Dopeman: Memoirs of a Snitch (Part 3 of Dopeman's Trilogy)

by JaQuavis Coleman

  Seven put his finger over his lips, signaling for Ball to remain quiet. He then stood on his tippy toes and took a peek inside. He quietly ducked down and shook his head in disgust.

  “What?” Ball whispered as he saw Seven’s face frown up. Seven shook his head from side to side and remained silent. Ball then took his turn and peeked in. He looked into the room and two men were in the bed completely naked. It was Tony and another mystery guy. Tony was receiving oral sex from the man and Ball immediately cringed. However, he saw the man who was giving Tony head and his heart skipped a beat. It was Dame. It was the cop that made him an informant. Seven couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked closer and was one-hundred percent sure that it was Dame. Dame is a homo? He thought as his mind churned rapidly around the situation.

  “Oh My God!” he whispered as he quickly ducked down, breathing heavily.

  “Yo, let’s just go in there and blow both of their heads off,” Seven whispered as he gripped his gun tightly. Ball instantly knew that he couldn’t do that. For one, Dame was a cop and for two, Ball was in fear that his cover would be blown.

  “Let’s just wait until they come out. No reason to kill the other dude. He has nothing to do with this,” Ball whispered harshly. Seven cut his eye at Ball and wondered was he scared or just being soft. Seven had no mercy but he saw that Ball was hesitant. After a brief moment of silence, Seven nodded his head and agreed with his partner.

  “You right. We can just lay low until one of them leaves. Good thinking.” Seven admitted. Ball wanted to tell Seven that they should leave, but he couldn’t figure a way out of it without looking soft. He took a deep breath and leaned against the house. Now it was a waiting game.

  Thirty minutes later, Dame came out of the house. Seven and Ball watched closely as they hid in the bushes. They watched as Dame pulled off and immediately rushed to the front door and knocked. They knew Tony would think that his lover had doubled backed so he would open door without caution. Seven knocked on the door and seconds later it flew open and Tony was on the other side with a silk robe on. Seven instantly put his gun to Tony’s head and made him walk backwardly, pushing him back into the house.

  “Surprise.” Seven said as he walked into the house. Ball was close behind and he closed and locked the door. Gay Tony let out a couple of mumbles that they couldn’t make out clearly. He was taken completely off guards as he scurried on the floor. “Get yo’ punk ass up.” Seven said as he looked down at Tony.

  “Seven, what’s the problem, baby?” Tony asked as he put both of his hands in front of him, wondering why he was getting ambushed by his colleague.

  “You sent your people to wet up my block?” Seven asked through his clenched teeth. He gripped the gun firmly and dug the barrel into Tony’s chest.

  “We had a truce. I would never do that without speaking to you, fam.” Tony pleaded as he frowned up on confusion.

  “I want you to meet my man,” Seven said as he stepped to the side and revealed Ball. “Now, I’m going to ask your ass one more time and if you lie ... I’ma fuck up that little fruity ass robe you got on. Did you send niggas on my block?” Seven asked as his trigger finger began to itch.

  “Man, listen. I did not know that was your block. This new nigga came out of nowhere hustling wrong my way. You know how the game goes,” Tony said trying to make sense of the situation.

  “No, I don’t know. Everybody knows war isn’t good for business. You fucked with my family ... so now you’re fucked.” Seven said as he gave Tony a menacing scowl. He raised his gun and pointed it at Tony’s head. Ball immediately stepped in.

  “Let this mu’fucka breathe. He ain’t even worth it,” Ball said as he put his hand on Seven’s shoulder. Seven stood there with his gun gripped tightly with the homo on the opposite side of the barrel.

  “Yeah, you right. Fuck this nigga,” Seven said as he smiled and lowered his gun. They turned around to leave and just as they reached the door, Seven turned around and darted to Tony who was still on the ground. He quickly put two bullets through his skull.

  “Number one rule; always finish your breakfast,” Seven said as he looked down on Tony. Ball looked in shocked and watched as a slow, maroon colored puddle formed around Tony’s body, and Seven stood over him with a smoking gun. Seven was a veteran and he knew that if he didn’t finish the job, he could potentially pay for it later. He ended the bad situation with Tony and was schooling Ball at the same time. He hoped Ball paid attention to the lesson that was being taught. They left out, both not saying a word to each other.

  By the time Seven dropped Ball off to his car, he had totally dismissed what had just happened. He noted the look of concern on Ball’s face. Seven knew that separating business and personal life was a skill that came with time.

  As Ball got out the car, Seven mentioned that his son had a basketball game that next morning and he invited Ball. Ball nodded his head and closed the door. He had just witnessed a murder and also discovered Dame’s down low ways.

  “What a day,” he whispered to himself as he got in his car and headed home.

  It was early Saturday morning and Ball was walking into the elementary gymnasium just after 9:00 A.M. Ball hadn’t been up that early in a long time. He scanned the bleachers and saw Seven waving him over to his seat. The kids ran up and down the court and the sounds of squeaking sneakers filled the air. Ball made his way up the stands and took a seat next to him on the wooden bleachers. Seven was dressed down and it was the first time Ball had seen him without designer slacks and fancy clothes on. Seven wore expensive linens. They were complimented by crispy all-white Gucci boat shoes that added a cherry to the top.

  “Glad you could make it,” Seven said as he slapped hands with Ball.

  “What’s up? Told you I was going to come check li’l man out. What’s his number?” Ball said as he scanned the court, watching as the third graders ran up and down the floor.

  “That’s him right there. Number twenty-three.” Seven said as he pointed to the shortest guy on the court. Ball looked and saw Li’l Rah playing the point guard position and dribbling the ball up the court.

  “Oh okay. I see li’l man,” Ball answered as he pulled off his jacket and rubbed his hands together.

  “Let’s go Rah!” Seven yelled as he focused in on his son. Ball looked over at Seven and looked at how relaxed and well rested he looked. He didn’t look like he had just committed a murder just hours before. It was as if Seven forgot it even happened. Ball himself couldn’t get any sleep thinking about what happened to Gay Tony.

  “You have to separate business from personal,” Seven said without even looking at Ball.

  “What?” Ball said. It was as if Seven read his mind.

  “You have to keep the two separated. Never let what you do in the streets affect you. It’s a job. It’s the life we chose. The sooner you learn how to never bring your work home, the easier it will get,” Seven said as he glanced over at Ball, dropping him gems about life.

  “That shit doesn’t fuck with you?” Ball asked trying to get a clear view on Seven’s mind state.

  “It was something that had to be done. Look, we couldn’t let that slide. If he tried us once, then he would have eventually tried us again.” Seven said as he focused on his son dribbling fancy and going to the basketball rim. He got fouled and missed the shot.

  “Finish your breakfast, son,” Seven yelled to his son as he stood up in excitement. It was a phrase they used. He always told his son dribbling fancy didn’t mean nothing if he couldn’t make the shot. So he would tell him ‘finish your breakfast’, meaning to finish the play. Seven sat down and continued his conversation with Ball.

  “Look, that nigga disrespected you. That means he disrespected me. We have to hold each other down. You’re like family, and if there’s one thing that I don’t play about, it’s my family,” Seven said. Ball looked into Seven’s eyes and saw the sincerity. Seven meant what he said when he called Ball family and that’s when the guilt began
to weigh down on Ball. He knew that he was playing with fire. He had just witnessed a murder and if he told Dame, it would be a guaranteed conviction for Seven. However, Ball couldn’t do that to Seven. Especially when Seven killed on his behalf. He just couldn’t do it. On top of that, Dame had a sexual relationship with Gay Tony, so that only made the situation thicker. Ball shook his head thinking about how Dame was a down-low brother. That shit crazy, he thought to himself.

  “Family always comes first,” Seven said, emphasizing his point.

  “Family comes first,” Ball repeated as he smiled and put out his hand and smacked hands with his mentor. In a short time, Seven had taught Ball so much. They were building much more than a friendship, they were building a brotherly bond.

  They sat and watched the game and talked about life and their next moves. Ball couldn’t help to think about the day when he would have to leave the family and reveal that he was an informant.

  “Yo, listen. I need a favor.” Seven said as the final buzzer went off.

  “Yeah, I got you. What’s up?” Ball responded.

  “I got this old beef. I need a bitch touched. She lives in Baltimore.”

  “A female?” Ball asked as he frowned up in confusion.

  “Naw, it’s not what you think. This isn’t an ordinary around the way chick. It’s from an old situation I had a few years back. Her name is Millie. She a get-money bitch ... feel me? I just got word that she got out of jail on an appeal and she could be a potential problem.” Seven said with a stern look on his face.

  “Word?”

  “Word. When my house got sprayed up, I sat back and thought bout all my potential enemies. She was the only one that came to mind. I have to hit her. Even if... she is across the country and not even on my radar. I have to,” Seven said giving his protégé game to soak up.

  “Say no more. You want me to smack her up a li’l or something?” Ball asked.

  “I want her whacked. I have to finish my breakfast. I can’t leave that situation unresolved, feel me?” Seven said just before he stepped down off the bleachers and hugged his son. Ball was left sitting there to think about what Seven just said. He knew that Seven was testing him at that point. He was going to have to commit murder and if he did that all deals were off with Dame. Ball had to make a choice on which side he was on. If he was to follow through with Seven’s orders ... he would no longer be an informant, but a fugitive.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A Millie

  Ball and Lola pulled up to a quiet suburban area just outside of Baltimore. They had been watching the house for the past hour and they knew someone was inside because of the slew of lights that were on. They were four houses down from Millie’s residence and parked on the curb. They had an eight hour drive from Ohio, but it seemed quick because they talked shit all the way there. They discussed politics, life, and bullshit for the entire ride. But there was no time for games now. They had a job to do. Ball was the first to break the silence. “Yo, what’s the deal with this bitch in here? Why does Seven want her murked?” Ball asked.

  “I don’t know. I really don’t ask too many questions. If he wants it done... . I make it happen. Case closed.” Lola said coldly. Ball noticed that Lola had inherited Seven’s coldhearted demeanor and was an animal in her own right.

  Under Seven’s orders, they were to put two holes in Millie’s head. “I have to finish my breakfast,” Seven said to Ball when referring to knocking off Millie, his old enemy. Although Mille was on the other side of the country and posed no threat, Seven wanted to be safe. Their beef was years ago, but Seven never underestimated anyone. He needed her dead. Ball’s reality sunk in. He knew that it was time to show and prove and he almost forgot that he was an informant. He had been hustling and having fun over the past few months and forgot that the state of Ohio was building a case against Seven and his crew. However, when they pulled up the truth was put in his face. Lola pulled out the two chrome .45 pistols that were in the black duffle bag and took a deep breath. She placed one on Ball’s lap and asked, “You ready?”

  So many thoughts went through Ball’s mind as he watched Lola calmly slip on a pair of black gloves. It was as if she had done this a million times before. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in her heart. Ball knew that if he went through with the murder, he would no longer be an informant. He would be a fugitive. He weighed his options carefully.

  Seven and his crew haven’t showed me anything but love. If I tell them the whole truth, will they accept me? Or will he blow my mu’ fuckin brains out right then and there? It was crunch time and Ball had to think quickly. He was playing with fire and straddling both sides of the fence at that point.

  “Yo, let me go blow this bitch brains out. You stay here,” Ball said as he put his plan together in his head.

  “Naw, fuck that. I’m going in with you to rock this bitch to sleep,” Lola barked back.

  “Listen, I need you to watch my back and make sure no one comes in.” Ball said as he turned toward Lola. “Trust me,” he said as he stared at her with sincerity in his eyes.

  “Okay. Make it quick,” she said as she leaned her seat back.

  Ball stepped out of the car and tucked his gun in his waist. He reached into his pockets and grabbed the set of keys. He quickly dipped behind the back of the house and quietly gained entrance from the back door. The house was spacious and the only sound was coming from the west side of the house. He could hear the news reporter predicting the weather. He started to slip back out but he was going to finish what he had started. He thought about showing his cards after murdering Millie. He believed Seven would accept him and forgive his deception if he proved that he was on the right side. Fuck it, he thought as he slowly crept through the house with his gun in hand. The news got louder and louder and he saw a woman sitting at the desk reading. He slowly clicked his gun off of safety and crept behind the woman. He raised his gun and looked down at the woman. He noticed that she was reading a Bible. That is when guilt began to sink in.

  “Seven sent you for me?” the woman said without even turning around. It was as if she had eyes in the back of her head. Her voice startled Ball, making him grip his gun even tighter.

  “You already know who sent me. Let’s not make this more difficult than it has to be,” Ball said as he swayed back in forth as his nervousness set in.

  The woman began to recite the Lord’s Prayer and that threw Ball off. He began to think about the consequences of his actions. He was about to commit murder. It wasn’t even a matter of his own; instead it was Seven’s beef. Ball whispered, “I can’t do this,” he then grabbed the woman by her arm and turned her around. She stopped praying and frowned as she was tossed like a ragdoll onto her own bed. She was a slim, beautiful woman who looked to be in her late thirties. She had no fear in her eyes and looked at Ball intensely. He pushed her on the bed and put his gun in his waist.

  “Look, listen to me and listen to me closely. You have to get the fuck out of here. Leave everything and go! If I ever hear about you coming back here, I will kill you myself.”

  “Why are you doing this for me?” Millie asked as she looked in confusion not knowing what was going on. She didn’t know what to say or do. Was this man playing mind games with her? That’s what she asked herself as she tried to peep the logic behind Ball’s act of mercy.

  “Don’t worry about it. Just remember what I said. Leave here for good! Go and do not look back! If you don’t, Seven will send his goons for you,” Ball said with aggression, trying to make her understand. “Am I understood?” Ball screamed.

  Millie just nodded her head in agreement. With that, Ball left the room and out of the back door. He quickly ran full speed to the front where Lola was waiting for him, door already open. He got in the car and she pulled off into the night.

  “Did you do it?” Lola asked as she looked over at Ball. He nodded his head yes as he closed his eyes and threw his head onto the headrest. He hoped that what he had just done would not come ba
ck and bite him later.

  They alternated driving, but both of them realized that they were too tired to drive. They drove a couple of hours back toward Ohio before stopping midway in the Pittsburg area to get a room and get some rest. They found a small motel which was the only one around for the next thirty miles. Lola had slowly been sipping some Hennessy that she grabbed from a corner store once they got outside of Baltimore. She slowly swirled the ice around in her plastic cup as they pulled into the parking lot.

  “I guess this is it,” Ball said as he pulled into the parking lot. Lola smacked her lips, looking at the grungy spot that they were stopping at. But she knew that it was the only thing close. She shook her head in disappointment and put down her drink. She got out and told Ball she would go get the rooms. Ball watched as Lola got out and he looked at her plump ass that sat perfectly in her black leggings. He had to admit that she had nice assets. Her behind looked like two perfect teardrops and her wide hips only added to the work of art. One would’ve never known that she was a heavy hitter in the dope game, and just as ruthless as any dope-boy in America. Lola had a way of looking sexy without wearing sexy clothes. Her natural beauty was undeniable. She did what most women couldn’t, and that was not relying on tight clothes or make-up for beauty. She had her hair pulled back tightly and her baby hairs rested perfectly around her edges. Ball all of sudden noticed how sexy she was.

  “Damn, I wonder if Seven be hitting that?” he asked himself. He realized that he never saw Lola with another male counterpart or companion. “Is she gay?” he asked himself as she disappeared into the office of the motel. He quickly shook off the notion of Lola and thought back to his love Zoey. “I miss you Zo.”