Tale of the Murda Mamas

by Ashley

  His statement was music to their ears. They knew that they were about find Breeze and bring her home at that point.

  Zyir was beaming on the inside. He knew that it was a chance for him to reunite with the woman he loved; Breeze. “Yeah, you know where it’s at?” Zyir asked.

  “I know exactly how to get there,” Ziggy said as he headed north toward the Black Mountains.

  Chapter Nine

  (The Cartel)

  Breeze cried as she watched Ma’tee pull up his pants and look down at her. There was no remorse on his face. The fact that he was killing her slowly on the inside meant nothing to him. The sweat from his brow dripped down his dark face, causing Breeze’s stomach to turn in disgust. The sick smile that he wore terrified her. He was so sure of himself… so proud of the sexual acts he had forced upon her. Ma’tee had even gone as far as to ejaculate inside of young Breeze, in a twisted attempt to impregnate her. He knew that a child would join them together forever, and that was his ultimate goal. Without saying a word, he walked away and up the stairs. Breeze heard the sounds of Ma’tee locking the deadbolts that trapped her in the basement.

  Breeze sat up and began to cry. She felt so violated and dirty. Ma’tee had degraded her on many occasions, and she was forced to give her virginity to a man that she hated; the same man that was responsible for her father’s death. She got on her knees and began to pray to God, hoping that her father also heard her prayers. She was at a point where she didn’t want to live anymore. Her regard for life was slowly fading.

  The longer she stared at the four walls of her imprisonment, the more her mind abandoned her. Breeze knew that if she didn’t find a way out, then she would go insane.

  She finished her prayer and got up to walk to the bathroom that was connected to the basement. She stood over the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen from her endless crying, and as she stared at the woman in the mirror, she couldn’t even recognize herself. She was not the same girl. The young woman staring back at her was not Breeze Diamond. At that point, she realized that she had not looked at herself in almost a year. Every time she used the bathroom, she would just avoid eye contact with the mirror, almost as if she were ashamed. Ma’tee had stripped her of her innocence a long time ago, and she was not who she once was. The naïveté of a young little rich girl had disappeared. She now knew pain. She now knew what war really was. She now knew loneliness.

  “Diamonds are forever!” she whispered as she wiped away her tears and repeated a motto that her father would always say to her as a young girl. She knew that she had the blood of a king, and at that moment, refused to let Ma’tee hurt her anymore.

  She glanced over at the corner of the room and saw something that could possibly help her escape Ma’tee grasp. She took a deep breath and walked toward it. She had just gotten an idea.

  * * *

  Sweat dripped off of each of the men as they tried to keep up with little Ziggy as he walked up the rocky trail. The trail wrapped around the tall mountain, and the sun was just setting.

  “Come on, guys. We have to beat the sun,” Ziggy emphasized as he led the way, while holding a big stick in his hand.

  Carter took off his shirt as the sweat cascaded down his body. They had been climbing the mountain for nearly two hours, and the air was getting thinner as they got higher up in altitude.

  “You sure this is the way, lil’ man,” Zyir asked as his legs grew tired.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Me and me friends used to come and play in this jungle every day. We snooped around here last summer when Ma’tee was away in Miami. We’re almost there,” Ziggy said, showing no sign of being winded.

  On the other hand, the rest of them were exhausted, but their love for Breeze kept them going. Zyir couldn’t wait to hold Breeze in his arms and tell her that he loved her. He was going to be her knight in shining armor and save her. That thought alone made him put some pep in his step as he sped up, trying to reach their destination.

  Mecca’s mind was on shooting Ma’tee right in between the eyes. Breeze was his only full-blooded sibling that was still alive, and he would die if that was the cost of getting her back. “Here I come, Breeze, he thought as he climbed the trail.

  Carter swatted the unfamiliar flying insects away from his face as he looked up and saw the abundance of tropical trees.

  “Here is de’ jungle,” Ziggy said as he stopped and pointed to the woods. “Ma’tee’s house is straight ahead. Just stay north.”

  Carter stopped and caught his breath, along with Zyir and Mecca. He then looked at Ziggy and rubbed the top of his head. “Thanks, Ziggy. You are real lil’ nigga,” he said as he smiled. Carter reached around his wrist and pulled off his designer watch and handed it to Ziggy. “That’s yours,” he said as he watched Ziggy admire it like it was a masterpiece. “Now, you have to take off,” he told him, and stepped to the side so that Ziggy could go back down the mountain.

  “Thanks Ca’ter!” Ziggy said, mispronouncing his name because of his accent. Then Ziggy smiled and ran up and hugged him. “But remember, you have to follow de dirt path or chu will get lost. De jungle is a big circle, mon,” he reminded him as he headed back down.

  Carter watched as Ziggy disappeared down the trail, then focused back on Mecca and Zyir. “Let’s go get Breeze,” he said, and they ran through the jungle, following the trail.

  After fifteen minutes of running full speed down the trail through the jungle, they saw the house. They all stopped in their tracks when they saw the gigantic house that was before them. They had expected Ma’tee’s house to be guarded and surrounded by gates, but to their surprise, it was wide open and unguarded.

  Zyir dropped the bag on the ground that he was carrying, which was full of the automatic guns and bullets. He opened the bag, giving a variety of choices to Carter and Mecca. Mecca opted for the 12 gauge, and Carter got the AK 47 assault rifle, also known as a “chopper” because of its ability to spit bullet after bullet, chopping up whatever is in its path. They all strapped up and headed to the house. They were about to go in with guns blazing.

  * * *

  Breeze smiled as she thought about escaping Ma’tee’s wrath. It would soon be over, and she would be a free woman. She looked down from the chair she was standing on and wrapped the belt around her neck. Ma’tee had left this leather belt down there after he had sex with her. Little did he know that he had provided Breeze an exit by doing so. Breeze tugged on the belt to make sure that it was wrapped around the pipes above her head securely. Tears began to fall down her face as she shook nervously. The only thing she would have to do was kick the chair out from under her feet, and the nightmare would finally end.

  Carter put three fingers up, signaling the countdown. Mecca stood at the front door with a 12 gauge shotgun, aiming it at the lock. Zyir held two pistols in his hands, ready to rush in right after Mecca blew the door open. “Three, two, one!” Carter whispered.

  BOOM!

  Mecca blew through the lock and they all rushed in.

  Ma’tee heard the blast while he was in the shower washing the smell of sex off of his body. He quickly turned off the shower and ran into his room that was attached to the bathroom. He reached for the tech-nine automatic handgun he kept under his pillow. He looked at the monitors that were on his wall and gasped. He had his entire house under surveillance, and saw three men running through the downstairs of his home with guns.

  “What de blood clot!’ he yelled as he held his gun in his hand while dripping wet, and still completely naked. He looked at the security monitor that was watching the basement where he kept Breeze. Ma’tee’s heart skipped a beat and he gasped at what he was witnessing. He gripped the sides of the monitor in anguish at the sight of Breeze’s feet swinging from the ceiling. He was witnessing her committing suicide. “Nooo!” he yelled as he rushed downstairs to save her. He didn’t care that he was going up against three guns, he just wanted to save his love before she died. “Breeze!�
�� he yelled as he ran down the stairs, gun in hand.

  Mecca was the first to spot Ma’tee, and reacted without thought or hesitation. He cocked the shotgun back and let off a round, just barely missing Ma’tee. Ma’tee returned fire, spraying anything he saw moving as he made his way down the stairs. Zyir also opened fire as he came from the opposite corner of the room. He hit Ma’tee in the arm, sending him flying down the stairs violently. Carter was toward the back of the house, and came running when he heard the gunshots.

  Ma’tee dropped his gun as tumbled down the stairs, leaving a bloody trail behind him. He landed at the bottom of the stairs awkwardly. “Hmm!” he grunted as he tried to sit up and gather his bearings. When he looked up, Mecca was standing over him with a shotgun to his face.

  “Where is Breeze?” Mecca screamed as he dug the barrel into on one of Ma’tee’s eyes. Before Ma’tee could say anything Mecca kicked him forcefully in his temple out of anger. His emotions got the best of him, and he could not contain himself. Ma’tee was the man who had caused his family grief like no other, and his rage emerged like a bolt of lightning, striking hard and swift. “Where is she?” he yelled as he looked at Ma’tee, who seemed to be losing consciousness.

  Ma’tee was dizzy because of the blows Mecca had just given him. He could barely speak. “Breeze!” he whispered as he thought about her hanging in the basement.

  “Fuck that! Breeze!” he yelled as he ran up the stairs, skipping two at a time in a desperate race to find his girl. Carter headed to the back of the gigantic house screaming her name also.

  “Breeze!” Zyir yelled as he invaded every room of the house. His heart pounded furiously in his chest, and his instincts told him that something was wrong. If she’s here, why isn’t she answering? He thought. “She’s not up here! I can’t find her!” he screamed as he descended the steps in worry.

  Mecca saw the look in Zyir’s eyes, and knew that something was wrong. “Where is she?” Mecca shouted as he looked down at Ma’tee, gripping him by his dreadlocks.

  “In… the… basement,” Ma’tee mumbled as blood dripped from his head.

  “She’s in the basement!” Mecca yelled just before he sent a shotgun blast through Ma’tee’s chest, killing him on contact.

  Carter rushed to the front, and Mecca told him that she was in the basement. They all rushed to the back of the house and tried to open the basement door, but it was secured with five dead bolts.

  “Stand back!” Carter said as he pointed his gun at the lock. He let of five rounds, breaking each lock with each bullet he fired.

  * * *

  “I love you, Poppa. I love you, Mama. I love you, Mecca. I love you, Monroe. I love you, Uncle Polo. I love you, Carter,” Breeze whispered, giving each one of her loved ones a personal and final good-bye. She put her hand over her heart and wished that Zyir would’ve come and saved her. She wished that when she called, she could have gotten the chance to let him know exactly where she was, but she didn’t, and now she was about to make her grand exit from her hell on earth. “I love you, Zyir,” she added just before she prepared to take her own life.

  She heard gunshots coming from upstairs, but she was so focused on what she was about to do that she paid them no mind. Breeze kicked the chair from underneath her and her body immediately dropped and dangled from the pipes. She began to squirm and hold her neck. The kiss of death gripped at her body. The pain was so great that she almost regretted her decision, but she would rather face a few moments of it then a lifetime of grief in the shackles of Ma’tee. The pressure building in her head was so great that she began to see stars. Each second was agonizingly slow as her lungs begged her to inhale. The strength of human will caused her to grab at the belt to avoid the suffocation. Her nails broke from grabbing at the leather, and she kicked wildly as the pulse in her head became audible in her own ears. She could hear her heartbeat fading, and just as she was on the brink of unconsciousness, she heard Zyir calling her name.

  “Breeze! I’m coming!” Zyir’s voice came from upstairs.

  Zyir! That’s Zyir! she thought as she continued to struggle for air. She heard someone trying to get to the basement, but the locks were stopping them.

  “Breeze!” Zyir yelled again as he tried to kick the door down. She jerked and contorted her body, trying to release herself, but it didn’t work. Frantic and out of air, she grabbed at the belt around her neck, scratching her skin as she attempted to create some slack in the belt. Her world became gray, and her eyes felt like they would pop out of her skull as she put the last bit of strength she had into freeing herself. Her efforts were in vain. It was too late. She was already in the Grim Reaper’s hands, and there was nothing she could do. She tried to yell for Zyir, but her airway was cut off. She only could let out small grunts. Her grunts were too low for anyone to hear, and she felt herself slipping away. She couldn’t take it anymore, and she finally stopped struggling as life left her body.

  Zyir pushed the door open and was the first to head down the stairs. He held his gun in front of him as he crept down the stairs, not knowing who was down there. Carter and Mecca followed closely behind him. Zyir got to the bottom step and his heart broke in two at the sight before him. Breeze was swinging from a ceiling pipe, swinging slowly from left to right. He quickly dropped his gun and ran over to her lifeless body.

  “Breeze! Nooo!” he yelled as he held her up by her legs trying to stop her from choking, but it was far too late; she was already gone.

  Carter saw Zyir holding Breeze and quickly ran over and picked up the chair so he could stand on it and untie her. His hands shook as he looked at Breeze’s limp body.

  Mecca was still by the stairs, frozen in heartache. He dropped to his knees and silently cried as he watched his sister’s body drop into Zyir’s arms. Zyir had never mourned anything or anyone in his life, but as he sat with Breeze in his arms, he rubbed her face as tears flowed down his cheeks. He kissed the top of her head over and over again as he rocked her back and forth while whispering her name again and again. “It wasn’t supposed to go down like this!” he whispered into her ear. “Not like this!” he repeated as he wept over her. He looked down at the only girl who had ever stolen his heart and regretted the day he had ever met her. He had never felt a pain so great before she had entered his life. “I’m so sorry, Breeze. This is all my fault,” he whispered as he closed his eyes tightly and tried to get the image of her suicide out of his brain.

  “Zy,” Carter began. He inched closer to Zyir. “Let her go, fam. This ain’t on you. Just hand her to me,” Carter instructed, seeing that his protégé's grief was as great as his own.

  “Don’t take her from me, man, not yet. Just don’t touch her!” Zyir spoke in a low tone. “She needed me. She was hopeless and she killed herself because I wasn’t there.” Zyir sat with Breeze for an hour before Carter could convince him that it was time for them to depart. Zyir even tried to give Breeze CPR. They all knew that it was useless, but Zyir wouldn’t stop until he tried everything to bring her back. She held the key to his heart, and now that she was gone, it would be locked forever. The beautiful Breeze Diamond was dead.

  Chapter Ten

  (The Cartel)

  All with tears in their eyes, Mecca, Carter and Zyir walked down the dirt path that led to their awaiting helicopter. They had just climbed down the mountain, none of them saying anything to each other on their way down. Breeze’s limp, lifeless body was in Zyir’s arms as he carried her with strength, determined to hold her upright and comfortable, even though it was in vain.

  The town’s patrons followed as they saw Zyir carrying the dead body. It looked as if a parade was going on, with Carter, Zyir, and Mecca leading the pack.

  Mecca held his gun out in the open as he walked in broad daylight, with onlookers looking at them in disbelief. With tears flowing, he promised himself that anyone he saw that resembled a Haitian would die in honor of his hatred for Ma’tee. Mecca was at a point where he didn’t give a fuck about human life
anymore. He was already ruthless, but he had crossed the line, graduating to psychotic. He just wanted somebody to pay for all the grief that Ma’tee and his Haitian mob had caused his family. It seemed as if every Haitian resembled Ma’tee, and Mecca wanted vengeance.

  He saw a spectator with a head full of dreads on the side of the road, along with the crowd. Mecca was going all out in tribute to Breeze.

  He glanced at her body, and the sight of the red belt marks around her neck made him sick to his stomach. That sight was the most hurtful thing he had ever seen. He knew that Breeze loved herself too much to kill herself. For her to commit suicide, life had to be unbearable. This thought infuriated Mecca and pushed him to his boiling point. He looked back at the dread head and let him have it. Mecca pointed and fired, catching him in the chest. Although the man had no association with Ma’tee and posed no harm, Mecca didn’t care. He was borderline insane at that point. As the thunderous sound of the gunshot echoed through the air, people began to scream in horror and run for cover as Mecca looked for any other Haitian that even resembled Ma’tee.

  The gunshots didn’t bother Carter or Zyir. Usually they would try to tame Mecca, but this time they let his rage flow uninhibited. Neither of them even flinched as Mecca let off round after round, while never stopping his slow pace as they walked. They knew that Mecca was creating therapy for himself in some sort of sick way. Who were they to tell him how to grieve? They were both heartbroken, and the only thing on their minds was getting Breeze back to the States for a proper burial.

  Zyir cried silently and kissed Breeze on the forehead while she was in his arms. “I love you,” he repeatedly whispered to her as he continued down the trail.

  Mecca continued to shoot calmly, with no expression on his face. People were yelling in terror and scattered like roaches as Mecca continued his therapy session.