about?”
C-Jay held his palms up. “Just hear me out,
shawty. All that I’m saying is, either you have issues with
yourself, or with the people that’s slandering your name. Either
way, I don’t need nobody’s baggage. So you do your thing, and I’m
going to do mine. I’mma holler at you later.”
Rich watched him walk away and banged his
hand on the steering wheel. He then pulled off and drove to a
nearby grocery store. A man leaning on a gray Lumina waited for
Rich to park before getting in.
“You’re losing your touch, Rich. Even a sick
dope fiend with some fake dope wouldn’t have sold you shit.”
“I’m not losing shit! I told you from the
start he wasn’t going to bite, he’s too paranoid. You should’ve let
me get those Decatur boys like I said.”
“I don’t want those goddamn nickel and
dimers; I want C-Jay!” Agent Kardash screamed. “And you are going
to help me get him, or I’m going to make sure you’re charged with
that kilo that you got caught with last winter.”
Rich sucked his teeth. “You can’t do that. I
already received immunity for setting up Ronald Charles.”
The agent thought about that for a second.
“Well, I’ll just let everybody know how you keep beating your
cases.”
“You’re trying to get me killed! After all
that I’ve done for you?”
He shrugged. “You’re only as relevant as your
last intelligence.”
“How I’m supposed to set dude up when he’s
suspicious of me?”
“You figure something out before your
deadline.”
“And when is that?”
“Sunday,” he answered, getting out of the
car.
The police cruiser had been behind Tywan for the
past ten minutes, but he kept his composure and focused on his
driving. He knew from experience that if he didn’t give probable
cause, they couldn’t legally pull him over. He relaxed in that
comfort and diverted his attention to the vehicle two cars in front
of him.
Although it had been seven years since he had
tailed someone, it felt as natural as breathing. The adrenaline he
received from his work was equivalent to the high of some
high-grade marijuana. He loved his profession, and wondered what
his life would be like when he had enough money for the dry
cleaners. He knew even then he would rob someone every now and
then. A stick-up lad was what he was, and no amount of money could
ever change that.
It didn’t bother him at all that he was on
parole and was about to take a high-risk chance. Survival at any
rate was the motto he lived by, and if that meant he had to risk
his life, or commit the same acts that let up to his last arrest,
then he would do it without a second thought.
Tywan had come to the conclusion a while back
that being broke was the epitome of laziness and weakness. Two
traits that didn’t define one portion of his being. When he glanced
back into the rearview mirror, he noticed the police cruiser was
gone. And by him, that was fine. He definitely didn’t need them
around for what he was about to do.
The vehicle that he was following turned off,
and Tywan did the same. He could smell the money.
Misty tossed and turned in the bed, unable to
fall to sleep. Gunshots erupted outside, on average, every five
minutes but this wasn’t what was keeping her up. Shoot-outs and
star targeting was as natural as the neighbor’s dog barking.
Three hours had passed since Tywan had missed
his parole curfew, and he wasn’t anywhere to be found. She didn’t
know whether to be mad or to be worried.
She snatched the phone up on the first rang
when it rung. “Hello!”
“I was hoping you was going to be up.”
“What is it, Wendy?”
“Oww, I know that tone. What’s wrong?”
Misty signed. “Nothing.”
“Cut the shit. I’ve been knowing you since we
were virgins; what’s wrong?”
“It’s Ty.”
“What happened to him?!”
“I don’t know…I mean, nothing. He just didn’t
come home for his curfew.”
“What his P.O. say?”
“She didn’t come by. I’m