A Gangsta Twist Saga (14 page)

Taz smiled as he stared into Sacha's eyes. He gave her a slight shrug of his shoulders and said, “Arms reach, Li'l Mama!” Then with the speed of a boxer, he slapped the shit out of Clifford. He hit Clifford with so much power that the blow knocked him to the floor. “Now, be a man and show me that you're not all talk, you bitch-ass nigga! I've tried to be civil, but if it's gangsta shit you want, so be it!” Taz said as he towered over Clifford.

Clifford was trying to scoot away from Taz so that he could get to his feet.

Sacha came and stood next to Taz and said, “Come on, baby, don't do this. He's not worth it.”

This gave Clifford the opportunity to get to his feet. He was so mad and embarrassed that he was literally shaking. “You wanna be thug-ass nigga! What, you gon' let a bitch stop you now?”

“
Bitch!
Cliff, you done lost your fucking mind! Beat the shit out of this nigga, baby!”

Taz smiled as he stepped a little closer to Clifford. Just as he was about to swing, Mr. Whitney, Edward, and Mr. Johnson all came running over to stop them from fighting. “What the hell is going on over here?” yelled Mr. Whitney.

Taz took a step back and said, “I'm sorry about this, Lee, but this guy has been asking for this for a minute now.”

“That's bull, sir! He just assaulted me!” yelled Clifford.

“Is that true, Taz? If so, I want to know why,” asked Mr. Johnson.

“Yeah, it's true, Jeff. This guy is interested in Sacha, and since she doesn't want to be bothered, he has issued several threats to me. Tonight was the last time that I was going to stand for any of them.”

Before he could continue, Sacha said, “Mr. Whitney, sir, I don't know what's gotten into Cliff, but he needs to understand that Taz and I are together, and that there is absolutely no chance for us getting together. He's been acting extremely childish throughout the past few weeks.”

“Clifford, this is a complete shock. But you have been assaulted, so if you want to press charges, the choice is yours. But I want you to know, and I'm confident that I'm speaking for both Mr. Johnson and myself here, that Taz is a very special client of the firm. He's been conducting business with us for years now. Some very good business. I think you should think about that before you make your decision.”

“If he does press charges against Taz, I will file harassment charges against him, sir!” Sacha added vehemently.

Clifford realized that this situation had gotten out of control. The threat that Mr. Whitney had given him was crystal clear. Taz was special, and he was not. “No, sir, I don't feel that any of that will be necessary. I want to apologize to you, Sacha, for my behavior. I will not bother either of you again.”

Smiling, Edward said, “I bet you won't! I saw how Taz slapped the mess out of you!”

“That'll be enough of that, Edward! All right then, so, Mr. Taz, do you have anything that you'd like to say to Clifford here?” asked Mr. Whitney.

Taz smiled and said, “Nope.”

“Come on, Taz, let's put an end to this issue, okay?” asked Mr. Johnson.

“Look, Jeff. This clown has been bothering me ever since he found out about Sacha and me. Now, he has said it's over and he'll stop. If that's the case, then so be it. But I will not apologize for my actions tonight. He pushed this issue, not me. And to be completely honest, I wouldn't give a damn if he pressed charges against me or not. He's very lucky that all he's received is a fuckin' slap. Make sure he stays away from me in the future, Jeff, 'cause the next time, I'm goin' to hurt him.” He then turned toward Sacha and asked, “You ready to bounce, Li'l Mama?”

Sacha stared at Taz for a moment, then said, “Yes, we should be going. Good evening, Mr. Whitney, Mr. Johnson, Edward. It's definitely been memorable.” She gave Clifford a frown as she grabbed Taz's hand and let him lead her out of the hotel.

Mr. Whitney smiled and said, “Clifford, you better make sure that you stay away from that man. He's one not to be messed with.”

“That's right, Clifford. Not only does he spend close to fifty thousand dollars a year with the firm, he's a dangerous man,” warned Mr. Johnson.

Clifford was so embarrassed that he was speechless. He said good evening to them all and went and caught up with Cory at the valet. Just as he made it outside, he saw Sacha and Taz climbing into Taz's Bentley.
Before it's all said and done, I'll get the both of you back for this night. Believe that!
he thought to himself.

The holidays flew by, and the New Year had started out strong for both Taz and Sacha. They were in love, and loving every minute of it. They became inseparable. And, they weren't the only ones. Bob and Gwen's affair seemed to have turned into something special also. Bob was becoming more and more interested in Gwen. They spent all of their spare time with each other too.

Gwen had shocked the both of them when she told Bob all about the loss of her beloved William, and her only child, Remel. Bob was touched deeply by what she had told him, especially when she told him that she thought she'd never be able to love again, that is, until she had met him.

For the first time in his life, Bob was in love, and it felt strange, but good at the same time. He had had a few flings over his lifetime, but nothing as serious as this one. Gwen gave him the impression that she wanted to ride for the long haul, and if that was the case, he was ready to accept her with open arms.

Bob pulled into Gwen's driveway with a smile on his face. Today was the day he was going to ask her to move into his place with him. He told his boys of his decision, and they all seemed to be very happy for him, especially Taz. Taz had told him that it was time for all of them to start settling down. None of them were getting any younger. Every member of the crew had everything that they ever wanted, but only Bob and Taz had found the one love of their lives
. “The game is starting to come to an end, so it's time that we all start preparing for it.”
These words that Taz spoke stuck deep within Bob. His mind was made up. If Gwen moved in with him, he was going to ask her to marry him within six months. He was definitely in love.

When Gwen came outside and got inside of Bob's truck, she said, “Hey, you! How was your day?”

“It was straight. It's better now that I'm here with you. Let's go get our grub on somewhere. I gots some things I want to talk to you about.”

“That's fine. Where do you want to go eat at, babe?”

“It don't matter. You choose.”

“Let's get some fish from Bob Davis's, and then come back here and chill.”

“I'm with that,” Bob said as he started to pull out of her driveway. Once he had started driving down her street, his cell rang. He grabbed the phone and said, “What up?”

“Dog, Taz just got the word from Won. Meet us at the house in thirty,” said Keno.

“Damn! All right, gee, out!” After closing his cell phone, he made a U-turn and told Gwen, “Baby, some shit has come up. I gots to bounce outta town. I shouldn't be no longer than a day or so.”

“Where are you going, babe?”

“To be honest, I don't even know yet. I'll find out in a li'l bit. Once I do, I'll give you a holla and let you know what's what. Cool?”

“Yeah, I'm cool. But I am curious as to why you have to up and leave all of a sudden. But I ain't tripping, as long as it's not for some other female.”

Bob smiled as he pulled back into her driveway and said, “Baby, you are the only woman I'm seeing. Fuck, you are the only woman that I want to see! Believe that! And when I get back, we'll have that talk I wanted to have with you tonight.”

“About what, babe?”

Bob stared into Gwen's sexy brown eyes and simply said, “Us. Now, let me roll. Business gots to be handled.” He gave her a tender kiss and watched as she climbed out of his truck and went back inside of her home. Once her door was closed, he pulled out of her driveway and punched it toward Taz's house.
Time to go to work!

 

 

The crew was assembled inside of Taz's den, watching as he was tapping the keys on his laptop. After a few minutes, he closed the laptop and said, “Okay, boys, it's like this. We're on our way to L.A. Everything is set to go down in the morning. Me and Keno are leaving from here this time. Bob, you and Red are bouncing out of Tulsa, and Bo-Pete, you and Bill got Fort Worth this time. Once y'all touch down at LAX, take a shuttle to the Budget Rent A Car spot right by the airport. Keno and I will already be there to pick y'all up. It's a timed op, so be ready because we're moving right from there. We should be back here sometime late tomorrow night. The pay for this one is a ticket apiece. Any questions?”

The room remained silent, as no one said a word.

“All right then, my niggas, let's roll!” Taz stood up and told Keno, “I'll drive this time, clown. And you better not bring that damn
Scarface
DVD!”

Keno laughed and said, “Dog, it's going to be a long flight out to Cali. What else am I goin' to watch?”

Taz smiled and said, “Here,” as he gave Keno a DVD.

Keno opened the case, smiled, and said, “I can do this. Yeah, I can fuck with me some Fifty Cent. Where the fuck did you get this from? This shit just came out a couple of months ago.”

“My nigga Big O hooked me up. You know that old nigga be having the hookups on bootlegs and shit. When he told me that he had
Get Rich or Die Tryin'
, I was like yeah, this might stop you from watching that old-ass
Scarface
.”

Keno started laughing as he put the DVD inside of his carry bag. As they all were leaving Taz's home, he said, “Yeah, I'm gon' get into this one, but I'm still watching me some '
Face!
”

Taz shook his head and said, “I just can't win fuckin' with you, can I?”

“Nope. Now come on, let's go get this money!”

 

 

Taz and Keno's flight arrived in Los Angeles a little after midnight. Since the rest of the crew wasn't due to arrive for several more hours, they went and checked into the Best Western Suites, where Won had a room already reserved for them. Once they were inside, Taz pulled out the DVD that was given to him by the manager when they had checked in. He quickly inserted the DVD and smiled when he saw a picture of Michael Jordan gliding through the air with a basketball gripped tightly in the palm of his hand. After about thirty seconds, Won's deep voice started speaking:

“Glad that y'all made it safely, boys. Now pay attention, 'cause like I told you, everything about this one is on the clock. The rest of the crew should be there by eight a.m. They should be at the Budget no later than nine. So, after you scoop them up, you are to get onto the 405 Freeway South and head out to Long Beach. Get off on the Carson Street exit and drive exactly one mile. You will see some apartments to your left and an auto body shop to your right. Park the truck over in the apartment's parking lot. Strap up and wait for a blue Mazda 626 to pull up. Once you spot the Mazda, start making your move across the street. A thick older lady should get out of the car and head toward the front of the body shop. Once she reaches inside of her purse to grab her keys, you should be on her. Take her inside and lead her to the back of the shop. After she's secure, two of you go straight inside of the office located on the far left of the building. There's a safe under the desk. The combo is twenty-one to the left, eleven to the right, and ninety-nine back to the left. There should be approximately six million dollars in that safe. After the chips are secure, go back with the others and prepare yourselves, because this is where it's going to get tricky.

“Within ten minutes after you guys have entered the shop, two carloads of mean-ass brothers will be coming in. Force may have to be used, because these ain't no pootbutts. They're straight killas, so handle them as such. If need be, do what has to be done. All of your weapons are silenced for that purpose. One of the gentlemen will be carrying a case full of work. That's what has to be snatched next. After retrieving the case, secure everyone and get the fuck out.

“You are to then proceed back to the Budget rental spot and drop off the truck with everything you've acquired still inside of the truck. Your return flights are already reserved. You leave on the same flights you arrived on. Each of your flights departs between twelve and twelve-thirty. You should all be back home no later than ten p.m. Your weapons and everything you will need for this mission are under the bed. Be precise, be prepared, and most of all, be careful. Out!”

The television screen went blank, and Taz and Keno went and got their tools for their mission. They made sure that each and every weapon was loaded and ready to fire. After that, they got the gym bags and plastic hand restraints in order for everyone else. Since they still had some time before they went to go pick up Bob, Red, Bo-Pete, and Bill, they decided to relax and get some sleep.

Taz called downstairs at the front desk and gave them a seven a.m. wake-up call for him. After he hung up the phone, he picked up his cell and called Sacha. Even though he knew that it was after two in the morning back in Oklahoma, he still wanted to hear her voice. When she answered the phone, he said, “Hey, Li'l Mama, I'm sorry I woke you.”

“That's okay, baby. Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, everything's straight. I just wanted to hear your voice before I laid it down.”

Smiling, she asked, “Where are you this time, baby?”

“I'm in L.A. I should be back tomorrow evening sometime.”

“L.A.! Oooh, I wish I was with you! I could do some serious damage in those malls out there.”

“Is that right? Well, I guess I'm going to have to get you back out here soon, so you can do all the damage you'd like.”

“For real? Baby, you're so damn good to me. When can we go, Taz?”

Taz laughed and said, “Whenever you have the time, Li'l Mama. Now, go on and get some rest. I'll give you a call when I know exactly what time I'll be in tomorrow.”

“All right, baby. Love you!”

Smiling, he said, “Love you too! Bye.”

Keno was lying on the other twin bed in the room and said, “Damn, my nigga! It must really feel good to have someone to love again, huh?”

Taz smiled as he closed his eyes and said, “Yeah, my nigga, it does.”

 

 

Keno and Taz pulled their rented Ford Expedition into the Budget rental parking lot just as the Budget shuttle van from the airport pulled in. Bo-Pete and Wild Bill were the first to climb out of the van. They saw the Expedition and stepped quickly toward the truck. By the time they were inside, Red and Bob stepped out of the van and went and joined the rest of the crew.

Keno pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the 405 Freeway. While they were riding, Taz filled everyone in on how the mission was supposed to go down. After he was finished, Wild Bill asked, “Do you think we'll have to smoke any of those fools?”

“Ain't no tellin', so make sure that you're prepared to do whatever, feel me?”

“Don't trip, my nigga. If they make a wrong move, they're outta there,” Wild Bill said seriously.

“I know that's right, homey!” added Red.

The rest of the ride was done in silence as they all prepared themselves for what had to be done. They were completely focused. None of them were scared, but their adrenaline was pumping big-time.
Time to go to work!

Keno got off of the 405 on Carson Street and drove directly to the apartments that Won told them about. He parked the truck, and everyone inside began to check and recheck their weapons.

Keno pulled out a Black and Mild cigar and was about to light up until Taz stopped him and said, “No time for that, my nigga. There's the blue Mazda now. “Let's go!”

They climbed out of the truck slowly, looking both ways to make sure that there wasn't too much attention being paid to their movements. Once Taz felt that everything was good, he gave them all a nod of his head, and they quickly ran across the street.

The old lady who had climbed out of the Mazda 626 never had a chance. Just as she stuck her key into the front door of the auto body shop, Keno grabbed her by the back of her neck and said, “Don't turn around. Just keep doing what you were doing and you'll be fine, lady. Open the door nice and slow. Then step on inside.” She did as she was told, and they all entered the auto body shop behind her.

Once they were inside, everything went on autopilot. Keno led the lady to the back of the shop and quickly put a pair of the hand restraints on her wrists and legs. Taz stood watch while Red, Bob, Bo-Pete, and Wild Bill went inside of the office. Red and Bob stood at the door of the office as Bo-Pete and Wild Bill went and opened the safe. Once their bags were filled and the safe was completely empty, all four of them came out of the office and stepped quickly to the back of the shop.

Taz checked his watch and figured that they had maybe three minutes tops before the killas arrived. He smiled and said, “All right, the easy part's over with. Y'all get ready, 'cause it's almost time for us to earn our chips.”

“You are some dumb young fuckers! Do you actually know who you're fucking with? You won't live a month after this, you damned fools!” screamed the restrained lady.

Keno smiled and said, “Don't worry about us, Ma. You need to be worrying about your boys, 'cause if they act up, not only will they lose all of that dope, but their lives are as good as bye-bye!” He smiled when he noticed the lady's reaction to his words. She shook her head slowly and said, “You all are still some walking dead men.”

Bob, who had gone to the front of the shop to keep a lookout, suddenly turned around and said, “They're here!”

Taz gave Keno a nod, and they stepped to the right side of the shop with their weapons drawn. Bo-Pete and Wild Bill were on the other side of the shop, crouched low with their weapons aimed at the front door. Red stayed at the back with his hands wrapped around the old lady's mouth so she wouldn't be able to warn her peoples.

Since the auto body shop's lights were off and the room was somewhat dark, Taz felt comfortable that the advantage was theirs as he watched as two men came strolling through the front door, followed by three more. Once they were inside, one of the men said, “Why didn't Dee turn on the fuckin' lights?”