Who Shot Ya Box Set

by Renta

  As she walked back over to me she said something in her native tongue and held the mirror out to me as if it was a relic so precious we had to be very cautious with it. Fuck all the theatrics, I needed to see my face. I snatched the mirror from her and she laughed softly at my impatience. I had slow determination, as I lifted the mirror to my face. A sharp breath got stuck in my throat as me and my reflection faced off.

  These mu’fuckas had me looking like a gangsta version of Ginuwine. Except for the voice and skin tone, I looked just like a pretty boy ass nigga. The mu’fuckas even changed the color of my eyes to smoke gray, dark niggaz ain’t got these type of attributes unless they’re cut wit something. Plain and simple, these folks had me looking like a whole ‘nother man. I didn’t even recognize myself, so I knew the authorities wouldn’t either. Even if, I was standing next to the Americas Most Wanted pictures they have of me posted all around the states.

  A crazed smile eased onto my face. My first order of business was gonna be retrieving the reins to my empire. Fuck it, new identity—new chance, and nothing to lose. Them white folks murked my brother, somebody gotta answer for that shit, and I knew just the mu’fucka to start wit! If it wasn’t for him, none of this shit would have happened. It’s time to bury the bullet and I got a whole drum of ‘em to bury him with!

  “Chu have chu work cut out for tu. Me know chu going to reclaim chu position of power. But chu mos remember chu promise to the Holy Death—chu mos give her the blood of mi husband or it will be our blood that spills.”

  As she said this my mind took me back to the weirdo shit that was happening while I was sleep. The Leviathan, dragon blood—reapers blood—valerian root—vandal root?

  “Belle—what the fuck is reapers Blood? While I was sleep, I heard a woman speaking of the Leviathan!”

  She looked at me almost surprised, yet after a few moments of evident consideration, the resolve washed over her face. “A spell! Mi mama placed a smell on you. A spell of protection—” she paused again, then continued. “A dark spell that will help you in your pursuits but will taint your soul.” Our eyes lock in a showdown of questions, answers, and frustration.

  “How did Russia make it out of there alive? How did we survive?” I questioned, but somehow already knew the answer.

  Belle smiled, “Devils shoestrings,” she said.

  I had confusion painted all over my face in the form of a whole bunch of, ‘what the fucks’ and even more ‘Bitch you better elaborate.’

  Interpreting my facial expressions correctly, she didn’t hesitate to answer. “A root from honeysuckle. It grows in wild fields and forest. It’s used for protection, some people bathe them in gin and bury them in the ground, or the door to your room. It trips the devil, stops him, and gives him pause, if only for a moment!”

  Chapter Six

  Life Loses Its Meaning

  ~ A Face in The Dark~

  I’ve had my eyes on the chess board since things took a change for the worst—well in some cases—cases like mine. It’s changed for the better if I must say so myself. A few pieces had to be taken off the board, but sometimes it’s best to play with pawns instead of utilizing your power pieces because it gave you more sense of the game. It gave you a feel of what it felt like to fight with a sword instead of a gun. A lot of shit almost went down a few months ago when Jazzy’s clueless ass almost got herself killed. What type of bitch lives alone and doesn’t lock her door? I’m saying if a mu’fucka wants to get in there’s more than one way to skin a cat, but damn, don’t make it easy for them.

  Yet, that’s neither here nor there because I helped her cheat death. I even staged it to make it look like Gusto was slayed in his car. The only reason I intervened with the reapers plan was because I needed Jazzy to help me carry out my plans. Assata! That sexy motherfucker was the plan. In his situation, I was kinda late, but the motherfucker handled his own, like a real nigga suppose to. I just cleaned up his mess and got him to the hospital before he bled to death.

  I have to admit stripping him naked was the best part of it all! His dick thought uncircumcised was beautiful! But never mind his dick, I have bigger plans for our baby boy, Assata. First, I had to make sure he stayed alive long enough to bring those plans to fruition.

  ***

  ~Armani~

  The night-club Dreams was packed to capacity. Everybody was in that bitch, from the raggamuffins to the bad bitches. It was easy to spot the boss niggaz and even easier to distinguish the lames acting like bosses. I even saw this wienie ass nigga go to the bar and pay the bartender for two empty bottles of Ace! Like, where they get those niggaz from? How I saw it was if a female gave you some play simply because you can drop twelve or fifteen hundred on a bottle, she’s just as lame as the nigga who bought the empty bottles cause a niggaz pocket don’t determine the nigga. It only made him look like somethin’, but in actuality, he might not be shit, except another nigga with full pockets.

  Me and my girls were up in the V.I.P doing our thang. It was turnt all the way up in this bitch and the whole Kreek was on deck! Niggaz were drunk and out of control. Tomorrow and his ace, Dino were over in the cut lookin’ devilish as ever. Them two lil’ niggaz was always up to something, but I like Lil’ Tomorrow’s badass. Any bitch with eyes could see that he was gonna be a boss one day. The potential was evident. Dino, on the other hand, hell I thought he’d be dead before he turned twenty-five. I wasn’t trying to jinx lil’ buddy, but he was a monster and it was only a matter of time before the inevitable transpired.

  Tricky and the high life Villain Circle was live and direct. They were celebrating the homecoming of some nigga named, Lil’ Heavy. I heard he used to do his thing back in the day but got cased up when the fed boys came to town back in 2003. It’s now 2018 and the nigga was just seeing daylight. Damn, fifteen years, I bet that niggaz nuts is smoking.

  “Gurrlll, look at all this money in here. A bitch can’t even keep my eyes on just one nigga! Got me feeling like a slut,” my girl Marcella screamed over the music.

  Her and our third wheel, Tessa clinked their glasses. I leaned over and corrected her silly ass. “Bitch, that’s because you are a slut,” she dipped her middle finger into her drink and stirred it before pointing at me.

  I met Marcella and Tessa a year ago when I first moved here from Dallas. Marcella went to the University of North Texas and that’s the reason I moved up here to this little ass city. How I worked them niggaz at dice made me no hoe, I’m just a hustla by design. I revealed my pussy to do what needed to be done. But none of those niggaz knew what this juice box felt like. Sex just don’t move me the way it moves the average bitch. I have a daughter that depends on me to teach her how to be a woman and I take that shit seriously.

  “Excuse me, ladies, these are for you from the gentlemen at the table over there.” The waitress pointed at a table over in the corner.

  “Uh oh.” I saw those Ruth and Hic Street niggaz up in there.

  This shit was a molten pot waiting to spill over. Twisted and the goons made it rain. The young niggaz were Crip crazy over there, as they chunked up their sets and repped their shit. Twisted saluted Tessa and went ‘bout his business. I guessed he sent them drinks to let her know he’s in the house so don’t act up. The nigga was looney. Well, that was my thoughts until the nigga Lil’ Mac blew a kiss at me and held up a bankroll. I laughed at his silly ass. Yea, he was cute, but I’m not fuckin’ with the opposition at all!

  I told Tessa all the time that that shit ain’t righteous, but since she was from Ruth Street, she was like fuck it. She moved to the Kreek a few years ago and that’s how she and Mar got cool, but as I always say, bitches will either be the strength of the empire or the destruction of it!

  “Damn,” Marcella said, as she elbowed me to get my attention.

  My eyes followed her excitement until I found what had the whole VIP observative and curious. There was some Ginuwine looking nigga walking into the spot, dressed in a white Givenchy suit, with baby blue pinstri
pes. The silk baby blue shirt he wore underneath the jacket, had the top three buttons undone, revealing a red gold Cuban link that had chunks of diamonds embedded in it. But the eggshell white Mauri Gators was what set off his attire. He moved with the etiquette of a boss and the first word that came to my mind was the plug!

  I watched as he spotted Twisted turning up bottles with a frown on his face, he attempted to approach the table, but before he could take three steps in that direction, them shootas barricaded him with their tools in hands. The Ginuwine looking dude seemed unfazed, as the light shined on his bald head. He put his diamond encrusted hand in the air and did this circle like motion, seconds later shit got real movie like. A small army flooded the V.I.P packed the typa heat that could melt iron. There was something fucked up ‘bout them, their posture was barbaric, but the main distinguishment was the big ass tattoos on their faces. Some of them were bigger than others, but the words MS-13 were unmistakable.

  As the music stopped and playboy’s aura received the respect it deserved, he smiled shining a gold tooth. “Dig, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. But either way, it’s done, I’m leavin’ with that nigga in tow,” he said, pointing his finger in Twisted’s direction. “I came in peace and that’s how I plan to leave.” He then turned his eyes to Twisted and continued. “Cuz, we got some unfinished bidness to talk about and it can’t wait.”

  Lil’ Joe stepped forward with his cannon in his hand. “Shid, Cuz, if you got something to say spit that shit out. Cause he ain’t going nowhere without us. If he do it will be over my dead body!”

  The man in the suit laughed. “Cuz, taking him over your corpse is the easy part, can’t you see the thirst in the eyes of my shootas?”

  All eyes turned to the gunmen. Now that I was more alert, I saw that those cats weren’t black, they were Mexicans, but darker. Each and every one of them looked hungry for blood and willing to turn this club into a bloodbath, just on the word of this bald-headed, grey-eyed man. I was so confused because he was as dark as a room with the lights cut off.

  “Joe Milson, nigga, I know your whole family lil’ nigga. Don’t make me go dumb—y’all can come with cuz. I wouldn’t have it no other way.”

  Joe frowned his face up surprised. “Say, homie, don’t be using my government like we familiar. Wait, how the fuck you know me, anyway?”

  At that time Twisted stepped up beside Joe and stared at the stranger with a studious eye. “Nigga, we don’t bar you or yo’ shootas, we are shootas. We gone step outside and see what you talmbout, but don’t make no more threats or Lil’ Joe’s body won’t be the only body getting stepped over.” He stared into the stranger’s eyes.

  The bald guy was unfazed by the proclamation, he whistled and like trained soldiers the ese’s left the same way they came.

  The stranger looked as serious as death. “I got a message from ya big homie, Berg.” He turned and made his exit, never looking back to see if Twisted followed.

  Twisted and Lil’ Joe looked at each other and followed without further debate. Long after they’d left, the D.J. still hadn’t started the music back up. Mu’fuckas was still wondering if they were ‘bout to die—including me.

  ***

  ~Assata~

  Somewhere deep in this dark place, a wound of lightening raged across a pitch-black sky. The illumination showed a chipped road leading somewhere unknown. “Wake up, we all need you!” Lovey’s words played inside the walls of my head like a favorite song one can’t get outta their mind. The sky was lit by another streak of light and that’s when I saw the sign that pointed to the road. It said, ‘Wake Up’ with an arrow pointing straight out. It didn’t take a scientist to know what time it was. I decided to do what the Lion, Tinman, Scarecrow, and Dorothy did, I followed the chipped road.

  Out of nowhere, but I shoulda expected it rain began to fall from Heaven. I had no shelter or shield from its essence, yet I braved it and kept pushing forward. It seemed with each step it fell harder. There was no wind, but somehow the rain came down slanted and heavy. Somewhere from up ahead, I saw a speck of light. It looked as if, I was standing in a pen tube, staring from the back of it and out the opening that the cartridge slides into. Another sign appeared to my left, it pointed in the direction of the light.

  I fought my way through the storm that was now a mixture of hail and rain. I ran my hands over my face to clear it from my eyes, something strange caught my eye—red, blood red! My hands were covered in it, but how? Am I cut—nosebleed? Through the confusion, I looked down at my body and for the first time, I noticed that I’m naked and my chest—my feet—me, I’m drenched in the thick blood. I held my hands out in a cupped fashion and watched as it filled with thick red blood. Then—the hail—wait—not hail, bullets, 7.62s—AK47 bullets!

  I heard the splash of the rain—blood, as it hit the ground. The clinking of the shells as they bounced off the stained concrete. I picked up my pace from a jog to a straight out run. From the darkness, the sounds of the automatic gunfire resonated, as a powerful blast of lightning-caused me to look up at the sky, which caused me to stumble into a free fall. I was helpless to prevent it, so I thrust my hands out to lessen the impact, but it did no good, I sank into the two-foot inches of red liquid and tinted brass.

  A shadow passed over me causing me to turn on to my back, shid—if I’ma die, I wanna face off with my killa. The shadow wasn’t a shadow at all, but something even crazier. Above me, in the sky that was now blood red, lightning danced as I stared at a real live picture in motion of the day I tried to whack Nutz. In a flash of light, the scene changed to my first kill at fourteen. Through glazed eyes I watched as with every squeeze of the burna, a different kill played in heavens floors. It was as if the sky was a big ass plasma feeding me the animal side of my nature. The shells jumped from the different tools I had used and fell to earth like snowflakes. They sounded loud, but I felt nothing even though they bounced off me as I bathed in the blood of the ones I’d slayed.

  I felt nothing, Well—that was until shit got wicked. The next scene stoles my breath. It was my mother in a dark alley arguing with some faceless nigga. Shit got heated and he struck her—hard, over and over again until she crumbled to the ground—D.O.A! Tears mixed with the blood on my face as I gritted my teeth against the sudden pain inside the spot where my heart was ‘pose to be. Then Jazzy looked down upon me. She was trying to say something, but I couldn’t hear her. I focused on her pretty lips, as I read them, I formulated six words that she seemed to repeat as many times as the faceless nigga struck my moms.

  “Save me—baby, I need you!”

  Then a stranger with what looked to be snakes in his head appeared, but I couldn’t see his face. He snatched her into darkness that I couldn’t enter. My blood was boiling, my limbs twitched, fire was in my veins, and right as the sky faded to a pitch-black state, I saw Lovey. She was crying, she was scared, she was—

  “Aaarruugghhh,” I screamed in rage.

  I popped out of the blood with murderous intentions, shit looked different. The many sounds rocked me as I tried to get my bearings, and as sweat poured from my pores, one thang was certain—this scene right here wasn’t no dream or nightmare. This was real life! The monster had risen, and murder was in my eyes.

  ***

  ~A day later~

  Goose and Pain looked on as Lovey listened to the doctor trying to explain, how a coma patient just disappeared in the middle of the night. She didn’t look surprised nor alarmed, but the doctor interpreted her passive look as concern. He’d repeated the same shit three times.

  Lovey placed her hand on his shoulder in an assuring gesture. “Sweetheart don’t worry yourself of God’s work. My son will be okay. Just like a dog, he will always find his way back home. God has his hand on that boy and God knows what he’s doing. So, don’t worry about my Assata—no sir. Your hospital is safe from any ramifications. You have my word.”

  The doctor stared at her skeptically. “Bu-but, he may be in danger. It�
��s impossible for him to—”

  Lovey patted his shoulder softly before turning to look at Pain. He grabbed her hand and led her away.

  Goose then stepped to the doctor with a backpack. “Doc, I think we need to step into your office.” Fear fell over his face in a moment of panic. Goose instantly recognized it. “Naw, Doc, it’s nothing to be alarmed about, but I’m sure your staff wouldn’t understand a black man handing you a backpack with eighty-grand in it—would they?”

  The doctor looked from him to the backpack, once their eyes met again, one thing was evident—money spoke the same language anywhere.

  ***

  ~Assata~

  I eased the door open as silently as possible. I knew I had to look crazy, being barefooted and in this skimpy ass hospital gown. As I closed the door behind me, I felt naked without my tool. I felt like every second was being counted off by the devil without it. I closed the door behind me, the silence was as thick as a bitch with ass shots as I felt my way around in the dark. I knew this house like I knew my own, so it was nothing to find my way around without light. I wasn’t sure if I’d step into a trap or not so I walked light so I didn’t disturb the devil if he was sleep. Slowly but surely, I checked every room, every closet—everything. I saved Jazzy’s room for last.

  The door was closed and as I stood before it a sick feeling swam through my veins. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something wasn’t right, yet still, I eased the door open and quickly stepped outta the way just in case someone was lying in wait and sent shots my way. Now sure that the house was empty, I flicked the light on. The room bathed in a dim glow as I inspected my surroundings—everything seemed normal, but the bed looked as if no one had slept in it in days. I stepped further into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. I had to figure out what the fuck I was going to do.