by Tra Verdejo
Lucky forgot all about his Apple Jacks and began to get dressed. His next plan was in motion, and he had a lot of work ahead of him. He had to stop thinking about Diamond and get focused before he became the next murder victim.
While Lucky was getting dressed, his old partners were shitting bricks. All stunned and shocked, they couldn’t believe what they’d just heard on the TV. The captain and Loose looked at each other because they knew all the foul activities they’d done. If only 10 percent of their dirt was publicized, they could ruin the NYPD’s image forever.
“This son of a bitch, who in the hell does he think he is?” Tuna yelled.
“Captain, I know Lucky is behind this. This muthafucka never destroyed any of the evidence. What are we going to do now?”
Loose didn’t like the look in his captain’s eyes. He hadn’t seen that look in years. The captain quietly escorted everyone out and sent them down to the fourth floor, everyone except Loose. And, of course, The Watcherz, they were always on the computer.
“What’s up, boss? Why you kicked them out? What’s going on? I don’t like that look. Talk to me.”
“Loose, I’m getting sick and tired of me finding out new information via the news, radio, or third party, but never from my own goddamn team.” Tuna turned toward The Watcherz. “Why in the fuck am I paying you guys all this money and you are never close to providing anything? You guys can’t find your own dicks!”
Loose tried to calm Tuna down because he knew where it was leading. He was about to take out his frustrations on the two brothers. He pushed Tuna away from the brothers, but he didn’t realize Tuna walked in the kitchen and grabbed a Louisville Slugger he kept by the refrigerator.
The Watcherz turned back around and went back to work. They never once noticed where Tuna went, and never saw him creeping.
Loose noticed, but he did nothing. He wasn’t the type to stop too many fights.
Tuna got in a Barry Bonds stance and swung the bat as hard as he could. He hit Hack first, and as he was falling on the floor unconscious, Little Hack turned to his left to try to grab his brother before hitting the floor. When Little Hack looked up to Tuna to ask why he hit his brother, Tuna hit him across his face, breaking his nose and knocking out all his front teeth. As they both were on the floor bleeding, Tuna kicked both brothers across the face and head.
“You two muthafuckas think I’m stupid! I’m paying all this money for shit! How you like me now, bitch?” Tuna yelled as he kept hitting both brothers.
After three or four more hits, Loose finally decided to grab Tuna and take the bat away. He looked over at The Watcherz. He knew one of them was dead. The other one was shaking like he’d caught a seizure. Loose walked over and gave him one more shot over his head. He hit him so hard, blood spattered all over his clothing. It looked like a scene out of the movie Saw.
After he made sure both brothers were dead, he kicked one of them in the ass and said, “Ha! Ha! You should have done your job, asshole!”
Speedy grew suspicious when Tuna asked everyone to leave. That only meant his partners were plotting on deadly violence. He didn’t wait downstairs like the others. He didn’t like being left out. He headed upstairs to see what was taking them so long to come downstairs. When he opened the door, he expected to seen Tuna and Loose working on new tactics, but he saw The Watcherz lying in a pool of blood.
“What in the world happened here?” Speedy yelled. “Please tell me they are not fuckin’ dead, please.”
“I’m sorry, Speedy. The captain lost it and took it out on them. They took too long in finding Lucky. The captain is in the bathroom. If I was you, I wouldn’t go in there. Well, at least not right now.”
“You know what? You are one crazy, psycho cop. How the fuck you let this happen?”
“Watch yourself there, Speedy boy.”
“I don’t have to watch shit. I can’t believe you guys. Right now, we have all this heat on our backs, and you want to add two more murders? We are so fucked! I’m out of here. I’m not going down for this bullshit.”
“Wait a second. What the fuck you mean, you are not going down for this shit?” Loose got in front of Speedy and blocked his way. “You starting to sound like Lucky. What are you trying to imply?”
Speedy pushed Loose out the way so hard, it caused him to bump the back of his head against the wall.
Loose rushed Speedy, tackling him to the floor. He stood over him and began to punch him, hitting him across his face.
Floyd got in between them. Curious like Speedy, he had come up to find out the latest updates. He was also shocked to see all the blood in that room.
“What the fuck is going on here? You two are partners. Why in the hell would you want to hurt each other? What the fuck is wrong with you two? Where is Tuna? And can someone explain why there are two dead bodies in this apartment that were not here just twenty minutes ago?”
Tuna came out the bathroom, dazed out in his own world. He didn’t know about the fight.
“Tuna, wake the fuck up and snap out of it! Someone, anybody, please talk and explain what is going on.”
Tuna didn’t respond, and Loose was too frustrated to talk. He still wanted to fight.
“I will explain what the fuck is going on.” Speedy wiped the blood coming down his nose. “We are all going to jail, what’s going on. My captain and his sidekick just bought us a first-class ticket to the big house.”
“Shut the fuck up, Speedy!”
Floyd held Loose as he tried to rush Speedy. “Hey, cousin, speak up. What the fuck is going on?”
Tuna finally broke his silence. He looked at his cousin and said, “We are all fucked. What can I say? This muthafuckin’ nigger beat us at our own game.”
“C’mon, cousin, I never heard of you quitting before. What is wrong with you? Get a grip. We could find a way to still catch this son of a bitch. I will have Ace and Country clean up this mess in here, and no one will ever know The Watcherz were ever in this apartment. But let’s not give up.”
“Floyd, didn’t you see what we saw on TV? Lucky sent evidence to lawyers that will prove we framed their clients. I could see the headlines now. They will eat us alive. We’ll need a miracle to get out of this one,” Speedy said.
While Tuna and Floyd moved over to a corner of the apartment to have a private conversation, the rest of the crew began cleaning up the mess.
Ace and Country picked up the bodies and threw them in the tub. Within an hour, both bodies were chopped up in little pieces, and all the blood drained.
Chucky and Loose began cleaning up the blood and wiping down all the computers. Speedy locked himself in the bathroom and was cleaning his face.
Loose knocked on the bathroom door. “Speedy, open up. We need to talk.”
Speedy wanted to blow him off, but he opened the door. “What’s up, Loose?”
“Hey, listen, my bad. I didn’t mean to call you a snitch. Right now, my state of mind is all fucked up. I hope you could accept my apology.”
Speedy thought, What apology? But coming from Loose, the most stubborn human on this planet, it meant a lot to him.
“Don’t sweat it, bro. Brothers fight all the time. We need to get back to business and figure out how we’re going to avoid jail,” he said, embracing his partner.
It was only 10:30 in the morning, and the day was just beginning to unfold, but there was already so much drama for one day.
Floyd took his crew back down to the fourth floor while Tuna spoke to Loose and Speedy about their next move.
“Okay, we are in deep shit, and I’m sure I will get a call in a few minutes to come in the office and explain these recent events. The commissioner already came down my throat about not getting rid of those guns from the New Jersey job, so I’m sure he will chew me a new asshole. Do you guys have any suggestion or ideas?”
No one answered, a clear signal they were all clueless about their next move, or maybe they didn’t believe in their boss anymore. They both saw how da
zed Tuna was through the drama.
Tuna picked up on their lack of enthusiasm. “Don’t tell me you two are losing your faith in this team. C’mon, we’re in this together. This will be the worst time to fuckin’ quit on me.”
“Boss, things are not looking good, and I can’t go to jail. My wife and kids, they need me.”
“I have to agree with Speedy on this one. I’m not going to jail. They will have to kill me first. Another thing, boss, I never saw you freeze up until today.”
“What the fuck you mean? C’mon, Loose, you know me better than that. I’m just in a state of shock. I don’t want to go to jail, either. We should have killed him, like Tango.”
“What do you mean, you should have killed him as well? Are you saying Tango’s murder was our call?”
Tuna tried to downplay his comment, but it was too late.
Speedy started to yell at both Tuna and Loose. “How in the world can you guys kill your own brother? I could understand why we want to erase Lucky. But Tango, why?”
“Tango was working with Internal Affairs. We got word from an insider over at IA. You know our source over at IA is legit. We had to take care of him quickly,” Tuna explained.
“I still can’t believe it. Tango was a snitch? C’mon, did you guys ever confront him about it? I don’t understand why you guys kept a secret from me, but we call ourselves brothers. I’m out of here. I’ll call you guys later. I’m going home to play with my kids. Given the current events, I don’t have a lot of time on my side.”
Speedy caught them off guard, wanting to leave, but Tuna allowed him to leave without any argument.
Loose Cannon wasn’t happy. “Speedy, remember, we are in this together.”
Speedy didn’t look back. He just walked out the front door and went home. He was disgusted with his partners and didn’t feel comfortable around them anymore.
The first thing that came out of Tuna’s mouth when Speedy left was, “I hope we don’t have to get rid of him too.”
“Just give me the word, Captain, and he’s a goner.”
“Let’s just watch him for a few days and let’s make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Tuna said.
Tuna and Loose joined the rest of the crew down on the fourth floor. They told everyone that Speedy left to take care of some personal family issues.
Going on noon, they decided to watch the news and see the latest on the envelopes Lucky was sending out. When they turned on the news, a reporter was talking about an alleged report of the commissioner’s involvement in corruption.
Before the reporter finished her story, Tuna’s cell started ringing.
“Hello?” a dumbfounded Tuna said, knowing it was Commissioner Fratt on the other line.
“Hello? That’s all you have to say. I know you are watching the news. I need to see you ASAP. Meet me at the village. Do you still remember the apartment?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And hurry up and get here, and come alone.”
Before Tuna could answer, Fratt hung up the phone on him. Tuna told everybody he would be back in a few hours.
Before he left by the front door, Floyd said to him, “Hey, listen, cousin, I was talking to my crew, and we all decided that this will be the end of the road for us.”
“What the fuck do you mean, the end of the road?”
“We are all going back to Florida. We were under the impression you had this situation under control, and you don’t. We are out of territory, and it looks like the heat is about to broil. I can’t continue to risk my crew’s freedom with unorganized tactics.”
“Hey, coward, if you want to leave then go ahead. I thought blood was thicker than water, but I see you have your new family to worry about. Thanks for coming, and fuck you very much!”
Tuna left furious. His team was falling apart like a music group, and now family was moving away as far as they could from him.
After Tuna left, Loose Cannon tried to explain what was happening.
But Floyd didn’t want to hear it. “Save it,” he said. “We’re all leaving.”
They all drank a few beers and continued watching the different reports surfacing on the local news channel.
Lucky was also watching from a local coffee house. With his disguise, he blended in perfectly with everybody else in New Jersey. No one knew they were sitting right next to the most wanted person in New York’s history. He wanted to catch Destine’s report because he’d mailed her a package as well, with graphic pictures of a priest sexually molesting teenage boys.
“Good afternoon. This is Destine Diaz for Channel 5 News. We are here to bring the latest on these mysterious packages. We believe there are a total of five. Four were mailed to lawyers, and one was mailed to me. I have specifics, but they are sickening, graphic pictures of little boys getting sexually molested.
We have unconfirmed reports that the man in those pictures is none other than Cardinal Joseph King III, the same priest who performed the marriage vows for the mayor and his wife. According to the letter I received along with the pictures, this mysterious informant is indicating that Joseph King III was never prosecuted because of his political friends. Again, these are unconfirmed reports. We are waiting on official word from Police Plaza and the district attorney’s office.”
Lucky was smiling from cheek to cheek, happy to hear Destine speak about the envelopes. He knew he’d picked the right reporter. She wasn’t scared of the controversy. He ordered another cup of coffee and continued to listen to her report.
Lucky wasn’t the only one listening. The people in New Jersey were also eager to hear the story, being closest to all the madness.
The Colemans were hoping some new evidence would pop up to help their son’s case against the city. Laura was sitting on the edge of her seat, watching the news.
“Laura, sweetheart, sit back please. Let’s just hear what the young lady has to say,” Perry Sr. said.
“I’m just praying for a little help from God. I think we deserve it, baby. We need the help.”
“I agree, but let’s just watch the news and see what else they got. If the same cops are involved, this will help our case to some degree. It will prove how corrupt those officers are.”
“You are right, baby. Oh, the commercials are over. Be quiet. Let’s see what else she has to say,” Laura was on the edge of her seat again.
“Welcome back. This is Destine Diaz, Channel 5 News. We have new information on those other four folders. I don’t know if some of you guys remember, but about seven years ago Rell Davis was charged and convicted of double murder. He was sentenced to double life sentences without the possibility of parole. Rell pleaded innocence throughout the whole trial, claiming he was framed. Rell has also had two appeals denied. Well, today his lawyer, Nicholas McCarthy, confirmed he received a package with evidence that Rell Davis was not the shooter the night Connie and Rodger Newton were gunned down while they slept in their Hampton mansion. We will have more information on this one as it develops.
“The other package was sent to the lawyer of Juan “Pito” Medina, a convicted drug kingpin who was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His lawyer, Edwin Gustavo, has stated he also has concrete evidence, which includes photos and conversations, proving his client was set up as well.
“Then there is the case involving a family in the Bronx, where a father was gunned down when police mistakenly raided the wrong house.
“And finally I remind viewers of our earlier report this morning about Police Commissioner Brandon Fratt. These stories have the whole city disturbed and disappointed.
“This is Destine Diaz. We now turn it over to traffic.”
Laura and her husband were sitting with their mouths open. They couldn’t believe the reports they’d just heard.
While they were discussing the latest news report, Kim walked in the living room and was asking what all the fuss was about, and they told her what they’d just heard.
She thought it was time to tell them a
bout the package Lucky left behind. “Well, I have a confession of my own. Remember the day Lucky came by the house?”
“Yes,” they both said.
“Well, he left a package behind as well.”
“What? Why did you take so long in telling us? I’m surprised at you,” Laura said.
“I’m sorry, but I was told not to say anything until the trial was over. I’m sorry, Laura. I hope you can forgive me.”
“It’s okay, baby. I just don’t know why he wouldn’t want us to see it until after the trial.”
“He said, if we bring it up during the trial, the evidence would disappear. He wanted us to wait until the civil case was in progress. I think he was just looking out for us and making sure the City pays for what they did to Perry.”
“Honey, I think I understand his logic behind keeping this a secret from us. Let’s not come down hard on her. Let’s just see what he left behind and take it from there. Kim, please bring us the package.”
While Kim went to get the package, Laura and Perry Sr. waited in suspense. They wanted to know what he’d left behind, but they were also scared. When Kim returned and placed the package on the coffee table, they all stared at it. They knew whatever was inside could place their lives in even more danger.
Laura reached for it and began to rip it open.
There was a computer disc along with a note. The note said that the CD contained a conversation between his former partners the night after Perry was gunned down. The CD was sufficient evidence to implicate Loose Cannon and Speedy.
They placed the CD in their computer and turned up the speakers. They heard the cops discuss how it was a brilliant idea to get the gun out the car, shoot out the windows, and place it on her son.