In My Hood (24 page)

Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed Desiree around her neck, and a huge knife was placed at her throat.

T
he hit man had snuck into the house and slithered into the semi-lit room without Desiree or Ishmael noticing him.

Desiree screamed.

“Shh. Stay calm, and I won’t hurt you,” he whispered into her ear.

“What the fuck?” Ishmael shouted with his gun now pointed at the hit man.

“Put the gun down or I’ll do the bitch,” he said demonically.

The two demons stared each other in the eyes, neither one wanting to be the first to give up. The hit man moved Desiree away from the door.

“Put the gun down,” he said again.

“Who the fuck are you?” Ishmael growled as he turned into his alter ego.

“You don’t remember me, Ishmael?” the hit man asked.

Ishmael stared at him. He could barely see his face. The hit man kept inching closer toward the small candles that sat on the floor, providing them with minimal light. Ishmael continued to stare at him, looking like a maniac.

Once the light graced the hit man’s face, Ishmael knew who he was. He looked at the hit man wide eyed.

“Yeah, I see you recognize me.” He smiled. “Thought I was dead, didn’t you?”

“Let her go, Carlos. She don’t have shit to do with this. This is between me and you,” Ishmael stated. He couldn’t believe he was staring at his ex-girlfriend Sasha’s brother.

Ishmael and Sasha were in love. He loved everything about her and everything she stood for. He had met her through her brother Carlos. They both were in the business together. Ishmael got his product from Carlos who did all the work for his father Vinnie who was a big man in New York. The two of them became close, and he ended up meeting Sasha at a family dinner.

One night Carlos told Ishmael that he didn’t think it would be a good idea to date his sister anymore, but Ishmael had gotten the approval from their father who treated him like a son, and he ignored his friend’s request.

Leroy and Vinnie were rivals. When Leroy found out that Ishmael was no longer getting his goods from his supplier, he was pissed off because Ishmael was his main purchaser. Leroy was jealous that Ishmael was closer to Vinnie, so Leroy started some shit with Vinnie unbeknownst to Ishmael.

Carlos and Vinnie changed their behavior toward him because they thought he was trying to set them up. They told him never to see Sasha again.

Ishmael was hurt. He couldn’t understand what happened, and to this day he still didn’t know what happened. He killed Sasha, but he had no other choice. Vinnie and Carlos had brainwashed her into thinking that he was the devil.

After the breakup, three months later Ishmael got a call from Sasha. She wanted him to meet her at a hotel in Manhattan. Ishmael was happy to hear from her. He missed her so much and wanted nothing in the world than to convince her he didn’t do the things her father and brother told her.

He showed up to the hotel and was greeted by a beautiful yet sensual Sasha. They made love for what he now knew as their last time. He talked to her and tried to convince her to move away with him. He was ready to give up the game to spend the rest of his life with her.

The door came flying open and in walked Carlos and his two goons.

“What’s going on?
Como esta?
” Ishmael looked at Sasha for an answer.

She lowered her head, showing him that she knew.

He was hurt, he couldn’t believe she would set him up. He loved her.

“Yeah, papi it’s your time,” Carlos stated. “Madi, move out of the way,” he instructed her. “
Bein na ca!
”

Ishmael thought about reaching for his gat that was under the pillow on the bed, but he knew he wouldn’t be fast enough.

Out of nowhere Leroy’s muscle came in through the door blazin’. It was chaos. Bullets where flying everywhere. Ishmael reached under the pillow for his gat and dove to the floor.

When the smoke cleared Carlos and his goons where dead—or so he thought. Ishmael stood there in his boxers and looked at the bloody men lying on the floor. He thought about Sasha and looked around for her, but she wasn’t there. Then he saw the bathroom door closed and knocked on the door.

“Sash, are you in there?”

“Ishmael, is it over?” she asked, sounding like an innocent child.

“Yeah, baby, come on out.”

“Is Carlito okay?”

Ishmael looked at Carlos and lowered his head, “No, baby, he’s gone.
Bein
.”

He stepped back at the sound of the door opening. To his surprise Sasha was crying, and she held a .22 in her hand, pointing at Ishmael.

“What are you doing, baby?” he asked, shocked.

He heard Leroy’s men click the chambers of their weapons. He held his hand up to advise them to hold on.

“Sasha, give me the gun.” He held his hand out to her.

“You killed Carlito,” she cried, looking at her brother lying on the floor in a pool of blood. “You said you loved me.”

“I do love you, baby.”

“You don’t like me poppa either. You want to kill my whole family, Ishmael,” she continued to cry. “
Oh aye dios mejo!
” she spoke in Spanish.

“Don’t look at them, baby. Just give me the gun.”

Pop!

Sasha shot him in the shoulder. Ishmael grabbed his shoulder.

“No,” he screamed at the men. He knew that it was only a matter of seconds before they would turn her into Swiss cheese.

“Sasha, think about what you’re doing. Baby, I love you. Just give me the gun.”

He looked into her eyes and saw a different person. This was a woman who believed he was out to kill her and her family. Her brother was already dead, and she feared for her own life.

“What you gonna do, Ishmael?” one of the security men yelled, scaring the life out of Sasha.

That caused her to let off another shot. This one missed him.

He had to make a choice, and his choice was between his life or hers. He loved her, but he knew because of her family’s status he would never be able to be with her again.

He raised his gun in one movement and popped her in her dome. He watched her drop to the floor. He stood there for a few minutes, but he was snatched up by the men, and they fled the hotel down the back staircase.

“Listen, Carlos, I had nothing to do with whatever beef your father had. I was your boy. I would never try to set you and your family up.”

“Too late, homey. I had to have five operations to remove all the bullets. It took me a year to be able to walk again. I got a metal plate in my head and a bullet lodged next to my spine. They can’t remove it, fearing that I may be paralyzed for life.”

“Let my lady go, man,” Ishmael requested.

“I been watching you for over three years, tryna figure out how I was going to get revenge. I could have popped you long ago, but I wanted you to suffer like me.” Carlos smiled.

“I didn’t do anything to you,” Ishmael yelled, frustrated.

“How do I know that? A son will do anything for his father. I did for mine, so I know you would for yours.”

“What are you talking about? My father is dead, man.”

“No, Ishmael, your father is very much alive.” He smiled.

“What are you talking about?”

The door to the room flew open, brightened by beams from flashlights. There stood six of Leroy’s security men, and Leroy was front and center to the rescue.

“I
shmael, meet your father,” Carlos said, laughing.

Leroy was holding his desert eagle with the banana clip and flashlight attached to the end with both hands.

The mayor had called him earlier that night, informing him of what Bowen had in store for Ishmael.

Although in any other situation the mayor would let Bowen take care of problems like Ishmael, this one was different. He felt he owed some type of duty to help Ishmael. Mostly it was the respect he had for Leroy.

Leroy had done so many things for the mayor that no one knew about. Leroy helped him financially when he was disowned by his family many years ago when he’d became strung out on heroin as a teen. After the mayor cleaned himself up, Leroy paid for him to go to college and helped him to get into office, so he sorta owed it to Leroy.

“Fuck is you talking about? That’s not my father. You can kiss your ass good-bye now, spic,” Ishmael said confidently.

“Hey, Leroy, why don’t you tell him?” Carlos said.

“Tell me what?” Ishmael looked at Leroy.

“Let the girl go, Carlos,” Leroy belted.

“Leroy, you mean to tell me you haven’t told Ishmael?” Carlos continued to smile.

Desiree could feel his grip loosening from around her neck.

“What is he talking about, Leroy?” Ishmael looked at his mentor.

“Tell him, Leroy.”

“No you fucking tell me,” Ishmael said to Carlos, his patience running out.

“He’s your father, Ishmael,” Carlos said, laughing.

“What?” Ishmael looked at Leroy.

Leroy would not look him in the eyes. Ishmael felt a twinge in his nuts.

“Is that true, Big Roy?”

Leroy never said a word. He continued to stare at Carlos with piercing eyes.

“Are you my father?” Ishmael asked.

Desiree noticed that Carlos was so involved with their conversation that he had practically lowered the knife. She elbowed Carlos in his stomach as hard as she could and dove to the floor. Carlos rolled to the floor and threw the knife, hitting Ishmael in his calf before he stood. Carlos then reached for his gun.

Leroy and his men opened fire on Carlos, sending him flying into the wall. His body jerked as each piece of hot lead ripped into his flesh. Carlos slid down the wall. His eyes remained opened and seemed to be staring off into the distance.

Ishmael fell to the floor, grabbing his leg. Desiree stood. She wanted to run to his side, but he had betrayed her. He had killed her friends, and she started to feel like maybe he had gotten with her to eventually kill her. Maybe he thought she was going to turn him in for the murders.

Leroy walked over to Ishmael who was grimacing in pain. The huge knife had almost completely imbedded up to the handle into his calf. Leroy ripped off a piece of Ishmael’s shirt and instructed one of the men to come over.

The man held his hand out for Ishmael to hold. Ishmael grabbed it with both of his, preparing for the pain that would come when Leroy pulled the knife from his calf.

Leroy yanked the knife out of his leg, and Ishmael screamed in agonizing pain.

Leroy wrapped the piece of cloth around Ishmael’s leg, tying it tightly to stop the blood flow.

“Can you get up?” Leroy asked, clearly showing concern and regret.

“Naw,” Ishmael stated, breathing heavily.

“Get that chair,” Leroy instructed his men, pointing to the chair Desiree had knocked over.

Two of Leroy’s men placed Ishmael into the chair. He looked over at Desiree. Her expression showed she was clearly afraid of him. This hurt his heart.

“Leroy, are you my father?” He looked at him seriously.

Leroy stood straight up and stared at him. “Yes, son, I am your father.”

Ishmael dropped his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I was ashamed, youngun.”

“Ashamed? You was ashamed of me? How you sound?”

“Not of you, son, of what I did to conceive you.”

“So you knew I was your son yet you still gave me your back?”

“I’m sorry for that, Ishmael, but I’m here for you now.”

“Fuck that. You’re supposed to be my father, you backstabbing piece of shit. I should blow your fucking brains out right now.” He picked up the gun from the floor and pointed it at Leroy who backed up from him.

Leroy’s men, cocked and loaded, pointed their weapons at Ishmael.

“Drop it, Ish,” one of the men yelled.

“You ain’t shit, Leroy. I blamed the wrong man for being my father and it was yo’ black-hearted ass. I fucking hate yo’ ass.” He squeezed the trigger and the bullet whizzed past Leroy’s ear, nipping a piece of it off.

Leroy’s men opened fire on Ishmael.

“No,” Leroy screamed, holding his ear, but it was too late. Ishmael lay on the floor with his foot mounted on the chair, which had fallen with him.

Desiree screamed and began to cry. One of the men grabbed her, and she stood behind the man and cried.

Leroy had tears streaming down his face. Ishmael was his only child, and although Ishmael didn’t know it, Leroy did love him.

Ishmael was gasping for air. Blood spilled from his mouth. Leroy sat next to him. He pulled his head into his arms.

“I’m sorry, son,” he cried. “I love you.”

Ishmael stared up at Leroy and struggled to talk as the blood continued to pour out of his mouth and wounds.

“I know,” Ishmael said, taking his last breath.

Thirty minutes later the police arrived at the scene. Leroy instructed Desiree on what to say to the police. Although she didn’t want to go along with it, Leroy did come in to rescue them. Not to mention she saw what type of person Leroy was, and she didn’t want to have to run into him ever again, so she cooperated.

The story checked out as far as Damon and Zola. Captain Cohen of the force was dead as well as Bowen. There were seven bodies in one night.

D
esiree and Beverly were in her car she had purchased two months before. They had just come back from the long ride to upstate New York. She finally managed to go to the prison where Bilal died. They allowed her to go to his grave, which was located in a field behind the prison walls. She was finally able to get total closure.

Once she reached the city’s line, a brown BMW began to follow her. She was so wrapped up in her emotions that she wasn’t aware of her surroundings for the first time since the kidnapping. She looked in the rearview mirror and smiled at her infant son, Ishmael Jr., who sat sleeping in his car seat.

They drove down the street to the graveyard that held Ishmael’s remains. She had to learn to forgive him in order to move on. He had taken people’s lives and two of those lives were her friends, but she still held so much love for the good side of Ishmael in her heart.