A Good Day to Die

by James Hendricks

  “Ain’t that them little niggas from the Taste?” A short brown skinned teenager asked pointing in the direction of the commotion.

  “Yep, sho is.” A six-foot dark skinned chubby boy responded. The two teenagers gathered up their crew and ran to the middle of the brawl.

  Things weren’t looking good for SCC. They were getting over powered and man handled by the bigger, stronger Bronx boys. Jon was about to pull his Glock and start dropping people when he saw a familiar face coming through the crowd. Jon couldn’t place where he knew the individual from but he was thankful that he was with them instead of against them. He was giving the Bronx boys the business. Jon watched the short stocky teenager and noticed the dark skinned heavy set boy knocking the Bronx out one by one.

  Will had enough fighting and pulled out his chrome .40 caliber handgun and started shooting. He had just played into the boys’ hand. Don grabbed the Mini 14 that was strapped to his shoulder and started dropping people. Kay and Pretty Ricky followed his lead making almost everyone drop to the ground for cover. Those that tried to run caught bullets in their backs. Jon looked around for Will. He quietly slithered his way out the door once he saw his posse outgunned.

  “Come on,” the short stocky boy said pulling Jon by the arm. “We gotta go. Y’all chill in our hood till the police are gone.”

  Jon gathered up the SCC members and followed the boy out to the parking lot to the vehicles and left in hurry. “What you think of dude?” Ron asked as he rode with Jon.

  “I don’t know yet,” Jon said still trying to place the boys face. “I guess we just gone have to wait and see.”

  The boys were led to the notorious Concord projects. Concord and the Bronx were at war. They both had high number of casualties because of beefs. Concord was not set up like other projects in Gary, it had three sides. The apartment buildings, duplex houses and the flat houses, where everything went down. Concord projects was known and feared.

  “Your face looks familiar. Do I know you?” Jon asked the stocky boy.

  “Can you believe this dude?” he said to his man next to him. They looked at Jon. “I’m the dude from the Taste. The one that was drawn into y’all shootout.”

  “You the one that ran in the middle of the street, right? How’s your man doing?”

  “My bother’s face still fucked up and he can’t see out one eye but he’s alive.”

  Ron bumped Jon and then pointed at the boy. “I told you he go hard.”

  The boy stood up extending his hand. “My name’s J-Roc.”

  They introduced themselves and kicked it for the rest of the night.

  Shawn was tired of Shine’s bullshit. She planned time and time again to leave and now possessed both things she had been lacking. Money and nerves. She was in the middle of getting ready for her movie date with Jon. Shawn planned to tell him her plans hoping that this would bring them closer. Shine walked in as she was putting on her shoes.

  “Where you going?” he asked.

  “Out,” Shawn said with a nasty attitude.

  “Out where? Since we moved here a lot has changed between us,” Shine said sitting on the bed.

  “Oh well,” Shawn said checking herself in the full length mirror. “You should’ve thought about that before you moved your stuck-up ass sister in here. I need some air. I’ll be at the beach for a little while getting my head right.”

  Shawn grabbed her purse and car keys.

  “You do that. And while you at it, think about who takes care of your ass.”

  Shawn walked out the house. She was supposed to meet Jon at the movies in the mall. Shawn pulled into the parking lot and saw Jon’s truck parked on the side of the building. She parked in the spot next to his truck and got out.

  “Look at you, Ms. Thang.” Jon smiled getting out his truck.

  Shawn wore a Hustlers T-shirt, some daisy dukes and sneakers. Jon’s eyes were riveted on the daisy dukes.

  “These old things,” Shawn said hugging and kissing Jon.

  “We should go in,” Jon said grabbing her by the hand.

  They were talking and playing with each other while G sat in his car observing it all.

  “Shine,” G said into his cell phone. “Shawn up here at the mall with Jay.”

  Shine was pissed. “You stay on they ass. I’m on my way out the door.”

  Shine grabbed the carbine from the closet.

  “They at the movies out here. You’ll find me parked.”

  Shine grabbed two 9’s and headed for the door. “I’m out, Gangsta, seven-four.”

  Jon and Shawn went to see Above the Rim and now they were headed to Red Lobster. They were walking to their cars. Shawn noticed G’s car parked an aisle behind them. Shawn stopped and looked at Jon.

  “That’s G’s car parked over there.”

  “Are you sure?” Jon asked looking around the parking lot. G’s 1994 ninety-eight was unmistakable. He had the only purple one in the city.

  “Of course I’m sure,” Shawn said.

  She saw Shine’s truck parked in the back of the parking lot. She pointed at it.” “And that’s Shine’s truck.”

  Jon had a Glock but they had the advantage. He didn’t know how many of Shine’s men were there.

  “Let’s go back inside,” Jon said grabbing Shawn by the shoulders and turning her around. Shine saw the change in their direction and opened fire with the carbine.

  “Get behind the car!”

  Jon pushed Shawn behind an old Cutlass, pulled out his Glock and peeked to see where the shots were coming from. He saw fire coming from the side of a Caravan five aisles away.

  “Follow me,” Jon said moving to the Cutlass’s door.

  He was in luck because the door was unlocked. He pushed Shawn inside the car and jumped in. Jon frantically searched for the car’s seatbelt.

  “What are you doing?” Shawn asked hysterically.

  “Be cool,” Jon said. Finally he located the driver’s side seatbelt. “I said that I’m a get us outta here. Trust me.”

  Jon adjusted the steering wheel all the way up then he went to work breaking the steering column. Jon started the car. Shine realized that the two were trying to get-away. Shine ran up on the Cutlass letting off shots. G approached from the passenger side busting shots from his .40 caliber handgun.

  “Get down on the floor,” Jon shouted breaking the steering wheel free. Mall security was quickly closing in and Jon let off two shots from his Glock through the passenger window at G. Shawn screamed. Jon finally got the Cutlass ready to go and took off for the highway. Shine and G were running behind the car shooting.

  Jon took Shawn to the apartment that Don had been renting for Renee. The two sat in the living room eating pizza Jon ordered. Shawn told him about her plans of leaving Shine anyway. She put the R 12 Play in the CD changer.

  “I don’t want you to worry about nothing, I’m gonna take care of you till you decide what you want to do,” Jon said sipping Hawaiian Punch. Shawn smiled and sat next to Jon on the black leather sofa.

  “I know you will,” she said leaning over and kissing Jon on his lips.

  Shawn pushed Jon back onto the sofa and hopped on top of him. She kissed Jon letting her fingers caress his face and chest. She pulled Jon’s shirt over his head and rubbed her finger nails up and down his torso. Shawn bent down and started kissing him from his head down to his chest and stomach while at the same time undoing Jon’s belt and pants. Shawn yanked Jon’s boxers and pants from up under him exposing a full erection. Shawn was surprised. Jon was huge. She smiled and kissed Jon’s stomach.

  “I don’t think we should do this,” Jon said groggily.

  Shawn grabbed his dick and ran her tongue up and down the shaft. Her tongue snaked until his dick was in her mouth. Jon was going crazy shaking his leg. He never experienced anything like this before. Shawn deep-throated him and played with his balls. After couple minutes, Jon shot a gallon of sperm down her throat. She swallowed every bit. Shawn kept sucking trying to res
uscitate it.

  Shawn got Jon’s dick rock-hard, she rode him like she was in a rodeo. The rest of the night was spent with her giving him a bath, a massage, licking his ass and showing him all the positions she knew.

  It had been two days since he slept with Shawn and he was feeling terrible. Jon told Don what happened and that Shawn was staying at his apartment until she got on her feet. Don was against it but realized that she had saved their lives and had been feeding them info. Jon denied sleeping with Shawn.

  One week passed and Jon still had not been able to contact their supplier. They had a stash on reserve but that was in case of a drought. He didn’t want to dabble with the stash and decided to see Bay Bro for a new connect. It was either that or jacking every baller. Jon was on his way out the door when Pretty Ricky came running into the house.

  “Did you see today’s paper?” He asked slamming it down on Jon’s bed. “I got knocked and so did eighty other muthafuckas.”

  “What!” Jon shouted unable to hide his shock. “That’s why I haven’t been able to get in touch with his ass.”

  Jon picked up the newspaper and read the article about the eighty-eighty count indictment that his plug kicked off. It was the connect. He was arrested with two hundred kilos of cocaine and that others would be indicted. “Damn! This is fucked up,” Jon said.

  “Fucked up!” Pretty Ricky repeated.

  “We straight. Everything’s cool.”

  “It better be,” Pretty Ricky said with a scowl. He snatched the paper from Jon’s hand and stormed out.

  Shine also saw the morning paper and he knew every person that was mentioned in the article. The one name that stood out from the rest was Gordon Anderson, his right hand man G. Shine didn’t understand how G’s name made the list and his didn’t. G was not in custody. He was one of the seven still at large. Shine sent G out of town to take care of some business. G was unaware of the indictment.

  Shine wasn’t concerned with G telling on him. He placed a call to Officer Johnson and asked how to make the problem go away. Shine was trying to be safe and not worry.

  Three days before school was to start, the second indictment came down. The name in the paper read, Ricky Jones. The boys knew him as Pretty Ricky. Don, Jon, Kay, Twon and Smoke were in the game room waiting on Pretty Ricky. Jon didn’t want Zoe around just in case things didn’t go as Jon hoped.

  The boys acted like that night was any other night but they knew it wasn’t.

  “What’s up brothers?” Pretty Ricky greeted as he entered the back room. Jon immediately noticed Pretty Ricky’s mood.

  “You sure is in a good mood,” Jon said putting on a fake smile. “What done changed?”

  Pretty Ricky smiled back at Jon and took a seat at one of the tables.

  “I talked to my lawyer. He said that I wouldn’t get more than five years. Shit, I’ll be out at twenty-four. That’s still young.”

  “So how do you plan to get this five years?” Jon asked staring at Ricky.

  Pretty Ricky sat straight up in his chair and placed his arms on the table.

  “Say what’s on your mind, brother.”

  “Who the fuck you telling on?” Don bellowed standing. “That’s what we want to know.”

  Pretty Ricky also stood to his feet. “I’m tired of you and your brother accusing me of being a snitch. I ain’t no snitch. The lawyer said the case is weak against me.”

  “How does your lawyer know anything? You haven’t even been arrested,” Jon said standing to his feet.

  “What the fuck you talking bout?”

  “I was going to get the best fed lawyer around. I went to talk to him and he said that he wouldn’t know anything about the case until after you was arrested. Way after.”

  Pretty Ricky looked confused. “I’m telling y’all,” he said looking around the room. “My lawyer told me…”

  Kay hit him on the side of the head with his gun. “You lying piece of shit,” Kay said hitting Pretty Ricky again. He fell. Kay started stomping away at Pretty Ricky lying defenseless on the ground.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Don said thinking about his rendezvous with Shawn. Jon took out a switchblade and stabbed the unconscious Pretty Ricky twice in the chest. They wrapped him up in a rug and buried him in a ditch, dug earlier that day.

  “Rest in peace,” Don said walking.

  Shawn sat around the apartment thinking about her next move. She was pregnant. There was no question. Jon was the father. She contemplated telling him but knew that it would only complicate things. Since Jon and Don were twins, Don had some of Jon’s good qualities in him. It was up to her to find them and bring them out.

  “What’s up boo?” Shawn greeted in a soft voice.

  “You,” Don said giving Shawn a hug and a long, slow tongue kiss.

  Shawn pulled away.

  “We need to talk.”

  Don took a step back and looked at Shawn tilting his head to one side. Shawn grabbed Don by his hand and led him into the living room. She sat down on the couch and Don did the same.

  “You know that I’m a woman and I have needs.”

  “Yeah, I…”

  Shawn put a finger over Don’s lips. “Let me talk,” she said removing her finger. “I like you a lot but I’m not trying to be in a relationship like the one I was just in. I’m a loyal woman who has her man’s back as long as he’s out there taking care of business. I’m tired of being alone. I need compassion, affection and love. I want to open myself up to you but I’m afraid of getting hurt.” Shawn put her hands over her face and began to cry. “Men always try to hurt me and I’m tired.”

  “I got you now Boo. You don’t have to worry,” Don said hugging Shawn.

  She kissed him passionately. They made love the rest of the night. Don was satiated and fell asleep. Shawn kneeled over him still dripping wet. She smiled.

  “You don’t know this baby, but I gotcha…”

  There was no response. Don’s chest heaved up and down, his breathing loud. Shawn wore a sinister grin as she rested her head.

  16

  School started off slow the following year. Jon, Kay and Zoe were the only members of SCC who showed up to school. The three were the talk of Roosevelt High. The kids knew who they were and never disrespected. Jon spent his free time in the hallways with Lynette sometimes in his truck with Kay and Zoe. The school wanted to place Jon in the tenth grade instead of the ninth but Jon refused. Kay and Zoe were his boys and he wanted to graduate with them.

  Don stopped by the school at times to pick up a girl for fun. He’d creep on Shawn and was never busted. Shawn wanted to go back to school but Don didn’t think it was wise. He hired a tutor for her.

  Even though Don and Shawn was a couple, he kept it a secret. When Shawn told him she was pregnant, Don went straight to his mother and brother hoping that they would be just as excited.

  “What do you mean you got Shawn pregnant?” Jon asked with a frown.

  Before Don could answer Tina jumped in.

  “You’re only fifteen. You’re still a baby. Oh Lord, I knew I should’ve put my foot down a long time ago.”

  “Forget it then. I just thought since I was happy y’all be happy,” Don said looking from his mother to his brother. “I guess I was wrong.”

  Don stormed out. Jon was upset at Shawn for not telling him about Don. Things just didn’t feel right to him. He went off and confided in someone he trusted.

  “What you mean you fucked Shawn?” Kay said.

  “It was more than just a fuck,” Jon said looking at the ground. “It was something special. I’m telling you,” Jon said looking straight at Kay.” If I wasn’t in love with Lynette, Shawn be that girl.”

  “I can’t believe this shit. So what about the baby?” Kay asked.

  “I don’t know, I really don’t know. Part of me thinks that it’s my baby, the other part don’t want it to be. She always tried to dog Don out for the way he acted and now they a…c’mon, man.”

  �
�I’m a tell you like this,” Kay said and placed his hand on Jon’s shoulder. “If she didn’t tell you that it was yours, don’t sweat it. You know that she’d ask you to break-up with Lynette. If I was you I wouldn’t trip, just be happy for your brother.”

  “Yeah,” Jon said smiling. “You right.”

  The indictment of the heavyweight ballers brought a big time drug drought. Prices were so high that it was almost impossible to make a profit. All the small timers were either getting beat by their connects or they were getting robbed by doped-fiends. The only people that were still profiting were ballers pushing keys.

  The boys managed to stay afloat by doing out-of state robberies. Profits were down fifteen percent. Because of their reputation as stick-up kids, they were having a hard time finding new connect. Jon went to Bay Bro with no success. Despite the failure Jon never quit looking for an account.

  Will and Shine came up during the drought. G stayed in Nashville, Tennessee until things calmed down. While in Nashville, G met a connect that allowed Shine to keep prices the lowest around. Shine and Will were eating well. G wasn’t around and the two hung-out tough. Neither had forgotten the SCC.

  17

  Spring ’95 brought plenty suppliers. Those awaiting indictment were indicted. The big ballers left untouched started supplying everyone not affiliated with the SCC. Despite the fear people had of SCC, the boys remained in the business. Their big break came when they met someone just as ruthless.

  The twins were outside their house chatting about setting up another place like Pauline’s in another part of town. Jon had already scouted and found the perfect building in the right neighborhood. The only thing lacking was the product. The boys needed to find the right supplier. It was then a five-five, honey colored brick-house came out of walking out the twin’s basement. Her long black hair dropped past her shoulders. She had hazel eyes and full lips.

  “Damn!” Don shouted. “You’re a beauty.”