Spot Rushers

by Brandon McCalla

  “You two are a bunch of punk ass bitches. You two ain’t really done any real time. None of us did.” Sabrina took another long pull on the blunt. “We owe it to Dora to get at Steve Stunner. I ain’t gonna go down to Philly and take all the weight myself. We started this shit together. We gonna end this shit together.”

  “It ain’t never gonna end, Sabrina. It’s only gonna end with us really doing some jail time or all of us winding up like Dora.” Bernadette stated and started walking towards the door.

  “You ain’t going nowhere dyke-bitch. No one is leaving till we get this shit straight,” Sabrina said grabbing Bernadette’s shoulder.

  Bernadette wasn’t accustomed to being hindered. Sabrina riled something in her.

  “Get your hands off of me bitch!” She warned Sabrina. “This ain’t back in the days when I’d just do what Trevor said. You were never our leader. When Trevor died we were all out for ourselves.”

  Sabrina put a firmer hold on Bernadette’s shoulder.

  “Let go of me,” Bernadette’s voice thundered.

  “I took over when I shot that nigga in the head. If you got a problem with that show it with more than words. If not get your dyke-ass back on the fucking couch and play your position.”

  It seemed like Bernadette was headed back to the living room. She never reached the couch. She turned around and swung a fist. The punch seemed like it traveled in slow motion connecting with Sabrina’s jaw snapping her back.

  Sabrina legs went wobbly. Rayne tried to steady her. Bernadette looked as if she was about to slug Sabrina again. She didn’t. Bernadette just looked at her, shaking her head. She looked into Rayne’s eyes with sympathy.

  “Sorry Rayne,” she said then walked out the door.

  seventeen

  Sabrina gathered herself and ran into the living room, pulling out a pistol from under the couch, she screamed.

  “I’m gonna kill that bitch!”

  Rayne quickly jumped on Sabrina and wrestled her to the floor. They rolled around for a minute. Rayne held Sabrina’s gun hand. Sabrina pushed Rayne’s face back in a vain attempt to get away.

  “Get off of me Rayne! Don’t make me shoot you!” Sabrina warned in between her huffing and puffing.

  “Put down that thing and I’ll let you go.” Rayne said while tussling with Sabrina.

  “Put down the gun Sabrina.” Rayne yelled.

  They continued struggling for a minute. Sabrina was way bigger and stronger than Rayne but Rayne managed to wrestle Sabrina until she was on top of her. One of Rayne’s hands was still clenching the hand that held the gun and her other was an elbow to Sabrina’s throat.

  “You’re way stronger than me Sabrina. I know you can get me off of you. You don’t wanna shoot Bernadette,” Rayne said hoping that she was correct.

  Slowly she got off of Sabrina.

  Sabrina jumped up, cocked the gun and aimed it at Rayne. Then she tossed the gun right on the couch in frustration. Sabrina’s anger and aggression had her body shaking. Rayne exhaled. Sabrina sat on the couch and put her head in her hands.

  “What’s wrong with that bitch?” Sabrina looked up at Rayne. She massaged her jaw. “That bitch hits like a man.”

  Rayne laughed, “Doesn’t she though.” Rayne got serious, “Sabrina I don’t want us fighting n shit.”

  “Ain’t nothing to fight about,” Sabrina said getting up from the couch. “Bernadette is gonna be down with what we have to do.” Sabrina gave Rayne an evil smile. “I ain’t taking no for an answer. The Fatal Four is life or death. If she doesn’t think so, I’ll explain it to her the same way I explained it to Trevor.” Sabrina’s aggression was evident. Rayne didn’t like what Sabrina said one bit.

  When Sabrina had settled down she and Rayne began to chitchat. They reminisced about the old times, the good and the bad. They spoke about the future. Rayne assured Sabrina that she didn’t want a life of crime anymore. Sabrina spoke of getting back at Steve Stunner.

  “After that you could do whatever you want,” Sabrina said.

  Rayne wanted to avenge Dora’s death and didn’t press the issue. Rayne loved Sabrina and for the rest of the night they talked, laughed and joked around like there were no other issues. In the wee hours of the morning, Rayne was tired.

  Sabrina was too. She was talking about getting back to the streets to check on her money. Rayne knew it was time to leave and asked Sabrina to call her a cab.

  “Where are you going?” Sabrina asked.

  “I’m going back to my sister’s hotel room. She’s going back to Florida today and I wanna spend some time with her before she leaves.”

  “What are you gonna do afterwards?” Sabrina probed.

  “I’m not sure yet,” Rayne said with honesty. “I ain’t going back to the Bronx. I ain’t staying with my mother n shit.”

  Sabrina reached inside her pocket and pulled out a roll of money. She gave two one hundred dollar bills to Rayne.

  “Here’s a little something to hold you down. Drugs and pimping ain’t like it used to be Rayne. I’m like doing shit by myself. I’m glad you’re back. Now shit can really pop off,” She called Rayne a cab.

  Rayne didn’t say anything else. As soon as the cab came she hopped inside.

  “Call me Rayne”

  “I’m gonna do that Sabrina. I’m gonna call you.”

  Rayne was so tired when she’d got back to her sister’s hotel room. She went straight to bed. When she awoke Riley, was getting ready to leave.

  “I wanted to spend some time with you before you left.” Rayne said with disappointment.

  “You were sleeping so well Rayne, I didn’t wanna disturb you. The offer is still open. If things don’t work out for you in New York, you come to Florida.”

  “Ok,” Rayne said and gave her sister a kiss on the cheek and a long hug. “I’m gonna call you all the time. I’ll visit.”

  “This room is yours till the end of the week.”

  “Damn big sis, thank you.”

  Rayne wanted to cry. She needed to take her medication and was losing control of herself. Rayne was too hard to be crying over the way her sister was treating her. Her sister was always kind to her. Riley had all her bags and was set to go. Her flight was two hours away. Rayne walked with Riley downstairs and watched until her cab was completely out of sight. She went back upstairs.

  Pangs of hunger tore through her making her think of room service. She thought about how expensive that might be. It was one in the afternoon, time for lunch. She was in Times Square where there were millions of places to eat. She had enough money to do whatever she wanted. She decided she wanted to eat in a very nice restaurant.

  Rayne took a very long and exhilarating shower and dolled up. She was looking fine. She liked how she was feeling. Spending close to a year in the mental institution had mellowed and matured her. She took her medication before leaving the hotel.

  Downstairs she asked the door man if he knew of any good restaurants. The doorman gave her a tourist map with many places to eat and things to see. Rayne said, “I ain’t no fucking tourist. Just let me know of a real nice restaurant. About four or five stars. I wanna eat at one of them.”

  The door man laughed and suggested a Japanese restaurant on 48th and Fifth Avenue. It wasn’t a five star place but they had great food. Rayne said, “I ain’t had no Japanese. Is it like Chinese n shit?”

  “No, order the chicken teriyaki.” He suggested, tilted his hat and opened the door for a very sexy, Rayne Avila.

  eighteen

  Rayne ate at a Japanese restaurant for the very first time and loved it. She had ordered the chicken teriyaki like the doorman suggested. Afterwards she went around Times Square window shopping. Rayne realized while she was walking around that she really hadn’t been out much. She had been trapped in a perverse and uncommon world that Trevor created.

  After three hours of window shopping, Rayne felt like doing nothing better than hang out with Sabrina. She called Sabrina on her cell phone. />
  “I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” she said.

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” Sabrina said smiling at her phone. “My bitch is back!”

  Rayne wasn’t sure about that. All she knew was that she had nothing else to do. She walked into the train station and saw an ad for CUNY colleges. The thought of school hit her again. She read the number and stored it in her cell phone. She had to get her GED first. Rayne hated herself for not staying in school.

  Men kept glancing at her while she was on the train. Kissing Angel replayed in her mind. He might not call back. Maybe he wasn’t interested. She wondered. She looked at a couple of the men who were watching her. She wasn’t sure of what to do? The only man she’d dealt with was Trevor. She didn’t know how to approach men and had no idea of what to look for in a man.

  Angel was different. She’d known Angel since she was a little girl. She wanted Angel. That was that. Rayne rode the train to her stop. She got off and exited the station. Above ground, she was in her old hood again.

  Memories resurfaced. She didn’t dwell on any of them for long. Rayne walked three blocks. She started smiling when she saw Sabrina standing next to a mail box.

  One memory stood out above all the others. Trevor was having problems with a rival drug dealer. The dude was hustling his product three blocks away and was in a good position because crack-heads and dope-fiends generally moved past him before they reached Trevor and Rayne. Crack heads and dope fiends were generally not loyal. The dude was selling two for five’s and twenties for ten. It was incredible. Trevor was losing money so he let the Fatal Four loose.

  It wasn’t a spot rushing situation. They went on a diplomatic mission that wound up being straight beating a dealer’s ass. Trevor told them to have words with him. He didn’t want the guy so close. Trevor was very reasonable but often enough reasoning wasn’t enough. Sabrina wasn’t very reasonable. That day they walked down the block she had other plans.

  “I don’t think we even need to say shit,” Sabrina told the girls. “What’s there to say? He knows he’s fucking with business and the nigga ain’t shit. If he was shit he wouldn’t have to be as close to our territory as he is.”

  Sabrina made perfect sense to Rayne and Dora. Bernadette was unsure.

  “Trevor wouldn’t have told us to give him a warning for nothing. The nigga must have some sort of connections or something. I think we should just do what Trevor told us,” Bernadette suggested.

  Bernadette was level headed and respected Trevor’s guidance. Sabrina didn’t take directions very well. Rayne did what she was told. Trevor had never led them in the wrong direction. They were spot rushing at least one drug dealer every other month. Nothing had ever gone wrong and they never had a situation in their hood that a couple of threats and warnings couldn’t resolve.

  “Fuck that!” Sabrina snapped at Bernadette and the others.

  Dora was silent as usual. Bernadette eyed Sabrina. Sabrina was doing all the talking. They walked over to the dude. Sabrina didn’t say anything to the man, nothing that Trevor suggested. He was posted up near a liquor store. One of his workers had just done a hand to hand transaction. They were all shocked when Sabrina walked over to him and pulled out a gun. They didn’t even know she was packing.

  It happened real fast.

  The dealer knew they were Trevor’s bitches. He didn’t find them threatening. Sabrina smacked the dealer across the face with the gun. She hit him but not hard enough to knock him out.

  Everyone in the area reacted. He had two of his boys with him. They moved in on Sabrina and the rest of the Fatal Four. The crack heads in the area scattered. Sabrina beat the dealer down to the ground. Rayne pulled out her machete. Bernadette grabbed Rayne and held her at bay. Dora watched.

  It became a bloody situation. Bernadette couldn’t hold Rayne back for too long. She had to fight. Someone threw a punch at Bernadette. She took a slug in the face and gave the guy two of her own. Rayne sliced one of the guys in the face, right up under the neck. The guy had grabbed Rayne but after getting stabbed in the chest, he let her go. Bernadette punched the guy she was fighting in the face again. She continued punching him until he was on the ground and unable to get up. The guy who Rayne had sliced and stabbed took off running.

  “Bitch ass nigga!” Dora yelled laughing. Her girls were so thorough all she had to do was watch and laugh. She saw Sabrina still pistol whipping the dude. He was on his back. Sabrina was over him, holding dude by his shirt collar. His face was dripping with blood.

  Bernadette placed her construction boot on the head of the guy she had beaten down.

  “Stop it, Sabrina!” She yelled. “You might kill him.” She looked at Rayne and said. “Don’t you dare do more,” she warned Rayne. Rayne was about to set out after the guy she sliced up. “You’ve done enough.”

  “Okay,” Rayne barked. She kept the machete low and moved over towards Bernadette.

  “I don’t even think I gotta tell you anything.” Sabrina told dude she’d just beat. “If you still wanna fuck around, Trevor will roll up on you. If his bitches are like this, imagine how he is.”

  Sabrina let go of his shirt. His head hit the concrete with a loud thud. The dealer moved his situation a couple of blocks further north of Trevor’s location.

  That was back then. Now Sabrina was walking proudly towards her...

  “I knew you were gonna come back Rayne,” Sabrina greeted and hugged her with a smile. It was cold outside. Rayne had her coat buttoned up to the top. Sabrina had a couple of her buttons left open and wasn’t even wearing a sweater underneath. She was wearing a flimsy shirt that showed all her cleavage. Sabrina was hot to death.

  “What’s hood out here?” Rayne asked with a smile.

  It was the beginnings of winter and Sabrina was making sure her people were hustling the drugs. Rayne spotted two people she knew were Sabrina’s workers. Both were young girls and were dressed as fly as Sabrina. Sabrina never used to be overly concerned about the clothes she wore. Now she was wearing styles that were straight off the runway. They had all changed so much in the shortest time. Rayne knew a year wasn’t that long of a time.

  “I’m gonna go back to school and get that GED then see about college.” Rayne said.

  “Good, good for you. Didn’t I tell you that after we get Steve Stunner you can do whatever you want?” Sabrina laughed at her. “I want you to meet someone. Yo Pebbles,” Sabrina yelled at one of the girls.

  The cuter of the two walked over. She was dressed as fancy as Sabrina and smoking a cigarette.

  “Pebbles, this is Rayne.” Sabrina said it like she had spoke of Rayne often.

  Pebbles looked at Rayne with her big eyes. The girl was really good looking but not Dora Dean sexy. Rayne saw a few similarities though. She looked at Sabrina with the blankest expression. Rayne wasn’t stupid. She knew what Pebbles’ role was going to be. Pebbles was a replacement for Dora Dean.

  “I heard so much about you. You’re like a legend in the hood, a hood legend.” Pebbles said, her huge eyes glued on Rayne. “Sabrina told me all the stories. I wanna ride like y’all.”

  “Your name is Pebbles right?” Rayne asked. The girl nodded. “Pebbles you can ride all you wanna. Me, I wanna live. I want kids and a husband or some shit like that.”

  Sabrina laughed. “Get scarce,” she told Pebbles. Sabrina kissed her passionately before the girl walked away. Rayne was flabbergasted.

  Pebbles looked at Rayne afterwards with eyes that were inviting. Rayne waited until Pebbles was out of earshot before saying anything.

  “Sabrina, you getting like Bernadette now?” Rayne asked still having trouble believing what she had just witnessed.

  “I don’t fuck around with men anymore, Rayne.”

  “Sabrina that shit ain’t true, you live with a dude. You told me so,” Rayne uttered a bit shocked.

  “True, but that nigga is a bitch ass. I run shit. He eats my pussy and sometimes I feel the urge for dick. He does what I s
ay.” Sabrina gave Rayne an evil grin. “What you looking so surprised for? You and Dora Dean ate each other’s pussies in St. Louis. She told me.”

  Rayne’s cheeks got red. “We were working.” Rayne started uncomfortably. “Remember the rules; anything goes when we’re spot rushing.”

  “Right,” Sabrina said. Sabrina watched Pebbles still walking further down the block. Sabrina looked over at the slender girl’s ass. “I’m working right now.”

  “Damn!” Rayne blurted.

  Sabrina turned back and leered. “Don’t damn me. What the fuck you care whether I lick pussy or suck dick. We used to share a man together. I used to suck Trevor off right after he had his dick in you and you used to do the same.” Sabrina smiled. “I used to enjoy sucking you off of him. You taste real good Rayne.”

  “Stop it!” Rayne screamed. Her cheeks got redder. She was more angry than embarrassed. “Don’t get bold with me Sabrina. I ain’t no punk.”

  “I know you ain’t,” Sabrina said with honesty. She touched the scar. “I know exactly what you’re made of. I ain’t gonna tease you no more. Rayne, Pebbles could be down. We gonna need two new members.”

  “Two new members…?” Rayne blurted. “If you’re thinking of spot rushing again you can count me out.”

  “Nah, Rayne you gonna do at least one with us.”

  “Bernadette ain’t gonna do no more street shit.” Rayne reminded.

  “Fuck Bernadette!” Sabrina snapped with more volume than she wanted. She grabbed Rayne roughly and pulled her closer so she could speak lower. “If that dyke wanna be out then she’s out. Fuck her! I’m talking about you and me and two new members. We will remake the Fatal Four. We gonna do a run or two and then go and get Steve Stunner. We gonna get him for everything he got, do it right this time. Smoke his motherfucking ass.”