Hide & Seek (25 page)

“
Tate,” Xae replied evenly.

“
Fuck no,” LaRon answered plainly. “Do whatever you want, gut his ass like a fish for all I care.”

Xae chuckled slightly. “A’ight,” he replied simply.

“
You still think three is enough with the crew you gotta take out,” LaRon inquired again wanting the young man to realize the magnitude of the task he was about to undertake.

Xae chuckled aloud before answering. “Take out the head, the rest of the fools fall by the wayside,” he replied confidently.

LaRon didn’t argue. His deduction made perfect sense in his mind.

“
Word on the street says Tyreece is MIA,” Xae went on to tell LaRon. “You think they killed him already?”

Xae told him he didn’t think so or he would have heard that as well.

“
They beatin’ information out that fool more than likely.”

LaRon didn’t like the sound of that at all. Tyreece was weak and while he didn’t know everything, he knew enough to throw a serious wrench in their plan if Ryan got to him before Xae took him off the street.

“
You know where he is,” LaRon asked as Xae told him he had people checking some spots.

“
Don’t sweat it man,” Xae told him, beginning to talk again. “This shit is about to go down, everybody gonna be visible real quick,” he added as LaRon told him he was counting on that.

“
Trust man,” Xae told him. “The next call you get from me, I’ll be telling’ you to come on to the delta,” he finished and told LaRon he was heading out.

Disconnecting, LaRon sighed deeply and hoped that Xae and his crew could pull this thing off, and fast.

*****

Halle was watching Freight fearfully as he continued to glare at her.

“
Why the fuck were you touching’ me,” he asked angrily as she shrank away, afraid he would hit her again.

She thought he was asleep and he was so damned sexy laying there next to her nude. All Halle wanted was for him to forgive her, them to make love and be together again. All he seemed to want was to kill her.

“
I asked a fuckin’ question,” Freight roared angry all over again.

He’d awakened with his usual hard on, only to find Halle stroking his hard member, gently licking the head. He was at first turned on until he realized it was her and not Kim lying in bed with him. He’d had an extremely sexy and graphically erotic dream about her before being awakened by Halle’s touch.

“
I’m sorry Freight,” she told him quietly hoping he would just let it go, but not counting on it.

“
I told you before,” he spat angrily. “I don’t want you like that ever again.”

Sighing deeply Halle rose to leave him in her bedroom alone.

“
You act like you ain’t been fuckin’ old boy,” he challenged, not letting her leave.

“
What’s up with that shit,” he barked.

“
I said I was sorry Freight,” Halle tried again, moving to step around him as he grabbed her and threw her onto the bed.

“
Guess he ain’t enough though huh,” Freight started anew. “You always were a whore, and insatiable whore,” he added giving her a condescending look.

Halle’s anger was beginning to rise and she was desperately trying to keep it in check.

“
Maybe you should tell him to bring some friends the next time you fuck him,” he threw out chuckling at his own joke.

Halle snapped. “Why don’t you get the hell outta my house,” she threw back angrily.

Freight stopped smiling and gave her a deadly look.

“
What did you just say,” he asked walking toward her.

Halle stood her ground and gave him a defiant look right back.

“
I said,” she began as Freight slapped her hard, drawing blood, turning her neck almost 180 degrees around.

Halle hit him back, closed fist, as hard as she could in the face.

“
Bitch, no the fuck you didn’t,” he roared out of control at this point.

Freight grabbed the smaller woman, holding one arm as he punched her with the other. Halle tried to fight back but was no match for the 300 plus pounds assailing her right now. Desperate she reached for the pen lying on her nightstand and stabbed him in the arm, four times in succession.

That was the final insult for Freight. Grabbing her arm to keep her from stabbing him again, he flung her hard into the door frame as she sank to the carpeted floor.

“
You nasty bitch,” he railed actually foaming at the mouth from his rage.

He kicked the semi conscious woman in the pit of her stomach causing her to vomit.

“
I shoulda killed your ass a long time ago,” he told her both hands wrapped around her neck.

Halle was trying urgently to make him stop, clawing at his face, managing to scratch his eyes as he let go finally.

“
I hate you,” Halle screamed at him as she caught her breath.

“
The feeling is fuckin’ mutual, tramp,” Freight told her still staring hatefully at her.

“
Then get the fuck out,” she screamed again.

The outburst earned her another open hand slap from Freight that knocked her into the huge garden tub, hitting her head on the metal spout that protruded. Freight watched the shocked expression come to her face as realization of pain dawned. He saw the blood beginning to spread and pool in the tub.

“
Help me,” Halle pleaded quietly, slowly losing consciousness and fighting to hang on. “Please Freight, help me,” she begged pitifully once more before lapsing into silence.

Freight stood at the side of the tub as the woman inside bled to death. He didn’t move or pick up the phone. When her breathing finally ceased from his visible observation, Freight turned without a word and walked back into the bedroom, straightened the room, gathered his things and walked out the front door, closing and locking it behind him.

*****

Ian was waiting impatiently for Dixon to return from his errand. As he sat he continued to think about Kaitlyn and the brief glance he’d caught of her yesterday.
It won’t be long now baby,
he thought sipping his juice and continuing to plot. Ian was going to have a bloodbath at the house once they got Kaitlyn out safely.
Send her to our house while I deal with these fools,
Ian continued to think as Dixon finally returned and joined him.

“
You get them,” he asked as the big man nodded he had.

Handing Ian the aluminum cylinders, Dixon cleared the desk area as Ian laid the blueprints on top of it.

“
This will show us every inch of that house,” he said aloud as Dixon shook his head, indicating his understanding.

Reggie joined the men moments later, as did two new guns that Ian brought up from Florida.

“
I want everyone to pay attention,” Ian told all of them. “If this shit goes wrong and my woman doesn’t walk out of this house in one piece, I’ll kill all of you,” he added point blank, no hint of humor in his voice, face, or mannerism.

None of the men flinched.

“
Tell us what you need, Ice,” Reggie told him.

He would do whatever Ian wanted after the man spared his life that fateful night Peppermints was robbed.

“
I want you all to memorize these plans,” he told them as they continued to pour over the blueprints. “We’re gonna exploit the weak points and make them work to our advantage,” Ian went on as the men listened intently. “Did you get the weapons here yet,” he asked Andre.

This was one of his Florida shooters.

“
Yeah, they will be here this afternoon,” he replied as Ian asked him what he’d procured.

“
Remington 1100 Magnum’s, AR-15’s, AK-47’s,” Andre returned. “Depending on what kinda damage you wanna do, I even got a couple live grenades,” he told Ian as the man smiled.

“
You were definitely thorough,” he replied, pleased with the man’s initiative.

“
You said war,” Andre told him shrugging slightly as Ian laughed aloud.

“
I like the way you think, Andre,” he told him as the man smiled a bit himself.

“
Now that we know the firepower, we need to have the game plan,” Ian told them.

“
And again, my woman is not a target,” he reiterated as the men again all nodded.

“
Tonight we’re going on a seek and modify run,” he told them as they once more noted their understanding.

They continued to pour over the blueprint, creating scenario after scenario until coming up with one they all agreed would give them maximum advantage in every area.

“
Let’s eat gentlemen and then we’ll handle our business,” Ian told them as everyone left the office, and headed to the parking lot and their lunch destination.

*****

Xae and his partners were sitting outside of Jazzy’s enjoying the blunt they’d rolled, watching the front door.

“
What time that fool supposed to get here,” one of the men asked, exhaling the acrid smoke from his lungs.

“
Shoulda been here by now,” Xae returned taking his own hit and enjoying the sensations it brought.

The third man checked his weapon, chambering a round, ready to complete the task they were here for.

“
So we get Jazzy’s and the other two clubs too,” the first man asked again.

Xae assured him that was the deal.

“
We just give Top his 40 percent and we’re straight,” he elaborated.

“
Not a bad split,” the third man replied.

“
Yeah Top and Deuce seem to be straight,” Xae told them as they finished the blunt and contemplated rolling another.

“
Hold up,” Xae threw out as everyone froze and turned their attention to the parking lot. “There go that fool,” he said aloud, smiling a sinister smile at their target.

“
Shit, let’s do it then,” the first man said excitedly, pulling the ski mask over his face.

Starting the car Xae pulled his own mask down, as did the third man and the game was on. They pulled the olive green 1967 Chevy Impala from the parking space it occupied, turning up the David Banner CD and bumping the base. As they drove closer to Jazzy’s the man turned from his task of unlocking the clubs door and regarded the car coming toward him, shaking the windows of, he was sure, every business in a five mile radius. Xae felt his pulse racing as they drove closer and his two friends set themselves to lean out of the windows, gun’s ready to unleash carnage. As they pulled close enough for the man to see the horror awaiting him, both men pulled the triggers on their weapons in rapid succession hitting the ill prepared victim again and again as the man’s body jerked and spasmed with each bullet that entered his flesh. Finally unable to hold on any longer his body gave up the fight and collapsed face first into the dry dusty dirt at his feet, barely missing the neatly manicured asphalt of the parking lot. The car came to a stop as the three men watched the victim for a moment waiting to see if he would move.

“
He’s done man, let’s roll,” the first man said as Xae and the third man grunted. Pressing the gas pedal to the floor the Impala bucked and took off loudly as the engine revved. Once again smoking a new blunt the three men congratulated themselves on a job well done as they waited for the dust to settle and the war to begin.

20

Tariq smiled slightly as he held Kaitlyn and they watched the old black and white classic together. She sighed softly and he knew she was still wrestling with all the things she’d learned since discovering his identity two days ago.

“
What’s wrong,” Tariq asked, kissing her neck softly.

“
Nothing,” Kaitlyn replied quietly.

“
Talk to me baby,” Tariq returned, turning her over so he could look into her face. “KiKi, we’ve always been able to talk,” he implored as she continued to regard him quietly.

“
I guess it’s just,” she began as he watched her carefully. “I just don’t know how to take this new you,” Kaitlyn finally replied as Tariq smiled slightly.

“
Is that a bad thing or a good thing,” he queried.

“
A confused thing,” she replied honestly as he chuckled aloud.

“
KiKi, I’m still the man you loved,” he told her as she nodded her understanding.

“
I know that, but,” she began again hesitantly. “Tariq, why did all this happen,” she asked again. “How did it happen,” Kaitlyn threw out never removing her eyes from his own.

Tariq sighed deeply, straightening himself in bed so he could talk to her. He still wasn’t sure exactly how she in fact perceived the new him and he hoped with all his heart she wouldn’t leave him and devastate his world all over again.

“
The why is simple,” Tariq began as Kaitlyn listened intently. “Ice destroyed my life,” he told her, the bitterness tingeing the words. “He killed my brother, he took you away, and I almost died trying to get to him,” he told her as Kaitlyn gently stroked his face, seeing the pain mirrored. “So when I finally got myself together after the months of rehab,” he went on. “I looked for you,” Tariq told her lovingly as Kaitlyn smiled at him. “When I did find any information, it was bad,” he began again. “I heard you were in Gary and still with Ice,” he told Kaitlyn.