by Carey Lewis
The Boss was getting through his speech on loyalty, having two drinks already, when he saw Jamal come into the backyard, crossed the lawn, standing in front of them.
“I saw you on TV,” The Boss said.
“How’d I look?”
“Taller,” and then he gave Jamal a glass with gin and they both drank. Funny how Jamal didn’t seem as happy as he should be either, The Boss caught him stealing glances at Ajax.
Then they were in the kitchen, The Boss and Jamal, two fresh drinks of gin in front of them.
“You knew I would take over the Black Knights didn’t you?”
“I know you Jamal.”
“They’re saying I can write my own ticket. Any job I want.”
“Got an idea?”
“Thinking maybe run the gang unit. Can keep an eye on things there.”
“They don’t expect you to try for anything higher?”
“Maybe they do. I shoot for too high they’ll have eyes on me, waiting for me to fuck up.”
“Like going from PO to detective?”
“Figure I keep my nose clean I’ll be good. Go get the ones that don’t want to join, throw them in to show the bosses I’m doing something. They’re not expecting much in the way of gang shit now anyway.”
“Just stay out of sight for awhile they’ll forget you’re there.”
“After awhile maybe I’ll go to them, suggest rolling the gang unit into narcotics, say the gang unit isn’t doing much anyway we should put them together being as how the two are tied really. Take over that division.”
“It’s a thought,” The Boss took a drink.
Jamal looked at him, smiled. “We’re going to be in business aren’t we?”
The Boss nodded, watched the smile disappear from Jamal’s face.
“That kid out there, the one with the bushy hair?”
“Ajax.”
“His brother got killed by that kid. Could be I sent him to it.”
“He still out there?”
“He is. He killed a lot of people. Five by my count, including the kid’s brother.”
“Maybe you don’t tell him just now, let him enjoy the moment.”
“What moment?”
“I hired them.”
“Came through for you huh? Why we’re going into business?”
“What kid is this?”
“The one that answered the phone when you called me.”
“You try calling it again?”
“What would I say if he picked up?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
That time he got suspended from school for fighting, some kid was going at him for some reason or another, probably because he hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet, Lex fell on him and put his knee in the kid’s nuts. Teacher and principal both said Lex made the kid bleed out of his dick and to this day Lex still doubted that happened. He got suspended anyway and Hank went down to the school that time, dragged Lex by the ear, sat him down in front of the principals desk, waited for that teacher to come in.
The teacher and principal saw Lex in the chair and Hank pissed off, thought Hank was going to rain down holy hell on his son. Didn’t expect it to go the other way. Hank yelled at them that his son wouldn’t be suspended, he’d still be going to class and maybe the other one’s the one that should go home and suck on his mother’s tit some more until his bleeding vagina healed.
Another time, Lex was caught breaking windows in the neighborhood. Stupidly took the hard boiled eggs to throw at houses, threw the thing through the glass and right into the house. That guy came out, chased Lex down and brought him back to Hank, holding Lex by his ear. Again with the ear. Telling Hank he wasn’t calling the cops but wanted him to do something. Hank asked him if he was sure he wanted him to do something, the guy yelled back damn well right he wanted him to do something so Hank punched him in the nose, told him not to touch his kid anymore.
Even last night, it wasn’t the first time Hank and Lex had a scuffle. Hank got a little overzealous the one day when Lex told him he was on the wrestling team. Hank had some to drink, thought he was going to teach Lex a thing or two but it was Lex who put him down. Hank wasn’t too happy about it but he didn’t do something stupid like call the cops on him.
Shit, that’s why Lex figured he could stay with Hank, why he thought Hank would protect him. It wasn’t something he thought he’d see in a million years, the old man trying to turn him in twice. Once could be called an accident, but twice? He was always so protective of the boy and now he was ready to give him up.
What Lex wanted was for Hank to give him a place to stay for a day or two then he’d sneak out. The cops had already been there, Lex didn’t think they’d come back but if they did, Hank could just send them on their way. Someone comes to the door, sees the blood on the carpet, that would be okay. Hank would answer the door and they’d look at his head and see it came from him.
Now that Hank was in the basement, who would answer the door? Someone comes to the door, sees the blood, it’s going to have to be Lex that answers it, and then he’d be made. That’s what he was worried about, not the cops coming back. Someone heard the gunshot, it wasn’t a big deal, the guy walked around with an assault rifle, there were noises coming from the shit-box house all the time.
He was tired and sweaty from bringing Hank downstairs, not caring the old man bumped his head off everything on his way down. He took a shower to clean himself off, emptied the vial and did his last line of cocaine after clearing off a space on the counter. How could anyone live like this, like they didn’t have a purpose anymore.
What he needed to do was think. He’d have to get a car, get a place to lay low for a day or two. A place that wouldn’t pull the shit Hank tried. He turned on the TV and saw the cop on the news, getting congratulated for something over at the dry-docks. He turned the volume up, hearing the Black Knights were done by the hands of that man. No way Lex could turn this around now, but at least he didn’t have to worry about the Black Knights anymore, probably any gang for that matter.
He wondered about what Hank said when Lex said the thing about roadblocks. Hank said something about resources. Like, how much resources Lex thought they had. He wondered if that meant there wouldn’t be roadblocks, like maybe he just saw that shit on TV like all those cases being solved with DNA and not someone ratting you out.
There was still the car he left over at the radio station, that might still be there. No, the cop would’ve had someone go to it, make sure that guy got out of the trunk. Maybe go to his mom’s, steal her car if that steroid junkie wasn’t there. She’d call the cops for sure, moment his back was turned. He already put down one parent. What about that girl Kevin had dirty pictures of, what was her name? Maybe she had a car or lived on her own. He could tie her up, stay with her for a day or two.
He went to the bathroom to grab the phones, saw the cop’s was blinking. He turned it on, saw there were three missed calls from the private number. Shit, these creditors don’t cut you a break at all. While he was holding it, it started to buzz in his hand - private number. He sent it to voice mail.
A second later, it buzzed again. He answered.
“Man, you people are more vicious than me.”
“This isn’t a creditor you dumb shit.”
“You still got my phone,” Jamal said.
“Seemed like a waste to throw it away.”
“I wouldn’t mind it back. That and my gun.”
“Think you should say bye-bye to those things buddy.”
“Am I saying bye-bye to you too?”
“Looks that way. I really enjoyed our time together.”
“Don’t see why you got to run though.”
It stumbled Lex. “You don’t huh?”
“You take the time to think about any of this?”
“You want to fill me in on the parts I missed?”
“You got Kenzie scared to death of you. Her and her family aren’t saying anything. You killed Dax but I can’t pro
ve it, didn’t see you do anything while I was dealing with that butterball friend of yours. He’s not saying shit, willing to go up for twenty-five minimum, telling us he did all of them.”
“Max is a good catch.”
“Doing really good for you.”
“There’s still Kevin.”
“Can’t find him. Was thinking you plugged him too. Can’t have a murder without a body.”
“You trying to catch me up on a murder Jamal? Get me talking about him and the boy in the trunk? Saw you on the TV, never thought your real name would be Jamal.”
“Never thought I’d be seeing you get away with all the shit you pulled.”
“That’s what you say. You got a trace on the line Jamal? A tap maybe?”
“It’s been a long night, didn’t even think of that.”
“How’s this work? You tell me there’s nothing on me and I start walking down the street? See you coming out of the bushes like super-cop and take me down? I try driving out, get stopped by one of your roadblocks?”
“Roadblocks? Think we got helicopters up there too looking for you? What am I going to bring you up on Lex? No one saw you do anything and the ones that did aren’t talking. I can maybe get a forcible confinement, GTA, maybe some other things if that guy in the trunk wants to talk, but then he’s going to have to admit he was trolling around for paid pussy. You saw me on TV, a big deal now, you think I want to bring you in for something like that? I’d rather forget you.”
“Then forget me. Don’t see the point in this phone call,” Lex said and the line went dead. Jamal looked at The Boss.
“He’s thinking about it, trying to see your angle,” The Boss said. “Call him back, don’t give him time to think. Hit him with it now, see what he says.”
Jamal dialed the number back, heard the line go straight to voice-mail, called again. This time, Lex answered.
“Point of the phone call is I want my phone and my gun back.”
“You should buy a new one. Got unlocked ones over in Chinatown, last you maybe a year but they’re worth the price if you think of it like rent, not something to own forever.”
“Still paying for that one. I’m on one of those plans you pay a little bit a month that goes toward owning the phone.”
“You can’t just chalk it up to a lesson learned?”
“The real concern is the gun. That one’s registered to me. You go around killing people with it, use it in a crime? That’s a big no no.”
“Comes back on you does it?”
“Lex, I’m telling you that’s the one reason we’ll keep looking for you. We don’t like having our guns on the street, they all got to be accounted for. I haven’t told anyone about it yet, but that’s something we take seriously. A missing weapon.”
“So I’ll put it somewhere and call you where to find it.”
“You have my phone.”
“I’ll leave it with the gun.”
“You won’t be able to reach me because you have my phone.”
“And you don’t want to give me the creditor’s number that you’re calling from, do you?”
“Now you’re getting it.”
“Not sure you know how this works, Jamal. I got what you want, so I’m the one calling the shots.”
“Funny. I forgot to tell you something I think you’ll want. Slipped my mind really.”
“This is where you drop the hammer huh?”
“Some people saw what you did. Saw you shoot Cyrus.”
“After you said I’m in the clear. Can’t help but feel you’re playing games Jamal.”
“The Boppers. That’s who you’ve wanted all night isn’t it?”
“If I wanted them, you’re willing to give them up?”
“If my conditions are met.”
“What might them be?”
“My gun and my phone, then you leave town. You were going to do it anyway.”
“And why would you do that for me?”
“I have no interest in arresting you Lex, I just want the gun.”
“How stupid you think I am Jamal?”
“I wanted you arrested, don’t you think I would’ve brought them in? They’re with me and I’m trying to trade them. If you want, I’ll bring them in and they can tell my bosses what they know, but then I got to worry about you with my gun and that’s a weight on my mind I don’t need.”
“Get a new phone and call me back so I have the number,” and the line went dead again.
The Boss poured Jamal another drink of gin, said “you dangled the bait, it’s all you could do.”
“Didn’t think I’d be that good at lying.”
The Boss chuckled. “You believe that, you’re better at it than you think.”
He was walking down the street. He’d need a ride and it was about twenty minutes to the coffee shop that had a drive-thru. From there at least he could think about what he was going to do. The call came shortly after he left Hank’s. Lex looked down at the phone and saw a number, automatically saved to the phone’s call history. He answered it.
“You get the number?” Jamal asked.
“I’ll call it back when I’m ready.”
Rounding the corner, onto a busier road, expecting to see a blockade of cops searching cars. Nothing. Just business as usual, people going to work or wherever people went this early in the morning.
He kept telling himself to be smart about it. Be smart and just leave, get out. The cop was lying. Shit, he was a white cop with the name Jamal, he’s even lying to himself. There’s no way he would let Lex go, it’s not what they do.
Said he wants the gun, that part Lex believed. Having a cop’s gun loose in the streets was bad news, let alone a cop that just got all that press for bringing down the Black Knights, that’d be a man didn’t want his gun used as a murder weapon. So just take it with you, why do you care about a cop?
Lex was starting to see the plaza ahead of him, the coffee shop on the corner of the intersection, attracting all those cars, all those people wanting their morning rush of coffee. That was something he could use too, some coffee.
So what’d he tell you? Told you he wants his gun, willing to trade it for the Boppers, the last ones that could put him away, if the cop was telling the truth. He was supposed to believe this cop was going to trade human lives for a piece of iron. He did practically give him Dax though.
Another thing Lex believed, they would hunt him down for that gun. Okay. So leave the gun and the phone somewhere, with someone, tell them to call Jamal, tell him where it’s at. Then if Jamal was playing straight, he’d have no reason to chase him. Well, he would have the Boppers screaming up and down Lex shot Cyrus and their friend.
He walked into the plaza, taking a seat on a cement barrier, watched the people rush into the shop for coffee, the lineup extending to the entrance. The cars in line for the drive-thru starting to make a complete circle around the store.
See, the problem was, he wasn’t sure he believed anything Jamal said. If he wanted the Boppers, he was going to have to be smart about it. Can’t just say to the man, here’s where I am with your gun and phone, come and get it. Lex could expect an army of those bastards in blue, what’s he going to do then, whine that they had a deal?
Lex had to assume Jamal was lying. Probably had roadblocks on every road that left town. Probably had a bunch of witnesses too, not just the Boppers. If that was the case, there was no way Lex was beating this, so there was no sense in going after them. Jamal said he didn’t want to arrest him. Okay, then what? Just wants him gone? Just wants his gun back and make sure Lex is gone. But if the Boppers were around the cops would be forced to give their attention to Lex. Maybe Jamal actually wanted Lex to take out the Boppers so it would be a nightmare they could all forget. Using your enemy to your advantage type of thing, he was sure he heard that before.
He couldn’t stay out in the open like this. He didn’t see his picture on the news, but he didn’t watch it long either. Cops liked coffee shops, one was
bound to show up here. What he needed was some time and a way to play this.
Lex walked over to the coffee shop, stood against the building by the door, nodded to the people going in and out. Then he saw the lady in the dress, the classy kind that went just below the knee. Watched it billow out with the breeze while she walked in her heels, trying to keep the purse on her shoulder as she carried the tray of coffees and a donut bag with her. He walked behind her, saw her going to the silver Neon, waited until she put the tray on top of the car before he put the barrel in the small of her back.
“Don’t panic I’m not going to hurt you,” he said.
She turned around and was about to tell him off when she saw the gun. He watched her change her tune real quick. This broad in her early forties, probably the ball buster at work, ready to lay down some feminist bullshit about guys approaching her all day long and called it harassment.
“Go ahead, open the car.”
She stared at him. Lex saw it on her face, thinking there was some way out of this.
“Go ahead. Make it go boop boop and I hear the locks.”
He heard the boop boop. He smiled.
“Now we’re getting in your car and you’re going to give me your phone. Then you’re going to give me one of those coffees, one that has cream and sugar and we’re going to go for a little drive. I’ll even open your door, show you I’m a gentleman. How’s that sound?”
Lex reached in front of her, brushed his forearm against her tummy just below the belt line, took the handle and opened the door. He stepped back and opened the back door for himself. “Now grab the coffees and we’ll go for our little ride.”
He watched as she grabbed the tray and started getting in the car, Lex going at the same speed until they were both inside at the same time and the doors were closed.
“Look how good we’re doing. Now we’ll get the phone thing out of the way and then the coffee. You might want to do something stupid like throw the coffee in my face, but I wouldn’t suggest that. You ready?”