The Legend of Johnny Hustle: Crown Me King (24 page)

              “Renee, that’s Red.  She’s not my wife, but I have no problem being her husband.” One of Red’s eyebrows went up with a question.  “She runs things whenever someone walks through that door, so you can either leave or understand how things go?  I don’t know what you were thinking about just coming up in my residence, but since you’re a cop, it’s obvious how you did it.  That same juice is what I need on my team, because I’m trying to clear a mil by nineteen-ninety one.  You can come in handy, but you did the wrong thing by barging in here.”

              Renee dropped her head down like I broke her heart.  Red sat there feeling sorry for Renee.  In an attempt to get myself out of the sticky situation, I tried to save face.

              “You can sit here, get to know Red, and the two of you can decide if we’re going to be a team.  I have other family members that are not here right now, but Red is in charge.  You can be mature about it, or you can leave and I’ll call you later.”

              I closed my bedroom door and put my ear to it, waiting to see what they were going to say.  I knew Red wasn’t the fighting type.  I just prayed that no shots would ring out in the room.  To my surprise, I heard them introducing themselves.  I then heard Red making excuses for my tone of voice, claiming I had a rough day and another ahead of me.  A few minutes later I heard them laughing.  Paranoia had me wondering if they were plotting to kill me.  My nerves were shattered.  My adrenaline was still pumping from the challenge.  I needed to relax, so I took my clothes off and headed for the Jacuzzi.  A warm bubble bath would ease my nerves.  My eyelids were heavy, and just when they were closing, I was startled awake by Red’s naked body getting into the tub.

              “I’m proud of you,” she whispered seductively.

              “For what?” I asked, wondering what happened to Renee.

She kissed my lips and rubbed her firm nipples on my chest. While stroking my manhood under the water, she said, “For representing me in so many ways.”  She stuck her tongue in my mouth and then whispered, “For the way you bought me that coat.  You thought of me while you were risking your freedom.”  She gave me another kiss.  “For helping with my family and making them proud.”  She kissed me again.  “And the way you handled Renee out there.”

Her head went under the water.  She took me into her mouth and sucked me hungrily.  She stroked me when she came up for air. “I like Renee.  She’s mature.  I told her you and I have a special
understanding
.  If you like her then we can be cool.  As long as she knows who’s boss.  She’ll be here tomorrow, so give me all of mine today.”

At the time, I didn’t think that there were any women on this Earth like Red.  I slid my back down in the tub, raised Red over my head, positioned her wetness close to my face, and I took her exactly where she wanted to be.

$$$

The next morning Renee came to the suite.  The three of us went to the middle of the square together.  I wore a New York Knicks suede jacket with orange leather sleeves. I also had on a Knicks sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, and a pair of Nike boots.  Red had on jeans, red Reeboks, an oversized blue Polo sweater, and a white full-length coat.  We laughed all morning about dressing like we were still in the ‘hood.  Renee’s outfit stuck out like a sore thumb; it made it hard for me to concentrate.  She had on black horse riding boots and a pair of black riding pants with the pads on the inner thigh.  The tight pants had her perfect ass hypnotizing men.  The crowd wondered who she was.

              Marcy and Elexus showed up, and I saw Snow across the street peeping from the corner.  As Money Russ and his crew walked our way, Roxy and Joy came from the downtown side of Broadway.  When I looked over, Brave Dave was limping around 43
rd
Street on Seventh.  Officer’s Vance and Jackson slowly drove by the crowd.  Since it was the day all the hustlers came out, they were probably looking for Yoda.

              “Boy, you going down today.  Cause if the cops don’t get you, Green Eyes will,” Money Russ announced.  “Let’s make this quick, I got things to do.”

              “Hold on, hold on, we gonna make this fair.  Cause if they digging pockets, I’m a pick for Green Eyes,” said Brave Dave, limping his way over.

              “Okay then gentlemen,
I’ll
explain how this is going to go,” Red said, without asking Russ.  “Money Russ will pick the vics for you, Johnny.  And Dave will pick the vics for Green Eyes.  This isn’t about how much money at the end.  It’s about finesse, class, and who doesn’t alert the police.  You have three vics each.  Money Russ, since you’re the so-called king, the first choice goes to Dave.”

              Dave looked out into the sea of pedestrians who were walking up and down Times Square.  He pointed to a man that had a giant size print in his pants.  The man had his hand firmly on the money in his pocket.  That was a hard vic to catch, but Green Eyes was a pro.  He took off while the crowd watched.

              As the mark strolled towards us down Broadway, Green Eyes walked right past him.  He then turned around and gave a hard upward yank on the man’s elbow.  The man’s hand and the money in his pocket came flying out.  It was a large roll wrapped in rubber bands.  Green Eyes caught it in midair and took flight.  The crowd roared and the victim didn’t know if he should watch us, or go chase after the man who just robbed him.

              Green Eyes blended his way a few stores down to Nathan Frank’s.  As the mark walked around looking for him, he was right in front of the victim’s face eating a hot dog.

Russ butted in. “You’re up.”  He then pointed to another man who was wearing jeans and said, “That one there.”

              “Hell no,” Dave and Red said in unison.  “You never get a vic with jeans,” Red protested to Russ.  Even though it was true, I was off to get the money.

              I slid my jacket and hat off.  I then ran across Broadway.  Instantly, I saw the face of an undercover cop that Yoda pointed out to me when we sat in front of the precinct.  I quickly readjusted my plans, aiming to show what I learned from day one.

              I dipped into a souvenir shop, and slipped on a red
I love N.Y
. sweatshirt.  Over that shirt I slipped on a bright orange one with a pair of shades to match.  With the three layers of shirts on, I had two pairs of shades in my pocket.

              I walked by the man, who wore jeans and a blazer as he passed Arby’s restaurant.  A scaffold shaded the pedestrians on the sidewalk and crunched them together.  I stuck my hand in his right pocket with the quickness of a jab.  Feeling the money, I quickly pulled it out.  The vic turned in shock, I slowly walked backwards, out of his way while blending in the Times Square crowd.  My feet didn’t stop moving until I reached the bookstore.  Behind the romance section, I threw off the shades and shirt.  When I came back out of the store I had a different style of shades on.

              I headed in the direction of the man, who was holding his pocket together and said, “Excuse me, sir?  Are you okay?”

              “No.  This—this—animal!” he yelled.  “Just pulled some change out of my pocket.  Thank God I had all my money in my blazer pocket.”

              Quickly I turned my back on him and slipped away.  I then spun around and increased my speed.  As soon as his head turned to look behind him, I reached into his blazer pocket.  I reached in, found the coil of bills, and moved my hands so fast that I ripped his pocket.

              I picked up my pace.  Walking fast uptown towards the Marriott.  Like Yoda taught me, I felt for the footsteps behind me.  I listened for someone identifying me, and then I blended, turned around, and walked backwards around the corner.  When I peeked back around the corner, the man was still standing there holding his face in shock.  I looked across the street and saw the crowd going wild.  I caught the same vic twice on one street.  I was either high off of the crowd, or the competition made me extra brave.

I slid off the other shirt and the hat.  I dropped the glasses on the floor, ran across the street, and sprinted down Broadway.  The vic was across the street looking for me.  When I reached the crowd, I dropped the cash on floor.  Everybody congratulated me, but I put on my original Knicks outfit and announced, “I’m not finished yet.”

I reached the corner of 43
rd
and Seventh.  I crossed the street, walked back up to the man, changed to my Trinidadian accent, and said, “Boss, you look like you inna distress?  Mek me walk you over to de rass mini-precinct right deer pon Faghty Second Street.”

The man walked with me.  “I was going to pay rent in cash until a Black savage came along and robbed me of my fifty-five hundred-dollars.”

“It’s rough out here.  You have to be careful,” I consoled him.

I looked over to the crowd and winked, causing pandemonium.  While thanking me for giving him assistance, the mark told me he wished all Black men were like me.  I thanked him for his compliment and delivered him to the police, hoping his wish never came true.

When I returned to the square, Green Eyes was up, but he threw his towel in and walked away.  Money Russ tried to manhandle him, but he pushed him back and said, “Handle your own beef.  I’m not going to jail for you.  I’m out.”

The crowd lost it.  Russ’ face was beet red from embarrassment.  His crew was falling apart right in front of his eyes.  Baldie looked at me, then at Green Eyes leaving.  He yelled, “Yo, Green Eyes, hold up,” and he abandoned ship.

Brave Dave had a tear in his eye.  “Boy, you did it better than I ever could have, bruh.”  I knew it had been a long time since he felt pride.  I was feeling my oats.  Once I saw Renee rooting for me, my ego was tipping.

“Russ you washed up.  Your crew is gone.  Just throw in the towel and crown me king,” I announced.

“Lame, if it wasn’t tradition to do this petty stuff, I wouldn’t even be here.  You could never see me in the long con.  I stack too much paper to be wasting my time with this petty shit.”  He looked at the crowd, and then at me, and announced, “That’s it.  We gonna end this today.  Meet me here in an hour.  I’m going for the crown.  We going over to Grand Central Station, and we see then if winner takes all.”

It was on and popping.  I lasted longer than I thought I could.  I only had to get through Russ.

$$$

When I stepped into the suite, Red, Renee, Joy, and Roxy were there.  The phone was ringing, but the women were too busy getting to know each other to answer it.  I knew then that my hands would forever be full.

Sharieff was on the line.  He told me that he had a job for Webb and Jason to do. It was over at an oil truck company in the Bronx.  He wanted them to rob the payroll.  He said it was an easy $30,000 for each of us.  I dropped the plunger and placed the call to my nephew.  I gave him the address as he screamed at me about talking business on the phone.  When I was done I hung up.  If he and Jason did the job, I would get paid.  If they didn’t, it didn’t matter.  The crown was on my mind.

The suite was alive and jumping.  Red showed Renee where my suits and shoes were, Roxy prepared my shower in the master bathroom, and Joy ordered food before asking me a million “daddy” questions.  They were getting along fine.  That was all I needed; I already felt like royalty.

$$$

I showed up to the next challenge wearing a wool suit.  Money Russ was there waiting for me.  The diamond-encrusted crown was on the ground in the middle of Times Square.  A larger crowd of hustlers and squares had gathered around to view its beauty.

“Let’s leave this right here, ‘cause later on, this is leaving with me,” came from Money Russ.

“Whatever man,” I said, with my mind focused on my ladies.

Joy and Roxy wished me good luck.  Roxy was about to take Joy back downtown in her brand new Nissan Maxima, but Roxy stopped short.  She pulled me to the side and put my hand on her stomach.  “Feel that?  Now you gotta win.  You know you the only man that go up in me raw, so win ‘cause you might have a little prince on the way.”  I was lost for words.  I was going to be a father.  Like a true hustler, Roxy said, “I’m going down to the Ave for an hour—turn a few tricks and spread the word about the house.  Now that we have more mouths to feed, we gonna need business to pick up.”  She kissed me on the lips and walked away.  I wanted to stop her, but my mind was stuck on winning the crown and owning a million dollars.

Grand Central Terminal was packed with noon travelers.  The expansive marble tundra is the size of two football fields.  Train tracks were located in each direction, like little mouse holes in the floor paneling of a home.  Massive antique chandeliers from the 1800’s hung from the ceiling.  Due to the millions of travelers that crossed the terminal daily, the area is one of the busiest places on earth.

Russ said, “I’m gonna make this real quick.  The poe-lease is crawling all over the place.  We pick a track on the blind, and when the track is unloading we wrack up on pocket stings.  The man who has the most wallets after we done, that’s the man that walks away with the crown.”

“You up to old tricks again, huh Russ?  You know that’s the one thing you always beat everybody on,” Red screamed.

Renee pulled me to the side. “Johnny, it’s not hard.  The pockets come right to you.  You just have to know how to pull it in motion with the movement of the mark.  Just breathe easy and let your hands travel above your waist.  Your eyes will see it, and your hands will grab it.  Just don’t panic if the movement doesn’t go your way.  Hold on tight, and the mark will do the rest for you.”