Thin Ice 4 - Resurrections

by KR Bankston

  “Now what,” Gram asked.

  She wasn’t here and now they’d given themselves away breaking into the house. Victor looked at Seth watching him come unglued. He was furious and it showed on his face.

  “Now you muthafucka’s get what you came for,” Jaron said calmly as they all spun and looked into the face of the three men, staring back at them, guns drawn and aimed right at them.

  “Drop your shit,” Shells said calmly, the ak-47 aimed right at Gram.

  Doing as they were told, the men discarded their weapons.

  “So who the fuck are you fools,” Jaron asked.

  Mook was calmly observing the three men saying nothing.

  “I’m here to get Gabrielle,” Seth spoke out bodly.

  Jaron grunted as Mook smiled slightly.

  “So you must be Seth,” he asked as the man gave him an evil look.

  “Why the fuck you care,” he spat still giving Mook a look.

  “Fuck, I don’t really,” he replied, still calm. “Just a question idiot,” he added as Seth steamed.

  Victor was outdone with the turn of events. Things had gotten complicated in a major way right now.

  “So of you three, who’s running shit,” Mook asked once more as both men cast a glance at Seth. “Ahh, mighty mouth,” he replied as Jaron and Shells chuckled. “Why are you going through all this trouble to snatch your sister, who by the way, is fine where she is,” Mook questioned once again.

  Seth said nothing, preferring to keep his secret to himself.

  “Him twisted,” Shells threw out regarding the man.

  “Enlighten us,” Mook said simply.

  “Look at him, him in love wit her, his own sister, him want her,” Shells told them as Jaron gave Seth a disgusted look.

  “She’s not my sister,” Seth said finally, feeling the need to exonerate himself.

  “What the fuck you mean, not your sister,” Jaron asked, growing angry.

  Seth gave him a quickly abbreviated run down of Gabrielle’s history.

  “I take it she doesn’t know that though,” Mook asked as Seth spoke and said she didn’t.

  “Well ain’t that a bitch,” Jaron threw out, still repulsed. “So you were gonna snatch her, tell her the truth, and what, live happily ever after as man and woman,” he growled, ready to kill the man in front of him.

  “Wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that nosey ass bitch that interfered,” Seth growled, referring to Kim.

  Mook gave him a deadly look. “Watch the bitch callin’ playa,” he told him acidly. “That one right there, I’ll kill you about that one,” he added for good measure as realization dawned for both Seth and Victor.

  “Where is she,” Seth asked looking directly at Jaron.

  “Safe and the fuck away from your demented ass,” he replied, never looking away.

  “How the hell did you seduce my sister anyway,” Seth asked.

  Since everyone else was getting information, he decided he may as well ask him own questions.

  Jaron told him about abducting Gabrielle and their falling in love with each other. “Bullshit,” Seth raged. “She doesn’t love you, she’s with you out of gratitude,” he told him as Jaron chuckled.

  “Don’t be stupid, Gabrielle could have left whenever she wanted,” he threw back.

  “Well, this is all well and good,” Mook interjected. “But we have somewhere to be and you gentlemen just broke into my friends house, intending to do him bodily harm,” he explained as Victor began to get edgy.

  The brick came from nowhere, shattering the window as everyone hit the floor and the three men grabbed their weapons, beginning to fire. Shells opened up with the AK, Mook and Jaron spraying the room with their .10mm’s. More breaking glass added to the melee as furniture crashed being overturned; walls shook, and lost their cargo as pictures and scounces littered the floor. Bullets hit the range and microwave littering the floor with more broken glass and metal shards. A bullet hit the fire extinguisher as the room was flooded with the white spray effectively skewing everyone’s eyesight as the gunfire increased and the sounds of screams and shouts permeated the room.

  26

  Ian was watching her carefully as they ate. Kaitlyn had been quiet and pensive most of the evening since their earlier talk. He knew she was thinking about what he’d said to her about Tariq and any future they would have.

  “Baby, do you want something else,” he asked sweetly, noticing she was only picking through her salad.

  “No, I’m just not very hungry,” she replied smiling slightly.

  He didn’t push. Ian had to carefully maneuver her to his reason of deduction. He himself was pretty sure the man would forgive her sleeping with him, but Ian wasn’t going to tell her that. He’d waited too many years to have Kaitlyn back in his life, in his home, and in his bed. He would say and do whatever he had to, to ensure it never changed.

  “You hafta eat KiKi,” Ian chided gently.

  She sighed slightly, but began to obediently eat the salad. Ian continued to watch her, thinking how much he was enjoying being with her again. He was also thinking about how to bring her and Lauren together. From his observations Lauren seemed to surface when Kaitlyn felt threatened or exceptionally angry.

  Ian figured that was one of the things she’d tried to put behind her when she changed her name. He knew there had to be a lot of anger there from the abuse she suffered and more than likely a vow to never be abused or mistreated by anyone else ever again. How do you get her to actually talk about it and deal with it, he continued to muse as she finished the salad and rose taking her plate to the kitchen.

  “I want to go lay down,” she told him coming back into the dining room.

  “That’s fine baby,” Ian told her, smiling at her. “Do you need anything?”

  She shook her head and turned to walk out of the room, stopping as she reached the door.

  “Ice,” she inquired without turning around.

  “Yes baby,” he answered, giving her back his complete attention.

  “Can you really handle how messed up I am,” she asked quietly as he rose and came to her.

  Turning her toward him, Ian embraced her, lifting her face to his own as he looked into her eyes.

  “I love you KiKi,” he told her earnestly. “I can accept anything about you, and I’m going to help you get better baby, I promise.”

  He kissed her at the end of his sentence and she didn’t push him away. Ian wiped the single tear that trailed her face and smiled at her again.

  “OK,” she said simply, turning and leaving him alone in the dining room.

  It won’t be long now, Ian thought happily as he returned to his steak, eating with new gusto.

  *****

  DeNoah and Shamar were relaxing and enjoying the game. He’d invited the man over after deciding he didn’t feel the club atmosphere tonight.

  “You got any smoke,” Shamar asked, kicking back on the Italian leather sofa, opening the imported beer in his hand.

  DeNoah chuckled and handed him the bag of weed. Shamar rolled them a blunt and lit it, taking two or three deep drags before handing it to DeNoah. The knock at the door startled them both. Shamar coughed lightly, strangling on the smoke he still held in his lungs.

  “Who the hell is this,” DeNoah mumbled, rising to answer the door.

  He wasn’t expecting any other company.

  “Yeah, who is it,” he asked cautiously.

  “It’s Ramell,” the man answered as DeNoah smiled slightly and opened the door.

  The hard shove was unexpected and he found himself on his back looking into Tariq’s face, the expression he wore, deadly.

  “Get the fuck up,” Jacoury told DeNoah, his distaste for the man evident.

  Shamar wisely remained quiet; wanting to see what was going on. From what he could tell DeNoah was in a world of trouble with his folks. He hoped that remaining quiet, kept him out of sight, and out of mind. DeNoah made his way to feet as Jacoury put the .
380 to his head, the look daring him to open his mouth. Ramell flipped open the lock-blade and began cutting the shirt from his body. The small inconspicuous wire was now clearly visible as Shamar’s mouth dropped. Ain’t this some shit, he thought as Ramell carefully removed it, cutting the wire and disabling the device.

  “Please Top, let me explain,” he began before Tariq hit him the mouth closed fist, drawing blood.

  “I don’t need you to explain shit,” he growled angrily.

  “Who this muthafucka work for,” Ramell asked eyeing Shamar now.

  “Man, I ain’t in that bullshit,” he hurriedly explained. “Me and Noah just cool, we hang at the club from time to time,” he continued as Ramell regarded him without mercy. “Too bad,” he replied calmly, pulling the .9mm out and pointing it at Shamar. “You should pick your friends more wisely,” he added as Shamar’s heart dropped.

  “How long has your trifling ass been snitchin’,” Tariq asked as DeNoah remained on the floor, backing away as Tariq kicked at him.

  “It ain’t like that,” DeNoah tried.

  Jacoury scoffed as did Ramell.

  “So the muthafucka’s you met the other night, they what, just interested business investors,” Ramell growled, furious at this point. He absolutely hated to be lied too. “What you toting back to them muthafucka’s,” Ramell asked angrily aiming the gun at the man.

  “I, I just, I um,” DeNoah stuttered.

  “How you end up snitchin DeNoah, that’s all the fuck I wanna know,” Tariq threw at him once more.

  DeNoah swallowed hard and told Tariq about the police picking him up on a misdemeanor traffic infraction.

  “They ran my license and the warrant came back out of Jersey,” he told him as Tariq continued to regard him coldly. “They told me they would make a deal with me, help me,” he told him as Jacoury sucked his teeth.

  “And you were stupid enough to believe that,” he asked incredulous with the man in front of him. “Stupid ass, a warrant is a warrant,” he went on. “Especially a muthafuckin’ murder warrant. They just using your dumb ass to help them solve other shit,” Jacoury finally finished, disgusted.

  “All the shit I’ve done for you DeNoah,” Tariq began, taking the .380 out and adding the silencer. “All the bullshit I’ve put up with from you, the mistakes, the fuckups, all the chances I’ve given you,” he told him, his anger building.

  “That day at the hospital, when KiKi got snatched,” Tariq began, kneeling, right in DeNoah’s face. “You were slow as usual, fucked up again,” he told him as DeNoah’s eyes began to water. “But as always, I let your ass have the benefit of the doubt,” Tariq told him slapping him hard with the gun.

  DeNoah cried out from the pain of his nose breaking, blood beginning to gush from the cut opened on the bridge by the gun. Shamar was scared as hell. I should never have come over here tonight, fuck my life, he thought as Ramell turned to him.

  “Who you friends with,” he asked tightly as Tariq continued to regard DeNoah like a bug under glass. “And please don’t fuck with my intellect by lying,” he added for good measure as Shamar swallowed hard.

  “You know who Ice is,” Tariq fired off without evening turning around.

  Ramell saw the recognition in his face as Shamar tried to quickly cover.

  “No, I don’t know him,” he lied.

  Ramell frowned deeply before shooting him three times in rapid succession.

  “Didn’t I just tell this fucker not to lie to me,” he asked as Jacoury chuckled and told him he had.

  “That just leaves you,” Tariq told DeNoah still looking into his eyes. “My wife is with Ice again because of you,” he told him shooting him the first time in the arm. DeNoah winced in pain, the tears freely flowing down his face now.

  “Please Top, I didn’t mean,” he got out before Tariq shot him again in the other arm.

  “Shut up,” he hissed angrily. “He’s probably hurting her, and doing shit to her no other man but me should be doing,” Tariq went on his fury at full throttle. “But your little bitch ass will never live another day to report to the fuckin’ cops or that muthafucka over there that reports to Ice,” Tariq told him, putting the gun right on his chest.

  “Please Top, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” DeNoah pleaded.

  Tariq heard nothing. He pulled the trigger on the .380 four times, pumping slug after slug into DeNoah’s heart. Seeing the light leave his eyes, he rose finally, satisfied, as the three men left the apartment and headed back to the house to await Mook, Jaron, and Shell’s return.

  *****

  Jalen was enjoying Shanise’s company as they ate dinner together.

  “Have you been to Tampa before,” she asked making conversation.

  “No, it’s my first trip,” Jalen replied. “But I’m finding it very enjoyable,” he added giving her a look, as she blushed slightly.

  “What do you do, Jalen,” she asked after they’d enjoyed dinner and desert.

  Jalen told her he was independent contractor.

  “I’ma bartender by trade, so I travel to whoever will pay me the most,” he told her as she smiled and told him that was different.

  “So what do you want to do now,” he asked, hoping she didn’t want to end the evening just yet.

  “We could go dancing,” Shanise suggested.

  Jalen told her he was down, and they rose heading out into the city. She’d been here on several occasions and knew where the happening spots were, so Jalen let her drive. They arrived at the brightly lit building moments later, line outside the door.

  “Wow, how long is the wait to get in that place,” he murmured as Shanise chuckled.

  “Not as long as you think,” she replied telling him to come on.

  True to her word, Jalen found himself inside the club in less than five minutes. He was enjoying the ambiance of the lighted dance floors and full lenth mirrors. They even had go-go dancers in cages high above the dance floors.

  “Very studio 69esque,” he quipped as Shanise told him that’s what she liked about it.

  “You want a drink,” Jalen asked as she told him she did and he went to the bar to order for them.

  He returned shortly with the two apple martini’s as they sat in the empty booth they’d garnered.

  “OK, so at some point you have to actually get up and dance you know,” Shanise teased.

  Jalen told her he could hold his own, so whenever she was ready, let him know. Setting her glass down, Shanise told him to come on. They made their way to the crowded floor, etching out a spot, and began dancing flirtatously with each other. Jalen was getting seriously aroused as Shanise continued to grind her butt onto his lap. Shaking it like a salt shaker, he laughed, completely enjoying her. The DJ changed up the pace and a slow jam came on. Most of the couples immediately retreated to their booths and tables, but Jalen, Shanise, and about 10 other couples remained on the floor and actually danced with each other.

  “So are you ready to take me home yet,” she asked seductively.

  Jalen smiled, kissing her softly. “Hell yes,” he replied as she laughed.

  “So let’s go,” Shanise replied as Jalen smiled and took her hand, both of them almost running for the exit and to her waiting car.

  *****

  Mook, Jaron and Shells arrived at the house, parking in the massive garage and hurried inside.

  “You straight,” he asked Jaron, noticing the bleeding.

  “Just a scratch,” he told Mook of the cut.

  Fortunately none of them had been shot. They also didn’t know how many, if any, of the men they were shooting at were hit either. Things had spiraled immediately out of control once the bullets started flying. Someone had obviously called the police and the next thing they heard were sirens, yelling, and commands from the police about to storm the townhouse. The three of them had made an immediate retreat through the back door, seconds before SWAT swarmed it and made entry. They didn’t waste time waiting to see what would happen either. Mook jumped i
nto the car, everyone else right on his tail, started the engine and casually drove out of the complex as four more squad cars came screaming through the now open gates.

  “That shit was crazy as hell,” Jaron told them, wrapping the cut, which had now stopped bleeding.

  “Fuck yeah, and too close for comfort,” Mook agreed.

  “I sure hope we killed that fool,” Shells threw out.

  They all murmured their agreement as Shells made a call. He had friends on the street that could tell them what was going down.

  “What dey say happen,” Shells asked his friend.

  The man went on to give them details of the raid and what the police found.

  “They ain’t ID none of dem yet,” Shells told Mook and Jaron. “Two of dem dead though,” he added as they both grunted, sure they were all thinking the same thing about the one they wanted to be dead.

  The sound of another car driving up caught their attention, and they heard Tariq, Jacoury, and Ramell, entering the house moments later.

  “I’m glad to find you all here,” Tariq told them, alerting them he’d heard what’d happened.

  “We are too,” Mook replied as they all laughed.

  “Man, what the fuck,” Ramell asked as they began recounting the entire interaction.

  “Damn, he’s a sick ass bastard,” Jacoury threw out after Jaron explained what they’d found out about Seth and Gabrielle’s relation to each other.

  “Once we find out one of the stiffs is actually his ass, I’ma call Kim and tell her, so she can let Gabrielle know everything is fine,” Mook told them as Tariq grunted.

  He told them about killing DeNoah and the leak that was with Ice.

  “Oh so they hanging out together and everything huh,” Mook asked irritably.