Charm City Part 1 (Welcome to Bodymore Murdaland)

by S. L. Walker

  “Fine,” Raven agreed. Nine went over to a separate cabinet that held a big silver safe. He unlocked it and grabbed four 9mms out with bullets and a briefcase.

  “I know you guys are probably strapped already, but you can never have too many guns. And working for me, I need to know my workers and my shit is protected, another reason why y’all should be together,” Treach said, as Nine put the guns in a briefcase and handing it to Raven.

  “Saturday at noon,” Nine repeated.

  “Get your girls together and get ready for a new life,” Treach grinned. Raven hated his grin with a passion. The girls both stood up as Nine escorted them out of Treach’s office. Victoria and Raven noticed Kaitlin again, but this time she was also being escorted outside with a tall handsome black man in a suit. She made eye contact with the girls as she exited, her eyes full of “I told you so’s.”

  Nine walked the girls to the front door and walked back towards Treach’s office. They both waited to say anything until they were at their bikes.

  “Raven, I don’t like this,” Victoria spoke up first, getting on her bike. “The girls aren’t going to like this either.”

  Raven was in a daze. “I need to talk to Zara,” she said.

  “What is Zara gonna do?” Victoria asked her.

  “I don’t know, but this shit just got real,” Raven looked at her. And seeing Kaitlin like that, this time worried Raven for all of their futures.

  CHAPTER 19

  Raven waited outside of Zara’s class as the bell rang to let the students out.

  “Hey!” She called to Zara as she passed her walking out.

  “Hey, Raven. What are you doing here?” Zara asked, surprised. Students shoved by Zara as Raven walked up to her. Zara had her hair tied in a messy bun that matched her relaxed look of black jogger pants and black puff coat jacket. Her hoop earrings dangled when she turned to walk away from Raven.

  “I left math a little early. I been paging you. You ignoring me?” Raven asked her, confused.

  “Oh, naw I just been a little busy. Family stuff,” Zara turned to walk away again.

  “Wait, I gotta talk to you about something,” Raven pulled on Zara’s arm.

  “It’s gonna have to wait till after school, can’t talk right now,” Zara pulled away with an uneasy smile. “I’ll catch you later!” She yelled back at Raven. Raven stood there confused knowing something wasn’t right. Zara looked back at Raven’s lost expression and turned around heartbroken. She didn’t know how to tell Raven she couldn’t hang around them anymore. All she could do for now was just avoid them until she could figure out what to do.

  $$$$

  Back at Raven’s house, Deon is sitting in the garage with Canon, Hollywood, and Avis. Deon’s sprained wrist is wrapped in a white bandage. He was leaning on a large medal tool chest his dad used.

  “So, what’s the word, Canon?” Deon said to a hefty caramel complexion guy who was sitting backwards in a brown folding chair. Canon wore a blue Sean Jean valor suit and a long silver chain. He had a distinct mole on the top right of his lip and two gold ones on the bottom of his teeth. He rubbed his hands through his curly hair and sighed.

  “Word is Treach got your sister and her friends working for this new nigga Big Willy who run business out on the West Side,” Canon said eyeing Deons' fury.

  “And friends? What you mean and friends?” Deon straightened up off the tool box.

  “Yea, apparently he got them working, too,” Canon answered.

  “How the fuck…” Deon wiped his face in frustration.

  “They’re doing a drop on Saturday,” Canon told him. Hollywood and Avis looked at Deon.

  “This Saturday?” Deon asked.

  “Yeah. They are getting picked up at Chester Park and dropped off at Big Willies. I don’t know if Nine is gonna drive them around or not but-” Canon started to say.

  “Man, I wanna kill this nigga man!” Deon shouted. Deon’s heavy breathing startled his boys. He was becoming numb all over and could only see bullets through Treach’s skull at this point. Treach was playing with fire and he was only doing it because he knew he could.

  “Calm down bruh,” Hollywood, who was leaning on an old metal work table walked up to Deon. Hollywood was the dark skinned, pretty boy type. HIs hair was cut in a fade and covered by a red snap back hat worn backwards. He had on an all white hoodie on with matching red tennis shoes. His silver eyebrow ring shined in the dim garage light.

  “First my sister, then Lil Timmy, now he tryna get them little ass girls involved?” Deon looked at Hollywood in disgust. “Fuck that shit!”

  “I know, ace, I know. That’s fucked up how he did Timmy. How he did all of us,” Hollywood said to him pointing at his bruised eye his eyebrow ring was on. “But we gotta be smart at the end of the day. We gotta get Treach solo dolo. No goons around, you feel me?” Hollywood told him while looking back at Canon and Avis.

  “He’s right. Let Treach feel like he’s won, and as soon as he isn’t paying attention. Bam,” Canon did a shooting motion with his fingers.

  “I say let your sister work for him for now,” Avis spoke up. He stood up off a brown folding chair he was also sitting on. Avis was the color of chocolate. He didn’t look like he would be involved in anything dangerous with his tapered fade and pearly white straight teeth. He wore a jean jacket with a black hoodie underneath, black sweats and black Jordans. His lip was slightly swollen from the beat down Treach had given them.

  “Let my sister work for him? Naw, I need to get her out of there before anything goes down,” Deon disagreed.

  “Avis is right, ain’t no use in doing shit until we off that nigga,” Canon said. “Catch him slippin’,” Canon added. Avis put his hands up in agreement and sat back down in the chair.

  “So, we wait?” Deon asked them, disappointed.

  “We wait,” Canon answered with Hollywood and Avis nodding.

  “Fine. You just make sure you watch out for my baby sister until then,” Deon pointed at Canon who was still able to be under Treach’s eye. Although, Canon was forgiven, Deon knew the only reason he kept him there was to watch him. Canon had to be just as careful coming to Deon’s house just now.

  “And y’all two lay low. Y’all not even supposed to be in the city,” Deon ordered Avis and Hollywood. They nodded.

  $$$$

  Saturday arrived and it’s cold and crisp afternoon showed no mercy that day. The girls all met Raven at the shack first to mentally prepare with dreaded looks on their faces.

  “I’m freezing in this shit,” Eva said, showing off her black mesh top under her black sweater. She wore dark blue jeans and black three inch heeled boots to match; her hair in big curls and makeup on point. She plopped down in her usual seat.

  “You look good, though,” Raven told her. “Look, we all gotta dress the part, per Treach’s orders,” Raven added, pointing at her own change of style in a black half top and dark skinny jeans. She wore a red flannel tied around her waist and black combat boots just so she could feel comfortable. Her freshly braided singles flowed past her shoulders. “This was the best my ass could do.”

  “It’s too cold to dress like this today,” Angel softly added. She also sat down in her usual spot crossing her legs that showed off her sheer black tights underneath her tight black dress and wedges; hair in two goddess braids. Victoria took off her black puff coat revealing a second leather red jacket, covering her white sleeveless tee. She had matching red pascal boots, black jeans with holes in the knees and matching black baseball hat.

  “So, if we have to run, I guess you two are taking off those heels?” Victoria joked. “We don’t know what’s about to pop off, why would y’all wear heels?” She rolled her eyes at Angel and Eva.

  “Tori’s right, though,” Raven added, pulling out a bottle of tequila and cups out of her backpack. “But it’s done, now, so let’s get a little tipsy, shall we?” she opened up the tequila and poured shots in the red cups.

  “That’s w
hat I’m talking about,” Victoria said, walking up to Raven and grabbing a cup.

  “Are you sure we should be getting any kind of tipsy before this?” Angel said with hesitation. Eva walked up and grabbed a cup.

  “It’ll settle the nerves, Angie,” Raven handed her a cup. Angel walked up and took it watching Victoria and Eva take down the shots.

  “Agghhh!” Eva let out and handed her cup out to Raven for seconds.

  “I just want to say I couldn’t ask for better friends to do this with. I’m so sorry I got you into this in the first place, but I promise y’all it won’t last,” Raven told them.

  “We got your back,” Eva told her.

  “Yeah, don’t even sweat it,” Victoria added. Raven’s pager went off. She took a sip of her drink and looked at her pager.

  “It’s time,” she said, pouring the girls one more drink. “To my girls, may God protect us against this Big Willy asshole,” she held her cup up for a cheers. The girls cheered.

  “Amen,” they all said and took a shot.

  $$$$

  A black Navigator truck pulled up to the girls on the corner of the park. The passenger window rolled down revealing Deon’s traitor friend, West. Raven immediately got a tremble in her bones; not of fear but of hatred.

  “Get in,” he said to the nervous girls. They hopped into the back seats; two in the back and two in the middle. Ravens’ eyes burned at the back of Wests’ head as she sat right behind him. The driver was a tall white guy dressed in an all black sweater and black dress pants.

  “Buckle up,” he said to the girls. He put the car in drive and the girls all looked at each other nervously. Raven was the only one who knew who sat in front of her. The other girls had no idea who West was. Raven could end him right now if she wanted. Her fingers tingled and her mind raced as she thought about taking her nine out and blasting through the headrest ending West and ending the driver, too.

  “Listen up,” West interrupted her heinous thoughts. “Treach wants Angel to hold the merchandise. Raven you handle the drop itself. Don’t say nothing to him that he don’t say to you. You two just sit there and look pretty,” he smirked at Eva and Victoria. They both looked at each other rolling their eyes at his corniness. Before they knew it, they were pulling up on the west side of Baltimore. The girls all seemed surprised knowing the West Side was very populated. There was a local Zoo close by, a Casino, and a bunch of town houses. They road past an elementary school and then a discount beeper store, slowly getting more and more into the urban area of the West Side. They finally pulled up to a large white townhouse on a corner block. There were tons of cars in front, all parked how they wanted to park. There was one BBQ pit going on the lawn, with smoke filling the air.

  The truck stopped across the street.

  “This is it,” West told the girls. “The product is in the back,” he pointed to Eva, who was sitting the closest to the bag. She looked back and reached over at the large backpack. She lugged the backpack over the seat. “You got your guns?” West checked with them before stepping out of the passenger side and opening up the back car door. The girls knodded and Raven showed hers in her usual spot in her pants.

  “They may pat you down and take them. Just let them. As long as they know you aren’t a threat you have nothing to worry about,” he said helping Angel step out of the car and reaching for Raven who ignored his gesture and stepped down. He gave her an understanding look as she rolled her eyes. He then helped Eva and Victoria out the back seat. Eva handed Angel the backpack.

  “In and out,” he said hopping back into the passenger seat. “We will be right here.”

  Raven lead, followed by Victoria, then Angel and Eva. The girls looked lost walking up to the front fenced gate. Loud music and laughter filled the yard. Big Willy’s establishment was nothing like Treachs'. There was a family atmosphere. No guard dogs and mean looking men standing out front.

  “Hey there!” An older brown skinned man wearing plaid pants and a bright yellow sweater walked up to the girls. “Y’all here for the BBQ?!” He greeted the girls, opening the gate with a beer in his hand.

  “We are here to see Big Willy,” Raven told him.

  “Well, come on in!” He moved out of the girls way, inviting them in. “I’m Renaldo!” The smell of BBQ’d meat flooded the front area. Men and women of all ages, even a few kids gathered around joking and dancing.

  “Hey Jorgina! These girls here to see Big Willy! Take em inside please!” He yelled towards an older brown skinned lady, looked like she was in her 40’s. Her hair was tied up in a curly bun and she had wide hips that filled out her tight blue dress and matching blue peacoat jacket. She also had a beer in her hand that she sat down on the porch.

  “Of course. How y’all?!” She asked the girls with a southern accent. She swayed her hips from left to right to the beat of Gap Bands Outstanding, motioning for the girls to follow her. “Y’all friends of Big Willy? I’ve neva seen y’all around here before,” she smiled at Raven.

  “We are just dropping something off to him,” Raven followed her inside the house.

  “All y’all?!” She laughed.

  The girls continue to follow the nice woman, all smiling at the crowd that didn’t seem to mind them there, unlike Treach’s warehouse, which were full of stares. The inside of the house wasn’t nearly as full of people but there were a sprinkle of men and women walking in and out the kitchen and bathroom. The people looked younger, and less family reunion like. They definitely stared at the girls. The inside of the house was warm and full of cream and browns. The girls followed Jorgina down a small hallway and then up a few flight of stairs. The music quickly changed from old school r and b to old school rap. They could here NWA playing in another room. A young chocolate brother stood at the top of the stares, eating a plate and head nodded Jorgina as she walked the girls past him.

  “Big Willy is through that door,” she stopped and pointed at a closed door just down the hall where the NWA music was coming from.

  “Thanks,” Raven smiled. Angel swallowed hard, Victoria touched her gun behind her back, and Eva kept guard behind her. The brother at the top of the stairs was watching them while devouring his fried chicken leg. Jorgina went back down the stairs; her job was done.

  Raven knocked on the door and waited. No one came to the door.

  “Maybe the music’s too loud,” Victoria said. Raven knocked a little bit harder. Still no one came to the door.

  “Knock harder than that,” Victoria told her. Eva looked back again at the staircase and the chicken brother was gone; probably to go get a second plate. Raven only got to bang two good knocks before the door swung open.

  “Got damn you the police?!” A caramel colored guy with a red hat and red plaid flannel answered the door. He looked like he came straight from Inglewood and met Raven eye to eye. He had a blunt hanging from his lip and a beer just barely holding in his hand. The background in the room was full of weed smoke. The guy in red’s frown quickly turned to a smile.

  “Well well, what do we have here?” He asked, opening the door wider. The girls could see the room was larger than what they expected. It had a long black leather sectional couch facing towards a big screen TV. A card table sat off to the right, occupied by a few men, and a mini bar sat off to the left with several bottles of opened liquor and used shot glasses. The room was brightly lit with a hint of blue from the blue curtain that covered the windows.

  “We’re here to see Big Willy,” Raven said direct.

  “Aw shit, party over here!” He pointed to the girls, looking back at the men on the couch. Raven noticed two men were playing video games and then one guy who wasn’t. In fact, he was leaning back on the couch with a black and mild cigar in his hand.

  “Big Willy! You expecting company?!” He asked the man Raven was looking at with the cigar. He leaned up off the couch and straightened himself, motioning for the girls to come in. Big Willy wasn’t at all what Raven had imagined, nor any of the girls. Red f
lannel closed the door behind Eva, looking her up and down. Eva got in closer touching Angel. Angel then got closer to Victoria. By now the girls were being eyeballed by the men. They were the only girls in the room and somehow the girls felt like they were supposed to be the party. Raven got uneasy as she walked around to the front of the couch to who she now knows as Big Willy. She expected some fat, nasty, disgusting man, but he reminded her of the famous fighter Kimbo Slice. He had a big beard and his head was covered with a black doo rag. He had a black hoody on with multiple silver chains. His big diamond earrings complimented his dark black intimidating eyes. His voice was deep and mellow as he raised to his feet.

  “Finally, the party arrives,” he said with a grin, his eyes shifting straight towards Angels’ nervous emerald eyes.

  ZARA

  I laid on my bed, looking at the ceiling, watching the smoke escape into my fan from my joint. My dad was still gone on business and what little friends I did have, were all busy. I couldn’t believe I was sitting in the house on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I desperately wanted to call Raven. She hadn’t paged me anymore since that day I told her I was busy. I took a puff and blew it into the fan again.

  KNOCK KNOCK.

  “Come in!” I said, knowing it could only be one person. Molly walked in with her maid outfit on that my dad constantly told her she didn’t need to wear to take care of the house.

  “Whoo, honey, you got it smokey in here, open a window,” she waved her hands through the smoke that floated in my room and opened my bedroom window. Her opening my window caused her to open my dark red curtains letting in the Baltimore sunshine outside. She tied my curtains back, revealing the large leafless trees outside of my window. A cold breeze came in sucking out all the smoke.

  “I had the fan on,” I said, hopping up and grabbing my small red blanket and covered my legs. I hit the switch to turn the fan off and hopped back in my spot.