The Corner III (No Way Out) (5 page)

Chavez put the cigar to his lips. He took a cigar cutter from his pocket. Slid a quarter of an inch of the expensive cigar in the hole of the cutter and with one swift motion he cut the tip of the cigar, and it fell to the ground. He smiled at how easily the tip was cut, and Jimmie had an idea of what Chavez was thinking. Jimmie tugged at his restraints to no avail. Chavez lit the cigar with a small butane lighter. He puffed hard, and the tip glowed bright red. Smoke clouded Chavez’s face and if Jimmie didn’t know any better, it looked as if the Grim Reaper was standing before him.

Chavez stepped out of the cloud of smoke toward Jimmie. He asked, “Who killed my babies’ momma, and who made the call?”

“I don’t know what the fuck you are talkin’ ‘bout,” Jimmie spat.

“A little bird told me that you do,” Chavez said calmly. “And Jimmie, take some of that fuckin’ bass out ya voice when you talk to me.

Chavez put his cigar in his mouth, held it tightly between his lips as he grabbed Jimmie’s hand. Jimmie wanted to snatch it away, but the restraints wouldn’t let him. Chavez pulled up Jimmie’s ring finger and stuck it in the cigar cutter.

“Ahhhh!” Jimmie howled as his finger fell on the pool table.

Jimmie continued to scream. Chavez looked over to Petey and nodded for him to come forward. Chavez took the yellow bandanna from around Petey’s neck. He gripped Jimmie’s throat with his powerful hand, forcing Jimmie’s mouth open. He then stuffed the rag in the slim man’s mouth. Petey didn’t like the fact that Chavez stuffed his Latin King’s colors in the black man’s mouth, but dare not say anything to his boss.

Chavez’s look was indifferent as he looked at Jimmie. “Now that you’ve shut the fuck up, listen. I’m not in the business of fucking around.” Chavez grabbed another finger.
Clip
. He cut another finger and the bandanna muffled Jimmie’s cries. “I would ask you again, but I’m going to wait. I need you to feel pain so you can understand the seriousness of the situation.”

Chavez waved to one of his soldiers who was standing by the table of knives. The young Mexican, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen, wheeled the table of hardware to Chavez. Jimmie got a better look at the shiny utensils. He watched as Chavez picked up a syringe and held it to the light. Chavez tapped it and a drip fell from the tip of the needle, and to Jimmie, it looked as if it took minutes for it to hit the ground.

Chavez grinned for the first time. “I bet you’re wondering what up with the needle. You probably think I’m gonna dope you up. Nah, bro. That would be too easy. This here is a shot of adrenaline. It’s to keep you from passing out and all your senses functioning quite well. I need you to feel all the pain I’m gonna put you through. You’re gonna tell me what I want to know.”

Chavez pierced Jimmie’s vein that was at the bend of his elbow then slowly pressed the plunger. Jimmie squirmed, and his eyes bulged. He was now in a state to where he’d feel all the pain Chavez gave him, but he wouldn’t pass out.

“Cut his pants off,” Chavez commanded.

The young soldier, Juan, did as he was told. He unbuckled the belt to the baggy jeans then pulled them and Jimmie’s boxers down to his knees. He then used the shears to cut them off.

Chavez took a couple of hard puffs on his cigar then held it between his teeth. “You wanna talk, Jimmie?” he said as he slid on a pair of rubber gloves.

Jimmie said nothing. He simply lay on the table breathing heavily.

“Okay,” Chavez said then grabbed Jimmie’s dick. “Damn, you would’ve given Camila a run for her money with a cock like this. Oh, well,” he shrugged.

Chavez puffed hard then lifted Jimmie’s penis. He put the cigar to Jimmie’s genitals and began burning them.

Jimmie screamed.

“Who killed my babies’ momma?”

Jimmie whimpered.

Chavez burned.

“Who, puta?”

Jimmie stopped yelling but didn’t say a word.

Petey said, “This ’fucker is tougher than I thought.”

Chavez put the cigar out on Jimmie’s forehead then said, “Time to step it up.”

Chavez picked up a highly polished knife that was razor sharp. He smiled then said, “Time for me to go to work.”

Jimmie screamed as Chavez brought the knife closer to him.

*     *     *

Noonie was in a deep sleep and dreaming. It was a recurring dream that he was being arrested and dragged from his home while Chantel watched as she held a crying baby in her arms. He was being put in the back of an unmarked squad car, then the narcotics detective who was sitting in the front seat turned and smiled at him before punching him several times in the body. The punches kept coming, and there was nothing he could do about it since he was cuffed. Then suddenly he was awake. He realized he was in the comforts of his bedroom, then felt his lovely Chantel’s small fist pounding his side as she lay on her back.

Chantel said, “Baby, it’s time.”

“It’s time?” Noonie said then realized what she meant. “Oh, shit. It’s time!”

Chantel, even in the moment of contractions laughed then said, “Yes, baby, it’s time. Your son is ready to come into this world.”

Noonie glanced at the clock as he jumped out of bed. It was two in the morning. He helped Chantel up. She was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Grab my robe and throw, and don’t worry about any clothes. Have Tesha come to the house and get what I need. We have to go.

Noonie slid into some jeans and a shirt then carefully helped the love of his life out the front door and into their car. Within minutes they were at the hospital. Chantel was being checked in and wheeled into a delivery room while an anxious Noonie did as he was told and called everyone. Tesha first as he was instructed by Chantel. Tesha was with Chantel when she lost her unborn child when she was shot in a gas station parking lot and was by her side during her depression. When Chantel found that she was pregnant again, with the support of Noonie and Tesha, she broke out of her funk, and now she was about to give birth to her and Noonie’s son.

*     *     *

Jimmie was breathing heavily, and his body was covered with blood. His legs had been sliced too many times to count, and he simply wanted to be put out of his misery. Chavez wasn’t having that thought. A quick death wasn’t in the cards for Jimmie for he hadn’t told Chavez what he wanted to know.

“Okay, Jimmie, it’s time to stop playing. I’m going to dig one of your eyes out,” he said as he put a spoon up to Jimmie’s eye.

As soon as Chavez was about to dig the eye out of its socket Jimmie whimpered, “Slim sent the order.”

“What? Don’t fucking lie to me!” Chavez spat.

“I’m not lying, man. I just wanna be let go. I swear. No one knew who did it. But then one night, I was at the strip joint, and one of his boys was drunk. He got to braggin’ to this one stripper broad…” Jimmie coughed. Blood ran down the side of his mouth. “He was talkin’ about what an OG he was—”

Chavez cut him off, “You lie, Jimmie, why would he brag to a stripper bitch about killing? Don’t make sense.”

“Nigga was tryin’ to get some pussy. I know the broad. Been fuckin’ her for a minute now. She told me how stupid the guy was.”

“His name.”

Jimmie didn’t hesitate, “Reese.”

Chavez eyes squinted, “The bitch’s name.”

“What?”

“The bitch who told you this. Her name.”

Jimmie didn’t expect for Chavez to ask him her name but figured what the hell. He was trying to get out of a painful situation so he told him, “Pretzels.”

“What, motherfucker?”

“Serious. Her name is Pretzels. Her stage name is all I know. She works at Showstoppaz.”

Chavez smiled. He knew the spot. He didn’t go there but knew someone who did. The place was on the east end and Petey’s cousin was a regular.

Chavez said, “If you’re lying, I’m going to find your momma and do to her what I’m doing to you.”

He told Petey to call his cousin, Tony. Petey pulled out his cell and did as told. Once Tony answered. Petey put the cell on speaker.

“Tony, this Chavez.”

“Whassup, bro?”

“Ay, you go to that one strip joint, Showstoppaz, right?”

“Yeah, goin’ tonight. Why, you wanna roll? You know I gots VIP up in there.”

“Nah, but since you the man up in there, I need to know somethin’.”

“Whassup?”

“Do a bitch named Pretzels work there?”

“Yeah, a black chick. Man, you gotta see this hoe. She can put her body in all kinds of positions. That’s why they call her Pretzels.”

Chavez glanced at Jimmie and a grin formed on his face. “Tony, stay close. I’ma hit you in a bit.”

“King Love, bro.”

Chavez ended the call then smiled at Jimmie. “I thank you, bro. It was forced, but you came clean. But I’mma have to kill you.” He glanced at the area where Jimmie’s penis used to be. “You ain’t no good without your dick.”

Jimmie knew he was going to die, that’s why he lied. He knew it was Bone’s people who’d killed Chavez’s babies’ momma, but he wasn’t going to give the spic, who he knew was going to kill him anyway, the information, so he lied. One, to protect Bone who’d always been good to him and two, because he knew Slim was more equipped to handle Chavez. He didn’t care for Slim but wanted to make sure Chavez got his and going after Slim’s people, Jimmie figured that he’d get just that.

Chavez put his knife up to Jimmie’s jugular vein. “When I was a kid, my grandmother used to tell a story. Whenever someone died, when a life is taken one is brought into this world.” Chavez brought the knife to Jimmie’s throat. “So look at it this way, Jimmie, there is a baby being born right at this moment.”

Chavez sliced Jimmie’s throat and his pain was over.

*     *     *

“Push, Push. Come on Chantel, I can see the crown,” the East Indian doctor said calmly as Noonie looked on nervously.

“Ahhh,” Chantel shouted and then she became quiet.

Seconds later there was the sweet sound of a new life, cries from a baby. The umbilical cord was cut and the nurses took the baby and began cleaning him off as the doctor took care of Chantel.

Anthony and Tesha nervously sat in the waiting room. They had arrived at the hospital about thirty minutes after receiving the call from Noonie. They were both sleeping and when they received the call they both jumped into warm-up suits and were out the door.

Tesha looked at her watch then asked, “Did you reach Lucky?”

“For the third time, yes. Damn, and I thought I was the one who was nervous,” Anthony joked.

“We’ve been here for over two hours. I need to go talk to somebody,” she said as she stood and began to walk out of the waiting room.

Anthony stopped her. “Look here, baby. Just sit and wait. I know you’re nervous because she lost the first baby. Hell, everyone is, but everything’s going to—”

“Tesha Smith?” a nurse said as she entered the waiting room.

“Yes, yes, that’s me. Is everything okay?” she asked nervously.

“Everything is fine. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriquez are waiting for you to come and see their baby boy,” the nurse said pleasantly.

“Yes!” Anthony said as he pumped his fist as if Derrick Rose had hit a game winning shot.

The nurse smiled then said, “Right this way.”