Hide & Seek (27 page)

*****

Tyreece heard them enter the mortuary, the dread immediately returning to his belly. So far they hadn’t hurt him or Enid anymore, but you could never tell what mood Ryan, or Tate either for that matter, was in for the day. Glancing at his wife, Tyreece saw that she too had heard the men. He hoped they survived this ordeal and he got the opportunity to make all this up to her. Enid had stood by him through thick and thin and the things happening to her now, she totally did not deserve. The footsteps got closer and Tyreece grew more afraid. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt it. Today was going to be different and he wasn’t sure that was in the good sense either. The footsteps stopped and he heard the scraping of the heavy metal door as Tate labored to open it.

“
Wassup,” Tate threw out walking into the room as Tyreece remained mute and simply regarded him.

“
Wassup Enid,” he greeted the woman who swallowed hard and softly said hello.

Smiling slightly, Tate headed directly to the filing cabinet opening a drawer as Ryan walked in and regarded both captives.

“
Take her out,” he told Tate flatly as the man grunted and stepped toward the gurney where Enid was still bound.

Waiting until Tate removed his wife and secured her in another room, Ryan regarded Tyreece hatefully as the man began to sweat under the close scrutiny.

“
I lost a soldier a couple days ago,” Ryan told him edgily. “Today you’re gonna lose your wife if I don’t get some muthafuckin’ answers,” he added as Tyreece caught his breath.

Tate returned to the room breaking the mood for the moment bringing Ryan a chair as the man sat and continued to regard Tyreece, quaking in front of him.

“
What, um, what you wanna know Ryan,” Tyreece finally ventured, his voice small and defeated.

“
Who the fuck else is working here with you,” Ryan barked causing Tyreece to jump.

“
If you lie muthafucka, I will personally slit your bitch’s throat and watch her die,” he added acidly as Tyreece coughed slightly, strangling on his own saliva.

“
Three others from the area,” he replied quietly as Tate walked closer to his chair, standing almost behind him.

“
Name ‘em muthafucka, shit,” Ryan barked again.

Tyreece swallowed hard, just as the blinding pain came to his head.

“
Speak up bitch,” Tate told him angrily, still holding the blackjack he’d hit him with.

“
Dude named Xavier, they call him Xae,” Tyree replied, going on to name the other 2 as well.

“
Hmph,” Tate replied as Ryan glanced up at him.

“
You know these punk asses,” he asked Tate.

Nodding that he did, the man gave Ryan a complete run down of the three.

“
So they wanna be Al Capone and shit now huh,” Ryan threw out as Tate smiled slightly.

“
Where the fuck they hang, where they people live,” he asked Tyreece.

Again swallowing hard, the man once more opened his mouth and answered his captor’s questions. Finally procuring the information they needed, Ryan and Tate rose once again preparing to leave him. Tyreece cleared his throat slightly and addressed Ryan carefully.

“
Will you bring my wife back now,” he asked timidly as Ryan regarded him silently for a few moments more, seeing the man’s angst and having a momentary flash of pity for him, as well as respecting the depth of love that Tyreece honestly had for his wife. It reminded him of his own burgeoning love for Caramel.

“
Yeah,” he replied simply, just a touch of the venom gone from his voice as he directed Tate to return the woman to the room.

*****

“
This is Manuel and Jose’,” Dixon told Ice.

He took his time looking the men over before speaking.

“
You gentlemen know what the job is,” he asked as both men assured him they did.

The men were Hispanic and gave the appearance of migrant workers, neither having anything distinctive that would draw any unwanted suspicion. They were also skilled, trained and well paid assassins.

“
I don’t want them killed just yet,” Ian told them as they both again grunted their understanding. “I want to know the layout of the land, the house, entry and exit points,” Ian went on as the men listened wordlessly.

The plan was for them to drive out and approach the house under the guise of looking for yards to clean, clear and cut. They would stop at the two houses closest to the target so they occupants wouldn’t be suspicious of their motives when they arrived.

“
You want pictures and such,” Manuel asked.

His accent was almost nonexistent. He was the shorter of the two, standing about 5’5”, very small frame, with small beady eyes in constant motion.

“
Yes,” Ian replied. “As many of you can procure safely,” he added as the men again nodded their understanding.

Going over a few more points, Ian thanked the men for their time and dismissed them from his presence. They would receive payment after they returned from their scout mission.

Alone again Ian’s mind began to recall his brief glance of Kaitlyn during their first excursion.
I miss her so damned much,
he thought becoming sad and melancholy. Kaitlyn was his heart, the breath in his lungs and though he would never admit it aloud, her being taken from him made him feel impotent and helpless.
I couldn’t even protect her,
Ian continued to muse, making himself a drink and sipping it. He would prove his worth to her again though; he continued to think as he smiled slightly. Ian planned to make an event of killing the fools that’d taken his heart. He was going to kill them in the slowest, most brutal and painful ways he could think of. The ringleader he was going to save for last and allow Kaitlyn to get her own revenge. Smiling to himself, Ian knew she would like that.
KiKi definitely believes in getting even,
he thought and actually chuckled aloud. His cell buzzed breaking his thought. His frown deepened and his rage grew as he read the message contained. ‘Time for u to pay us bitch ass fool,’ the message read. ‘Stay close, we’ll be in touch’, it ended as Ian took a deep breath and slowly blew it out.
Oh yes, I’m gonna pay you all right,
he thought ominously.
In fuckin’ spades,
Ian finished his thought and his drink, headed out to the holding spot to deal with Role, possibly for the last time.

Ryan and Tate were on a mission. They were driving with purpose as they turned the various streets headed to their destination. Ryan added the silencer to the .380 and the .10mm he held; doing the same for the two guns that Tate was planning to use as well. Rounding the corner the run down buildings of the cities slum came screaming into sight. Slowing the two men began searching out their targets.

“
Over there,” Tate said, nodding to his right. “In front of the Pawn Shop,” he added as Ryan hmphed his acknowledgement finally seeing two of the three men they were looking for, standing against the brick wall.

Ryan watched distastefully as the two men shared a 40-ounce, passing the beer back and forth between them.
Broke ass fools can’t even afford 2 beers,
he thought to himself of the men’s nerve trying to replace himself or Tate in their operations.

“
What a bunch of losers,” Tate mumbled as Ryan immediately agreed.

“
Drive by,” Tate queried as Ryan told him yes.

Grunting slightly, Tate began approaching the dilapidated building, slowing the truck as he got closer. Ryan hit the power button and the passenger window smoothly and silently went down. He felt his adrenaline began to flow as they got closer to the two men, still oblivious to the fate about to be dealt to them. Ryan was finally close enough to see each man’s face as Tate brought the truck to a complete stop. Grabbing the .380 from his lap, Ryan pointed the gun and began firing. Tate, making a cowboy move of his own, jumped up from the driver’s window, aiming and shooting from a sitting position on the cars door ledge. The two men never had a chance to react or run as Ryan and Tate silently emptied their weapons into them. Three other men, who were standing adjacent to the targets, dropped their bottles, shattering them on the concrete sidewalk below as they beat a hasty retreat out of harms way. Satisfied that the men were dead, Tate got back inside the truck, put it into gear and gunned it, leaving the devastation behind.

“
Head over to Hill street,” Ryan said plainly as Tate smiled slightly.

“
With pleasure,” he replied still smiling slightly as he made the right turn on Manhattan that would take them directly to the street they desired.

*****

Xae was cursing himself as he drove back to his girl’s house. He’d fallen asleep waiting for the men. Now they were gone and he was in the dark still. He was supposed to find out where each of them called home. LaRon had given him explicit direction, telling him the information was pertinent.
Fuck,
he swore still driving. His stomach growled, alerting him of his hunger. Xae sighed deeply and pulled into the drive thru of the Hardees’s he was passing. Ordering himself a thick burger combo, Xae parked in a shaded spot and enjoyed his lunch. Now that he’d lost their scent, he wasn’t in any hurry, he thought taking his time to savor and enjoy the food. Xae simply decided he would start fresh tomorrow morning, following them once again and this time staying awake and alert.
I should go and take care of Tyreece while they’re gone,
he thought fleetingly, then dismissed it. Right now, neither Ryan nor Tate knew of his existence and he wanted to keep it that way. Sighing slightly once more, Xae turned on the CD and listened to Lil Wayne and Birdman as they rapped about money and problems, finishing his fries and starting on his burger.

“
That was good, shit,” Xae said half aloud starting the car and heading out of the parking lot. He reached for a smoke, this time grabbing a cigarette as he made his way to his girl’s house. He was going to retrieve his own car and then head to the house for a little while. Xae still lived with his mom, sister, and two brothers. He didn’t see the need to move out just yet. He was still a young man and his mother took excellent care of him. He of course gave her money and paid some bills at the house, bought food and the like. His girl had been bugging him to move in together, but Xae wasn’t trying to hear that right now. He still enjoyed his occasional sideline sex when he wanted it.
Living with your girl would severely limit that,
his mind told him as Xae chuckled aloud. Right now though he had to get a handle on this business, Xae thought again. This was his opportunity. His lottery win, if he could pull it off, he continued to muse. Top’s crew was going to let him run all of Mississippi. That was large bank there for sure. Xae could finally live the way he wanted, enjoy all the finer things in life.
You gotta get rid of the competition first,
he thought frowning slightly. Sighing deeply and deciding that tomorrow was new day, Xae arrived at his girl’s house, got out and headed inside, intending to get more than just his keys.

22

Things were hot in the Delta. LaRon was frustrated with news coming out of the operations in Mississippi.
Damn, I told that boy he wasn’t ready,
he thought angrily. LaRon got the call of the war being waged by Ryan, Tate and their associates, having already taken out 2 of the 3 main soldiers to the takeover.
Where the fuck is Xae,
he continued question. LaRon had been calling him non-stop for almost two days now. He and Top had talked at length and the decision was finally made for LaRon to handle the situation personally. He’d spent the better part of the last two days gathering more men to back him up.
Timing of this shit could not be worse,
LaRon sighed deeply. He was still dealing with Jaleesa and finding out about her pregnancy. He could tell she still wasn’t sold on the idea. That bothered LaRon. He was worried sick that she would do something crazy and hurt the baby or herself while he was gone. That was why he’d left the orders to keep her in lockdown until he returned.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered the room finding Jaleesa glaring at him.

“
Baby,” LaRon tried before she pounced.

“
Why the fuck do you have me locked in here, and tied to this damned bed,” Jaleesa screamed.

Sighing deeply he walked over to the bed and sat down.

“
Calm down Tweety,” LaRon told her evenly. “I’m gonna be gone for a few days and this is necessary.”

Jaleesa gave him an incredulous look. “What the hell are you talking about, necessary,” she threw at him.

“
I don’t want anything to happen to you or the baby while I’m gone,” LaRon tried, hoping she would calm down and give him some measure of peace.

“
What do you think I’m going to do, Deuce,” Jaleesa screamed again, crying now. “Stick a coat hanger up myself or some dumb shit like that,” she questioned looking directly into his eyes.

Unable to hold her gaze, LaRon turned away.

“
Damn Deuce,” Jaleesa started anew.