Charm City Part 1 (Welcome to Bodymore Murdaland)

by S. L. Walker

  “Eve, I’m sorry, okay,” Raven apologized again. “I don’t know how any of this happened. I just wanted to help my brother.”

  Eva remained silent, clinching her jaws, not even looking at Raven. The cold could be seen flaring out of her nose; she was still mad.

  “Look, the only reason Zara knew was because she was right there. You don’t know how many times she wanted me to tell you guys. I was just afraid you guys wouldn’t understand, not saying Zara would, but she did. I know you’re mad right now, but I gotta find my brother, and I need ya’ll,” Raven pleaded.

  Victoria and I had to keep wiping the fog on the windows from our breathing so close. We looked at each other both hoping Eva would say something. Then out of nowhere, Eva hugged Raven hard. We couldn’t tell if she was crying but when Raven hugged her back we both smiled.

  Eva said with a sob, “I am so mad at you, Vee, but I get it. Let’s go find your brother.”

  RAVEN

  We cut through the forest on our bikes like wild lions on the prowl. Our first stop was Zaras'. During my confession to the girls, her and my dad had sent multiple pages. I decided to call him when I got to her house to let him know I was okay. Plus, I was eager to know if he had heard any news from Deon. When we showed up at Zara’s door, she seemed more surprised to see the girls with me, than me showing up.

  “I’m glad you’re here, come in,” Zara opened the door wider for us to walk in the house. “No-one’s home so, it’s good. Follow me,” Zara led us to the backyard which I hadn’t seen since her party. “Raven, sit down.”

  I didn’t like the look in her eyes and I was trying not to panic. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “My dad found out about your brother for me,” she motioned for me to sit on their plush red patio couches. I didn’t sit.

  “What about him?!” I pressured her to hurry up and tell me. She looked at the girls who were all looking the same way, except for Eva who was giving her the same disliked stare she had been giving her since they met.

  Zara looked at me for assurance. “It’s okay, they know everything,” I told her. She relaxed.

  “So, my dad has a leak in Treach’s click, named Mark, but they call him X. Anyway, my dad said one of Deon’s friends sold him out,” Zara began. I immediately thought of West.

  “X saw them take him down to this small basement that they take dudes that snitch or they don’t know what to do with. They rough them up a bit and sometimes…” she paused. “Sometimes kill them, Raven,” she said softly.

  “What?!” I gasped.

  “Wait, wait before you get hysterical. X didn’t hear anything about Deon getting killed, though. They beat him and tied him up, and so far that’s it,” she said.

  “Because he’s waiting on me to do the drop,” I figured. “And that bitch ass nigga, West, I saw him with yesterday. I’ve never seen him before. I bet you he set him up,” I was sure of it. I was pissed, pacing back and forth.

  “Listen, Raven. My dad doesn’t want me involved with this,” she pulled at me to stop pacing.

  “It’s cool, you did enough. Thank you,” I told her heading towards the door.

  “Where are you going?!” Victoria stopped me.

  “I gotta go to Treach!” I turned around to her.

  “Dude, no way are you going to Treachs' right now without a plan!” Eva joined in, blocking the door

  “Yeah, Vee, it’s too dangerous. Maybe you should tell your dad and let the police handle it,” Angel said.

  “Hell no!” I told her.

  “Yeah, I gotta agree with Vee, the police involved is a no no. It’s going to make everything worse for everybody. And your dad isn’t going to be safe either. But, they have a point too, Vee. You need a plan fucking with Treach. You need to get your brother out of there and you need to get him out alive,” Zara walked up to me. They all were right. But the more time we wasted was more time for Treach to hurt my brother.

  “So, what do you suggest?” I asked Zara.

  “My dad has a leak in there for a reason. We need to infiltrate. You need to get close to Treach, and he needs to trust you," Zara planned.

  “Whatchu sayin’?” I asked her unsure of where she was going.

  She paused before she spoke. ”We can play smart, get your brother, and handle Treach at the same time.”

  Treach wanted me to work for him but now I wasn’t sure what Treach’s motives were after he found out my brother had it out for him. My pager buzzed again. I looked at it and it was my dad.

  “I’ll be right back. You got a phone in the kitchen, right?” I asked Zara, walking towards the kitchen to call my dad back.

  “Yeah,” she pointed.

  My dad was hysterical and demanded me to come home right then. He said he was going to look for Deon and that I needed to be home when he got back. I lied and told him okay and came back to an empty patio.

  “Over here!” Eva motioned over by the basement door. “You gotta see this.”

  I had never once thought about the basement door that was positioned under their large staircase. I followed Eva down the lighted stairs that took us into this dimly lit, what looked like a man cave. There was a mini bar, large TV and black jack table. There were large windows that were limo tinted. You could see outside perfectly but I bet a million dollars you couldn’t see in. It was a huge basement. In the corner was a small desk with a computer, printer, files, etc. Next to it was a large black digital case. The girls were all walking around in awe just like me. Zara was pouring Victoria a shot.

  “Oh good, you’re here. I have something for y’all,” she said to me walking over to the safe.

  “This shit is vicious!” I told her.

  “Yeah, my dad’s hangout,” she laughed. I followed her to the safe and saw that Eva was admiring his all white bear skin rug.

  “Is this real?” Angel asked, softly touching the fur and staring at the eye and mouth of the bears face.

  “I don’t think so. I know he paid this guy like twelve g’s from Canada to get it, though,” Zara told her. She put a password in the safe and my eyes widened to the amount of guns and bullets that were stuffed in there when she opened it.

  “Holy shit,” I gasped, standing next to Zara, staring at the different guns all perfectly aligned in his custom made safe. She pulled out four guns one by one based on what she liked.

  “Here,” she said, handing me a black gun with small ridges at the top and a case of bullets.

  “What’s this?” I asked her, taking the gun.

  “You know how to shoot, right?” She handed Eva a longer, black gun who had come over to see what Zara was handing me.

  “Yeah,” I answered.

  “That’s a Browning Buckmark .22. It’s a fun gun to shoot actually. Since, I can’t be with you guys for the sake of my dad, I can at least give you guys some guns for protection,” she motioned for Victoria to come over who was pouring herself shots.

  Angel also followed.

  “Eva, you have a Ruger .22/45. It has a good grip angle and it’s easy to shoot, too,” she handed Eva the bullets.

  “I don’t know shit about guns,” Eva complained.

  “I’ll teach you. But for now, just point and shoot,” Zara grabbed another gun.

  “Here, Tori. This is a Smith and Wesson Revolver 686. You look like a revolver chick,” she laughed and handed her bullets.

  “I can get with this,” Victoria smiled, opening up the cylinder like a pro and closing it back.

  “Angel, this one is for you,” she handed Angel a slick black Glock. “A Smith and Wesson 9mm. These guns are easy to use. Nice to shoot and all you have to do is point and shoot, baby,” she told her handing her bullets.

  “Do you think we really will need all this, Zara?” Angel nervously took the gun and bullets.

  “I don’t know, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Zara answered her, locking the safe back.

  “Your dad is going to be okay with us using his guns?” I as
ked her, tucking the gun in the back of my baggy pants and putting the bullets in my backpack.

  “He will be okay,” she responded.

  “Where is he anyway?” Victoria asked, also stuffing her gun in her skinny black jeans.

  “Business. But he knows what’s up though, and he promised he would keep me informed about what’s going on. My dad has your back, Raven. He just can’t get involved. It’s just business,” Zara added. She walked over and poured some Vodka shots.

  “So, what if we end up killing this bitch Treach?” Eva asked, holding up the gun. “Are these guns registered? What’s gonna happen to your dad’s business then?! I mean, you real quick to help out but what’s gone happen when the shit gets real?!” Eva said with an untrusting attitude.

  “She’s right,” Victoria said. “If all hell breaks loose, then what?”

  Zara took a swig of her shot.

  “Then it gets real. Look, I really do have your back. And whatever I want my dad will back me. And all these guns are burners. Trust me,” Zara insisted.

  “Alright, bet,” I told her. “So, what do you have in mind that we do?” Zara handed me a shot. Angel walked over, struggling to put her gun and bullets in her backpack. We all sat around the mini bar like master planners.

  “You do what girls do best,” she held up her shot glass to salute. “Play nice to get what you want.”

  CHAPTER 15

  The girls had decided to go to Treach that night. Raven glanced over at Zara’s Hello Kitty clock on her nightstand while she changed into one of Zara’s old grey hoodies.

  “It’s 8:00 right now. Treach will definitely be there,” she said straightening the hoodie out. The other girls also borrowed sweaters from Zara that were more warm and more fitting to what they were about to do. Angel nervously grabbed a black beanie from Zara. Victoria struggled with putting her oversized jacket over her Jordan black hoodie she wore and Eva put her hair into a ponytail to not get caught up in her black Baltimore Ravens hoodie.

  “Why do you have so many black hoodies?” Victoria joked.

  “You know why,” Eva answered sarcastically for her. Zara cut her eyes at her.

  “At least they aren’t all the same,” Zara told Victoria. “I need these back, though,” Zara laughed.

  “Are you guys sure you want to do this?” Raven asked the girls with a serious look in her eyes. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to do this herself, but she had her brother to think about. She didn’t want to put them in any harm if she could help it but she had to admit, having them with her made her feel better.

  “I’m doing whatever you want us to do,” Victoria told her.

  “Yeah, me too,” Eva added.

  “Same,” Angel agreed. Zara smiled at the girls loyalty and wish she had a friendship like that.

  “Here, give me your guns and bullets,” Zara said to Angel and Eva who weren’t familiar with guns. Raven and Victoria had already loaded theirs. They handed her their guns and watched Zara closely as she explained how to unload and load each gun. “Eva, you unload the magazine here, and put the bullets in like this,” she said clicking the ammunition in and locking it. “Make sure your safety is on at all times unless you are about to use it. This means safety is on, this means it’s not,” she showed Eva clicking the side up and down. “Angel, same thing with your Glock. Release the magazine, slide this back like this,” she pulled the top of the 9mm till it locked. “Bullets, in, finger on frame always, slide it back, safety on, safety off. Point and shoot. Got it?” She told Angel, pointing the gun towards her window as if to shoot. Angel hesitantly nodded her head taking the gun from Zara. She nervously put the gun in her bag as if she was holding a bomb.

  “It shouldn’t even get to using these. But you’d be a fool not to have protection,” Zara added.

  “Okay, everyone know what to do?” Raven looked at Tori, Eva, and Angel who all had very different but anticipated looks on their faces.

  “Yes, let’s go get, D,” Tori said, the first to leave the room. The other girls followed. Zara showed them out of the house.

  “Good luck you guys. Page me if you need me, for real,” Zara said from the inside of her doorway.

  Zara stopped Raven as the girls waved and walked to their bikes.

  “Be careful. Treach isn’t anybody to play with,” she said hugging her tight. Raven gave her a slight smile, enough to show how nervous she was but enough to show her that this was happening.

  $$$$

  The ride to Treach was cold and quiet. The girls were definitely on edge and the closer Raven got to Treach’s warehouse the more scared she became. They finally came up on the warehouse which had more cars than normal in the front. Raven stopped first far enough around the corner of an abandoned store to not be seen. There wasn’t much traffic around these parts. Raven just assumed people knew what went on around there, so didn’t bother to be around. That, or Treach picked a perfect place for his lair.

  “This it?” Eva stopped behind her. Victoria and Angel followed.

  “Yeah, it’s behind the warehouse,” Raven pointed to the gate on the side. Raven took her gun out and took off the safety and packed it carefully in her pants. Victoria did the same.

  “What y’all doing that for?” Eva asked.

  “You’re gonna shoot your leg off!” Angel said, hysterically.

  “Shut up, I got this,” Raven told them. “Follow me,” she said, hopping off her bike and leaning it against the store wall. The girls did the same. Victoria felt her pager go off and jumped. She fumbled with it and read her house number.

  “My mom is paging me,” Victoria whispered as they crept towards the warehouse.

  “Oh, well maybe Treach will let you use the phone when we get in there,” Eva said, sarcastically.

  “Whatever,” Victoria scowled.

  “We all are getting blown up. Deal with it,” Eva told her.

  “Shhhhhh!!” Raven looked back at them. “I need y’all on your A game in here,” she told them one last time before opening the gate. The girls stayed quiet and followed Raven behind the gate. Instantly, there were two big dogs barking at them. A young hefty dude stood close by the gate with a Rottweiler on a leash. Another hefty guy stood not too far from the gate. Raven nodded her head at the familiar face and he did the same with no expression. She continued to walk towards the open warehouse where more men were sitting outside drinking and smoking. The girls all stared on edge at their surroundings and caught eye contact with the other men who were staring back. Raven reached the front door guard who blocked her with his arm.

  “I’m here to see Treach,” Raven said, impatiently. This guard had seen her every time she came, so now what was the deal?

  “Who are these three?” He pointed at the girls behind her who looked like scared sheep.

  “These are my girls. They want in, too. Tori, Eve, and Angie,” she introduced them. He looked at her suspiciously.

  “Treach know you are coming?” He asked her. She was getting ready for him to pat her down and immediately got nervous about the gun, but knew she couldn’t show any fear. That very second, she decided to play it cool.

  “He is expecting me this week before the drop. But, I thought I’d get my girls some work, too,” she said, hoping he would move his suspicions and his arm and let them pass.

  “Alright, he’s in his office. He has company, so you gonna have to wait on the couch,” he pointed to the brown run-down couches sitting outside of Treach’s office. Raven was curious as to what company Treach had. He moved his arm and watched the girls go past with distrust in his eyes.

  “Oh my God, Raven, how do you do this?” Victoria whispered, following Raven. Raven ignored Victoria’s remark looking around for any signs of Deon. There was nothing but the same knuckle head men and hoes smoking and drinking in the warehouse. Raven shook her head in disgust at a light skinned woman with a blonde wig, tight black leather skirt and black bra rubbing all over one of the guys. She then sealed eyes with DJ who
was sitting on the edge of a couch arm talking to one of the guys. He instantly jumped up and headed her way. She took her focus off him and to Treach’s office. The girls looked around still nervous. Victoria eased her hand on her gun when she saw DJ walking quickly towards them.

  “Hey!” DJ yelled out to Raven who acted as if she didn’t hear him.

  “Aye, dude is yelling at us,” Victoria whispered to Raven who sped up her walk to Treach's office, not keeping her eyes off his door. Eva and Angel looked back at the security guard who had went back to watching outside. Raven reached the office and knocked hard on the door. She could hear a woman’s voice and men mumbling.

  “Aye! What you doing?” DJ pulled at Raven, turning her around. The girls instantly got defensive. “What do y’all think y’all doing?!” DJ looked at Raven.

  “He’s expecting me,” Raven knocked again.

  “No, he’s not,” DJ pulled at Ravens sweater. Raven pushed him away. “You need to leave now!” Before any of them knew it, Victoria pulled her gun out at DJ.

  “Back the fuck up!” Victoria shouted, her hand holding Zara’s Revolver tightly.

  “Tori, no!” Raven stepped in front of Victoria. Eva and Angel shouted her to stop. The music was so loud in the warehouse that only people nearby were able to catch phase of what was about to happen. DJ then pulled his gun out.

  “I don’t want to shoot you!” He yelled at Raven and Victoria. Raven then turned around facing DJ’s gun. “Put your fucking gun down!” DJ yelled at Victoria.

  “You put yours down!” Victoria yelled, her hand shaking.

  “What in the flying fuck is going on?!” Treach had swung his door open. “So y’all all just about to shoot each other in MY house or what?” He laughed. “Put them fucking guns away!” Treach shouted his humor now turning to anger. DJ put his gun back in his back pocket and Victoria did too.

  “Raven,” he smiled at Raven’s dirty look who had been eyeing him since he spoke.