Grand Opening 2

by Carl Weber

  I wanted first of all to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, and I also wanted to make sure whatever I was seeing wouldn’t put us in any more danger than we were already in. I walked closer and found that what I thought was a cabin turned out to be a wooden shack. I peeked through the small window and saw that no one was inside. Using the blade of the knife, I pried open the door, crept inside, and looked around the one-room building. It held nothing more than a cot, a wooden chair, a box of old clothes, and a small table. There was also a small fireplace.

  Thank you, God.

  “What if he knows about this place? What if they come here and find us?”

  “Let’s just pray that he doesn’t. We’re only gonna be here for the night. As soon as it’s light enough to see, we’ll leave,” I told her. I reached into the box of old clothes, pulled out a thick shirt, and tossed it to her. “Put this on.”

  As she obeyed, I found one for myself, along with a pair of pants. The clothes were way too big for us, but after being naked for God knows how long, we were grateful for anything, especially in the cold.

  “Bettie, thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For saving my life.”

  “We ain’t saved yet,” I told her. “Now, you just lay down and get some rest as best you can. Come morning, we’re going to find our way home.”

  “Aren’t you gonna rest?”

  “I will, but I’m gonna stay up a while just in case someone shows up.” I held the knife up to the small window so she could see it in the moonlight.

  LC

  31

  I was curious as to why Mr. Mahogany had requested an emergency meeting of the Council. We’d just had our weekly meeting three days before, and all our usual business seemed to be up-to-date. As I sat in the room among the other members, waiting for Mr. Mahogany to appear, I suddenly went from curious to concerned. I noticed a few other members shooting each other uneasy glances, some shifting in their seats. I hadn’t been a member of the Council for nearly as long as the others, but from the looks on their faces, it was clear this wasn’t a normal thing for Mr. Mahogany to do.

  “I want to thank you all for managing to meet on such short notice,” Mr. Mahogany said when he entered the room and took his seat. It was clear from his demeanor that whatever he was about to speak about had him seriously concerned. “I try to adhere to the bylaws when it comes to notifying members of mandatory meetings, but this was an emergency indeed.” He made eye contact with several members, and when he was sure he had everyone’s attention, he explained the reason for the meeting.

  “Here in Atlanta, as of late, it seems as though we’ve had to deal with a thorn in our side,” Mr. Mahogany said. “I’m referring to no other than a group called the Young Bloods. The last time we discussed the matter, we decided to give things some time. Unfortunately, they don’t know—or perhaps don’t care—about the rules of the streets. For some reason, they seem to think that people who look like them, have the same skin color as them, are the enemy.”

  “Humph, those hooligans not only don’t know the rules of the streets,” Cat said, “but they don’t have any rules. They’re down in Memphis, too, robbing my guys.”

  “Yeah, and I’ve seen them in Charlotte, also,” Tommy Rawls said.

  “And that is, quite frankly, the problem,” Mr. Mahogany said. “Before you know it, it will be martial law in this city, and we definitely can’t have that.”

  “So, what do you suggest we do?” Rawls asked.

  Mr. Mahogany didn’t even hesitate long enough to blink. “We take them out,” he said bluntly. “They need to be eradicated ASAP. And who better to get the ball rolling than us? I feel, and I’m sure you all will agree, that we’ve given this thing enough time. Now the situation needs to be taken care of before things get too far, making it an even harder problem to fix.”

  “Like roaches,” another member chimed in. “I haven’t always eaten my sorbet with a silver spoon. I know how hard it is to get rid of roaches once they’ve infested a place. And it seems like they just keep growing in numbers.”

  Mr. Mahogany looked around the room. “So, do we all agree?”

  There were nods from a couple members. Some exchanged approving looks, while others verbally expressed their agreement.

  “Then let’s make it official with a vote,” Mr. Mahogany said. He looked toward the secretary. “Please prepare to take a count.”

  “Before we vote, can I say something?” I asked. I never said too much during the meetings. I felt like a member-in-training at times, and I had never been one to do a whole lot of talking anyway. That way, whenever I did have something to say, chances were better that others would listen. People have a way of tuning out the person who loves talking more than listening. I had figured out a long time ago that I learned far more by staying quiet.

  “LC, you’re welcome to say anything you want.” Mr. Mahogany appeared to be happy that I was finally taking the opportunity to contribute to the dealings of the Council.

  “When you say take them out, can you clarify?”

  Mr. Mahogany looked around at the members with a kind of grimace on his face, as if he was embarrassed by my words and regretted granting me permission to provide input. “Now, LC, surely you wouldn’t want that answer on the books, would you?”

  There were chuckles in the room.

  “I think you know exactly what I mean, and if you don’t, I can almost guarantee your brothers do.”

  Again, there was laughter.

  Okay, I got the point. Rather than respond to Mr. Mahogany’s slight sarcasm, I decided to just say what I had to say. “Why take out an army that we can use to our benefit?”

  One would have thought I’d just spoken a foreign language from the quizzical looks on each face. I proceeded to explain myself. “What do animal tamers do with wild animals? They train them, but they train them to be obedient to them and only them. Everyone else they will eat alive given the opportunity, but the animal respects and shows loyalty to the trainer.”

  I could tell from the shift of energy in the room that some of them were starting to understand what I was trying to say. Still, I felt the need to continue for those who remained confused.

  “We may look at them as thugs, but in all actuality, they’re just out there doing what young cats with no direction do. Have you ever thought about what they might do if they were given opportunities with a little direction? Instead of being a thorn in our side, they could possibly be . . . well . . . on our side.”

  Mr. Mahogany raised an eyebrow. “So, are you suggesting we invite the hoodlums to one of our meetings and sit down and try to actually talk with them?” He let out a slight chuckle under his breath.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I replied. “I mean, not invite them to one of our actual Council meetings, but just sit down with them and talk this out, explain the rules to them.”

  “No offense to you, LC,” Mr. Mahogany said. “I know you’re from a small town and perhaps not quite familiar with how things are done in the big city, but talking is not what those kinds of fellas do.”

  There were mumbles of agreement in support of Mr. Mahogany’s statement, which produced a sudden boost of confidence in his original decision.

  “How do we really know that for sure? Has anyone ever tried to talk with them?” I asked.

  From the silence that followed my inquiry, it was safe to assume the answer was no.

  I continued, “The simple solution may be a matter of putting some money in their pockets. I bet you they could move a lot of product.”

  “LC, I hear you loud and clear, but—”

  “Please, Mr. Mahogany, let me finish,” I said, waiting for a sign that his permission was granted. After he nodded slightly, I continued. “I know I’m the young buck in the room, but perhaps that’s where my input is most beneficial in this matter. You older folks simply don’t understand what the younger generation goes through.” I turned to Cat, who had sp
oken earlier about the “hooligans” Mr. Mahogany wanted to get rid of. “Yes, you have some hooligans and wannabe gangsters in Memphis where you’re from, but can you imagine if we take all that energy in them and bring organization to it? Add a method to the madness? Let’s put them to work for us instead of killing them. These kids are people’s sons and daughters—black families. You ever think how many we’re gonna have to kill before they get the message?” I looked to Mr. Mahogany, who cast his eyes downward.

  In a way, I suppose I’d just made him eat his own words. My intent was in no way to embarrass him, but I’d never been one to bite my tongue when I finally chose to speak up, and he’d be being a hypocrite if he made the gang members—young dudes with the same color skin as ours—the enemy.

  I looked around the room to get a feel for whether I’d influenced the members’ votes in any way. From some of the nods and why-not-give-it-a-try shoulder shrugs, I think what I’d said was starting to sink in and that they might consider my suggestion.

  “Well, the Council truly appreciates your input, LC,” Mr. Mahogany said. He then looked to Reverend Hawkins, who was the secretary. “Now, how about we go ahead and vote?”

  “Sure,” a couple members said.

  “I vote for the sit-down with the hooligans,” Cat said, surprising me. “If he can somehow get these kids to work, I could sure use the man power now that you’ve hooked us up with New York.”

  “I second it,” another said.

  A quick discussion ensued, followed by a vote, and before I knew it, the Reverend Hawkins said, “The ayes have it. A talk with the gang members it is.”

  The Council members gave me smiles and shoulder pats—all but one, anyway.

  “This meeting is adjourned,” Mr. Mahogany said. “I’ve got work to do.” He exited with not so much as a glance in my direction.

  Lou

  32

  “No, I’m here, but I haven’t seen them yet,” I said into the receiver.

  I was on a pay phone at a truck stop about five miles outside of Homerville, watching Route 84 like a hawk. It was the only road that made any sense if Eddie and his flunky were truly traveling to Homerville. Luckily for us, I had been in Waycross, which was halfway between Homerville and Brunswick, when Donna called.

  “Well, they should be there any minute,” Donna replied. “It only takes about an hour to get from Brunswick to Homerville.”

  “Hold on, Donna.” I’d just seen an El Dorado pass by me, and although it was dark out, I was damn sure it was green. “I gotta call you later. I think that’s them.”

  As I hung up the phone, the last thing I heard Donna say was, “Lou . . . please be careful.”

  I had to chuckle as I ran to my car. I never thought I’d hear those words come out of her mouth.

  I already had my car running and pointed in the direction of the road, so when I jumped in, I was balls to the wall. It took me about a mile to catch up to them, but when I did, my headlights illuminated the lime green paint, and I was sure it was them. I eased back, following the car from a safe distance, until I saw it turn into the parking lot of an abandoned feed mill and pull around back. I passed by without stopping, drove a little farther down the road, then made a U-turn, cutting my headlights off as I returned. Instead of parking around back, I parked on the side then quietly got out of my car.

  I pulled out my .44 Magnum. The sound of my feet on the gravel parking lot seemed as amplified as the beating of my heart. I found the Caddie abandoned in the back of the building. I took a minute to let the air out of all four tires. These motherfuckers weren’t going anywhere. Once that was done, I found a door and eased inside, pausing to listen to the shouting coming from another room.

  “Your usefulness has come to an end!” a man shouted. My heart rate raced because I thought he could be talking about my momma. “I was told to shoot you right between the eyes, no questions asked, but I’m trying to give your dumb ass a chance.”

  “Hey, if this is about Dwayne McCarty, I just need a little more time.”

  I was glad I hadn’t burst into the room, because the voice belonged to Eddie, who, surprisingly, didn’t sound like his nervous, skittish self. “Y’all only gave me the case two days ago!”

  “What’s his connection to Bettie Duncan?” the man asked. “She visited him twice since she came home from jail.”

  His mention of my momma had me on high alert. I crept closer to make sure I didn’t miss a word.

  “Ain’t nobody said nothing about Bettie Duncan,” I heard Eddie say,

  “Yeah, well, we were hoping you’d stumble onto that yourself. Now, tell me about McCarty’s old man.”

  “I don’t know. He was a civil rights lawyer. Marched with King down in Selma. Came into a good chunk of change about ten or eleven years ago then ran for Congress. He held a seat in Congress until he died back in seventy-three. That’s all I know. But I can find out more.”

  Arriving at the doorway of the room where the voices were coming from, I peeked inside and saw Eddie standing in front of a tall shadow of a man. Dude was pointing some very distinct heat directly at his head.

  “That’s going to be a little hard, Eddie, considering you’re going to be dead.”

  “Why kill a man who can help you?” Eddie said nonchalantly. This dude was a bucket of nerves any other time, but he was calm as hell under pressure. “I’m worth more to you alive than dead.”

  “I wouldn’t bet my life on that if I were you,” the man growled. “We just found out that your bitch has been hanging out with Lou Duncan. Not only that, but she had the nerve to show up at LC Duncan’s house this weekend. We can’t have that. It’s not in our plans.”

  “Man, my girl wouldn’t do that. She had a stomach virus this weekend.”

  “You sure about that?” The man let out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, I can tell from the look on your face that you’re not.”

  “Fuck! I trusted her,” Eddie screeched.

  I hear the anguish in his tone. Damn, he really liked Donna’s ass.

  “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. That bitch is so tied into the Duncans. You should have known better.”

  “That fucking bitch!” Eddie huffed angrily.

  “I been there. That pussy can blind you, but I need to know what you told her about us.” The shadow pushed the gun closer to Eddie’s head.

  “I would never tell anyone about y’all. I’m not afraid of dying, but I don’t have a death wish.”

  “What about Bettie? Did you tell her she’s alive?” the man asked, and I swear my heart skipped a few beats.

  Eddie got quiet, which I guess was enough for the man to know the answer was yes.

  “Well, she’s been moved since you seen her,” the shadow said. “You ready to die, Eddie?”

  “Man, don’t play no games with me. Just pull the fucking trigger,” Eddie demanded. “I’m not afraid to die.”

  There was a slight click as he cocked the gun. A shot rang out, and I watched as Eddie’s body hit the ground with a thump.

  Fuck! This was bad, really bad. The shadow stepped over Eddie’s body as if it were a discarded piece of paper. I eased back into the darkness and calculated the precise moment that he walked out into the hallway where I stood. As soon as he turned the corner, I took a step toward him and cocked the barrel of my .44, pointing it directly at his head.

  “You got three seconds to tell me where the fuck y’all got my momma, or I’m gonna I blow your fucking head off.”

  Shirley

  33

  “Where the hell you going?” Li’l Momma asked loud enough for half the damn joint to hear. I made my way down the steps to the bar where she was sitting, making sure to put a little extra sway in my hips. I felt good. For the first time in a while, I wasn’t dressed like a whore or madam; I was dressed like a lady going out on a date.

  I sat down at the bar.

  “I asked you a question, Shirley. Where you going?”

  “To mind my business and leave yours
alone.” I kinda posed as I said it to her. “Then again, you are my business, aren’t you? And why you dressed like that?’

  She was wearing a simple yellow dress with matching sandals instead of her usual kimono with lingerie underneath and heels. Damn girl had gone on one vacation and now she was acting like she forgot how to do her job.

  “Well, I’ve been waiting to talk to you,” she said.

  Moe brought me over a bourbon with Coke chaser. “If this is about another vacation, you might as well hang it up,” I told Li’l Momma.

  “No, it’s a little bigger than that.” She got quiet, and I got impatient, which I’d been doing a lot of lately.

  “Damn, girl, just spit it out already!” I snapped.

  My attitude didn’t darken her mood at all. She turned to me with a smile, holding up her hand with the back facing me. “David and I are getting married,” she announced gleefully.

  I stared silently at the small diamond on her finger.

  “Shirley, aren’t you gonna say something?”

  I patted her thigh. “Good for you.”

  She looked skeptical. “Do you really mean that?”

  “I do.” I nodded. “I’m glad you got sense enough to get out and make a life for yourself while you still got a chance. Secure you a plan for your future. We all need to do that. Have you told Lou yet?”

  She shook her head. “No. I wanted to tell you first.”

  “Well, you need to go ahead and let him know. He ain’t gonna like it, but you gotta do what’s right for your own life,” I said, thinking of myself as much as of her. “You at least gonna finish out the week, right?”

  “Yeah, probably until the end of the month. I wanna make some money before I go.”

  We sat in silence for a minute, sipping on our drinks.

  Finally, Li’l Momma shook her head like she was confused and said, “You know what, Shirley?”

  “What?”

  “This just wasn’t how I thought you’d act when I told you. I thought you were gonna flip out on me.”