Читать книгу Knock Knock Whooz There? - Marvin Griffin - Страница 8

Brick drove as hurriedly to the city as the traffic ordinance and his old van would allow him. Until today he'd never so much paid attention to traffic lights but this one today, he and Faith sat at changed that. It was taking entirely too long to change. He wanted to run it but ironically he found hisself jammed in between two cars in the middle lane. It was impossible, even his heroic thoughts. Somehow Brick pictured hisself as an action hero who could defy anything that got in his way.

Instinctively, Brick paused to look on the side of him, then at the median strip, and then glanced back up at the traffic light. Still Red! He couldn't stop fuming.

"Man what's up with dis fuckin' light?" Brick thought aloud. "This got be a jack light." Brick reasoned "And I ain't about to sit here like a fool waiting on some crazy fool to run up on me and try to pull or gank move. It ain't like I got shit."

Brick checked his rearview mirror again and noticed that there wasn't any cars behind him like he originally thought. He knew he'd seen cars behind him, but what happened to them he didn't know. Well he knew, they'd done the exact same thing he was about to do. On second thought, "fuck dis shit." Brick mumbled as he put the van in reverse and backed up. Brick pulled the van back just enough to make an exit.

"There go the light changed now." Faith announced. "Man still run that shit," I thought.

But I didn't have to say shit because Brick's mind was already made up. In fact, my nigga was in the process of banging a gangsta ass u-turn in the middle of 22nd Ave as Faith spoke. Then we headed in the other direction. "Any way rules, who followed them?" Brick pondered. Brick had a better idea on how to get to the city faster with less problems.

Faith turned and shot Brick a brief glance as he traveled down the road. We were breaking all the residential and business district speed limits he drove through. He cut through traffic and passed cars who were driving too slow and poorly. "Anyway rules, who followed them anyway?" Brick pondered. At first Faith opted to remind Brick to slow down. But this was one time she decided not to even bother. One thing she hadn't forgot was how Brick didn't like being told what to do once he set his mind to do something that he thought was right. This was the first time I laughed at Brick. He drove like he was making the greatest escape. I could see it in his eyes and feel it in my bones. Brick was feeling the thrill of the streets again. I even shared Faith's theory that Brick didn't like being told what to do once he set his mind to doing something he thought was right. Which is why I decided not to bother him any more about getting in the game. I decided I was going to talk to the rest of the crew members to see if I could convince them they were making a mistake.

Turning her attention back to the road Faith fumbled in her Gucci purse and dug her cell phone out. Maybe it would be a better idea for her to call her friend Sherelle and ask her was the police still on fifteenth and more importantly where exactly was the crew now. But she already knew the answer to that question. I did too. They could be anywhere by now. All of them with the exception of Famous Sherelle had made mention that the police had him and that Duke was dead. Which posed another question to her, what the hell happened?

Faith already knew the question in regards to the police. They loved to sit around and milk the clock, at the expense of tax payer's dollars, claiming their doing paper work.

"C — all — call — Sherelle," Brick stammered rhetorically. Faith was already frantically dialing her number. Sherelle answered her cell on the first ring.

"Hello!"

Fifteen minutes later Brick and Faith and I exited I-95 on 69th street and traveled to the intersection of 7th avenue. By chance the light was on red but Brick wasn't about to sit at this one. Now he was in the heart of liberty city and he knew every move had to be a calculative one. Which is why he decided to run the light as soon as he got to it. The Ave was only moments away and he was trying to get there.

The City of Miami Police Dept. had the entire Ave, from 62nd to 71st blocked off. Police and ambulances and rescue squads' personal was everywhere. All type of people was there also, standing on both side of the road trying to see what was going on. That was the only way you had a chance to get on the Ave, was on foot.

Brick, Faith, and I had to park on 62nd street and walk down if we wanted to get a better look at things. Faith and Sherelle were still on the phone, Sherelle were like their GPS system letting them know where to come. Halfway up the block Faith spotted Sherelle and the panicky look on her face.

"There go Sherelle," she pointed her out to Brick. "I see you girl," she told Sherelle before she hung up the phone. Then her and Brick took off running in Sherelle's direction, and Sherelle ran to meet them. I ran behind them Something was wrong, terribly wrong. The closer we got Brick could see Justice's Bronco coming more clearer to him. It was parked on side of Convertible Burke's car was and the police had all the doors opened going through it. Other officers took pictures of the inside and outside of the Bronco. Brick thought he had seen it from the corner but he was hoping that it was somebody else's Bronco besides Justice.

As soon a Brick and Faith made their way to the corner of 63rd and 15th Sherelle approached them wearing a pair cut off shorts, white T-shirt and a pair worn out Reebok tennis shoes. She also had her head wrapped Tu Pac style with a red scarf. Looked like she was lounging around the house in the process of getting her hair done. Sherelle immediately started to fill Brick and Faith in on the intricate details. As she talked Brick and Faith looked around the Ave at all the people. They couldn't see as much when they first arrived but now they could see the Pork & Beans Projects were swarming with cops and people from the rescue squads.

"Famous killed Duke, they were fighting." Sherelle explained breathlessly.

"What happened back there?" Faith questioned, as Brick listened intently.

"When they were fighting Equal went lookin' for Murph. But when Murph seen him coming he took off running and Equal ran behind him. I don't know who it was but somebody called the police. And when the police came they found Murph's body over there stabbed to death."

"And what that hoe over there doing talkin' to the police, telling?" Brick questioned.

"Dats Inez, she a baser."

"What they do with Famous?" Brick snapped.

"He in the police car over there." Sherelle pointed to the car and Brick's eyes followed her hand. Sherelle propped one of her hands on her hip and explained with the other. Right after he spotted the car he stepped off the sidewalk and started walking in its direction. Faith and I lagged behind and continued to ask Sherelle question after question. Then all of us stopped at the edge of the side walk and watched brick make his way towards the police car. I thought now this nigga gone fuck around and catch a case on the house. So what happen to the rest of the crew?"

"Burden, Religion, Glory, and Justice ran to my house. That's how I knew to call y'all. I gave them my car and they said they were going to look for Equal."

"What he wasn't with them?" Faith looked shocked. She knew he hadn't been home but a couple days and already he was getting in so much trouble.

"I didn't see 'em."

Famous face brightened in the dimming sun light as soon as he seen Brick crossing the street and walking in his direction. He could tell Brick was highly up set seeing him sitting in the back of the police car. It wasn't like he wasn't upset himself. Beads of sweat trickled down Famous face and his nose. Instinctively he looked on the ground for something he thought might been hard enough to break the glass. "I bet I could do it and get away before the police knew what the hell was going on." Brick thought passingly. Brick could even see Famous' face swollen. It looked like he'd been beaten up by the police. "What the fuck is going on?" Brick thought. He wanted to pick something up off the ground and bust the window out and set his friend free. Brick couldn't figure it out himself, why he was always feeling heroic when he knew none of that shit he seen on television worked in around here.

Right then a light clicked on in his head. There was all type of hard headed shorties standing around throwing up gang signs at the police and cursing them out. Brick thought he could give one of them a hundred dollars to help him out. A hundred dollars went along way too? That's all a shorty needed to buy him a fresh pair of "Michael Jordan's" sneakers.

Famous tried to talk to Brick but he couldn't understand what it was he was saying. All he understood was Famous kept pointing his head in the direction of the baser who was talking to the police. But Brick paused momentarily to look in the police direction. He wasn't like he was trying to give them a good description in case he had to dip hisself.

Instead he walked towards the sidewalk where a group of shorties were standing. He quietly scanned the faces of all of them to see which one of them was the best one to approach - about making this money he had in his pocket. "That one," Brick pointed with his eyes. "The skinny one standing at the edge of the sidewalk look like he with whateva." Brick thought. He didn't look like he knew better.

"Aye shorty, check dis out." Brick whispered to the shorty what he wanted him to do as he cut his eyes at Famous and the police. Famous twisted in the back seat now trying to see what the hell Brick was doing. "The girl! The girl!" Famous screamed. "What the fuck is she telling the police?"

When Brick saw how the shorty looked at him he raised his offer to two hundred dollars. He had to put some more juice on it. Something the shorty couldn't refuse.

The shorty looked up at Brick and said nothing, just a questioning look. Brick had to force hisself to smile. Then he looked back at Famous, who was still screaming.

"You see that police car over there?" Brick pointed with his eyes. The young boy started to point but Brick deflected his hand.

"Don't point." Brick warned and the young boy looked away in embarrassment.

"The one with Fame in?"

"Yeah dat one. I'll give you two bees right now if you go open the back door and let him out." Brick's voice drifted off wistfully.

"My nigga I'll do it if y'all put a young nigga down." The young boy said. His comment caught Brick by surprise. This was going to be easier than I thought." As the young boy turned and walked down the length of the sidewalk Brick stood up. He tried to tell Famous what the lick was but it was obvious he didn't understand. All Famous kept doing was shouting back at him.

"Shorty right there gone open the door for you, run to Sherelle's house…" Brick's mouth moved but no words came out.

The young boy stood at the edge of the sidewalk with his back turned towards Brick. He turned and gave Brick a brief glance and then daunted in to the road where the squad car held Famous prisoner and without any hesitation he opened the back door. Brick suddenly got a startled look. He couldn't believe. "This 'lil young ass nigga did it like a foo!" Before the police knew anything Famous bolted out the car running like a mad man. Somehow Famous managed to put his hands in front of him which made it easier for him to run. Everybody standing around went berserk. Even the police went crazy when they realized what was going on. They came from everywhere and tried to catch Famous but it was too late.

"Stop!"

"Stop! or I'll shoot!" The police screamed. But famous kept on trucking with the young boy right on his heels. Famous never stumbled, he better not because his life depended on his accuracy to stay on his feet.

"Brick!" Faith yelled as he made his way across the street. "What happened?" Faith questioned.

"Anyway rules - who followed them?" That's all Brick could think.