Chapter 1
Gangsta
I was finally at peace in life, accepting the circumstances that surrounded me and learning lessons as I grew mentally stronger than my current situation. Prepared were my actions but not my notion. I was not ready to walk that journey of confinement for however long the courts saw fit.
I wouldn’t lie, that was the choice I made. My life was not my life anymore. I gave it to my son. The easy decision to make that sacrifice stemmed from being a true father to my son, doing everything in my will to care for him in the correct manner.
I failed once, I knew that, but I would not fail twice. My sacrifice was the reason I was humble in my approach and at peace with God. I walked with my head up. I spoke with sureness. I respected the disrespectful, though I was not a saint. Matter of fact, I was nowhere near being a saint, but what I had going on was between me and God.
It was not up for judgment. My desires nor my family wants were to be up for discussion. My decision had been made long before I knew I would make it. Everything that had happened in my life had been written, stamped, and sealed in the book. God knew that one day I’d be standing in the courtroom awaiting my fate for all the wrong He knew I would do since birth.
I guess I couldn’t be mad, or could I? I sometimes wondered if God wrote in two books because one moment we’d say that it was already written how our life would play out, but then it also states that the only power we possess is choice.
We have the ability to choose either wrong or right. So does God write in two books? I could have been a successful football player, a movie star, hell even a rapper. I could have been your normal everyday nine to five worker. I could have been a doctor, a preacher, a lawyer, or anything I wanted to be because God gave me that choice right? But life. It’s also wrote in his book right? So do we really have choice? I guess I will never understand the understood. Though I honestly felt everything that happened was reasons behind actions and that karma was due, either good or bad. What you put into something, you will get the same out of it.
I stood before the judge. I stood before my family and friends. I stood firm and not worried of what would happen in this life time or the next.
All that ever mattered to me was my family being okay, my team being on top, and my kids being taken care of and safe. I made that sacrifice and now my team was on the way up, my family was safe, and my son was doing better.
Junior was still unresponsive but his vitals were great and he was no longer supported by a machine. My mom said, “All he do is just sleep, looking just like his daddy.” My mother knew those were the words I worked so hard to hear. I waited so many nights to see this day and all praises go to God.
“Mr. Jackson, I understand your counsel has submitted a plea of guilty on all charges brought up against you,” the judge spoke, looking directly at me over the rim of his glasses
“Yes, sir, your honor,” my lawyer answer for me because it was what he was paid to do.
“And you are well aware that you are going under a blind plea?” the judge asked.
I nodded my head, confirming his question as Mr. Swinn spoke up again.
“Yes sir.”
The judge looked down to the paperwork and read from it. It took him a brief moment. Then he looked over to the district attorney.
“Have all these cases been processed and closed?” the judge asked.
“Yes, sir, all witnesses, families, and statements are on file,” the district attorney replied.
“Mr. Jackson, you are charged with twenty-two counts of first degree murder, fourteen counts of armed robbery, fourteen counts of kidnapping, twenty-eight counts of aggravated assault, and you’re willing to enter a guilty plea on all charges as a blind plea?” the judge asked me.
“Your honor…”
“Counsel, I spoke to the defendant. Please allow me to hear from him. I’ve heard and seen enough of you already,” the judge cut my lawyer off, and then fixed his gaze on me.
“Sir, yes, sir.” I finally opened my mouth to speak. Looking around I saw Monkey sitting behind me next to my mother and NeNe.
“Okay, and you don’t want a trial?” the judge strangely asked.
“Sir, no, sir,” I replied and truly meant it. I heard a few mumbles from those that loved me, wishing my mindset had changed since the last time we’d spoken. They just did not understand the true meaning behind me being so willing to just give up and give in. but I knew and God knew, and that’s all that mattered.
“So how do you wish to plea, Jackson?”
“Guilty, sir,” I quickly shot back, which got a reaction from my mother that I cared not to hear. She had broken down Again, but this time standing to her feet. Monkey had to grab her as she cried her heart out.
My mother, she was a strong woman who did all the correct things a mother should do as a mother to her kids. When she lost Cool, he took a piece of her with him to heaven and it took years for her to even think of getting over the loss of her first born. Now there I was, standing at the mercy of the judge, about to lose my life to the system, also taking with me a piece of my mother and making her life a bit harder to deal with.
Today, no matter what, I had to stay firm in what I believed, leaving all emotions to the side because not only was it hard on my family and friends, it was extremely hard on me to go through with this ordeal. The judge finally looked up from typing. He fixed his eyes on me before he spoke.
“I never met a man like you before, a man who committed crimes and got away with them, just to turn himself in, a man that confessed that he was the one that we had been looking for all this time. You are a brave young man I must say.” the judge paused, and then stared at me before asking, “Son, did you truly kill all these people?”
I looked back at the judge and smiled a slight smile, not a proud smile, but an honest smile, when I said, “sir, yes, sir, I did.”
“Damn, son.” The judge shook his head, and then began to type on his computer. “I must follow this protocol. It’s more murders than I’ve ever seen in my thirty-six years of being a judge, son.” He paused again, and then said, “The court has to impose the death penalty to this case. It’s only fair.”
As soon as I heard those words, the court room erupted in cries and yells. My mother could be heard over everyone. The police had to detain her and take her out while everyone else broke down, except me. It seemed I was the only one holding my head up and facing this situation head on. I was okay with my sentence. I wasn’t mad at all because I made a deal with God and I intended to stick to it.
“Gary Jackson, the state of Georgia sentences you to death by lethal injection.”
I heard the judge but his voice was no match for my mother’s screams. She had to be removed from the courtroom. I looked over my shoulder and saw my nigga, Veed,o and my cousin, Eric, showing their support.
It made me smile to know my niggas were out. Poonie Man would soon hit the streets because I also took his charges. Zay and Patman were also out, which was a good thing. I knew Kash was gon’ take over the streets. It was gon’ be turnt up in a major way and my faith was that my nigga was gon’ hold it down like I hoped and planned.
Once my mother was removed from the court room and the judge finished with the proceedings, I was walked out, escorted by six deputies who were ready to take me down if I started to trip. It was no pressure, like I said beforehand, what I had going on was between me and God.
Chapter 2
A New Beginning
2003
Kash and Monkey pulled up to the Blue Flame strip club where Asia met them in the parking lot. Monkey parked the Porsche truck and killed the lights.
In the next car over sat Asia. She was driving a two-door Benz with pink and white jolly rancher candy paint on 23-inch chrome flats. Asia had the stripper game on lock. She was stamped as the baddest stripper in Atlanta, which gave her the extra popularity and helped her gain clientele to push work. She was serving most niggas that came through the
club, and bitches too.
Asia stepped out of her Benz. She leaned into the Porsche on the passenger side where Kash was. He had the phone to his ear when she reached in to give him dap, and then reached over to dap Monkey.
“What’s up, y’all?” she was the first to speak.
“Wassup, peeps?” Monkey spoke.
“Is the nigga inside the club still?” asked Kash about Lucky, a New York dude.
Monkey had already filled him in on all that he knew about Lucky. For the past two months, Lucky had been frequently spending time in Atlanta and almost always pushed up on Asia and other dancers with questions about Kash.
Little did Lucky know, none of the dancers could speak on Kash. Hell, even Asia was oblivious to most shit about her boss. All Asia knew was that he was Gangsta’s brother who’d just got out and he was the plug.
“Yup, he in VIP,” she stated.
“Cool, we on our way in,” Kash replied while hanging up his phone call. He knew Lucky didn’t want any problems when asking of him. All the nigga could want was to link up.
“Alright, I will be inside,” Asia said and walked off. Kash watched her in lust as her outfit hugged her body like paint.
“I’ma fuck that lil’ hoe,” Kash mumbled to Monkey who was looking at her fat ass also. They both got out of the Porsche truck and approached the club.
“I done hit it like twice. She can fuck, too,” Monkey boasted with a smile, dapping Kash as they walked.
Since the day they met, they had become cooler than either one of them thought they would. Kash had come to like the type of dude Monkey was.
They both entered the club after paying the bouncer a grand a piece to get their straps inside just in case this meeting didn’t go as planned and something stupid happened.
Asia met them at the door and led both guys to the VIP section where Lucky sat with at least six bad bitches, all dancing to the loud music. Monkey noticed that Lucky sat in the same exact spot the last time.
“Come on, shawty,” Kash said, and walked straight over to where Lucky was posted.
Lucky didn’t really notice the guys approaching until he saw his own men moving in towards the two men who were closing in on him. With a one-hand motion he made the dancers stop dancing and leave. Then he spoke.
“Yo, introduce y’all self now that you up in my private space.”
At least ten of Lucky’s men surrounded the two. Kash looked over his shoulder, and then looked back at Lucky. He shook his head with a slick smile.
“I should be asking you the same shit. See, what I wanna know is why are you around my city asking who I am and shit.” Kash never took his eyes off Lucky.
“Who are you, son? You riddled me with them questions,” Lucky said because he was confused about what Kash was talking about. He sat up.
“I’m Kash, nigga, the motherfucker you been asking ‘bout. See the thing with me is that you don’t even reside in my city and keep inquiring ‘bout me. So you tell me what’s so important,” Kash got straight to the point. He was more aggressive than Gangsta. Kash would act first and put thought into it later. His words must have spooked Lucky because he sat up even straighter and then waved his men to fall back off the two. Then he told them to take seats.
“Yo, no lie, son, I was expecting you to show up. That’s word,” Lucky said as Monkey and Kash took their seats and got comfortable
“So what’s hap?” Kash asked, no beating around the bush.
“Listen, B, I don’t have no type of beef with you or your man’s here. I’m just admiring you from afar. Any man that get out the slammer and take off as you have is amazing to me. And I’m no hater, son, and I don’t mind following greatness. So I was thinking maybe me and you can link up and talk some numbers,” Lucky quickly explained while pouring up them all some drinks from one of the many bottles on the table. Lucky spoke with so much respect that Kash couldn’t do nothing but nod his head and take the drink given.
“Okay, I hear you. But what’s up though? Talk numbers,” Kash shot back.
“Well every strong leader needs an army in this lifetime. I see your movement and pattern. It’s correct. So let me be that nigga to surround you with more opportunity. I hear you already got good coke prices, but I don’t hear nothing on you with weed. And that’s where I come in at. I can supply you with whatever you can handle,” Lucky boasted and took a swallow of his drink. But what Lucky didn’t know was that Kash had the connect on any drugs he wanted from Loco. Kash already had his mind made up but wouldn’t tell Lucky shit just yet.
“Maybe we can get something going, figure something out,” Kash replied. And for the remainder of the night, they sat around and kicked it, calling all the dancers back to entertain them and ordering up more bottles. Lucky’s crew of at least thirty New York niggas filled the VIP also, which gave Kash the chance to process all the faces he could while at the same time peeping Lucky’s every move. He had to admit Lucky was alright. He was cool and you could easily tell he was a made nigga by how he kicked it.
Kash had Asia sitting across his lap after a dance she’d just recently gave him. He wanted to fuck this exotic looking beauty and she knew it. Her loyalty to Gangsta was what caught Kash’s attention when he first met her. Plus her hustle game was official and money was never short. Kash had plans for her though, but first things first, he had to bust her just to get it out of his system.
“What time you get off?” Kash asked. His lips brushed her ear.
“Bout an hour or two, I’m tired,” Asia stated, feeling a slight chill run up her spine from his voice.
“You fucking with me tonight?”
When he asked, Asia looked down at him from his lap. He was leaned slightly back.
“I can if you want.”
“Fuckin’ right. I done had enough of just looking, I’m tryna see what it hit like.”
“And I wanna see the same,” Asia shot back quickly. Kash was already nearly hard and knew she felt him pressed into her back side.
“Cool, just pull up to the condo.” Kash had a condo downtown Atlanta because his house was being built from the ground up and the condo was the place he kicked it at, being that he was single. Since being free, many different females tried to get with Kash but his focus wasn’t on being in a relationship. All Kash did was freak ‘em and go about his business.
Ebony, his baby’s mother, was the only female that wouldn’t fuck him when he tried to bust her. When you ready, then you will make me yours again. But until then, you’ll run these streets, Ebony had told him. He was smashing so many new females in passing and tonight he would add Asia to the collection.
***
Kash was in the condo when Asia knocked on the door. He opened it to find her in some tight jeans and a fly shirt to match, showing off her belly ring. She was still shorter than him, even in her heels. Kash allowed her in. Music played softly from the speakers overhead. The lights were dim. Kash already had a bottle on ice and blunts rolled up. Asia put her bag down by the sofa and sat down to take off her heels.
“Honey, I hope you don’t want no more dances ‘cause I’m all out of those,” Asia said and laid back on the softness of the sofa.
“Nawl, shawty, you straight. It ain’t like that. All business is out the door right now. It’s just some kicking it going on,” Kash replied and joined her at the sofa. He lit up one of the blunts.
“And no drama, wifey, or baby ma?”
“Nawl, shawty, you good,” Kash laughed. It had only been two months and he meant to enjoy every day of his time spent on the streets. Three years was a long time, but being locked up, it was the longest he’d ever done and he vowed not to go back by any means. He made promises to himself to get rich and some kind of way get his brother off death row.
This time on the streets, he would mimic Gangsta’s movements and calm demeanor rather than his own fiery personality. He promised to trust no man and to make sure everyone was good around him because everyone the Feds snatched up wa
s out and the streets were live. Every day was a party in Atlanta.
Veedo was on the team. Poonie was a nigga Kash didn’t like when they first met back in the days. He’d wondered why Gangsta had him stamped as a stand-up guy but Kash let Poonie pick up money from three major spots. Zay and Eric hit the streets like they never left, but neither was selling dope. That was strange to Kash because them two niggas were balling, buying houses, cars, and running a few businesses together.
Kash kept it to himself, but he surely was gonna look into it. Kash had bricks going for the low so everybody was eating and everyone was being low key doing so because the Feds were so mad that niggas beat them that they was lurking, asking questions about Loco and Mr. Play, but nobody could or would break and give up the information. Loco only dealt with Gangsta and Kash. They were the only two that could give up the info, but everyone knew they were solid.
Kash and Gangsta were considered legends in the hood, pulling off acts no one else had. And now that Kash had resurfaced on the scene, he had taken the city by surprise. He was surprised himself when he got to the warehouse and found a thousand kilos waiting on him. He instantly called to confirm with Loco, who wanted nine grand a brick. Kash fronted the bricks to everyone for twenty-two grand a pop, but if they straight up purchased one, they could get it for eighteen.
Asia was one of the top people who moved drugs fast. All her plays were niggas trying to fuck and shop the weight that she sold at good price. She would go through a brick or two per day, slanging quarter bricks, halves, and even fourths. Asia handled good business but Kash had something else in mind because he’d already fronted two new niggas and a dyke hoe named Juice from Old National Highway. Kash was slowly but surely putting his stamp down on the city. He had his movement going strong and his crew on point.
Kash and Asia smoked two loud blunts and killed half the bottle
The Streets Bleed Murder Box Set Page 39