by Roy Glenn
“I don’t know, Freeze,” Travis said quietly.
“I don’t make this offer to just anybody, but I know you. You a smart, schemin’-ass nigga. Always was. I know you got this job, whatever it is, planned out to the very last detail. And I know you plannin’ on hittin’ someplace that’s gonna be worthwhile for you. If you wasn’t that type o’ muthafucka, I wouldn’t fuck with you.”
“How much you want?”
“Ten percent. But don’t answer me now. Think about it. Talk it over. I know you ain’t talkin’ bout rollin’ up in nowhere by yourself. I know they down with you. Six hands, six nines.”
That was two years ago, and since that time, Travis planned and the trio executed four robberies each year. The days and times would vary depending on the particular job. They robbed banks, grocery stores, jewelry stores, and anything else that they could hit quick and come away with a large return for their investment of time. They were organized, prepared, and over all else, disciplined.
They created names for themselves so they would never make the mistake of calling their real names during a job. Travis, whose last name was Burns, became Mr. Blue. Ronnie Grier became known as Mr. Green. There was a lot of discussion about whether Jackie should be Miss White, Ms. White, or Mr. White, but it was Jackie who had the final say. “I think it’s more important for us to be uniform and consistent than politically correct. And besides, Miss White sound too soft for a robber, and Ms. sound lame.” So, despite the fact that she was a woman with a model’s good looks, Jackie Washington became Mr. White.
Jackie pulled the Lexus up in front of the home of Murray Sewell, a fence that Freeze had put Travis onto. Freeze had done business with Sewell for years. He was a dirty, low-down, cutthroat, back-stabbin’ muthafucka, but he paid, and he paid well.
When they arrived, Murray was standing outside the house talking with another man. Once the other man looked up and saw Travis coming toward the house, he dropped his head, turned and walked away quickly. Murray looked at Travis and frowned, but just as quickly, he posted a big shit-eating grin and raised his arms as if Travis were his best friend.
“Travis, good to see you. Come inside. Best you’re not seen. You know how the old ladies like to talk in this neighborhood.”
Travis and Ronnie walked in the house past Murray. When Jackie entered the house, she handed Murray the keys to the Lexus. “What year?” Murray asked as he looked at the car parked in front of his house.
“Two thousand four,” Jackie replied.
“And the keys? Where did these come from, may I ask?”
“Key box. Under the car, beneath the driver’s side door,” Jackie advised.
“Very obvious, but good for you for thinking to look there,” Murray said as he walked out to the car and took a look at it. He unlocked the car and got in, started the engine and checked the mileage, then drove the car in back of his house to park it in the garage.
Once he came in the house, he picked up the phone. When the party answered, Murray spoke about the Lexus and agreed on a price. “Eight thousand, minus my fee?” Travis nodded his head.
Murray hung up the phone and turned his attention to the bag that Travis was carrying. “So, Travis, what else have you got for me?”
“I have the items we discussed,” Travis said. He handed the bag to Murray.
“Come into the dining room, Travis,” Murray made a point of saying. “You two sit. Make yourself comfortable. We won’t be long.” Murray waved his hand at Ronnie and Jackie. “What am I saying? You know we’ll be a long time. So sit.”
Ronnie and Jackie looked at each other. Travis nodded his head to let them know that everything was cool. Jackie grabbed the remote and plopped down on the couch. Ronnie shook his head slowly.
“Can I get you anything?” Murray asked before he disappeared into the dining room, followed closely by Travis.
“Just our money,” Ronnie said as he sat down in a chair.
As Travis followed him into the dining room, Murray whispered, “Sorry it has to be this way, Travis. Things will go smoother this way. You’ll see. It’s not so much Jacquelyn, but that Ronald-whew, he can be such a hothead.”
“I understand, Murray. Let’s just do this.”
Murray sat down at the table and proceeded with his work. He meticulously looked over each piece while Travis watched in silence. Every now and then, Murray would make a sound or say, “Hmm.” After about an hour, Murray put down his eyepiece. He looked at Travis. “Very good work, Travis. Very impressive indeed.”
“How much, Murray?”
“A hundred and ten is the best I can do.”
“Including the car?” Travis asked, not believing what he was hearing.
Murray nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Including the car, that’s the best I can do.”
“What the fuck you mean that’s the best you can do?”
“Just what I said, Travis. One-ten is the best I can do for you for what you got here.”
“Give me a fuckin’ break, Murray. I know you can do better than that. Come on now, we talked about this.”
“Travis, I know what we talked about. But things are different now,” Murray said softly.
“Murray, be fair with me. The diamonds are worth a hundred grand on their own. Eight grand for the Lex. So, what you’re tellin’ me is that you’re only givin’ me two grand for the rest of this shit?”
“Travis, I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can do. The word is already on the street. Gun play inside the store. Gun play outside the store with the police. Car chases though the street with the police. Travis, please understand the stuff from the store is so hot now that it’s gonna be very difficult to get rid of,” Murray said.
“Get the fuck outta here!” Travis yelled loud enough to get the attention of Jackie and Ronnie.
“Please, Travis, lower your voice. There’s no need for shouting,” Murray said as Jackie and Ronnie came into the room.
“That’s bullshit, Murray, and you know it!” Travis yelled as he raised up from his seat.
“What’s up, Tee?” Jackie asked.
“This muthafucka only wanna give us two grand for the stuff we got from inside the store,” Travis said, moving closer to Murray.
“What!” Ronnie screamed. “This muthafucka think he gonna rob us like that?”
“Like I was explaining to Travis, with the gun play and the involvement of the police, Ronald, it’s going to be very hard to move the items from the store. No one locally is going to want to touch them. I’m probably going to have to go outside the country to move these items.”
“Now you see what them fifteen seconds is gonna cost us, Mr. Adrenaline?” Jackie shook her head.
Travis observed what was happening and smiled with satisfaction. He took a step back and let things develop.
“Shut up, Jackie. This ain’t even about them fifteen seconds. That’s a whole other matter. This is about this bitch here thinkin’ he gonna rob us,” Ronnie said and pulled out his gun.
Murray jumped out of his chair and backed his way into a corner. “Calm down, Ronald. Please. The stuff is too hot right now. Really, that’s the best I can do. You know I’ll make it up to you on the next job.”
“Next job my ass, muthafucka.” Ronnie followed Murray into the corner and put the gun to his head. “You better come correct on this job right here, right now, or you gonna die wishin’ you had.”
“Travis, please!” Murray screamed as he dropped to his knees.
Travis smiled and laughed to himself. He didn’t think Ronnie would really kill Murray, but there was no point carrying it any further than it had gone. He and Jackie stepped up behind Ronnie from either side. Jackie grabbed Ronnie around the shoulders while Travis put his hand gently on the barrel of his gun. “Don’t kill him, Ronnie. Just give me the gun and it will all work out,” Travis said calmly. Ronnie slowly moved the barrel away from Murray’s head and handed it to Travis. “Thank you.” Travis helped Murray ge
t up from the floor and walked him back to the table. He handed the gun back to Ronnie and pulled out his own. “Sit down, Murray.”
Murray removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. Maybe Travis knew Ronnie wouldn’t kill him, but Murray thought he was going to die. He sat down at the table and looked at the gun that was now in Travis’s hand. He looked around the room. Jackie had let Ronnie go and now she also had her gun in hand. Murray turned quickly to Travis. “One-two-five, Travis. Please. I’m cutting my own throat here.”
“One-two-five is good, Murray.” Travis smiled and put away his gun. “In small bills, if you don’t mind.”
With money in hand, they left Murray’s and drove off. Travis sat quietly in the back seat, counting the money and listening to Jackie and Ronnie argue. Once again, he was lost in his thoughts. Although he didn’t believe that Ronnie was really going to kill Murray, the possibility did exist. Ronnie was becoming more and more un-predictable every day. He and Jackie had always had their disagreements, but they were occurring much more frequently. And that day’s events only proved to be another point of contention between the two.
Maybe it’s time to quit?
The words rolled around in his mind, over and over again. Maybe it was time to find a way to make it out of the game. They had been doing this thing for the last two years. They had made plenty of money during that time.
Travis reached forward and handed Ronnie his cut of the day’s job. “Here you go, Ronnie.” He handed a stack to Jackie. “That’s for you, Jackie.”
“I think I should get a bonus for drivin’ us out of Ronnie’s mess,” Jackie said with a laugh.
“Ronnie,” Travis said, “I think Jackie has a point.” Travis counted off two thousand dollars and handed it to Jackie. “That’s two grand. Thanks for gettin’ us out of there.”
“Shit. All right,” Ronnie said reluctantly. “Here. Thanks.”
“I was only kiddin’ y’all, but thanks,” Jackie said and continued laughing.
The $37,500 that they had each earned that day was about average for the jobs they did. In that time, Travis had built himself a nice house in Connecticut, bought a timeshare in Freeport and had $75,000 in an account in the Cayman Islands. That’s not enough to retire on. A half million or so is what I need to have before I even consider retiring. Just a few more jobs with no mistakes, and I’ll be set. But maybe it’s time to quit.
“Where to now, Travis?”
“To Cuisine. I might as well give Freeze his taste now and get it over with.”
Chapter Four
With Mike Black out of the business and Bobby Ray being semi-retired, Freeze now had complete control of the New York operation. Black put Freeze in charge of Cuisine, a small supper club that offered fine dining, an intimate atmosphere, and a small dance floor. It featured Que, a jazz combo with a female vocalist. Until Freeze took over, that is. With Freeze running the supper club, what was an intimate atmosphere had begun to change when Freeze began conducting business there. More and more of Freeze’s “business associates” began to frequent the establishment to pay Freeze. They would hang out, have some drinks maybe, but not much else.
Travis entered Cuisine along with Jackie and Ronnie. Usually he went there alone, since he knew that Freeze didn’t like the way Ronnie carried it, and was frustrated by Jackie, who didn’t have any interest in giving him any pussy. This time, however, he wanted to get it over with. Besides, Freeze needed to be made aware of the issues they had encountered just in case it became a problem.
“Can I help you?” the hostess asked.
“I’m here to see Freeze,” Travis said and smiled at her. She picked up three menus and they followed her.
“I’ll let Freeze know you’re here,” she said as she led them to a table.
“Wait a second. Don’t be in such a rush. Don’t you remember me? Travis? We talked about a month ago,” he said as she seated them. “Your name is Diane, right?”
“That’s right, it is. And I do remember you,” Diane replied and cut her eyes.
“So, what’s up?”
“Nothing,” Diane said coldly as she walked away.
“Damn, it’s like that?” Travis asked, but Diane simply kept going without a word.
“She just cold dissed you, Tee,” Jackie said.
“Whatever, Jackie. I’ve been dissed by finer women than her and in better places than this. She’s not the first woman to dis me, and she damn sure won’t be the last,” Travis said as the waitress arrived.
“Can I get you something from the bar?”
“Hennessey straight up all around,” Ronnie ordered. She disappeared to get their drinks. “So, this is the house that Mike Black built? It really is a nice spot, Travis. Nothing like what I thought it would be.”
“Yeah, but it’s changed a lot since Black’s been gone.”
The changes in clientele and atmosphere brought with them a significant decline the club’s revenue. This fact did not go unnoticed by Wanda Moore, the organization’s lawyer and business manager. She handled the money, making smart investments, and made the members of the organization a ton of money over the years.
Wanda entered Cuisine and looked around at the half-empty club. She shook her head and went off in search of Freeze. As Wanda walked by, she stopped and looked in Travis’s direction. Travis waved to her, but Wanda just rolled her eyes and continued her search.
“Who is that fine ass muthafucka there, Travis?” Ronnie asked.
“If you fuck up on a job again, you’ll be spending a lot of time with her,” Travis advised.
“What you talkin’ about?”
“That’s Wanda Moore.” Ronnie and Jackie both looked at Travis with questioning eyes. “She our lawyer.”
“Oh,” they both said as they watched Wanda walk away.
Wanda made her way around the club and found Freeze seated at a table in the back. She should have known where to find him. Freeze always sat in the back of anyplace he went, and always with a clear view every door. That way he could see who was coming in and would have time to respond if it became necessary to do so.
“Yo, what’s up, Wanda? Have a seat.”
“Stand up, Freeze,” Wanda commanded. Freeze took a deep breath and complied with her request. “Look around this place. Do you see anything wrong with this picture?”
“It’s a little empty. But it’ll pick up later in the evening.”
“I’ve been looking at the numbers for the last few months. Revenue has been steadily going down since you took over.”
“It has?” Freeze asked. “I hadn’t noticed that.”
“Well, you need to start payin’ attention to what’s goin’ on in here,” Wanda demanded.
“All right, Wanda. I got it. But like I said, it picks up later in the evening.”
“What do you mean later in the evening?”
“I mean later. You know, a time that comes after now.”
“I don’t think you’re understanding me, Freeze. This is a supper club, not some after hours spot. There are supposed to be people in here having dinner. And what are all these thugs doin’ up in here?”
“They’re just some of my peeps come to hang for a minute, that’s all.”
“This is not that type of place, Freeze. This is not the Late Night; this is not a thug hang out. We are marketing to a different, more upscale clientele here, Freeze, not to the people you do business with. And who the hell is that no-singin’ bitch you got on stage?”
“That’s-” Freeze started to say, but Wanda cut him off.
“I don’t give a fuck who she is. Fire her no-singin’ ass tonight. The next time I come in here I better see Que back up on stage and Angela Gray up there singin’ her ass off. And you need to tell all your thug buddies that they can’t come up in here without a suit,” Wanda said and paused.
“Freeze, you’re doing a great job running the organization, but I think Black made a big mistake leaving you in charge
of this place. But this is where he wants you, so that’s that. Just try to understand this is Black’s baby. He worked very hard to make something of this place. He left you to run it for him. Not me, not Bobby; he left it to you to run for him, Freeze. So please, don’t disappoint him. He and I both expect you not to run it into the ground. Am I getting through to you?”
“Yeah, Wanda, damn. I understand what you’re sayin’,” Freeze said quietly. He didn’t like being punked like that by anybody, not even Wanda. But he knew she was right, so he didn’t push it.
“And isn’t that your buddy, the high-tech wannabe robber?”
“Yeah, what about him? He got a suit on, don’t he?”
“That’s not the point. What’s he doing in here, Freeze?”
“He came to give me my taste of the job he ran today.”
“Freeze, you can’t do business in here or Impressions or any other legitimate business we got. Meet them anywhere but here,” Wanda said as she started to walk away. “And Freeze, you need to start wearing a suit when you’re here.”
“Yes, Wanda.”
Wanda stopped and turned around. She walked back toward Freeze. “I heard that Nick was back in the city. Have you seen him?”
“No, why?”
“Just wondering why he hasn’t been around to see anybody,” Wanda answered.
“You know as well as I do, maybe even better than I do why Nick ain’t been around, Wanda,” Freeze said and sat back down at his table. “Don’t play dumb. You know Nick ain’t been around cause of that shit with him and Bobby.”
“Well, if you see or talk to him, tell him to call me,” Wanda requested.
As Freeze watched Wanda walk away he said, “Yeah, right. I’m sure Nick is just dyin’ to talk to your shit-talkin’ ass.” Diane came toward his table.
“Excuse me, Freeze. Travis is here to see you. Do you want me to show him to the office?”
“No, that’s all right, Diane. I’ll go over there and talk to him.” Freeze paused for a second. “One more thing, Diane. Start enforcing the old dress code. I’ll make sure you have security up there to back you up.”
