Chapter Thirty

Friday, September 2nd was the beginning of the end for the M.G’s. Or was it? Koran and Serenity spent most of the morning packing and loading his truck. The army bags stuffed with money he was leaving behind. Jahad would bring it when he got out the hospital along with the other duffel bags, with the help of Joey and Kwan in stash equipped vans.

Around two o’clock Koran went to Emma’s to tell her he was leaving. He also had a surprise for her. Something he and Jahad had worked out. When he came in she was siting in the living room watching Wheel Of Fortune with a joint burning in the ashtray on her coffee table.

“Don’t bankrupt baby, don’t bankrupt!” she said coaching a young black lady on the screen. “Okay, baby, now ask for an S… No baby an S!”

Koran laughed. “I don’t think she can hear you Mrs. Harris.”

Emma turned, grinning.“I reckon she can’t. Come on in here and sit down.” She patted the seat beside her. “You want something to eat.”

“Nah, I’m good. I came to tell you I’m leaving tonight. I’m moving to North Carolina. Jah moving down there too when he gets out the hospital.”

“Moving?” Emma stared at him with a blank expression, then her eyes filled with tears. Koran and Jahad were all she had in terms of family. She couldn’t imagine not having them around. “You’re moving? I thought you didn’t like the south.”

“I gotta learn to like it. I’m taking your advice and leaving the streets alone. Figured I’d go to college and try my hand at something legal.”

Emma wiped her eyes and smiled, although her heart was shattered. “That’s good baby. You go down there and make something of your life. But you better not forget about ole Mrs. Harris, you hear? Y’all come back and visit me and bring my baby, Jamel.”

Koran smiled. “We won’t have to, you’re coming with us. I know you ain’t think we were leaving you up here and miss out on your good cooking. When Jah gets out the hospital, he’s bringing you with him. You can either live with him or me. Or you can have your own house. And before you say anything we ain’t taking no for an answer.

“I’m coming with you?” Emma asked softly, confused.

“Yep.”

Emma blinked a few times, then wrapped her frail arms around his neck.

“Thank you baby! I don’t know what I’d do without my boys.”

“We don’t know what we’d do without you either Mrs. Harris.” Koran smiled and hugged her tightly with his good arm.

The rest of the day crept by at a turtle’s pace. To pass the time, Koran and Serenity made memories from the kitchen to the living room. They fucked in the bathroom, the bedroom on the floor, then back to the bathroom where they took a long hot shower. By the time a quarter to ten rolled around they were both lying in bed exhausted and jittery.

Soon it was time for Koran to make the call.

“A yo Prince, I got scrams on my roof right now,” Koran said in a rushed tone when Prince answered the phone. “I wanna body his ass right here and now, but I want y’all to hear this shit first.”

“What you mean? What duke screaming?”

“Some shit about one of the lieutenants being on some bullshit. Just hurry up man! Call Star and Lord so y’all can come together.”

“A’ight give us like an hour. A yo, Son, shit is crazy right now. I know you here the sirens. Bronxdale is a national disaster area! I’m waiting on Star and Lord now to find out what happened with the other shit.”

“Well, y’all niggas hurry up man. It’s kinda chilly on this damn roof.”

“A’ight. One.”

“One.” Koran nodded at Serenity as he hung up. “It’s on now. We got an hour before they get here. You know it’s gonna be windy on the roof so wear your jacket. The black one. What's up you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Serenity replied, with a malicious gleam in her eyes.

The temperature on the roof was right at fifty degrees when they exited the staircase, but with the strong wind it seemed more like forty and brought tears to their eyes.

“Damn baby, it’s windy as fuck up here,” Serenity said, pulling the hood from her Nylon Nike wind breaker over her head to keep her hair from blowing. “Why didn’t you tell them to come to the apartment?”

Koran shook his head. “Nah, this is where it all started for me. Right here on this roof. This where I’ma end it. Go ahead and get in position.” He looked down at his watch. “We have about ten minutes before they show up. Make sure you can see with the hood over your head too. Don’t fuck around and shoot me.”

Serenity giggled. “I won’t shoot you, boo. Give me a kiss before I go.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and plunged her tongue in his mouth.

“Whoa! C’mon, Sin. We gonna be up here fucking in a minute if you don’t chill.” He laughed as he broke the kiss. “That shit would be crazy right? They’ll walk though the door and I’ll have you bent over and shit.”

“Shut up,” she laughed pecking him on the lips before rushing off.

Koran watched her leave tempted to send her back to the apartment. If he knew it wouldn’t be a wasted breath, he would have done just that. But, like himself, Serenity was looking forward to the kill. It showed in her eyes. Five minutes later his back was to the door when it open and he heard the crunch of the footsteps on the small pebbles that layered the roof.

This was it. The finale. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip on the gun he held listening as the footsteps grew closer.

“A yo Koran, where the nigga at?” Prince asked from behind him.

“Right here.” Without hesitation Koran spun around and raised his gun in one motion. Prince stood no further than six feet away. Lord and Star flanked his sides.

“Koran, what the…”

‘Boom! Boom!’

Koran fired two shots into Princes’ forehead that lifted him off his feet and sent the New York Yankee’s fitted he wore flying through the air with a chunk of his head still inside the cap. Reacting off instinct, Star reached for his gun and had it half way up when Koran squeezed off two more rounds that hit him right between the eyes. The force from the bullet whipped his head back before his body landed on top of Prince’s. At the same moment, Serenity ran from beside the exit door and shot Lord, who stared at Koran through perplexed eyes, three times in the back of his head. He fell flat on his face only inches from where Koran stood with tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

Serenity walked over and grabbed him by the arm, but he made no motion to move. Lying dead in front of him was three men he once considered his brothers. He shook his head as the tears fell from his eyes. This is where it ended. After tonight he couldn’t see himself killing anymore.

“Come on baby. It’s over now,” Serenity said leading him to the roof exit door.

Back at the apartment they took a quick shower and changed clothes. The whole time Koran stayed silent, too caught up in his thoughts to speak. It was over. The Heads were dead. Still, he didn’t understand why. What was the real reason behind their treachery? Were they in on it together? Greed? Power? It didn’t add up when they all had so much money they’d never be able to spend it all. It had to go deeper. It had to. But he guessed he would never find out.

On the way out the apartment with Serenitys’ arm looped through his good one, he gave one last look at the living room just as his cell phone rung. Probably Jahad he thought. How wrong he was.

“Yeah, what up?”

“Surprise muthafucka! You thought it was over?” the Operator asked mockingly.

Koran nearly dropped his phone hearing the voice he knew so well.

“Nah, man! It can’t be you! It can’t be!” he roared, sliding down the wall.

“What is it Koran?” Serenity asked, noticing that his hands were trembling.

Koran ignored her, focused on the voice in his ear. “How? Why? You supposed to be…”

“How?” the Operator laughed. “You wanna know how? You, was how nigga. I tried to use Hector stupid ass to body you an Jah. Then I was gonna sic him on the other Heads, but them damn Puerto Ricans can’t do shit right. So I switched up tactics and used you instead. Smart, huh? I knew how to push your buttons. How to make you move and you did exactly what I thought you would do. You and your little bitch killed three birds with one stone, or some shit like that.” He laughed again. “Oh, and yeah, I was watching. Saw you cry like a bitch too.”

Koran closed his eyes and shook his head. “Why man? You of all fucking people. Why?”

“Ask your brother why, nigga. You lucky I just didn’t kill your ass and even the score. I wanted to add some fun to it though. But you still gonna die. It’s only right. A brother for a brother. I don’t think Jah will be able to answer your question though. I’m bout to body his ass in a few minutes. Oh yeah, before I go. Remember that hit you did on the Polo Grounds? That was Jah’s ex-girl you bodied. And yeah, that little bastard Kay, Kay-Kay or whatever it is you call him, that’s Jah’s son. I set all that up just to see how far you would go. Yeah, you a killer, but you my killer nigga. Now start making funeral arrangements for your brother, you stupid muthafucka!”

The Operator hung up leaving Koran speechless.

“Koran! Koran! What’s wrong?” Serenity asked, jerking his arm.

“Goddamnit! I gotta call Jah. It’s Sha’!”

 

 

 

COMING SOON

BOSS: Caught Up In The Hustle!

A Whores Conscience

COVER REVEAL SOON!