Chapter Five

Two weeks from the day Koran informed Jahad what he suspected about Premo, Jahad set up a situation to see just how bad Koran wanted to become a M.G. It was Friday afternoon and Koran had just returned home from a date still making up for his time spent in seclusion. He had another date set later that night with Monica, his freaky Puerto Rican chick. The thought made him smile as he walked to the kitchen to fix a snack. The smile turned into a frown when he saw the note Jahad left for him posted on the refrigerator.

Meet me on the roof at ten, Jah. It was scribbled in Jahad’s sloppy handwriting.

“Shit!” Koran cursed, thinking it was another one of Jahad’s crazy lessons. “Jah, you fucking my pussy plans up with this bullshit. What is it now? Catch bullets with my fucking teeth!”

He stormed out the apartment pissed off deciding to grab something to eat from the Chinese restaurant right up the street. He stepped out the building dressed for the brittle weather in a thick pair of Roc-A-Wear jeans, brown suede Timberlands, a Gino Green Global hoody and a brown Timberland snorkel coat. His attention was drawn to a beautiful young woman walking with a little girl around six or seven towards building 1790 which was right next to his building. He couldn’t say why, but something about the woman seemed oddly familiar.

“A yo shorty!” he called out, but she was too far away to hear him. On impulse, he started jogging towards her then stopped abruptly and shook his head. “I’m buggin’. I don’t chase no chicks.” Laughing to himself, he turned back to his destination. I got enough women on my hands, but one more wouldn’t hurt though, he thought, laughing again.

Back at the apartment after wolfing down an order of beef and broccoli and two egg rolls, he played Madden until it was time to meet Jahad. When he made it to the top of his building, cursing all the way up, a gust of rigid cold wind nearly pushed him back inside when he opened the roof’s exit door. Forcing himself out he saw the Head’s standing near the ledge with their backs turned slightly towards him.

“What up with you nigga’s?” he asked, approaching them. He then froze after catching sight of Premo. He was naked shivering from the cold and fear. His wrist and ankles were bound together with duct tape.

“You see what’s up,” Jahad said, casting an evil glance at Premo. “This piece of shit right here gotta go. I figured you’d wanna do the honors. If not that’s cool too.”

This was it, the final test and deep down Jahad prayed Koran would say he couldn’t do it. If he took Premo’s life there was no way he would be denied.

Koran looked at the Heads who were all studying his face to judge his reaction. He knew what was expected of him. He knew when he first laid eyes on Premo’s naked body what the call was. Now his shock was gone and replaced with blood rushing adrenaline.

“Give me a gun or am I supposed to stomp his ass to death? I ain’t trying to fuck up my Tim’s.”

The Head’s laughed except for Jahad who began revising his plans for Koran. “Nah, man, it’s your choice. You can blast his ass….” Star held out a bulldog 44.

“Or you can choke him the fuck out.” Sha’ finished the sentence holding out a piece of rope about three feet long.

Another test Koran thought. Without hesitating, he took the rope from Sha’, dropped to one knee looping the rope around Premo’s neck, and started choking the life out of him. Premo struggled hard, desperately trying to use his weight to roll over until Koran placed his knee in the middle of his back for leverage. He tightened the rope around his neck, pulling upward with all his might until Premo Started to convulse and a foul odor filtered up from his body.

“What the fuck is wrong with this dude?” Koran yelled, jumping up seeing shit run between Premo’s legs. He fought to keep from throwing up. Not only from what he was witnessing, but from the act he just committed.

The Head’s looked at each other knowingly then Lord burst out laughing. “A yo, you choked the shit outta that nigga Koran. Literally!”

“Word!” Prince added, Shaking his head.

Sha’ walked over and threw an arm around Korans’ shoulder. He turned to Jahad who was still deep in thought. “Let me get my dough, Jah. I told you he was a natural born killer. I could see it in his eyes.”

While Jahad forked over a thousand dollars to Sha’, Lord and Prince grabbed Premo’s lifeless body and threw him off the roof. Koran watched transfixed as the body grew smaller and smaller until it slammed into the concrete below.

“You official now nigga. All we gotta do now is figure out where to put you,” Lord said turning away from the ledge.

“Whatcha’ mean?”

“C’mon, let’s get the hell off this roof first. It’s too damn cold up here. We’ll handle all that when we get to the crib.” Jahad shoved his hands in his coat pocket and walked towards the exit door leaving the others to follow.

Back at the apartment before they settled down, a ceremony was put on for Koran’s initiation. Sha’ and Star rolled blunts of Purple Haze. Jahad and Lord were behind the bar placing gold bottles of Cristal on the counter. Prince was at the stereo putting on a new Dip Set underground C.D.

“What you standing over there for?” Jahad asked, looking up. “Grab a bottle.”

Koran shook his head. “You know I don’t drink Jah.”

“You do tonight. Smoke too. We went through the trouble of putting this shit together, so you gonna get fucked up with us.”

“That’s right nigga.” Sha’ stood from the couch and grabbed a bottle of Cristal. “C’mon, y’all nigga’s gather around so we can make a toast.” They made a circle around the coffee table holding their bottles out in front of them. “From this day forth you are one of us. We hold you down, you hold us down. We make you stronger, you make us stronger. It’s as simple as that.” They clicked bottles together, then took long swigs except for Koran who nearly choked from the first swallow.

“A’ight, let’s get down to business. Star, pass me one of the blunts.” Jahad took the blunt, lit it, then sat back in his recliner facing Koran. “Before we decide where to put you let me break some shit down for you. You got professional basketball players, football players, and boxers. Professional meaning they're the best at what they do. The M.G.’s, we’re professional drug dealers. We ain’t no gang like the Bloods and Crips. We don’t go around broadcasting who we are. Our sole purpose is getting money and that’s the only reason we kill. More than half the niggas in New York moving weight are selling our shit without knowing.”

“Now it comes times when other weight moving nigga’s try to move in our spots. Nigga’s might plug in with the Columbians or Cubans and get hit with mad bricks or whatever and they gotta move them. I mean it's part of the game. But being who we are, we don’t go for it. That’s where the killing comes in at. To put an end to the competition, we kill off the whole crew including the connect. Once the word gets around the next nigga thinks twice about trying to move on the spot.”

“I’m saying, how often does this happen? I mean niggas trying to move in on our spot?”

“Like every four or five months,” Star answered. “Understand that we’re talking about four boroughs and all our spots do numbers. And when I say spots, I’m not talking about petty ass nickel and dime crack, weed or heroin spots. We supply the weight to the niggas who supply the nickel and dime spots, feel me?”

Koran nodded in awe. “So when other niggas try to supply the niggas who supply the nickel and dime spots, that’s when we do what we do?”

“Exactly. That’s what the body squad is for,” Prince said.

“Body squad?”

“Yeah, the Body Squad,” Jahad took over. “Like I told you, we’re professionals so everything we do is organized. We have three types of M.G.’s; Workers, Watchers, and the Body Squad. Worker’s, they’re M.G.’s employed at our local businesses. Besides doing whatever job they’re assigned to, their sole purpose is to count money and deliver drugs.”

“The watchers do just that, watch shit. Every nigga we supply drugs to has a M.G. watching them around the clock in case they get knocked. It’s basically set up like any other job with eight hour shifts. Then we have the body squad. They handle all hits whether individually or as a team. When it’s only one or two muthafucka’s who gotta get ghosted, names are dropped into a hat and whoever name gets picked, gotta do the hit. If a whole crew has to be taken out, then they form Voltron and get busy. Don’t get it twisted though, every M.G. I’m speaking of bust their guns. It’s just that niggas on the Body Squad have special talents, you know?” Jahad cracked a smile glancing at Star.

“How many M.G.’s on the Body Squad?” asked Koran.

“Fifty and that’s all we do. Body shit!” Star answered, grinning.

“I wanna be on the Body Squad then,” Koran blurted out.

“I figured you’d say that, but it ain’t up to you,” Jahad said frowning. “Why not a worker or a watcher?”

“I’m saying, y’all made me go through all that crazy shit for two years. I wanna try some of that shit out on a muthafucka to see if it works,” Koran replied dead serious. The Heads looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

“A yo, Koran, you wild nigga. I feel you though.” Star looked at Jahad. “I’m wit it.”

Jahad smirked. “I’m sure you are, but it ain’t your brother we talking about,” he said and turned back to Koran. “Check it, niggas on the Body Squad already got mad bodies under their belts. They veterans when it comes to laying shit down. You think this shit is a game or something? You could fuck around and get bodies lil’ bruh.”

“I feel you Jah, but I ain’t no slouch. Look at the shit y’all took me through. I went through all of it with ease. I feel I’m that nigga for the Body Squad. I mean, I could be that nigga as a watcher too after all that time I spent on the street. But think about it. I know how to blend in with any hood, be on any scene without being seen, you know? With that skill I’ll be able to pop tops like beer cans.”

Jahad looked away.

“He made a good point Jah,” said Sha’.

“So you want him on the Body Squad? How about you Prince, Lord?”

“I think he can handle it,” said Lord. “Yeah, me too,” Prince agreed.

Jahad nodded. “A’ight, the Body Squad it is. But check this.” He faced Star. “You run that shit so I’ma hold you responsible if anything happens to him. That’s my word! It’s easy for you niggas to say put him on the Body Squad. He ain’t y’all brother. I’m the nigga who raised… ”

“Whoa! Stop there Jah,” Sha’ said, holding up his hand. “That shit you screaming is pure bullshit. Koran is our brother just as much as he’s yours. Nah, we ain’t raise him, but love is love, Son.”

“Word up! You gone hold me responsible?” Star mocked angrily. “If I didn’t think he was built for it, I’d say no. I can’t believe you came at me with some shit like that,” he said mumbling something in Creole under his breath.

“A’ight, Star, don’t go putting none of that voodoo shit on me,” said Jahad laughing. Star glared at him a moment before cracking a smile. “You keep talking that crazy shit I’ma have your ass walking around here thinking you’re a chicken.”

“So, I’m on the Body Squad?” Koran asked grinning.

“Yeah, that’s your position. I still want you at Joe’s at least three days a week so I can show you how to freak the books. That’ll be your cover. Plus, if I’m ever outta town you’ll know how to run the shop.”

“A’ight, but you just wanna get some extra work outta me.”

“The boys a genius,” Jahad laughed, but secretly he had plans for Koran. Plans none of the other Heads were aware of.