“Come on, shawty.” Monkey and Gangsta headed into the house with the keys given. As soon as he got inside, Gangsta wished he would have gotten that nigga to tell him exactly where Bam slept. Both he and Monkey crept through the house, holding their guns ready to bust. Gangsta crept up the steps, Monkey on his tail. They made it upstairs and went room to room until they reached the master bedroom.
Gangsta slowly cracked the double doors, and he saw Bam. He burst through the door. Bam quickly rolled over with a gun in his hand, blazing heat in Gangsta’s direction. He and Monkey ducked for cover while busting back.
By now Trina was up. She too had a pistol busting, giving Bam time enough to get on the other side of the bed. Gangsta picked her off with a headshot from a distance. Trina fell back and off the bed, her gun flying wildly in the air.
“Yeah, pussy-nigga,” Gangsta said and started shooting in the direction of Bam while Monkey crept on the floor into the room more. Gangsta was in a rage. He was fearless and overall death-struck.
Gangsta stopped shooting when he noticed Bam’s hands raised in surrender. Monkey had his gun directed at his face. Gangsta walked right over, pushed his gun to the side of Bam’s face, and pulled the trigga, knocking brains out the other side. Bam fell sideways. Gangsta stood over his body and emptied the clip.
“Fuck-nigga.” All types of emotions poured out of him as the gun erupted throughout the massive house. This was the day he’d waited for, the day he woke up every minute to see. Gangsta still was squeezing the trigga, even after the gun stopped busting. Only smoke escaped the barrel while he looked down at what once was Bam’s face. Nearly everything was missing. All that was there was blood and bones. Gangsta spit on the body, then kicked what was left of its head.
He and Monkey made it back outside, glad to see the Feds and the driver were still cuffed. Gangsta looked at them while jogging to the Benz. He jumped in the driver’s seat. Monkey hopped in the passenger’s side. They pulled off, sparing three people their lives.
Chapter 20
Ebony
It was an early morning coming off a long night of watching the news and the worldwide manhunt for Gangsta. Last night he had murdered Bam and his girl in Bam’s mansion. The shocking part to her was that Gangsta kidnapped the FBI agents. He was still at large, considered armed and dangerous, so the orders were to shoot on sight. Ebony was worried.
The news also said that someone else helped Gangsta, but they couldn’t identify him at the moment, so mainly they wanted Gangsta. She had called his number, but it was off, so she made plans to go visit his mother after she handled the business with Kash and this lawyer. What Gangsta was doing for Kash, she appreciated him for that. It was something she would never even consider, but Gangsta was smart and she admired him for that.
Ebony pulled up to the address in Riverdale. She looked at the house, then into its driveway. Today she drove her squad car, even though she was off duty. Ebony climbed out with her gun and badge on her hip. All she could hope was that Gangsta’s plan did not blow up in her face, because her job was on the line. Kash’s life was on the line, too, and that was her reason for doing what she was doing. While she and Kash were not together, she still loved him and wanted to see him out because he was a great father to his kids, even with being as street as he was.
Ebony walked on the porch she knocked on the door, and moments later an older woman opened it.
“Ma’am, I’m Detective Morgan. How are you this morning?” Ebony asked as the lady gave her a skeptical look.
“I’m blessed. Yourself?”
“I’m looking for a Mrs. Murphy. Would that happen to be you?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Ok. This is about your son and daughter’s murder case. Can I come in?” Ebony asked and the woman let her into the house. They both took seats on the sofa.
“So what’s going on now? It’s been two years, you know.”
“Yes, two years and a mistake.” Ebony passed her a stack of papers. “We convicted the wrong guy.”
The woman began to read, but was shaking her head in denial.
“How so when he pled guilty? And I’m sure he was the one. I’d know that face anywhere,” the woman shot back.
“Ma’am, Charles McCants is mentally retarded. There are all his papers since birth, plus his history of doing such things as owning up to crimes that happened in another state,” Ebony lied. She had fake paperwork and all.
“I don’t see how—”
“The good thing is that we got the right one already in custody.” She gave the lady a picture of Gangsta. The lady looked at it hard. She remembered his face, she had seen him before, and Ebony noticed the recognition, so she continued to press the woman until she agreed to talk with Kash’s lawyer and write another statement.
Ebony was elated that the lady didn’t put up a fight. She left there and went to visit Kash’s lawyer. She shared the good news and was told Kash was back in county. The news made her happy as she left the lawyer’s office and headed to Grady.
Chapter 21
Ne-Ne
It was a sad day for them all as they watched the news, constantly seeing Gangsta’s face, wanted dead or alive, which scared Ne-Ne to the point she cried. The newscast painted him as a monster, labeled him the one who was doing all the murdering that happened in Atlanta. They talked about his first murder charge and his violent juvenile record. Ne-Ne was surprised to hear that most of Gangsta’s crimes were murder growing up and that he always somehow beat them. She knew he was street, but only thought he was the typical dope boy from the hood. She really didn’t know Gangsta had it in him to do what he did last night and get away. Ne-Ne saw Gangsta as being humble and too calm to pull such a stunt off. Terry even told her stories of Gangsta growing up in the hood that shocked her to learn. Overall, though, when people talked about Gangsta, they talked about how real he was, how laid back and player he was, no flaws.
Ne-Ne and Terry had become close through spending time with each other. Ne-Ne helped her cope with the fact that she was pregnant with Zay’s baby and the decision to keep the baby rather than abort it. Terry wasn’t a bad person after all. She was just a pretty girl out of the hood who spoke her mind.
This morning they all sat in the hospital room visiting Junior. Mrs. Jackson was holding Keshana, looking at the news. Terry was laid out on the small loveseat inside the room while Ne-Ne stood at the window, looking out at the highway. She wondered if Gangsta was in one of the many cars that passed by, leaving town, leaving for good. She hoped and prayed that he was safe. His phone was off, so she couldn’t get in touch with him to tell him to be careful. Ne-Ne knew he wouldn’t come around because he was wanted by everyone and their mother. Gangsta had to leave town, one way or the other.
Ne-Ne removed herself from the window. She looked over at her son, her only child. He looked so hurt, so helpless. She was hurt herself. Too much was going on, and it was becoming overwhelming. She wasn’t built for this type of life and drama and asked God to fix it every time she went into prayer. Ne-Ne was ready to go back to her simple life.
On the floor under Junior’s bed, Ne-Ne saw a blue and green Nike gym bag. She looked over to Mrs. Jackson, then to Terry before asking, “Who brought this bag in here?” Ne-Ne pointed.
“Not me,” Terry added.
“Me either. Maybe the doctor,” Gangsta’s mother said. Ne-Ne walked closer.
“Don’t look like no doctor bag to me,” said Ne-Ne, pulling it from under the bed. It was heavy. Ne-Ne stood upright, the bag at her feet. What is inside the bag, she wondered.
By now Terry was standing next to her. Ne-Ne bent down and unzipped the bag to find it filled with money bundles.
“What is it?” Mrs. Jackson asked.
“Money,” Terry answered.
“How— Where did this—” Ne-Ne was baffled. She walked to the door, opened it, and asked the two Mexicans if they knew about the bag. They both said no, which made Ne-Ne think even harder.
Gangsta crossed her mind, but she dismissed the thought because Ne-Ne was up here every day during visiting hours, from the time it started until it was over. Plus she did not think for one second Gangsta was crazy enough to sneak into a hospital.
Ne-Ne zipped the bag back up and put it back. Who in the hell was her thought, walking back to the window, completely lost. A bunch of people showed love, sent gifts, and stopped by to give support, but who would drop this kind of cash, that was the question. Ne-Ne wanted answers.
She walked over to the counter where all of Junior’s gifts, balloons, and flowers were neatly stacked. Ne-Ne did a double-take when she noticed Junior’s favorite toy — a toy only his father walked around with. Junior wouldn’t take the tiny bunny from no one if it wasn’t his daddy giving it to him. A happy tear rolled down her face at the thought of Gangsta coming up to see his son. Now she understood what the money was for and what to do with it.
Ne-Ne walked back over to the window to look out, wishing she could just see Gangsta at that moment. She wanted to tell him that she was proud of him, that she loved him, and to share the news with him about their son, because Junior’s vitals had increased more since last night, but she couldn’t get in touch with him. Nobody could.
Ne-Ne joined Mrs. Jackson at the TV as the news reporter began talking about the case again.
“Well, let me head back to work,” Mrs. Jackson said, putting a sleeping Keshana down on the loveseat. “I know my son. He will not let the cops have the privilege of killing him, so y’all two ladies don’t worry yourselves. Especially you, Terry. Gary will be ok, alright?” She hugged them both, then added, “Just continue to pray together. God is already making a way. He is working his magic.”
Chapter 22
Gangsta
The Next Day
“I don’t think it would be in your best interests to admit to all these crimes. I mean, at least not to the one you have beaten already. True enough, the federal government is at your neck, but that’s not a good idea,” Michael Swinn said to Gangsta when they met up at his office.
“I got this, Swinn. Just do like I asked you. So we will meet back here tomorrow, right?” Gangsta asked.
“Right.” The lawyer thought Gangsta had lost his mind, but all he could do was what he was paid to do.
Gangsta was feeling himself. Even though he was all over the news, he didn’t even care because he did what he had to do. Now Gangsta had to do like he promised to God. After leaving the lawyer’s office, he met up with Loco, who was very mad at him, but Gangsta wasn’t hearing it.
“Way, just chill. We still gonna stick to the plan,” Gangsta said. He was happy now that Bam was dead. He felt like the world was lifted off his shoulders. He felt lighter, felt whole again, because he knew that his son would make it. God said all a person had to do was believe and it would happen.
“Way, you got every federal agent in Georgia at you. How in the world do you think we can continue as planned? My friend, this is not a game, a switch you turn on and off. You made a deal with my father, way, and now this? I would never have given you the address if I thought you would not try to do it clean. We do clean work, not sloppy, my friend.” Loco was mad. He hadn’t ever seen him get like this.
“Way, just trust me. I got everything under control,” Gangsta assured him.
“How so, my friend? I have a thousand kilos for you. Tell me how a man wanted like yourself can move my product without being caught in the process?” Loco wanted to know.
“I got a team.”
“A team?” Loco laughed like it was a joke. “You have disappointed me, my friend.”
“Listen, way. You ain’t did nothing but showed me love like never before, so I owe you loyalty, and that’s what you got. I haven’t disappointed you yet ‘cause I still got the chance to show good face. Just trust me, way. You know I’m official,” Gangsta said, looking Loco directly in the eyes.
“Trust you with 1000 keys, huh?” Loco kinda laughed that yeah right laugh.
“Trust me with your life, way. I won’t let you down,” Gangsta said, then left shortly after Loco gave him the keys to a storage room where the drugs were located. He met up with Monkey at a trap spot on Glennwood, zone six, where Monkey was getting it together, ready for a takeover. Gangsta pulled up in the yard. Monkey was on the porch with a few niggas under him. He got up and walked to the 442. He climbed in and closed the door. They dapped each other.
“What’s up, bruh?”
“Here.” Gangsta reached in the backseat, grabbed a book bag. He gave it to Monkey.
“What’s this, bruh?”
“Your start off. That’s four bricks with many more to go, my nigga. So, is this your spot here?” Gangsta asked, looking at the house. He could see it doing numbers once Monkey cranked up.
“I appreciate this, bruh. Hell yeah, this the spot. I’ma lock down,” Monkey boasted, looking at the work in the bag.
“I appreciate you, my nigga. You played a big part in this shit, my nigga. And like I promised you, you gon’ be straight, shawty,” Gangsta said, and he meant those words, because Monkey was the big help after Loco, and Gangsta was a man of his word. All Gangsta wanted now was to see and talk to both his kids’ mothers. Everything would be in place after he gave Ebony the keys to give Kash. His lawyer said everything was looking good for all the stuff Gangsta needed him to do, so he was at peace.
The next place Gangsta went to was Lincoln Cemetery to sit with his brother, Cool. Gangsta smoked a box of blunts and drank a bottle of Grey Goose. He sat out there all night, talking Cool’s ears off, laughing, crying, and laughing again. He spoke about his son and asked his big brother to watch over him when Junior finally did open his eyes. When Gangsta left the graveyard, it was 7:00 a.m., the sun was peeking, the birds were chirping. He jumped in the 442 and drove straight to his lawyer’s office. Ebony was there, also as planned.
“Brother.” She hugged Gangsta.
He gave her the keys and whispered in her ear. “Make sure Kash get this.” He and his lawyer shook hands when he walked out of the office building.
“You ready?” he asked, and Gangsta smiled.
“Yeah. Just got to make one stop,” Gangsta replied. He talked with Ebony another second, then he and his lawyer got into his lawyer’s car and left.
Chapter 23
Veedo
When he woke up that morning at breakfast, everybody in the jail was talking about what happened last night. The COs allowed them to turn on the TV so they could follow the manhunt for Gangsta. Veedo was surprised that Gangsta had kidnapped FBI officials, but when Veedo looked closer at the news and pictures they had up, he saw that Bam was dead. He then realized what the reporter was saying. Gangsta kidnapped the Feds who were watching Bam’s crib, then went in and killed Bam and his girl. Veedo smiled, because now he could get the case dropped against him. Veedo instantly got happy at knowing he was getting out.
He walked off when a commercial came on. Veedo took a seat on the steps. A minute later, someone yelled his name. He looked around and saw a guy by the red door: a door they could talk through to other inmates in the next pod over. It was how they kicked it or traded food.
Veedo walked down to the door and shook it before putting his ear on it to hear, “Say, Veedo?”
“Yeah?”
“This Pat Man, bruh. You seen the news, right?” Pat Man said through the door.
“Yeah, I see it now,” replied Veedo.
“My lawyer said as long as Bam didn’t get on the stand, the case would get dropped. So I guess y’all case will get knocked out, too. What is your lawyer talking ‘bout?” Pat Man wanted to know.
“Shit, the same thing,” he shot back through the door.
“Hell yeah, boy! I hope so, my nigga. I’m not lying,” Pat Man said, and they chopped it up the next ten minutes about the situation with Gangsta. They both were happy that he got Bam’s snitching-ass out of the picture.
Veedo returned to his cell until after eigh
t, when the phones came on, so he could call his lawyer to make sure it was official that he would be free. Veedo had to get a letter over to Rock to get him to change his statement, or he would pay him to do it. Veedo was willing to do whatever to beat that case. Bam was the biggest problem he had, but now it was Rock, so he wanted to deal with it ASAP.
Later that day, Veedo got a visit from his lawyer with positive news. “The government is about to release every last one of y’all that’s on this case.”
“For real?” Veedo was excited. It was what he needed to hear.
“Yes. Thing is, they will try to drag it as long as possible, keeping y’all here while paperwork gets processed and all motions are set, so just bare with me on this, ok?”
“Ok, cool. As long as I’m getting out, that’s all that matters to me,” Veedo replied, smiling a mouthful of gold teeth. He made it to his pod just in time to see Kash going into a cell with some property. At first Veedo thought his eyes were playing tricks on him until Kash walked back out to grab his mat.
“What da fuck?” he said, more to himself than anybody. Then he yelled, “Kash!”
Kash turned at the sound of his name being called. He looked down and locked eyes with Veedo. They both smiled.
“What’s up, shawty?” Kash said while Veedo made his way up the stairs. They dapped each other, shoulder-to-shoulder hugged. It was love through Gangsta they showed.
“What da hell you got going on?” Veedo was surprised and happy to see Kash. He noticed scars on Kash’s face and neck, scars that weren’t there when they first met.
The Streets Bleed Murder Box Set Page 37