by Nene Capri
-39-
Killer Instinct
Boa stood in the open field looking down at Vladimir, the Russian’s son. He was fast asleep from the ass whipping Boa had put on him. Boa unzipped his pants and began pissing in Vladimir’s face. Slowly, he came to and attempted to open his eyes. “Rise and shine, muhfucka,” Boa said with evil dripping from his lips.
“What the fu—” Vladimir tried to say as he struggled with the ropes that bound his hands and feet.
“Your daddy, Boris has been a very bad boy. And guess what? You’re going to pay for it.” Boa walked over to a box that sat on a chair
“What is that bitch paying you? I promise my dad will double it,” he yelled.
“You see. That’s where you should have done your homework. Because what she uses to pay me, I can’t get from no nigga.” Boa smiled as he untied the moving bag.
“Wait! Please. I can fix this,” Vladimir pleaded.
Boa stood over him and released five death adders, one of the world’s most venomous snakes.
Vladamir’s eyes widened in fear.
Boa took out his gun and fired two shots quickening Vladamir’s movement. The snakes attacked. Over and over they sank their sharp venom-infused fangs into his skin as he screamed for mercy, which only quenched Boa’s thirst for murder.
Boa pulled out a blunt and lit it up as he watched the man’s skin blister and swell. “Another successful day on the job,” Boa said as he hopped in his car and headed back to the city.
*****
KoKo was seated comfortably on her private jet on the way from Miami when Sarah brought her the emergency phone.
“Ma, when will you be here?” Night asked with urgency.
KoKo looked at her watch. “We should be landing in about thirty minutes. Why?”
“A meeting has been called for heads of the families. They want you to make peace.”
“Make the spot neutral. I’ll call you when I touch the ground.”
“A’ight.” Night hung up.
KoKo crossed her legs and gazed out the window, staring at the clouds. Her plan was coming together step by step.
*****
KoKo was the last to arrive at the meeting at Ink48 in Manhattan, and the tension was already at a critical level. Night had everyone strategically seated. The Italians were on one side of the table and the Russians were on the other. Two of the top guys from the Columbians’ camp were seated at the very end. KoKo took her seat at the head of the table and the meeting began. Each side voiced their concern as KoKo sat listening and looking back and forth. Everything was going well until Andres insulted the Russian.
“See KoKo, this is what the fuck I speak of. There’s no compromise in this bullheaded fuck,” Boris said in his thick accent.
“You speak past me to her!” Andres yelled out.
The men again went at it. “Hold the fuck up!” KoKo yelled, bringing silence to the room. “I didn’t come out here for this shit. We’re trying to make money. Y’all gotta squash this petty shit.
“It’s hard to talk reason with a snake,” Andres said.
“You call me snake! You call me snake!” the Russian yelled as he rose to his feet. “I’ll see that your mother burns in hell!” Boris and his crew got up and stormed to the door.
“I can’t work like this, KoKo,” Juan, the representative for the Columbians said as he got up and headed for the door.
KoKo got up. “I will fix it.”
“I hope so. This is very bad for business,” Juan stated as he exited the room.
Andres and his team walked over to KoKo. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks, little princess. But the only thing that will settle this is blood.” They walked out leaving KoKo and the crew behind.
“What the fuck was that?” Mugsy asked.
“The beginning,” KoKo said as she headed for the door.
Close Call . . .
KoKo left instructions with Night to send Boa to Las Vegas to meet with Mr. Lu. It was time to make a payment, and with all the new shit popping she was able to give him double. When Boa got back from Vegas, shit on the streets was quiet. He called KoKo to schedule a meeting, but could not catch up with her. He scouted the area for Mugsy and Savage, and they too were hard to catch. Boa felt some heavy shit was going on. He needed to regroup and hit his spots to see what was biting. Pulling into his driveway, he flashed back on his birthday gift from KoKo. It immediately brought back all the good feelings he had when he drove to his apartment.
“I’ma have to thank her real good when I catch up with her,” he mumbled as he parked his car, hopped out, and headed inside.
Boa unlocked the door to his apartment and went inside. He was feeling good as hell. He then went into the kitchen and checked the refrigerator for something to drink. “Damn, a nigga need to stop by the store.” He took off his shirt and then hit the stereo. Jay-Z came on. Boa whistled to the beat as he walked to the bathroom. He unzipped and started to take a piss, but noticed something on the floor out the corner of his eyes. A stream of crimson-colored liquid led from the tub to his feet.
“What the fuck?” He shook off, put away the steel, washed his hands, and headed to the tub. He snatched back the curtain. “Oh shit!” He grabbed Latreece, who was lying in the tub in her bra and panties with both wrists slit from one end to the other. He grabbed her out of the tub and placed her on the floor. Then he ran to the closet and got some towels and rushed back to Latreece lying on the floor. He began wrapping her wrists. Reaching in his pocket to get his phone, he dialed 911.
“Hello, I need an ambulance to 1344 Baldwin Drive. Hurry please.” As he tried to divide his attention between the woman on the phone and Treece, he used his freehand to lightly pop her face. “Come on, baby. Don’t do this to me.” She had a pulse, but it was very faint. “Stay with me, baby. Hold on.”
“What is your emergency?”
“My girl slit her wrists. Send somebody!”
“Sir. Sir? Is she breathing?”
“Yes. But hurry up. I don’t know how long she’s been like this. She lost a lot of blood,” he said with tears in his eyes.
“Just keep talking to her. They are on their way.”
“Hurry the fuck up!” he yelled into the phone.
“Just try to stay calm and keep talking to her. I’ll stay on the phone until they get there,” the woman stated in a calm voice.
“Come on, baby. Stay with me.” He frantically shook her and checked for a pulse. Five minutes later, the bell started to ring. He released her and ran for the door. The paramedics rushed past him as he pointed them in the direction of the bathroom. Once inside, they put her on oxygen and stabilized the wounds. The paramedics placed her on a stretcher and moved swiftly to get her to the ambulance.
Boa grabbed his coat and keys, jumped in his car, and then followed them to the hospital.
*****
Two hours later, the doctor entered the hospital waiting area accompanied by two police officers. He greeted Boa and updated him on Latreece’s health. “She is stable and asleep. She has been placed under twenty-four hour suicide watch. We would like to contact her next of kin if you can provide us with that information.”
“Yeah, I’ll give you her mother’s number. But she is on a cruise with her two sisters. I placed a call, and I’m waiting for them to get back to me. So as of right nowf, I’m all she’s got.”
“Very well. We will keep you posted, and when she wakes up we will let you know.” The doctor walked out the room, leaving him with the officers.
“Can you tell us how you know Miss Simmons?”
“We used to date.”
“Can you tell us why she would want to kill herself?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Look, sir. We are just trying to do our job. It seems a little suspicious that your ex-girlfriend would come to your house and try to kill herself.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Are you sure there isn’t
anything you want to tell us, son? We just want to help.”
“Look, I got enough shit fucking with my head for one day. So if I’m not under arrest, leave me the fuck alone. I ain’t got shit else to say.” He stood up with blood all over his clothes and walked out the room.
“Don’t leave town,” one cop yelled out.
Boa didn’t even bother to respond. He just kept on walking.
Three days later . . .
Boa sat in his car with soft jazz playing in the background. He had been at the hospital by Treece’s side day and night. The doctors said they thought it wise for Latreece to go into a psychiatric hospital for a few weeks. Boa found a nice facility in Connecticut. As he drove, he looked over at Latreece, who sat staring out the window with her head against the headrest.
“You all right?” he asked.
She nodded and pulled her feet up into the seat. “Thank you for saving my life,” she spoke very soft words.
“No thanks necessary,” he firmly responded. His heart was breaking seeing her like this. Knowing he was the cause was killing him.
“Why couldn’t you just love me, Boa?” she asked, still staring out the window.
“I do love you, Treece.”
“But not more than you love KoKo,” she said as tears ran down her face. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve as the pain of her words pierced her heart.
Boa sat quietly, trying to choose the right words. He didn’t want to escalate the situation. “Let’s just wory about getting you well. We can talk about all that other shit another time.”
Latreece didn’t respond, but she continued to stare out the window.
Boa pulled into the driveway and parked. He got out and walked to her side, opened the door and helped her out. A psychologist and an orderly pushing a wheel chair greeted them. As she was rolled up the ramp, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Boa squeezed her hand tight in an attempt to comfort her. “Everything will be fine, Miss Simmons. You’re in good hands,” the middle aged, thin doctor stated.
Latreece gave a semi-smile and then looked ahead. Once inside, they went straight to the doctor’s office and were given the rundown on the treatment plan. Boa felt confident that she would get the help she needed. Once the doctor was done, they were escorted to her room, which was laid out like an expensive hotel room.
She got out of the wheelchair and sat in the soft, suede chair with an ottoman. The orderly got a blanket and covered her legs and then left.
“Boa, don’t leave me here,” Latreece said.
Boa sat down on the ottoman and grabbed her hand. “It’s okay. They are going to help you get better and in a couple weeks I can take you home.”
“I love you, Boa.” A tear ran down her face.
“I know. I love you too,” he stated, trying to do as the doctor ordered and not say anything to upset her. He had love for her, but he was no longer in love with her. And hopes of them being together were nonexistent. “Just worry about getting well.”
She brought his hand to her face, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you.”
Boa kissed her forehead. “Let me go get your things from the car. I’ll be right back.” He got up and headed to the door. When he left out, a short, white woman came in her room and sat down. She still had to be on watch.
Boa got to the car, opened the trunk, and retrieved two bags. He had gotten her all new clothes and sleepwear. In his heart he had done everything he needed to do and was setting her on the road to recovery. Her mom and sisters were to return the next day to be by her side.
Boa walked back inside and the doctor checked the bags to make sure everything was safe to give to her. There were several pairs of jeans, a few jogging suits, and T-shirts and sneakers. Toiletries, pajamas, and slippers. Everything was cleared and he was sent to her room.
When Boa got to the end of the hall, he looked into the sitting area at the residents gathering for social hour. Everyone seemed to be dressed alike and moving about the room slowly. But one woman, who appeared to be wearing rather expensive attire in what he considered a crazy house, caught his eye. She also had on several pieces of high-end jewelry, diamonds to be exact. He made a mental note and kept on walking. When he got outside Treece’s room, he noticed a very sexy woman at the nurses’ station eyeing him hard and smiling. Boa threw her a little smile and kept on walking.
He unpacked Treece’s bags and hung up all her clothes. The doctor overseeing the unpacking had Boa remove the laces from her sneakers and lock her closet. By the time they finished putting everything away, she had come out the shower, got into her pajamas and laid down. Whatever medication they had given her had taken over and she gave in to it. Boa kissed her and promised to see her in a couple days. He rubbed her hair as she dozed off, and then he exited the room.
“Don’t worry, she will be fine,” the doctor assured him.
“Thank you for everything. If she needs anything just give me a call.” He shook the doctor’s hand, walked over to the nurse’s desk and introduced himself. “I’m Boa, and you are?” he asked and extended his hand.
Filled with giggles, she said, “I’m Nona.” She firmly shook his hand.
“They got you working all hard. When do you get a break?”
“Unfortunately, I just came on duty,” she said, unable to control her smile.
“You dealing with somebody?”
“No,” she happily answered.
“Let me get your number, and I can call you when I’m on my way back up here.”
The woman quickly grabbed a pen and scribbled her number on a pink post-it.
“I hope it’s soon,” the naive woman said in a shy voice.
“Me too. Let me ask you something. What do you do?”
“I’m an LPN. I give out medication and schedule appointments for treatment.”
“That’s what’s up.” He paused and then got right to the point. “So the people in that room”—he pointed—“are they less dangerous than others?”
“They are our permanent residents. Most of them have lived here for many years.”
“Oh, okay, I was wondering, because I saw a lady in there who looks like she is very comfortable and very well off.”
“Who?” She stood up and looked down the hall.
“Her right there.” He pointed in the woman’s direction.
“Oh, her? That is our Lourdes as we call her.”
“Why y’all call her that?”
“Well, I don’t know if I should be telling you this—” She lowered her voice and looked around.
“I won’t tell if you won’t tell,” he said in a shy voice.
Nona looked at those sexy eyes and submitted. “Well, Lourdes doesn’t just live here. She has a little house on the grounds with her own cooks and everything. She has the most expensive clothes and jewels, but she never gets any visits. A huge check comes in every month to pay for not only her care, but also to fund a couple programs on site.”
“Damn, it’s like that?” he said, trying to sound intrigued.
“Yep. She’s a sweetheart. She doesn’t really talk. She just sits and looks out the window. She comes up here three times a week for her treatment and then she goes back to her house,” she said, sitting back down in her chair.
“Wow. Okay. Now back to me and you. Can I take you out to eat when I come back?”
“Sure can. Just call me so I can be ready.”
“If anything goes wrong you call me first.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out five hundred dollars. As he reached to shake her hand, he slid the money to her. “I’m the emergency contact in Latreece Simmons’ file. If anything happens, call me.” Nona smiled and flirted with her eyes, but the intercom interrupted her.
“Nona Giles. Report to the second floor med. room. Nona Giles, report to the second floor med. room.”
“I have to go. See you in a couple days.”
“Sounds good,” Boa said as he watched her switch toward the elevator.
&
nbsp; When Nona stepped onto the elevator, he dropped his smile and went to work. He walked into the recreation room and walked over to the lady who sat looking out the window.
“Hello,” he said and kneeled down in front of her.”
“Hi,” she said and smiled. She was even more beautiful up close.
“Are you enjoying the view?” Boa asked.
“Yes, I am. Thank you.” She looked him over, searching for familiarity.
“Do I know you?” the woman asked.
“No, ma’am, I was just caught by your beauty.”
“Oh, how sweet.” The woman patted Boa on the head. “You’re such a nice young man. Maybe I should introduce you to my daughter.”
“Oh, you have a daughter? Is she as pretty as you?” Boa asked and then watched the woman blush.
“Even prettier,” she said, reaching for the locket on her chain. She opened it up and pointed to the left. Boa almost lost his breath.
He mustered up a smile. “Yes, she is.” He took her hand and kissed it. “You enjoy the rest of the day.”
“Thank you, young man. I will be sure to tell my daughter about the fine young man I met today.”
Boa rose to his feet and gave her another smile. “I look forward to meeting her.”
“Excuse me, sir. But you are not supposed to be in here,” a male voice rang out, breaking his train of thought.
“Oh, my bad. I was just talking to the nice lady.” He turned to walk out, leaving the woman sitting in the chair staring out the window. The man came in and stood next to her. Boa didn’t even look back. His thoughts were all over the place as he quickly rushed to his car, jumped in and hit the highway. Boa had some dirt he needed to dig up, and he knew just the place to start digging.
-40-
Investigation
Rock sat at his desk going over some paperwork. He looked up from his desk and tensed up when he saw three black undercover cars pull up in front of his real estate company. He hit the intercom and said, “Jackie, call my lawyer and tell him to get his ass down here.” He rose from his desk and prepared for the worst.
Within seconds, the authorities were barging into his office flashing badges and yelling out demands. In minutes, he was being escorted to the station.