Tears of a Hustler PT 1 (6 page)

Chapter 8

A FRESH START

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KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.” “Who the fuck is it,” Big Bruce yelled from behind the door clutching his twelve gauge shot gun. “Open this mother fucking door.”

Immediately Big Bruce recognized the voice and opened the door. “Boss man how’s it going,” he asked stepping to the side so that Ali and Big Mel could enter. “You tell me,” Ali countered giving the big man a pound. “You know I got shit under control down here, boss man,” Big Bruce said in a matter of fact tone. “That’s what I like to hear,” Ali said as he looked around making sure that everything was in order. He quickly stuck his head in the room full of topless women. He didn’t say a word, he just nodded in agreement. “Keep up the good work brother,” Ali said giving Big Bruce a pound. “You leaving already, boss man?” “Yeah, you know I’m not staying a minute longer than I have to,” Ali said as he and Big Mel made their exit.

* * * *

“
Okay Big Bruce you have a good night.” “You too Nancy,” Big Bruce said looking at the pregnant woman’s ass jiggle in her snug fitting stretch pants. “Make sure you go home and feed that baby,” he joked. “Fuck,” Nancy said out loud. It was pouring down raining and she didn’t have an umbrella, newspaper or anything. “Fuck this shit, I’m taking a cab home tonight,” she said to herself as she swiftly walked to the corner to catch a cab. Nancy stood on the corner flagging down cab, after cab just to have cars fly by like she was invisible.

As Nancy stood on the corner soaking wet, a all black Denali came to a stop directly in front of her. Seconds later the back window came rolling down. “What’s good sweetheart. You look like you can use a ride,” Ali said smoothly from the backseat. “No I’m alright,” Nancy replied looking down the street to see if she saw any more cabs coming in her direction. “Come on ma, let me get you out this rain.” “Thanks, but no thanks,” Nancy responded again as she began to stroll towards another corner. As Nancy walked down the wet sidewalk she noticed the Denali slowly cruising behind her. “Why are you making things so difficult,” Ali asked as he slid out of the backseat of the Denali. “You shouldn’t be out here in this kind of weather,” he said noticing her stomach poking out.

Ali quickly removed his jacket and placed it over the young lady’s shoulders. “All I want to do is give you a ride home.” Nancy took one last glance down the street to make sure she didn’t see any cabs coming before she made her final decision. “A ride home, and that’s it,” she asked as she slid in the back of the truck with the stranger.

“So would you like a drink,” Ali asked pouring himself a shot of Hennessy. Nancy looked down at her stomach, then back at the handsome young man. “My fault, I’m bugging,” Ali said apologizing. “So what’s your name?” “Nancy,” she answered. “So Nancy, what are you doing in this kind of neighborhood at these hours, especially while you’re carrying,” Ali asked throwing the shot back. “Minding my business,” Nancy capped. Ali just sat back admiring the young woman’s beauty. Nancy looked like Lil Kim before all the plastic surgery. Her wet hair only made her face look even more exotic. “Why are you so cold inside,” Ali asked pouring himself another shot. “I’m not being cold, I’m just being real with myself,” Nancy said staring emptily out of the window. “All men are full of shit. What’s with the thousand questions?” “Just trying to get to know you,” Ali replied with a smile. “Get to know me? I don’t talk to strangers, I don’t even know your name.” “My name is Ali,” he answered proudly. Oh, so you’re the infamous Ali, huh,” Nancy chuckled. “What’s so funny,” Ali asked curiously. “Because you asked me what I was doing out here at this time of night, remember?” “Yeah I remember.” “Well I was working for you,” Nancy stated plainly. “Get the fuck out of here,” Ali said in disbelief. “You don’t believe me,” Nancy asked laughing. “Why don’t you just ask Big Bruce if I’m lying?”

Big Mel glanced at Ali through the rearview mirror, and then back to the road. “I’m sorry Nancy, but I’m not going to allow you to work there any more.” Ali looked at Nancy for a comment. “What you mean I can’t work there any more,” Nancy asked angrily. “How you just going to stop my money flow like that?” “Because I’m the boss,” Ali answered flatly. “Fucking greedy motherfucker,” Nancy said under her breath as a tear escaped her eye.

It seemed like every time things started to go good, something or someone always went wrong. “Ali please I need money for my baby,” Nancy begged. “Where’s your baby daddy?” “I left him because he has a hand problem,” she pouted like a child. “I’m sorry, but if I could help you I would,” Ali said as the Denali came to a stop. “Yeah whatever,” Nancy said as she hopped out of the truck. Then she handed Ali back his jacket and said, “Here’s your jacket.”

Ali just sat in the backseat staring at the pregnant girl until she disappeared inside the building. “I want G-money in my office first thing in the morning,” Ali said with a sharp edge in his voice. “Can you fucking believe this shit? A fucking pregnant girl working in the shop.” “Yeah G-money’s bugging out with that one,” Big Mel stated plainly, his eyes never leaving the road. “Shit is getting too mother fucking sloppy around here,” Ali said throwing back another shot.

Chapter 9

GETTING BACK TO OLD TIMES

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Click Clack, yo I say we go twist them niggas caps the fuck back right now,” Debo said loading his dessert eagle. “Be patient. G-money and the rest of those clowns are going to get what’s coming to them,” Rell said pacing back and forth in his small one bedroom apartment’s living room. “First thing we gotta get our money right. Can’t go to war unless your paper is up feel me?” “I feel you. So we just let G-money and those chumps get a pass,” Debo asked somewhat confused. “Negative; at the end of the month we make our move on those chumps.” “But why so long,” Debo asked ready for some action. “Listen Debo, you’re going to have to trust me. I’ve been doing this for too long not to know what I’m doing, feel me? Niggas don’t call me MJ for nothing. The one thing I’ve learned from sitting in a cage for all those years is that you must have patience. Now we already took over four corners. By the end of the week we should have eight corners,” Rell said looking at his right hand man. “You can’t do shit without money.” “Yeah, you’re right about that shit,” Debo responded cracking his knuckles.

Debo was what you called a beast. He stood at 6”4 and weighed 250 pounds solid. Rell met Debo in prison and kind of put the big man under his wing. He made him read plenty of books, and also schooled him on the game, not the drug game but the game of life. Rell promised Debo that if he stuck with him, and remained loyal, that he would make him a rich man. And everybody who knows Rell, know that when he makes a promise he keeps it.

“Damn I feel sorry for Gerald. The crazy part is I used to like the boy,” Rell said letting out a light chuckle. “Come on lets go pick up this money.” “Lets do it,” Debo replied as the two exited the small apartment.

Chapter 10

CLEAN UP TIME

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What’s good, you wanted to see me,” G-money said entering Ali’s office. “Yeah, close the door and have a seat,” Ali said leaning back in his chair. “Who let that pregnant girl work in the shop,” Ali asked getting straight to the point. “This shorty that works in the shop asked me if I could put her pregnant girl friend on the clock, so I was like fuck it why not.” G-money shrugged nonchalantly. “That chick could’ve brought us all down if something would’ve happened to that baby in her stomach,” Ali lightly scolded. “Yeah, but I felt sorry for the bitch. Her friend was telling me how she ain’t have no money or shit for the baby, and how her baby daddy be whipping her ass for no reason. So I thought I would give the bitch a break, smell me,” G-money said helping himself to a drink. “Yeah I feel you, but we gotta protect ourselves at all times,” Ali said leaning forward. “It’s time for us to start cleaning shit up. That fucking cock sucker, Detective Nelson, said one more incident from anyone on our team, and our deal goes out the window. So basically I’m about to tighten up the whole operation because we can’t afford no mistakes or nobody getting locked up.” “Yeah I can dig it. I never liked Detective Nelson anyway,” G-money stated plainly.

“
But anyway, you ain’t hear nothing on that old school nigga, Rell?” “That clown don’t want no trouble with us. All I did was bring him back to reality because that fool was talking like he was still in the eighties,” G-money said as the two busted out laughing. “Don’t sleep on that fool though, because you never know,” Ali warned. “Come on, the way we chumped that fool, he gon’ have to come back, without a doubt. And when he do, I’m going to end his career point blank,” G-money said giving Ali a pound. “Oh yeah, ya man, Butch, been holding down the projects by himself and he been doing a good ass job too.” “Yeah I saw that fool when I went to go drop off the re-up. Nigga think he big time now”, G-money joked as he stood up to leave. “Let me get up out of here and check up on this bitch; she been texting me all day,” he said looking at his cell phone.

“
Hold up, before you go let me get that girl’s address who put you on to the pregnant girl.” “Why what’s up,” G-money asked suspiciously. “I’m going to drop her a couple hundred, just to make sure she keeps her mouth shut, you dig? We don’t need no bullshit going on right about now,” Ali said strongly. “Yeah you right about that,” G-money agreed as he scribbled the address down on a piece of paper, then made his exit. “That’s a crazy motherfucker,” Ali chuckled as he stared blankly at the address on the paper.

Chapter 11

ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER DOLLAR

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You ain’t never seen them pies? I’m talking so much white it’ll hurt ya eyes,” Butch hummed Young Jeezy’s words as he sat on the bench listening to one of his runner’s radio. Butch sat on top of the bench scanning the whole hood, when he saw a light scuffle break out. “What the fuck is going on now,” He asked himself, as he got up to investigate the situation. “Yo, what the fuck is going on over here,” Butch yelled out causing his workers to stop beating up on a crack head. “What’s the problem,” he asked. “Yo dis dirty muthafucka owe me fifteen dollars,” the young runner said angrily. “Fifteen dollars,” Butch asked in disbelief. “So you gonna kill the man over fifteen dollars?” “I ain’t gonna kill him, I’m just gonna whip his ass,” the young runner said without a care in the world. “Yo money get up out of here,” Butch said helping the fiend to his feet. “The object of the game is to make money, not chase money away.” “But the mother fuc…” “What’s your name lil' nigga,” Butch asked cutting the young kid off. “Andre,” the young man answered. “Okay Andre listen, if you choose to let the fiend build up a credit for fifteen dollars then that’s on you. If the muthafucka don’t pay you back he’s only hurting himself because now when he’s a little short motherfucker gotta pay the full price. Within a week I bet that fool pays you what he owes you,” Butch said kicking some knowledge to the youngster. “That corner boy bullshit is dead from now on, we going to look at this game like business men,” Butch said repeating something Ali told him not too long ago. “You about your business right?” “All day,” Andre replied placing a Newport between his lips. “Aight, then get back to work and lets get this money,” Butch said smoothly as he headed back over to the bench where he came from.

Butch’s job was to keep the traffic in the projects, as well as the money coming in at a fast pace. Butch spent one year as a look out, and two more years as a worker to finally become a crew chief. It wasn’t that he was a good worker, but Ali wanted to test his loyalty as well as his hunger. Now three years later Butch was in charge of the whole operation, and still moving up on the ladder. Butch watched the fiends come and go, realizing that he would probably be bone dry in two hours if that. He quickly reached for his blackberry. Ali had supplied everybody on the team with a blackberry, but the phone was not to make calls, it was supposed to be used to get in contact with him or G-money by email only in case of an emergency. Anybody caught using their blackberry for any other reason would have a hell of a price to pay. Everything was about discipline.