Treacherous’s pleas could be heard through the speaker of Baby’s cell phone.
Sammy Black released Baby’s face and walked over toward where Joshua Black was standing, holding the phone. He leaned in closer to the cell phone. “What I want is my fucking money and casino chips,” he calmly spoke into the phone. He gave Treacherous an address. “And you got two hours to make it across the water and get it to me in full or you’re going to find your little pretty nigger bitch floating in the river,” Sammy Black added.
His tone never changed, but his threat spoke a much louder volume.
The phone went dead in Treacherous’s ear. He sat on the edge of the bed, mind racing a million miles a minute. What he and Baby had imagined and dreaded had become their reality and worst nightmare. They had kidnapped Baby, and it was killing him. He had no idea what he was going to do. All he knew was that he had to do something. He had figured it was over the money and casino chips they had stolen from the pawnshop. There was no doubt in his mind that if he took the chips and what money they had accumulated to the Irish, both he and Baby would be dead once he gave them what they wanted. Treacherous knew he wasn’t equipped or even skilled to go up against the Irish mafia. But the love for another is underestimated until that love is challenged, and that’s what Treacherous had in his favor. He loved Baby and her life meant more to him than his own. If the roles were reversed he didn’t have to second-guess what Baby would do. He knew the only way he was going to have a fighting chance was if he fought fire with fire. With that being his thought, Treacherous pulled out his 6S and called Ghetto Governor.
Chapter Thirty-six
One hour later . . .
The two Irish henchmen stood guard on opposite sides of the entrance of the abandoned warehouse. They both surveyed their respective areas as best they could from where they stood. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to either of the men. The darkness made it difficult for them to see but so far. It also posed as a great camouflage for a sneak attack.
The first shot came out of nowhere and slammed into the chest of the Irishman to the far right. He grabbed hold of his upper left chest where the bullet had penetrated his flesh and pierced his heart. His eyes remained wide as he fell to the dirt ground. The other Irishman was busy looking to his left. He never saw or heard the reason why he was now staring down at his sidekick, who lay slumped on the ground.
The Irishman reached for his gun in his shoulder holster. By the time he realized what was happening and drew his weapon it was too late. He was met with the whizzing bullet that had traveled a distance to meet him as soon as he spun back around. The bullet wasted no time introducing itself to the Irishman. It slammed into his skull and split it instantly, like a peeled orange.
The third Irishman sat in the vehicle with his ear buds in listening to classical music. He was oblivious to what was going on outside around him. He never got the chance to react or respond the way his colleagues attempted. Death had already knocked on his door, even before the shattered glass accompanied the bullet that ripped through the side of his head, and covered a great portion of his face.
Treacherous pulled the other silencer-equipped pistol from his waistband. He dipped down low and scaled up alongside of the building. He glanced in each window he cautiously passed by, waving his twin cannons. He stopped at the third window when he noticed a male’s back facing him. Treacherous put his hands up to the side of his face and peered into the window. His eyes grew cold. The sight of Baby tied up and bleeding made him see red.
“Muthafucka!” he cursed under his breath.
You could hear the cracking of his knuckles from his now clenched fists. He took a deep breath then sighed. He knew he had to keep calm, for both his and Baby’s sakes. He moved farther along the side wall of the building searching for a way in. Like a prayer being answered, Treacherous stumbled across a glassless window at the far end of the building. He peeped in it. He could tell what he was looking at was once an office space. Dust covered a broken desk and a three-legged swivel chair, while damaged empty file cabinets lined the back wall.
He tucked one of his pistols in his waistband then slowly climbed through the window. Once in, he scaled the wall, careful not to step on anything that would make noise or draw any unwanted attention, and he backtracked to where he believed Baby was being held inside the warehouse. He drew his other weapon. He waved them from side to side as he maneuvered his way through the empty spaces, using them as guides.
He heard something up ahead and paused in his tracks. He could hear voices a short distance from where he stood. He began to tiptoe closer to where he had heard the voices coming from. He placed his back flesh against the wall and inched to the edge of it until he reached the panel of the doorless frame. He slowly stretched his neck and peeked around the corner. He nearly lost it at what he saw. It took everything in Treacherous’s power not to bum-rush the open room and start blazing. He knew if he did, he’d risk Baby getting caught in the crossfire. He had already told himself the first opportunity he got, the Irishman he had just witnessed assault Baby would be the first to go. Treacherous jumped back. Had he not, the man who had assaulted Baby would have been able to spot him.
Treacherous backpedaled and repositioned himself on the opposite side of the wall out of potential view of either man. From where he stood now, he had a clear view of Baby and the back of the other Irishman. Treacherous scanned the inside of the open room Baby was being held captive in as best he could from where he was.
Think, Treach. He tapped the side of one of his guns up against his head as he weighed his options. As if the gun put it there, an idea popped in his head. Just as he came up with it, the last thing he needed or wanted to hear came out of nowhere and echoed throughout the abandoned warehouse.
Sammy Black looked at his Presidential. “Where’s your fucking nigger boyfriend with my money, huh?” Sammy Black grabbed Baby by the back of her head and clenched a fistful of her hair.
Joshua Black stood and watched. He wished it were he who had his hand gripped with Baby’s hair. He wanted nothing more than to be the one to kill her.
“He’s running out of time,” Sammy Black cooed into Baby’s ear. He released her hair and pushed her in the back of the head. “I want my fucking money!” he bellowed.
His patience was wearing thin. He stared at Baby. He had witnessed how much she had loved Treacherous by refusing to talk. He didn’t know a single woman who could have and would have endured all she had over him, or any other man for that matter. He wondered if Treacherous possessed that same love for her. He hoped that was the case. He believed that would prevent Treacherous from doing anything stupid to avoid any mishaps directed toward Baby. All sorts of thoughts began to invade his mind. But they were put on freeze by the sudden command that slammed into his back and caused him to spin around.
Arthur Love and Andre Randle pulled up near the entrance to the abandoned warehouse. They could see two vehicles up ahead: one in front of the entrance, the other alongside the abandoned building. As they drew near, Arthur Love slammed on brakes.
“Holy shit!” he chimed.
When Andre Randle looked, he could see the lights of the unmarked car beaming down on two bodies slumped in front of the entrance of the warehouse. Arthur Love killed both the lights and the engine.
“You ready for this?” Arthur Love asked.
The two men stared at each other. They both knew that there was a great possibility that either of them may not make it out of this in one piece. But neither of them had any doubt whether they were up for the challenge to see it through.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Andre Randle replied.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Both men drew their weapons and cautiously exited the vehicle. They covered each other as they moved closer to the building. Andre Randle was the first to reach the back of the car closest to the entrance. He took cover and waved Arthur Love on. He slithered his way toward the side of the driver’s door o
f the vehicle. He jumped back when he saw the Irishman slumped in the front seat with chips of glass poking out of the side of his face and a bullet entry to his dome.
“Clear,” he whispered.
Arthur Love scurried over to where Andre Randle stood. He shook his head at the sight of the dead driver. “Freeman,” he stated, crediting Treacherous for the handy work.
Andre Randle nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”
Once they had secured the perimeter, they scurried into the warehouse one by one with waving guns. Noises could be heard from a distance ahead as soon as they entered the abandoned building. Arthur Love and Andre Randle followed the echo’s trail. Randle led the way. The hallway was so dark he nearly tripped over a broken bottle of glass. He was not able to prevent himself from stepping on the glass but was, however, able to lighten the crunching sound it made under his foot. He grimaced and slowly lifted his foot from the broken glass, then sidestepped it and continued moving forward.
Seconds later, he was near the open entrance where all the commotion was taking place. He held up his hand at his partner. He then poked his head inside the open-space room. He did a quick survey. He wasn’t surprised to see Sammy Black Jr., but he was surprised not to see Treacherous Freeman. He knew Treacherous was present. It was the only explanation for the dead bodies out front. He figured he had to be hiding somewhere in the immediate area. He did a quick scan of the room for a second time. He tried to see if he could get an inclination where Treacherous may be hiding out. He came up empty-handed. He turned and faced Love. He made hand gestures that indicated he intended to make a move on the count of three. By the time he reached the number three, Love sprang into action.
“Fuck!” Treacherous cursed. Who the hell are these dumb muthafuckas? he wondered. They couldn’t have shown up at a worse time, he thought. For the past twenty minutes Treacherous had been trying to figure out how to get the drop on the Irishmen without endangering the welfare of Baby. As soon as he had come up with a plan the two unknown men appeared out of nowhere. The crazy thing was they were able to walk straight in. Had Treacherous realized it would have been easier for him to enter through the front versus the back of the enormous warehouse, he would have done just that.
Treacherous eyed the two men carefully. From where he was positioned he could only get a side view of the larger one and barely could see the other man standing a close distance behind him. When the larger man of the two shifted his weapon from Sammy Black to Joshua Black, Treacherous’s eyes grew dim.
“No fuckin’ way!” he cursed under his breath in disbelief. Treacherous couldn’t believe his eyes. He slowly cocked both his weapons.
“Freeze!” Randle yelled as he entered the room. His unexpected presence caught everybody by surprise. Arthur Love entered the room with a sharpshooter’s aim, backing Andre Randle up.
All eyes were shifted to the two uninvited guests. Sammy Black shook his head and laughed. He couldn’t believe the balls on Arthur Love and Andre Randle.
“You guys don’t give up, huh?” Sammy Black joked. He shifted from side to side.
Baby turned to look at the two unidentified men. Her eyes grew cold at the sight of her father and the man who had killed Treacherous’s mother.
Arthur Love had his service weapon locked on Joshua Black. He glanced over at Baby. The look on her face caused a sharp pain to jolt through his heart. It was apparent she was not pleased to see him. She shot daggers at him.
Sammy Black noticed the exchange. “Aww!” He sighed in a humorous manner.
“Give me a reason, asshole,” Randle snarled.
“No need for all of that,” Sammy Black replied in a mocking tone.
“Untie the girl,” he ordered. He thought about how uncomfortable it must have been for Arthur Love to see his daughter like that, despite the fact that she was wanted by every law enforcement agency thinkable.
“As you wish.” Sammy Black turned toward Baby. He kneeled down and slit the bondage that bound her legs together. He then walked behind her. In one motion, the sharp blade cut the electric chord that bound Baby’s hands behind her. Baby’s limp body started to swivel to the ground, but Sammy Black caught her in time.
“Fuck you, pig!” he barked as he placed the sharp blade around Baby’s neck.
Both Andre Randle and Arthur Love now had their weapons drawn on Sammy Black. “Let her go!” Arthur Love commanded.
Sammy Black responded with a sinister laugh. A sudden detection of movement drew his attention in front of him. Out of reflex, Sammy reacted and opened Pandora’s box. A painful cry filled the air as an array of bullets accompanied it.
Treacherous had watched Baby’s father and the man who had killed his mother as they tried to negotiate with Sammy Black. He was surprised when he saw Sammy releasing Baby. He knew overall he had the advantage. No one could see him but from where he stood he could see all of them. Sammy Black was who he mostly had in his range. He had a clear view of him and intended to take full advantage. His initial plan was foiled when Sammy Black snatched Baby up and placed the knife around her neck. Treacherous tightened his grip around his pistols. Sammy Black rocked back and forth from side to side. Treacherous followed his every move with his weapons. The way Sammy Black had Baby yoked up, it was difficult for Treacherous to get a clear shot.
He grimaced in frustration. He knew he had to come up with another plan and fast. He did a quick survey of the room, contemplating his next move. Before he could come up with another plan, the sudden movement in front of Sammy Black Jr. and Andre Randle triggered off a chain reaction. Treacherous watched as pandemonium broke loose. Seeing the way Baby was being handled infuriated Treacherous. That was all the motivation he needed. He barged in the open room and joined the festivities.
The black cat’s body somersaulted in the air from the bullet that ripped through its pregnant belly, ending what lives she had left of her nine. She had chosen the wrong time to use her last life to stroll through the open space. Sammy Black’s shot inspired Arthur Love and Andre Randle to take cover, but not before Andre Randle delivered a shot of his own in Sammy Black and Baby’s direction. He and Arthur Love both mistook Sammy Black’s shot as an act of aggression and immediately went into battle mode.
Sammy Black yanked Baby by the neck. He used her as a shield. Fortunately for them, the bullet Andre Randle let off veered to the left before it reached them. A relieved Sammy pulled Baby closer to him. He tossed his blade to the ground and drew his gun, which was now pressed up against Baby’s temple. The way he was positioned had him secured and shielded from Arthur Love and Andre Randle. He had no clue that his position made him an open target behind him though. The distress in his cousin’s voice was the notification he received informing him that imminent danger was near. Sammy Black spun around. Had he not looked first, he may have made a huge mistake. He pushed Baby toward the two detectives and braced himself. He was met with a bear hug that sent him stumbling backward. He didn’t realize the real reason why he stumbled until it was too late.
Joshua Black tackled his cousin onto the ground. His decision prevented the two shots Treacherous let off, intended for Sammy Black’s head, from reaching their final destination. He was, however, unsuccessful with stopping the next two shots that rang out. He shielded Sammy Black as best he could. He watched as the bullet tore through Sammy Black’s throat. He returned three shots of his own, intended for Treacherous, from his 9 mm right before he was caught by surprise.
The second bullet from one of Treacherous’s cannons slammed into Joshua Black’s chest. The impact sent him crashing to the ground. It also threw his aim off, causing the shots he had fired to scatter. One came close to a ducking Treacherous’s head; another ricocheted off a steel beam and kicked back in his direction. The third shot curved in the direction where Baby stood frozen, and it coincidentally grazed her across her midsection. He noticed that both Sammy and Joshua Black were down and no longer factors.
Treacherous spit three more shots i
n Arthur Love and Andre Randle’s direction as a diversion. Baby’s screams drew his attention to her. He saw her belly over and stumble off to the side. Her cries fueled his actions. His only thought was of reaching her.
Arthur Love and Andre Randle witnessed the shootout from a safe distance. Neither man knew what to do. It wasn’t until Arthur Love saw his daughter get struck by a stray bullet that he reacted. He came out of hiding. His visibility triggered off a barrage of bullets thrown in his direction. Arthur Love ducked and took cover behind a metal barrel. He let off two shots in the direction from which the bullets had come. He cautiously raised his head up over the barrel. The first thing he noticed was Baby removing a gun from Sammy Black’s lifeless body. He knew he couldn’t let her gain possession of a weapon. The scene seemed to be déjà vu and he knew he couldn’t let that happen. Without giving it a second thought, Arthur Love rose up, fully erect. He pumped four shots to his left and scurried toward his right simultaneously over to where Baby was located. Surprisingly there were no shots returned.
Baby had just pried Sammy Black’s pistol from his hand. She tripped over her own feet trying to run for cover. She had peeped what her father was trying to do. She knew exactly how smart he was. After all, he had taught her everything she knew. She turned into the nearest doorless room.
Arthur Love speedily loaded his weapon and took flight after her. The room was just as huge as the one they were just in. A short distance ahead he saw Baby approaching the next doorway. From where he stood, he had a clear shot of her. He grimaced. Rather than putting her down like he knew he should, he let off a warning shot. “It’s all over, Baby,” he called out.
Baby heard the explosion of her father’s warning shot. She cursed and sucked her teeth. She abruptly stopped in her tracks. She had a feeling that if she kept running her father would surely shoot her. She didn’t want to take that chance. She turned to face Arthur Love with a murderous look plastered across her face. She scowled at the sight of his gun. The last time the two of them were in the situation they were faced with now, it didn’t end well, thought Baby. She didn’t think today would be any different.
Carl Weber Presents Ride or Die Chick 4 Page 17
