Chapter 26

Later that week, Buck was ready to throw in the towel and move on from the drama. He saw the broad shoulders and wide-open strides of Pop marching toward him. Buck watched the movement of his prey. Judging from the way he held his head, down to the lazy way his arms swung back and forth, Pop wasn’t prepared for an attack.

Finding Pop was easy, especially after Buck realized Eve was up to her old tricks again, trading in or up, whichever suited her needs. As he sat in the darkness waiting to kill Pop, he realized that too many things had been left to chance in the past. They had allowed their own loyalty, fears, and even greed to make them patsies in another man’s twisted war. From Chaka to Earl, they were still running and gunning after the illusion of freedom. Buck was more determined to pull together any strings that threatened to come loose.

Some men were born to the paths they had chosen. Buck, however, had decided he was forced on this path, and he would die trying to destroy it. After he killed Pop, Earl was next. The thought was as simple as waking up in the morning. And he decided that killing Eve was a string that had dangled long enough.

Evil had awakened in Buck, and he was making no effort to quiet it. He was feeding it, as he imagined himself luring Pop toward his car.

Pop saw movement and got suspicious. Tilting his head downward, he recognized the imposing figure. Fear crept up his back as he accepted that he should have taken Earl’s advice. Pop quickly assessed his chances. Backing out of the block was his only option.

Buck leaped from the vehicle with death and destruction on his mind. Pop reasoned he could probably outrun the burly bastard, so he set out on his trek. Buck was on his heels, running low with his weapons drawn and ready to fire. Pop’s arrogance had once again placed him in a bind. He wished he had a better hold on his surroundings. Surprise was the only element he had left.

Buck had always been a smart killer. He knew that darkness covered his tracks, but the sound of one wasted shot could claim an innocent life.

Pop, nearly as savvy, tugged at his weapon, hoping to slow down his stalker.

The first shot rang out and told Buck exactly where Pop was heading. Buck marveled at how easy this would be.

As Pop ran, he lost his bearings. Instead of taking the ramp that led him to the alley, he found himself trapped in a yard that led to a dead end and realized he was cornered. In an attempt to come down the ramp, he fired several shots.

Buck was certain of his enemy’s position now, but he wasn’t sure if he could let himself relax before he killed his prey. No more shots rang out.

There it was—Pop’s head slid from around the brick wall. Buck was elated. Easy, Buck declared to himself seconds before he opened fire. The beast had come face to face with the lamb. Taking a deep breath, he leveled his gun at the sparkle of Pop’s gold rope chain and fired one shot.

Pop’s body slumped against the wall with the impact of the first shot.

Buck whispered in his ear, “I know you stole from me, and now I’m getting even with you for killing a friend.” The last shot was in Pop’s face, to ensure a closed casket.

Buck didn’t look back as he sauntered away to the alleyway Pop had managed to miss, walking out on the other side. The two cannon-like sounds from Buck’s gun had rattled windows and set off almost every car alarm on the block. Yet he still calmly walked away, as if out for a stroll.

Time wouldn’t take care of the pain Earl had caused. Buck had to see him and pass judgment on his soul. The thought that Earl was a victim too never occurred to Buck, and he refused to let go of the hatred he harbored, now that he was forced to face the next truth. Earl and Chaka had set him up from the word go.

***

Earl had witnessed the entire ordeal from a distance, but nothing compelled him to help Pop. The will to be great without work and effort had made Pop think he was invincible. The thought that he could waltz in and steal somebody’s hard-earned fortune and cause tragedy in their lives was enough for him to sit back and allow Pop his opportunity to rise or fall. He secretly wished that Pop had the balls it took to rise, but seeing Buck walking away unharmed confirmed his worst fear—he had backed the wrong horse once again.

Earl convinced himself he could kill Buck at that moment as he raised his gun to Buck’s back. Sweat fell into his eyes as he tried desperately to take aim. Unconsciously he held his breath and placed his finger on the trigger. Fear gripped him as he dropped the gun into his lap. He realized he still had too much loyalty to a false memory, the memory of teenage boys talking about girls, sharing Right On! magazine, or claiming the fly cars as they drove through the block.

During the last few weeks, Earl had to deal with the man he was, and not the man he wished to be. He had set out to do so many great things now that Chaka was dead, but the ugly truth was, he lacked the ruthless manner it took to be “the man.”

As for Eve, she would always manage to go where the money was. Even after everything they’d gone through, there seemed to be so much unfinished business between them.

***

The constant ringing of her phone made Eve angry. She hoped that whoever was calling had something important to say. Hearing the husky baritone voice on the phone made her sit straight up in bed. He didn’t ask her to get up; he demanded that she get up and open the door. He’d be there in ten minutes.

Eve leaped from her platform bed and scrambled about, trying to bring order to her space. Quickly, she changed from the ordinary T-shirt and sweatpants into his favorite teddy. She lit candles and sprayed herself with her favorite scent.

An hour later Pop still had not shown up. Normal, she rationalized, but his absence made her angry. Before long she was sound asleep on her huge bed.

***

Two hours into her dream, the annoying buzz of the doorbell woke her. She was really pissed that he could make her wait this long. She contemplated not letting him in at all. That would make him think twice about keeping her waiting around.

She slowly opened the door without asking any questions, and was astonished to find Earl on the other side. He pushed past her and strolled in as if he’d been invited. The nerve, she thought. “What do you want, Earl?” she asked with more attitude than was called for.

Earl waited for Eve to look in his direction before he spoke to her. “How long did you think you could hide that you and Pop were sneaking behind my back? Did you really think I wouldn’t figure out that you were fucking him too?” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Eve tried her best to look bored by his one-man act, but she feared that he might really know her secret. Eve had become good at bluffing, but she decided Earl didn’t matter anymore. She folded her arms. “You come up in here, yelling about the man I’m fucking, but the truth is, it isn’t any of your business.”

As long as Earl wasn’t interrupting, Eve thought she was telling him how it was going down. “You have always been second fiddle, so it shouldn’t bother you now. Why are you angry? Is it because Pop is a soldier in the general’s army?” Eve was proud of her affair.

The anger boiled over inside Earl. Eve saw the change in his demeanor and had the right sense to be afraid.

He wrapped his hands around her neck, squeezing until he felt her going limp. She clawed at his hands, hoping they would let up and give her some air. No relief came.

Eve was giving up on life when Earl heard her slight whimper and finally let her go. She dropped to the floor on all fours, coughing and trying to catch her breath.

With the immediate intake of oxygen, she began to change back to her normal coloring.

She crawled away from the door over to an overstuffed chair, climbed into the seat, and curled up into a ball.

Earl didn’t leave. He sat across from her and delivered the news of Pop’s demise.

She refused to believe him at first, but something in his smirk told her all she needed to know. Although Earl had released her, she now felt as if she was being strangled again.

The pasty look returned to her face and Earl laughed. “Don’t look so happy to be stuck with me,” he taunted.

Eve whispered the words, “Fuck you,” and lowered her head to cry. “Why did you kill him over me? Shit, you left me for dead in North Carolina. Why did you do this?”

“First, you simple bitch, I didn’t do shit to him. Buck got hold of him for stealing some valuables from his home, not to mention, Pop killed Sasha.”

Eve’s emotions were all over the place. She couldn’t accept that yet another man who promised to be there for her had been killed.

“Earl, you’re going to get yours. That, I am sure of. No way are the twins, Quinton, and Buck going to let you walk away from the shit you set in motion. If, by some sheer miracle, they let your ass live, Ian is going to come for you with both barrels.”

Earl had long ago accepted his fate, but he wouldn’t allow her to see his fear.

“Besides, you simple bastard, I know for a fact that it wasn’t Pop who killed Sasha.”

Earl felt like ice water had been poured into his veins. His hands were clammy, and his eyes glazed over. He slowly spun back to her with fire in his eyes, asking her to repeat what she had said. The look on Eve’s face said she knew that he was the person who shot Sasha.

“Pop may have beaten her near to death, but it was someone else that put the bullet in her skull.”

“Whatever you think you know, bitch, you better keep to yourself. It don’t much matter anyway, ’cause I figured your ass is about dead too.” Earl leaned close to her and, as a warning, slapped her in the mouth. He left the house without a backward glance at the imp that still seemed to be the cause of most of his drama.

“You like hitting women, you bitch,” Eve yelled after him. “But I didn’t see you hitting them niggas when they were herbin’ you. Now you a fucking tough guy! I wish I could be there when they catch up with you, you punk-ass muthafucka!”

The first law of nature was self-preservation. There was no way in hell Earl was going to lie down and die. He felt like prey in the middle of an unknown land, waiting for someone to pick him off. As he hiked away from Eve’s door, his mind raced over all the time he had wasted. His heart pounded with each step, alerting him that danger was definitely in the air. If the twins were waiting for him to return, right now he was a sitting duck. Feeling vulnerable, he palmed his .44 Magnum and prayed that the police weren’t on the prowl.

A cat leaped from a nearby porch, making him jump off the ground. Seconds before he fired a shot, he realized it was just a feline scurrying across his path.

He was done being afraid. If he died tonight, it wouldn’t matter to anyone, so he might as well fight to live.

***

Earl recognized every car on the block, except the black Lincoln sat four houses away from his home. He figured it was the twins. He didn’t slow his strides. Using all his senses, he marched at an angle past the car and saw the twins sleeping inside.

The headlights turned on suddenly, startling Earl from taking any further action. The occupants of the Lincoln didn’t move, but the headlights forced Earl inside his home.

Pacing, Earl chastised himself for not taking Buck’s life when he had the chance, and now he was even angrier that he could have made a bigger mistake by trying to kill the twins right in front of his home.

Lying in the darkness, Earl realized his memories and loyalty were a major hindrance to his next breath. The proof that he was a target sat just inches from his home. Only strength could get him to the next level of this game. Outnumbered, he cleared his mind and made a plan.

He peered through the blinds and noticed that the car was no longer there. He opened the window for a better glimpse of the area. The twins had left. It was time to begin the next phase of his plan.

***

The dawning of a new day brought on new convictions for Earl. Earl knew he could eliminate his mishaps by getting rid of some deadweight. Three of the six men Ian had sent to New York were still alive, and Earl didn’t want to be responsible for their well-being. They were the first order of business. It was time to send them home.

Next, he planned to deal with Ian and his unreal demands on an unseen fortune. The best way to deal with the likes of a man like Ian was to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse, which Earl intended to do in person.

After that, he was going to see the twins wherever they were, and either he was going to buy his freedom from this nasty business, or he was going to blast his way from the bullshit. He would be free from running, or he could be dead.

Finally he had to deal with Eve. Her breathing might cost him his life, if he managed to get out from under all the rest of his circumstances. He couldn’t have her blackmailing him over Sasha’s murder.

***

Later that day three men, looking fashionable in their New York clothes, marched into LaGuardia Airport, leaving richer than when they arrived. They were heading home with laced pockets and lies to tell about the Big Apple.

Earl, however, decided he was going to drive south to see his favorite cousin.

Six hours after he hit the highway, he pulled into Ian’s circular driveway. Earl actually believed Ian had bigger dream than he did, but none of that mattered now.

Ian’s girlfriend opened the door and headed to her car as Earl walked up to knock. She pointed into the house and said, “He’s in the basement. Go on in.”

Earl looked around to discover Ian was alone in the house, making for a better discussion.

The coke Pop stole from Buck, Earl was going to use it to his advantage. Four of the six bundles Pop stole were now in a duffel bag that he would present to Ian. Earl had come ready for battle. Hidden underneath his colorful sweater was a bulletproof vest, and the two Magnums holstered at his side were barely hidden by the short leather jacket he wore.

Ian was watching television when he noticed Earl coming down the steps. His fake smile made Earl angry.

Without warm greetings, Earl got down to the reason he was there. He said, “As payment for your loan, I personally came here to give you this. It should settle our debt, but if it doesn’t, we can talk.” He slid the duffel bag across the floor to his cousin.

The smile on Ian’s face broadened when he looked inside. He could barely contain his excitement. Desperately he tried to control the muscles in his face, but to no avail. His eyes danced, and he nodded.

While Ian was drooling, Earl slid both guns into his palms and kept his hands hidden behind his back.

Ian looked from Earl to the contents in the bag. With a serious face, he told Earl, “Bring me four or five more packs like this, and we’re even.”

“Cousin, I’m really sorry you said that, because what you have there is all I’m offering.”

The wide grin slowly faded from Ian’s face as he stared, confused. Suddenly the light went on, and Ian stood from the chair, only to come face to face with Earl’s midnight-black firepower.

He quickly reclaimed his seat and started talking. The stuttering was enough to make Earl cry with laughter.

Ian said, “This is good enough. Don’t worry, this’ll do.”

Earl knew that Ian had probably shit his drawers. He had to have understood now that Earl wasn’t to be fucked with. Going home would be the hardest thing he’d done, but he had to face the pressure he left behind.

***

After a few months of relaxing and thinking in Miami, Earl knew it was time to head home. The ride back to New York was about Earl’s unwillingness to let go of a vendetta that made no sense. It was about getting even with the ghost of Chaka and accepting he could never get even with Chaka himself.

For two states, he tried to decide whether it was all worth it.

Finally, just outside the toll on the outskirts of New York, he decided the money, the countless women was worth it.

A wide grin etched across his face as he decided he could rise above the Baker Boys 5. All he needed was the right amount of money. He would rock them to sleep, pay for his freedom, and make them believe they had won. And then he would kill them all.