Shyt List 5: Smokin' Crazies The Finale' (The Cartel Publications Presents)

by Reign (T. Styles)

  “Let’s get the fuck out of here, man.” Swoopes suggested, looking out into the night. “This shit is a set up and we can’t see shit. This is her battlefield and we walked right into it.”

  “I don’t feel good about it either.” Ming said, looking behind her. “Please, get us out of here, Bricks! I’m scared.” Considering she was never frightened, it was not necessarily a good thing.

  “We gotta get this bitch now and get it over with.” Bricks advised keeping up with his high-speed car chase. “I’m not trying to be chasing this bitch back to Delaware, Ming. Either we do it now, or let her get away. And I didn’t come this far to let her go. Did you?” He looked at Swoopes and back at Ming, she was visibly shaken but she had to man up. They were playing in the major leagues.

  The moment he said that, three sets of car lights turned on. They were parked on the side until they gave chase behind them, so they didn’t know they were there. “I knew it was a fucking set up!” Swoopes yelled, cocking his weapon. “It’s time to show and prove now!”

  “They gonna kill us!” Ming cried, heavily. “I don’t want to die! What about my son?” She responded, tears pouring out of her face. “I don’t want to leave him. I’m not ready to leave him!”

  “Ming, cut it out! You my bitch ain’t you?” She nodded yes. “And my bitch is thorough right?” She nodded again and smiled, as her body shifted from left to right because Bricks was driving so fast. “Then man up.”

  “Yeah, we got this, Ming.” Bricks said, more confident than he felt. “Ain’t no need in you throwing in the towel already. Just cock your weapon and get ready to handle your business though.”

  Swoopes and Ming knew what that meant. It was time to go to war and they had a method too. They always sat on the opposite side of the car so that if they had to fire, they wouldn’t be in each other’s way. Soon as they rolled their window down, Ming leaned her upper body out of the car like she did back at Rufus’ compound. She fired twice before ducking back inside when Bricks hit a bump.

  “Can you be careful? You almost made Ming fall.”

  “Ming, I’m trying to save our lives. You just do what you gotta do to keep them dudes away from us.”

  Swoopes got some good hits on one of the oncoming cars but Bricks needed him to knick the driver.

  Being inspired by how her baby looked on the money she said, “Let’s do this shit! I’m Ming Chi, the baddest bitch in Maryland.”

  “You sure are!” Swoopes agreed. “Now buck them niggas, babes.”

  She placed her head out of the car and the moment she did, she was hit with a shot to the body. She dropped down over the door and fell out of the car. “Oh, my fucking God!” Bricks screamed, when Ming was no longer behind him. “Please tell me they didn’t get her.”

  Swoopes was so overwhelmed, that he slunk back in the car and looked out at the road ahead of him. Then he looked back at the place the love of his life was once sitting. He was always the type who didn’t realize a good thing until it was too late, so he was heavy with remorse. They killed the first girl he could say without a doubt, that he was in love with. In a monotone voice he said, “Bricks, pull up and park. We gotta handle this shit right here. I’m not running from these mothafuckas no more.”

  “What?” Bricks looked at him and then the haunted attractions he kept circling, to elude their chaser. “We can’t pull over, we have too many people after us.” He looked in the rearview mirror. “Take a look.”

  Swoopes peeped over at him. “You did what you wanted to do and now my girl is not here. I wanted to leave remember? But we did what you wanted and now she was gone.” he said in a soft but hard tone. “Just do it.”

  Bricks could tell by the expression on his face that he was grieving, but he also knew he wouldn’t suggest something so foolish unless he had a plan. He wasn’t sure what the plan entailed, but he knew he had one all the same. Remembering Abel and how they needed her dead, he took a good look at the road ahead. When he had a good visual picture, he sped up real fast and killed the lights on the car. Then he dipped to the left, and fell into the darkness. Within five seconds, just as he thought, two of the cars crashed into each other, before blowing up in flames. Now they had one car to worry about plus Abel Pickling, who was some where on the property.

  In the confusion, Bricks and Swoopes ditched the car and decided to take their chances on foot. “This way, man.” Bricks said, barely able to see ahead of him. He dipped into a haunted house some feet ahead of them, with Swoopes right behind him. Since it was December, the attraction was closed until next fall but that didn’t make it any less creepy. “I can’t believe we lost shawty. Yvonna’s gonna lose it. This is all my fucking fault!”

  “We can’t think about her now.” Swoopes said, wanting his mind clear. Everything in him desired to grieve but he knew what could happen if he didn’t get his thoughts together. He was at war and it was the last place you needed to be if you had heart. “We have to keep focused and get out of this.”

  When they walked into the house, it smelled stale and old. The floor creaked as they moved into the darkness. They didn’t know if the scent was on purpose, or if the haunted house was actually on its last leg. “You got a phone on you?” Swoopes asked. “I can’t even seen my hand before my face.”

  “Yeah. Give me a second.” He took it out his pocket and pressed the enter button to turn it on. It gave them enough light to see three feet ahead of them, and nothing more. “Let’s hide in that hole, beneath the house.” They could hear footsteps outside and two voices moving closer.

  “What, behind those monsters?” Swoopes whispered, like they were going to come alive and eat his dick. “What are you crazy?”

  “Nigga, stop being scared and hide! I told you, you had to get over your fear of basements. Now is the time.” Bricks climbed down the steps and stood behind the Freddy Krueger prop, while Swoopes slowly followed and stood behind the Jason prop. “They coming in now.”

  Swoopes felt dizzy being in such a dark clammy space. He thought about how he use to defecate himself in the darkness, when they didn’t allow them upstairs to bathe. He avoided basements with all he had, and now he was standing in a smaller version. Remembering Ming’s face, he grew stronger. When they heard footsteps leading in their direction, Swoopes mumbled, “You ready?”

  “Fuck yeah.” He whispered.

  Bricks heard the two men walk into the house. Their footsteps could be heard clearly over their heads. “You think they in here?” One of the outsiders asked the other. “I saw them run in this house.”

  “I don’t see why they wouldn’t be here.” The other responded. “But prop that footstool in the door, so we can see what’s going on. It’s too dark in here.” There was a little commotion before the door was held open. A line of light spilled into the haunted house, but Luckily the light would not extend to where they hid. “Where you think they hiding?” The outsiders’ breaths were heavy. “I just want to get the fuck out of here and get it over with. We should’ve never gotten involved with that bitch!”

  “You didn’t say that when we took the money.” The other responded. “I’m not getting it with Yao no more, he gone. We gotta switch up to take care of ourselves. Now shut the fuck up and help me look for them.”

  From Bricks’ vantage point, he could see through the slats above his head, the fog coming from their mouths due to the frigid temperature outside. Analyzing the situation, he felt he had a good shot. But he also knew if he aimed wrong, he would reveal their hiding place prematurely. When he was good, he aimed and fired.

  “Fuck! I’m hit!” One of them said dropping to the floor. “I think that shit came from down there!”

  His partner fired wildly into the floorboards but Swoopes was time enough for him. He hit him with precision and so did Bricks. They quickly came out of the hovel and finished the job. Their shots were professional and on point as they landed into their bodies. At first the two men were wounded, until Bricks fired on one of them,
killing him instantly.

  “I’ma get other nigga,” Swoopes proclaimed.

  The man was moaning and they slowly walked toward the sound of his voice. He tapped the light on his phone and noticed that they were identical twins. As far as Bricks was concerned, they were two unlucky niggas but Swoopes knew their names and faces well.

  “What the fuck!?” Swoopes responded looking at the one of them who was still alive. “Uzi, what were you doing here?”

  “You know this nigga?” Bricks replied, gun still trained on him.

  Uzi barely had enough strength to open his eyes. But when he did, he didn’t like what he saw. “It’s you!” He looked at Swoopes. “You, dirty mothafucka!” Uzi was about to raise his hand and attempt to shoot Swoopes, when Bricks fired into his chest. His eyes slammed shut permanently, along with his brother.

  “Now they’re together.” Bricks replied thinking of his sibling. “Where you know them from?”

  “It’s a long story.” He bent down and dug through their pockets until he found a cell phone. When he scanned through it, he got exactly what he wanted. “Check this shit out.”

  Bricks took the phone and read the text. “Murder them black niggas and meet me in my office. When you do, we have more business to discuss.”

  Bricks wiped his fingerprints off the phone and said, “I bet you any kind of money her office is here.”

  “If you think it, I’m with it.”

  “Let’s go!”

  Abel Pickling was sitting behind the large black desk in her office. She was watching the door as if she were expecting company. Although she was disappointed, she wasn’t surprised when she saw Bricks and Swoopes stroll in with their guns, instead of the hired help. Her dark face formed a row of perspiration on her forehead. “Hello, Fellas.” She smiled, with a face only a mother could love. “I see you’ve found me.”

  “That we did.” Swoopes replied, looking around. Something was up and he could feel it. “Out of all of the places to come, you picked here to die, Abel?”

  “What can I say? I love my money. I might as well die with it, that’s if I got to go.”

  “You got somebody else wit’ you?” Bricks asked. The office was too small to have someone hiding in the darkness but he could never be sure. “If you don’t you a fool to be here by yourself.”

  “We’re alone, but you already know that.” She laughed. “After all, you killed my men.”

  “How did you find Uzi and Laser?” Swoopes asked.

  “Yvonna left a trail of people behind her. Her hate fan club is one of the largest I’ve ever seen in my life.” She coughed, covering her mouth. “It was easy to locate them, and for the right price, they joined my team. Pretty little boys, weren’t they?”

  “You is one ugly ruthless bitch.” Swoopes advised.

  She laughed. “You know, I’ve been selling pussy for twenty years. And in all my years of supply and demand, I’ve never seen juicer bitches than you two.” She stood up. “If only you could’ve came to me at another time, I could’ve put you on.” She moved toward them. “Gave you something to do with them nice firm asses instead of sitting on them all day.”

  “Don’t move, bitch!” Swoopes yelled as they both trained their weapons on her. The fact that she thought it was okay to talk to him that way, made his blood boil. “I’m not fucking around wit’ you.”

  “I know you’re not.” She bent down and pulled Ming up by her hair. “But you need to know that I’m not fucking around with you either.” Ming’s body looked limp in her hand, as she kept her up by her hair. Blood and dirt covered her chest and her eyes were partially open. “Look what I found on my property,” she ran he finger over her lips, “I think this is somebody you know.”

  “Ming!” Swoopes yelled, wanting to bum rush Abel and save her life. “I thought you were dead, baby.” It fucked him up to see her doing so badly. “Why do you have her like that?” he looked at the wound in her body. “You hurting her.”

  Abel looked down at her and said, “She’s not dead yet. But of course that remains to be seen.”

  “What do you want?” Bricks asked, hating that they had to possibly negotiate with her. For the minute anyway. “Let’s get down to it.”

  “I want you to let me go.”

  “Okay, put her down and you can bounce.” For the first time ever, Swoopes was ready to compromise. “We won’t fuck with you on your way out and you don’t hurt her. Agreed?”

  While they were discussing the arrangement, Ming’s eyes closed a little and she gripped her hair hard, causing her eyes to flap open. “Owww!” Ming cried. “Please let me go. I can’t…I can’t breathe.”

  “Look, we said you can leave! Just put her down!” Swoopes begged, growing anxious.

  “I’m not done, mothafucka!” Abel yelled. “Like I said, I want you to let me go, and I want you to tell me where Yvonna Harris is. You do that, and I’ll release her right now.”

  Bricks frowned. “Yeah right, bitch! Picture us taking you up on an offer like that. We have the guns, not the other way around.”

  “Either you take me up on my offer, or she’s dead. I’ll break her neck right now just so you won’t have her.” She looked at Swoopes and could see the love in his eyes. “She doesn’t have too much longer, son. If you love her like you say you do, you better show her now.” She looked down at her. “She’s losing a lot of blood. Don’t let Bricks keep you from what you want. And don’t for a moment think that he wouldn’t do the same for Yvonna.”

  Bricks looked at Swoopes. He could tell he was considering betraying him for Ming, and he knew the feeling. He was in love too and would’ve gladly given up anybody for Yvonna.

  Seeing the tension between her teammates, on some gangsta shit, Ming closed her eyes as if she were dead. She was still alive but she knew she was going to die. She didn’t want them getting into a fight over a life that was over. In her opinion, there was no use making a deal with the devil for a dead soul. “What you gonna do?” Abel asked, not knowing Ming had tapped out.

  When they saw her closed eyes, Bricks and Swoopes raised their guns. “Ming, are you with me, baby? Please say something!”

  Silence.

  “Ming, don’t die on me!” He screamed looking at her face. “Please!”

  “She’s gone, man.” Bricks advised. “Let’s finish this bitch.”

  Swoopes looked at his partner, took a deep breath and said, “On second thought,” he wiped the lone tear that fell down his face, “fuck you and your offer you ugly bitch.”

  “So you’re telling me you won’t let me go?” she frowned.

  “I’m telling you, that you can eat this shit and die!” Swoopes said, seeing Ming was gone.

  Bricks and Swoopes fired into her face, causing her to drop to the floor and release Ming. When she fell, Swoopes rushed over to Ming and dropped to his knees. He held her head in his lap and her eyes opened.

  “Hey you.” Ming smiled. “Why so sad?”

  “I thought you were dead. You did that on purpose didn’t you?”

  She smiled. “It’s over, Swoopes. You and I know it.”

  He shook his head. “The first time I fall for a bitch, she up and dies on me.” He looked up at Bricks. “Can you believe this shit man?”

  “Ming, how you doing, sweetheart?” Bricks asked looking down at her. “You gonna make it?”

  “Naw, you gotta get Swoopes out of here.”

  “She’s right.” Bricks responded. “Let’s get her and get the fuck out of here.” Bricks responded, looking out the window. “I don’t trust this creepy ass place.”

  “Help me lift her.”

  When he moved to pick her up she said, “I’m not going to make it, Swoopes. Please let me stay, I’m in so much pain.” Blood poured out of her mouth and he continued to try to lift her until she pleaded harder. “Please…Swoopes, it’s over,” she dug into her pocket and handed him Boys’ picture. “Tell him, I…tell him everyday of his life, he made me happy. And that
I was blessed to be his…” She closed her eyes but this time, they would not reopen. He didn’t even know all that she wanted him to tell her son.

  “Fuck!” Swoopes cried into the night. “I can’t believe this shit!”

  “We gotta go, man!” Bricks said touching his shoulder.

  In anger he looked up at him and said, “I’m not leaving without her.”

  “And I’m not leaving without you”! He confessed. “Now she’s gone. And the best thing we can do is pay the mothafuckas back responsible for this shit. Getting ourselves killed won’t help the situation, Swoopes.” In a concerned voice he said, “Let’s go, man. It’s over.”

  For the first time in a long time Swoopes cried. His tears fell on Ming’s face as he kissed her softly on the forehead. Realizing there was nothing left to do, he placed her softly down and stood up. Taking a deep breath he said, “I want this nigga’s head. It belongs to me.”

  YVONNA

  Yvonna was kept hostage for days in solitude. Her living conditions were comfortable, but she wanted to be in the know. The first day Bricks and the team checked on her, but after that, they seemed to be more interested in AFCOG matters. She didn’t mind at first because she had people to keep her company, or so she thought. One minute she was sleep and speaking to Gabriella and Bilal, and the next minute they both were gone. She didn’t know who provided her with food, but she did know every morning when she’d wake up, she’d have it available for the day. And that mentally, she was doing much better.

  When the door opened around two in the morning, Bricks and Swoopes trudged inside with sour looks on their faces. Having experience in sorrow, she knew immediately something was off. “What ya’ll looking all crazy for? I’m the one who’s being held against my will.” She turned the television on. “Oh…and thanks for the TV. You two bastards really know how to treat a hostage.” She was being sarcastic but they didn’t respond.

  “Squeeze, we took care of Abel Pickling.” He sat on the couch next to her. “She’s gone.”