A Hustler's Son II (16 page)
“Yo…who the fuck is that kid and where did he come from?” Jarvis asked Prangsta. Everybody looked at each other as the topic of Kelsi was brought up.
“He came up to Kyope at Waves one night sayin’ he wanted to be put on,” Prangsta started rolling a blunt preparing to get blazed.
“It was that easy?” he asked looking at them.
“Well…not really,” Prangsta said.
“Nigga, spit it out! How the fuck a new nigga get so close to Kyope?”
“He had this stripper broad lift our guns up off us,” Prangsta said. “And-,”
“Not us,” Spikes clarified cutting him off. “Ya’ll niggas let that bitch get ya guns up off
you
. I smelled her fish ass the moment she wiggled it near me.”
Jarvis looked down at them at shook his head.
“Well what happened to the bitch?” Jarvis continued.
“Kyope ordered him to kill her. And we ain’t seen her since so we guess it’s done” Spikes said.
“Yeah…it ain’t like shorty ain’t bust his gun before. He legit.” Prangsta added.
“How come I’m just findin’ out ‘bout this nigga?” he asked sitting back in his soft leather recliner.
“Cuz we couldn’t find you half the time,” Spikes added. “But youngin’ seem to be aight.”
“Well I don’t trust him. I’m tellin’ you somethin’s up wit’ that kid. Just make sure when ya’ll pick up the work from Maryland that you keep an eye on him.”
“You not comin’ wit’ us?” Prangsta asked.
“Naw…I got some other shit to take care of,” Jarvis said ignoring Kyope’s order for him to oversee the trip. “Just watch him.”
“What don’t you like ‘bout him?” Prangsta persisted.
“I don’t know…Somethin’s not right though. Just watch him, like I said.”
“Got it man,” Prangsta said pulling on his weed.
“I’m serious!”
“I got you, B” he repeated. “He won’t leave my sight.”
Saturday, 11:00 am
****
In life either you’re proactive or reactive. Nothin’ in between.
-Kelsi
The drive back from Maryland had me homesick. It was weird goin’ to Maryland only to turn around and head back to New York. I was anxious. It was just a matter of time before the details of my plan went down. I sat in the back seat with Crane, while Spikes drove and Prangsta sat in the front passenger seat runnin’ his mouth. That dude was the best at bein’ the loudest nigga in any area at any given time.
So Crane’s mind-fuckin’ ass couldn’t hear my nervous thoughts, I pretended to be sleep. Seconds later, I heard Crane snorin’. Openin’ my eyes slightly, I almost gagged on my own air when I heard Prangsta and Spikes conversation. I opened my eyes to be sure I was seeing what I was hearing.
“I know you not still mad ’bout that shit,” Prangsta whispered lookin’ at Spikes. They looked back at us once to be sure we was still sleep. I quickly closed my eyes and my shades hid my stare. “She ain’t mean nothin’ to me. You know we gotta keep shit up. You act like you want everybody to know ‘bout us.”
“Either it is or it ain’t wit’ us. That’s all I’m sayin’.” Spikes added.
These niggas was smashin’ each other off? I can’t believe this shit!
“Let’s talk ‘bout this later,” Prangsta said.
“I love you, Craig. I love you,” Spikes persisted. “I’m tired of standin’ by and watchin’ you disrespect me to throw everybody else off. And just so you know, niggas know you puttin’ on a show. You not foolin’ no one.”
“You not thinkin’ straight!” Prangsta told him. “Look how loud you are.”
“I don’t care anymore,” Spikes responded.
I heard enough. I stirred a little and made enough noise to stop they conversation. I ain’t trynna hear that shit.
“Hey…can ya’ll pull on the side of the road. I gotta piss.”
My announcement caused Crane to wake up and adjust in his sleep. He looked at me and pointed to himself. I think it meant he had to go too.
“Ya’ll can’t wait ‘till we get to a rest stop?” Spikes asked lookin’ at me differently. I knew he was prolly wonderin’ how much I heard of they little conversation. I felt like sayin’,
‘yeah I know ya’ll packin’ each other’s shit holes’
. Nasty mothafuckas!
“Naw I gotta go now. I been holdin’ it for a minute,” I told him. It couldn’t wait. Everything was timed.
“Aight pull up over there,” Prangsta said to his undercover lover.
Punk mothafuckas! I couldn’t stand naire one of them niggas now! The moment Spikes merged right, I heard a loud pop and I was sure the tire was flat.
“Please stop playin’. How the fuck the tire blow?” Prangsta asked no one in particular. I stooped down as far as possible in the back seat of the car.
Barely makin’ it to the side of the road, we finally parked. And when we did, three bullets rang from the back of the car window shatterin’ the glass. I ducked further before feelin’ Crane’s weight upon me. Had he been hit too?
“What the fuck?!!” Spikes cried out. I heard the sounds of they weapons loadin’ in the front seat. “Somebody tryin’ to get us!”
“No shit!” Prangsta said.
The shots stopped momentarily and allowed us to recoup. But when we did, three men in a black Caprice appeared on our left. They faces was painted white and black like the niggas in the movie
Dead Presidents
.
Traffic seemed to move along normally while the robbery was in play. When Spikes attempted to shoot, he received a bullet in his throat. Prangsta’s eyes grew extra large as he witnessed his lover take his last breath.
“Fuck that shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!” he screamed leapin’ from the car. The goons began to fire some more. Prangsta fired but hit no one. I got a lil worried. I didn’t want him to shoot one of my accomplices. ‘Specially my man Bricks if he was wit’ them.
“Nigga, you betta get in this car for them niggas kill you!” I yelled from the inside.
“Don’t move, nigga,” one of them said to Prangsta. “Unless you wanna be wet.” Prangtsa remained still. “Get the shit!” he continued openin’ the driver’s side door then poppin’ the trunk. “And watch that nigga!”
What seemed like hours was actually seconds. I felt the car shake a little as they opened the trunk. I smiled lightly. It was workin’. Now for part two.
I pushed Crane off of me in the back seat. He looked at me. Something about his mannerisms caused me to believe that he didn’t want me hurt. Was he protectin’ me? And if so, why? I didn’t have time to wonder. While leavin’ the car, he held on to my wrist. He was preventin’ me from leavin’.
“Let me go!” I yelled in his face. “Whoever that is ain’t ‘bout to get away!” I finally escaped his hold.
Prangsta saw what I was doin’ and ran behind me. I carjacked a woman who sat startled in a navy blue Pontiac Grand Prix. She had stopped to watch the shoot-out and now would become a part of the show. That’s what she get for rubber-neckin’. Other cars whizzed up and down the road stealin’ brief stares.
“Move over!” I told her pointin’ to the passenger seat. She complied while cryin’.
“Please don’t kill me. Please!”
I slid in and ignored her. When I saw Prangsta runnin’ for the car, I pulled off speedily in the direction of the Caprice. Lookin’ in the rearview mirror, I saw Prangsta raise his hands in the air before droppin’ them by his sides. I jumped out a few miles up the road and met Bricks at our designated spot. Another hot plan completed.
Sunday, 12:00 am
****
Believe no one and trust no one.
-Jarvis
Prangsta, Crane and Jarvis sat on Kyope’s couch. The package was gone and already their soldiers were complaining. Customers were going elsewhere to cop.
“I’m tellin’ you, Kyope, that lil nigga set this shit up!” Jarvis yelled, as he got up from the couch to pace the living room floor.
“I don’t think so, man,” Kyope said.
“Why do you trust this lil nigga so much? It ain’t natural!” Jarvis persisted, growing frustrated.
“You don’t know what you talkin’ about,” Kyope said.
“Oh I don’t? Are you sure? I heard about where you met the dude. So excuse me for not respectin’ your business practices.”
“Easy, Jarvis,” Kyope warned with raised eyebrows. “I ain’t too sure this fuck up ain’t your fault. Whoever this nigga is that been followin’ you was ‘round long before Aven came in the picture.”
“This shit here was an inside job! And maybe Aven been ‘round the entire time and we ain’t know.”
“Inside huh?” Kyope was implying that Jarvis could be a part of the heist.
“Yes! Inside! Now I know I’ve been out of it lately, but I’m back now. And I’m tellin’ you, I smell a rat! We should slump that lil nigga and be done wit’ it.”
Kyope walked around the living room while Prangsta and Crane looked up at him from the couch. Prangsta who grieved alone over the lost of his lover Spikes, was silent. He didn’t want any attention brought to him since he let the robbers get away.
“Fuck! This don’t make sense,” Kyope replied shaking his head. “Somethin’ else goin’ on here. And I thought I told you to be there.”
“I couldn’t, man. I had to take care of somethin’ else.”
“Somethin’ else like what?! You makin’ too many fuckin’ excuses. And instead of dealin’ wit’ it business and ownin’ up when you drop the ball, you blamin’ otha mothafuckas!” Kyope yelled. Just when he spoke, Kyope’s maid advised him that Aven was at the door. They all looked at each other in shock. If Aven was involved, they figured he’d be long gone by now. “Let him in!” Kyope said rushing toward her.
Seconds later Aven came walking in. Visibly beaten but okay.
“Fuck is up, kid?” Kyope said, still hoping his potential protégé’ hadn’t betrayed him.
“I went after the guys who stole the package,” Aven told him.
“You went after the guys who got the package?” Jarvis laughed. “Fuck you talkin’ ‘bout?”
“Just what I said,” Aven said slowly. “When them mothafuckas took our shit I jacked a car and went after ’em. Prangsta saw me. Ask him.”
“He did go after them,” Prangsta responded. “But that’s all I saw.”
“I know you don’t believe this lil nigga, Kyope. Come on, man…please say you can see through his bullshit,” Jarvis chuckled. “He went after them but he ain’t got no package.” Kyope scratched his head and mentally agreed with Jarvis.
“If you went after them like you said you did,” he said slowly. “Where is the package? And why you still breathin’?” Aven went into the hallway and grabbed a blue bag.
“I got back what I could, the rest is in my car,” he paused and looked at Jarvis. And I’m still alive cuz I’m a soldier.”
“Got back what you could, huh?” Jarvis laughed. “Kyope if you don’t kill this mothafucka I will.”
“You ain’t doin’ shit!”
Kyope lifted the bag off the floor and looked at Jarvis who walked toward the window. After examining the bag, he was relieved that he had some weight.
“The rest is in the car?”
“Yeah. You can go see.”
“Go check, Prangsta.”
Slicing one of the packages open with a knife, he dug into the plastic and broke it. Afterwards he went into the kitchen and grabbed a kit he used to test his product. Adding a little liquid, he smiled when it turned red. It was good.
“How you get it back?” Kyope asked as if it mattered.
“Can I talk to you about that alone? Please?” Aven asked.
“Sure,” he said finally acknowledging everyone else in the room. “Everybody get the fuck out.”
“I’m staying,” Jarvis rebutted.
“Get the fuck outta here, Jarvis. Let me talk to him alone.”
They all left but not before Jarvis mugged Kelsi. He had plans for him later.
When the room was cleared he said, “What’s up?”
“When I caught up wit’ one of them, I shot at his body ‘til he told me who sent him. And he said, Jarvis. He said they’d been plannin’ this shit for a week. Told him you not doin’ him right and that he wanted to go on his own. They was sposed to split everything down the middle. But they wasn’t expectin’ me.” Kyope was a little off balance as he listened to Aven’s story.
“Finish.”
“They sayin’ that Jarvis been settin’ up shop too cuz eventually he goin’ fly solo. That’s why he aint’ been ‘round. Man, I don’t know how long ya’ll been boys and shit, but somethin’ ain’t right. This mothafucka gave me names and everything. And I’m sure he was in here trynna tell you I had somethin’ to do wit’ it. I bet all of ’em was. And that’s why I risked my life to get your package back. I’m loyal to you, but I can’t say the same thing for your man. Think about his patterns. If you
really
feel this nigga’s the same, then I’m wrong. But tortured men speak truth. And that man I shot up told me Jarvis was behind this shit. The nigga knew he was dead regardless, fuck he goin’ lie to me for?”
Kyope walked away from Aven to think. Jarvis had been less than reliable at best. And he wasn’t able to depend on him anymore. But they’d been friends and business associates longer than Kelsi was alive. But he wasn’t the same. So it was settled. Kyope had to react. And by that it meant killin’ his long time friend.
Aven looked at the state he put Kyope in and smiled inside. Sure he could’ve killed them both and be done but he wanted their minds fucked up. And when that was done, he’d put them both out of their misery.