Gangstress

by India

  “You don’t think your boy played us, do you?” Ace sat in the back seat with his eyes fixed on Brisbane’s crib.

  “No, Bryant is legit and his information is good. Everybody just needs to chill.” I leaned my head against the headrest. If anybody was gonna be antsy, it should’ve been me. Nevertheless, I was as cool as a cucumber. I knew it was only a matter of time before Brisbane came home.

  “So what you gon’ do now that you’re not rolling with Chucky?” Alicia made small talk while we waited.

  “I got some shit lined up,” was all Ace said. Although I didn’t know what he meant by that, I was confident that my man wouldn’t be down and out for long.

  “There he go right there.” I smiled as the headlights on his Buick passed us and turned up into his driveway. We all sat silently while watching him exit the car, retrieve his workbag from the trunk, and then head up the porch steps into the single-family home.

  Exactly sixty seconds after he entered the house, we stepped from the car and proceeded down the street. It was slightly past midnight. Everything was quiet in this little suburb.

  Boom! Boom! I banged on the door. Alicia concealed herself in the shadows to my left. Ace was to my right. We could hear Brisbane fumbling with the chain locks on the other side of the door before he opened it. “Who are you, and what are you doing here this time of night?”

  “You don’t recognize me?” I asked with a sneer as he skimmed over my body with his eyes.

  “You’re that girl from the projects.”

  “I told you I would see you soon.”

  “Look, girl, you’ve got three seconds to get off my property before I bust a cap in your black ass.” He brandished his department-issued weapon in my face.

  I laughed. “I dare you, old man.”

  “One. Two.” In an effort to warn me, he started counting. By the time he got to three, I forced my gun into the pit of his stomach. Alicia and Ace emerged from the shadows, standing right beside me with their guns aimed to the left and right side of his head.

  “What is all of this?” He raised his palms in surrender.

  Removing the gun from his hand, I forced him into the house. “Don’t get scared now, old man.” I laughed at the wet spot between his legs.

  “Is it money you want?” Pulling money from his pants pocket, Brisbane bitched up like a female. I was amused.

  “I didn’t come for the dough but I’ll take it!” I snatched the currency from his clutches and began to count aloud. Dude only had $63. Now I was insulted. “After what you did to me the other night, you better have more than this for my troubles.” I smacked him across the face with the bills. If he was going to bribe me with money, he could’ve at least made it worthwhile.

  “I can get more. Give me a date and a time.”

  “Shut up and sit down.” Ace pointed to a wooden dining room chair. Brisbane was hesitant but the look on Ace’s face meant business. If he had things his way, Brisbane would’ve taken a bullet right between the eyes the moment he answered the door. I wanted to have some fun first.

  “Tie this nigga up and do what you came to do so we can get the fuck out of here,” Ace instructed me while Alicia made her way around the house searching cabinets and drawers. Dropping to my knees, I placed the book bag I was wearing on the ground. It contained bungee rope and duct tape. While I was working on Brisbane’s ankles, Ace worked on his brain.

  “So you like to hit women?” he asked with a straight face.

  “Man, that was a mistake.” Brisbane shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

  “You fucking right it was a mistake, a big mistake, player. Any man who lays hands on a female is a bitch! What’s worse is any man who lays hands on my chick is a dead man.” Ace reached back and knocked the dog shit out of Brisbane. Spit flew from the corner of his mouth, and blood oozed from his nose. Ace repeated the punishment several times until both of Brisbane’s eyes were swollen shut, and his face was lumped up like a sack of potatoes.

  “Enough.” I prevented Ace from swinging again. He looked deranged, like a rabid animal with rabies. Sweat dripped from his face. His breathing was erratic.

  “Is that all you got, pussy?” Brisbane asked with swollen lips.

  “Just let me kill this man,” Ace pleaded with me as Alicia reentered the living room.

  “All this old man has is two hundred dollars in the nightstand and a wall safe with guns and knives.” She smacked her lips, noticeably disappointed.

  “Does the safe have a key lock or a combination code?” Instantly, I saw dollar signs. Those guns would sell like hotcakes on the black market.

  “Key lock,” she replied.

  “Grab his key ring from that coffee table and get the guns. Leave the knives,” I instructed. When I directed my attention back toward Brisbane, he was laughing. “What’s so funny?”

  “You three stooges are hilarious. First, you break into my home at gunpoint. Then you assault and rob me like you didn’t know I was cop. The second I get out of this chair, I’ll have all of your asses awaiting trial in county lockup.”

  “Who told you were getting out of this chair?” Ace aimed the gun for Brisbane’s head. I closed my eyes tightly. Even though I wasn’t new to death, seeing brain matter soar all over the place was nothing I would ever get used to.

  Ding-dong.

  I’d expected to hear the sound of the gun going off. Instead, the damn doorbell chimed.

  “Be quiet,” Ace warned Brisbane.

  Alicia flew into the living room like she’d seen a ghost. “What the fuck?” she whispered, and I shrugged.

  As I crept up to the front door, I almost shit on myself when I saw the female officer standing on the porch with a patrol car waiting out front. Easing away from the door, I informed them it was the police. Panic consumed the room.

  “Leave out the back door now,” Ace instructed.

  However, Ali shook her head. “The back door has been bolted closed. The only way out is through the guest bedroom. All of the other windows are barred shut.”

  Ding-dong. The doorbell rang again. This time it was accompanied by knocking. “Dad, if you don’t open up in one minute, I’m coming in.”

  “My daughter has ten years of experience on the force. You might as well surrender now.” Brisbane laughed.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Ace popped Brisbane one last time with the butt of the gun. That put him right to sleep. I grabbed the duct tape, which kept getting stuck to my latex gloves, and I covered his mouth.

  “Dammit, you should’ve just let me kill him in the first place,” he said while turning back to me. The doorbell rang again.

  “Let’s go.” Alicia ran down the hallway. Ace and I followed suit. Ace endeavored to force the window open. It was dry-rotted and wouldn’t budge. We all attempted to open the window again but it was no use.

  “Fuck!” I was beginning to panic. According to Brisbane’s daughter, our minute was up. From the bedroom, I could hear the front door open. My heart sank.

  “Dad!” the woman screamed. “Oh, my Lord, what happened to you?”

  All of us froze in place, holding our breath until Ace spoke up.

  “To hell with this shit! We’re not going out like this.” Taking the butt of his gun and smashing the window, he instructed me and Alicia to run like Forrest Gump. Thank God the bedroom was on the main floor. My days of jumping from two-story homes were over.

  “Eastpointe Police Department. Come out with your hands up,” Brisbane’s daughter yelled from the other side of the closed door. She was merely feet away from us, but it didn’t matter. One by one, we all hopped through the window like it was on fire and disappeared into the cover of night. I could hear the officer calling for help on her walkie-talkie. Looking back, I could see her watching us flee. Fearful of leaving her father alone, she wasn’t going to chase us, I was fairly certain. It was just the opportunity we needed to get away. By the time her backup arrived, we would be long gone.

  * * *

/>   Back at our house, Ace was furious with me. “Do you see what transpires when we do shit your way? We could’ve gone to jail tonight!” He paced the bedroom floor.

  “I know. I just wanted that bastard to feel some pain before putting him out of his misery.” I lay on the bed, applying Vaseline to my feet.

  “Well, he’s in pain all right. But he sure ain’t dead. That means we’ve got to get at this man again before he gets at us. Shit, he knows it was you. It won’t be long before he identifies me and Alicia too.” He dropped his head into the palm of his hand.

  “Ace, the old man will probably just leave well enough alone and call it square because of what he did to me.” I sounded more confident than I actually felt. Truth be told, I had fucked up and I knew it.

  “Look, get some rest. You have school in the morning. We can talk about this shit tomorrow after you take your finals.” He leaned down and kissed my head before turning off the lamp and leaving me alone in the room.

  Terrified the police might bum-rush the condo and arrest all of us for attempted murder, I could barely sleep that night. I needed to put an end to Brisbane for good. Right now, all I could do was wait. Currently, he was probably laid up in some hospital bed under heavy police protection. With his injuries and old age, I assumed he would be down for at least a month. That would buy me some time.

  But I don’t have to tell you what happens when you assume.

  Chapter Forty-three

  “You look so pretty!” Keisha applied the final touches to my makeup. Tonight, we were headed off to prom with Alicia. I couldn’t have been more excited. She attended Oak Park High School, the same school I went to before moving in with Gran. All of my old friends went there. Since I left, I’d been counting down the days to see them.

  Ace had surprised me with the tickets two weeks ago. He wanted to take my mind off the Brisbane issue. I decided to let my hair down this evening. My gown was canary yellow, trimmed in rhinestones, with a split up both of my thighs. My hair was styled like Kim K.: long bombshell curls. My shoes were none other than Christian Louboutins. I told Ace not to spend so much money on a pair of shoes, especially with the baby on the way. Looking down at them now, I was glad he didn’t listen to me.

  “Come on, we better get this party started before they start fussing.” Keisha grabbed the red clutch that matched her red dress, and then we headed out my bedroom door.

  Upon entering the living room, my mouth fell open in amazement. I didn’t know who was more stunned, me or him. Ace looked like a million dollars standing there in his white suit, canary yellow button-down shirt, and yellow and white Mauri gators. The canary yellow diamonds around his neck and on his wrist gave the outfit just what it needed. The cherry on top was the white Bossalini hat with a yellow feather.

  “Damn, girl, I’m about ready to remove that dress and say forget the prom.” He licked his lips in anticipation and smiled.

  “There will be plenty enough time for that later.” I winked and turned my head to check out Alicia. “Wow!” was all I could say. I had never seen my best friend rocking men’s clothing. Don’t get me wrong, my homegirl was fierce. Nevertheless, I was caught off guard by her skinny black pants, red button-down shirt, red and black tie, and red Converse sneakers. Her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. However, the smile on her face was priceless. She and Keisha loved one another as much as Ace and I did. It was exhilarating that she felt comfortable enough to be herself these days.

  “Come on, y’all, let’s go.” Ace ushered everyone toward the door, and we were on our way.

  Before going to the prom, we stopped to have dinner at Havier’s. Although the place was packed, we spoke with the hostess and were immediately shown to a table. My parents’ longtime connection with the eatery and with Havier himself ensured we were shown favor.

  “This is really nice.” Before reviewing the menu, Keisha took in the beautiful surroundings and calm atmosphere.

  “You’ll love the food.” As always, I didn’t bother reaching for a menu. I was going to order the meatloaf, candied yams, greens, and cornbread. Most girls going to prom would probably be trying to eat light. I was four months pregnant and wasn’t concerned about that.

  A few moments after taking our seats, the waitress placed water on the table and took our orders. Ace ordered smothered pork chops, Alicia ordered baby back ribs, and Keisha ordered a salad.

  “I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom.” I excused myself from the table. On the way to the bathroom, I was greeted by several people. Some of them I knew, and some I couldn’t remember. They all offered condolences about my parents. It touched me. They had been dead for nearly two years. People still had love for them.

  Just as I reached the ladies’ room, someone grabbed me from the back. “It’s been a long time, little girl.” Gudda stood before me with a smirk on his face. The last time I saw this fool he was bleeding to death in his trap house.

  “Damn, I guess you didn’t die.” I laughed although I was only partially joking. “Ace told me whenever you shoot someone, make sure you kill them. Now I see why. When you let niggas live, they become thorns in your ass. What do you want, Gudda?” While attempting to make eye contact with Ace, I rolled my eyes. Our table was clear across the room and his back was facing me.

  “Oh, I’ll tell you what I want. Come take a walk with me.” He removed a 9 mm from the small of his back then pulled me close enough to push it into my side without anyone noticing.

  “I’m not leaving this building.” I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip and proceeded toward the back exit.

  “Janelle, baby, is that you?”

  I turned slightly to see Michelle. She was one of my mother’s friends from back in the day.

  “Hey, Auntie.” I smiled inwardly but kept a straight face. Auntie Michelle was a real street bitch. She knew what was up.

  Gudda was familiar with her pedigree. Therefore, he tucked the gun into the front of his pants before turning us around.

  “Where you taking my niece, nigga?” She raised an eyebrow with her hand deep inside of her Chanel bag.

  “We’re going to talk and catch up on old times.” Gudda was still holding me closely.

  Auntie Michelle wasn’t having it. “You ain’t got shit to talk to a seventeen-year-old about, boss.”

  “Michelle, I see you’re still meddling in other folks’ business.” Gudda smacked his lips. “Get the fuck out of here if you know what’s good.”

  “Listen here, you got ’til the count of three to let my niece go. Ya feel me?” She pulled her small revolver from her bag and aimed straight for Gudda’s balls. He was instantly immobilized. That was about the same place I had shot him.

  “You got it, ma. Just chill.” He raised his hands and allowed me to leave. As I hurried toward Michelle, Gudda dashed straight out the back door.

  “I never did like that nigga.” She laughed while placing her gun back into her purse.

  “Thanks, Auntie.” I hugged her and thanked God for favors.

  “Is that a baby bump?” She rubbed my stomach and smiled. “Boy or girl?”

  “I don’t know yet. Hopefully, it’s a girl.”

  “Who’s your baby daddy, and what’s the nigga’s resume?” she questioned me just as Ace approached us in the hallway.

  “Girl, I thought you had gotten stuck in the toilet or something,” he joked. “Hey, what’s up, Michelle.”

  “Oh, shit! Don’t tell me you’re the baby daddy.” She hugged Ace then me. “I told your mama y’all was fucking.” She laughed. “I wish that heffa was still here so I could see her face. Damn, I miss your mama.” She sighed.

  “Me too,” I replied.

  “Call me if you need me. Auntie loves you, Janie.” She rubbed my stomach one last time. “You better do right by her, Anthony, or I’m coming to see you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. We watched her walk away. “Come on, baby, the food should be out by now.”


  I didn’t want to tell him that Gudda had spoiled my appetite. That would’ve ruined our night. Deciding to keep this run-in to myself, I went back to the table as if nothing had ever happened.

  Chapter Forty-four

  As we pulled into the parking lot of the Roostertail banquet facility where the dance was being held, there were three police cars parked near the front entrance with flashing lights on and sirens off. I didn’t know why, but my stomach began to feel queasy, and my palms began to sweat. There was a line of cars trying to get past the police. Two officers were stopping each car and asking questions. I noticed a squad car sitting at the rear of the parking lot.

  “They must be checking for open alcohol containers or something,” Ace rationalized.

  “Yeah, people are known for drinking and driving on prom night,” Ali responded.

  Although the scenario was ideal, I knew better. “Ace, I think we should turn around and do something else.”

  “Girl, we’re all dressed up and shit, so we’re going to the dance,” he said, blowing me off.

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this,” I admitted.

  “Baby, chill. We’re legit tonight, so no worries. We don’t have any drugs, liquor, weapons, or warrants out for our arrest,” he joked. Everyone laughed except me.

  Fifteen minutes later, it was our turn to face the cops. My stomach felt as if it were on the spin cycle. I was very lightheaded. “Good evening, Officers.” Ace put on his best behavior. I looked straight ahead out of the front window.

  “This won’t take long, young man. I promise.” The first officer spoke nice and calmly. “Would you and your passengers please present your state identification card, driver’s license, or school identification?”

  Ace, Alicia, and Keisha quickly produced their cards. However, I took my time retrieving mine and handed it over reluctantly. The officer flashed a flashlight over all of the ID cards. As he stared intensely at one of the IDs, I could tell that somebody in this car was going down.

  “Sir, do you mind pulling your car over?”