A Gangsta Twist Saga (28 page)

Sacha's hunch turned out to be correct. She was pregnant. When she left Taz's house, she went to Walgreens and bought a pregnancy test. She then sped right back to the house and took the test. When she saw that the test came back positive, she was elated. “Yes!” she screamed as she ran into the bedroom and grabbed the phone. Her hands trembled as she dialed Taz's cell number. As soon as he answered the phone, she said, “I know you told me not to call you unless it's really important, baby, but I have something that I just have to tell you.”

“Is everything all right, Li'l Mama?” asked Taz as he stepped away from the table. Taz and the crew were enjoying an expensive lunch at the 40/40 Club. He didn't want to disturb the others, so he stepped away and went and stood by the bar.

Sacha smiled and said, “Yes, everything is just perfect, baby. I have the most wonderful news for you. I'm pregnant!”

Taz was silent for a moment; then he asked, “Are you sure?”

“Positive. I just finished taking a pregnancy test, and it came out positive. I'm pregnant, Taz! I'm really pregnant!”

Taz smiled and said, “Damn! We're having a baby boy!”

“Whoa! Hold up there, mister! What makes you think it's going to be a boy?”

He smiled and said, “It has to be. It has to be!”

“I'm glad that you're as excited about this as I am. I was kind of worried that you might not want to have any children.”

“Baby, I love kids, and I want to have plenty more, if it's all right with you.”

“Three will be just fine. I don't think I could do more than that. But who knows? I love you, baby!”

“I love you, too, Li'l Mama! Look, I gots to go, 'cause we have something to take care of. When I get back, we'll sit down and talk about kids more thoroughly, 'cause I have some things that I need to tell you about.”

“Like what, Taz?”

“I can't get into that right now. Don't trip. We'll talk when I get back.”

“That will be tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, it should be. Now, let me bounce, okay?”

“All right, Taz. I love you!”

“I love you, too, Li'l Mama!” As he went back to the table to join the others, his only thought was,
Damn, we having a baby!

 

 

After Sacha got off the phone with Taz, she called Gwen and said, “Guess what, ho?”

“What, bitch?”

“I'm pregnant!”

“Ooh, bitch, stop lying!”

“I just found out, ho.”

“Are you keeping it?”

“Hell yes! Why wouldn't I?”

“Have you told Taz?”

“I just got off the phone with him, and he's just as excited as I am about the baby.”

“I'm so happy for you, bitch! Congratulations!” Gwen said sincerely.

“I wish you could come over and have a drink with me, but I guess I can't be doing any more drinking for a while.”

“You might not can drink, but that doesn't stop me from drinking! I'm on my way, ho. Get the XO out! I'll celebrate for the both of us!” Gwen yelled as she hung up the phone.

Sacha started laughing as she went downstairs and grabbed another bottle of Taz's expensive liquor.

 

 

By the time the crew had made it back to their rooms, they all decided to take it in early. Taz had explained to them the details for their next mission, and they were ready. More than ready, really. They just wanted to hurry up and finish the job so they could get back home. They agreed to do the job the way Won had suggested, but if anything got crazy, they were prepared for whatever.

“All right then, my niggas, go get some rest. We're out at five in the morning,” Taz said before he got into his bed.

Keno walked the rest of the crew to the door with his cell phone in his hand and closed it behind them. He smiled at Taz as he dialed a number on his phone. “What's up, boo? What'cha doin'?” he asked when Katrina answered her phone.

Taz shook his head from side to side as he started to doze off to sleep.

The next morning, Taz got up at twenty minutes to four a.m. He took a shower and got himself prepared mentally for what had to be done. After he finished getting dressed, Keno went and took himself a shower. By the time he was finished, the rest of the crew had come into the room. Keno threw on his clothes, strapped on his bulletproof vest, and said, “I'm ready.”

“Let's go to work,” Taz said as he led the crew out of the hotel room.

They got into their SUV, and Taz drove them down Forty-second Street. He followed Won's precise instructions, and twenty-five minutes after they had departed from the hotel room, he had them parked behind BB's clothing store in the Fulton strip mall.

Taz took a deep breath and said, “This is it, my niggas. Keep your eyes open and stay alert for any surprises. We should be in and out of this bitch in less than ten, but if there are any surprises, don't hesitate to do you. Our lives depend on how we watch each other's backs. Y'all ready or what?”

“You know I'm ready, my nigga,” said Keno.

“I'm here,” said Red.

“Let's get this fucking money!” yelled Wild Bill.

“It is what it is, my nigga,” said Bo-Pete.

And finally, Bob said, “I was born for this shit, dog.”

Taz gave a slight nod of his head and said, “Let's go!”

They all jumped out of the SUV and went to the back of the store.

Just as Won had told them, the door was unlocked. Taz turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. Once the door was open, he led the way inside. He went straight to the safes, followed by Keno and Wild Bill. Red, Bo-Pete, and Bob stood by the door, watching the front entrance into the store from the back room.

Just as Taz opened the first safe, Red yelled, “Bob, watch yourself!”

A tall, dark-skinned man came walking through the door that led from the front of the store. When he heard Red yell at Bob, he quickly pulled out a gun and started shooting.

Bob's reaction was a tad slow as he shot his silenced weapon twice. He hit his target twice in his chest, but during the process, he got shot in his stomach. He fell to the ground and moaned as he tried to remain focused on the door that the armed man had come through.

Red ran to Bob's side and said, “Hold on, my nigga! Hold on!”

Keno had his safe open and was busy cleaning it out as Bo-Pete and Red pulled Bob to the back door. Just as they had him close to the door, three more men came running into the back room, firing semiautomatic weapons at the crew.

Wild Bill turned just in time and started spitting fire with his silenced weapon. He caught one of the men with a bullet to his face, while Red and Bo-Pete finished the other two.

Taz and Keno never stopped filling up their duffel bags. Once they were finished, Taz said, “Red, Keno, get Bob to the truck. Bo-Pete, Wild Bill, come with me.” His face was grim as he led them toward the front of the store. He opened the door cautiously and saw a woman on the phone, screaming to someone on the other end. “Someone's in the back with the shit! They're shooting the fucking place up! Get someone here quick!” she shouted.

Those were her last words, because Taz shot her from fifteen feet right between her eyes. He turned back and said, “Let's get the fuck outta here!” They then ran back the way they had come and climbed into the SUV. As soon as they were from behind the strip mall, Taz noticed several different types of cars speeding to the front of the store. Keno was in the backseat trying to calm Bob down, while Taz drove.

Taz pulled out his cell and quickly dialed Won's number. It took several rings before he answered. “Dog, the shit went haywire! Bob is hit!” Taz yelled frantically.

“Calm down, Babyboy! Calm down!” Won said calmly.

Too fucking calm for Taz's taste, he said, “What the fuck you mean, calm down? My mans is hit!”

“Where are you now?”

“I'm back on the Brooklyn Bridge! We gots to take Bob to a hospital, O.G.! He's bleeding like a muthafucka!”

“No! That's the last thing you want to do. Just stay on the same route that you came on. Someone will be calling you in less than five minutes.”

“What the fuck are you talkin' 'bout? I gots to get Bob to a fuckin' hospital!”

“Don't panic on me now, Taz. Just trust me,” Won said, and he hung up the phone.

Taz dropped the phone on his lap and yelled, “Hold on, my nigga! You're going to be all right!”

“All right, dog . . . all right, dog,” Bob said weakly from the back of the truck.

“Damn, dog! Where the fuck is your vest?” asked Keno as he held Bob in his lap.

Bob winced from the pain in his stomach and said, “I . . . I forgot to put it on, my nigga.”

Keno stared at Bo-Pete, and Red shook his head in disgust but said nothing.

Taz's cell started ringing and he quickly answered it. “Yeah?”

“Check this out, God. This is Magoo from the Bronx. Are you on the FDR yet?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, son, stay on the FDR until you get uptown. Then, cross over to the Major Deegan and get off at 149th Street. You'll see some projects—the Patterson Projects. I'll be parked out front. Don't worry about your mans. By the time you touch down, a doctor will be on deck for you, son.”

“Cool. How long will it take for me to get to you?”

“If you're already on the FDR, it should be no more than ten to twelve minutes.”

“All right, I'll see you in a minute. Thanks.”

“Don't thank me. You know who to thank. One!” Magoo said and hung up.

Taz turned around and yelled, “Hang on, my nigga! We're taking you to get some help now! You're goin' to be all right!”

Bob's eyes were closed, but he heard everything that Taz had said, because he shook his head slightly.

“Come on, Bob, baby! Open your eyes for me, gee! You can't close your eyes, dog!” Keno screamed.

Bob opened his eyes and weakly said, “I'm tired, my nigga. I'm real tired.”

Shaking his head no, Keno screamed, “Think about Gwen, nigga! Keep your eyes open for her, dog!”

Bob smiled slightly, opened his eyes, and said, “I hear you, gee. I hear you.”

Taz got off of the FDR on 149th Street and pulled in front of the Patterson Projects just like the guy Magoo had told him to. Magoo was standing in front of his red Cadillac Escalade as they pulled behind it. After Taz had parked the SUV, he jumped out of the truck and stepped up to Magoo and asked, “You Magoo?”

“Yeah, son.”

“All right then, what now?”

Magoo turned his head and gave a slight nod. Three young Puerto Ricans with red bandannas on their heads came from behind a parked car and went straight toward the crew's SUV. “Don't trip, my nigga. I gots your man, Blood. He's in the good hands of some of the Bronx's best Damus. Y'all gots to get outta here now though, Blood. Won told me to tell you to stick to the script.”

Shaking his head no, Taz said, “Nah, we can't leave my nigga.”

“Everything is all good. My niggas are taking him upstairs to one of our joints. A doctor is up there, and he'll make sure that your man is good. We got the painkillers and everything, son, so don't worry. We gots him,” Magoo said confidently as he turned and followed his three young homies who carried Bob into the building.

Taz stepped back to the SUV and told the rest of the crew, “Won wants us to keep rollin', but I'm not sure if we should leave the homey. Magoo said he got Bob, and everything is goin' to be good. But we don't know this nigga, dog.”

“If Won says we should keep with the program, I think we should go on and bounce. I don't think he'd say that unless he trusted this fool,” Keno said wisely. “Come on, gee. We gots to keep some trust in Won.”

“What if he's wrong, dog? What if something happens to Bob and we never see our nigga again?”

“Then we come back out here to the Bronx and look at every nigga in these fuckin' projects! And then we look at Won's ass too!” Red said angrily.

Taz sighed and said, “All right, let's bounce.”

They climbed back inside of the SUV and went back to their hotel. After dropping everything off inside of Taz and Keno's room, the crew got back into the SUV and drove straight to JFK to wait for their flight back to Oklahoma City. They came into the Big Apple six deep but left one crew member short.
Damn!

Sacha and Gwen were still at Taz's house. Gwen had gotten so drunk the night before that she decided to stay over with Sacha. They stayed up late into the night, talking about their futures with their men. Sacha was so excited about her pregnancy that all she could think about was what room they were going to change into the baby's room in Taz's home. They laughed and joked until they both fell asleep.

The next morning, when Sacha woke up, she called in and told her secretary that she wasn't coming into the office, and to make sure that she rescheduled anything that she had on her calendar. After that was taken care of, she then took a shower and went downstairs to make some breakfast for her and Gwen. While she was making breakfast, Taz called. “Hi, baby. Is everything all right?” she asked him as she scrambled some eggs.

“Nah, Li'l Mama, shit is kinda fucked up. But we're good. I should be home in a few hours, though. You straight?”

“Yes, I'm fine. What's wrong, Taz? You don't sound too good. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I'm straight. We'll talk more when I get there. I just wanted to let you know that everything is everything. I gots to go now, okay?”

“Okay, baby. I love you.”

“Love you too,” he said and boarded the flight back home.

After Sacha hung up the phone with Taz, she finished cooking breakfast and took the food upstairs to where Gwen was still asleep. As she climbed the stairs, she wondered what was going on with Taz. She hoped and prayed that everything was okay. She couldn't take it if things weren't as perfect as they had been. She just couldn't take it!

Since they were all flying back the way they originally flew out, Red was the only one who flew alone. It felt strange to him as he sat in his seat without his partner, Bob, with him.
Please let him make it, God. Please!
Red prayed as he tried to close his eyes and get some rest on his long flight into Dallas/ Fort Worth.

 

 

Keno and Taz got comfortable as their flight to Tulsa International prepared to depart from JFK. They had watched as Red boarded his flight, and Bo-Pete and Wild Bill as they got onto the plane that would be taking them back to the City. Now that they were on their way back, Taz was thinking about everything that had gone down earlier that morning. “That shit was whack from the gate, dog.”

“I know. But we had to do what we had to do,” replied Keno.

“What the fuck was Bob thinking about by not protecting himself properly?”

“Ain't no tellin', gee. Look, don't stress yourself. He's going to be all right, my nigga.”

“And how in the fuck do you know that?”

“I can feel it, homey. I can feel it in my bones. So relax.”

Shaking his head no, Taz said, “Nah, gee, fuck that!”

As soon as their flight was airborne, Taz picked up the Skyphone from the seat in front of him and swiped his credit card. Once he received a dial tone, he called Won's cell. When Won answered the phone, Taz said, “What's what with Bob, O.G.?”

“Where are you, Babyboy?”

“We're on our way back to the house. We're in the air right now.”

“Good. Listen, I don't really want to talk too long on this type of line. Give me a call as soon as you get back and we'll talk some more.”

“All right. So, what's up with the homey?”

“He's all right. He had to have surgery, and it looks like he'll be wearing a shit bag for a few months. Other than that, everything is good. He should be able to be moved within a few days. I'm arranging for transport for him now. I should have something definite for you by the time you get back to the house.”

“All right then. That's all I needed to know for now. I'll holla.” Taz hung up the phone and returned it to the back of the seat in front of him. He turned and told Keno, “It looks like you were right, my nigga. Bob's straight. He had surgery and he's going to have to have a shit bag for a few months, but other than that, he's going to be good.”

Keno smiled and said, “I knew it! I knew it, dog! Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!”

Taz smiled and said, “Yeah, I know.” As he sat back in his seat, he gave a heavy sigh of relief and thanked God. His prayers had been answered.

 

 

It was a little after seven p.m. when the rest of the crew made it to Taz's house.

Sacha was full of smiles when she saw Taz and Keno walk in the front door. Taz gave her a hug and a kiss and said, “We have some loose ends to take care of, so you're going to have to excuses me for a li'l bit, Li'l Mama.”

She smiled and said, “I understand. Gwen is still upstairs, so I'll go up and kick it with her until you're finished.”

“Gwen? Why is she still here?”

“She got too drunk last night, so she spent the night with me, and this morning she was still out of it, so she's been sleeping it off.”

“All right. But check this out. As soon as she wakes up, bring her down to the den. I need to talk to her about somethin'.”

Sacha stared into Taz's brown eyes, and she knew instantly that something was wrong. Her heart skipped a beat as she asked, “Is everything all right with Bob, baby? Please, tell me everything is all right with Bob.”

Taz shook his head and said, “He's fine, Li'l Mama, but he was shot in the stomach early this morning.”

Before Taz could finish giving Sacha the details, Gwen, who was standing at the top of the stairs and had heard what Taz had just said, screamed the loudest scream that Taz had ever heard in his entire life. “No-o-o-o-o!” She fainted right where she stood.

Taz, Sacha, and Keno ran to the stairs and grabbed her before she had a chance to tumble down the steps. Taz carried her back upstairs into his bedroom, while Sacha went into the bathroom and ran some cool water onto a face towel. She then came into the bedroom and placed the cool towel across Gwen's face. While she was doing this, she explained some of Gwen's past to Taz and Keno.

“Damn, that's cold!” Taz said as he thought about his past and how much he and Gwen had in common. “Look, when she gets up, explain to her that Bob's going to make it, and I'll try and get a way for them to speak to each other before the night's up. Right now, I need to go downstairs and finish up things.”

“Okay, baby. I got this. Go on and handle your business.”

Taz and Keno went downstairs to the den and made the call to Won. Bo-Pete, Wild Bill, and Red came inside and sat down as they waited for Won's return call. Taz's cell rang a few minutes later, and he answered by pressing the speakerphone button. “What's up, O.G.?”

“I just got off the phone with Magoo. He has Bob secure at one of his spots. Here's the number, 'cause I know y'all want to holla at your boy: 212-252-9869. You might want to wait until the morning to give him a holla. He was sleeping soundly when I was speaking with Magoo.”

“That's good lookin', O.G. You don't know how good that sounds to our ears.”

“Tell me something. Why didn't Bob have his vest on?”

“I wish I could answer that one, O.G. I slipped on that one, because I should have made sure that everyone was ready. I take full responsibility for that shit,” Taz said seriously.

“Nah, fuck that shit! It's my fault. I'm his partner, and I should have made sure that my nigga was ready,” Red said angrily.

“It's no one's fault but Bob's, really, but I understand where y'all are coming from. Have you checked your accounts yet?” asked Won.

“Yeah, I did before I called you. Everything is everything.”

“Good. It looks as if everything will be put on hold until Bob gets back on his feet, so I'll set things back for a minute.”

“Nah, O.G., we're done. This shit is starting to get too crazy. We're out. Might as well while we're on top of the game,” Taz said sincerely.

“Out? Babyboy, we're at the final stages of everything I've been working toward for the last five years. This shit ain't over yet. I understand that y'all are hurt by what went down with Bob, but it ain't over with yet.”

“It is for us, O.G. We're done.”

Won started laughing and said, “I'm going to let you go for now, Babyboy. But keep this in your head at all times. As a matter of fact, I want all of you to keep this in your heads. Don't ever think you're running shit in this, 'cause you ain't. I'm the head nigga. Always have been, and I always will be. So this shit ain't over until I say it's over. Relax and chill, and do whatever it is y'all be doing during our downtime. But as soon as Bob is ready to go again, we'll finish what we've started. Out!”

After Won hung up the phone, Taz stared at the rest of the crew and said, “I always hoped that it would never have to come to this, but it looks like we're going to have to go on one last mission, after all.”

“I feel you, my nigga. That nigga Won has to be touched,” Wild Bill said from the other side of the room.

“Exactly!” replied Bo-Pete.

“Definitely!” said Red.

“He's outta there!” said Keno.

Sacha and Gwen came into the den and joined the crew. After Gwen was seated, Taz explained that Bob had been shot, and that he had a number for her to call once Bob was able to get some more rest.

“Thank you, Taz! Thank you so much! But can you please tell me exactly what the fuck is going on with y'all? I have the right to know, don't I?”

Taz stared at the rest of the crew, and each one of them gave him a nod yes, so he told her exactly what it was that they did when they went out of town. He also explained in detail what had happened out in New York. “That's everything, Gwen. All of it. We're finished now, though. Our money is straight, and there will be no more missions for us.”

“Are you lying to me, Taz?”

Taz shook his head no and said, “Nah, I'm givin' it to you 100. We're out.”

Before Gwen or Sacha could say anything else, Taz's cell phone started ringing. When he answered it, Tazneema said, “Taz, I need to speak to you. Please tell me that you're back in town.”

“Yeah, I'm at home now. What's up, 'Neema?”

“Could you come out to Mama-Mama's house? I'm over here now, and we have some serious things to talk about.”

Taz sighed and said, “Can't this wait until tomorrow, 'Neema? I have a lot of shit on my plate, and I'm tired as hell right now.”

“No! I need you, Taz. Can't you see that?” she screamed and dropped the phone.

Mama-Mama picked the receiver up from the floor and said, “Taz Good, you get your ass over to this house right now! Do you hear me?”

“Yeah, Mama-Mama, I hear you,” he said and closed his cell. He turned toward everyone and said, “I gots to go out to Mama-Mama's house. Somethin's goin' on with 'Neema.”

“Do you want us to roll with you, dog?” asked Bo-Pete.

“Nah, y'all go on and get some rest. I'll get at y'all in the morning. Sacha, do you want to roll with me?”

“Yes. Let me go get my purse.”

“What about you, Gwen? You straight?”

“Yeah, I'll be all right. I'm going home to try and get some more sleep, 'cause that XO of yours ain't no punk.” They all started laughing. Then she said, “Seriously, I'm fine. I want to be well rested when I speak with Bob in the morning.”

“All right then, I guess I'll get at y'all later, then,” Taz said and left the den.

After everyone had gone, Taz and Sacha climbed into his truck, and Taz sped out of his driveway. “Is everything all right with Tazneema, baby?” Sacha asked.

“She seems real upset, so I guess not, Li'l Mama,” Taz said as he turned onto Sixty-third Street.

They made the twenty-five-minute drive out to Mama-Mama's home in less than fifteen minutes. As soon as the truck stopped in Mama-Mama's driveway, Taz hopped out of it and marched directly inside of the house. Sacha followed him, praying that this wouldn't get ugly. When Taz opened the door, he saw Tazneema sitting on the couch, being consoled by Mama-Mama. He took a deep breath and asked, “What's wrong, 'Neema? Why are you crying?”

Tazneema raised her head off of Mama-Mama's lap, smiled sadly, and said, “I'm pregnant, Taz.”

Taz was so stunned by her news that he was speechless. He just stood there staring at her as her words kept repeating themselves over and over inside of his head.

Sacha had come inside of the house just as Tazneema told Taz that she was pregnant. She knew then that this was definitely going to be an ugly scene. She grabbed Taz's right hand and said, “Calm down, baby. Please don't get too crazy right now. More than anything, Tazneema needs your support, not your anger.”

Taz shook his head, took a deep breath, and asked, “By who?”

A defiant look came into Tazneema's eyes as she said, “His name is Clifford, and he's a very nice, respectable man, Taz. Ask Mama-Mama.”