Hood Misfits, Volume 2

by Brick

  “You either with me or against me. If you with me check my next move,” was all I said as I walked off.

  The sound of feet following me let me know that they were with me and flanking me. I roughly tugged on my hoodie then went to where the body of that Dillenger kid was. Reaching into the pockets of my hoodie, I pulled out a pair of leather gloves with barbwire sewn into it and put them on. Like I said, I was feeling my uncle’s style with that, so I made it even better. The tips of each one had razors, too, and I gripped the kid then threw him over my shoulder.

  “We heading to Dante’s zone. Me and him got some shit to talk about.”

  Phenom gave me a nod then hit his cell. I could hear doors on the block opening, which meant that he had the whole codes on lockdown and protection. Jake hit up Gina and Ray-Ray letting them know what was up. Ray-Ray rushed out of the house telling us that she was coming too. So we waited as she found me with Dillenger’s body over my shoulder and Speedy stayed with Gina to protect her. I could tell she wanted to question what had happened but knew better by the look on my face. Walking with the body, we headed to Dante’s “set space,” by stashing the body into an unmarked van laced with plastic. A set space was a safe zone for any gang to chat it up. Me, I was using it to prove a point or send a message depending on how you looked at it.

  Once we pulled up, I could see Dante’s ride waiting at the gate. Nigga sat on the side of his ride with a smile on his face. His legs were crossed at the ankles, while his dark gray business coat–covered arms were crossed over his massive chest. Nigga had the look of boredom mixed with elation on his light sepia face.

  The cross scar on his lip was slanted to the side with his malicious grin. Darkness was set in his pitiless eyes. Several street hoods surrounded him, with some of the surviving Jamaicans, some East Indian gangs, Jews, and Asians. I really couldn’t give a fuck about who he had behind him. It always only took one bullet to end a motherfucker and, besides, we had just as many numbers as he did.

  Slamming the car door as I slid out, I walked forward with a purpose. Death wasn’t nothing to me. I had survived it, even as I welcomed it, so if any of them popped me off, it was whatever. I always had a fallback if that ever happened anyway.

  “Di nigga, Trigger. I got mi sum calls dat say the killa of mi blood wanted ta speak wit’ me? I am amused. What can I kill you for, boy?” Dante taunted.

  See, niggas like him and Dame really thought that their words or actions could put the fear of God in me, or respect anything they had to give me but no. Right now, I had to break the code of Sun Tzu. I knew right now that I couldn’t attack this cat where he was unprepared, or appear where he would not expect it, because I was purposely in his zone. But in using this tactic, he would also still be blindsided with the fact that where he watched me, others of my uncle and aunt’s team were in his blind spot. So I smiled while using Sun Tzu’s other code: “all warfare is based on deception.”

  Locking eyes on him, I said nothing. Kept my mouth shut, returning to my old self, that silent, lethal mute. My jaw ticked and I felt my temple thumping while he waited for me to say something.

  “Wut you American niggas be about? Yuh don’t understand wut I’m sayin? Let mi clear it up. What do you want? Word in the endz is that your mob is dying, that true?” Dante smirked.

  The accent he owned smoothly disappeared into that of an American tone. He rubbed his hands together then crossed them back over his chest while holding his platinum cane.

  My eyes bore into his skull like a 9 mm and I backed up, walked to the van, opened the back, and pulled out the body, wrapping the kid over my shoulder like a coat. Laughter lit up my eyes and I calmly stepped forward, thumbing my nose and putting swag in my step.

  Just to fuck with him and give him disrespect, I flipped my language on that dude, all while noticing the whites of everyone’s eyes as they bucked out and stared at me in disbelief, “Who di fuck is Trigger rasshole, cha? Tis sho’ ain’t Tigga eitha. My name is Trigga, brah, get ya shit right. Anyway, a nigga look good don’t he? I got that new shit right here.”

  Dillenger’s body stayed wrapped around my shoulders like a fur as I did the Cat Daddy, turned in a full circle then stood in place going back to being silent before speaking again, watching Dante from under my hoodie.

  “Play me and I play you. Welcome to my world, nigga. I’m done being brand new. This shit may be a new zone but we all from the same pond feel me?” I growled.

  Grunting, I forcefully threw the lightweight body so that it landed at Dante’s feet with a hard wet thud. Many of his crew started grumbling, popping off at the mouth like bitches as shock hit them with who it was. I heard some women scream and I saw niggas step forward, but that nigga Dante just chilled where he was. He gave one look at the body. Saw the blood that had splattered on his shoe, and then stood to extend his foot and wipe it off on Dillenger’s shoulder.

  I found myself laughing at that shit while I stood there. Nigga had no respect for even his own. The comforting feel of my steel filled my hands from under the sleeves of my hoodie. I flexed my arm, pointed forward, and pumped off several rounds, killing the men around Dante including his driver who sat right behind him. I did that move just to prove a point, even though I knew that nigga probably didn’t care. And he didn’t. Nigga didn’t even flinch as he held up two fingers telling his side to remain silent.

  Cool with whatever message that came across, I kept my stance waiting.

  “Was good to finally be introduced to you, bruv. We’ll be hangin’ soon,” Dante crooned.

  Not even the death of his son moved the nigga so you know the death of a few of his henchmen wouldn’t move him. He pushed off the car, pressed the end of his cane into the back of Dillenger’s lifeless, small body and several other dead niggas around him, and then walked off slowly before pausing.

  “Phenom, ya trained him well. I’ll enjoy killing ya both, blood,” Dante yelled back as he disappeared with the remainder of his crew.

  I memorized every face around him and in the set. The sensation of my uncle standing next to me while resting a hand on my shoulder let me know he was just as pissed off as me. I didn’t even have to see if he was watching that nigga hard like me, jaw clenched tight with a vein pumping next to the fresh-lined cut of his hair near his temple.

  Nah, the tone in his voice as he holla’d at me let me know that. “Let’s ride out; your point was made, and we still didn’t find her.”

  My point actually had not been made because this shit was not done. Following my uncle, my mind went back to Ghost. Images of her face flickered in my mind. Any pain he gave her, he fucking was going to experience later, by my hand.

  Chapter 8

  Ghost

  I was naked and cold in a cage in a room filled with other girls and little boys. Some knew English and some didn’t. Some were smaller than me, looked like they was hungry, but no matter how much we was different, we was all scared. I could tell by the whimpering and crying.

  “What’s your name?” a girl asked from the cage beside me.

  I looked at her. She was older than me and pretty. Dark like Diamond. Her thick hair was in two plaits like Diamond used to do mine.

  “Ghost,” I answered.

  “Is that your real name?”

  I shook my head.

  “My name is Chyna,” she told me.

  “How long you been in here?” I asked.

  “Only a few weeks. They’re keeping me here, I don’t know why. They moved me to this place. Must be because my parents are getting close to finding me.”

  Her accent was cool. Kinda made me wish I had one. “What they do to kids in here?”

  Her wide eyes looked up at me. “Sell them.”

  My eyes got big as hers and I crawled to the bars of the cage staring at Chyna. “Sell them? Like for money?” I asked. My body started to shake a little bit ’cause I was cold and scared.

  “Yes, men come in and bid on you. If the price is high enough, they
can buy for the night or forever.”

  Up closer I could see she was naked like me. She had a bruise under her right eye. “They ever buy you?” I asked her.

  She shook her head. “No. I’m too old. They like the smaller children. It’s bloody sick. Really it is.”

  I didn’t say nothing else. I was mad at myself for getting caught. Trigga was going to be so mad at me. I didn’t want to start crying but I couldn’t help it. I shoulda been paying attention like my daddy taught me to and I would’na got caught. When I started sniffing my nose I could hear other kids crying louder too.

  “Hey, don’t cry, ’kay? I’ll protect you best I can, eh? Dante likes me. Sick bastard don’t want anybody to bloody know he’s got the workings for a minor, yeh?” Chyna reached through the bar on her small cage and grabbed my hand. “It’s irie, yeah?”

  Dante? That nigga was selling kids just like Dame? He was my uncle but he was just like that punk bitch. Fuck crying. Trigga said you never let the enemy see your weakness ’cause they’ll use that shit against you. So I dried my tears quick when I heard feet coming down the hall. Most of the kids started crying louder and huddled back in their cages. I looked over and saw one boy had pissed himself. Fuck this shit. I was gonna get the fuck up outta here dead or alive.

  Chapter 9

  Ray-Ray

  “Why did you do that?” I ask Trigga.

  “To make a point.”

  “What was the point? Aren’t you afraid he’s going to kill Ghost if he has her?”

  He turned to look at me, lips twisted. I knew in his heart there was murderous intent. “My point was to let him know that I ain’t afraid of shit he does and I’ll always meet him where he comes for me.”

  I could tell by the way Trigga was acting that he probably was thinking I was just asking shit to fuck with him, but I wasn’t. My mind was running a mile a minute and most were images of all the sadistic things I knew could be happening to Ghost. Dame had girls as young as ten in that house sometimes because that nigga sold pussy to the highest bidder no matter the age. I had the jerks like a powder head just picturing some big, overgrown nigga trying to fuck a nine-year-old Ghost. Shit had me on edge. Not to mention I couldn’t get the image of that little boy wrapped around Trigga’s shoulders like a shawl and dancing before tossing his body at his father’s feet.

  “We need to get back to the flat,” Anika said.

  “No,” Trigga said and turned on his uncle. “You both need to tell us what the fuck is really up right now.”

  Phenom didn’t flinch. “You heard what my woman said, blood. Back to the flat.”

  “Fuck the flat,” Trigga said. He was pissed. Some of Dante’s goons still loitered around, watching, no doubt waiting to rush back and tell Dante our crew was having trouble.

  Phenom stepped to his nephew. “You better use your head right now, Kwame,” he growled through clenched teeth. “Don’t bloody challenge me right here and not right now. Back to the fucking flat.”

  He said Trigga’s real name low enough so nobody heard it but me, Anika, and Big Jake. I knew Trigga so I knew that nigga’s mind was working overtime. He wasn’t gonna rest until he got Ghost back. Wasn’t gonna chill or none of that shit. Phenom had to know the monster that streets and life had made of his nephew. I could tell he knew by the way both of them stood, backs erect, fist clenched at their sides like combatants. But, like I said, I knew Trigga. There was always a method to this nigga’s madness.

  That night had to be the worst night I had ever been alive. I couldn’t sit still thinking of all the things that could have been happening to Ghost. I cried. I prayed. Then I got real. Anika kept Trigga and Phenom from getting downright grimy with one another in the streets. We really couldn’t afford for the other niggas on Dante’s team to see that shit. So they calmed down enough for us to make it back to my flat.

  “So, now are you two going to say what’s really going on?” I asked my aunt.

  I didn’t know what was going on with Anika, but she looked like she was two seconds away from spazzing out. Phenom paced the floor of my flat until it looked like he was crazed. That didn’t account for Trigga moving about like he had ADHD. I would have given anything for my mama or my daddy to show themselves and talk to me like before, but even they had been silent.

  “We have a daughter,” she stated with no emotion in her voice. “She’s sixteen, young like you. Your mother was three years younger than I was. Our father was a Nigerian who loved white women and their submissiveness over us. Shanna’s mama’s skin may have been white but she was every bit a black woman on the inside. That man didn’t like that so he left Shanna and her mama just like he had left me and my mother. Shanna’s mama had been fucking with my daddy while he was married to my mother. Now you know how we’re sisters.” Anika took a breather like telling that story was hurting her. “Shanna was pregnant with you and I got pregnant with Chyna a short time later. I knew she was my sister, but Shanna didn’t know me until I introduced myself to her. She was fucking with your nothing-ass daddy.”

  I cut my eyes at my aunt. I didn’t care what people said about him; when he was alive, he protected me. Kept me safe and out of harm’s way. Anika caught my look but kept talking.

  “I don’t care what you think. Your daddy was a predator. Shanna was only fourteen when they met. He was pimping her out. That ain’t love. Anyway, to make a long story short, me and Shanna were cool for a while but I couldn’t take her choice of life. I tried to get her to come with me but by then your daddy was all in her head. He was all she could think about. We had a fight, like a fist fight because I told your daddy I’d kill his ass if he ever laid hands on her again. Almost got Phenom to pop him. But Shanna was ride or die for that nigga. Fought me because I wanted to protect her. He’d used her face as a punching bag, but that didn’t stop her from swinging on me. After me and her fought like that, I finally realized that Shanna loved the life she was living because it was what she was used to. She didn’t know anything else. I was scared shitless she was going to start doing to you what her mother did to her. Many nights I cried in Phenom’s arms because I was afraid she would start pimping you out like her mother had done her. I was surprised to see that she was the opposite of her mother in that sense. Once our daughter was born, me and Phenom, we moved out of the States; well I moved to London to be near him because he had already been in the UK for a while at that point. We sent her to live with family elsewhere because we never wanted anyone to know who she was. We been in this thing a long time, Diamond, and no matter how hard we try to do the right thing sometimes we gotta get down and dirty with the lowest of the low. That causes problems. That makes enemies so we did what we had to do and protected her. We had to. Changed her name to a more common one because we wanted no clues to anyone knowing who she was.”

  “Somewhere along the way, some wangster found out about my daughter,” Phenom chimed in. “See, I stepped foot back into the US just weeks before you found me, Trigga. My only agenda had been to get you and get out. Same with Anika and Diamond. Yeah, I had businesses set up there and came in from time to time to watch you closely, but shit changed the moment my daughter was snatched from her school one day.”

  My face frowned because I obviously confused. “If you knew Dante had your daughter why not call the cops or just go get—”

  Anika waved her hand and cut me off. “I know what you’re about to ask. We know he has her, but he keeps moving her so we never know exactly where he’s keeping her. Not to mention, we’re of the streets. We run the streets so getting coppers to help us would be like inviting them in to arrest us,” she said then took a deep breath like what she was about to say next pained her. “When I say this, I want you to listen to me, Diamond, and know that we had some tough decisions to make during these last three months.” She sighed hard before continuing. “Phenom is a killer. He’s a gangsta, and sometimes a drug dealer just like me. But he’s a father before anything, sometimes even before being my husband,
he’s a father, and the one thing that can take that man and bring him to his knees is something happening to his daughter. That’s why you’re in London. He was going to trade you for Chyna.”

  “What the fuck?” Those words left Trigga’s mouth before they could leave mine. Trigga jumped up from where he had sat down. My eyes widened and a gasp escaped my lips.

  “Listen to me, Diamond,” my aunt pleaded as she quickly spoke. “I would never allow that to happen, okay? Even though Chyna is my daughter, you’re my blood too and I would never allow anybody to bargain your life.”

  Fresh, hot tears rolled down my face. My hands began to shake, eyes blinked rapidly, and my head started to swim. “So this whole time I thought you guys were helping me, he was planning to turn me over to the man who wants me dead?” I started rocking back and forth because there was something wrong with that. “And you still rock with this dude?” I asked. At least I thought I asked. I felt as if I was floating somewhere over my body.

  “No matter what he does or how crazy he may think in a fleeting moment, Diamond, that’s my husband. I will ride for him and die with him before I turn my back on him no matter what,” she stated sternly.

  “Yo, you niggas played me, right, unk? Now this shit makes sense as why she was in London and we were in Africa,” Trigga fumed.

  “Ain’t this some fucking bullshit?” I heard Jake grumble.

  “That ain’t right,” Gina spoke up. She tried to say more but started choking because of the injury to her throat.

  “Yeah, my thinking was fucked up,” Phenom bellowed out. “But that’s my fucking kid that son of a bitch has.”

  It was clear he wasn’t making any apologies. There was pride in that man’s eyes, but also a father’s love mixed with a little bit of fear of what may have been happening to his daughter.

  “We was somebody kids too, nigga. We ain’t got nobody. No fucking parents and the motherfuckers we thought we could trust in the end turned out be like the very niggas we fought so hard to get away from,” Trigga yelled slapping his big hand against his chest. “Every nigga got a motherfucking agenda and you niggas ain’t no different!”