The Reign of Rain Robinson

by Roy Glenn

  The two of them got drunk with Nick the night before, stood and poured out some liquor for Freeze and they reminisced about the old days until well past sunrise. The thing that kept coming up throughout the night was …

  “I can’t believe you’re really gettin' married.”

  “Why, Bobby, you and Mike been married for years,” Nick said and drained his glass.

  “But you a hoe,” Bobby said and refilled Nick’s glass before topping off his own.

  “Look who’s talkin’,” Nick laughed. “We’re not gonna even compare body counts. Not with the two of you.”

  Bobby looked at Black.

  “Don’t look at me, Bob, this your shit. I know I used to slay pussy like I was the red fuckin’ army,” Black said, drained his glass and refilled it with Remy. “But I ripped my player card the second I saw Cassandra.”

  “I knew Pam was the one the second I met her too,” he laughed. “It just took me a whole lot longer to give up my card.”

  “That’s because you’re a hoe, Bob,” Black said and looked at Nick. “But I can’t believe you’re gettin' married either, Nick.”

  “Why?”

  Black and Bobby laughed. “’Cause you a hoe,” they both said and all three laughed.

  “What can I say, I found the right one,” Nick said and wondered again what his life would have been, what would his, April’s and Marvin’s life been like had things happened differently.

  Black raised his glass. “To finding the right one.”

  Nick and Bobby raised their glasses and they drank to that.

  “And to all the other ones,” Bobby said, and they all laughed and drank to that.

  “I’ll save the long ass speech for tomorrow, but I hope that it all works out for you like it has for us,” Black said.

  “I’ll drink to that,” Bobby said, and they drank to that and just about everything else that was said. Therefore, needless to say, all three were pretty hungover, but they were there.

  As it came closer to the time for the wedding to start, Shy sat back and rubbed her stomach. “You know, I’m just gonna go ahead and go to the ladies’ room now and get it over with,” Shy said, because she always had to go and began to get up.

  When Black stood up, Shy made eye contact with Wanda. They’d been exchanging looks, since Wanda sat down next to her. Shy had questions that she needed answers to about the no longer secret James that Wanda had been seeing for the past two years.

  Wanda had seen the way Shy had been looking at her and since she had to go too, she stood up. “I’ll go with you,” She said as Black held Shy’s hand. “Would you excuse me, James?”

  On the way to the ladies’ room, Shy asked and Wanda answered questions about James and why she’d felt the need to keep him a secret. When they finished in the ladies’ room, both stood in the mirror, touching up hair and makeup.

  “You ready?” Wanda asked as she touched up the edges of her hair.

  “Yes,” Shy said and reached for her purse, but she accidentally knocked it off the counter and the contents spilled out onto the floor. “Oh, no.”

  “I’ll get that,” Wanda said.

  “Would you please. It would take me a while to get down there and getting back up is always fun.”

  Wanda stooped down and began putting Shy’s things back in her purse and that was when she saw it.

  “Oh shit.”

  “What?”

  Wanda stood up quickly and stepped back. “There’s a bomb under there.”

  “What?” Shy may have asked, but whether she heard correctly or not, she stepped back quickly.

  “There’s a bomb under there,” Wanda repeated.

  “I’ll get Michael,” Shy said and started to leave.

  “No,” Wanda said quickly and followed Shy out of the ladies room. “It’ll be faster if I go get Mike. You stay outside and make sure that nobody goes in there.”

  “Right,” Shy said as Wanda went to get Black.

  When Wanda came back with Black, he had Monika and Carla with him. Monika got on her knees and looked up under the counter.

  Black looked at Shy and Wanda. He was very protective of the two of them, so he knew that this was no place for them. “Do we need to get everybody out of here?” he demanded to know as Rain came into the ladies’ room.

  “What’s going on?” Rain asked. She saw Wanda whispering in Black’s ear, then he went to get Monika and Carla and then the three of them headed for the bathroom. Seeing that, Rain knew that this was exactly where she was supposed to be.

  “There’s a bomb under there,” Black informed.

  “The timer is set to go off at ten minutes after two. And it looks like it’s got a failsafe remote detonator too,” Monika said.

  “Just in case it can still be detonated,” Rain said, noting that planting a bomb was a big step up in tech for a couple of corner boys trying to come up. To her, this seemed more like something that El Decreto de Guerra would do.

  “Carla,” Monika said, “Get the cell signal dampener from my bag and engage it.”

  Carla shook her head and got Monika’s bag. “Girl, the stuff you carry around with you,” she said as she found the device and engaged it.

  “Whatever … just get down here and have a look at this device,” Monika barked.

  Carla shook her head. “In this dress,” she said, got her tablet from her bag and got down on the floor on her back next to Monika.

  “Do we need to get everybody out of here?” Black asked the two women that were laying on the floor in evening gowns.

  “Not yet. Carla just dampened the cell signal in the building, so it can’t be detonated remotely. I can defuse the bomb,” Monika assured. “Take a look at that panel, Carla.”

  “Way ahead of you. That’s a Novation MK2 MKII keypad. You need to enter the correct keys in the correct order on the keypad. Only one column has all four of these symbols.” She showed Monika the diagram. “You have to press the four buttons in the order their symbols appear from top to bottom within that column,” Carla said.

  Rain looked at Black, Shy and Wanda. “Y’all get outta here,” she said. “If they can’t get it done, I’ll make sure we get everybody out in time,” she promised, and they left the ladies’ room.

  “Now, can you do it?” Rain asked the second that they were gone.

  “We got this, Sunshine, trust me,” Monika said and went back to work defusing the bomb. “If we haven’t got it defused when the time hits two-O-five, then you need to evacuate.”

  “Understood,” Rain said.

  Out in the club, the wedding was just getting ready to start. April’s need to keep it simple meant that there would be no songs sung or procession of dancers nor poems read. Each would make a short declaration of their love and commitment to one another and then they would exchange vows.

  Since circumstances in The Family forced a change in venue for the ceremony from a church to a night club, April had to make changes to the choreography. She decided that Reverend Jones would conduct the ceremony in the middle of the dance floor. Nick and Marvin would be waiting there with him.

  Her sister and maid of honor, August would enter and take her place, followed by April who would be escorted by her mother and father and the guests would gather and make a circle around them.

  “As your husband I promise to love you without reservation,” Nick began, “to comfort you when times are difficult, to rally with you, to anticipate your needs, to give my all, to work toward our happiness and revel in our good times. I will respect you, honor you, and cherish you as long as we both shall live.”

  “I believe in you and in everything you want to be. I believe in us,” April said to Nick, “in our power as a couple, in our future as a family. I believe in myself, that within myself I am capable of loving you the way you deserve. I believe that you and I should spend all our days together, me as your wife, I believe in you as my husband. I believe we were meant to be.”

  Meanwhile, back i
n the ladies’ room, Rain paced back and forth nervously as Monika removed the keypad to reveal the module where there were panels for wiring the device.

  “What’s the wire sequence,” Monika asked.

  “Within this module there are several panels with wires on them, but only one panel is visible at a time.”

  “I see that,” Monika said.

  “You’re gonna need to switch to the next panel by using the down button on the previous panel,” Carla said.

  “Right.”

  “But don’t switch to the next panel until you are sure that you have cut all the necessary wires on the current panel. There are three wire occurrences over all panels within the module,” Carla said showing Monika a diagram of the deadly device. “A red occurrence, a blue and a black occurrence, so you’re gonna need to cut the wires in order.”

  “The engineering principles are pretty impressive, but there must have been an easier way to manage nine wires,” Monika commented.

  “For sure,” Carla agreed.

  Monika took a deep breath. “Ready,” she exhaled and started to cut the first red occurrence. To Rain, it all seemed to be a painstakingly slow process, but Carla talked Monika through each of the first eight occurrences and they were still alive.

  “Last one,” Carla said, and Monika proceeded.

  “What’s the word ladies?” Rain asked as the time hit two-O-five. “I need to know now,” she demanded.

  “April, will you have this man to be your wedded husband to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy Estate of matrimony? Will you love, comfort, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do.”

  “Nick, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy Estate of matrimony? Will you love, comfort, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do.”

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  When Nick took April in his arms and kissed her, Black turned and saw that Rain was standing next to him. Then he saw that Monika and Carla were standing off to the side and they both had tears in their eyes.

  Chapter Nine

  Now that the bomb had been defused, the wedding and the reception could proceed without any further incident. After the reverend said, “I present to you for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Simmons,” they went immediately into their first dance. Marvin had suggested that they break into a choreographed dance routine, but neither Nick nor April were feeling that, so, the new married couple danced their first dance to Always and Forever, a slow and sweet sentimental song, that made that moment shine for them..

  That was when Carter arrived at Cuisine. He looked sharp in his Ralph Lauren purple label one-button tuxedo, and his arrival did not go unnoticed. Glenda may have come there with her husband Perry, but it was Carter that she wanted to be with. When their eyes met, Glenda smiled, and her breath got caught in her throat. She looked at Perry and knew that if the opportunity presented itself, she intended to take it.

  Since she had been watching the door all night, Fantasy saw him come in too. When Jada told her that she had to come to the wedding, she wanted Carter to escort her, but he said no because he wasn’t sure he was coming. When Fantasy asked if she could see him after the wedding, Carter said maybe. “But give me a call,” he said and got out of bed.

  Fantasy was just about to excuse herself from the conversation she was having when Jackie and Travis walked up to Carter and took him to Rain. She was excited that he was there, and now that he was, Fantasy had every intention of leaving there with him.

  After that, it was time for the welcome speech. Nick and April took their seats at the bridal table and they thanked their guests for coming. And then Reverend Jones blessed the food and dinner was served.

  While the wedding guests were still seated and finishing up their meals, Marvin took to the microphone and gave a heartfelt, tearjerker of a toast to his parents. When Black was about to rise to make his toast, Rain told him that she was leaving. She didn’t really want to be there anyway, and besides, Rain needed to see a man about some dick.

  “Stick around for a few. We’re gonna get outta here after the speeches and there are some things I wanna talk to you about,” Black said.

  “Like how somebody got a bomb in here?”

  “That too,” Black said and got up to make his toast.

  After the toasts were made, the DJ opened up the dance floor and the wedding party and the family snuck out for a photo session, everybody but Black, Bobby and Rain who never took pictures. There was one other person that almost missed the photo session.

  During Bobby’s toast, Glenda saw her opportunity and took it when she followed Carter to the men’s room, and he picked the lock to the accountant’s office. A very satisfied Glenda made it there in time to smile for the last two pictures.

  When it came time for the cake cutting ceremony, most of the guests knew that the party was almost over, and the bride and groom would make their grand exit after each cut their pieces of cake. After which, the Four Kings ushered everyone outside to watch Nick and April get in their getaway limo and it was honeymoon time!

  When the limo pulled off, the guests that were leaving said their goodbyes and headed for the parking lot, totally oblivious to the fact that there had been a bomb inside and just how close they came to death. The guests that wished to remain went back inside. Once the wedding guests were inside, Cuisine reopened for business because The Regulators were all set to perform.

  Barbara said good night to her parents and promised her father that she would be home at a reasonable hour. Since they were at war, Bobby wanted her to come home with them, but Pam convinced him to let her stay. As soon as they pulled off, Barbara waved and her girls, Destiny, Jolina and Kayla got out of the car and came to her. “Y’all go on in. I gotta make a call,” Barbara said and dialed Ram’s number. “Come on.”

  When Barbara made it inside with Ram, Lola Luv was on stage and the dance floor was packed. He took her hand and led Barbara to the floor. While she was dancing, Barbara looked around at the people around her. Now that she was fully aware of the world she lived in and knew her place in it, she understood that they were the next generation of The Family.

  The old guard, her parents, her uncles Mike and Nick and her aunts, Wanda and Shy, they were moving to a different place in their lives and soon it would be their time to step up. Rain Robinson was the Boss of The Family now, her remaining captains were Doc, Carter and Jackie. They had strong soldiers; Travis, Baby Chris, Smoke and Treach. There were powerful, smart and cunning women like Mercedes and Ryder and then there were the Four Kings. They were the future of The Family.

  Marvin had been eyeing Fantasy all night. Digging the way she looked in the black wrap-around gown, the alluring leg-baring style was killing him each time she moved. Thinking that he had nothing to lose, he was about to make a run at her when he felt his phone vibrate.

  “Hello.”

  “I’m outside,” Sataria said. “Come out and say hello to me.”

  Marvin looked at Fantasy and turned toward the door. “Come inside.”

  “No, I’m not dressed for a wedding.”

  “Doesn’t matter, you’re my guest,” Marvin insisted.

  “Okay, but I can’t stay long.”

  “I understand,” Marvin stepped outside and looked around. “Where are you?”

  “Look to your left,” she said, and Marvin turned. “No, your other left.”

  When he turned around, he saw her. Even though Sataria said that she wasn’t dressed for a wedding, she looked sexy as hell in the sleeveless silk embroidered dress she had on.

  “You look beautiful,” Marvin said, and she kissed him. Not just a peck on the lips, Sataria held his face in her hands and tongued him down. Marvin wrapped his arms around her and
pulled her closer.

  “What was that for?” Marvin asked after their lips slowly separated.

  “For saving my life.”

  “You already said thank you.”

  “Not like that.”

  “True.” Marvin paused and looked Sataria up and down. “Come on inside.”

  “No. I really can’t stay.” She kissed Marvin, on the cheek this time. “I’ll call you,” Sataria said and Marvin walked her to her car. Sataria kissed him again and then she got in. He watched her drive off before he wiped the lipstick off and went back inside.

  By that time, The Regulators were all on stage, Cristal had the mic and the crowd in the palm of her hand and the dance floor was still packed. He looked around for Fantasy, and since she was all up in Carter’s face, Marvin turned his attention to the other women in attendance.

  He had just seen one he liked and was about to head in her direction, when he heard what sounded like shooting coming from outside Cuisine. When he turned to look, Marvin saw armed men with masks run in the club firing. He returned fire and took cover.

  One of the first shots hit Cristal and she went down. Lola Luv ran off the stage as Monte Cole dragged Cristal out of the line of fire. P Harlem pulled his gun and returned fire as he ran, grabbing Scarlet and pulling her along with him.

  Three more men came in the front door armed with Mini-14s and began firing. Ram was about to grab Barbara and run, but before he could, RJ grabbed her by the arm and ran for cover with Venus right behind him. After that, Ram ran for cover, dove under a table, kept his head covered and prayed he’d make it out alive.

  Mercedes made her way to the bar for cover, firing shots along the way. Carter was right behind her; he shot one of the attackers as he and Fantasy moved behind the bar for cover. While Fiona hid under the table, Jackie and Travis shot it out with the masked gunmen. As they fired at Travis, he flipped over a table for better cover and fired back. Jackie fired at the shooter and hit him with three shots, and he fell over firing wildly.