Invincible: A Novel (20 page)

Frazier wanted to chill out and settle down with Brenda and leave the 300 Crew alone, and the bullshit CO job. He knew he had enough money to just up and leave and stop fucking with the 300, but he knew he would have to hide. If you did business with Murphy and stopped, he felt he had to kill you to cover his ass. But Frazier felt if he could just play it cool, if he could just have some time … He knew Phil and Albert didn’t really like each other and who could blame them? They were both scumbags. One of them was going to put the other down eventually. And if Frazier had to choose one of them to ride with, he was going with Phil. Murphy was just too foul.
He would eventually find a reason to kill me
, Frazier thought. No, Frazier couldn’t wait around; he had to make a move and make it soon. Frazier picked up his cell and called Phil.

Phil answered. “Hey, Fraze! What’s up my man? I was just talking about you with my main man, Frank.”

Frazier’s tone was serious. “We need to meet up, Phil. I wanna talk to you about a few things that’s kinda urgent. When can we meet?”

“Shit, we can meet now, Fraze! Come on over, lets talk over lunch.”

“I don’t wanna be seen going into anyplace you’re known to be at. I wouldn’t want our friends getting any funny ideas. So let’s pick a safe spot. You know what I mean, Phil!”

“Where do you consider safe nowadays, Fraze?”

“I’m gonna call you back and let you know when I find one. I’m thinking a McDonald’s or department store parking lot or a laundromat somewhere. We know our friends don’t go nowhere next to one of them kinda places, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I get you, Fraze,” Phil said. “I get you loud and clear. Well, you find a place and get back to me and I will be there.”

“Hey, Phil?”

“Yeah, Fraze.”

“Make sure you bring Franklin Butler with you. We’re gonna need him.”

“I told you,” Phil said to Frank after hanging up with Frazier. “I told you that guy would be calling soon to have a meeting. He’s no fool! He knows Murphy is a snake and he plans on doing us greasy. That’s how he works, but boy oh boy are we gonna fuck with him!”

Frazier called Phil back and told him to meet him in a parking garage that was downtown on the rough side and be sure not to be followed. Phil and Frank hopped in a cab just to make sure no one was following them. When they got to the meeting spot, Frazier was sitting in his Tahoe and told them to hop in.

“Frank, Phil. How are you guys doing?” Frazier asked.

“Frank’s fine and I’m fine. What’s up, Fraze?”

“Straight up, Phil, if we don’t kill Murphy he is going to kill
us. Ever since Kim ran off it ain’t been right. I’ve known Albert a long time and I’ve seen him kill people he claimed to love. Imagine what he will do to us! He thinks somebody’s gonna talk to save their own skin. It’s only me and you left, Phil. We have to watch each other’s backs now.”

Frazier continued. “One other thing. I’m actually lucky to be alive! Jake Billings almost put my brains on my kitchen table. My girl saved my life by making noise and then stepping into his line of fire. If she had not made noise I wouldn’t have been able to draw, so I guess God was on my side.”

Phil told Frazier he was glad they met, and he said it wouldn’t be too long before they sat down again and figured out a way to get rid of Albert Murphy and Jake Billings.

FOR THE PEOPLE

Jake sat in his room and watched the news. His stomach was full from all the food he’d eaten, and he was bored. He was trying his best to piece together the stories he had heard from Mitch and Kim but none of the shit made sense to him. He again felt like he was living out some kind of movie. He got who wanted him dead and why, but how his uncle and girl, the two closest people to him, were fucking around with each other and in some gang was amazing to him. Then something came on the news that damn near made Jake faint. The reporter said something about finding the body of Mitch Billings. Then they mentioned finding a federal agent’s dead body in his car a few weeks prior. When they showed a picture of the agent it was Nine-One. Jake couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know what to
think. He felt like the feds were going to kick in the door at any second.

Jake wasn’t the only one shocked by the news. So were Phil, Frazier, the Calvin brothers, and Albert. They were even more shook up than Jake. A federal agent being found dead in Mitch’s car was real bad news. The number one rule for the boys—even bigger than no innocents—was once they heard the feds were involved, all criminal activity had to stop. No white-collar crimes, no blue-collar crimes, no robberies, no drug deals, no nothing. They couldn’t even communicate with one another. Everyone was in panic mode.

Jake had plans to wait for the wee hours of the morning and take it to the train and travel by public transportation until he got far away. He was thinking of heading to Mexico; anywhere that was far away from them bars whispering his name. He was gonna call M.B. later and say his goodbyes. He wanted to see his baby one more time if possible. He couldn’t help but think about how Nine-One was a fed.
Who was he watching more, me or Kim? And if my uncle called him up, did he know he was a fed? Was Mitch a fed, too? Was Kim a fed? Maybe they didn’t kill me because they’re feds. Or maybe they didn’t kill me because they knew the feds were watching
.

———

Albert Murphy and his sons may have been thinking that they were in trouble and that their whole world was about to be destroyed, but Phil didn’t think negative. He figured there were too many other people to blame. There was no way he couldn’t wiggle his way out of any legal trouble. Phil had dirt on a few important feds, too. If he had to use that trump card, he was more than prepared to do so.

Phil told Frank, “I’m actually happy because right now Albert is shitting his pants and he won’t be thinking straight. It is time for us to make a plan to get rid of him. This is fucking great, Frank! I wanna celebrate.”

Frank asked Phil, “You just heard federal agent and one of your partner’s names in the same sentence. How could you possibly be happy?”

“Because the feds ain’t shit, either, Frank! I got dirt on a few important ones and that is my get-out-of-jail-free card! That’s why I’m not worried, because I’m prepared. I’m smart and I’m the fucking man on my way to running the whole entire fucking city! You should be happy, Frank, because you will be right there with me!”

“Hey, Phil, before you start celebrating, don’t forget about our other problem. He is not going to disappear. We have to make him go away. You have to stay focused and stay on point!”

———

Jake had to tell himself to calm down. He was not leaving town without killing Phil and his attacker. He could let Murphy slide but not Phil. Phil had to pay. He was the lowest motherfucker in Jake’s eyes. Any man that tries to kill a man that helped him before is a lowlife. His girl was dead. He had killed his uncle. Nine-One was dead—and a fucking fed at that—and he couldn’t be around his kid and M.B. He was gonna torture Phil. Jake told himself he was gonna kill him slow and enjoy it.

Jake thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He was looking out the window and he thought he saw Frazier’s truck pull into the hotel parking lot. As he looked closer, he couldn’t believe it.

“Holy shit,” he said to himself. “No fucking way.”

As Frazier stepped out of his truck Jake was glad he had followed his instincts after seeing that shit about his uncle and about Nine-One being a fed. He made sure to park his hoopty a few blocks away from the hotel. He didn’t want to attract any unnecessary heat.

Then he thought,
What if he knows I’m here and is coming for me?

Jake discarded that thought when he saw Frazier go back to his truck and put his jacket inside and then double back to get his cigarettes out of his jacket. He was in relax mode. Jake wasn’t going to let him slide this go-round. He wouldn’t let this opportunity go by.

Jake got all of his things together. He wanted to leave his bag in the hoopty so he would be able to move fast after he handled his business. Jake waited in his room on edge, torn between wanting to break out and wanting to kill Frazier. He looked out often to see if Frazier went back to his car; he did after a few hours. Frazier got into his car and drove off.

Jake grabbed his bag and hit the door. He was cautious in approaching the lobby, just in case Frazier was trying to lay on him. He was prepared to get it in, and if police popped out he planned on going out in a blaze, but the lobby was dead—nothing was happening. He could hear the lady attendant who looked like Mrs. Santa Claus telling the two ladies and her husband to go and clean the room. The nice young man was coming back later. Then she noticed Jake was standing there.

“Can I help you, sweetie? You hungry or you need something?”

“No, thank you, ma’am. I just want to pay to keep my room for another week.”

Jake paid his money and kicked around in the lobby. He wanted to see what room the ladies were gonna go clean. Sure as shit they went to clean the room directly across from his—Frazier’s room. What more could he ask for? He wished the rooms were not on the first floor, but it was okay with him because there was minimum activity. Jake walked back to his room, slowly, looking into Frazier’s room as best he could to see what the CO had going on—the answer was not much. He went into his room and sat in the chair by his door. When Frazier returned he would be able to hear him.

Hours and hours had passed. It was 11:30 at night and the hotel was silent. Jake was getting restless and impatient until he looked out the window and saw Frazier’s Tahoe pull up. Jake wasn’t sure but it looked like Frazier had a little buzz from how he stumbled out the car and had a wobble in his walk. Jake put his book bag on his back and waited by his door. He cocked the other 9mm he took from M.B. He had got rid of the one he used on Mitch, but he pulled out the .38 he had from Kim. He unlocked his door and opened it a little. As soon as he heard Frazier get to his door, he planned on flinging his open and giving it to Frazier.

Jake heard the footsteps get closer and closer. When Jake heard him stop at the door he flung his open to finish Frazier. Just as he was about to squeeze off both guns, he realized it wasn’t Frazier. It was Brenda. Brenda, seeing the guns, screamed her lungs off.

“Aaaaagghhh!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jake said and put his guns down. He ran toward the lobby. He knew he didn’t have time to spare. He would have to run up on Frazier and finish him.

Brenda trailed, yelling, “Frazier, watch out! Jake, stop! Please stop.”

The moment Frazier heard the scream his gun was drawn and he was running toward the room to get Brenda. He had no idea it was Jake until he heard Brenda yell out his name. Then they were in sight of each other. Jake didn’t hesitate squeezing the nine mm.

Four shots flew past Frazier, who let off two shots of his own back at Jake. He was a much better shot than Jake. The two bullets out of his Glock found a home in Jake’s left shoulder. They made him hit the floor and take cover behind a couch in the lobby.

“Brenda, get outta here. Go to the car,” Frazier barked.

Brenda listened and ran out. She didn’t want Frazier to kill Jake, but this wasn’t a time for debate. Jake Billings was crazy and even she knew it. It was hard to deal with people like that. They only understood one thing: violence.

Frazier knew he’d hit Jake and yelled, “I am about to finish you off, you fucking punk.” Jake was in a world of pain. He lifted his right arm above the couch and squeezed off three shots blindly, just hoping to hit Frazier.

Yelling, “Well, come on, bitch.”

Nothing landed.

“Looks like it’s over, Jake. You can fight, but you can’t shoot,” Frazier teased. “I’ll see you around boy!”

Frazier wasn’t a fool. He was getting out of there before one of those shots hit him directly or ricocheted off of something.

“Hold this tough guy.”

Frazier let off five shots in the couch. Luckily for Jake, none of those hit him. He heard Frazier run out the door. Jake yelled out of frustration. He missed the opportunity to get Frazier again and he got two bullets in his shoulder for his failing efforts, almost losing his life. Jake got up and scurried out the door. He wished he had parked closer. He knew he had to go to the hospital for his shoulder. He was bleeding a lot and knew he stood a chance of bleeding to death. Jake made it to the car, and just in the nick of time, he heard sirens in the distance. He was pretty sure they were going to the place he just left.

Jake knew he was in a tight spot. He felt like he would die soon and his time was running out. He figured his best bet was to try to make it to the hospital the next town over. The one where Brenda worked and he had laid in for two years was out of the question. Jake pulled off in the old Crown Vic thinking of his daughter. He wished he had more time to spend with her. Jake drove a couple of blocks and remembered that his taillight was fucked up. He could see the sirens in his rearview. He knew his car wasn’t the fastest, but he mashed on the gas. He put his guns on his lap. He wasn’t buying his way out of this one. He was trying to think but everything was moving fast.