by K'wan
He must have been out partying himself because instead of his usual black suit, he was wearing a cream turtleneck and matching Gucci shoes. Paula could remember how Honey kept drunkenly commenting on whatever cologne he had on. Paula got dropped off first at her apartment in the Bronx, then Brutus left to take Honey home. It was roughly an hour drive from Paula’s place back to the estate, but two hours later, Shai was on Paula’s phone asking her if Honey was there. Of course, Paula pressed Honey about the lapse in time, but to that day she had never given her a straight answer.
“Brutus and I are just friends. Nothing more,” Honey said, but Paula still didn’t believe her. Not wanting to talk about it anymore, Honey busied herself looking at a pair of shoes in the window of Prada. “Now those are hot.”
“Those would look good on you,” Paula said, joining Honey in admiring the high-end stilettos.
“Yeah they would, but ain’t no way I can get these swollen feet into them, and by the time I drop my load and this weight, they’ll be out of season. I’ll bet you’d crush the building with them, though.”
“You know my pockets ain’t set up to do much more than look,” Paula said honestly.
“What good is having money if you can’t blow it on your bestie? Now come on!” Honey grabbed Paula by the hand and pulled her inside the store.
Honey and Paula spent the next twenty minutes trying on different shoes. She grabbed the stilettos for Paula and found some cute flats for herself. She was at the register, fishing around in her purse for the wallet holding her credit cards when she felt someone standing behind them. She turned, expecting to see Brutus, but found herself looking at the stranger she saw at the baby shower.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said easily. “You’re Shai’s lady. Honey, right?”
“Depends on who’s asking?” Honey reached deeper into her purse and fingered the baby 9mm at the bottom of it.
“My fault. Where are my manners? We didn’t get a chance to meet formally, but I’m Shai and Tommy’s cousin, Hammer,” he introduced himself.
That explained why his face was familiar to her. The Clark men had very strong genes. “Nice to meet you, Hammer. Now how can I help you?”
“I was actually wondering if you were here with Shai? I need to holla at him about something. I called the house, but he wasn’t in,” Hammer told her.
“So you stalked his lady to the mall?” Honey asked suspiciously.
“Nah, this was purely coincidence,” Hammer chuckled. “I was in here grabbing something for a friend of mine when I spotted you,” he explained, raising the Prada bag in his hand. “Look, I didn’t mean no disrespect, I just need to get with my little cousin. It’s kind of important. Do you have a cell phone number or something?”
“I don’t know you well enough to give out that kind of information.” Honey gave him a distrustful look. Something about Hammer creeped her out. She didn’t know him, but she was sure she didn’t like him. “I’ll let Shai know you’re looking for him,” she said, and collected her bags and attempted to leave. Hammer blocked her path.
“A real ride or die, huh? Listen sweetie, I’m not the enemy. Just an estranged relative looking to reconnect with his blood.”
“There’s gonna be some blood if you don’t get the fuck out of our way,” Paula said as she stepped between them. She was small, but feisty.
Hammer glared down at Paula. “You must ain’t got no man, because if you did, you’d know how to speak when you’re in the presence of a real nigga.”
“Is there a problem here?” Brutus appeared behind Hammer as if by magic. He was holding the Starbucks in one hand, and a retractable baton in the other.
Hammer looked him up and down comically. “Nah, ain’t no problem, pretty boy. I was just leaving.”
“Then you need to do so,” Brutus said in a threatening tone.
“Right.” Hammer began backing out of the store. “Shorty, don’t forget to give my little cousin my message. He should get with me sooner than later.”
“Make no mistake, I’m gonna remember this,” Honey promised.
Brutus continued to stand there, glaring at Hammer until he was out of the store. “You okay?” he asked Honey, who looked shaken.
“Yeah, I’m cool. Just get me out of here.”
CHAPTER 18
Tech couldn’t wait for the sun to go down so he could go about the task of handling the mission Swann handed to him. When his big homie explained the ins and outs of it, Tech was both surprised and honored. Gaining Swann’s respect and trust had been the goal since he started taking on jobs for the Clarks.
He wasn’t like the rest of the cock-suckers who stood around kissing ass, hoping that Shai would fart sunshine on their heads; Tech was determined to create his own light. Even before forming the Dog Pound with Animal, Tech had been in the streets putting in work. They weren’t hurting for money, but they weren’t where Tech envisioned them being either. This is where the Clark connection came in. Moving with Shai would put them in a whole different weight class, and open the doors for even bigger scores. The so-called heavyweights being connected would allow him to get close to where little more than suckling pigs waited to be roasted over a spit, and Tech was determined to become the grill master.
This latest task, which Tech figured to be his last obstacle into finally entering the Clark circle of trust, carried him into the bowels of Newark, New Jersey. Newark was only about twenty minutes from New York City, and boasted a vibrant downtown section, but once you crossed Springfield Avenue, it was like stepping into a Third World country where the natives were less than friendly. Tech pushed the stolen taxi through the blocks of empty lots and houses in various stages of decimation. All you had to do was read the graffiti on the walls to know where you were, but the body language of the young men and women hanging out and about told an even deeper tale. They were lost souls, fighting to hold onto what little the corrupt government had left them, and willing to protect it at all costs. Newark was a city Tech didn’t venture into unless he had to, but even those occasions it was always was in the company of a local tour guide and at least half a dozen homies. That night, though, he was riding two deep.
“You call her yet?” Jewels asked from the passenger seat.
“Who?” Tech asked, tearing his eyes away from a woman on the corner who was doing the dope fiend lean.
“You know who, the little bitch from the baby shower. What the fuck was her name again?”
“Belle,” Tech informed him, as he hung a right turn on Grove, “and no, I didn’t call her.”
Jewels gave him a disbelieving look.
“She called me,” Tech confessed.
“I knew it!” Jewels laughed. “Man if you had seen the way you and shorty were looking at each other… it was like something out of a movie, dawg. I almost shed a tear!” He wiped under his eye dramatically. “I kinda hope you do get in good with her so I can take a crack at that amazon-looking white bitch.”
“Funny you should mention it, because I’m supposed to see her tomorrow. You can be my wing-man and run interference with that old harp, Ruby.”
Jewels sucked his teeth. “First of all, nigga, I ain’t never the co-pilot; I do the flying. And second of all, I ain’t messing with that old broad Ruby. You better have shorty come to the block.”
“I tried that, but Ms. Ruby insists that if I wanna see Belle I gotta court her properly…whatever the fuck that means. Homie, we’ll go through there, spend about an hour or so making the old bird feel respected and then get out of there and into some gangster shit,” Tech promised.
“I’ll think about it,” Jewels said, then busied himself looking out the window. The streets were busy with activity. “Man, you know I heard they got these spots out this way where a bitch will fuck and suck you for thirty bucks!”
“For thirty dollars, she’s either an addict or something is wrong with the pussy. No thanks,” Tech declined.
“Nah, man. One of my b
oys told me he hit it up a time or three. Claims these Spanish bitches is some of the finest he’s ever seen. I say once we wax these fag, we got get our dicks wet.”
Tech shook his head. “Listen, can you get your mind off pussy long enough for us to complete this mission?”
“The two go hand in hand. Once we finish this mission and get in good with Swann, we gonna get all the bitches!” Jewels did a little dance in his seat.
“You can make jokes all you want, but don’t sleep just because we’re in Jersey. These Newark niggas are a different breed and we’re too far from home to call in a lifeline if this shit goes wrong,” Tech warned him.
“Nigga, please!” Jewels fished around in the back seat and came up holding a compact machine gun. “This is the only lifeline we’ll need,” he said as he cocked the slide. “These muthafuckas even peek at us wrong and I suggest you get out of the way because I’m gonna let this thing rock!”
“I’m going to hold you to that statement,” Tech said, steering deeper into the hood. When they were about five blocks from their destination, he pulled over behind a BP gas station and killed the engine.
“I thought you filled up before we left New York?” Jewels looked at him quizzically.
“I’m not getting gas, fool. I’m getting our trump card,” Tech told him, as he slid out of the car and walked back to the trunk. He gave a causal look around, working his key in the lock. It was more out of habit than fear of being caught. At that hour of the night and in that part of town, the police took their time responding to calls - if they showed up at all. When he was sure that his moment would be an intimate one, he opened the trunk and let his package breathe.
Wayne’s nostrils flared as he tried to take in as much oxygen as he could through his nose, because his mouth was covered in duct tape. His eyes blinked as they tried to adjust to the overhead streetlight. He’d been riding in the darkened trunk for the better part of an hour. The whole time he’d been praying for someone to open the trunk and give him a glimpse at freedom. His prayers had seemingly been answered, but the young face staring down at him ate away at what little hope he’d built. Wayne had seen the face before, but only once; he was staggering out of the bar half-drunk and a hooded youth approached asking for a light, and when Wayne reached in his pocket to accommodate him, everything went dark.
“Time for you to earn your keep.” Tech pulled Wayne from the trunk and pushed him towards the front of the taxi. He spun the man around and placed his gun to his forehead. “I’m gonna pull this tape from your mouth and you’re gonna behave yourself. Do you think you can do that? Remove your gag and you and me are going to have a civil conversation. Can we do that?”
Wayne nodded frantically. He didn’t know who the young man was or why he had been abducted, but he was willing to do whatever it took to see another day. As soon as Tech removed the tape, he began the tasks of trying to bargain for his life. “Please man. I don’t know what this is all about, but I’m just a driver.”
“Then drive muthafucka!” Tech shoved him behind the wheel and jumped in the back.
The ten minutes it took him to drive the next few blocks felt like the longest of Wayne’s life. His hands trembled nervously as the man in the passenger seat with the gold bracelets looping up his forearm glared at him silently. He couldn’t see the machine gun he’d been brandishing when Wayne got in the car, but he knew it was there somewhere, ready to lay him down if need be. His abductor, the one with the braids who snatched him, sat in the back occasionally feeding him directions - not that Wayne needed them. He had taken the drive more than once and knew his way by heart.
“Pull over,” Tech ordered on a block between Washington and Broad. On one side of them was a small bodega, where a few young girls in tight jeans were hanging out. On the other, an apartment building. Their position gave them a view of the darkened courtyard where several young men were congregating.
“Damn, shorty got an onion!” Jewels said excitedly, rolling down the window to get a better view of the girl he was eyeballing. “Light skinned, what’s good?” he called. The girl gave him a smile.
“Are you fucking stupid?” Tech barked from the backseat. “We’re here to handle business, not chase pussy!”
“You need to lighten up, man.” Jewels said as if it were no big deal.
“Wayne, you see that nigga out there?” Tech ignored Jewels and went back to scanning the courtyard.
Wayne strained his eyes against the darkness. “I can’t tell, man. It’s dark as shit and my eyes ain’t so good.”
Tech leaned forward and pressed his gun to the back of Wayne’s head. “This help you see a little clearer?”
“The one in the red hoodie,” Wayne said, pointing. “He does all his business out of the courtyard.”
Tech peered through the window at the man Wayne had identified. He was pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing at his phone as if he were waiting for someone to ring him. Tech had Wayne call and tell the young man that he was in the area and wanted to score some more dope. From his look of anxiousness, Tech reasoned that Wayne was responsible for putting more money in his pocket than that of the dirty politician he drove for.
“Make the call,” Tech ordered.
“Look man, I know whatever you’re cooking up for this dude ain’t good. I did my part and pointed him out. Now how about you let me go my way while you do what you gotta do,” Wayne pleaded. He wasn’t built to be an accessory to a murder.
“Let me see if I can make this simple for you, Wayne. Somebody is gonna have a conversation with the business end of my gun tonight. Whether it’s going to be the dude who sold O’Connor that bad bag of dope or you is your choice.”
Knowing that there would be no negotiating with his captor, Wayne pulled out his cell phone. “Hey Jake? It’s me…”
Tech drowned out whatever Wayne was saying on the phone and focused on the dealer who had been identified as Jake. His body language would give him a better idea of where he stood than Wayne’s words. Reading body language was something he picked up from Animal, and it paid off. Thinking of his protégé made him wish that Animal had come along for the ride. Animal and Tech had been to war together and he always stood tall. The jury was still out on Jewels. Tech watched Jake walk in through the back of the building after Wayne ended the call.
“We all good. He’s gonna meet us in the lobby.” Wayne informed Tech.
“Bet, let’s do this.” Jewels picked up the shotgun and double-checked to make sure it was loaded.
“Man, we can’t roll in there deep. It’s bad enough I’m showing up with a new face, but if I show up with two new faces he’s gonna know something is off,” Wayne explained.
“Fuck that. If you go into that lobby by yourself, I can’t see what’s going on. We go together or not at all,” Jewels said.
Tech weighed it. Everything in his mind told him that the setup was wrong, but it was his only window of opportunity. It was either take the gamble or go back and tell Swann he failed at his task. “I’m going alone. Jewels, you stay with the car and keep the engine running. I’m going to be coming out fast after I smoke this fool.”
“Aight, if you wanna play super hero it’s on you, but if you ain’t out in five minutes, I’m coming in busting.” Jewels chambered a round into the machine gun.
“Stay with the car!” Tech insisted, before sliding out. He was sure he could handle whatever was waiting for him inside the building, but the last thing he needed was to get trapped off in Newark. Once he handled his business, he knew the cats from the neighborhood would be on him like flies on shit. As he followed Wayne towards the building, he cast a glance over his shoulder. The last thing he saw before rounding the corner was Jewels getting out of the car to talk to the girl by the store. For the millionth time he wished he’d brought Animal with him.
*
Following Wayne to the building made Tech feel like he was walking the Green Mile to the electric chair. Wayne seemed shaky, but Tech re
asoned he would be too if he’d been kidnapped and forced to set a man up to die. There were three or four scruffy-looking cats hanging out in front of the building, passing around a Black & Mild and drinking beers out of paper bags. Their eyes roamed over Tech and Wayne, likely trying to figure out if they were friend or foe.
“What up, blood?” One of them flashed a gang sign, noticing the red bandana hanging from Tech’s pocket.
“Mack’n,” Tech replied in an even tone, and threw up his set. This seemed to satisfy their curiosities and the two were allowed to pass without further incident. Though the lobby window he could see Jake pacing back and forth. He looked either nervous or anxious; Tech wasn’t quite sure which. When he spotted them, he slipped on a mask of calm, and hit the button on the other side to release the lobby door lock with a click. When Tech stepped inside and the door shut again, he noticed that he didn’t hear it lock. It was then that an eerie feeling settled in the pit of his gut. Too far to turn back now, he thought to himself.
“Yo, what the fuck did I tell you about coming through this joint unannounced?” Jake started right in on Wayne. It was obvious from his tone that he didn’t have much respect for the driver.
“Sorry about that. This was kinda spur of the moment. My man needed some work and I figure I’d put the money in your pocket instead of someone else’s.” Wayne explained.
“Ya man, huh?” Jake looked Tech up and down suspiciously. “How do I know you ain’t police?”
Tech matched Jake’s glare. “Homie, I came to spend bread, not waste my time answering dumb ass questions. Wayne said you was holding the best bag in town, but if this ain’t the case I’ll go holla at my man Red in Elizabeth,” he said, and started for the door. He didn’t really know anyone named Red, but there was always somebody named Red on a blood set.
“Hold on,” Jake called after him. “I ain’t trying to run you off. It’s just that you can never be too careful when dealing with new people, feel me?”
