“And you just saying something now?” Kafisa looked over at Halimah through squinted eyes. Another sign showing me that C-Dub has been a snake on the low the whole time, thought Kafisa.
“It wasn’t about nothin’. I shut that shit down and fell back. If it was more, I would’ve brought that shit straight to you. I just didn’t want to make something out of nothing,” Halimah explained. “It was around the time all that shit was going on with Jazz. You had enough on your plate at the time, and it seemed like he was helping you get right, so I didn’t want to create no unnecessary tension between nobody.” Halimah sighed. “Now I wish I would’ve just put it in your ear. Maybe all of this could’ve been exposed sooner.”
The plot keeps getting thicker and thicker. Kafisa shook her head. This muthafucka been comin’ for me for a long time. I just wasn’t paying attention, she thought.
“It’s cool. You handled it the best way you felt.” Kafisa understood Halimah’s decision. “And I know you would have told me if it was more to it,” she added. She knew Halimah wasn’t a snake or a slouch, and she was sure she had handled the situation exactly how she said she had. “We family, and that’s what family do.”
Halimah smiled.
“Don’t worry. Him and everybody rollin’ with him gonna pay,” Nu-Nu said, joining in from the backseat.
She was just as heated as Kafisa and Halimah were. She too had lost someone dear to her, and the name C-Dub was attached to the reason why. She had never been to the Big Apple before and hated the reason for her first visit. As far as she was concerned, if C-Dub was behind her best friend getting killed and he was in New York, then that was where she needed to be. It wouldn’t have mattered to her if she had to travel to China. There were no lengths to which she wasn’t willing to go to avenge what she believed was Niecy’s unnecessary death. C-Dub had become just as much her enemy as he was Kafisa’s and Halimah’s, even though she had never met the man.
“When we get back to BK, muthafuckas gonna have serious fuckin’ problems!” Halimah exclaimed. Just like Kafisa, she was anticipating the return home.
They were all more than ready to touch New York’s soil. Kafisa had already decided that once they got back to Brooklyn, she wasn’t going to waste any time getting to the bottom of what had pulled her out of what had become her comfort zone. She had already told herself she wasn’t leaving her birthplace until she had handled her business and tied up any and all loose ends, starting with C-Dub. Kafisa had also decided that after all this was over, and before she headed back down South, she would reclaim her position in the streets of BK. This time she was going after an even higher position and a new spot: C-Dub’s.
Kafisa reached for her sun visor and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill as they steadily approached the Holland Tunnel. You done crossed the wrong fuckin’ chick, Kafisa thought to herself as she came one step closer to showing C-Dub that she was Kafis Jackson’s daughter and what that really meant in the streets of Brooklyn.
Chapter Twenty-nine
When Kafisa, Halimah, and Nu-Nu walked in the club, all eyes were on them. Just what Kafisa had wanted. She knew she was taking a huge risk, and it was dangerous exposing herself like this. Just like she knew someone was bound to reach out to C-Dub, letting him know they were there, if he wasn’t in the lounge himself and hadn’t already been informed of their presence by someone. At this point she didn’t even care. It was going to be what it was going to be. She had chalked it up to the game.
Two weeks had gone by, and still they weren’t any closer to tracking down C-Dub. They had been searching high and low and doing everything they possibly could to flush C-Dub out. By now the word was out that Kafisa was back in Brooklyn and that she had a beef with him.
After hearing the sucker shit C-Dub had tried to pull, sending shooters at Kafisa, the hood had mixed feelings about him. Thanks to her father’s encouragement, prior to fleeing to the South, Kafisa had done exactly what Kafis had asked of her. She had earned the love and gained the respect from those she needed to in Brooklyn. Because of that, the streets had remained neutral. Nobody wanted to touch the situation out of respect for Kafisa, Kafisa’s father, and C-Dub.
To show her appreciation, Kafisa had made it real sweet for all the major money getters and shooters, so it was easy for them to maintain their position in this matter. She had spread the word throughout the underworld that she had the keys to the best coke and dope around, and that she was letting them go for half of what C-Dub sold his for. She had also hit all the shooters she could think of with both money and product and had offered them an opportunity to make more money by spreading the news to all the shooters she might not know or had missed. She didn’t care how much it took: she was willing to give it all up to humiliate C-Dub publicly and regain control of what her father had built and run for years, until his demise.
In total she had dished out over $350,000, not including product, to keep the beef between her and C-Dub hot. It was easy to dissuade his buyers from doing business with him by pacifying their greed. It was a tactic she had seen her father utilize successfully during some of his street wars. Kafisa was determined to flush C-Dub out. She had the word out that she was looking for him and was paying for information. That was how they had landed in Lou’s Lounge off Nostrand Avenue.
Kafisa did a quick scan of the intimate lounge spot, which used to be one of her, Halimah’s, and Laverne’s hangout spots. This muthafucka used to never come here, Kafisa thought to herself.
Unfortunately, there was no C-Dub in sight, which she already knew. The fact that shots weren’t fired the moment they walked in the door was enough confirmation for Kafisa that he wasn’t present. As the stares continued, Kafisa wondered who would be the snake that slithered off to let C-Dub know they were in the building. Kafisa was met with head nods, waves, and fist pumps as she made a beeline to her old section and positioned herself and her crew. She was better able to survey the room now that she could see it in its entirety. That was the main reason why this section used to be her favorite.
Just as she’d thought, a snake began to slither in the grass. Kafisa took a mental picture and made a mental note to remember the girl who tried to pretend she hadn’t just been staring in her direction. Kafisa played along and pretended not to notice the girl watching her. Then Kafisa shifted her attention to an approaching body. She looked up and smiled at the short, pudgy man, someone for whom she had much respect.
“Hey, Lou,” Kafisa called, greeting the owner of the establishment.
“Hello, Fee.” Fifty-eight-year-old Lou Jones embraced her.
Judging by the look on his face, Kafisa knew he was concerned. Lou Jones was a retired old-school gangsta. It was rumored that he had killed more people than the worst serial killer, and the money he had gotten paid to do so, he had poured into his lounge. Kafisa knew the truth, though. This was all he had and the only thing, they said, Lou Jones loved. In the twenty-odd years he’d had the lounge, no matter what the situation was, no one had ever beefed or killed anyone on or inside his property. A tussle might have started there, but it had never ended there. That was out of both fear and respect for Lou Jones. Kafisa’s father had been the one to tell her that every rumor she had ever heard about Lou Jones was true. He had also told her that Lou Jones was the most dangerous man he had ever met in his life and that it wouldn’t be wise for anybody to cross him. Kafisa had never forgotten those words.
“Don’t worry, Lou. My respect for you is too high for me to ever disrespect you or your place of business,” Kafisa said, giving him her word. “I know this is your baby.” She shot him half of a smile, accompanied by a wink.
That made Lou Jones smile. “I sure wish your Fis was here.” Lou Jones shook his head in mock disbelief. “None of this foolishness would be going on. He always kept the peace.”
“I know,” Kafisa said solemnly.
Halimah, who had been silently shadowing Kafisa, nodded in agreement.
Nu-Nu, who had been trai
ling Halimah, listened, wide eyed. It was the first time she was really hearing about Kafisa’s background.
“Hey, but as long as I’m here, he’s here,” Kafisa added, clarifying the matter.
Lou Jones lit up. “Spoken like a true Jackson.” He paused briefly. “Whatchu drinkin’? It’s on me,” he then said.
“I think we’re gonna do shots. Patrón,” Kafisa replied. “Bring the bottle and pineapple juice. I got it,” she informed Lou.
Lou Jones waved her off. Moments later, the same girl who had been eyeing Kafisa from behind the bar appeared with glasses, a half gallon of Patrón, and a carafe of pineapple juice. She began pouring shots from the bottle for Kafisa, Halimah, and Nu-Nu.
“You from Brooklyn?” Kafisa asked the girl, glancing at her name tag, which read CARMEN.
The question caught the girl off guard. “Uh. No. Why you ask?”
“Just asking.” Kafisa’s tone was level.
Both Halimah and Nu-Nu watched the exchange as they tossed their first shots back.
“Long Island,” the girl said with a smile.
“Carmen from LI.” Kafisa let the words come out of her mouth slowly, as if she was wondering where she had heard the name before. But that was not the case. She wanted the bartender to know she was onto her. The way Carmen’s wrist shook as she refilled Halimah’s and Nu-Nu’s glasses let Kafisa know she had gotten the hint.
“We’re good,” Kafisa said, dismissing her. “You can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing behind the bar.” Kafisa flashed her a smirk.
Carmen smiled back, broke her stare, and scurried back over to the bar.
“What the fuck was that all about?” Halimah asked, beating Nu-Nu to the punch.
“That’s the bitch that let C-Dub know we here,” Kafisa replied, then tossed her shot of Patrón back, chased it with some pineapple juice, and poured herself another drink.
Chapter Thirty
Yo, just relax, were the words C-Dub used to begin his text message. You shouldn’t have said nothing to that bitch. Shit! After finishing his text, he pressed SEND.
When he had gotten the text from his young bartender chick that Kafisa and her crew were up in the local lounge, he’d been appreciative of the heads-up. Fortunately for him, the young tenderoni, whom he had just sent home in a taxi, had delayed his arrival at the lounge, or else he might have walked right into Kafisa and her squad. Now he cursed the fact that he had to actually go down there on his own and put his own work in.
“Little smart bitch,” C-Dub said out loud. Out of all the places she could have picked to post up, she had to pick the best one. The type of reputation that Lou’s Lounge had was no secret to C-Dub or anybody else. It was the reason that he himself had started hanging out in there after he muscled Kafisa out of Brooklyn.
Aside from that, he couldn’t get anybody in the entire BK to pick up the bounty he had on Kafisa’s head. She had managed to keep all the shooters from the BK borough at bay. C-Dub knew that he couldn’t bring in anyone from out of town to handle a Brooklyn beef. Not unless he really wanted the entire BK to turn on him. He knew it was one thing to send shooters from his borough to another area, but it was another thing altogether to bring outsiders in for the very same reason. It was forbidden, an unwritten rule in BK, and Kafisa knew that.
Two hours later C-Dub’s phone rang, waking him from the nap he had fallen into at his desk. He looked at the caller’s name on the phone’s screen and picked up the call just before the last ring.
“Wassup, love?” a voice said.
“Wassup,” C-Dub hollered into the phone. The caller spoke. He peered at his watch. “Damn,” he cursed. It didn’t seem like he had been asleep that long. “Keep me posted if anything changes.” C-Dub ended the call.
He wiped his face with the palms of his hands and then sprang up from his chair. C-Dub walked over to his wall safe and opened it. He retrieved the twin sixteen-shot blocks from the safe. He stuck one under the front part of his belt; the other he tucked under his belt at the small of his back. He then pulled the bottom of his shirt over the bulges and smoothed it out.
Let’s see how this little bitch really built, C-Dub thought as he snatched up his car keys and exited his brownstone.
Chapter Thirty-one
It was approaching 3:00 a.m. when Kafisa, Halimah, and Nu-Nu polished off the last of the half gallon of Patrón. Kafisa hadn’t even realized so much time had passed. They had been at Lou’s Lounge for nearly seven hours and still no sign of C-Dub. Kafisa thought he’d at least show his face, given the way she had been calling him out. She knew his reputation was at stake. It was something he lived for, and she had challenged it. Up until this moment, she had taken only two shots of the liquor. She had wanted to make sure that nothing prevented her from seeing who was coming and going at Lou’s. She had also wanted to be ready for whatever, in case C-Dub did happen to show up and be on some bullshit.
Although nothing had ever popped off in Lou’s establishment, with all that C-Dub had done to take everything from her in Brooklyn, she wasn’t taking any chances. Anything is possible when dealing with a coldhearted snake, she thought. Kafisa glanced down at her watch. By now they were pretty much the only ones left in the lounge besides the bartender Carmen, Lou, security staff members, and a couple who were indulging in conversation in the corner opposite from where Kafisa sat.
“That nigga ain’t showin’ up tonight,” Kafisa concluded. She snatched up her glass with the remainder of her drink, tossed it back, and then stood to retreat. “Let’s get the fuck outta here.” She was more disappointed than anything. She had really thought that by using the tactics described in the book The 48 Laws of Power, she was going to force C-Dub out of hiding. She had followed them to a T, but still no C-Dub.
Pussy, Kafisa said to herself as she began to make her way toward the entrance to the lounge. Halimah and Nu-Nu both hopped up and followed suit. Kafisa looked to the right of her. She and Carmen made eye contact. Kafisa could see the nervousness in Carmen’s eyes. She grilled her the whole time she was making her way toward the exit. There was no doubt in her mind that Carmen had reached out to C-Dub and had informed him of their presence. Her source had never been wrong before when providing information, so she knew somebody had given C-Dub the heads-up, and Kafisa believed that somebody was Carmen.
Had it not been for Lou’s no-nonsense policy, Kafisa knew she would have gone behind the bar and pistol-whipped Carmen until she was unconscious with the baby 9 mm she had tucked in her lower back. Kafisa let out a light chuckle before breaking her stare with Carmen.
“Bitch!” she heard Halimah shout in Carmen’s direction just as she reached the front door.
Kafisa turned around just in time to see Halimah stop in front of the bar. Nu-Nu had posted up on the side of Halimah. Kafisa saw Lou approaching in her peripheral, and so she doubled back over toward the bar.
“Limah!” Kafisa called out.
Halimah stared long and hard at Carmen before turning to face Kafisa. Kafisa shook her head and made a waving motion with her hand in front of her neck. She was telling Halimah to dead whatever it was she had in mind.
“She good,” Kafisa told Lou, vouching for Halimah.
“All right now,” Lou announced. “I don’t want no shit up in here.”
“I gave you my word.” Kafisa nodded.
The exchange between Kafisa and Lou was enough to make Halimah disengage. The Patrón had her feeling a little more aggressive than normal, but she knew enough about Lou Jones to know that he was a man of few words. Halimah had heard too many people in the street say that if he had to talk, usually something serious would follow, so she knew that nothing good could come out of him opening his mouth now. Halimah did not want that at all. Their beef was with C-Dub, not Lou. She couldn’t help but take out her anger and frustration on the person Kafisa had told her had reached out to C-Dub. She was itching to pull out her .380, which was strapped to her ankle, and shove it down Carmen’
s throat. She decided against it, out of respect for both Kafisa and Lou Jones.
“Pardon me, Lou,” Halimah said.
“Apology accepted,” Lou replied. “Y’all get home safe, ya hear?” Lou waved his hand.
“Thanks, Lou.” Kafisa smiled. “Let’s go,” she then said to Halimah and Nu-Nu. Kafisa waited until they had walked in front of her before she made a beeline over toward the entrance. She couldn’t wait to tear into Halimah.
“Are you fuckin’ crazy?” Kafisa stormed once they were outside and heading down the street to where she had parked her Range Rover. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I know. I know. My bad,” Halimah replied. “But that bitch was lookin’ at you crazy once you walked past,” Halimah informed her. “I couldn’t let that shit slide.”
“Yeah. I caught it too,” Nu-Nu said, joining in. “I was about to say something myself.”
“Fuck her!” Kafisa spat. “We not checkin’ for her. We lookin’ for C-Dub’s punk ass!” Kafisa reminded them both.
Like a wish come true, the familiar voice came out of nowhere, catching them all by surprise.
“Here I go right here, bitch!” The shot that then rang out sent them all diving for cover.
C-Dub had been sitting outside in his Chrysler 300 for the past two hours, waiting patiently for Kafisa and her crew to come out of Lou’s Lounge. When his phone vibrated in his lap, he knew it was the text he had been waiting for. He smiled and nodded. “It’s on now, muthafuckas,” C-Dub said under his breath. He leaned over to the passenger seat to retrieve his MAC-10 semiautomatic. He cocked the MAC to put one bullet in the chamber. Just as he removed the safety, out walked Halimah and a female he didn’t recognize. He rose up when he saw Kafisa hurry out the door. “Yeah, got your ass now, bitch!” C-Dub proclaimed.
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