by Mikal Malone
Whoever was on guard would eradicate them immediately, but wouldn’t see Erick coming or the bullet he’d place in their head. In order for his plan to work, it had to be done before shop hours ended, because they increased security afterwards with three or four soldiers guarding at a time.
“Okay,” Jordan sniffled. “How much you giving me again?” she asked. She was hurt, but not enough not to claim the money he said he’d give her.
“You funny. I’m gonna give you four Gs. Like I said.” He laughed feeling comfortable that she was going to help him again.
“Okay….but don’t hurt my baby’s father. If you don’t see him walking toward my building, call this shit off!” Jordan demanded.
“Your baby daddy, huh? Now that’s funny. How you know you ain’t carrying my kid around in there?”
His words caused Jordan to press the end button on her cell phone, and throw it across her room against her bedroom door. She always thought he could possibly be the father, but the thought alone was as disgusting as Doctanian not being the father. She only slept with Erick because he was aggressive and cocky and at times that turned her on. But when the sex was over, she always wished she hadn’t shared her body with him because he was always so rude and disrespectful to her. With Doc she had a future; with Erick she knew she’d have nothing.
Having heard the thump against her daughter’s bedroom door, Jordan’s mother Da’vanta walked into the room without knocking, something Jordan hated, and asked her what was wrong.
“Ma, get outta here!” Jordan yelled trying to prevent her from seeing her red face, which just moments before was crying.
“You okay, baby?” she asked trying to soften her up, so she could hopefully cop some dope from Doctanian later if he was coming over. Doctanian fed her needs sometimes, but he started to hate it considering she was his girlfriend’s mother.
“Yeah, Ma! Please leave! I want to be alone.”
“You sure, baby? Want me to make you some tea or something?” she asked, rubbing her arms.
“No, get outta here!”
Da’vanta was on her way out the door when she bent her frail body down to pick up her daughter’s ringing cell phone. She became instantly upset when she noticed it was Erick’s name across the display. She handed it to her daughter, who snatched it out of her hands instantly and demanded that she leave her room.
“Ma, get out!”
“I’m still your mother!” she said as she slammed the door and walked to her dark dim living room, wondering when her next fix would come.
Da’vanta hated Erick because she felt he had something to do with the only man she ever loved being killed. But the love of her life was also responsible for getting her hooked on dope.
She couldn’t help but cry as she thought about Critter.
Chapter 24
Loyalty
February, Saturday, 9:18 p.m.
Doctanian
In the past Doctanian had been kidnapped and held at gunpoint and yet he never felt any fear like the fear he felt right now.
Upon receiving the news that his girlfriend Jordan might be having a miscarriage, he ran to his most trusted soldier, Erick, and asked him to hold down the fort, while he saw about the love of his life.
“Look, man, I need you to look after things real quick,” Doctanian said as he tried to prevent himself from breaking down. “I gotta go handle something now.”
“No problem, man. Everything cool?” Erick asked, curious as to see what lie Jordan told him that had him so shook.
“Naw, man. Between me and you, my girl may be having a miscarriage. I don’t know what I’ma do if she loses the baby. I love them more than I love myself! That’s my word!” Doc said, trying to hold back how he felt, although it showed through stronger than any words he could say.
Miscarriage? Erick thought. Damn, that bitch is good!
“I got you, man,” he said while placing in his hand on Doc’s back. “I got these niggas out here. Go and take care of you and yours. Shit is all good out here! I got these niggas on lock. Trust!” Erick said as he convinced Doc to abandon his post.
With that, Doctanian ran toward his girlfriend’s building. Sucker for love ass nigga! Erick thought as he gave the word to the others that the plan was being carried out.
Out of breath and worried, Doc banged on Jordan’s door. When her mother answered, he was angry when she didn’t appear as worried as a mother whose daughter was having a miscarriage should be.
“What’s wrong, Doc?” Da’vanta asked sensing his eagerness to get in.
“Where’s Jordan?” he asked as he pushed his way through the door, and into Jordan’s room.
“She ain’t here,” Da’vanta said. “I woke up and she was gone.”
“She didn’t tell you she was having a miscarriage?” he asked as he walked back into the living room with her. “She didn’t say anything to you?”
“A miscarriage? No. She didn’t say anything to me about having no miscarriage.”
His mind was on overload as he assumed the ambulance had come in and rushed his girlfriend out of the house. While she was talking, he looked around for signs of disruption. He decided to calm down and question Da’vanta thoroughly. Maybe she’d seen more than she realized, but due to smoking dope, she needed a jolt to make her remember.
“Ms. Porter, I’m worried ‘bout Jordan. I need you to tell me everything that happened when she was here. Don’t leave out nothing because this is very important.”
Ms. Porter realized that unlike any other boy her daughter dated, Doc genuinely cared about Jordan.
“Okay…well…” she said as she sat on the sofa. “Earlier she was in her room upset. I came in and saw her cell phone on the floor.”
Doc’s heart raced as he imagined her in pain and him not being there for her.
“So I came in and asked her what was wrong and if I could do anything for her.” She rubbed her temples and then the sides of her arms.
“And what else, Ms. Porter?” he demanded, attempting to jolt her as she nodded off. “Ms. Porter, what else?”
“Oh….I’m sorry. And Erick,” she said coming out of a dope induced nod. “Erick called and she took the call.”
Doctanian backed up against the 32-inch TV on the stand, knocking it over. The most treacherous thought imaginable ran through his mind. It sounded like his girlfriend, his child’s mother, was possibly setting him up.
He tried to run to the door but was slowed by the pain in his heart and the knots in his stomach. Feeling loyalty to Emerald City and being a true lieutenant, he decided to face his mistake head on; even if it meant losing his position or even his life.
He pulled out his cell phone and contacted the person he knew could hustle up the manpower needed to prevent whatever was getting ready to happen, and that was Yvette.
Chapter 25
Can’t Please Everybody
January, Saturday, 6:00 p.m.
Thick
Vegas’ night sky was a brilliant mixture of oranges and reds preparing for the sunset.
People were just waking up from their naps, eager to stay up until the sun started all over again. No matter how much glitz and glamour was surrounding the Emerald City squad, there was still obvious tension in the air.
“I don’t understand why you would invite that bum bitch!” Lavelle yelled at Thick in the hallway of his suite at the Bellagio. “I don’t fuck with that girl all like that.”
The squad had reserved four rooms, with an extra room for the girls Thick decided to bring with them from the city. He called himself helping his friends get over Mercedes and Carissa, but Lavelle was growing irritated. Sharonda was in her room while Shannon stayed up under them in the hopes of catching any stray bills falling to the floor.
The squad was there mainly for business, because Thick had convinced them that it wasn’t cool to live under the fear of Dreyfus any longer, since several attempts to take down their stash houses in the past would cause them more
problems than it was worth. He was also tired of dealing with him on consignment for the weight he needed to keep the city moving. Although Dreyfus had made it clear that he’d be willing to accept his money up front, they had gotten used to the modest time frame he allowed to pay his money back, even though it came with jump in the price.
Thick was given the name of a Cuban connect who agreed to meet with the squad after hearing how easy they move weight in Emerald City. The connect offered to supply the weight at an affordable rate up front, and transport it safely to the city. After hearing this news, the fellas agreed that as long as they would be able to pay Dreyfus off, and sever the relationship on good terms, they’d be willing to meet Thick’s connect.
“I thought you were feeling her, yo! I was trying to cheer your punk ass up because I’m tired of slipping on your slob. You niggas been crying for three weeks and you starting to bring me down!” he said as he walked into the living room where Cameron was receiving a shoulder massage by Shannon, Derrick’s jump off.
“Man, I’m not trying to be stuck in Vegas with Sharonda’s ass all week. I fuck with her when I get ready to and leave it at that. Anyway, I thought the main purpose of this trip was business. They shouldn’t even be here,” Lavelle said, placing his nickel-plated .45 on the table.
“Look…we can leave them bitches down here for all I give a fuck. It don’t make me no never mind,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders and lit the blunt, acting like her friend Shannon wasn’t even in the room. “I was just looking out for ya’ll crying ass niggas.”
“Man ain’t nobody trying to leave them hoes down here,” Lavelle said as he brushed what he considered to be a dumb ass comment off.
He didn’t want to be bothered, but he wasn’t trying to carry no females like that, especially considering he had daughters and wouldn’t want anybody treating them badly. He just didn’t want his entire week ruined in Vegas.
“All I’m saying is bringing them females down here ain’t gonna make me move or work no quicker,” Lavelle said as he pulled on the blunt Thick handed him. “All she gonna do is make me mad.”
Cameron wasn’t saying much. He didn’t understand why Thick invited the girls either. But after being up under a woman who took care of her body, and was as soft as Shannon, he was good for now. Still, nobody could get his mind off Mercedes; he didn’t care how good the pussy was.
“Yeah but maybe it’ll help you get over that bitch!” Thick laughed as Cameron took time from his shoulder massage, to see what Lavelle’s response would be.
“Be careful, nigga. That bitch you talking ‘bout is still my daughter’s mother. And if you call her out her name again, my loyalty to Emerald City ends here,” he said as he put his finger on the table, which was close to his gun.
“You’s a funny nigga.” Thick laughed as he walked toward the door connecting the rooms and popped his collar. “Ya’ll niggas so in love ya’ll green. As long as it don’t fuck with my business, it’s all good.”
He walked into his room and stuck his head back out the door. “Shannon,” he barked.
“Yes,” she answered, looking up from Cameron’s neck to see what he needed.
“Come here.”
Without saying another word, she disappeared into the room with him and closed the door behind her.
Leaving Cameron alone.
Chapter 26
Strapped
January, Saturday, 9:35 p.m.
Derrick
“We got the back secure. I’m turning off this phone so it won’t go off when we rush they asses in the hallway. Ya’ll ready?” Derrick asked Yvette on the CB radio they used for emergency purposes only.
“Born ready, nigga!”
Strapped with Glocks, Uzis and TEC-9s, Derrick grabbed four of his best soldiers to secure the back of Until B, which was the building Doctanian manned. Doctanian had sent them to make sure everything was okay after speaking to Jordan’s mother. Something didn’t sit with him right, and he wanted them to make sure.
Creeping up the steps quickly, but quietly, they had their guns in full view and ready to unload. An old lady trying to meet her friends on the 3rd floor for a game of Bingo was entering from the fourth floor. She almost passed out when she saw them creeping up the stairs dressed in all black. There was no need to tell her not to say anything about what she’d seen, because they’d already seen her face. Running back to where she came from, she gave her apologies for disturbing them, and disappeared.
The stash house was in Unit B, on the eighth floor. Any other time, walking up the steps would have taken an immediate toll on Derrick’s crew, considering they weren’t aerobic cats. But tonight they didn’t need to be fit, to do what needed to be done. They were running strictly off adrenaline.
As they approached the eighth floor, their hearts were pounding with the anticipation of what was in store. Far from punks, his soldiers were ready to unleash on his command, and only his command. When Derrick heard footsteps, he placed his finger over his mouth quieting them.
When they stopped moving, they realized that in the stairwell above them were two sets of footsteps that sounded as if they were moving in their direction. Suddenly they stopped, when a door opened, and a third set of steps appeared.
Someone spoke. “What the fuck ya’ll doing, man?”
Derrick believed it was Doctanian’s right hand man Erick.
“What you talking ‘bout we—”
Erick cut them off. “I don’t want to hear that shit! Ya’ll some thieving ass niggas! And I can’t stand thieving ass niggas.”
“What the…I’m confused as shit man. You need to tell me what the fuck is going on,” the other voice echoed in the hallway. “We did everything—”
Before he could complete his statement, Derrick heard a bullet swirl from the barrel of what sounded like a .45 automatic weapon.
An anxious voice yelled out. “What the fuck you doing, man! Why you kill him like that?”
To see what was going on, Derrick instructed his troops to run full speed up the steps ready to lay down everybody if need be. When they reached the area where the voices were, they saw Ice, one of Doctanian’s soldiers, pointing a gun at the back of Erick’s head. The noise from them running up the stairs, gave Ice the distraction he needed to catch Erick off guard and take out his weapon.
Erick knew they were coming when he walked to Unit C and saw Derrick’s boys manning the station instead of the girls. They hardly ever left their post. Immediately, he went to plan B to protect his name. The only reason he went over to Unit C in the first place was to be seen before he robbed the stash house. And he was glad he did. He figured if something went down, the girls could vouch that he wasn’t involved. But when he didn’t see them manning the post, he knew word had gotten out that somebody was trying to infiltrate. So he hustled over to the building, not wanting his co-conspirators to be caught alive.
“Put your fucking gun down, slim!” Ice yelled at Erick.
Erick complied and put his hands up in the air.
“Them too. Tell them to put their fucking guns down,” Ice yelled.
“We ain’t putting shit down so you can get that out your fucking head,” Derrick said as he gave the signal to buck that nigga when he gave the okay. “Now I want to know what the fuck is going on!” Derrick yelled eyeing Tonio’s dead body.
“He a thief!” Erick interjected. He didn’t care if he shot him or not, he still didn’t want anybody knowing the part he took in everything.
“If I’m a thief, yo ass is a thief too nigga……believe that! You trying to set me up or something, Erick? Yeah. That’s what you do,” Ice said as he began to talk like a maniac. “This nigga’s trying to set me up.”
“You talking shit, nigga!” Erick screamed, realizing that his chances were better with calling him a liar and living than taking the beef that he was trying to rob the stash house too. Because either way, if they found out he was in on it, he was still going to die.
“I
’m talking shit? I’m talking shit, nigga?” Ice yelled as he pushed the barrel of the gun toward his head, forcing him against the wall. His back facing the closed door behind him.
“I don’t know ‘bout him talking shit, but you definitely are!” Yvette said as she busted through the sixth floor door and unleashed a .45 bullet inside Ice’s skull. “I’m tired of these niggas fucking with my money,” she said as she wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at Derrick.
She saw everything from the small glass window in the door and waited patiently for the moment to pull the trigger.
“That was some sexy ass shit, shawty!” Derrick said as he put down his weapon, while instructing his soldiers to stay on guard.
“Thanks, baby. I’m glad you liked it.” She winked tucking her weapon in the back of her pants.
Suddenly Derrick smiled when he saw gun barrels sticking out as if Charlie’s Angels were coming through the doorway. His heart dropped when he saw Mercedes in a ski mask move into the hallway with Carissa and Kenyetta following. Only putting their weapons down, when they saw Derrick’s boy was still pointing at Erick. He knew it was Mercedes because although she had the ski mask on, her ponytail peaked through with the streaked golden blonde hair that he liked.
“So it was true ,huh?” Mercedes asked, removing her ski mask revealing her beautiful face. “Some niggas were trying to get us again?”
“Hold fast,” Yvette said. “We ain’t out the woods yet. What’s the deal with this nigga?” Yvette asked Derrick, while looking at Erick.
“I don’t know yet. Let’s ask him,” he said turning his attention to him. “What’s your story? What you doing here, man?”