Gangstress

by India

  “No, I don’t mind, but what’s up?” Ace asked.

  “I’ll explain it all after you pull over and turn off your engine.” The officer pointed over to where he wanted us to park. We followed instructions and did as we were told.

  “What the fuck is up?” Ace asked everyone.

  “I told you we should’ve left.” Shaking my head, I nervously waited for the officers to approach us.

  Tap. Tap. There was a knock on my door. “Janelle Doesher, please step from the vehicle with your hands up.”

  “What?” I knew someone in the car had done something wrong. But I honestly didn’t think it was me.

  “What did you do, Janie?” Alicia asked as I opened the car door. Because I had no answer, I didn’t respond.

  “Janelle Doesher, you’re under arrest for trespassing.” He read me my rights while beckoning for a female officer to frisk me.

  “Trespassing?” I was completely baffled until I recognized Brisbane standing beside his car, lighting a cigarette. A million thoughts invaded my mental space, such as how in the world did this fool know I was going to be at the prom tonight?

  “I got you now, you dirty son of a bitch!” Brisbane let out a heavy laugh, and I snapped.

  On instinct I ran over to where he stood and tried to attack him. I didn’t care about nothing at this point. His ass needed to get got. Brisbane dodged my offense and ran around the car like a bitch, trying to stall until his fellow officers had detained me.

  “Janie, I got you, boo. Don’t worry!” Alicia called out from the window. She would’ve been out of the car too if it weren’t for an officer blocking the door.

  “I’m good, just make sure Ace is all right.” I didn’t resist arrest as the female officer slapped cuffs on me and walked me toward her vehicle. There was no need to make the situation any worse, so I remained calm.

  * * *

  For hours, I waited inside of a holding cell before I was granted a phone call. “Let’s go, prom queen.” The lady cop gestured for me to follow her over to a desk. My four-inch Louboutins had been removed for fear that I would use them as a weapon. Consequently, I sauntered barefoot across the cold, sticky jail floor. I had requested footies but they just laughed at me. “Dial nine and then one to make your call.”

  “Thanks.” I picked up the desk phone and dialed the first person who came to mind.

  “Hello.” Officer Bryant sounded as if he were asleep.

  “It’s Janelle. I’m in trouble. Can you help me?” I paused.

  “Story of my life.” He laughed lightly while still trying to wake up fully. “What’s the info?” He sighed. I ran down all the necessary information to him.

  Just like clockwork, Bryant was there to get me within the hour. “Thank you, Jesus!” I could see him through the cell bars as he approached me.

  “Don’t thank me just yet. I had to call your grandmother.” He stood beside the officer as she unlocked the cell to allow me to leave.

  “What? Why?” I was confused.

  “This isn’t my precinct, Janelle. I have to abide by their rules. You’re a minor. For that reason, the only way you could be released is to call your parent or guardian.” He sighed. “She didn’t want to come in, so she’s waiting for you in the lobby.”

  “Shit!” I was not looking forward to hearing Gran’s mouth.

  “Furthermore, I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but you’ll have to go to court on this trespassing case if Brisbane doesn’t drop the issue.” He waved to an officer after recognizing him. The officer returned his gesture.

  “What’s wrong with that fool? He violates me and I’m the one going to jail.” I knew Brisbane had to be handled sooner rather than later. For now, I was grateful he didn’t hit me with attempted murder.

  “I know it’s not right but—” He stopped short as we approached the main entrance and saw Gran standing there with Ace, Alicia, and Keisha. “I’ll get with you later, all right?” He didn’t give me time to respond before he walked away. After bumping fists with Ace and waving at the ladies, he was gone like the wind, leaving me to face the wrath that was sure to come.

  “Janelle, what’s going on with you?” Gran asked in a weary voice. “You’ve resorted to breaking into other folks’ property now?”

  “No, ma’am, it’s not like that,” I tried to explain, but she cut me off.

  “It never is like that, is it, Janelle? When are you going to grow up and take ownership of the mess you always seem to find yourself in?”

  “But—”

  “I played this game with your father. You see how his story ended, right? Do you want us to have to bury you too? At the rate you’re going, you’ll be dead or in prison by next year.”

  There was something in her speech that resonated with me. Right then and there, I vowed to myself to never be caught up in some bullshit like this ever again. I had to be more careful out here on these streets. My unborn child needed me to survive. There was no more time for playing around. “Gran you’re absolutely right. I apologize for putting you through all of this. Thank you for coming to get me out; I swear this is the last time you’ll ever have to do this.”

  “You’ll be eighteen soon. Then you’ll be considered an adult. Next time they won’t be so lenient.”

  “I know, and again I’m sorry for dragging you out of your bed this time of night.” I wanted to hug her. However, the fear of rejection prevented me from doing so. As an alternative, I went over to stand beside Ace.

  “You were released into my custody. Therefore, you better come with me.”

  “Gran, I’ll be okay.” Before she could object, I hustled toward the door.

  “Granddaughter, I’ll be praying for you and the company you keep,” I heard her utter through the sliding glass door as I walked away from the precinct.

  Chapter Forty-five

  All the way home, we plotted against Brisbane. I had to lay that nigga down before my court date. No questions about it. “We need to make that shit look like an accident.” I was turned around in my seat speaking to Alicia. “Maybe we can pull a drive-by while he’s out running errands or something,” I strategized.

  “I’m down with that. Because going back to that man’s house is no longer an option,” Ali agreed. “He probably has all types of alarm systems and recording devices by now.”

  “Y’all can fall back this time.” Ace’s tone was low. “Let me make a few calls. I’ll have it handled.” He turned the music up, but I reduced the volume.

  “I want to do this myself.”

  “Janelle, you’re already knee-deep in trouble. I can’t have you doing anything like that ever again.”

  Since he was pissed, I dropped the subject for now, but it wasn’t over. All this meant was Ali and I would have to talk in private about what was going to transpire. That’s exactly what we did.

  A few days later, we sat in the pouring rain outside of the police precinct and waited for Brisbane to come out. I was parked down the street in a rented Dodge Avenger. Alicia was parked on the other side of the block in a rented Ford Explorer. Earlier, we paid a crackhead $50 to rent one car from Avis and the other from Enterprise. I felt bad for keeping secrets from Ace. However, it was the only way to execute my plan without him intervening and potentially preventing my mode of attack.

  Just as the time on the dashboard hit eleven fifteen, Brisbane strolled out of the precinct like he wasn’t about to die. This silly man had no idea that we were waiting and watching his every move. He tossed his bag into the trunk and slammed it closed, then made his way around the front to get inside the car.

  As he cranked his engine, Alicia did the same and pulled off right in front of him. Approximately twenty seconds later, I started my car and followed suit. For about three blocks, I followed him. Suddenly, I heard a crash behind me, and my car began to fishtail out of control. My neck whipped from side to side, and I had to swerve to avoid running up on the sidewalk.

  “Shit!” Someone had just
rear-ended my automobile. As my car came to a screeching halt, I looked through the rearview mirror and saw an elderly man approaching me. Brisbane’s brake lights came on as well. Promptly, I pulled down the Detroit baseball cap just above my eyes, and then made sure the black bandana covering my mouth was tied tightly. Gripping the. 45-caliber handgun that was by my side, I decided it was now or never.

  “Are you okay, young lady?” The older man who’d hit me tapped on my door. He was soaking wet. Slumped over the steering wheel, I paid him no mind and watched my target like a hawk.

  “I’m a police officer. Is that person okay?” Holding an umbrella, Brisbane spoke to the bad driver as he approached the scene of the accident.

  “Oh, thank God you’re the police. I don’t know what happened, sir. My vision started blurring because of the rain I guess, and I got a little dizzy. The next thing I saw was the back of this woman’s vehicle.”

  “Step aside, sir,” Brisbane instructed while opening my door.

  Going into theatrics, I moaned like death was around the corner.

  “Ma’am, please respond if you can hear me.” Reaching inside of the car, he pretended to check my pulse, but the bastard copped a feel of my breast instead. This little gesture was all I needed to fulfill my mission.

  While he played with my left areola, I gripped the concealed gun and started blasting. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Four shots sent his body backward and stumbling to the ground. He had been hit in the neck, leg, arm, and stomach.

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” the old man shrieked while attempting to run back to his mode of transportation.

  Pop! Pop! Two shots to the back dropped him to his knees. I knew he wasn’t dead by the way his body continued to move. Therefore, I walked closer and stood over his bloody body.

  “Please have mercy on me,” he begged after he was able to turn around. He was a truly innocent bystander, and I knew he didn’t deserve to die today, but as hard as I fought with myself to spare his life, I knew it had to be done. There was no way I could let this man live. Pop! The final shot right between his eyes was the one that sent him on to glory.

  Taking one last look at the crime scene, I ran to Alicia’s car. We were only three blocks from the police station, which meant we had to get out of dodge.

  Chapter Forty-six

  Two weeks had passed since the shooting. There was no word on the streets about who the killer was. The media ran the story for about three days. Then it became old news and it was back to business as usual. Ace suspected that Ali and I had something to do with the murder. In spite of his suspicion, I rationalized that a crooked cop like Brisbane had more enemies than just little ol’ me. Since dead men didn’t tell tales, he didn’t harp on the subject for too long. Naturally, my case was dismissed for lack of evidence. All they had was Brisbane’s word. Once again, my butt was spared. I knew I had to do better.

  For the first time in my life, I had actually considered leaving the streets for a nine-to-five type of job. I went out and applied for this and that. Ace’s preference was for me to enroll in college after the baby was a year old. I debated with him about going to college versus getting a paycheck. Nevertheless, he wasn’t hearing it. He informed me that he had me covered. Originally, I had my doubts. With Ace no longer making moves with Uncle Chucky, money was tight. Even so, you couldn’t keep a real nigga down for long. Eventually, he linked up with Nicholas Carmichael, an Italian made man. They called him Nicky for short. He was part of the Pauletti crime family, a big organization that originated in New Jersey.

  Ace had known Nicky for years while shadowing my father in the dope game. Regrettably, the Italian organization didn’t do business with black people. Therefore, there was never a reason to become friendly with one another. However, that all changed the day Carmichael realized it was the black dope dealers, neighborhoods, and fiends who had the game on lock. Sure, the Italians moved huge units of product. However, it was the nickel and dime packages that were selling out every hour on the hour that kept everyone’s pockets swollen. Carmichael reasoned with his boss, Daniel Pauletti. He explained that the family could offer the “blackies” cocaine and heroin on the down-low then sit back and watch their money grow. None of the other Italian crime families associated with black people, which would give them an edge over the competition. Pauletti yielded and agreed to sit down with Ace. The rest was history. When it came to the “niggers,” he was now their go-to man. Although he was low-level on their squad in terms of rank, his connection and low prices made him the man among our people.

  Within weeks, the streets were buzzing. People were saying Chucky was in disbelief that Ace was selected over him. Rarely one to believe shit I heard if it didn’t come from the source’s mouth, this hood gossip I was sure was true. We hadn’t seen or heard from Chucky since our last encounter. I was convinced we would run into him sooner or later.

  “Baby, are you okay?” Ace tapped on the bathroom door before entering.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I sighed. Seemingly, graduation day had rolled around quickly. I was elated to be done with classes, yet heartbroken that my parents weren’t here to enjoy the moment.

  “The word is yours, baby girl.” I thought of the words my father always told me on a consistent basis. “You can be anything you want, baby girl. Just finish high school, graduate from college, and apply yourself,” my mother would always add. Thinking of them now put a smile on my face. I often wondered what they would think of me and the choices I’d made for myself in their absence, but today it was like my thoughts about them were on steroids. Everything I saw and heard reminded me of them. I wished we’d had more time together. I felt robbed, I felt angry, I felt jealous of the other graduates with their parents, and worst of all I felt alone.

  “We made it, bitch!” Alicia brushed past Ace and hit me on the butt. Although she and I attended two different schools, our graduations were coincidently being held on the same day. “It’s been a long time coming.” Alicia was cheesing from ear to ear. I didn’t want to spoil her moment. Therefore, I put my personal feelings on the back burner.

  “I know, right? I’m so excited.” I hugged my friend tightly, trying not to wrinkle her graduation gown. She was all decked out and eager to attend her ceremony. However, I wasn’t prepared for mine because I had decided not to go. As long as I had my diploma, I’d be all right. Besides, the commencement ceremony was really for the parents of the graduate. There would be dozens of people there smiling for the cameras and waving at video recorders. That would only remind me of the fact that I had no reason to smile and no one to gesticulate to. Of course I could’ve invited Gran, but the feeling for me wouldn’t have been the same as having my parents there clapping for my accomplishment.

  “I really wish you were going, Janie. It’s not too late!” She looked hopeful, but I shook my head.

  “Nah, I’m good, but you better hurry up before you‘re late.” I fixed a stray strand of hair from her baby-doll curls.

  “I wonder if my mom will show up. I left a ticket in her mailbox last week.” She wished daily that they could one day mend their fences.

  “She’ll be there.” I winked.

  “I won’t hold my breath.” She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. I followed her, wearing a sneaky smirk. Alicia had no idea that I’d rented a stretch 300C for her special day as well as made reservations at Erica’s popular soul food joint in the city. I even sent Ace to pick up Keisha and Alicia’s mother an hour ago. They were both outside waiting.

  When Alicia opened the front door and spotted her mom standing beside the limo, she burst into tears. Her mom was waving a huge piece of poster board with the words I’M SO PROUD OF YOU written on it. It made me tear up.

  “I didn’t think you were coming.” Ali sniffed.

  “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” She embraced her weeping daughter into a much-needed hug. On cue, Ace walked over and wrapped his arms around me.

  “Should you change you
r mind about going to your graduation, I’ll be there for you,” he whispered.

  “No, I’m good, but thank you.” I laid my head back onto his chest and exhaled.

  Alicia turned toward me. “You did this, didn’t you?”

  I looked like the cat that had swallowed the canary. “Enjoy your day, sis, and tell me all about it later. I love you.”

  “I love you more, fam.” She embraced me snugly. “This means more than you’ll ever know.”

  “Girl, you better get moving,” I urged. She hustled down the sidewalk.

  “See you later, J.” Ali stepped up into the limo as I waved goodbye.

  “So, what do you wanna do now?” Ace stared at me seductively. I knew what was on his mind, but I had other plans. The reunion between Ali and her mother caused me to think about Gran. It was time for a visit.

  * * *

  I pulled up to the low-income apartment building and cringed. There were a bunch of deadbeat crackheads loitering around the property and prostitutes walking the beat. Little children played in the street without adult supervision, while a group of dope boys sipped forties from paper bags in the parking lot. Upon further inspection, I noted the grass was in need of mowing and some asshole had tagged the front of the building with spray paint.

  “What’s up, li’l mama?” One of the men walked alongside me, blowing a blunt and trying to spit game. This fool looked as if he were allergic to soap and water. He was dingy and dirty as hell.

  “Ain’t nothing up, playboy.” I kept walking.

  “Shit, then slide me your digits and we can make something happen.” He stroked the braided chin hair on his face.

  “Sorry, boo, I’m taken.” As I placed my hand on the lobby door, he put his nasty paws on top of mine.

  “Fuck that nigga,” he spat instantly like he was offended.

  I had tried to be pleasant, but that shit gets you nowhere. It was time to change my approach. “Fuck you, nigga!” While speaking, I slid my hand down into my bag and gripped the handle of my pink nickel-plated 9 mm handgun.