by Brick
Two down for now and one more to go.
Chapter 13
Enzo
Gunplay was my seduction and I was moving through the garage with a purpose. In my mind, Angel was set and safe behind me. I had a goal and a purpose that needed my full attention, which was why I dug into the black bag, an actual backpack, hanging on the side of my arm and pulled out a grenade. Niggas were on the left and right of me. I stomped and kicked the faces of those who fell in front of me as if I was playing football.
Skulls cracked and necks snapped while I positioned myself to get closer. Micah’s hands were thick with roaches who were working his will. I knew that each and every one of them needed to be taught a lesson. I used my teeth to pull the clip, and then tossed the grenade in front of me. I made sure not to leave any DNA by spitting the clip out and putting it in my backpack.
A loud force shifted the garage, causing it to tremble, once my baby exploded in the car it flew into. Bodies burned and the smell of cooked flesh with that of gas had my nostrils flaring while I stalked that van. I signaled to my left. Fuego stepped from the garage stairway and moved to stand in front of the van that was trying to get away. He shot off several rounds to hit the driver, and I covered the back, shooting out the tires.
A snarl came from me causing me to flash my teeth as I shouted then ducked behind a pillar. “Get what we came to get, nigga.”
Several other cars were coming our way, filling up the garage, making it feel like we were on the battlefield in Afghanistan. I had heard the stories from some of the men my mom would have us sit with at the VA hospital as kids, men who taught me military maneuvers as favors out of love for her. Thinking back on it, I had to give her respect. She had been training us for the day this all may happen and I was thankful for that shit.
Salty wetness dripped down my face as I reloaded. I let my gloved hands wipe away at the sweat that was running into my vision and adjusted the mouth mask I sported. Yeah, I wanted Micah to know it was me, and through the chaos that was ensuing, I knew he would know that it was, but on some real shit I still had to make sure I kept my identity safe, which was why I had on a ski mask. A nigga running through the streets—no, scrap that—a well-known athlete running through the streets playing super fucking man was bound to be noticed. I needed to be Enzo from the Trap. Enzo no one really checked for, except to do the occasional transportation of hoes, drugs, weapons, and even bodies. A nigga who dabbled in the underground only because the boss man demanded it. I had to be that nigga. Had to be calm and collected and not know shit.
So that was what I was doing, because if I got caught, with the fact that I already had the cops on me, I needed to make sure my story lined up in a way that didn’t get me on death row or give me life. Pressing my shoulder against that same pillar, I glanced to see Dragon slam the door of the black van and nod my way. He ushered a tattered and disheveled woman and her child away, then stepped back into view. He pointed the tubular projectile that rested on his broad shoulder at the limo that was attempting to get away.
I chuckled then gave a sharp whistle. In that same moment, Dragon let off a missile that jetted into the limo and blew that bitch up. I smiled under my mask then moved away from the pillar.
Fuego sprinted my way and ran a hand over his brow. “A’ight, the area is clear. Your boy just handed out some serious thunder. What now, fam?”
Glancing at Dragon, I pointed; then he nodded again and disappeared after his family. No lie, I was tired. We just murdered many of Micah’s goons but that nigga was nowhere to be found.
“Did anyone run from the limo?” I asked, glancing around.
“Naw, man. We trailed that shit and I know he didn’t switch out, so he must not have even been in there,” Fuego explained while holding up his cell to his ear.
My jaw clenched tight in thought. This nigga was always one step ahead. Always running like the bitch he was and with the heat of the flames of the vehicles burning behind us, I knew we needed to flush him out.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I scowled. “What you hear?”
Fuego’s irises darkened in annoyance and he ran a frustrated hand over his head. “Word is that nigga is at the stadium. He’s holding a press conference about y’all’s upcoming game toward the Super Bowl.”
I dropped my hands in thought, pacing. My mom had told me that her resources had learned that Micah was doing a transfer. So, I knew that ever since we all went ham on him, he was now surrounding himself with the best. We needed her to get to the root of where Micah worked, the FBI, hell even the CIA. If she could go that deep, then exposing him was just going to be icing.
“A’ight, we need to take down his crib and leave him with nothing but his condo. That way we can start pushing the cage around him, feel me?” I explained.
I reached up to thumb my nose, glancing around to make sure the area was straight. I knew police and probably Feds would be on their way soon, because that was how that shit was done. But I wanted to time that because it meant Micah was watching and my message had been sent. The cousin and me then sprinted to a safe spot where our cars where.
Fuego began going in on his cell, spitting out orders, before hanging up and turning my way. “A’ight, fam, whatever you need we got.”
Taking that nigga’s hand in a clasp, we both nodded as I assessed him thinking about that dude’s POV in all of this. “Thanks, man. One thing though: what do you get out of all this shit?”
Fuego gave a shrug then a familiar smirk. “Keeps me out of Gramp’s madness in trying to create a family of devils, and brings me some interesting fun in my boring life as a cop, fam. Like I said we all ain’t insane, just maybe a little crazy, comprende?”
His words made me slightly smirk and chuckle. With Fuego I knew I needed him to stay exactly in the role I needed him in. If he was truly about that loyalty shit and just doing this to keep the devil off of him, then I was down with that. I knew that I would never trust that nigga totally. However, he could serve my purpose in this game and life. Although it was going to take a lot more than blood and his actions to get me to accept him.
“A’ight, man, get back to what you do to keep the eyes off me and directly on that nigga Micah, then . . .” I explained, stopping midsentence to point my Glock at the shadow walking toward us.
In that moment, Dragon stepped out into view. He had a big scarf wrapped around his face with a black skullcap. How he was shifting back and forth, I knew he needed to talk to me in private. So I motioned for Fuego to step off and explained to him that I would call him for the next orders, then thanked him again.
Fuego headed out and I holstered my Glock, then dropped my hands as I stood wide-legged with an arrogant gaze. “What up?”
“Thank you, man,” was all Dragon said.
My arms crossed, I gave a slight nod of my head then stepped forward. “All you gotta do is trust in me. You had my back at one point, and if you had given me the chance, I woulda had yours on the fucking spot, nigga. Now all this shit had to go down just to get your fam, damn.”
Dragon looked away for a moment with a pained expression. I could tell he was in his emotions. It had me wanting to punch him for losing faith in me and almost had me pressing my gun to his skull.
“I know, man, but you ain’t got a family. You don’t have a kid and wife to worry about being raped, beat up, drugged up, or some other shit. I do. So I had to do what I had to do, nigga: survival,” he explained.
His words had me feeling some type of way. It had me stepping a little closer in a heated manner as I fisted my hands. “Don’t assume what you don’t understand, nigga. I got family. My life’s been turnt up because of family. So yeah, nigga, I know what it means to sacrifice, but the thing about me, nigga, is I’m the fucking fittest. Everyone around me I make sure are survivors and don’t do dumb shit like you did by siding with the wrong nigga. It’s game to this, and you fucked up game, but shit, now you know better, don’t cha?”
My sour laugh
ter echoed around us. I glanced away then shrugged.
“Look, yeah, you’re right, and I’m sorry ’bout that, but we got my family and we took down a lot of your enemies. I’m just saying, thank you,” Dragon said.
Shrugging again, I headed to my ride and tossed my bag into it. “Take them to where we spoke on, and keep them out of harm’s way until I’m done handling business.”
“I’ll help you, man. I mean it,” Dragon interrupted, stopping me from getting in my ride.
Turning my head, my eyes cut him with restrained anger. “If you help me, I need your true loyalty, nigga. No fake shit, no siding with my enemies, because then you become my enemy and I will kill you on the fucking spot, homie. No love lost.”
On some real shit, I ain’t have time for this nigga soap shit going on. Nigga catching feelings and getting all soft was annoying me. I got what he was saying, I was living it right now, but there was no fucking way I’d let that nigga Micah break me down like he did Dragon. Yeah, I saw the old killer on the field in that man, but fuck it! That nigga was broken down. He needed to get back to the monster he was, a monster I knew who could hold me down in this empire building shit.
I watched that nigga open and close his fist. He bowed his head as if in thought then glanced up at me. “I’ll be your security, man.”
Chuckling, I shook my head while leaning on the door of my car. “Last time someone with my blood trusted in a second hand and security, that left him burning up.”
“I mean fuck it, homie. I ain’t to be trusted; not in your case, but in that nigga Micah’s case. He took from me, hurt my family, and then tried to have me turn on friends? Naw. In the street, I know that would have me eating a bullet. I’d rather be on some honor shit with you and die than on some pussy shit with Micah, ya know?” Dragon growled.
It was as if the old him was coming back and it gave me pride.
“Listen, man, I know you gotta do some shit you don’t want to and I know niggas are gunning for you. I have my family to protect too and I feel like on some real shit, man, I feel you are fam. We come from the same place, and I don’t trust a lot of people but . . . yeah,” he explained, stepping closer.
In reality, I had no one I trusted on my side besides my family. My boys Trigga and Jake were doing their own thing and building their shit. I had to do the same in order to survive so I had to think strategically. Bringing Dragon in could help bring him up in money and act as my protection in the NFL world. Like I taught Angel and Drew, sometimes a nigga can’t even trust his own self. So, I studied Dragon, and made my choice. I’ll trust him as long as his actions prove to me that he can be in my fam, then I’ll bring him in as a whole, just like I had to do with Angel.
“A’ight, you just blew up some rides, man, and didn’t flinch ’bout it, a’ight.” I offered Dragon my hand then pulled him into a shoulder bump while studying his expression with a blank expression on my own face. “But check it. You ever try to stab me, or successfully stab me in the back, check your throat first because I’ll cut that shit before you ever can touch me. This is life and death, no games.”
Dragon shook his head. We did our old handshake and he gave a smirk in understanding. “I feel you. Ya don’t even have to ever question me like that, but a nigga understands it, man. You saved my kid and wife. I’ll be down for life even if that means my death,” he reassured me.
Still thinking, I smirked. “A’ight; hopefully it won’t be that way. I’ll take care of you so you can protect your fam because that’s what we do. Just manage your finances better, nigga, and don’t blow through that shit.”
Dragon gave me a genuine laugh then rubbed his chin. “A’ight, man. Like I said, I’m ready. What you need?”
Digging in my pocket, I called Fuego and put him on speaker. “Nigga, you’re going to help out Fuego.”
I could see that Dragon felt unsure about that, knowing how I felt about the Orlandos, but I quirked my eyebrow, hoping he understood the code, then nodded.
“What you need me to do with the homie?” he asked.
My posture shifted to lean against the car. I chuckled then went into my plan. “Fuego is going to pay a visit to Micah’s residences. Y’all going to go through that whole shit and wipe it clean; then I want that shit to burn down in a clean fire, no trace, got it?”
“Yeah, got it,” both said in unison.
“Plan is to leave him with only his condo. No big mansion, nothing. I want to find out where that nigga really operates and lays his head. So keep an eye on his crew, too. That means check Uncle Phil and Deebo too,” I continued.
Both laughed, and I shifted to stand. “Good. Let’s keep this feeling of giving going. If you see anyone worth snatching on his team, then snatch ’em. Dragon, you and me gotta play the role like you don’t know shit. That means the little hit he got on me, keep that shit going. Egg it up, a’ight? Use your resources to our advantage.”
Dragon gave a low chuckle that sounded as if a rumbling storm was in his throat. He gave me a salute and I gave it back to him.
“A’ight. I’ll keep my family out of eye’s length, too,” he suggested.
My hand tapped the top of my car then I chuckled. “Yeah, do that.”
A fist shifted into my view. I pounded it and Dragon turned. “Bet, game time then. I got your back.”
I said nothing after that, just watched him. Already I was planning a backup plan, just in case both niggas fucked me over. Couldn’t trust those who showed consistent weakness. Gotta make them prove it, and then truly decide what’s the real deal. That was my motto.
Sliding in my ride, I heard Fuego ask, “So you bringing him in the team?”
Starting my car, I quietly thought on it, and then pulled off. “Yup. Set him up nice and keep his family safe. I don’t fuck around with that trafficking shit, so don’t expect the new DOA to be about that unless it’s some grimy bitches I’d rather shit on than trust, feel me?”
“Just checking, fam. I’ll report back with what we snatch,” Fuego said then hung up.
I turned a corner as I exited the backside of the garage and then my ride came to a screeching halt. Revving up my engine, I glanced around. See, I knew that since we’d set off rocket launchers and grenades we should have heard sirens somewhere, but no. I chuckled. Wasn’t shit funny, but I chuckled anyway. The fact that there wasn’t a police siren anywhere let me know that Micah’s FBI status was at work. I looked up and saw Micah in my rearview. He came around the corner like he’d been watching me the whole time.
A smirk played across my face. The cutting edge of the voice of the nigga who sired me roared in my mind: “Kill that nigga! This kingdom ain’t his!”
Yeah, I was hearing voices. Had been hearing the man who’d sired me for quite some time. I ignored it until today. I didn’t need the constant reminder I’d come from the bloodline of sadistic killers. I didn’t need the reminder that the sins of the father were cast upon the son, a big reason why Micah was after a nigga so hard.
I pulled to the side and exited my ride. “Enjoy the fireworks, nigga?” I taunted him.
Micah ran both hands down the front of his blazer, the shine of his leather shoes glinting my way. “Imagine my delight when I get the call that you just snatched up my grand prize. You know I had to come down and see how true that shit was, and to put a bullet in your head.”
Chuckling, I stood my ground then pulled out my Glock, sending bullets his way. “You first, nigga,” I yelled at him.
We both ran toward each other. Micah ducked then zigzagged from my bullets, but was able to rush me. The gun in my hand went flying over the side of another car. My fist connected to his face before he sent his foot into my leg causing me to drop to a knee. The back of his fist connected to my face again but my uppercut sent him falling on his back.
Strain from his blows had me pushing up slowly and heading his way. That was when that nigga used something to cut me, slicing through my arms, and then he gave me a stab in my side. Pai
n shattered through me, but adrenaline kept me going. I took in my surroundings just to make sure no niggas were creeping up on me, because the setup was too easy for that to happen. I rushed forward. Micah rolled out of my way.
I followed as he ran to avoid my attack. Micah’s laugher sounded around me and I gritted my teeth, while wiping at my face.
“Bet you didn’t expect this shit, and now I’m going to have my prize: an Orlando rotting in prison,” Micah gloated. “No, scrap that; you attacked me so I get to watch you die as I gut you, bitch,” Micah snarled coming at me on my side.
I realized I’d chased that nigga into an empty warehouse. The scent of musky mold, water, and other unidentifiable smells surrounded me. Behind us, there were boulders of broken concrete from bare wall beams. Various poles of twisted iron, pipes, glass, and other sharp objects protruded from many spots in this place.
As I took in my surroundings, I turned and felt a blade slice through my mask, cut at my jaw, and almost slam into my shoulder. Pushing out, I snatched at his arm, twisted it, almost breaking bone so he could drop the knife; then I slammed him down to the floor. Dust clouded around us and I slammed him down again. That sound of sirens grew closer signaling that I had to get out of here.
“Kill me and I still won!” Micah hissed out.
A calming sensation flowed through me as I made that nigga eat dust. I pressed my knee into the back of his neck, and then I took that same blade and slammed it into the middle of his shoulder blades. I twisted it and he hollered. The sound of me crushing his face into the dirt gave me the utmost pleasure in the moment. I couldn’t just kill Micah, although I wanted to. Everything in me screamed to just off that nigga right then and there. But I was smarter than that. I knew there was a live investigation going on and my name was at the center of it. If I simply killed this nigga, everything would point my way. I couldn’t risk that. Couldn’t risk going to prison and leaving my brother behind. Couldn’t leave Shy behind while she was sick like she was. So I had to play with my prey. Toy with this nigga until I found the right time to take him out.
