by Glenn, Roy
When Me’shelle arrived at the house to pick Travis up, she asked if she could use his phone. “My battery died while I was talking to Brandy.”
“How’s she feeling?”
“She’s doing much better. At least I think so. She still doesn’t like being alone. She gets headaches. She says they’re from having been hit in the head during the assault. She doesn’t eat like she used to, so she’s losing a lot of weight. I think the nightmares might not be happening as often, because she is sleeping better lately.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
“This is the first night in a while that I haven’t been there with her, so you can understand why I wanted to check on her.” The doorbell rang. Travis looked at Me’shelle. “I’ll use the one in the back,” she said without asking.
Not expecting anybody, Travis reached for and cocked his pistol. He opened the door and was surprised to see Jackie.
“Hey, you,” Jackie said as Travis stepped aside to let her in.
“How you doin’, Jackie?” Travis asked.
“I’m good. I was on my way to pick up Ronnie, so I took a chance and drove by to see if you wanted to ride.”
“Where’s Ronnie?”
“Some young-minded trick he’s fuckin’ with took his truck, his clothes and his wallet and left him stranded at some motel in Yonkers.”
“He say what her name was?”
“No. He just told me the story and said to come get him.”
“I don’t know what he sees in them drama queens,” Travis said, hoping the young minded trick wasn’t Pauleen.
“You don’t know?” Jackie asked.
“Know what?”
“Them drama queens is crazy. And everybody knows crazy women got the best pussy.”
Travis glanced toward the bedroom and thought about Me’shelle. “Come on, now. Not all the good pussy women are crazy.”
“I didn’t say all, but you’ve had some fools with that bomb-ass pussy, and so have I.”
“True that. But good pussy or not, I try to stay away from them nuts. Besides, I’m off the market anyway.”
“She back there?” Jackie whispered and pointed toward the bedroom. Travis nodded. “My bad,” she whispered. “So, do I get to meet the little woman?”
“She’s on the phone. I guess she’ll come out when she’s done.”
“If she’s any kind of woman, she’ll be out here as soon as she hangs up to see what woman her man is talking to.”
Travis laughed, but he knew she was right. “So, how’s Ronnie doin’? Every time I call him he’s running out somewhere or he’s right in the middle of something and never has time to talk.”
“What else is new? That’s how he’s always been. But other than this latest shit, he’s been doin’ all right. Still fuckin’ up his money on women and trying to be a day trader. The market is just too unstable to make that shit work for him.”
“He’s not dippin’ into his reserve, is he?”
“No, but I know that between the market and his usual spend it like it’s water lifestyle, he just about ran through the thirty grand from the last job.”
“Damn,” Travis said, thinking that he hadn’t spent any of his share. The day after the job, he wired all his money to his bank in the Caymans. Veronica had sent him back confirmation that his money was deposited in his account. “How you doin’ with your thing?”
“What? The gambling? I’ve been a good girl the last two weeks, but that’s only because Freeze banned me from all the houses,” Jackie lied. “I’m too scared to roll up on another game, and I’m too lazy to drive, and I refuse to fly to Atlantic City.”
“Damn, Jackie.
“I know I’m off the chain with it, Travis, and I need to get some help. I’m thinkin’ seriously about goin’ to Gamblers Anonymous.”
“If that’s what you gotta do, then let’s do it. I’ll go with you.”
“Ronnie says the only reason I think I got a problem is because I’m losing and my money is gettin’ low. Says I wouldn’t be talkin’ all this problem shit if I was winning.”
“He’s probably right about that part, but you still need to get help if you think you got a problem.”
“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but Ronnie’s been talkin’ bout we need to hit someplace soon. Either with or without you.” Jackie held up her hands. “Before you say it, I know you said that you’re retired.”
“Right. I’m out, especially after the way he acted after the last job.”
“Shit, Travis, that was just Ronnie being Ronnie. You know that.”
“Yeah well, I guess it’s me then.”
“Well, you are the one who changed up on us.” Travis scowled at Jackie. “Just being real. You are in a brand new favor now.”
“Am I that bad?”
“I never said you were bad. Just different.”
There was silence in the room until Jackie said “Hello.”
Travis turned around and stood up quickly as Me’shelle came into the room. “Jackie, this is Me’shelle.”
“It good to finally meet you,” Jackie said, extending a polite hand.
“So, you’re Jackie, Jackie, Jackie.” Me’shelle smiled and accepted her hand. “Some days all Travis talks about is Jackie, Jackie, Jackie.”
“You’re not jealous, are you? Because I assure you, you have nothing to fear from me. In fact, Me’shelle, you and I are gonna get along just fine,” Jackie said as she looked Me’shelle over.
“Are we?” Me’shelle asked cautiously. The look on Jackie’s face was making her feel just a little uncomfortable.
“Yes, Me’shelle, we are,” Jackie said and smiled at Travis. “Because all I want is for Travis to be happy, and he is happy with you. We were just sitting here talkin’ ’bout how he’s changed. And what’s changed him is you. You’ve been good for him. So, I’m hoping that change rubs off on all of us.” Jackie stood up. “So, come give me a hug so I can go.”
Me’shelle and Jackie hugged. Jackie winked at Travis.
“I’m not running you off, am I?” Me’shelle asked.
“No. I just stopped by on my way to perform a mission of mercy.”
“What?” Me’shelle said.
“I gotta go pick up Ronnie, but if y’all are gonna be here for a while, I can pick up Ronnie and swing back through.”
“We were getting ready to go by Me’shelle’s apartment so she can change for dinner.”
“Mind if me and Ronnie tag along? I know Ronnie is dying to meet you. ”
“No, not at all,” Me’shelle said. “I’m dying to meet Ronnie too. I’ll be a while changing, Travis, so why don’t you go with Jackie to pick up Ronnie? Then you can come by my house and pick me up.”
“You sure?” Jackie said sweetly.
“Yes.”
“Come on, Jackie. I’ll walk you to the car and tell you where she lives,” Travis said, ignoring Me’shelle’s suggestion.
Chapter Forty-one
As planned, Jackie made it out to Yonkers and picked up Ronnie. While he put on the clothes she’d brought for him, Jackie couldn’t wait to tell him that she had met Me’shelle, and that she was fine. “He wouldn’t even ride out here with me.”
“What part of that surprises you? Pussy-whipped nigga.”
“Look who’s talking,” Jackie shot back. “You calling him pussy-whipped, but some bitch left you out here butt naked, with no truck and no money.”
Ronnie laughed. “I guess she didn’t appreciate me calling her a triflin’ money grubbing bitch.”
“I think that’s enough to piss her off. You should be glad that all she did was leave you here asleep. She could have cut your dick off.”
“Maybe,” Ronnie said and thought about a few other things that a pissed off Paulleen could do to get him back.
Me’shelle and Travis drove over to her apartment to get ready for dinner. On the way over, Me’shelle told Travis that she thought Jackie was sweet. “But should I
be afraid of her?”
“Even though Jackie is at best bisexual, I don’t think that you have anything to worry about,” Travis assured her.
While Travis waited in the living room and channel surfed, Me’shelle wandered around her bedroom, trying to decide what to wear. The doorbell rang.
“That’s probably your friends,” Me’shelle said as she went to answer the door. She stepped out of her apartment into the foyer and looked out the window. Outside were three men she’d never seen before. It was Miller, Jordan and Blue. When they began to bang on the door, Me’shelle ran to get Travis.
Travis came out to take a look. “They’re armed,” Travis said as he took out his gun. “Is there another way out of here?”
“Through the basement and out the back door.”
“Come on.” They ran down the steps into the basement just as Blue kicked in the door. As Me’shelle escaped out the back door, Travis settled himself, ready to shoot the first one who came down the steps.
Blue was the first to come running down, followed by Jordan. Miller went into Me’shelle’s apartment and began to look around. In the basement, Travis took aim and fired, but he missed. Blue fired back wildly, and Travis ran out the back door.
Me’shelle ran through the yard and climbed over the fence to the street. Travis was right behind her. He made it over the fence just as Jordan and Blue came out the back door blasting. Me’shelle ran down the block but stopped to look back for Travis.
“Keep goin’!” Travis yelled, but she waited for him anyway. Jordan and Blue hopped the fence and began shooting. Travis and Me’shelle ducked behind a car and Travis shot back. When Jordan and Blue took cover, Travis and Me’shelle took off running.
“Where do those woods lead?” Travis asked as they ran.
“It comes out on the next block,” Me’shelle answered, still running.
Inside Me’shelle apartment, Miller was tearing up the place, looking for whatever he could find, getting angrier by the second because there was nothing of any real value in the entire apartment. Miller was just about to search the bedroom when he heard voices.
Jackie and Ronnie approached Me’shelle’s apartment building and noticed the door had been forced open. The wood on the frame was splintered and the door was hanging off its hinges.
“Do you hear that?” Ronnie asked.
“Hear what?”
“Sounds like gunshots.”
“What part of that surprises you?” Jackie asked as she stepped into the foyer.
As Jackie stepped inside, Miller came out of Me’shelle’s apartment. He raised his gun and fired at Jackie.
“Gun!” Jackie yelled as she pushed Ronnie back out the door.
Miller fired a couple of shots through the window before running into the basement and out the back door. Once the shooting stopped, Jackie and Ronnie went to the car, armed themselves, and came back to the building. They went inside the open apartment and looked around for Travis. Not finding him there, they closed the apartment and went to the basement, moving carefully down the steps.
By the time they got down there, Miller was gone and the basement was empty. Ronnie went out the back door. He could hear gunfire coming from down the street. “Get the car, Jackie, and meet me around the block,” he instructed then ran though the yard, jumped over the fence and moved cautiously in the direction of the shooting.
Ronnie stood at the edge of the woods and waited for Jackie to get there with the car. “I don’t hear any more gunfire, but I’m pretty sure that they went in the woods,” he told her when she arrived.
“These woods come out on the next block. I’ll drive around and meet you on the other side.”
“Okay,” Ronnie agreed and headed into the woods.
Travis and Me’shelle made it through the woods and hid behind a car. Travis knew that he had to be almost out of bullets. He looked at Me’shelle. She was out of breath and she looked scared, but she was surprisingly calm under the circumstances. “You okay?”
Me’shelle nodded, but she was scared, very scared.
“Get under the car and stay there no matter what,” he told her. Me’shelle quickly complied.
Jordan and Blue came out of the woods and looked around. “You go that way,” Jordan said, then he and Blue went in different directions.
When Travis heard them, he raised up from behind the car and fired, but in the darkness he missed. Ronnie heard the shots and ran in that direction. Jordan started firing back at Travis, who quickly ducked behind the car again.
Travis cautiously came up from behind the car and fired twice, hitting Jordan with two shots in the chest. His now lifeless body fell to the ground. Travis looked at Jordan’s dead body in the middle of the street. But now he had to wonder where the other assailant was.
When he heard Travis’s shots, Blue turned around and saw Jordan hit the pavement. “Shit!” he hissed. But now he knew where Travis was. He moved slowly toward Travis’s hiding place. A car was coming down the street fast. Its headlights momentarily distracted Blue.
Ronnie came to the edge of the woods and saw Blue moving in the shadows toward Travis. He shouted “Hey!” When Blue turned, Ronnie fired at him. Blue fired back.
The car kept coming down the street as the two men fired at each other. Ronnie started running toward Blue, still shooting. Blue shot back then turned toward the car and froze. The headlights were so bright they were almost blinding. Ronnie was now close enough to get a clear shot at him. He fired and hit Blue in the head.
Jackie slammed on her brakes to avoid hitting the two dead bodies in the street. She jumped out of the car with her gun drawn. “Everybody all right?” she yelled.
“There’s one more. There were three of them,” Travis shouted as he came from behind the car.
“That must have been the one that was searching the apartment. I don’t think he came this way. He musta got away,” Ronnie said as he approached Travis and Jackie.
“Who are these guys?” Jackie asked.
“I don’t know. They just showed up at Me’shelle’s door,” Travis said as he went back to the car to help Me’shelle. She crawled out from under the car.
“We gotta get outta here before the cops come,” Jackie said as she got back in the car.
“That might not be for another half an hour,” Ronnie said.
Travis helped Me’shelle get to her feet. “Are you all right?” he asked as they rushed toward the car.
“I’m all right,” Me’shelle answered in a quivering voice.
They got in the car. Jackie drove away quickly, leaving the two dead bodies in the street.
“Thanks for coming when y’all did. You saved our lives, ’cause I was damn sure out of bullets,” Travis told them.
“Ain’t that what friends do for friends?” Jackie said.
Chapter Forty-two
Once they were safely back at Travis’s house, each began to speculate about who the gunmen were. Me’shelle, who had been silent during the ride back to the house, finally said, “I think that it was the same people who killed my brother and raped my niece.”
Everybody stopped talking and looked at her. “You think so?” Travis asked.
“It could be, Travis,” Ronnie said.
“You did go after them,” Jackie added. “They could have known where Me’shelle lived and been waiting there for her to come back.”
“Brandy did tell the police that there were four of them. And the detective said they found one dead at the house,” Me’shelle said.
“I think you’re right,” Travis agreed and walked to the phone. He called Freeze and told him what had happened.
“I haven’t heard anything about it, but I’ll see what I can find out. You all right?” Freeze asked.
“Yeah, we’re all cool.”
“Who’s there with you?” Freeze asked and Travis wondered why he would want to know who was there with him.
“Me’shelle, Jackie and Ronnie.”
“Okay,
you stay there. I’ll get back to you when I know something.” Freeze hung up the phone knowing what he was going to do next.
“Freeze said he’d call back,” Travis informed them.
“I need a drink,” Jackie said as she went to the bar.
“I need a drink and a blunt,” Ronnie said.
“It’s in the usual place, Ronnie. You want a drink?” Travis asked Me’shelle.
“Maybe later. Right now I just need to lay down for a minute,” she said and got up.
“Okay. I’ll be back there in a little while. But leave the door open and yell if you need me.”
“You drinkin’, Travis?” Jackie asked.
“Shit, yeah. Hook me up.”
“I got you one ready. Now, you go on and relax. I’ll check on Me’shelle,” Jackie said with a sly laugh.
“Yeah, I just bet you will.”
“I’m only kidding. You don’t have to worry. I promise not to seduce your woman,” Jackie said. At least not without you.
* * * *
Warren Miller stayed in the area long enough to see Jordan and Blue taken away in body bags. With nowhere else to go, he went to The Spot to see Rocky about that job in Philly. Miller thought that the way things were going, Philly would be the best place for him for a while. He could lay low for a few months then come back to the city a brand new man.
As soon as he hit the door, the room got quiet. He knew then that coming there had been a bad idea. It was too late. As Miller turned to get out of there, he walked right into Derrick and two other very large thugs.
“Miller, where you been? Everybody’s been looking for you.” They grabbed his arms and led him into the back room. It wasn’t long before Chilly entered.