Life After Death (2 page)

     Redman looked at me, which caused Bill to look at me. I stepped forward and extended him my hand which he accepted.

     "What’s up Bill? I'm Chris, his big brother. Listen, I was on death row for the past fifteen years, and I just got out today. DNA finally exonerated me. I need you to get me addresses on my judge, prosecutor, jurors, and witnesses. Can you handle that, and how long will it take?"

     "When and where was your trial?"

     "September 10, 1993 was the first day of my trial. The trial was held in the Circuit Court of Baltimore County, in Towson."

     Bill's fingers moved faster than I thought possible. In less than five minutes, and with both of us smoking only half a blunt, a bunch of names and addresses popped up on over ten computer screens. After I read the whole list, I let him know that everybody that I wanted to locate was there, his fingers again began a lightening fast routine. In a little over five minutes, an address and phone number appeared by each person’s name!

     He looked at me, smiling like a kid who had just told the funniest joke.

"Well, that's everybody on your list. Since you were obviously innocent, they deserve everything that they got coming to them. You won't have to worry about me snitching because I'd get into more or as much trouble as you would for providing the addresses that I hacked to obtain. I just want to get high right now so, Redman, what you got for me?"

     Redman reached into his pocket, pulled out a zip lock bag that contained an ounce of crack  and threw it to him. Bill looked like a basketball player for a second when he jumped into the air to catch the bag. Bill looked at the bag, and then at Redman – with genuine joy flashing through his eyes.

"That's two ounces, along with thirty molly pills for the Gucci stuff."

     "Thanks, man! Listen, I'll be right back. I'm going to grab your Gucci stuff. And for you, Chris, I got a few things for your mission, plus I got a welcome home gift for you, too."

     He came back a few minutes later, carrying several bags and  boxes. He handed Redman some boxes and bags and handed me a couple of  bags and one Harvested silencer box as he smiled at me peevishly.

     "I hit you off with some clothes, a couple of Rolex watches, night vision goggles, and one Harvested silencer. It’s suppose to be the best made silencer in the world and I only got it cause I’m a good thief. I don’t need it and I want it out of my house. I've been too scared to really give it away but your mission is worthy of it! Redman, I'll be calling you in a few days. Good luck to y'all."

     On the way to the car, Redman read the list. He saw something that caused him to stop and look me directly into my eyes.

     "Big Bro, your old prosecutor, Samuel Boswell, lives less than ten minutes from here. I know you just came home today, why wait, though? Your case is old as Don Imus punk ass, won’t nobody notice it’s your doing. It's up to you. Just know I'm going  with you on every murder. My parents died of old age and depression that their son was going to get murdered for a crime they knew in their hearts you wouldn’t do. Most of my life I was on death row with you. Now you home and she had the nerve to disrespect you. She and many others have to die. If we don’t get to her, others will feel our wrath.”

     I looked at my little brother, and struggled to hold the tears back that were trying to flow down my face. Though I didn't want him involved, I wouldn't deny his appetite for vengeance.

     "Alright, let’s go check it out. If it looks sweet, we'll handle his racist ass accordingly. Then we got to hit a strip club or anywhere some woman are at."

     Redman was pumped up as he began walking to the car with pep in his step. Once in the car, I took the list from him, and called the number next to Samuel Boswell's name. It rang three times before an elderly sounding man answered.

     "Hello."

     "Hello. May I speak to Mr. or Mrs. Boswell?"

     He chuckled loudly into the phone.

     "I wish you could talk to Mrs. Boswell, young man. She passed away and left me behind four long years ago. How can I help you?"

     "I'm calling on behalf of Cast Ready Cable to see if you would be interested in getting our deluxe cable special. Maybe you or someone you live with enjoys watching movies any time that you want?"

     "It's only me in this big old house, young man. I'm not a TV type of guy, so, no thank you."

     "Thank you for your time, Mr. Boswell."

     I looked at Redman as I pulled out a 9mm and screwed the silencer onto the barrel. I then looked back at Redman, who was staring at me – waiting for me to say something.

     "His old miserable ass lives alone because his wife died four years ago. We are going to execute him tonight. You sure you want to ride with this?"

     He didn't respond to me. He started the car, plugged his Galaxy phone into the radio, and pressed a few buttons. As the music started to blare, he sang the lyrics while he stared me in my eyes. I smiled and began to nod my head as I checked to make sure my gun was fully loaded.

     "What your body count nigga/I'm double digits/what you talking about nigga, it's time to get it/..."

     Redman parked three houses down from the Boswell house. We walked into the back yard of the house next door, and climbed the fence. We could see light from a TV shining in the living room. We could also see that the sliding glass door was open. The only thing that could prevent us from entering the house was a screen door, which we brazenly walked up to, and then through, as if we belonged up in there. A stunned Samuel Boswell was sitting in a recliner chair watching an old black and white movie. When he saw us enter his home, he moved to get up, and I waived the gun toward him – letting him know to stay seated, which he did.

     I looked him in his face and smiled.

     "Samuel Boswell. How's life treating you? You don't even remember me, do you? You have sent so many black men to prison, it's impossible for you to remember them all, huh? How many innocent men have you sent to death row?"

     I could tell – when he heard death row – he recognized me.

"Yeah, it's me, Christopher Combs, enjoying my life after death. See, y'all not used to a victim of the justice system coming home looking for some revenge. Surprise, here I am to get mine. You should have given a damn if I was innocent or guilty. The evidence against me didn’t add up at all but you still went all out for a conviction and got it. Probably the biggest of your career.  Do you know I was twenty four hours from getting executed three times? So, you are about to die man! Isn't this feeling so fucked up? Knowing you are about to die and can’t do anything to prevent it is the worst feeling in the world. At least you won't have to go through that two more times."

     His eyes filled with terror as he watch the silencer go from my side to being pointed at his body. Pfff! Pfff! Pfff! The three shots to his midsection had him shaking like I would have if the state had gotten the OK to shoot that poison into my veins. I felt even more satisfaction as blood stained more of his shirt. I handed the gun to Redman.

     "You wanted in. This is the only real way in."

     Redman smiled as he walked up to the shaking Boswell, placed the barrel of the gun to his forehead, and pulled the trigger three times! I watched as brain, blood, and bits of bones splattered all over the floor. And then joy exploded inside of me!

     We ran through the house – taking valuables to make it look like a violent home invasion. I snatched an expensive Breitling watch, which was my favorite brand because of my favorite magazine, The Robb Report. We calmly wiped the entire house down of fingerprints, and then calmly walked out the front door as if we were invited guests. I felt a thousand pounds lighter during our walk back to the car!

Chapter 5

We were back in Redman's apartment in a little less than an hour, along with the company of two beautiful strippers. We all had our own bottles of peach Caro. I had Pineapple. Redman had Peach. Samantha had raspberry, and Fatima had Pineapple, like me. I was looking at the strippers, thinking I couldn't wait to eat their asses, damn how Kevin Hart feel about it! Redman caught me staring at them, and bust out laughing.

    "Samantha and Fatima, this is my brother that I'm always talking about. He got out today, so I need y'all to welcome him home right!"

     Fatima jumped up and stomped over to Redman.

     "You are just going to play with me like that? One day I'm supposed to be your girl, and now you want me to fuck your brother?"

     I looked at Redman and smiled as he pulled Fatima onto his lap.

     "Listen, Fatima, this is something I want done for my brother. I tell you what! We'll just have a big orgy, and this will be the only time any other man will ever touch you, so make sure your freak ass enjoys it!"

     Both girls burst into laughter, which caused me to giggle. Samantha took a big gulp from her drink, hopped up, and held her hand out toward me.

     "Come on, sexy! I'm trying to catch all of the sexual frustration you have bottled up! Can you handle all of this? "

     She spun around and smacked her ass cheek causing it to shake which almost caused me to end before I even got started! I grabbed her hand, blushing. (I  heard that girls these days were really aggressive.) Redman and Fatima were right behind us. As soon as we entered the bedroom, I pushed all of the bags onto the floor, and started to strip. Samantha stepped into my face, and kissed me passionately. I kissed her as my entire body began to shake with anticipation. She stepped back and smirked.

     "Girl, he shaking. We ready to turn this boy out!"

     They both stepped up and finished undressing me. As soon as my shirt was off, they both rubbed on my ripped stomach and chest. As they unbuckled my belt and pulled my jeans down, they both laughed because they could see that I was as hard as can be. They pushed me onto the bed, and then slid down until they were each holding a foot. Each one put three toes in their mouths. I closed my eyes trying to enjoy the intense sexual feeling that was coursing through my entire body. I haven’t been touched in a sexual way in over a decade and it was a lot for me to handle – coupled with the realization that I was finally a free man –caused tears to run down my cheeks.

                                                                                   Chapter 6

After having sex we enjoyed a King’s breakfast that the girls cooked for us. Then, it was time for Redman to go out on the block and get some money. He handed me an all black outfit along with an all black .44 Magnum and told me I was his gun man today. I followed him down the block, and sat across the street, watching him hit fiends with crack and heroin. I was surprised that he was doing hand to hand but after a couple of hours of watching non-stop traffic and thousands of dollars filling all of his pockets, I understood he was out here getting all of his money. I smoked a blunt with the big ass gun on my lap daring somebody to attempt to harm my little brother. I banged out to Redman's iPod, and chilled for about an hour until the crowd was gone. Then he headed over to where I was sitting and smoking.

     We hugged as if we hadn't seen one another in months. I knew that he missed me as much as I missed him. That showed through his actions. To be forced to be separated from the people that I really truly loved, produced emotions that I couldn't even begin to describe.

     "What up Big Bro? You see how tight I'm running my shit? I haven't caught a drug charge in over a year now and I have been doing hand to hand the whole time. I figured, if I’m going to be in the game, I’m going to do it all the way. Why only make about thirty six thousand off a kilo selling weight, when I can make more than double that, breaking it down. I got two lawyers on retainer and I keep a few killers on the payroll. In about another month, I'm going to move my spot up the street into the Town and Country apartments. I move my strip every  sixty days. Makes it hard for them peoples to slap them steel bracelets on my ass. You know?"

     I smiled, trying to take it all in;  how grown he was now,  versus when I went to prison.

     "That's real smart. Most dudes stay still while they balling till the feds knock their dumb ass off!"

     He shook his head no and sparked up a blunt.

     "I knew you were rotting in there, and, without me, you'd really be alone in this cold world; so I made sure I stayed out here. These fiends are really who paid all that money for your lawyers, so I had to make sure I was out here to get it!"

     I stayed silent for a minute, fighting the tears that were struggling to rain down my face and embarrass me. After I regained my composure, I looked at him in his eyes.

     "I will never be able to express how grateful I forever will be for the love that you showed me while I was up in hell on earth. Thank you for the lawyer money, man. I love you little brother, and I can't wait to handle whatever you need me to do. You can have anybody in this world killed just let me know who and then worry about something else."

     Redman looked at me and smiled as he wiped a tear away from his eyes.

       "Big Bro, I wasn’t going to let them crackers murder you. I'm happy as shit you home. I feel whole again. Switching subjects for a second, If you enjoyed my girl last night, too bad! That was your last time getting a bite of that cookie!"