City Lights

by George Sherman Hudson

  “I’ve been thinking. This is the move, you need to be looking for a spot out in California. I want you to relocate out there and lay low until I get home. I don’t want no one to know where you are not even B-low. I want you to just disappear until I’m home,” Real explained.

  “Ok.” Constance responded softly as she thought about Real’s relocation demands.

  She would not in any way dispute Real’s instructions. She mapped out in her head how and when she would make her move. She knew it was going to take time to get in position. Right then she made plans to be out and in Cali in less than sixty days.

  “Just let me know when you on your way. What’s up with B-low? He been keeping you straight?” Real asked

  “He’s cool. He has helped a lot and if it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t be talking to you right now. Baby I’m scared I need you here with me,” Constance broke down.

  “Everything going to be ok I just want you to stay indoors and work on getting shit together for your move,” Real said as he peeped out the flap on his door.

  “I hear you boo. I can’t wait for you to get home. I’ve handled all the business with the property the feds had and banked all the money,” Constance informed Real

  “Good we need a new start,” Real replied.

  “Yard call!” The old white dorm officer yelled letting the inmates know they were free and clear to go to the yard.

  “Hey boo give me a minute I need to hit the yard to make sure my patna got his phone. Give me a minute ill hit you right back,” Real told her then hid the phone in the heater with the shank.

  Chapter 49

  After leaving Lace and Black Bean for dead Cash headed out to the Broadway to check into a room for the night. The next morning he was awakened by his beeping cell phone.

  “Say people this new flake just landed make sure you hit me when you jump what you got,” Milkman told a half sleep Cash, still trying to take advantage of Cash with his high prices like he was green to the game.

  Shaking the sleep off Cash replied thinking of his yesterday plans.

  “Ok. What the tag is? I got my people coming through here from Atlanta headed to Miami to shop but if you can cut them some slack ill send them your way,” Cash lied.

  “Boy shit this here is that straight flake! I got to have at least twenty five a brick!” Milkman exclaimed.

  “Boy, that’s way too much, they buying too many to be hit in the head like that. I ain’t even going to them like that. We’ll just catch you on some more shit later,” Cash said hoping Milkman would bite.

  “How many they shopping for? If they buy more than six I’ll fuck wit ‘em on a better price,” the greedy Milkman said.

  “They trying to get bout ten but your price got to be right,” Cash smiled as Milkman negotiated his own death.

  “Aight, I’ll do them for twenty two and that’s the best I can do,” Milkman said firmly agreeing to Cash’s bogus deal.

  “I know they will go for that. They should be in town in the next hour I’ll call you when they get here,” Cash told him while thinking of the best meeting spot to carry out his plans.

  “Bet! Just hit me then,” Milkman said excitedly while counting the profits he would make off of the ten fake dummy bricks of cocaine he was about to sell Cash and his patna’s from the A.

  * * * * *

  “I can’t believe this nigga!” Lace said to herself as she laid up alone in Larry—an old boyfriend’s bed.

  Last night after escaping out of the apartment window she ran to the nearest pay phone and called Larry her old boyfriend. She told him that her and her male friend had got in to it and he had beat her up and put her out. Larry being the nice guy that he was, not to mention still madly in love with Lace, got up out his bed and rushed down Poplar Street to pick Lace up.

  Larry was too soft for Lace’s taste; on top of that, he lived check to check. After a month together Lace called it off which Larry was totally against. Last night he was the only person that she could call to help her. He even gave her his bed while he slept on the sofa. When she woke this morning she saw that Larry had left for work.

  “I swear this nigga going to pay for this shit! His snitching ass,” Lace ranted and swore to herself as she gathered her thoughts.

  After making a couple of calls to some old friends in Atlanta she laid back down until she heard the truck outside a couple hours later. The man pulled up in a white ford F-150 with dark tinted windows. Hearing the truck outside Lace bolted out the door and jumped in. The man in the truck wanted answers as Lace explained to him how the dude Cash which he knew of from around the way killed his brother Black Bean. Peanut wasted no time hitting his squad up on the westside of Atlanta and giving them the news. Lace knew that Peanut would waste no time finding and killing Cash.

  * * * * *

  Cash pulled up outside of Milkman apartment and blew the horn. Milkman stuck his head out of the door and waved Cash in. Cash got out with the black duffle bag that he had stuffed the hotel room phone books in. As he reached the door he heard voices inside. Hearing the voices made Cash reevaluate his plans.

  Milkman had gave his young goons the plan. Seeing Cash pull up they all got ready to flim flam Cash and his Atlanta patna’s with the fake dope. Milkman had instructed them to take the money from Cash and his people if he tried to back out of the deal. He hoped to make the lick easy but if it came to it they were ready to shed blood for the money.

  “This nigga solo,” Cash said to his lil young goons as he peeped out the curtains of the crackhead apartment that they used as their drug distribution spot.

  “Sweet as cotton candy!” Quan,the oldest of the young click said, as he peeped out also watching Cash approach with the bag of money.

  “Knock! Knock!”

  “Yeah!” Milkman screamed from the chair he quickly retreated to as Cash got closer to the door.

  “Cash,” Cash called out as he adjusted his 9mm tucked in his waist.

  “Come in!” Milkman screamed.

  Cash walked into the dirty apartment with caution. All the men were sitting around smoking on weed and watching ESPN on an old TV.

  “What it is people? What up with your folks from Atlanta?” Milkman asked, as he looked at Cash suspiciously.

  “They back at my spot I got the money for their play,” Cash replied surveying the room and each mans position.

  Cash had made up his mind when he walked in to leave everybody dead and take all the dope and money they had. Seeing that it was three men, he positioned himself in front of the room in clear view of the men. He wanted to make sure he had a clean shot on all the men when he started shooting.

  “Ok. How many you getting?” Milkman asked.

  “Ten for now but if this shit can take some hits like you said we will be back no doubt,” Cash said waiting on the right time to pull his gun.

  “No problem. Like I said this shit is the truth! Hey Loco, grab me ten of them thangs from the back,” Milkman called out to his lil do boy of the crew.

  The bricks were taped, wrapped and had the stamp in the middle just like the real thing. Loco brought ten of the fake kilos from the back and set them on the table. Cash looked in amazement at the drugs. He knew he was about to be back on top again and this time he would be top dog and not a lieutenant.

  “What that bread looking like?” Milkman asked Cash as he waited to be passed the bag of money.

  The young goons looked on discreetly while set on ready if Cash tried to back out on the deal.

  Cash knew it was now or never. As soon as he handed Milkman the bag he snatched his 9mm from his waist. His first couple of shots were aimed at the youngsters that sat on the sofa. Before the men could flinch Cash’s bullets had immobilized both of them. Loco took one to the chest as Quan took two to the neck and head.

  “Hey! Fuck! What up man!” Milkman screamed while holding the bag he had just got from Cash.

  “Nigga you know what it is,” Cash barked as he leveled the g
un at Milkman.

  “Bro please don’t kill me! You can have it all! Shit ain’t got to be like this! Please bro,” Milkman pleaded as he dropped the bag.

  “Nigga you must think I’m crazy! Now just for trying me, you get two instead of one!” Cash screamed as he sent two hollow tips through Milkman’s skull.

  Taking his time, Cash searched the house and got all the money and dope that was there. He even took the jewelry that the men wore. Satisfied with his take which was twenty thousand in cash and thirty bricks Cash made plans to set up shop and take over the city. What Cash didn’t know was that the thirty dummy blocks were worthless.

  Chapter 50

  “Tino! Tino!” Real screamed into the front vent of building J-1, the hole.

  Everyone was outside on the yard catching up on the prison gossip, smoking weed, drinking bom-bay’s, and plotting the perfect murder.

  “Look man hit ‘em up in here,” the OG said to Scram pointing at his own neck .

  “I got you, this nigga is a done one,” Scram said all geeked up ready for tonight.

  * * * * *

  “What’s going on on the inside? Has Real been dealt with yet?” Angelo asked Michael.

  “I spoke with my connect, he said he contacted the head of one of the deadliest gangs and they are working on eliminating him real soon,” Michael explained

  “Real soon! It needs to be done now! We’re paying too much for real soon!” Angelo screamed into the phone.

  “I will call back and press the issue. It shouldn’t be…”

  Angelo cut him off.

  “Real needs to be dead by day break!” Angelo screamed and hung up the phone.

  Michael cleared the line and called his connect at the prison.

  “GSCP may I help you?” The friendly voice on the other end asked.

  “Yes, could you please connect me with chaplain Larson?” Michael asked as he thought about the man behind the cloak that was conspiring to commit murder.

  A few seconds later he was on the line.

  “Hi, may I help you?” the voice on the other end asked.

  “Hey Kenneth what’s going on?” Michael asked hoping the man had good news.

  “Michael I can’t talk to you right now! Didn’t I tell you to never call me at work,” Kenneth said through clenched teeth.

  “It was urgent. Our plans need to be carried out today because my people are getting restless,” Michael told him in a serious tone hoping he could speed up the process.

  “I will look into it and call you back when I get off work. God bless,” he spat and hurried off the prison phone line that was known to be monitored from time to time.

  Michael hung up the phone and lit one of his most expensive cigars and smiled. He knew that after Real was killed he would be walking away with a half million dollars and his old friend Kenneth will be left holding the empty bag with gang members looking to be paid.

  * * * * *

  “Yeah!” Tino screamed from up under his door.

  “You got that!” Real screamed back, trying hard to hear Tino from the back of the lockdown building.

  “Yeah! Good looking out! I will get at you later,”Tino screamed as he read the short note Real had sent with his new cell phone number on it.

  “Check,” Real said then started back across the yard to his building.

  “Yo OG ain’t that boy right there?” Scram asked as Real walked across the yard in their direction.

  As Real continued in their direction he heard his name being called, it was Bay Bay with a crew of young bangers trailing.

  “What it is bro? What the deal is?” Real asked as Bay Bay reached him.

  “Say Real I need your help my nigga. I got this mule ready to look out for the right price but my ends fucked up. She will do whatever I just need the money to make shit move. My lil partner got a pound and four phones already sitting I just need the money to pop this shit off,” Bay Bay explained.

  “What’s the tag bro? I got you,” Real said without hesitation thinking about Bay Bay having to spend the rest of his life in prison.

  “She wants a stack,” Bay Bay replied, reluctantly hoping it wasn’t asking too much of Real.

  “Aight just let me know where to send it to,” Real told him again without hesitation.

  “Ok I’ll just bring all the info out at chow call tonight. If they call yall out first just wait on me in the chow hall,” Bay Bay told Real as he turned to walk off.

  “Check that,” Real replied as Scram and OG watched the exchange.

  “He fuck with Bay Bay hard I see. Make sure when you go you go hard and don’t leave this nigga breathing!” OG spat as Real walked by them to his dorm.

  “Nigga good as dead no doubt,” Scram fired back as they turned and walked back to their respective buildings.

  Chapter 51

  Before leaving the house B-low went back to the guest house to check on Constance. Walking straight in, he startled her as she came out of the shower naked.

  “Ah! What you doing!” Constance screamed trying to conceal herself as she rushed back in the bathroom for a towel.

  “Damn my bad!” B-low screamed as he fixed his eyes on Constance perky C cups, thick thighs, and plump ass.

  “You need to learn to fuckin knock,” Constance spat as she stepped back out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

  “Damn my bad,” B-low replied smiling replaying the picture of a naked Constance back through his mind.

  “Yeah whatever! What’s up?” Constance asked angrily.

  “I was just coming through to check up on you and to see if you needed anything,” B-low said, giving Constance a thorough obvious look over as she stood in front of him in a pair of tight shorts and a tank top.

  “I’m straight,” Constance replied before heading to the back room and closing the door.

  * * * * *

  Blanco rode around the city for an hour and a half trying to locate Constance at all of her known locations. He knew Angelo was a very impatient man so he made it his business to stay out all day and night until he tracked Constance down.

  * * * * *

  “Aight I’ll be back, just hit me on my cell if you need me,” B-low said as he exited the guest house.

  “Hey! B-low!” Constance yelled as she hurried out the back room to catch B-low.

  “Yeah?” B-low replied hearing her calling him.

  “I do need something. Could you go by my place and check my mailbox I had some very important paper work coming that I totally forgot about.” Constance asked still mad at his intrusion.

  “I can do that. I will swing by there after I handle my business. Anything else?” B-low asked as he undressed her with his eyes.

  Every since he met Constance he had been attracted to her. Real had trusted him as a friend to look after her but his attraction was heavily outweighing the friendship he had with Real. Now that Real was going to be gone for some years and now that B-low was on top of the game he thought that he had a better shot at making Constance his. B-low had made up his mind to let it be known that he was feeling her tonight over dinner.

  As B-low navigated the money green seven series BMW through the streets of Atlanta in route to Fair Street bottom he made a couple of calls to his Westside connects letting them know that he had seven bricks left for nineteen a piece. Before he hung up the phone all seven was sold. Dropping the dope off at his runners apartment and giving him the connects number and specific instructions on what to do with the money he headed off to Constance condo.

  Pulling up at Constance condo he got out and checked the mail box. He grabbed a small brown package and a couple of home security flyers out the box and then got back in the car. The Blazer followed as he pulled off in route back to the house. It didn’t take Blanco long to recognize the man that he fought with not long ago. Blanco thanked God for his luck. He smiled as he followed B-low, he was more than happy now that he could finish his job.

  Pulling up at home, B-low grabbed Consta
nce’s mail and headed in the house not noticing the Blazer that followed at a discreet length behind him.

  B-low got out the car and headed straight back to the guest house. He knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” Constance yelled from the couch where she sat looking at the finalized sales paperwork on her and Real’s mansion.

  “Here you go,” B-low said as he walked over to her on the couch and gave her her mail.

  “Thanks” she replied not looking up.

  “No dinner? I go way to the other side of town to get your mail and you ain’t even hook a nigga up a plate. That’s fucked up,” B-low said jokingly.

  “You ain’t say nothin ‘bout no dinner and I ain’t your bitch. You need to get you some live in pussy nigga. This my last time cooking you dinner.” Constance said playfully as she opened up the mail.

  “My last meal. Yes ma’am,” B-low uttered, smiled and walked off.

  The whole time B-low and Constance debated over dinner Blanco sat outside a few feet from the house in his blazer trying to figure out the best way to get into the mansion. He planned to make his move around midnight when he figured they would be sleep. Constance went to the main house and started dinner while B-low retired to the den with a bottle of Hennessey and a couple of ecstasy pills. Blanco sat devising a plan while B-low was finishing off his third glass of Hennesy while he waited for dinner.

  “Food’s ready,” Constance called out thirty minutes later while sitting their plates of fried fish and french fries on the table.

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” B-low said as he stepped into the room, sat down at the table more than tipsy from the Hennesy.

  “Last meal,” Constance said playfully as she sat in front of him.

  The whole time they ate B-low stared at Constance. Not noticing his drunkin stares Constance finished eating and told B-low she would handle the dishes tomorrow because she had to get back to the guest house so she wouldn’t miss Real’s call.

  Out of nowhere B-low snapped.

  “Fuck Real!” B-low said with aggression catching Constance totally off guard.

  “Excuse me! What the fuck did you say?” Constance fired back making sure she heard him right.