For the Strength of You (13 page)

When Teck stepped outside, Selma's finest were slowly riding down the street three deep. They saved his life, because Anshon, Wood C, and Deck were sitting in the cut, waiting on his ass.

Anshon looked at his boys. “He got away for now and only now.”

* * *

Fe-Fe sat on her couch with her arms folded as Wallo sat at the other end, crying. When two taps sounded at the door, it flew open before Fe-Fe could answer it. Anshon came in, followed by Wood C and Deck. Wallo figured he was still in the clear. He didn't look up until he heard Fe-Fe say, “Oh, shit!”

He looked up to see Anshon standing over him with the biggest revolver he'd ever seen in his life. Fe-Fe stood up, but Wood C motioned for her to sit down.

“Why, muthafucka?” Anshon sobbed. “What the fuck my sister ever do wrong to your bitch ass?”

Wallo lowered his head.

“Answer me!” Anshon shouted, placing the barrel on Wallo's forehead.

Wallo shrugged his shoulders then placed his hand on the armrest of the couch. Fe-Fe started to scream.

Anshon looked at her.

“He got a .380 stashed between the seats,” she said.

Before Anshon could do anything, Deck punched Wallo in the mouth then picked up the. 380. Wood C was at the window with his two heaters.

Anshon glanced at Fe-Fe as tears filled her eyes. He didn't have to speak. He nodded his head once.

“Where Teck go?” Anshon asked Wallo.

Wallo's mouth was bleeding badly. He wiped his mouth, shrugging his shoulders.

“Nigga, he just left!” Anshon said then hit him with the .50 upside his head before he told another lie.

“Fuck you. Ain't givin' up my brother,” Teck said.

“My sister dead 'cause of your ass!” Anshon screamed. After that was said, he handed his revolver to Deck then started to pound Wallo with hard blows to the face and body.

Fe-Fe wanted to feel sorry for Wallo, but she couldn't. After all, he had tried to rape her and he killed Tammy.

When Deck told Anshon to ease up, Wallo was left on the floor with his face badly bruised up. Fe-Fe started to cry as Anshon took her to the back room after she told them where Teck was headed. When he closed Fe-Fe's bedroom door behind him, she broke down and asked him not to kill her.

“What?” he asked her, surprised. “I love you. I'm in love with you. Why would I kill you?”

Fe-Fe didn't know what to say, so she fell into his arms.

“I know we can't be together, so I've been trying to fight this shit, but it gets harder every day.”

Fe-Fe's mouth dropped open. “Anshon . . . I—I'm pregnant.”

“Damn, baby.” Anshon rubbed her face.

“Don't worry now,” she assured him. “Please don't.”

“Okay, okay,” he said, trying to shake what Fe-Fe had just told him.

“The twins killed Tammy, Fe-Fe. You know I gotta do what I gotta do.”

Fe-Fe hugged him. “I'm on your side, Anshon. Always know that.” She stood on her toes and kissed him on the forehead before he left. She caught him by his shirt as he was turning to leave. “I love you.”

He winked his eye at her and ran back down the stairs. Fe-Fe prayed that she would see him again.

* * *

Teck made it back to Selma two hours later. Because he was in a panic and speeding, he'd led five highway state patrols on a high-speed chase, until he lost them on a back road in Wilson Mills. He didn't care, because he was still in shock after finding Kristi's body at her duplex.

Kristi wasn't supposed to die. That was the deal he and Wallo had. It was supposed to only be Constance.

What the fuck is going on?
Teck thought.

Teck felt pain and hate at the same time. He pulled up in Fe-Fe's driveway and found a note on the front door. He instantly recognized his brother's handwriting and didn't try to reason why his brother wanted him to go to the school bus parking lot at Triple S. He took the back roads and hit Buffalo Road.

When he reached the parking lot, he spotted his brother's forest green Nissan Quest parked in front of the gym with its lights off. When he neared the Nissan Quest, he noticed the driver's side window was down, and with a closer inspection, he saw his brother slumped over the wheel.

He brought his motorcycle to a screeching halt and jumped off. Teck was reaching for the Quest's door handle when suddenly the side door slid back.

“Yeah, nigga!” Deck said, pointing the MAC-11 at Teck's chest.

When Teck looked at who he thought was his brother, he saw Wood C grinning at him, gold fronts and all. “See you in hell, pot'nah!”

Teck turned slowly to see Anshon stepping from behind the minivan, holding the golden. 50-cal pointed at his head. Teck wasn't as brave as his brother. He threw his hands up in defeat.

Wood C stepped out and relieved Teck of his. 40. Teck had never felt so much fear in his life as Wood C yanked his helmet off.

“Look at me!”Anshon shouted.

Teck slowly turned his head toward Anshon as the gold barrel touched his forehead.

“You was my ma'fuckin' pot'nah, nigga. We stole on niggas together, and this is the shit that you do?” Anshon spat on him. “I remember when I came home from prison, I told you that if I caught the muthafuckers that fucked wit' my sis—” Anshon's hand was trembling. Flashes of Tammy's casket being lowered into the ground kept playing in his mind. Then he thought of his niece and nephew growing up without her.

“Motherfucker!” Before pulling the trigger, he wanted to ask Teck why, but deep down he didn't want to know.

Wood C took a step back as Anshon wiped his eyes. Deck did the same. Wood C happened to glance toward the road to see two sets of headlights coming. “Yo, Shon, wait.”

BOOM!
Too late.

As the state troopers' cars drove nearer, they heard the echoing sound from the blast, and the flash from the barrel was bright and distinctive. Instantly, the lead state trooper hit the blue lights and the gas.

Wood C took off running toward the lunchroom. Deck stepped in front of the minivan and made the MAC-11 speak. Anshon ran toward the gym and fired a shot at the lock. Deck was on his heels two seconds later. They could hear the two state troopers sliding to a halt as they busted through the double doors, looking for their suspects.

Wood C had crept his way to the student parking lot and was still moving. He headed for the woods to hopefully disappear before the backup K-9 unit came. Wood C loved his freedom. Fuck prison.

Anshon and Deck were just running past the front office when the two state troopers let off with their glock 9 mm. Deck slid to the floor and rolled to his right, as Anshon dove to the left. They could both hear the state troopers calling for backup.

Deck stuck the MAC-11 around the corner and squeezed off eight shots. The barrage sent the state troopers for cover. Deck got up and took off running while changing the empty 32-round clip.

As Deck ran for the lunchroom, Anshon made his move. It was hard to fire on the run with the. 50. Its kickback was too big for a one-hand shot. He was breathing heavily as he took off toward the library. It was better to split up. He knew he would never see the free world if he was caught. He quickly reloaded the two empty shots in his. 50 with shaky hands.

“Fuck!” he whispered at the sounds of police sirens in the distance. He lowered himself to his stomach and moved quickly behind a row of books in the pitch black library. When he heard the chatter of the police radio near the door, he stopped breathing in hopes they hadn't seen him enter the library. Niggas get a sixth sense when they're on the run.

“Police!” a deep, commanding voice shouted. “Come out with your hands up!”

Anshon closed his eyes and murmured a quick prayer, but why would God listen to a sinner? He was the bad guy.

“Last warning!” the state trooper stated.

Anshon gripped the gold .50 and kissed the barrel. He had made up his mind to save one round. He refused to live and die in prison.

“You and me, baby girl,” he whispered, hyping himself up. He slowly came up on one knee and peeked between some books. He only saw one of the state troopers as he ducked behind the checkout counter, gun in hand.

His heart was pounding in his ears. He searched for the second state trooper but came up short. He slowly slid a thick hardcover book from the shelf. The police sirens were still in the distance. He had to get ghost before the backup showed up. He gripped the book, slung it clear across the library, and was moving in the opposite direction before it struck the computer room door.

The hidden state trooper made his presence known by squeezing off two loud shots in the area where he saw the book thrown from.

Anshon dove to the floor. These muthafuckas wasn't playing anymore. He cocked back the hammer and turned just in time to catch the state trooper in the moonlight as he moved from behind the checkout counter.

Anshon brought up the gorilla with a firm two-hand grip while on one knee. He knew he had to go all out. He eased back on the trigger.
BOOM!
Then he rolled to his left.

The hidden state trooper, who was calling his partner over, saw how the impact of the gun lifted him off his feet completely, and he flipped back over the checkout counter. The .50 packed so much power that it took the state trooper's entire right arm off.

Anshon heard the hidden state trooper gasp in shock near the reading lounge.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Glass shattered from the buzzing slugs from the .50. He took off for the door while he had the chance. Just as he exited the library, the police backup slid into the student dropoff loop, six deep. He took off toward the lunchroom.

“Officer down!” he heard someone scream behind him. “Down the hall, freeze!”

By instinct, he dove to the glossy floor, sliding on his stomach as the deadly line of lead ripped down the hall. They kept firing down the dark hallway, trying to pin Anshon down. Anshon could see blue lights out in the student parking lot. They were trying to trap him off.

They were still firing as he rolled toward the hallway leading to the brick masonry class. Once in the hallway, he stumbled to his feet and took off running full speed. He had to hit the back exit and try to get ghost in the woods. He was on pure adrenalin as he reached the fire exit.

The alarm blared once he burst through the fire exit. A sheriff's deputy patrol car was slowing to a stop just as his feet touched the pavement.

BOOM!
The entire front windshield exploded. The rookie deputy was leaning over and looked up where the headrest used to be. He shifted in reverse without ever looking up. He planned to resign tomorrow.

Anshon ran between two outside trailer-like classrooms and quickly reloaded the five empty slots. Taking four quick breaths, he dashed across the band practice field and headed for the woods. The police were done with a verbal warning. The trooper that Anshon had shot in the library was dead.

Anshon had reached the woods, then he tripped over a log. When he struggled to his feet, he turned to see countless moving flashlights, and in the center was the barking K-9. He turned and bent down over the long barrel. He didn't know if his shot would reach, but he'd let 'em know what would be waiting.

Back at the fire exit, the K-9 officer was about to let his dog go, when suddenly a deputy standing five feet from him holding a pump was thrown back on his ass, followed by the report from Anshon's .50.

BOOM!
They all scattered. They couldn't return any fire because there were houses not far from the woods. The slug had reached out and touched the deputy in the upper chest. It didn't punch through the vest, but the slug packed enough stopping power to make the deputy's heart stop.

Anshon was already on the run when the deputy hit the ground. He ran a good distance, until he found the running trail used by the track and field team. He stopped and crouched to the ground. He could see them searching the woods to his left.

He placed the .50 on the ground and quickly took his Nikes off. He removed both socks then found two rocks. He had to trick that fucking K-9 if he wanted to stand any chance of getting away. He wiped both socks under his arms and vigorously wiped his ass with them. He then placed a rock in each sock and quickly pissed on both.

The time to complete his deception took forty-eight seconds. He slung one to the left and then slung the other to the right, then took off running with the gold .50 at a measured pace. He'd run for thirty to forty seconds, then stop and listen. He repeated this until he circled out of the woods near the football practice field. He could see countless squad cars in the bus parking lot.

Teck's minivan was parked in the same spot, and when a police car pulled off, he saw the lights shining on the nearly headless Teck, who'd been killed and pushed under his minivan earlier.

Anshon watched and caught his breath. Just because it was dark, he knew it didn't mean he was safe or well hidden. Two minutes later, he made his move to cross the road. Once he made it safely across the street, he ran through the field. Once he reached the woods, he knew he'd be straight.

He reached the thick woods and ran through a briar patch. The thorns hooked him in a thousand spots, but it would take more than some thorns to stop him from running from the police. Since he still had on the gloves, he pulled the briars loose and surged deeper into the woods.

When he reached a cow field, he slowed up. He took the time to catch his breath once again and loaded the one empty chamber, leaving him with four slugs in his pocket and five in the golden chamber. He nearly shitted on himself when his cell phone rang.