Payback Ain't Enough

by Clark, Wahida

  An anonymous tip came through and federal officials raided several warehouses allegedly owned by Mr. Powell, including some property in Palmer Park and one right here in the city. Officials also say they have confiscated nine million dollars in cash along with pounds of heroin and cocaine with a street value of seven million dollars. Investigators say that this is only the tip of the iceberg and are anxiously waiting to see what will unfold. Again, this is Michel Brant and I’m live here—”

  I turned the TV off and fumbled around for my cell. I had to get a hold of Dark. Our time had run out.

  JANAY

  I flipped from Channel 7 News. I was done with the game. It was no longer the same. I used to only participate when I felt it was necessary because my dad would handle everything. Me trying to run our family myself was not going to happen. Doing those twenty or so months, believe it or not, just about knocked all of the taste out of my mouth for this shit. Niggas were more cutthroat than ever. Bronson wouldn’t meet with us unless Nick was present so all the work Tiny put in was for nothing. There was no honor among thieves as it was back in the day.

  Me and Boomer had a long talk last night. We were on the same page. He said he wasn’t up for going to war with Mr. G and figured it was time to throw in the towel. I was so relieved to hear him say that. He had no idea. I had planned to move to Charlotte with him to run his three gas stations. He told me that while he and my dad were on the run they made millions stealing gas. Yes, gas! I had never even heard of or would have thought up no shit like that. He said they invested in one gas station and never paid for the gas. It didn’t matter who delivered it. They would resell it and never pay for it. And they bought stolen gas trucks. After they made all the money they could make and had a hand in putting The Consortium together that’s when my dad said it was time for him to turn himself in and get us out.

  So with the millions upon millions of dollars he had stacked, why in the hell did my dad want me to be in the drug game? Boomer said only my dad could answer that for me. He said as for him, he didn’t want that for me and he and my dad argued about it often. But when it all boiled down to it, I was my father’s daughter. But I told Boomer that I could make my own decisions and I was deciding to get out, whether my father liked it or not.

  These were critical times and except for Dark and Nick, we were all seated around Boomer’s dining room table.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Six-Nine said. “What proof is a damn list? Besides Nick, we don’t even know who’s on it. We could be running for nothing.”

  “I’m out,” Briggen said backing up from the table as if the table was hot to the touch. “I’m not waiting on muthafuckas to run down on my ass. I’ve pimped this game for all I could, and I have no regrets.”

  “Looks like it will be more for us.” Born looked over at Six-Nine. Then he looked at me. “Baby girl, if your daddy was here, he’d be looking at this as a challenge.”

  “Well, he ain’t here, is he? Me and Boomer, we out. I wish y’all much success. Uncle Boomer, I gotta go pick up Marquis.” I got up from the table and looked around at the faces of what was and what was to come. Then I walked out of that dining room feeling brand new. Grabbing my Gucci bag and keys I was ready for a new life. I didn’t even feel this invigorated when I stepped out of the prison.

  My car was parked up the street, and I felt so free I felt like skipping. That was, until I saw that same Escalade that ran me off the road. I turned around and started running for the house.

  “Booooooom… er!” I screamed. “Booooooom… er!” I heard gunfire, and then I felt a burning sensation shoot through my whole body. I was forced flat down on the ground. I was hit. I was shot.

  My uncle’s door flew open, and I heard footsteps, cursing and yelling go by me and more gunfire. The war had officially begun.

  DARK

  After four days we thought that we had finally found out where Joy lived. When I got the call that Nick had got popped… hearing that shit threw my concentration and focus on the job at hand. It appeared from the way that this nigga was moving around he was invincible, but now I begged to differ.

  If Cisco gave this bitch the ins and outs of who everybody was, then she must really know some people. Either that, or Cisco was a fuckin’ plant. The very thought of this nigga being a snitch or a cop began putting the whole picture into perspective. When you look at it, why, all of a sudden, was everything unfolding since his disappearance? Who was Cisco? If his wife was that high up, how could he be so deep in the dope game? The shit wasn’t adding up for me and I knew this bitch had to go.

  “What’s up, boss man? You ready to do this or what?” Mook obviously sensed my sudden mood change.

  “Let me think about it for a few minutes.” As far as I knew, that bitch could have surveillance all around her. They could’ve been waiting for us to strike. For all I knew, they could have put her up to calling me. If Cisco was an undercover agent the whole time, then that bitch had more than names. We had been doing some real grimy shit for the last year, and my name was behind it all. I was stuck. What if I was being paranoid? What if I allowed it to stop me from removing a witness? I paused to listen to my gut. My gut instinct warned me not to move, but I wasn’t listening. A dead witness couldn’t tell any lies.

  “Aiight. Let’s do this,” I said, putting on my gloves and opening the car door.

  NICK

  Damn. I sat on a hard-ass bench retracing all of the moves I had made in the last six months. I didn’t see any mistakes other than Tiny. The same way I fell for Brianna, I did with her. Bitches always got me fucked. I thought about Tiny’s actions and our own conversation. Hell, other than her, I was so very confident in the moves I was making that I didn’t even have a lawyer. It had to be them Consortium niggas. Once I told them I was the man, they started plottin’ and hatin’. They wanted me to get out of the way. But like I said in the beginning, when the smoke cleared, they would see who the real boss was.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  MIA

  “I am so sick of this, Briggen. Why do you do this to me? Why do I allow you to do this to me?” I asked for the thousandth time as I watched him pack his things. “We have this same conversation over and over again.”

  “Mia, this is not the same conversation. You obviously ain’t heard a word I just said.” He came over to me and grabbed my shoulders. “Listen to me. It’s time to go. Shit is about to get real ugly. I’m out, and I’m not suggesting to you or asking you. I’m telling you. Just like you followed me from Memphis to Detroit, follow me to the next city if you want to. We done raped this city for all we could. Pack your shit and go. It’s not like you have any ties here. You don’t have any children or anything.”

  “Oh, I don’t, huh?” I was now into my feelings and emotions. This was not supposed to go down like this. This was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. “I’m pregnant, Briggen. I’m pregnant with your child. How do you think you can just come lay up in my bed whenever it’s convenient for you, and then quickly walk out of my life? Not anymore. I’m having your child, and you are going to give me the same respect you give Shan.”

  Briggen continued to pack but at a much slower pace. Yes, I dropped a bomb on him, and I knew it. Mr. Careful finally got caught with his dick exposed.

  “Like I said, you need to pack your shit and get the fuck outta here,” he told me, not bothering to acknowledge the bombshell that I just dropped on him.

  “So, you are simply going to ignore what I just shared with you?”

  “Mia, baby, I’m not ignoring you. I just need you to understand that these are dangerous times—the clock is ticking—and you need to get outta here.”

  “You selfish… self-centered… son of a bitch! You don’t care about me at all, do you, Briggen?”

  “You know the answer to that, Mia. This is not the time to be acting all insecure and shit.”

  “Briggen, answer me with a yes or a no. Do you care about me?”

 
“Mia, you know I do.”

  “Then take me with you. Take me and our child with you.” I went over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

  “Mia, you need to pack your shit and go. I gotta stay behind and tie up a few loose ends.” He removed my arms from around his neck.

  I couldn’t believe him. I mean, this was the straw that broke this bitch’s back. “Where are you sending Shan?”

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  “Then send me wherever it is you are sending her. Don’t just discard me like I’m a piece of trash. That shit ain’t fair.” I was crushed.

  “Life ain’t fair, Mia. I got your number. Stick around if you want to, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’ll be in touch.”

  Those words felt like a stab to my chest. I couldn’t believe he was so nonchalant about the whole thing. Before I knew it, I ran to the kitchen and snatched my .45 from the cabinet. When I made it back into the living room he was already at the front door. “Briggen, stop.”

  He turned and said, “I’ll call you.” His gaze then dropped to the gun in my hand. I finally got his attention. He stopped dead in his tracks and dropped his bags as he walked toward me with a look in his eyes that I had never seen before. It wasn’t anger or hate but a look of worry and defeat. As he walked closer to me I gripped the handle tighter. I wanted to let him know that I was mad as hell and I wasn’t gonna take his shit anymore! He stood in front of me not saying a word as I held the pistol to his chest.

  “I’m sick of your shit, Mia!” he said as he gritted his teeth. “You want to kill me now? You got the heart, so do it. You really think I give a fuck? What? Okay, you pregnant? Fine! So the fuck what! Go on TV and tell the world. You finally got what you wanted and look at you, your ass still ain’t happy.”

  I gasped.

  He rolled his eyes up into his head. “Mia, what? You gonna shoot me? I don’t have time for the drama bullshit. Hell, you don’t have time for it neither. I told you to pack yur shit and go.”

  I raised the gun and pointed it at my temple. Briggen laughed in my face.

  “You’s a dumb bitch. So now you want to kill yourself? You really think I care whether you live or die? You was just some convenient pussy.” He smirked, then continued. “And pregnant? You should be thanking me for getting you pregnant. Probably the best thing that ever happened to you. You got a gun, what? You hard now? Then pull the fuckin’ trigger, Mia.”

  Listening to those words, my whole world came to an end and I was completely crushed.

  “Do it, Mia, pull the fuckin’ trigger. Pull it, bitch!” he encouraged me.

  Oh, this nigga thinks I’m playing. Well, I’ma show him.

  I squeezed the trigger.

  BRIGGEN

  “Mia, nooooooo!” I found myself yelling for nothing. It was too late. She was already slumped onto the sofa. Her beautiful face torn in half, looking like something out of a horror movie. I stood over her frozen in place. The only thing moving were the tears rolling down my cheeks. “Mia, noo, damn it!” I looked at her stomach. Was she really carrying my seed this time? Or was she trying to threaten me into staying here with her? The one eye that was still in place was looking right at me. The gun dangled from her hand.

  Did I love her? No. Did I have love for her? Of course. I backed slowly away from her.

  SHAN

  It was hard but because of the seriousness in Briggen’s tone and urgency in his voice but I got myself together and went and picked up my son. I then sat up all night waiting for him to come home. By the time he walked through the front door, I had dozed off on the couch.

  “Did you get Anthony?”

  “Yeah, I got him. What’s going on?” I jumped up and followed him. I was dying to hear what we had to say and was loving seeing him sweat like this.

  “Good. I want y’all to head for Canada first thing in the morning.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I want y’all gone first thing in the morning.”

  “Canada? You want me to go to Canada with a baby? Without you?” I was acting as if I was petrified at the thought of doing such a thing.

  “I’ll be right behind you. No more than 48–72 hours. Just like how you laid low here in the house, you can do that at a hotel.”

  “But, Briggen, we talking about Canada, not this house or some resort. And what if you don’t come?” I found myself, to my surprise, tearing up.

  “What do you mean, what if I don’t come? I’ma be right behind you.” I could tell he was getting agitated with my questions.

  “I’m scared, Briggen. Can’t I wait for you?” I was the damsel in distress and he was loving it.

  “No, baby, I got some loose ends that gotta be tied up. I need to know that you and my son are safe.”

  “What about Keeta? Can I take her with me?” I flopped back down onto the couch, I was ready to accept my Academy Award.

  “Shan, stop it. You can do this.” He got up in my face yelling. “We don’t have time, so stop whining and get the fuck off that couch and let’s go.” He grabbed my arm, and I stood up. He went outside to the car and was bringing boxes and suitcases inside.

  Yes, I had a passport. But I had never used it before. I wanted him to believe that my main fear was—what if he never comes?

  So I asked, “Well, what about Mia? Can she come with me?”

  When I said her name, he froze and dropped the suitcases to the ground. He sat down on the porch and then he did something that I never saw him do. He broke down and started crying. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. He caught me completely by surprise. I stood there, scared to move.

  A few minutes later, as if it never happened, he stood up and said, “Don’t worry about Mia. Just pack your shit and be ready to leave in the morning. Mia’s dead.”

  What the fuck? The thoughts ran through my mind about all this gangsta, drugs, and bitch shit, it had finally gotten to be a little too much for me.

  “So what you gonna do? You gonna stick around or get your ass outta here?”

  Mia was dead. I got the point.

  DARK

  I had been going around making moves and life was sweet. I had just come back from Oak Ridge. Them niggas was down there grindin’ for real. They were gonna make me filthy rich. They handed over the cash and didn’t ask any questions. I assured them that I would recommend to Cisco that they all get a promotion.

  As soon as I pulled up to my bachelor’s pad, I noticed the black narcs’ vehicle across the street and the white van parked on the corner. I pulled out my cell and dialed Sharia.

  “Yo, I’m back. What’s been up?”

  “Everybody lookin’ for you. That’s what’s up.”

  “Everybody like who?”

  “Baby mama.”

  “Who, Lisha?” I got excited.

  “Who is that?” I could picture Sharia frowning up her mug on the other end. “I’m talking about Stephanie. She—”

  “Psst. I keep telling you, that ain’t my seed.” I cut her off.

  “Then who is Lisha?”

  “Who else been looking for me?”

  “That’s all who actually knocked on my damn door. Undercover cars have been parked on the block just about every day. They got me scared to go outside.”

  “That’s all they been doing is parking?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Hell, they could be out there for anybody.”

  “That’s true, but I’m still paranoid.”

  I hung up and sat there. I wasn’t going back to anybody’s prison. I’d hold court in the streets before that would happen. Just then someone banged on my window, startling the fuck out of me. I didn’t even see the muthafucka ease up.

  “Mr. Hayes.” He flashed his badge. “I’m Detective Bennett. Can I speak to you for a minute?”

  I rolled down the window. “Do you have a warrant?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Then what makes you think I’ma talk to you?”


  “Because I know you ain’t got nothing to hide.”

  “You damn right I ain’t got nothing to hide. As a matter of fact, hop in. We can take a ride.”

  His partner had eased up behind him, and the one that was trying to get into my car went to talk to him. I already knew what I had to do. I cranked the ignition, threw my ride into drive and pulled off. I glanced in my rearview mirror, and the fools were running down the street to jump into their car. I whizzed by the van parked on the corner. It didn’t move, but the black car was moving.

  I hit my cell. “Yo, tell everybody to strap up. I’m coming through with a white and black on my tail. Let these muthafuckas know what’s up!” I was leading them to my stomping grounds where I had foot soldiers down for whatever. I was doing eighty when a cruiser cut me off. The last thing I remembered was flipping into the air.

  SHARIA

  I got the call around midnight that they had Dark in custody, but he was in the hospital with a brain concussion and some broken bones. He was trying to outrun the police. There was nothing that I could do for him because I was packing up, waiting on my phone call to get out of dodge. I was ecstatic! It was finally payback time. However, I was trying to decide if I wanted to take a chance and go over to Dark’s apartment. He had money at his spot and if I didn’t get it the Feds would. It was a chance I had to take.

  BRIGGEN

  I saw Shan and my son off. Shan was a nervous wreck and was fighting me every step of the way. I told her that I would be driving her ride to Canada to meet her. Thanks to the cameras I had installed I knew where she had hid her cash.