Meanwhile, Skully had grown irritated with Jarvis and figured now was the time to play on Janet’s young son’s vulnerability. He figured by now her death had caused Kelsi all sorts of painful emotions. When he felt the time was right, which happened to be Christmas day, he killed a German Sheppard, removed its heart, and shipped it to Kelsi with a note that read, ‘
Nobody Has Heart When They’re Dead’
.
On the same day, Janet came out of her coma. Realizing the police would get in her business, and ruin her plans to be with her son again, she pretended to have no knowledge about her situation or how she was shot. She claimed to have amnesia. And since not many people survived multiple gun shot wounds, it was easy to believe. Her plan was to get better, and find her son. She knew Kelsi would be in New York avenging her death because before she was shot, Skully told her how he would use Kelsi.
Every night, when the hospital rounds from the nurses were few and far between, Janet would get up and practice walking. Night after night she built up her strength without the hospital staff knowing. And when she was strong enough, she walked out of the hospital doors.
Her first stop may have been a shock to some, but to her it made perfect sense. She went to her old apartment building, waited until dark, and dug up a gun she’d placed there months earlier. Then she paid someone a much needed visit.
Nick Fearson walked out of the Prince Georges County, Homicide police department clueless that tonight everything would change for him. He was five feet from his personal car which was a few blocks from the station. She knew who he was the moment she saw his six foot tall frame, and his chocolate smooth complexion.
“Make sure you wear that little outfit I like,” he said on his cell phone. He laughed, paused for awhile and continued. “Oh really? You remember the last time you said that.” He deactivated his car alarm. “I had you bent over beggin’ me not to stop.”
“Nick Fearson,” Janet said smoothly.
“Yes-,” he responded.
It was the last thing he said before her bullet pierced his throat. She had to kill the detective. Because when she and Kelsi committed their first murder together by killing Delonte, Nick’s friend, he vowed to make them pay. And she didn’t want anybody kicking over old tombstones now that she’d regained consciousness. With him leaning over his Chrysler 300, she watched him slide to the ground. His murder felt good. In fact, it revived her. She was back up to her old antics. With no money in her pocket, she stopped by the only place she felt she could. Her brother’s house. The day was one she wouldn’t forget.
Janet arrived at her brother’s house in Northwest D.C., early in the morning. She knocked three times before the door opened. The moment he saw her face, he was visibly shaken.
“Helena? Is that you?” her oldest brother asked. Having just gotten out of jail, he had that hard look. His skin was dark and ashy and he appeared unkempt.
“Yes,” she sobbed.
The moment his recognitions were confirmed, he sobbed uncontrollably. He never got over what he did to his baby sister. He never got over how he raped her because their father made him for his own sexual gratification. He never got over how he watched his other three brothers rape her also to feed their father’s sick needs. Abusing his sister was why he never was able to have a functional life. The two younger brothers were killed in a botched robbery they all participated in, and he and his middle brother were the only survivors.
“Yeah…it’s me,” Janet limped. “C…can I come in?”
When she walked in, her other brother stood up. He greeted her as they watched her limp inside. They were happy to see her and were willing to do whatever they could, to right the wrongs in her life.
“What happened to you?” the oldest asked.
“It’s a long story? Got time?” she smiled.
She told them about her run-ins with Skully and Jarvis. And they told her some things she didn’t know. It was then that she learned that her father was murdered at a local cleaners, after the father of a young girl he raped, blew his head clean off his body with a sawed off shotgun. Hearing the news brought Janet to a gentle peace. He finally got the justice he deserved.
She told her brothers about Skully and Kenosha and how she had to save her only son. She knew she couldn’t do it on her own. Her brothers, who were no strangers to breaking the law, jumped at the chance to help. Even if it meant sacrificing their own lives.
After all, they hoped getting their nephew back would give Janet some peace. The plan was well executed and they took their time with the details. To get the money to fund their project, the three of them robbed a few local dealers. When enough cash was generated, they decided to put their plan into action. Her brothers were none other than Cole and Rick Hope.
Rick was to keep an eye on Kelsi while he roamed the streets of New York, which he did. He would be in places Kelsi didn’t even know. And because Janet explained how much she already hated Kenosha, coupled with the fact she tried to kill her, when he got a chance, he was told to kill her without hesitation. Rick carried out his duties perfectly.
Cole Hope on the other hand had a different job, which he also did very well.
Present Day
Tuesday, 12:54 am
****
The worse thing you can do is separate a mother from her only son.
-Janet
“J…Janet,” Jarvis said stepping back. His blood looked like it was drained from his body. “How the fuck you get in here?” He cursed himself for not having his gun on him. It was in his bedroom, useless to him at the moment. Kyope stood in silence and Crane watched her the entire time.
“I let myself in,” she laughed, looking around. Her hands remained in the black trench coat she wore. “Everything looks the same.” She looked around and than back at him. He looked terrified. “Why the long face? You’d think you’d be happy to see me after all this time. Considerin’ we use to fuck everyday for the three years I was wit’ your worthless ass. That has to count for somethin’.”
“Fuck you want, bitch?” Jarvis questioned.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
“Excuse me,” she smiled holding one finger out. “This will only be a minute.” She recognized the cell number as her brother’s. She was still smiling until she heard the voice of her only son. She stood quiet as he spoke to her. Instantly, her eyes watered and became red.
“I love you too,” she said ending the call that lasted a few seconds. Only she, Kelsi and her brother Rick knew what Kelsi said to her.
“Where were we,” she said wiping a tear from her eye.
“Helena, what you want?” Kyope asked, keeping his distance.
“I was in New York and decided to stop by,” she smiled looking at Crane, Kyope and Jarvis. “I don’t want no trouble. I was just in the neighborhood.”
“Bitch, your middle name is trouble,” Jarvis said.
Although she had a limp and small scar on her face, she was still beautiful. Not to mention her mysterious sexual appeal was on full blast.
“Helena, you got five seconds to tell me what’s up?” Kyope added.
“Either way, you not gonna make it outta here alive,” Jarvis said.
Janet laughed.
“Both of you niggas is funny as shit,” she said looking at them. “You should know by now that I got nine lives. You tried to kill me. Skully saves me and then tries to kill me, but all of your attempts ended in vain. Get use to it, you lookin’ at the baddest bitch who ever walked the face of the earth. And since my son played both of you like the two bitches your mother’s raised, I’d say you met the baddest nigga, too.”
Kyope had enough. He didn’t understand how he even ended up in this predicament, but he certainly wasn’t going to wait around to find out. When her eyes moved to Jarvis, Kyope pulled out his Smith and Wesson and fired. The bullet landed in the wall. Angry he missed, he was preparing to fire again but Janet was way ahead of him. She whipped out her pearl handled chrome .45 and aimed for Kyope’s throat. Crane immediately jumped behind her placing her in a choke hold. Her arm remained aimed in the direction of Kyope.
“Well looky, here,” Kyope laughed. “Seems like you underestimated
us
. You should be smarter than that. Didn’t you see Crane in the room?”
Jarvis was silent, and doing his best to stay out the way while thinking of his next move. And then he remembered a crucial detail.
“Hold up…,” Jarvis said, slowly. “How the fuck you get in here? Kyope locked the door when he came in.”
Realizing he may be on to them, Crane whipped his weapon out and aimed at Jarvis, Janet remained aimed at Kyope.
“Sorry, slim,” Crane said, using his voice for the first time around them in months. “This my baby sis. Now lower that fuckin’ piece, Kyope.”
For a few weeks prior to Kelsi coming to New York, Crane legally known as Cole, worked around club Wave doing light jobs. When he wasn’t doing janitorial duties, he’d act as a bouncer because of his large build. Kyope hired him the moment he saw him to protect him. The rest was history.
“YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKIN’ KIDDIN’ ME!” Kyope screamed. “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS SHIT!” He went into immediate hysterics.
“Nigga, calm the fuck down!” Crane told him. “For I shoot!”
“I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE FUCK IS GOIN’ ON?! NOBODY’S WHO THEY CLAIM TO BE!” Kyope’s voice was high pitched and shaky. It was as if he was no longer sane.
He knew all was lost and didn’t know how to deal with it. No longer caring, he was about to pull the trigger to shoot Janet, when Crane shot first. He hit Kyope in the chest. Before going down, Kyope managed to hit Crane in his arm, tearing the flesh from his bone. Janet now enraged, fired twice killing Kyope instantly.
Jarvis ducked to escape all the stray bullets.
“You okay?” Janet asked kneeling down next to her brother, still focusing on Jarvis. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah…just keep your eye on that nigga,” he told her pointing at Jarvis who was cowering in a corner.
Worrying about her brother, but still remembering her purpose, she kept her target in her sights. She walked over to Jarvis who was crouched down near the floor and pointed her .45 near his temple. “Get the fuck up!!!You comin’ wit’ me,” Janet told Jarvis.
“What? Bitch, you crazy!” he said standing to his feet.
“Right now you ain’t got a lot of options,” Janet insisted. “Either I kill you here after we torture your bitch ass,” she said as she cocked her gun back . “Or you can try your hand and come wit’ me now, I’m countin’ to three.”
“Two-,”
“Okay…okay! I’m comin’!” he said angrily. “Were the fuck we goin’?”
“Shut the fuck up!!! I’m runnin’ this shit. You’ll see when we get there!!”
Tuesday, 11:00 am
****
She alive. My moms’ alive.
-Kelsi
“I gotta get some air, right quick,” I told Rick. The TV was on but I wasn’t watching it. And I know he wasn’t either. We’d driven in the night and were back in Maryland, not too far from where I use to stay with my mother. We were waitin’ on my moms to call us, and give us the next move. “I’ll be right back.”
“I don’t know if you should be out on your own,” Rick told me. “I promised your mother I’d look out for you.”
“I’m cool. Trust me,” I said standin’ up. “Since we not in New York no more I don’t think there’s nothin’ to worry about. I’m good, trust me.”
He breathed heavily. “Aight, but come back in a hour,” he said. “Or I gotta come lookin’ for you. It’ll make me feel betta.”
“Cool.”
I was turnin’ around to leave when I realized I had a question. “Hey,” I said holdin’ the door open.
“What’s up?”
“How come you had Cole hit me?”
“Cause your mother said you was tough as nails and you wouldn’t go willingly. I was doin’ it for her.”
“Oh…True.” I laughed. “My moms always did know me.”
“Be back soon, son.”
I nodded and walked out of the cheap hotel off of Annapolis Road. It was funny. I was exactly across from Capital Plaza. It was the same mall parking lot where I got into it with Charles. I couldn’t help but think if I would’ve just walked away, maybe none of this would’ve happened. It seemed like the minute we started beefin’, shit went downhill. Fightin’ over a female was the worst type of shit to get in.
Damn
…And I ain’t even wit’ the bitch no more. I had to kill her myself.
I decided to go ‘round my old neighborhood. It felt good being back in Maryland. For some reason, I couldn’t allow myself to feel too happy despite the good news. My moms was alive! The feelings I dealt wit’, cuz I thought she was dead, were all for nothin’. When everything was said and done, we’d be able to go on wit’ our lives.
I flagged a cab and asked him to take me ‘round Quincy Manor. Although it wasn’t my old stompin’ grounds, I was hopin’ my man, Jay was there and had some smoke. He kept the best weed in the Manor.
“How much?” I asked him.
“Eight dollars.”
I gave him ten and told him to keep the change. I was in the Manor for only a minute and already saw some bullshit. I had to take a step back when I saw this guy stranglin’ this female in a royal blue Suburban. Slim had her neck in a full grip, but she was stealin’ the bamma over and over in the face. I had to help her. And then I thought about it. Who the fuck am I? I had my own problems to deal wit’.
Turnin’ around I was bout’ to hit it and leave ‘til I stopped in my tracks. O came to mind. Had I gone wit’ my instincts and helped O in that car, Jarvis and his friends woulda never gotten they hands on her. On the strength of O, I had to help this bitch.
Fuck!
Pullin’ open the driver’s door of the Suburban, I dragged the dude out the truck by his shirt collar. Then I punched him a rack a times in the head. I thought about Jarvis. I thought about Kyope and I thought about the white dude who held O against her will. I probably hit this nigga at least 15 times in the face. His lower body was in the truck and his upper body was on the ground. Then I looked at the shawty in the car. Although she was distraught, I couldn’t help but notice how sexy she was.
And
she had cute toes.