Prince of the City (21 page)

 

 

Chapter 26

-SOUTHSIDE'S MOST WANTED-

 

 

he next morning Rico pulled up to Peaches's house ten minutes later in his black, fully equipped Yukon Denali. He called Malik, who came outside and embraced his comrade. Malik got into Rico's truck, amazed by the interior. The truck had black leather seats, wood grain, two TVs, a PlayStation, and a surround sound system that held twenty CDs. Malik sat back as Rico fired up a neatly rolled blunt.

“Damn, Rico, this is tight. How much you pay for this joint?” he asked, admiring the vehicle.

“About thirty-five. And guess what?”

“What?”

“This joint is fully loaded. Plus, it got this.” Rico opened the glove compartment and pushed a button on the stereo. The whole dashboard rose, exposing a very large hydraulic stash box.

“Got damn, Rico! What the fuck is this? Some James Bond shit?”

“Nah, nigga. We call this our ten thousand dollar ticket away from jail.”

“That's how much it cost to put that in?”

“Yeah, slim. And for real, that's cheap. I got a man in New York named Mike Gadget, who's a beast with this shit.” He always look out for a nigga.

“Yeah, I can tell. How much does this shit hold?”

“About ten bricks and a few guns. Speaking of guns, which one do you prefer?”

Rico reached in the stash spot box and pulled out two handguns—an eighteen-shot SIG Sauer 9-millimeter, and a sixteen-shot Smith and Wesson .45 automatic. The Smith and Wesson was loaded with hollow-tip bullets and was the exact gun Malik had been arrested for carrying.

“Damn, Rico, you found Prince? Let me get that.”

“Here, nigga. I knew you was gonna pick this one anyway. That's why I bought it.”

“Thanks. Now a nigga feels warm in these cold-ass streets.”

“Yeah, a nigga needs to stay strapped twenty-four-seven 'cause these niggas in Southeast be lunchin'. Only the strong survive.”

“In that case, I guess we gotta be the strongest muthafuckas out here then.”

“We are, Malik. They just don't know it yet.”

“You got that right. Now take me uptown so I can holla at this nigga Butter, and we can get down to business.”

“Where we headed uptown?”

“To the Howard Inn on Georgia Avenue.”

As Rico and Malik pulled up to the Howard Inn, Butter was getting out of his 850i BMW. Malik rolled down the window and waved.

“Hey Butter.”

Butter looked at the young boy who had grown into a well-groomed young man. “Hey! What's up, Malik? How you doin', boy? I ain't seen your ass in a while. Now get your ass out that truck and let me see what you look like.”

Malik jumped out of the truck.

“Damn boy, your ass got big, huh?” Butter said, getting a good look at Malik.

“Yeah, a nigga been eatin' good. You know.” Malik nodded.

“I see. So what brings you over here? It gotta be something, 'cause your lil ass ain't been around here since the pool hall closed.”

“Yeah, I know. And to tell you the truth, I do need something, and I hope you can help me out.”

“Go ahead. Spit it out.”

“Man, I'm fucked up, and I need some help.”

“What kinda help?”

“Well, first of all I'm broke, but I'm not broke.”

“Now how the hell can you be broke, but not broke?”

“It's like this. I just got out of the receiving home and I know you heard what happened to Lee in my apartment.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Well, them niggas took everything I had but my car. My car is worth at least a hundred thousand, and it's only a year old.”

“Sounds to me like you ain't broke. Now, are you asking me to buy your car from you?”

“You can do it either way. You can either buy it straight up, or you can front me the bricks and keep my car for collateral.”

As Butter observed Rico waiting for Malik, he figured Malik and Rico had to be business partners and Malik seriously needed the help. Butter also knew this would be a good opportunity to make some extra money, mostly because he had a friend who owned a dealership in Virginia. Butter figured that if he offered Malik four bricks worth seventeen-five apiece and sold the car, he would come out on top since he planned to sell bricks to Malik at twenty-two anyway.

“What you want for it?”

“Give me five bricks.”

Butter stepped back and looked at Malik like he was crazy.

“Now, you said your car is a year old, meaning the value went down. I don't plan on keeping the car. I'm just doing you a favor. But I can't give you five. The best I can offer is four.”

Malik knew Butter was running game, but Butter had the bricks and Malik needed them badly. Malik needed to open up shop fast, and Butter was the only person he knew who had bricks like that. Fuck it.

“How much you chargin' for them bricks?”

“Well, if I purchase your car that means you'll have to keep coppin' from me. After all, you do need the connect, and since Linda is locked up, ain't too many muthafuckas uptown gonna wanna deal with you. You know niggas still think you had somethin' to do with Louie getting locked up.”

“Man, these bitch-ass niggas got me fucked up. What the fuck I look like snitchin' on my man? Matter of fact, who the fuck is spreadin' rumors?” Malik's anger began to boil and Butter noticed.

“Hold on, Malik. You know I've known you all your life. You ain't never gotta defend no shit like that to me. I know where you stand, and I know Linda ain't raise no rat. Let alone your father. But what I think you should do is go visit Louie at Lorton and explain what really went down. He's the one spreadin' the rumors.”

“Man, fuck Louie! That nigga assassinated my character.”

“I ain't tryna get all into what you and Louie are going through. I can see you getting upset. Why don't you just clam down and finish conducting business with me?”

After a few seconds, Malik calmed down. He took a deep breath.

“A'ight Butter, what you movin' them for?”

“Twenty-two a pop.”

Instantly, Malik felt Butter was getting over on him. “Got damn, Butter! I used to get them joints for seventeen-five last year.”

“I used to pay fourteen back in '89. But it's a new era. It's going into '97 and shit high right now. In Florida they going for eighteen right where they dropping that shit off. In New York they going for twenty-one, and here in D.C., they going for twenty-five. But I'm cuttin' you three thousand. Just work with me, Malik. It's gonna get greater later.”

“Okay, if you say so. Now how you wanna do this?”

“Just bring me your car tomorrow when you come get them joints.”

“A'ight, thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem. Just stay focused, youngin', and keep your eyes open, 'cause everybody ain't what they seem to be.”

“I'll remember that.”

“You do that.” Butter watched Malik get in the SUV with Rico and then they peeled out.

 

Chapter 27

-RUTHLESS-

 

 

ow much you say you working with?” Malik asked Rico on the drive back to Southeast.

“I got like sixty thousand, plus a half key left.”

“Okay, now Butter gonna give me four bricks in the morning. We can put the whip game down and make at least an extra half off each joint. We sell nothing but six deuces and eighths and come out wit' no less than two hundred thousand, and we keep copping shit from Butter until we find a better connect.”

“Well, right now Robinson Place is locked down. Homicide been swarming that joint ever since the nigga Froggy got killed. But I got Tenth Place and Congress Park blowing my pager the fuck up.”

“Good, then I'll get Third World and work my way to Fourth and Sixth in no time.”

“How the fuck you gonna get Third World?”

“Finesse, Rico, finesse. You just watch and see how I do it. I'm a work my way through this whole fuckin' Southeast wit' finesse, but the first thing we gotta do is pick up Soup tomorrow.”

“Soup! How we gonna pick up Soup?” Rico asked, looking confused.

“He's gonna escape tomorrow at count time. I promised we'd pick him up at Ivy City Complex.”

“Where is his lil bad ass gonna stay?” Rico asked.

“He staying wit' me, and that's how we gonna get on Third World. That's Soup's hood.”

“Yeah, but you also know that the dude Rock was from Third World. How you gonna mingle your way in that spot?”

“Rico, them niggas know I ain't kill Rock. All they know is that Tank and Rock went on a caper and Rock never came back. So if anything, they beefing wit' Tank for killing they homie. It don't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.”

“Speaking of Tank, I got some info on him,” Rico said.

“Oh yeah. Why you wait so long to let me know?”

“I was waiting for the proper time to tell you.”

“Rico, this nigga killed my man and took my money. My aunt doing time because of his bitch ass! I'm out here broke, tryna sell my car just to get back on. Any time is the proper time! I hate that nigga. I want him bad, slim. Just like I want my parents' killer.”

“Well, all I know is that the nigga I be getting my coke from be hitting Tank off too. I think Tank getting like seven joints, 'cause he got a lot of clientele out here.”

“So you know where he be at?” Malik asked.

“I only saw him twice outside the barbershop, but I be seeing his Lincoln Navigator truck parked on the side of this building on Chesapeake Street, too.”

“You think he lives there or what?”

“Nah, that nigga's getting too much money to be living in the hood. I think that's his stash joint where he be cooking up his shit. Or it's some hood rat's spot where he just be laying up.”

“Come on. Let's ride past the barbershop and see if we can spot his bitch ass.”

When they arrived, Rico and Malik parked in an alley across from the barbershop. “Let's just sit here for a while and see if he pops up. You got a hat or something?”

“Yeah, grab that Bulls hat right there,” Rico replied, pointing to the backseat. He then handed Malik a black bandana, keeping one for himself. They tied the bandanas around their necks. They waited for about an hour until it was almost noon.

“For real, I don't think this nigga be getting up this early.”

“Man, I ain't movin' till I get this nigga. Fuck that. Let's just wait.”

“I ain't got no problems with killing this nigga, but I think we need to check his other trap first before we start laying on him.”

Malik knew Rico was right. There was no sense in waiting for Tank if he could be somewhere else.

“Let's go past that joint to see if he over there.”

As soon as Rico pulled onto Chesapeake Street, Tank's shiny burgundy Navigator was the first thing they saw.

“I told you his ass was gonna be here. You know he's in there, 'cause he owns that Lexus coupe, too,” Rico said, pointing in the direction of the luxury vehicle.

“Well, let's just hope you right, 'cause we gonna sit here until his ass comes out. I'm a put sixteen in his face. Watch me.”

“Damn, Malik. You tryna overkill this nigga, huh?”

“Nah, I just wanna make sure he's dead twice—once for me and once for Lee.”

“I wanna kill this nigga just as bad just for trying his hand with a real nigga. Let's just run up in there and kill everybody. Just go in blasting shit.”

Malik laughed. “Nah, we can't go in like that. We don't even know which apartment he's staying in.”

As Rico and Malik talked, a short, brown-skinned girl came outside and headed toward Tank's truck. She got in and pulled off.

“Damn! I told you we should've stayed at the barbershop. This nigga probably ain't even in there,” Malik said with disappointment.

“Nah, I bet his ass is in there. Whenever that bitch comes back, we're walking her ass inside.”

“Yeah, but what if we do and he ain't there?”

“Then we kill the bitch and get whatever's in the apartment.”

“Man, I ain't killing no bitch, especially if she ain't got shit to do with it.”

“Man, ain't no fuckin' morals in an immoral game. Shit just happens. That's how it goes out here in the Jungle. A nigga gotta be ruthless in order to survive this shit. Man, we gangstas. That's just how it is in the life we chose.”

“Yeah, you're right. But I ain't tryna kill nobody who ain't got nothing to do with it.”

“Man, you think that bitch don't know Tank's a cold killer? That's probably the only reason she fuckin' with the nigga.”

As Rico's reality hit Malik, he wondered if his mother's killer thought the same way.

“Hold up, Malik. Looks like she coming back. She must've forgot something. Come on, let's go.”

Malik and Rico walked into the building as if they lived there and waited for the girl to come in behind them. Malik held the door open for her while Rico stood inside. The girl approached the doorway and thanked Malik as she walked past. Rico slipped behind her and reached his left hand over her mouth while putting his 9-millimeter to her temple.

“Don't make a fucking sound. We ain't gonna hurt you. Now, I'm gonna ask some questions and you're gonna nod your head yes or no.”

The girl nodded in compliance.

“Is Tank in your apartment?”

She nodded yes again.

“Is anyone else there?”

She nodded her affirmation.

At that moment, Malik was unsatisfied with the move they had just made, but he knew there was no turning back. He motioned Rico to have her lead them to the apartment.

“Okay, now we're gonna walk right behind you. And I swear to God, if you make one sound, I'm a smack your head clean off. Understand?” Rico asked. She nodded.