Zero Degrees Part 1 (11 page)

I turned the music down.

“Why’re you so fuckin quiet?” I asked Peaches. She’d been so adamant about us staying at the apartment that night, but it did make sense. We usually spent most of our time with them at their house, but she reasoned that the apartment was closer to the club. Since we all were really drunk we didn’t have to drive so far. She’d also suggested that they start stashing the money at our apartment until they built another money room. It was a low key spot that nobody really knew about.

“Shit, my fuckin’ head hurts. I shouldn’t have mixed all that liquor,” she groaned looking like she was about to vomit in the car.

“Bitch, you just can’t handle your liquor, stop playing,” I clowned her.

As soon as we pulled up in front of the town house apartments and parked, Buff and Zeus rolled up right behind us. I hopped out of the car. The night air was bitter cold on my damp skin as I walked bare foot with my shoes in my hand. Buff and Zeus got out of the car and Buff strode over to Peaches.

Zeus had that big ass Gucci duffle bag. As usual it was stuffed with the night’s earnings from the club and dope money. Strangely, I remembered him dragging it against the ground because it was so heavy. He had a mischievous grin on his face as he looked at me. It was the sexiest smile I had ever seen. Things suddenly seemed to happen in slow motion. The tall bushes next to the apartment moved and two gunmen in Freddy Kruger masks rushed us with AK-47’s. Both Buff and Zeus had their backs turned.

“Freeze muthufuckas! Put yo hands up!!”

Fear gripped my chest like a tight fist. My scream resonated an echo in the night as Zeus turned and reached for his strap a second too late.

Boom!!

The shot lifted him off his feet and nearly flipped him backwards. The sound was deafening, like thunder. Before Buff knew what was happening one of the gunmen was on him with the assault rifle pointed at his head.

“Buck nigga and I’ll bust yo ass!!” He threatened with deadly intent.

“OH, shit, oh, shit!” Peaches whimpered as she shuffled her feet like she wanted to run.

I knew that wouldn’t be a good idea.

“Shut up bitch before I bust a cap in your ass. Now let’s drag this nigga inside.”

“Man you shot my brother…” Buff started

The other gunman struck him in the head with the butt of the assault rifle instantly opening up a gash that spewed blood. Buff bent over in pain. Droplets of blood soiled Peaches’s shoes as placed her hands over her mouth to stifle a scream.

“Pah –please, don’t hurt us!” She pleaded.

“Shut up bitch and open the door so we can drag that nigga in the house.” He gestured toward Zeus who lay on the ground, groaning in agony. Buff staggered over to help his brother inside the apartment. The short gunman shoved me and I almost stumbled and fell. That’s when I remembered that the 9.mm Buff had given me was in my purse.

Chapter 9

“All units! All units in the vicinity of 27
and Myers Park there were shots reported, followed by the sound of a woman’s scream. This is possibly a 211 in progress.” The dispatcher said over the police radio. As officer Greyson drove the police cruiser to the unmarked Mercury Ford, he listened attentively.

“Robbery in progress,” he blurted out. His partner Stephens stirred out of his sleep. They had just left the scene of a homicide. A homeless woman had been brutally beaten with a gulf club and set on fire. It had been another day’s work full of senseless crime. They were on their way to the station for the end of the night when the dispatcher’s call came through.

“Let’s swing by there. It’s only a few blocks from here,” Greyson said.

Stephens grumbled a complaint. He should have been home hours ago. His wife Becky was seven months pregnant with their first child and had been very hormonal. She was as evil as the devil. She often complained that since he had gotten promoted to Lead Detective he got paid more money, but worked long grueling hours. The other day she threatened to divorce him during one of her tantrums.

“This comes with the job and is part of the territory. Criminals work over time and we have to keep up,” Greyson told his partner.

“I know, but Becky is going to kill me,” Stephens said with a sour expression as he sat up in his seat. He yawned and mopped his face with both of his hands trying to shake the fatigue from lack of sleep.

“Trust me, she’ll get used to it.”

“Or divorce me,” Stephens retorted.

* * *

As soon as they pulled onto the block of 27th street in Myers Park there were two patrol cars already there. The uniformed officers were out on foot patrolling the area. The bright, white glow of their flashlights illuminated the darkness. A dog barked from somewhere in the distance as Greyson and his partner exited their car. Greyson, now a veteran detective, inspected the ground for bullet casings as he approached two burly cops that looked like they’d spent most of their time on duty sampling doughnuts at Krispy Kream.

“What’s going on fellas?” Greyson asked as he approached the two cops.

“Nothing much,” the short, rotund cop responded. He had a bulldog face with a large crooked nose that looked like it had been broken before. The cop continued, “It might be a false alarm. Everything checks out.”

They began to walk along the side walk, paying attention to anything unusual. Other squad cars came and assisted them. Finally, Greyson decided to call it a night. The sun was starting to rise as birds began to chirp, serenading the arrival of the morning’s dawn.

“Okay fellas, I’m headed in for the day,” Greyson said straining his eyes as he looked at his watch in the dim light.

“Thank God,” Stephens mumbled out of earshot as he turned, making his way back to the car. That was when they heard it.

Blocka! Blocka! Blocka!

An explosion of shots rang out shattering the quiet of the early morning hours. Some of the cops, including Stephens scrambled for cover. Greyson’s experience told him that the muffled sounds had to be coming from inside of one of the townhouse apartments up the street. He unsheathed his weapon and took off in the direction of the shots. He would not be expecting what greeted him in apartment 107.

* * *

“Everybody on the fuckin’ floor, NOW!” The short gunman ordered. Zeus was already on the floor, panting and moaning in bad shape. Just that fast a large puddle of dark red blood had started to form and soiled the otherwise spotless, beige carpet. There was a hole in his chest the size of a softball. He was going into shock as he clutched at the deep hole in his chest. The blood ran through his fingers and down his hands. He groaned as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

My man was losing consciousness.

My first and only love was dying right before my eyes.

“Oh God.” My eyes blurred with tears.

I needed to get the gun out of my purse, but I was frozen. The tall gunman was standing over me as I obeyed his command to lie on the floor. Slowly, I got down on my knees full of hopelessness and despair. I hesitated as long as I could and willed myself to go for the gun on the floor in the purse next to me. Then suddenly Buff went irate at seeing his brother lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. He lashed out as he screamed. A large vein protruded from his forehead as venom filled his eyes.

“Take the muhfuckin’ money and leave! There is over a hundred thousand dollars in the duffle bag! Don’t let my brother die over this bullshit!”

Just as the short masked gunman tore a piece of duct tape to tie Buff’s hands behind his back, he stopped, walked over and peered inside the duffle bag.

“Bingo!” He yelled as he kept the rifle leveled at us.

The taller gunman turned and pointed his gun at Zeus. “We ain’t got all fucking day! Tell us where you got the rest of the money stashed, or I’m gonna push this nigga’s wig back all over the floor.” He put his foot on Zeus’s neck prepared to shoot him at close range.

“We don’t keep no money here! That’s all of it!”

Zeus raised his head off the floor. He gurgled blood and winced in pain. His loyalty to his brother was minted in stone. Even in the throes of death’s door he was still a gangsta.

“Oh God,” Peaches whispered. She lay next to me shaking so badly that I could feel her entire body trembling. For a moment both gunmen had their heads turned to focus on Buff and Zeus. I knew that it was either then or never. My hand was shaking when I reached inside the purse. As I fumbled around for the gun time was ticking like a bomb in my head. My heart was ricocheting against my ribs and my pulse was racing. I took the gun out and opened fire. I hit the short gunman in the head dropping him instantly. When I fired and missed the other gunman, he turned and fired at me at point blank range. I closed my eyes and squeezed the nine that jerked in my hand.

Click! Nothing happened. Did the gun jam? Before I knew it Buff was off the floor like a linebacker and plowed into the gunman. They collided like Rams and fell on the glass coffee table that shattered in a thunderous clap. Peaches screamed. They struggled and the guy managed to roll over on top of Buff and punched him in the face. Instantly Buff was dazed, but he was still fighting. To my horror the gunman somehow managed to reach in the small of his back to take out a .38 Caliber snub nose. He shot once and the bullet hit the carpet next to Buff’s head as they wrestled over the gun. Peaches got up and took off running. I raised my gun to shoot the dude in the back,

Click! Click!

The damn gun was out of bullets. Desperately I looked for something, anything to strike the gunman with. I saw a long jagged piece of broken glass that was about a foot long and shaped like an ice pick. I picked it up, rushed over and swung it in rage.

“Muthufucka!” I swung so hard that I slipped and fell. The sharp glass went straight into his eye socket. Blood squirted like a geyser as he reached for his face and howled like a wounded animal. He fell over clasping his eye with the large piece of glass sticking out. He kicked and screamed as the blood continued to squirt. It was like a scene out of a horror movie. I turned my attention back to Zeus as Buff scurried from under him, grabbed the gun, sat on the guy’s chest and began to pistol whip him unmercifully.

I crawled across broken glass, slippery blood, and a dead man with his eyes open. It was the short gunman that I had shot in the head. I crawled across a battle field of emotions and torn lives as I reached Zeus. His eyes were closed and I tried not to look at the gaping hole in his chest as the blood flowed. I almost chocked on my tears as I cradled him in my arms. At that moment I would have given him my life, my very last breath.

“Baby please get up! Please get up…” I shook him.

The entire time Buff was beating the other assailant to a pulp.

Suddenly Zeus opened his eyes. His lips moved with no words and then he let out a raspy sound.

“Don’t… cry…”

“Oh… God… you’re alive.” I cried harder.

“They’re… the dudes… that tried to jack … us…” Zeus muttered. I didn’t comprehend, but Buff did.

Whack! He struck the gunman on the bridge of his nose. From across the room I heard the bone break.

“Nigga, who sent you!?” Buff was in rage, covered in blood like someone had doused him with red paint.

I found a phone next to me on the table. With my hands trembling I dialed 911 and then felt Zeus gasp, take a deep breath and close his eyes. His body suddenly went limp.

“Ohh, God, Ooh God, noo!” I wailed.

Whack!

“Fuck nigga, I ain’t gone ask you no muthfuckin’ mo! Who fucking sent you?” Buff placed the gun to the gunman’s head and cocked it.

The sound resonated from across the room as I heard the emergency operator say “911 emergency.”

“I need an ambulance, hurry please.”

“It was… Money… man. Please don’t kill me… He paid us to rob the dope houses… He and the chick are working together…” The gunman blurted out.

“Money?” What chick?” Buff asked with his face screwed up in disbelief.

Suddenly Peaches entered the room. I’d never forget the expression on her face. There was so much anger, blind rage and something else I couldn’t recognize as she aimed the gun.

“It’s…” the gunman was about to say something, but he didn’t finish.

Peaches walked over to him, aimed the .380 that Buff had given her and pulled the trigger.

POW!

The gunman’s neck snapped back. His leg twitched as his body flinched and then instantly he went motionless.

“Ma’am, was that a gunshot I just heard?” The operator asked.

All of a sudden there was a loud pounding on the door.

“POLICE! Open up!”

Forbidden Fruit

By Nika Michelle

Chapter 1

Diablo looked at me as he passed his boy the last ten bricks of coke.

“I hate having you around this,” he said.

Normally he wouldn’t have the product in our crib, but a last minute change of plans had made him do the unusual.

“Go bake these up,” he told Adonnis, also known as Ace.

The first time I saw him I was fourteen. At the time I was in and out of juvenile detention centers. The case worker the system had assigned to me said that I was just “acting out” for attention. She also claimed that I didn’t know how to interact with people on a social level because my mother and father were unfit.

My parents were hardly deserving of the title. My mom was strung out on crack before I was six years old. She never cared one way or another whether me and my little sister Amaya had a bite to eat or clothes on our backs. My father was sentenced to life in prison because of other warrants and the murder of his live in girlfriend. He had caught her and his best friend in the bed that they shared and snapped. He had beat his best friend down with a bat and put him in a coma for months. He was also charged with attempted murder. All of that went down when I was twelve.

By the time I was thirteen I was skipping school to run drugs for my father’s workers. My father was a drug dealer and that’s how my mom ended up strung out. She started out with a little weed here and there, which stemmed into coke, and later graduated to crack.