Torn by the Code

by Eureka

  “No, I’m good. Now, what’s this about some money and loyalty shit! This bitch killed my pops and went after my mom. You owe me, Minister. You owe me your life, remember?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and continued to hit the cigar as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I felt as if he was mocking me.

  “No, no, mi don’t mean any disrespect, but I am a man with needs and wants. Do you see this mansion?” He pointed around the room. “It cost lots of money to keep this going. Like this dead bitch right here. She stole from me, us, the family, so she paid for it. As a matter of fact, Lucay, put this dead bitch in the garbage where she belongs.” Another guard walked over and swooped the dead hooker’s body into his arm as if she were just a piece of paper.

  Minister continued to smoke and choke as if it was nothing. I was used to killing and smoking and sometimes even having sex in the same room where a body lay. But this time, I felt as if he was testing my gangster. I jumped up and placed a 9 mm Glock under his chin. “You think this shit a game, moda fucka? Shi killed everting mi luv. You gonna tell me where she is, or you won’t see the next sun rising.” Through gritted teeth, I spoke to him in our native tongue.

  His expression didn’t change. He seemed unbothered at the fact I held a gun on him. He began to chuckle.

  “So you think this is a game? We will s—”

  “No, no, brudah. You seem to forget where you are. Now, I will give you dree seconds, and I will forget about this, and you will pay me my money and no harm. But if dree seconds pass, then we handle this like real gangsta, as the Americans say.”

  I heard guns being cocked, filling the room. I glanced to my left, then my right. About ten men stood with their guns trained on me. The irony of this is, I was the one who trained Minister and gave him his first taste of power when he wasn’t shit but a bottom-feeding toad.

  “You sure this is how you want it? All you have to do is tell me where to find this bitch, and we’ll be good.”

  He laughed. “Am I sure, am I sure? Seems like I’m the one holding all the c—”

  He stopped as soon as he spotted several females dressed in rags and some wore next to nothing to blend in the surroundings, standing directly behind each man he had in the room. Each of them held a Desert Eagle in her hands.

  Standing up cocky, I gave him a knowing look. “See, I told you we can play nice, nigga. I’m the one who taught you. Now, where is she?”

  His expression changed as he realized he was outnumbered. He opened the robe he wore to expose his chest. “You gonna have to kill me because I ain’t no rat unlike your desperate-ass ni—” He began gurgling on his own blood. One of my little working assassins crept behind him and slit his throat with a machete.

  He began twitching in the chair. I ordered his men to tear the den apart to find anything he may have had indicating where Dutchtress could be. Lucay went right over to his safe and gave me some papers. I thumbed through them and spotted a photo along with an address to find Dutchtress.

  Chapter 47

  All or Nothing

  After getting the DNA results back, it turned out that Netta was indeed my sister. I didn’t have time to get to know her that well because I needed to get to Naheri before he does some crazy shit. It had been long overdue. It was time my dear husband and I met face-to-face. With any luck, he’ll be sucking the barrel of my .38-snubnose. There was no way all of this would happen, and I didn’t get my revenge. I knew Karma was a bad bitch, and she had my name on her list, but before she has her way with me, I was prepared to give my own dose of Karma to some deserving people, starting with Naheri.

  “Get me there fast. All of this voodoo and shit, I have got to get to our son.” My heart raced in anticipation. After Netta told me where she thought Naheri could be, we all hurried. Knight and Vell trailed us in a car with Netta. I had planned to leave with my son and my one true love. If I remember Kainmen, he was not going to allow his father’s death go without war. My only chance was to kill Naheri and take my son back to Chicago. Kainmen knew he had no wind when it came to me and my city.

  We drove past this house that was tucked away on a dirt road. It was just like she described it. I almost got out of the moving car, so eager was I to see my son. Before I could, however, Flex grabbed my wrist.

  We pulled to the side of the road to get some more info from Netta.

  “Look, is this the house or what?” I asked as I got out of the car walking toward Knight.

  Netta sat in the front seat of the car with her arms folded. “Look, I said it was, didn’t I? You got what you wanted; now, let me go, dear sister.”

  “Bitch, is you serious? Sister or not, you know where my son is, and all these lies and games you’ve played for years. I know you mad because of what the past is. By the way, it had nothing to do with me. You should be thankful I don’t cut your ass wide open. You helped that muthafucka try to kill me. So, you might want to shut the fuck up,” I said, seething with anger.

  The way she thought I was just going to allow her to keep me from finding my son . . . No one will ever come between us. I will go to the ends of the earth for mine. Hell, I have looked the devil himself in the face for my son. And now that I have Flex back, we will be a real family. I was so mad, I snatched the car door opened and grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her from the seat.

  “Elana, E—I’m your sister. Come on. It’s the house; it is the house. I swear that’s where he’s at!”

  Holding my gun up to her temple, I said, “Bitch, if you playing games, I swear I will murder you right here and now.”

  “Come on, Dutch, she good, she good.” Knight held my wrist before I pulled the trigger.

  I slowly looked over my shoulder at his hand, then back up toward his face and down at his hand one more time. “I suggest, if you want to live, you let my arm go. Okay, okay, so you have grown to like this little bitch, I see. But don’t forget the hand that feeds you.”

  Knight slowly moved his hand and stepped back, shaking his head. He glared over at Flex as if he was pleading for me to spare Netta’s life, but Flex never took his eyes off me. We were in sync to the core. If I had blown her head wide open, he would have released a few more into her just to make sure she was dead. That’s the kind of bond we shared.

  When Netta began to shake in fear, I looked down at her very pregnant stomach and had a small piece of remorse, because I’m a mother, and I know what lengths I would go to protect my son, and the hell and hurt I have felt for this past year was nothing I would wish on my worst enemy. I decided to lower the gun and snatched her up from the ground. “Let’s go, let’s fuck’n go. You gonna knock right at the front door.”

  I could hear Knight taking a deep breath of relief as I firmly guided her down a small pathway that led up to the house. I was cautious.

  “Shh, shh, you hear that?” I said as I heard a child laughing. Netta looked confused,

  “I-I don’t hear n—”

  Just as she about to say she hadn’t heard it, the sound of laughter got louder, and it was like music to my ears. I knew it was my baby boy. For a year, I dreamed of his laughter many nights and would wake up in a cold sweat.

  “I got it, Daddy!” The child ran to get the ball he was playing with. When he ran up, he met me eye to eye.

  “Ma-Mommy! Mommy Netta!” His speech was a little choppy, but I understood what he was saying. I want to hug him so tightly and never let him go.

  “Shh, shh, shh-hh, baby.” I placed my finger over my mouth. “Yes, it’s Mommy, but you have to be quiet. I want to surprise Daddy.” I hugged him, and as soon as I let go, Flex picked him up.

  “Junior! Junior, where are you? We have to leave. Nana is ready.”

  Hearing Naheri’s voice made my skin crawl. I wanted to walk up to him and put one in his head. I needed to kill him and Kainmen. That will be the only way I can live in peace.

  “Son, don’t worry. We’ll see you soon. Go back to your father,” Flex said with a mean scowl. I c
ould tell he was upset. For years, he’d watched as Naheri raised his son and called him daddy, but Flex realized the life he led was no place for a child.

  He placed Junior back down to the ground. I turned to Flex, Knight, and Vell. “Take them back to the car for me. I’m going to finish this once and for all.”

  Flex stood in my face. “Look, bae, I know you are one to handle yourself, and that’s all good, but the fact that I’m here, and we are a team, we have to do this together. There is no way I’m letting you do this one alone. None before we, remember? That’s how it is and will always be.”

  “I know, Flex. Out of anyone on this earth, I could always count on you. The year I lost or thought I lost you, not a day went by that I didn’t think of you and cried for you. If something happens to me, I want our son to be taken care of. He’s a piece of us that I will forever love and cherish. Not even death can separate that. But this one I need to do on my own. Please, you know me better than anyone. Yes, none before we, and I am doing this one for us.”

  Flex lowered his lips to mine and gently kissed my lips. He caressed the sides of my cheeks, knowing there was no way or time to argue with me. We heard Naheri call out to Junior one more time. As soon as I got word that Minister and his crew knew about Flex and me being in town, I made sure I touched down with him. He assured me on the strength of his two daughters’ lives that he wouldn’t tell anyone where we were. So, that allowed me to get some of the things I needed to kill Naheri and Kainmen, and even their mother.

  “I love you, and if I’m not back in twenty minutes, leave without me. I have something set up for us in Chicago. When you and Junior touch down, go to 11324 South State. They will know what to do.” I held back some tears because I knew this was going to be a fight, and my getting out would be difficult.

  He held my arms. “Look, Dutch, you are real through and through, so I know you gonna make it back to me and our son. Now, I’m going to go to this car and wait for you. Shit, you won’t even need twenty minutes to get the job done.” He walked back toward Knight and Vell. Netta stood looking confused and a little shaken.

  “Junior! Junior, let’s go. We got to get out of here,” he frantically yelled out.

  Knight, Vell, Netta, Flex, and Junior all nestled down in the bushes as Naheri’s voice seemed as if it was getting closer. Flex had to place his hand over Junior’s mouth before he answered. I peeped from the side of the hedge I was hiding behind to see him as he began walking to the other side of the yard.

  I watched until I saw him go back inside of the house. Then I slowly crept up to the front door and tried the knob. It opened just as I hoped. When I got inside of the foyer I heard Naheri’s mother, “We have got to go. I know Kainmen knows where you are by now, and right now, he’s not thinking clearly. To him, you are the enemy and need to be dealt with. I’ll be damned if I allow my one son to kill my other son. I love y’all both, and the choices y’all have made cost us plenty.” I could tell she was upset as she threw some clothes inside of a bag.

  “Go get that boy! I don’t want anybody showing up before we can get out of here. He’s even talking about killing Junior because of the bitch he calls Mommy. I swear to God, if that bitch were here now, I would kill her with my bare hands.” Hearing her speak of me the way she did, I trained my gun directly at her head, then squeezed the trigger.

  Before her body could hit the floor, I pounced on Naheri like a beast. I swung at him wildly in the air. “You bitch-made-ass nigga! How could you? You gon’ die!” I screamed. He tried holding my arm while I held the gun in the other one.

  “Elana, stop! Stop! You need to die, bitch!” He tried to restrain me. I managed to knee him in the balls. Releasing me, he tensed his body tensed in pain. I hurried to cock the gun. “Mommy! Mommy!” Suddenly, I heard Junior call out to me. When I turned in his direction, Kainmen was standing with Junior in front of him, holding a gun to his head.

  “Hello, Elana. I see death looks good on you. Aww, don’t panic. Me and my nephew were just bonding some, ya know, as family should.” His voice dripped with venom. “See, brother, dear, I told you your ass was a sucka. Why ain’t this bitch dead already? And you let her kill Mommy? I told you, I told you.” He looked over at their mother’s lifeless body lying in a pool of her own blood. He gripped Junior by the nape of his neck so hard.

  “Ouch, ouch, you’re hurting me, Uncle K. Ouch. Daddy, Uncle K is hurting me.”

  I reached out to grab my son.

  “Uh-uh, now, that wouldn’t play out well for you. You ruthless bitch. You and yours killed both of my parents. I told my weak-ass brother to get rid of your ass years ago.” He scowled at Naheri in disgust.

  “If you don’t fuckin’ let my baby go, I’ma kill your last piece of family you got left.” I pointed the gun at Naheri.

  “Really, bitch?” Kainmen laughed. “You think I gives two shits about this whack-ass mon? He’s fuckin’ dead to me.” He turned and fired two into Naheri’s chest. “Shit, you would have been doing me a favor. But why not do it myself? Just like Cain and Abel, I’m my brother’s keeper.”

  Junior began to scream.

  “Shut the fuck up, you little retarded-ass bastard!” Kainmen picked Junior up by the neck. I couldn’t hold it any longer. I lunged at him. He pushed me to the floor and shot Junior in the stomach. I was horrified.

  “You bitch! No-oo, you punk bitch!” I yelled.

  I squeezed my trigger putting one in his leg before he ducked for cover. He put his brother’s body in front of him to shield from the bullets flying in his direction. Each bullet tore through his skin. Blood was everywhere, but I wasn’t about to give up.

  “Look! You might as well come out, you miserable bitch. I’ma make sure you never breathe another ounce of air. Oh, yo’ boy Flex dead thanks to my dear sister-in-law slash your sister. That bitch would sell her soul with her conning ass to save her own life. When she seen me coming up on the car, she never said a word to warn them that shit was funny.” He laughed aloud. “They didn’t even see me creeping up and dropping they ass like a bad habit. She let me grab shorty and ran her ass off in the other direction. Damn, family ain’t shit.” He laughed harder.

  “Yeah, you right. Family ain’t shit, just ask your dead-ass mother right here. But the thing is, I got her ass just like I’ma get you.”

  My heart was all over the place. Flex was dead. Junior was shot, possibly clinging to life, and Knight and Vell, may they rest in peace, were soldiers to the end. I pulled my trigger, but nothing but a clicking noise echoed throughout the room. Out of bullets, I searched around the room trying to find something to defend myself with. There was nothing. I had to get to my son and get him out of there.

  Wickedly laughing, Kainmen hobbled over toward me with his gun pointed. I frantically searched around me to see if I could find anything as a weapon, but there was nothing. There was absolutely nothing. If I was going to die, I was going to go out proud and strong like the queen I am.

  Standing up to face him, I said, “Take your best shot. I promise you, it better be your best, because if I make it out of here, your ass will not make through another day. I guarantee that.” I spread my arms wide, then glanced over to my son where his little body lay on the floor. I wished I could have made it over to him but knew there was no way. Maybe if Kainmen thought he was dead, he wouldn’t shoot him again. I couldn’t take a chance that a bullet he had for me would hit him again. I inwardly said a prayer and whispered I loved him before closing my eyes.

  Next, I heard two gunshots. I felt my chest . . . then and all around my body to see if I was hit. Then I slowly opened one eye to see Kainmen on the floor. Smoke was still coming from the barrel, and Minister was holding a big towel around his neck.

  “Fuckin’ idiot. Yuh crossed de wrang one. See yuh inna hell, bumaclot.”

  I rushed over and picked up Junior and rushed out the door. The closer I got to the cars where we were parked, my heart dropped from the sight of blood splatter on the window
. Then over on the passenger side, I could see Flex’s body slumped over. Across from that car was another one with what looked like Kainmen’s boys dead, all laid out in front and on the side of the car.

  I’m guessing Minister and his people snuck up and laid them all down. Junior wasn’t moving, and although my heart ached, I wished Flex was still alive, but I had to save our son.

  I rushed over and put Junior in the backseat of the car Flex and Knight were in. Then I began to pull Knight’s body and Vell’s out of the front seat to the ground. I didn’t want to do them like that, but I had no time to give them a proper goodbye. Then I rushed over to remove Flex. As soon as the door opened, my tears began to fall. I was going to have to leave him. I wished like hell after everything we had been through we could have had our happily ever after.

  I reached for his arm to pull him out; then I heard a faint moan coming from him. “Flex! Flex, baby! Flex!” I cried out as his arm moved, and he spoke. Blood was on the side of his ear where the bullet grazed him. I kissed his face and head. “Oh, baby, you’re alive. Thank you, God,” I yelled out in excitement.

  Groggily, he spoke, “Wha-what happened?”

  “I’ll explain on the way to the hospital. We have got to get Junior there.”

  I pushed him back in the car and quickly hopped in the driver’s seat and sped off.

  * * *

  Making it to the Bellevue Hospital’s emergency room, doctors and nurses quickly grabbed Flex and Junior and rushed them in different directions. I waited impatiently to hear a word about both of them. Flex wasn’t shot in the head. The bullet just grazed his head, but not deep enough to kill him. At that moment, I thanked Kainmen for being such a lousy shot.

  My mind was overloaded, so I decided to take a walk in the building. I walked to the nurses’ station where they both were, asking for a good word, but no luck. There wasn’t any word yet. The doctors were still working on Junior and Flex, and both were in surgery.