Knock Knock Whooz There?. Marvin Griffin
a u-turn behind them. The state trooper was getting closer and closer and Equal could feel Justice breaking his speed. He thought about the blue print-street hustlers manual and what it said about situations like this.
"You found it!" Justice barked.
In response, Equal launched back across the chair, AK in hand ready to blast away. "Man this shit ain't happening." Equal thought. "Not on a nigga's first day home. We didn't even get a chance to hit that lick and we already about to smoke a fuckin' cop."
"What's the plan? What's the fuckin' plan?" Equal shouted. Spurts of spit escaped his mouth.
"We gotta do 'em!" Justice responded panicky.
"Pull over. Pull dis mutha fucka ova now!" Equal shouted. In his mind he'd formed the notion if they were going to kill a cop they had to do it where they was. They couldn't wait until they got too far into the city limits. He had the best plan. "Do it now!"
Justice broke his speed completely and then pulled to the side of the road. As soon as the trooper pulled over Equal was going to ease out the passenger door and open fire. From there they would escape, burn the truck and carry on with their plans.
"What the fuck dem niggas doing? Why are they pulling over?" Famous shouted as they cruised up behind them. Justice and Equal waited patiently. They anticipated the trooper to either pull on the side of them or behind the truck. But neither scenario happened. In fact, the state trooper didn't stop at all, but zoomed right pass the Bronco never once breaking its speed. Justice and Equal glared at each other for a second in disbelief. Then Equal's head fell back into the headrest. "A false alarm." Equal thought. The relief he felt was beyond words. His eyes narrowed and darkened up the highway looking at the back end of the state trooper's vehicle. He watched it until it made a sharp right on 22nd and vanished from his eyesight. No doubt the trooper was running off to another call. That's all Equal could think of as he glared down at the assault rifle cradled in his hands. "Man dat was close..." Justice thought. Then he burst out laughing.
Moments later the state trooper drove the vehicle right up on the sidewalk in front of Brick's restaurant, parked, and exited the vehicle. It was a normal routine for her. Everyday around lunch time Brick expected her to show up and patronized his business and order a chicken wing and french fries platter. This is the only place she took her lunch breaks. Her and Brick had built up that type of relationship and they were real good friends. In fact, she knew if she didn't show up or was a little late it would offend Brick and that's the last thing she wanted to do. That's why she was so much in a hurry to get there.
Usually she made it to the restaurant around twelve, but it was 12:30 now. "Brick is gone be mad," Officer Toni thought.
Surprisingly though, Brick wasn't only connected to the underworld. He had friends in high places, the majority of which wore uniforms of some sort and made arrests at times at his own approval and at times at his dissent.
Officer Toni made her way through the door with a guilty smile on her face almost as wide as the gap between her two front teeth. Brick was standing behind the counter as she expected he would be. He looked down at his watch as soon as Toni made it through the door. She could read the expression on his face. "You late."
"I know, I know boo… I'm late. But I had to finish up a report I was doing for a citation I'd issued." Toni said almost breathless. "I had to rush to get here." She added. Then she turned around and glanced over her shoulder.
"What's so funny?" Brick asked.
"Nothin' chile. I was just laughing at something that just happened."
"What? I wanna laugh too." Brick said. "Sense you late you might as well amuse me."
"It ain't nothin'. When I was coming down State Road 9 on my way here these guys must've thought I was pulling them over. Some guys in an all white Bronco with dark tinted windows. They pulled over and I just drove right pass them." Toni couldn't stop laughing as she told Brick what happened. Brick just stared at her. Then she said.
"I should've pulled them over 'cause they made an illegal u-turn. But I was already late an' I didn't want to hear your mouth."
"An all white Bronco?" Brick asked, as he remembered the only Bronco in the city that fit that description and who it belonged to. Justice clicked in his head and then Famous, Religion, Equal, Burden, and Glory. Then it dawned on him as he looked at Toni thinking nothing good could've come out of that situation.
"Girl you be careful out there in them streets, you hear me?" Brick said fatherly. All Toni could do was blush as she rubbed the sided of Brick's handsome black face. She couldn't help having a genuine love for him. Even though there was a conflict of interest in their life styles she was blindly attracted to him. "And he is so loquacious and beautiful." Toni thought.
Brick was the only black she'd seen in here entire life who had money green eyes. He even had a voice so deep and sexy it made her cream in her panties. "Well, whenever I'm wearing some." Toni thought. Now since she was on duty she had a pair on but she'll take them off for him. If only she could get him to see past her plus size she might be able get him to creep.
"So how 'bout I come by your mom's place tonight when I'm off?" Toni asked.
"Brick." Faith called out as she made her way through the door to see Toni's hand flush up against the side of Brick's face. Faith paused as Brick took a step back and Toni quickly removed her hand. Toni grimaced.
"That'll be $10.95" Brick stammered. Faith faked a smile as she gingerly handed Brick the cordless phone.
"Hello."
The closer Equal and Justice got to Equal's house, the more happier he got knowing he was about to finally see his mom. He hadn't seen her in years. A wry smile formed across his face as he thought about the obvious surprise and greeting he was going to get from her. He was also suddenly reminded of the fact he hadn't talk to his mother in years as well. It wasn't because he didn't call, he did. She just never accepted any of the collect calls he made. He always wondered what was up with that. Now he was about to find out.
"Hol' up dawg let me check an' see if she home first." Equal approached the door and knocked on it three times. In a matter of seconds Equal's mom opened the door to see her only son's face standing there. Equal was surprised when he noticed the expression on her face changed from delight to disgust.
"Ma!" Equal said, as he stretched his arms out for a hug. Equal was more surprised when his mother walked up to him and slapped him in the face as hard as she could.
"Equal why did you have to kill that girl? She didn't deserve to die like that!" Equal's mother cried. "I hate I had you, you ain't nothing but the devil!"
FIVE
BOOM—BOOM
BOOM—BOOM
It was time for the Mercenary crew to put their plan into full affect. After two days of being lectured and condescended by his mother Equal was ready to take on the world his world that was filled with generic hustlers, pimps, thieves and drug pushers with degenerated values. But the hood had potential albeit to produce stars in their own right, and Equal was trying to be a star.
Outside his door await the rest of his crew members whom I like to refer to as the wrecking crew. They didn't feel like their presence riled controversy and trouble but I begged to differ. I also digressed.
Equal scrambled to his mother's room and gave her a hug and kiss.
"Okay mom, I'mma go hang out with the fellas' a lil bit. We gone go shoot some hoop. I'll be back in a couple hours." Equal said.
"Okay baby," Equal mom said as she inclined her head to Equal's lips.
"Now you be careful out there in them streets and stay out of trouble for your momma."
"I will ma"
Equal emerged from the house wearing a faded pair of denim jeans, New York Mets T-shirt, and the same New Balance tennis shoes he used to run in while he was in prison. He wore a grey skull cap that covered up his ball head. It was better balled anyway.