Altered Destiny: A Hustler's Choice

by Sherylynne L Rochester

  Chapter 24

  Adrian felt that if we were to take over the game, we needed to

  get guns and protect ourselves. If we were going to be side by side with him then we needed to learn how to use them as well. I was skeptical at first after having had bad experiences with guns. But, I knew I needed one and I welcomed it.

  * * *

  The next week Adrian returned back to town and took Sasha and Stacey to get guns. It would be her first gun. It would give her the power she wanted and needed right now. Adrian stepped behind her and got really close on her. She melted inside, but kept focused.

  “Now, you hold the gun like this,” he said as they practiced at the shooting gallery owned by a good friend of his. It was in a quiet spot in Brooklyn. Only top hustlers knew about it. “Keep your eyes focused on your target.” Adrian continued to guide her as she began to shoot. She hit her target after a few tries with Adrian. “Good. Now do it without me.”

  Sasha aimed and fired. She missed her target.

  “Try it again,” Adrian said.

  She missed it again. “This is hard,” she said.

  “You’ll get it. Just stay focused. Concentrate. You know what helps? Think about something that makes you really mad. Put it on the target and shoot at it.”

  She did as Adrian said. All her problems and everything she was going through were now on that target. She aimed, fired, and hit her target.

  “Good.” Adrian said as she smiled, loving the feeling it gave her. “Now do it again.”

  Again she hit her target. She was on her way to becoming the toughest chick on the streets. She would shoot if necessary, she would do whatever it took.

  “How you handling over there Stacey?” Adrian asked.

  “Oh, this is a piece of cake.” Stacey began firing like a pro. She had used guns before. She had always been around it. Her father had a love for guns and at a young age he taught her how to use them. Sasha was wild with it. Adrian and Stacey were afraid for those that crossed her the wrong way.

  “I think you are liking this too much,” Sasha said to Stacey.

  “I was about to say the same thing,” Adrian said.

  “Oh, believe me, I am loving this.”

  * * *

  He turned to me as the screen paused. He was watching me, then, he began to speak.

  “What made you decide to do this and be this way?” Although he already knew the answer he just wanted to hear my response.

  I told him that at that point in my life I figured that was what I could do to get the things I wanted. I had watched others get money and all that they needed and I wanted the same. Plus, T had disrespected me and I felt that he needed to pay. Things in life changed me and that was the only thing that I could do to get to where I needed to be.

  “Didn’t you see what happened to them when they chose that same route you did? Didn’t you think about the lives you would be affecting? Didn’t you think about your mother and how she did the same exact thing?”

  I shook my head and said to him, yes, but I didn’t care.

  “You didn’t care.” He shook his head.

  I was only thinking about my self and I’m sorry. I was only thinking about getting ahead even though it was the wrong way to get ahead. I wanted revenge. I wanted him to pay for all that he did to me. I wanted a better life and I saw that as a way to get a better life.

  He resumed the screen.

  * * *

  “So what gun do you want?” the man selling the guns asked Sasha and Stacey.

  Sasha and Stacey stepped forward looking at the many guns that were in front of them.

  “I have some more guns over here. Come over here, let me show you something.” He walked over to a cabinet and opened it. Inside were many different guns. Sasha smiled as she grabbed a gun.

  “That’s a good gun.”

  “I like it.”

  “Yeah. Go try it out to see how it feels. See if you really like it.”

  Sasha went back over to try the gun. She shot it with ease. “That works. I’ll take this one.”

  “You sure? You’re comfortable with it?” Adrian asked Sasha.

  “Yes.”

  “I see you found yours as well,” the man said to Stacey. “You sure you can handle that?”

  “I can handle anything,” Stacey said smiling.

  “Thanks man. I’ll send someone over to take care of you,” Adrian said.

  “No problem. You ladies take care of yourself.”

  “We will,” they both said laughing as they shot at the targets in front of them. They were having fun and the new Sasha was beginning to emerge.

  Chapter 25

  Sasha now walked the streets feeling powerful. This was what

  she wanted all along. She felt for her gun. Being a woman and walking the streets at night was not safe, but she did not care. She had protection. She would not hesitate to use it.

  At one in the morning, she decided to take a walk to get some food. She was hungry and wanted some fried chicken from the chicken place. She also wanted to get out and enjoy the nice air. It was a long day of learning and working with Adrian and Stacey. As she walked to the corner, a tall man she knew started to hit on her. He did not recognize her.

  “Hey, ma, what a pretty lady like you doing out here this late in the night?”

  She ignored him and kept moving. She had no time for his nonsense.

  “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

  She continued on her way. He ran up to her and grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away, but he would not let her go.

  “Blue, get your hands off me.”

  “How you know me?”

  Blue was high, but she did not care. The gun and the plan she had with Adrian and Stacey made her feel powerful. No one would disrespect her like that ever again. She had one hand free, and gladly grabbed her gun. She shot him in the leg. He went down. She bent down beside him and placed the gun to his temple. “Grab me again and I won’t hesitate to shoot you in the head.”

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you?” A guy behind her placed a gun at her head. She wasn’t fearful at all. She calmly stood up and looked at him.

  “Do you know who I am?” she said looking straight into his eyes. “I’m T’s girl. You shouldn’t put your hands on me. You got that.”

  Stacey came up behind the man who held the gun at Sasha. She pulled the trigger and shot the man in the head. Sasha turned around and faced the rest of the guys that were on the corner. Their guns were drawn, but they quickly put them away once they saw Stacey and four other men standing behind Sasha with their guns drawn on them. They were outnumbered. The guys backed up and ran as quickly as they could.

  “Spread the word, boys. Don’t mess with us,” she said.

  “Girl, I’m glad I saw you as I was driving by. What you doing out like this with nobody on you?”

  “I could’ve of handled myself.”

  She shook her head and laughed. “You liked how I blew his head away.”

  “Yeah, girl! You saw how I shot him in the leg.”

  The guys who were with Stacey just stood watching the two of them. They were shaking their heads. “We better get out of here,” one of the guys said.

  They all hopped in the car and speed off. The adrenaline rushed through Sasha’s body. She loved it. The thrill, the power, and the respect that she got tonight made her want to go through with the plan.

  * * *

  “What were you two thinking?” Adrian said with a questioning look.

  Neither Sasha nor Stacey said a word.

  “Look, it’s not time for all this. Now, word is going to get out about you two. I guarantee you T will call you or even come see you. He’ll deal with you for killing and injuring his men.”

  “Look, it’s the right time. We’ve been planning for months. It is now time to take action. Yeah, T will step to me. I know that, but I can handle him.”

  Adrian sat in the recliner, his favorite seat in Sasha’s pla
ce. He wanted to be angry with the girls for doing something so stupid, but he could not. It really was funny. He laughed when his boys told him how the girls were jumping up and down, all excited about the kill. It was perfect timing. It would speed things up. They could now get in and get T like they had been planning.

  “You know Sasha why don’t you call T and get him to meet you. It’s time.”

  * * *

  “What do you mean, he’s dead?” T asked.

  “Some…girl killed him last night,” Delance said.

  “What girl?”

  “Some chick with Sasha.”

  T laughed. “You’re joking right?”

  “Nope! That’s what they told me.”

  “Nah, I don’t believe you. That’s ludicrous.”

  “Believe it. The streets are confirming it.”

  Ring. Ring.

  T looked at his phone. “Well, what do you know...it’s Sasha?”

  Delance scrunched his eyebrows down.

  “What do you want?” T asked amused.

  “I need you to come over here, now.”

  “I’m busy. What’s this about? You killing and terrorizing my crew.” He just laughed.

  “It’s important and I think you would want to come over now. We have some things to talk about. It would be in your best interest to come over now. If not, then, someone else will die.”

  “You don’t have it in you Sasha. Stop trying to roll with the big dogs.”

  “I’m not playing T,” she said angrily.

  “So you want me to come over so that you can take me out too? Nope, not happening.”

  “I ain’t gonna hurt you. Look, it’s about S.D.”

  He snarled at the mention of his name. “I don’t care. Anything about S.D. isn’t my concern anymore.”

  He hung up on her and just smiled.

  * * *

  “He hung up on me.”

  “Oh ok, well, let’s get another member of his crew. Call Do-Wop. I am sure T will be calling soon.”

  She picked up the phone and dialed Do-Wop’s number.

  “Baby, girl, what’s up?”

  “It’s time for take out.”

  “Ok, anything for you. What you want?”

  “You know what I want. The usual.”

  “You got it.”

  “Ketchup all over.”

  “I’ll get it now.”

  She hung up the phone and left her condo immediately.

  Chapter 26

  An hour later T went to Sasha’s condo. He ram-shacked her place

  looking for her. She had done it this time and he was furious. She took out another one of his street hustlers. Delance was with him. They both had guns drawn, ready to take her out. As they searched the place they noticed that her clothes and all her things were gone.

  “She’s gone,” Delance said.

  T stood amazed. He wondered where she was.

  “She can’t be doing all this herself. She’s not that smart.”

  “Yup, got to be working with someone.”

  Ring. Ring.

  “What?”

  “Hey, T, it’s Sasha. You thought I was bluffing, huh?” she laughed. “Now can we meet or should I have another one of your people’s killed.”

  “Where you at?”

  Adrian figured that T would be on his way over to Sasha’s condo with guns once another one of his street men were killed. He told her to gather everything she needed. She would be staying with him. He placed a lookout on her block and told him to notify them when T arrived. Once T arrived she called him.

  “Meet me at the Café.” It would be crowded this time of day and if T tried anything it would not be successful. “10 minutes.” She hung up the phone. She went down to the Café.

  Twenty minutes later T had showed up. She was not very happy that he was late, but she waited for him.

  “You’re late.”

  T sucked his teeth. “What’s this about Sasha?”

  “You’ve changed T and—”

  He cut her off. “So, and you have too. Look at what you’ve done today.”

  “Well, I don’t like the way you are now. What happened to you and I being together forever? What happened to us? The plan we had? I was going to be by your side, but lately you’ve just pushed me aside. I am tired of it. The beatings, the rage you’ve had. I can’t take that anymore.”

  “So you’re doing all of this because of the way I have treated you?” T asked confused.

  “No, I am doing this because things need to change. I need to be a part of what you are doing.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, I will be by your side whether you like it or not. If not, then, I’ll just take you out and run everything myself.”

  “You don’t have the balls to do that. Let alone the mind to accomplish all that.”

  She was insulted by his remarks. “Oh, so you think I am stupid and I can’t do this? Well, obviously, these last couple of hours and last night proves I have what it takes.”

  “You didn’t kill those people.”

  “I ordered them to be killed.” She looked him straight in the eyes, not budging or standing down.

  “Who killed him? What people do you have or know?”

  “I have people…enough of this. From here on out, I’ll be handling the business with you.”

  “No you’re not,” he said angrily.

  “I want my money and all that I deserve. I helped you get to where you are. You owe me,” she said as she poked him in the chest.

  T laughed and said, “I don’t owe no ho anything.”

  “Really? So, that’s how you feel about me?

  “Yup!”

  She was hurt by his words. “Fine. Starting today, you will give me a cut form each and every deal you make.”

  “And if I don’t.” He thought all of this was hysterical.

  “Well, if you don’t then I’ll tell everyone that you had S.D. killed.”

  He laughed harder. “Go ahead! It’s a done deal S.D. is dead.”

  “And I’ll go to the cops. I’ll tell them all I know, where all your stash and stuff is.”

  “I wish you would. You know I could just end this right now and kill you. It wouldn’t bother me.”

  “In front of all these people.”

  “Yup! And you know if you take me down I’ll take you down.”

  She laughed this time. “You have no proof. Anyway, I have already informed my people that if I turn up dead they should go to a certain place and read a certain letter I wrote and view a video I did. It has all the information about you killing S.D., and me, and where all your hideouts and drugs are. There’s a list of everyone that works for you. You all would go down. You wouldn’t have anything. You know since you planned the hit on S.D. I gathered a little information that can be used against you. I have recordings, paper work, etc. How about I go to the feds right now because I know they are watching everybody and definitely want some information, too. Better yet, how about I confirm to everyone you killed S.D. Since everybody already suspects it I could confirm it and tell them everything I know. They would be after you. You would be dead the moment I tell.”

  “Yeah, if you tell them I’ll tell that you were a part of it also.”

  “It wouldn’t matter,” she laughed. “So now I am part of it? You know I think if you want to stay in this game alive and out of jail, you would do as I say and give me a cut each and every time.”

  “I know you been smoking something?”

  “Yeah, your lies and now I am through with it. You got in this game to be on top, get money, to be successful. If you don’t give me what I want all that you have tried to accomplish will be over. So, what is it?”

  “All this is stupid Sasha. What about all that I have done for you? Given you money, loved you—”

  “Stop right there, you stopped loving me ever since you took over. You stopped giving me money ever since you found out I was carrying S.D.’s baby. As a matter of fact,
I did all this for you. All you could give me was a black eye and a bruised body. You thought you could control me. You thought I was soft, young, and stupid. I ain’t. Now, what’s your answer?”

  “You know nothing about the game.”

  “I know more than you think. All I want is a cut. You just give me the money and all will be good. Plus, I want to know your every move. Who you dealing with? Who you about to take out? I need to know about anything and everything. I mean it.”

  He just looked at her.

  “Every meeting you have you let me know about it, every deal that deals with money you let me know about it. I’m going to be the baddest chick on this block. No one will mess with me. If you try to mess with me, I will kill you and anyone else in my way, you hear me.”

  He shook his head in agreement with her. Their plan had worked. Now, she could really get in to his business and take him down for good. He figured it was best to keep his enemies close so he could know their every move.

  * * *

  “I was so heartbroken when you went down this road. You wasted the gifts I placed in you. You used those gifts for evil. You even took a few lives. You became something I never called you to be. It hurt me to see you that way. I never designed you to be that way.”

  Once again he turned around and faced the screen. I closed my eyes. I felt so ashamed.

  Chapter 27

  “I want them dead!”

  King wiped his hand across his face and thought about what was said. “Now, I don’t think the time is right. Let’s play with them a bit. Make them scared. Let them pay for what they did.”

  The man King was talking to stopped and thought about it for a while. He did not want to wait. He wanted revenge and he wanted it now.