Chapter 3

I was sitting silently trying to act like I was invisible. Sure, T-money told me tension was good, but I so did not like the feel.

He had me so spooked that my heart was pounding, and I was barely breathing. My gun was behind my back, and I wanted it closer. I put it back there because the weight of it was getting to me. Not the physical weight but the mental weight. I put it back there because I could sort of forget it. But not now.

I was going to ask to use the bathroom to move it, but potty breaks were so childish.

T-money was asking about the progress on finding someone named Spencer. They’d been on the subject for a while, and I’d yet to know what Spencer did and why they were looking for him. It seemed that they were avoiding that particular part. What I did know though was that T-money was not happy with him.

“I need another drink,” T-money said getting up. “Shi, you sure you don’t want anything? I got sodas at the bar.”

I was gonna say no again, but I’d been looking for a reason to get away to reposition my gun. The bar was behind the double doors in the right corner of the room.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll get it. What you drinking?”

T-money smiled, “Gin.”

I nodded reaching for the cup. He passed it across the desk.

“Add a little juice for me will you?”

I nodded walking to the bar as they began a discussion on expanding.

The bar was nice. I walked around it looking for gin. I saw the Seagram’s and then began looking for juice. He had several juices in the mini fridge. I was going to yell what kind but I should know that. I looked at the orange juice and I started thinking about the song ‘Gin and Juice’ and my discussion with King.

“Oj,” he said that’s what they were talking about.

I grabbed a water for me, and the orange juice for T-money’s gin not knowing how much to put in. I was pouring the juice when there was loud crack.

I jumped and dropped the juice. My heart was pounding.

I looked up and saw T-money and the other three men jump up. I heard a gunshot and froze. No one appeared hurt just confused.

Four guys soon rushed into the office guns pointed at T-money and his crew. T-money and his crew were quickly surrounded by ten dudes in all black.

“What the fuck?” T-money yelled.

“Shut up!” I heard one of them say.

The guys searched them and took their weapons. It was so unreal I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. All I could do was watch as a little pee trickled down my leg.

Yeah nigga I peed on myself.

I heard clapping and then I saw the back of someone’s head.

“You been looking for me?” the man said. T-money was silent. “Well here I am.”

What was I supposed to do?

“Let’s go talk Spencer,” T-money said and I began to realize who the man was.

“We can talk here, sit down,” Spencer said.

I looked at T-money and realized they couldn’t see me. I could tell Spencer was the leader. I had no idea if I’d make it out alive or if they’d find me. I didn’t know why I was so scared when I had a gun too. And though I never shot anyone, I knew how to use it.

I thought about my training, about B.I.T.C.H. and…

I have no idea what possessed me. I grabbed my gun and took a deep breath.

“I caught you slippin’,” Spencer said, and that was my cue.

I swallowed and made my move. I was behind him and unnoticed. I placed my gun into the back of his fade and said, “Naw nigga, we caught you slippin’.”

All eyes went towards Spencer. I was shorter than him but could be seen.

“Put yo’ guns down,” I said.

I was aware that my voice sounded small and insignificant. I was trying to act hard though I was terrified. The adrenaline was kicking in, and a bitch was slowly getting pumped.

“You ain’t gonna get out of here alive,” Spencer said calmly.

“Neither will you,” I said realizing he was right.

I was beginning to regret what I was doing. T-money had a horrified look on his face.

“Don’t put that gun down,” Spencer said.

“Oh, I won’t,” I said being smart.

Then this nigga acted like a bitch wasn’t there, like they wasn’t worried about me.

“Your problem is with me, let them go.”

Spencer laughed, “So they can come after me?”

“So you think you can do this, Spencer. You think you can be me?”

“No, I can be better T-mo... See cuz you soft, you been soft for a long time. I’m surprised no one did this before. I would of did it when you didn’t kill Jonny and his family.”

My heart stopped. My dad’s name is John. He died of a stroke… but then I remembered Free and what he was supposed to tell me.

‘…drugs killed yo’ father and almost got you, yo’ sister and me,’ I remembered my mom saying.

“You killed Johnny, but not his family, you’re soft. Why’d you let them live?” Spencer asked.

It shocked me. I had a strong feeling I was part of the family that lived. But it could not be true, no not T-money.

“But I finished what you started and now I’m here to take over,” Spencer said.

I had to get a closer look at T-money.

He killed my father?

I stepped to the side and all of a sudden, my face caught fire.

‘Never get distracted,’ Brittany had told me.

Spencer moved fast after he backhanded me. He caught me before I fell twisting the gun out of my hand at the same time.

Fuck, I’d got hit, and now I was gonna die.

“I told you ‘don’t put your gun down,’” he said pushing me to the ground. “This is nice. Stay there,” he told me examining my gun.

T-money was staring at me with concern written all over his face, but he didn’t move.

“So J.B.’s son is dead?”

“Gone,” Spencer, said smiling.

I heard what he said but was having trouble comprehending.

“‘ight one last question…”

“Anything old man.”

“Who’s been giving you information?”

Spencer smiled and I was taking it all in dazed, lost and confused. Spencer was an attractive looking guy, I mean I had to notice even though I was about to die.

“I don’t know, but if he’s in here he better stand up or else he’s getting it with the rest of you.”

I was looking around, and so was T-money and numbers two, three and four.

Then number two, Easy, smiled and said, “I knew you could do it, Spin”

T-money’s eyes got big. “My own brother,” he sounded hurt and angry all at the same time.

“Sorry J-” the rest didn’t get a chance to come out.

T-money moved quickly. He had a gun and shot Easy. Then Spencer shot T-money, and he went down. I was screaming and didn’t notice it. I started hyperventilating as shots rang out sending my heart into space. It was all too confusing. I didn’t know who shot who or who was alive or who was dead.

My ears were pounding. Throbbing from the sounds of the guns. There was a sudden silence, and I wondered if I was deaf. I looked around.

The Mexican who had T-money at gunpoint said, “He’s gone.”

“He’s still alive,” I heard someone say.

I saw Easy holding his chest. He was talking slow, wheezing and breathing heavily. It seemed difficult for him to talk. Spencer went up to him.

“We did it, Spin. Help me, we need to get out of here… it’s all ours.”

Spencer smiled and then shot him in the head. “It’s all mine,” Spencer said, turned and then walked away.

I hoped they forgot all about me, but then a fat guy asked, “What we do with her?”

I saw the evil, cold look in Spencer’s brown eyes.

He looked at me and shrugged, “Hell if I care. Have fun boys.”

And he was gone.

My heart was pounding as the Mexican came over. “My name is D-loc. We ‘bout to have some fun.”

His smile would haunt me forever.