactly sure.”

  “What kind of answer is that?”

  “Well, we’ve found some of him. One of your father's hands was found in a meat warehouse out in Brooklyn.”

  “Oh my God.” Trinity suddenly felt lightheaded. She knew that Rio had killed her father, but she never inquired about the details. She had already discovered that her lover was capable of murder, but not mutilation. Before Trinity could do anything about it, the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich she had for breakfast came up.

  “Are you okay?” Brown asked, patting her on the back.

  “I’m fine,” she said, wiping her mouth. “I just didn’t expect something like this.”

  “I know, Trinity. I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you.”

  “God,” she sighed. “What are we going to do now?”

  “It’ll be okay, Trinity. I promise.”

  “Thanks. Officer Brown, I just want to thank you. I know I’ve been giving you a hard time, but you’ve still tried to help me.”

  “Trinity, you don’t have to thank me. I do what I do because I wanna see you make something out of your life. I used to be just like you, Trinity. My father kicked my ass until the day that my mother killed him. I was a seventeen-year-old kid forced to take care of my six brothers and sisters. Believe it or not, I know just what you’re going through.”

  “Wow,” she said with tear-filled eyes. “How did you cope with it?”

  “By talking about it. When you hold it all in, it can poison your system.”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “I know I’m right. Take this,” he said, handing her a business card. “I know you probably tossed the first one so I’m giving you another. If you ever need to talk, and I mean about anything, I’m here for you.”

  “Okay.”

  “Trinity, don’t just say okay and blow me off. I want you to hear me on this. Whether you know it or not, it's about to get hectic out here. Prince is dead and he's left a multimillion-dollar empire up for grabs. The way I see it, either Rio or Truck is going to end up taking the wheel on this. The runner-up is guaranteed a proper funeral.”

  “Well,” Trinity said, wiping her eyes. “I don’t know anything about that. Rio's just out here trying to find honest work like everyone else.”

  “Trinity, you and I both know that's a lie. You can play dumb all you want, but you’re only hurting yourself. I’m trying to help Rio, not lock him up.”

  “Like I told you, I don’t know anything about that. I knew Prince through Rio, but as far as what he did for a living, your guess is as good as mine. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Trinity turned to walk away, but Brown grabbed her arm.

  “Listen to me,” he pleaded. “The way that I figure it, Truck ties into this somehow. If he could have his own father killed, then imagine what he would do to Rio? Your boyfriend got lucky once, but how long do you think that his luck is going to hold out?”

  “Well, I don’t know why Truck would want to have his father killed, but I can assure you that Rio was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  All Officer Brown could do was shake his head. Here he was trying to help Trinity and she was sticking to her story. When he first took on this assignment, it was just business. But as he got to know her, it became personal. He saw that Trinity wasn’t a bad kid, she just made poor choices. “You’re never gonna wise up, are you?” Brown asked sadly. “Listen, Trinity. What I’m about to tell you could possibly ruin my career, but I need you to listen to me. Regardless of what the reports say, you and I both know that your father's dead. It's messed up, but that's how it is. These people have a hard-on for Rio. They’re even going as far as trying to pin your father's murder on him. Trinity, if you don’t talk some sense into Rio, you’re gonna lose him. If the law doesn’t get him, then the streets will.”

  Trinity's face remained unchanged by what Brown was saying, but she was listening intently. Brown was smarter than she had first given him credit for. He knew more about the inner workings of the organization than she did. Trinity had always felt some type of way about Truck, but she wouldn’t have thought even he was that vicious. If Truck was really behind Prince's murder, then Rio was in danger.

  “Okay,” Trinity said. “I’ll think about what you said.” Trinity held out her arm and an unmarked cab stopped for her. Before she got in she had a last word for Officer Brown. “Thanks.” Then Trinity got into the cab and went to meet he
r lover.

  Rio sat on the edge of his hospital bed, trying to occupy himself with the news. Today was to be the day he was released from the hospital. Couldn’t say that he was sorry to be leaving. Rio's stay at the St. Luke's had been a less-than-pleasant one. Hospitals had always made him feel ill. There was something about being around all of these sickly people that made him uncomfortable.

  The few days that he had spent in the cast-iron bed did give him some much needed thinking time. He needed to make some changes in his life. The game was getting ugly and it was time to prepare for the storm. Trinity had helped him see things a little clearer.

  His first order of business was to move his loved ones out of the projects. He hadn’t mentioned it to Trinity, but his connect came through on the apartment. All Rio had to do was pick up the keys. He would miss living in Douglass. Those old brown buildings were the only home that he had ever known. But it was no longer safe there. Whether he liked it or not, Truck was going to cause a lot of bloodshed over this little beef they had going. If it were up to Rio they would share the pie, but Truck was a greedy nigga. He would have all or nothing.

  Rio hadn’t been on the streets in a while, but he always kept his ear to the ground. He knew how Truck was running around claiming the throne for himself. He thought that by bullying people and try to lay his pressure game down, it would make the transition easy. He was too stupid to see the error of his ways. People didn’t work efficiently under someone they feared. In the long run they began to develop a sort of resentment. Pressure eventually burst pipes. Truck would end up getting himself killed sooner or later.

  Rio's thoughts were broken by a knock on his door. Before he had a chance to answer, it swung open. Detective Stark came in, wearing a yellow-toothed grin and a tired brown suit. Rio looked at the red-faced cop and sucked his teeth. The police had already been in to question him, so he knew Stark was just there to fuck with him.

  “What's up, Darius?” Stark asked.

  “Man,” Rio said, “Fuck you want?”

  “Just came to chat, kid. Looks like somebody tried to air you out.”

  “Like I told them pigs the other day, I don’t know who shot me. I was sitting in the car and some cat came through dumping. I got hit and blacked out, I don’t know what happened next.”

  “Oh, bullshit. You probably sold some bad shit and they came back to take it out of your black ass. Either that or some punk looking to take your spot tried to clap you.”

  “Whatever, Stark. I ain’t got shit else to say to you. If you keep fucking with me I’m gonna have to call my lawyer.”

  “You got a slick mouth, ‘shine.’ That Jew lawyer of yours ain’t gonna pull your ass outta every fire.”

  “Whatever, Stark. Is there a point to this visit?”

  “Like I said, just came to shoot the shit. Heard it was just one cat.”

  “That's what I said.”

  “One cat took out you three tough guys? I can’t swallow that, Rio. I know that at least two of you were strapped. We found two pistols at the scene of the crime and neither of them matched the bullets we pulled from any of you guys. What's going on, Rio?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Stark.”

  “Yeah, okay. So let me tell you what I know. Prince was a large guy. It took someone with a lot of balls and a lot of money to pull this off. Another thing, how did the killer know when to move on Prince? My guess is that someone close helped out in that.”

  “What are you getting at, Stark?”

  “You’re a smart kid, Rio. Think about everything that's gone on over the last few weeks. Until recently Prince has never had a serious beef with anybody in the hood. Why would someone decide to try him now? If anything, I would think that Prince's boy Truck being home would’ve only solidified his hold on things. But as it turns out, things got worse when Truck came home. Tough luck, huh?” Stark winked his eye at Rio and left the room.

  Rio sat there and thought about what Stark had thrown out there. He was an arrogant son ofa bitch, but he did raise a good point. Things had been relatively peaceful over the last few years. When Truck cames home, things had started getting sour. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became. No doubt that was why Stark had told him.

  Truck sat in his jeep on the corner of 155th and Broadway. He smoked a joint while he waited for Baron to show up. Truck had big plans for the young upstart. He planned to use Baron to help him remove Rio from power. He figured if he teamed with Baron and his little crew, it would give him an edge in the conflict. Baron would serve as his trump card.

  Baron came strolling around the corner with three of his peoples. Truck could tell by how the chest of his jacket poked out that Baron was wearing a vest. The boy came ready to play if Truck got crazy. Baron spotted Truck waiting for him and headed in his direction. Before Baron made it to the vehicle, Truck hopped out to meet him.

  “What's up, Baron?” Truck asked, grinning.

  “Truck,” he said coldly.

  “What's with the security?”

  “Ain’t about nothing, Truck. Just a few of my homeboys.”

  “How about we speak in private?” Baron hesitated for a minute or so but he allowed Truck to lead him down Broadway. Truck waited until they were out of earshot before he began speaking. “Thanks for coming out to meet with me.”

  “Whatever, man,” Baron said. “You said that you had some shit that you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “Yeah, yeah. So, how's business up the way?”

  “It's going okay. I’m eating, right?”

  “I would imagine so, but just because you’re eating doesn’t mean that you’re happy.”

  “I can’t complain, Truck. I’m moving up in the world, but you know how the chain of command goes.”

  “True. Them cats that you’re fucking wit still ain’t gave you a hood of your own?”

  “I got a li’l slice, but I can wait my turn.”

  “Yeah, but why wait when you could have it now?”

  “Fuck is you rapping about, Truck?”

  “Baron, I’m offering you a spot in my organization. Now that my father is gone, I’m in control. I’m giving the whole operation a face-lift. Things are gonna be a little different now.”

  “How so?”

  “I’m getting rid of everybody who ain’t reading from my page, feel me?”

  “Yeah, but what's that got to do with me?”

  “Baron, how would you like to have an entire project of your own?”

  “Shit, it’d be better than what I’m holding on to now. But I thought that kid Rio was running things down that way?”

  “Yeah, for the moment. Rio got that spot because my father wanted him to have it. If you ask me, the boy ain’t built for the streets. I need a more qualified cat to hold that spot down.”

  “So you’re telling me that I can have that spot?”

  “If you’re willing to take it. Let's talk business, Baron.”

  Rio was thrilled when Trinity came strolling through the door with his clothes. He had been wearing the backless hospital gown so long that he though he was going to catch pneumonia of the ass. When he leaned over to kiss her, she returned the gesture halfheartedly. From the look in her eyes he knew something was wrong. “Trinity,” he said softly. “Something wrong?”

  “No,” she lied. “Just thinking.”

  “If you say so, T. Thanks for coming to pick me up.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Better me than one of your friends. The first thing Cutty or Mel would’ve done was offered you some weed.”

  “Now that you mention it, I could use a blunt.”

  “Oh, no, Rio. You know that you aren’t supposed to be smoking weed on top of those antibiotics.”

  “That's bull. The weed ain’t gonna mess with the medication. Herb is natural.”

  “And your ass will be naturally messed up if you mix the two. Now, hurry up and get dressed so we can go.”

  “Yes, mother,�
�� he said playfully.

  Trinity sat in one of the folding chairs and watched Rio dress. As she looked at his muscled body, she realized how much she missed being in his arms. Rio was the only man that Trinity had ever been with who had treated her right. He was so warm and sensitive. But there was also a dark side to her boo. When Rio was conducting his business in the streets, he was more cold and serious. She knew that he had a bad temper, but she had no idea of the things he was capable of when pushed.

  Before Rio went to work for Prince, he had been so pleasant and full of life. As things became more intense in the streets, he began to change. All Rio thought about was getting money. If you had told Trinity a few months ago that Rio would become a killer, she would’ve laughed. Rio was too passionate about life to take it. The loss of her father showed her how wrong she was. Thinking about her father brought back the conversation she had with the officer. She didn’t think Rio was capable of mutilation, but she had been wrong about him in the past. She had to look him in the eye and find out the truth.

  “Officer Brown came to see me today,” she said.

  “Yeah,” Rio asked, not bothering to stop what he was doing. “What did that cat want?”

  “The usual. Wanted to talk about the shooting and stuff.”

  “You didn’t tell him anything, did you?”

  “I don’t know anything.”

  “Good. Don’t pay them people no mind, they’re just fishing.”

  “I know, baby. But that wasn’t the entire conversation.”

  “What else did he want?”

  “Rio, I need to ask you something and I need the truth.”

  “Trinity, what's wrong?” he asked, concerned.

  “Just promise me, Rio. Promise me that you’ll tell the truth.”

  “Okay, T.”

  “Rio, the night that my father was killed, what happened?”