A Gangsta Twist Saga (36 page)

Tazneema tried to speak, but Mama-Mama stopped her with a raised hand and continued. “Wait, child, and hear me out first. I understand that you are all grown up and all, but that man hurt you because he tried to kill your father. He tried to take my only child away from me. If he had succeeded in doing that, I would have killed him myself. Do you hear me, baby? I would have committed murder behind the death of my only child. So, how do you think Taz feels about that man shooting
his
only child? Put yourself in his place. How would you feel?”

“I understand his anger, Mama-Mama. When I was lying up in that hospital bed, I was mad at Cliff too. I never thought I'd want to see him again, let alone be with him. But after thinking about it, I realized that I still love him. It's as simple as that. I love him, Mama-Mama. I love my daddy too. I know how cold Taz is. I've heard the stories about how he was a killer, and how everyone around the city fears him. He doesn't know I know, but I know. Even though I respect what he has done for me, he has no right to try and dictate how I live my life. None whatsoever! I love him, that fact is true, but I'm not scared of him, Mama-Mama. If he can kill, so can I.”

Pitt was picked up at Los Angeles International Airport by a chauffeured limousine. It took the driver less than twenty minutes to arrive in front of a gigantic office building in downtown L.A. Once the driver opened the door, Pitt slid easily out of the limousine and marched inside of the building. He rode the elevator to the twenty-first floor. The door to the elevator was barely open as he squeezed his stocky frame through it. He stepped quickly toward the receptionist, who was staring at him as if he had lost his mind.

“May I help you, sir?” asked the receptionist.

“I'm here to see Cash—I mean Mr. Harris. My name is Pitt.”

“Is Mr. Harris expecting you, sir?”

“Call him and find out!” Pitt said arrogantly as he pulled out one of his hand-rolled Cuban cigars.

The receptionist rolled her eyes slightly as she pressed the intercom button and said, “Excuse me, Mr. Harris. There's a Mr. Pitt out here to see you.”

“Send him in,” Mr. Harris replied over the intercom.

When the receptionist raised her head to speak with Pitt, he had already stepped past her and was on his way inside of Mr. Harris' office.
Prick!
she said to herself as she went back to her work.

Pitt stepped inside of the office and said, “What's up, Cash Flo'?”

“You already know what's up. What do you have to tell me that's so damn important, Pitt? You know I've been caught up with those dagos in the East. On top of that, them bitch-ass Colombians are trippin' too. They are actually trying to up the price on The Network 'cause they feel we're not getting enough work from them. Can you believe that shit? We've been getting anywhere from thirty to thirty-five hundred kilos a month from them, and they say that's not enough! I'm telling you, Pitt, that's one of the reasons I'm about ready to get out of this shit. Anyway, what's the deal with you?”

Pitt smiled at the small man sitting behind the large cherry wood desk and said, “It's that nigga Won. I told you a long time ago that it was that fool. Won has been the nigga responsible for all of those mysterious-ass burglaries and licks the rest of the council have been taking.”

“Do you have any proof, Pitt? Because without any solid evidence, we won't be able to move on this. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I don't have any yet, but I will soon. You see, that nigga has finally fucked with the wrong council member. I knew sooner or later he would try to get at me, but you see my clique is too tight. No one has the heart to cross the Pitt.”

Cash Flo' smiled and said, “I thought you told me that you just got hit for a nice chunk.”

“I did. Yeah, someone finally got enough nuts to cross me, but that's a good thing. I've set up a meet for my entire crew out in Oaktown. At this meeting, I will find out exactly who it was that crossed me, and in turn, they will tell me the person who put them up to it. Once I get that information, I'm sending a heavy hit squad at that nigga Won.”

“Whoa! Hold up a second, bad boy! How do you know that it will be Won that your people give up? What if he had someone else get at them? Then what are you going to do?” Cash Flo' asked.

“If Won was involved, I will get his name sooner or later, Flo'. All I want to know is, do I have your support on this shit?”

Cash Flo' leaned back in his comfortable leather chair and thought about what Pitt had just asked him. He stroked his salt-and-pepper beard slowly as he stared at his longtime friend and business partner. They went back as far as the late seventies, when Pitt was a teenager out in Northern California.

Pitt was known as a hothead sometimes, but only when he felt that he was dead to the right. His position over the years had grown inside of The Network only because Cash Flo' felt he was worthy of the promotions.
If I give him my support on this and he's wrong, there's going to be a war within The Network,
Cash Flo' thought. Then he said, “I'm going to give you my support, Pitt, but only if you're right on this shit. If you're wrong and you go falsely accusing Won, you know what kind of position that will put you in. I won't back you if you're wrong, but if you are indeed correct about Won, then you will have everything you need to deal with the situation accordingly.”

“Always got to protect ya neck, huh?”

Cash Flo' smiled and said, “Always.”

“Cool. I ain't got a problem with that. I'll get at you when I have that nigga's name,” Pitt said as he raised up out of his seat and left the office.

Cash Flo' sat back in his chair and gave some more thought to this situation.
What the fuck would Won have to gain from doing all of this shit? He's already a fucking millionaire a few times over,
he thought to himself. Then, as if a brick hit him, the answer came to him. “Power! If this shit is true, Won's on a fucking power trip!” he said aloud as he grabbed the phone on his desk and started dialing.

 

 

By the time Taz and Sacha made it to his house, he was so upset, he could hardly think straight. He went downstairs to his indoor gym and started working out furiously. He did some curls with some lightweight dumbbells to loosen up. Afterward, he went to the curl bar and started repping some heavy weight. After an hour of this, his entire body was dripping wet with sweat, so he went upstairs and jumped into the shower.

While he was showering, he was trying his best to think of a way to get Sacha to tell him where Clifford lived. He knew she wasn't going to tell him, but he had to try to get that information out of her.

While Taz was working out, Sacha chose to stay out of his way. She took the Dobermans outside and let them run around Taz's gigantic backyard. She threw a tennis ball as far as she could and smiled as both Precious and Heaven ran to go fight for the ball. Whichever dog got to the ball first would run and bring it back to her. She did this with them for over an hour before she finally started feeling a little fatigued.

She brought the dogs back inside of the house and went upstairs to take a shower. When she walked inside the bedroom, she smiled as she watched Taz get dressed. Her smile turned into a frown quickly when she focused and saw exactly what Taz was putting on. He had on a pair of black Dickies pants and a black sweatshirt. As he tied up the laces to his black leather Tims, she said, “So, you're about to go hunting, I see.”

“Don't fuck with me on this, Li'l Mama. I'm not tryin' to hear you right now.”

“What about the promises you made to me, Taz? Have you forgotten about them already?”

“Let me see if I'm correct. I gave you my word that I would not be going out of town to do anything for Won after I finish up what I have to do with my peoples. I also recall me saying that I give you my word that after I'm done, I won't let Won get at me with any more missions or anything illegal. I plan on standing on every promise that I made to you, Li'l Mama. But I did not say anything about not dealing with that nigga Cliff. So, you can't put that shit in this now.”

“Dammit, Taz! You know damn well what I'm talking about! Why can't you leave that man alone? Can't you see that your daughter really cares for him? You're going to ruin the relationship you have with your only child because of some macho bullshit! That's ridiculous, Taz! Let them be. If 'Neema wants to be happy with him, then give her that opportunity.”

Taz stood, clapped his hands a few times and said, “Very good, counselor! That was a very convincing speech. But you see, this shit has nothin' to do with being macho. Baby, you know that I know I am the man. I know that nigga ain't really worth my time for real. But, you see, he hurt mines, and when someone hurts mines, I hurt them. It's that simple. As for 'Neema, she went against the grain. So, basically, it's fuck her too. I love her, and I always will. If she doesn't say another word to me for the rest of my life, that's on her. I'm doin' what I feel has to be done, period! End . . . of . . . discussion, Li'l Mama!”

“Ooh! You make me so damn sick with this craziness!” Sacha screamed, and went into the bathroom and took her shower.

Taz smiled sadly as he left the bedroom. He went down into the den and called Keno. After Keno answered the phone, Taz said, “I'm about to go huntin', gee. You want to roll wit' me?”

“For that nigga, Cliff?”

“You got it.”

“I'm on my way over right now!” Keno yelled excitedly.

“Nah, I'm on my way to scoop you,” Taz said before he hung up the phone. He grabbed the keys to his truck and said, “Now, where in the hell do you live, nigga? 'Cause death is about to knock on your front door!”

It had been two days since Pitt met with Cash Flo' out in Los Angeles. Pitt was as happy as can be as he walked into the conference room he had rented at the Marriot Hotel in downtown Oakland. Every last member of his team was inside the room. He spoke to everyone as he went to the head of the long conference table. Now was the time to find out exactly who it was that crossed him. “What's up, everyone? Y'all good?” he greeted.

Everyone inside of the room gave a positive response to him as they got themselves comfortable in their seats.

“Good. Now, I know y'all are wondering why I called this emergency meeting, so I'll get straight to the matter at hand. Someone in this room has crossed me, and I'm here today to find out exactly who that person is. There are approximately thirty-six people in this room, not counting myself. And no one is leaving until I find out who gave up the information on the bail bondsman spot. It is now ten minutes after three. At three thirty, my men, Leo and Tru here, will start executing each one of you until someone confesses their wrongs committed against me.”

There were several murmurs around the conference room as the members of Pitt's crew stared at Leo and Tru, who had both pulled out silenced 9 mm.

Pitt continued. “Now, I want to give you my word that once the guilty party confesses, he or she will not be harmed. All I want to know is who the person is that made contact with them, and got them to cross that line. Other than being dismissed from this crew, nothing will be done to them.” He then raised his right hand and said, “I swear to God! You see, this matter has to be dealt with immediately, because it endangers not only our daily operations, but our safety as well.” He stopped talking, sat back in his chair and lit up one of his Cuban cigars. He gave a quick glance toward the clock mounted on the right wall of the conference room and said, “Fifteen more minutes, and the executions will begin.”

A tall gentleman dressed casually in a pair of Dockers and a short-sleeved Polo button-up shirt stood and said, “Come on, Pitt. This shit is crazy. Ain't no way you're going to be able to blast everyone in this room and get away with it. This shit is ridiculous!”

“Munk, have you ever known me to give faulty threats?”

“Nah, but—”

“I have this room rented for the rest of the day. We will be long gone by the time Leo and Tru finish handling their business. I really didn't expect to have to go through with this shit, but I see the person who's crossed me really doesn't give a fuck about y'all either. 'Cause if that person did, they would have come forward by now . . . that is . . . unless that person is you, Munk.”

Shaking his head furiously, Munk said, “You know I'd never cross you, Pitt. It wasn't me. I swear!”

“Have a seat, Munk, and shut the fuck up then!” Pitt glanced toward the clock again and said, “Twelve more minutes.”

After about three more minutes of silence, a petite woman stood up and said, “It was me, Pitt.”

Pitt frowned and asked, “Why, Brenda? We've been together for years. I've always made sure that you were eating well from this table. Why would you do me like that?”

Brenda gave a slight shrug of her petite shoulders and simply said, “Greed, Pitt. He offered me a million dollars to give up the bail bondsman spot. He also promised me that no one would be hurt. I figured I'd score me a quick ticket, and all would be well. I knew your losses would be made up eventually, 'cause a nigga like you ain't gon' fall off over some shit like a few kilos of heroin. So, I said fuck it, and gave up the info. True, you've made sure that I have always eaten well, but I don't have a meal ticket stacked in the vault.”

“But you do now, huh?” Pitt asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, I do now,” Brenda said with her head bowed in shame.

“All right then. Who was it that approached you? I need to know his name and how to get in contact with him.”

“The name he gave me was G. I have a cell number right here in my purse,” Brenda said as she opened her purse and pulled out a white slip of paper with a telephone number written on it. She passed it to Tru, who had come and stood right next to her. He then went to the front of the conference table and gave it to Pitt.

Pitt sighed heavily, because it hurt him deeply to know that Brenda was the person who had crossed him. She had been with him for a very long time, and he thought she would always remain loyal.
Damn! This some fucked up shit!
he thought. Then he asked her, “Did this G mention anyone else?”

“Nope. All he was worried about was the location of the spot, and security and shit like that. He was on some sneaky shit, but his primary concern was the drugs.”

“Is there anything else you're not telling me, Brenda?”

“That's everything, Pitt. I swear to God.”

“Come here,” Pitt said as he waved his hand for her to come to him.

Brenda walked to the front of the conference table and stood in front of Pitt. “I know saying I'm sorry is worthless right about now, Pitt, but I am. I let my damn greed get the best of me, and I'm truly sorry for that.”

Pitt grabbed Tru's silenced 9 mm and said, “You know I have to take you, right?”

“Bu—but you said that I wouldn't be harmed! You swore to God and gave all of us your word, Pitt!” screamed Brenda.

“I'm a criminal just like everyone else in this room, baby. You know my word ain't shit,” Pitt said to her before he shot her right between her eyes. Her lifeless body dropped to the floor instantly.

Pitt gave Tru his gun back and said, “Clean up this mess. I'll have some janitors of mine come and get the body in a little bit. Now, as for the rest of y'all, I want y'all to know that you were never in any danger. I knew that the person who was responsible for this shit would come forward before the deadline expired.”

“Bullshit, Pitt! You're one cold nigga!” someone yelled from the back of the conference room.

Pitt smiled a deadly smile and said, “You better fucking believe it! You cross me, and you die! It's that fucking simple. This meeting is now adjourned. Get back to getting that fucking money!”

 

Back in Oklahoma City, Clifford was talking to his homeboys, H-Hop, Astro, and Li'l Bomb.

“So, you got heavy beef with them niggas, big homey?” asked Li'l Bomb.

“Yeah, cuz. That nigga Taz is real salty at a nigga 'cause his daughter's in love with me,” replied Clifford.

“Do you think he's goin' to try and take it to the next level, cuz?” asked Astro

“That fool ain't no joke, cuz. I didn't want to tell y'all, but I ain't really got no choice. Taz is the same nigga who killed Do-Low.”

“What?”
all three of the Hoover Crips yelled in unison.

“So, this nigga Taz is the nigga Do-Low tried to jack at the club that night, loc?” asked H-Hop.

“Yeah.”

“Cuz, that nigga gots to go!” Li'l Bomb said angrily.

“I'll take care of that nigga, cuz. I'm going to need y'all to help a nigga out with his crew though. Those fools got major chips, so I know they're strapped like out of this world,” Clifford said seriously.

“Cuz, we're strapped out of this fuckin' world! Fuck them niggas! How you want to do this?” asked Li'l Bomb.

“They normally go out to the club on the weekends
.
They don't be slippin', so we gots to make sure that when we move, we move correctly. Let me check into a few things, and I'll get back at y'all.”

“All right, C-Baby. You do that, cuz. When the time is right, we gon' smoke all of them fools! For my nigga, Do-Low! Hoover in peace!” H-Hop said seriously.

Clifford smiled and said, “Fo' sho, loco!”

 

 

Taz was frustrated. It had been two days, and he still wasn't able to get a line on where Clifford's home was. He even went to his old job and tried to see if he could get the information from one of Clifford's former coworkers, and he still came up short.

When Sacha heard that Taz was at her job asking questions about Clifford, she became infuriated. She called Taz and told him to meet her at her house for lunch. Taz, knowing that she was about to rip him a new asshole, reluctantly agreed.

As soon as she entered her house, she went straight off on him. “How fucking dare you come up to my place of employment and try to find out where Cliff lives! What the fuck wrong with you, Taz? Don't you realize that if anything happens to him now, you're going to be the number one fucking suspect? Are you trying to beat the fucking door down to the pen? What the fuck were you thinking about?” she screamed.

Taz sat down onto her sofa and said, “I guess I wasn't really thinkin' at all, Li'l Mama.”

“Taz, baby, you have to let this go. You're letting this completely consume you, and it's eating up your fucking brain cells! I'm not trying to lose you to nobody's jail, baby. Please, let this go.”

He shook his head no, and said, “I slipped, Li'l Mama. It won't happen again. I promise. Now, calm down before you make yourself sick or somethin'. That nigga has to die. It's as simple as that.”

“I can't fucking believe this shit! You're going to let this man put you behind bars for the rest of your fucking life, and for what? Just because your daughter loves him? You are the dumbest fucking millionaire I have ever met in my fucking life! Get the fuck out of my house, Taz Good!”

“Come on, Li'l Mama! Stop trippin'! Damn!”

“I mean it, Taz! Get the fuck out!” she screamed as she pointed toward her front door.

Taz got to his feet and walked out of Sacha's home feeling like a rookie in the game.
Damn! How did I slip like that?
he asked himself as he climbed inside of this truck.

When Taz made it back to his place, he called Tari and asked her if she was still going out to the club with them.

“Ain't nothing changed, baby. I told y'all I was with it,” she said as she closed the door to the nurses' station at her job.

“All right, I was just checkin' to make sure that you was still rollin'. We'll most likely all meet here around ten thirty. We don't normally hit the club until eleven or eleven thirty.”

“That's cool. Should I wear something sexy, or something comfortable?”

Taz started laughing and said, “It don't matter, Tee. You know how we get down. Some of us will be fly, and some of us will be on some gee shit. I was thinking about sportin' my new pieces tonight though.”

“Yeah? What you got now, ‘Mr. Baby Birdman'?”

“Birdman? You got me twisted, Tee. I ain't no Lil Wayne. I'm that nigga, Taz! You know I got the tightest shit around this clown-ass town.”

“Whatever! What have you gone and bought now, boy?”

“Last month when me and Sacha were in L.A., she bought me this tight-ass canary-yellow diamond bracelet and ring. So, I took it a step further and had my grill man out in H-Town hook me up a canary-yellow diamond grill to match.”

“Top and bottom?”

“Yep! That shit is way tight too. Watch. You'll see later on,” he said happily.

“So, what are you wearing tonight? I know it's going to be something real fly since you're going to be flossing all of those yellow rocks.”

“Nah. You know I rarely get my floss on like that. I leave that shit to Keno. I'm rockin' a pair of brown Rocawear jeans, with my butter-colored Timbs, and a white tee.”

“I swear, I don't understand how you got all of that money and you dress as if you're still out hustling on the block.”

“It is what it is, Tee. What? I should be suited and booted every fuckin' day? You know I don't get down like that.”

“Yeah, I know. And I also know that you have Armani, Gucci, and every other top-name designer inside of your closet too. Why don't you wear one of those sexy-ass tailormade suits of yours?”

“'Cause that shit is for funerals, weddings and other special events. Not for no fuckin' club in the city. Look, I'll see you later. I got some calls to make and shit.”

“Wait! Did you and Sacha smooth things out with each other?”

“Yes . . . and no.”

“What did you do now, boy?”

“I'll tell you about it later on, Tee. I gots to go.”

“All right, bye.” She hung up the phone and went back to work.

 

 

Keno, Bo-Pete, Red and Wild Bill arrived at Taz's house a little after ten p.m. They were all dressed casually, in jeans and shirts. They either had Timb boots on, or a pair of Nike by Jordan or Kobe Bryant. With all of their expensive jewelry on, they looked like a group of rappers.

Taz smiled as everyone complimented him on his new canary-yellow diamond grill.

“Damn, nigga! When you bust those pieces?” Keno asked as he walked to the bar to pour himself a drink.

“A few months ago,” answered Taz.

“How many carats you got in your mouth now, nigga?” asked Red.

Taz shrugged and said, “About one-twenty, I think. I'm not really sure. I called my grill man out in H-Town and had him hook this up for me.”

“You always gots to outshine a nigga, huh?” asked Keno.

“Nigga, ain't no way I can outshine you! You're the number one stuntin' nigga in the city!”

Keno smiled and said, “I know, huh!”

Everyone laughed at his silly-ass.

“Dog, what's up with Katrina? I haven't heard you talkin' 'bout her in a minute,” asked Taz,

“We're good, gee. As a matter a fact, she's goin' to be at the club later on. We've been chillin' and shit. She has really shocked me.”

“How's that?”

“She's not the normal around-the-way broad. She actually goes to school and is trying to get her degree in literature. She wants to be a school teacher.”

“Yeah, that's straight. So, you think she's wifey material?”