Authors: Clever Black
“Yeah?” Simone asked.
“You took care that?”
“Tonight.”
“Cool. I got you on the visitor’s list so see me when you
get done and bring that phone number he gone give you.”
“Aite,” Simone said before she hung up the phone.
Later that night, Pepper and Simone left their apartment and began
making their way through the back alleys of Fox Park. It was after
one in the morning on a star-lit, crisp and cool night as the girls
walked side by side, Simone with her twelve gauge draped across her
shoulder and Pepper clutching her Glock 9. Broken glass and trash
littered the alley ways the two walked down as they approached the
block where they posted up inside an empty apartment building.
“I been thinking about coppin’ some wheels, Simone,”
Pepper said lowly as the two knelt on opposite sides of a hollowed
out window in the living room.
“Yeah? What kind?”
“A Mazda. A black one with the suicide doors. I forget what
it’s called.”
“You want the RX eight? That’s hot.”
“It is ain’t it? I want a motorcycle too, but that’s
gone be too much. I’m definitely gone score that ride though
watch.” Pepper said as she lit up a blunt and the two smoked
and continued watching the block for their intended target.
Simone and Pepper were waiting on the manager from McDonald’s.
Toodie had put the word out that the lady had snitched on her a few
days after she’d gotten busted in McDonald’s drive thru.
The woman had been caught inside the store with cocaine Toodie had
sold her a week earlier and narcotics agents had set up a quick sting
and had taken her down.
Simone and Pepper waited for about an hour until the woman’s
’05 Camry pulled up in front her apartment. She climbed out of
her ride in her McDonald’s uniform and while she was putting
the key in her front door, Pepper and Simone emerged from the empty
apartment beside her home and ran up on the woman. She turned around
and screamed when she saw the guns aimed at her, but quickly went
silent when blasts of fire lit up the night and hot lead began
penetrating her head and torso. She slumped down against her doorway
and fell over on her side as Simone and Pepper trotted off and
disappeared into the darkness.
“You get the car, I’ll get a motorcycle for us,”
Simone said as she jogged beside Pepper.
“Deal.” Pepper replied casually.
A favor was done for Toodie, a favor that would keep Pepper and
Simone in good standing with her and her boys for the time being, but
in all actuality, the two teenagers were looking out for themselves;
Pepper was moving a little weight, and the last thing she needed was
to have a rat in the neighborhood. The murder of the neighborhood
snitch had given Simone and Pepper big stripes in Fox Park; their
names were now ringing and their clientele would only increase over
time.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
NEW VENTURES
“I’m tellin’ ya right now, if they choose Texas,
Kansas State or Kansas? Momma, you should cut off their inheritance
with the quickness!” fifteen year-old Walee snapped as he
assisted his father with the grilling of chicken and ribs on the
family’s patio.
It was the weekend of July 4
th
, 2006 and all was going
well for the Holland-Dawkins family on and off the ranch. The Chicago
Gang had been trouble-free since the hit on Carmella, even gaining a
strong foothold on Fox Park. Cocaine was moving smoothly, murders had
subsided and most of the crew was stacking money and seeking out new
ventures.
Malik Gomez, one of the crew’s most trusted soldiers, had
teamed up with Doss and Eddie Cottonwood. Doss and Eddie had bought
the old cleaners across the street from
Connections
down in
Saint Charles and was preparing to open up a night club. Doss often
talked with Asa Spade over the phone and had gained insight on how to
run the business. He’d also hired Malik, who’d started
his own renovation company, and gave him the job of renovating the
old three story early 1940’s structure and transform it into
one of the most happening spots in the Saint Louis area.
Dawk, Bay and T-top had given their mother money to open a large
entertainment complex back in Ponca City. The old bowling alley had
been ripped apart by a tornado in October of 2005 and that left
little by way of entertainment because the owners of the bowling
alley had decided against rebuilding the place. The big three had
designed an entertainment complex that featured seven movie screens,
a bowling alley, large game room and a skating rink; a $1,000,000
dollar investment of their own, with all the investment money having
been gained from the streets that would be ran through the family’s
upstart company titled
Holland-Dawkins Enterprises, LLC
.
The formation of the new company had put Naomi back into the business
of corporate lawyer, which was her expertise. She’d filed all
the paperwork, obtained the necessary permits and it was easy for her
to persuade the city council to give her the contract because the
family was highly favored in the city. While she was brokering the
deal on her oldest three’s venture, Naomi had also closed the
deal on the land behind the Holland Ranch that her neighbor once
owned. Approval rested on the city council’s approval, who
weren’t scheduled to resume hearings until after November
elections, but Naomi was already assured that the land would be hers
and she was first on the city council’s docket.
Siloam, meanwhile, had indeed taken a loss on her dealings with the
editor from Rolling Stone magazine. The man had been fired from the
company years ago, but had been using false ads online to scam up and
coming bands out of their monies. It was a hard lesson for Siloam,
but when Doss reimbursed her the money, she was put at ease. She was
now touring with Jane Dow with the hopes of breaking out into the
mainstream with a hit of their own.
Mary’s Produce
was the name of Mary Holland’s new
company. The forty-seven year-old woman’s business had soared
onto the shelves of grocery stores in Ponca City, Oklahoma City,
Tulsa and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Fresh onions, collard, mustard and
turnip greens were her specialty. Mary had even purchased two
refrigerated trailers with her, Ne`Ne` and Dimples’ images on
the sides of the trailers. It was a fascinating thing to see Mary’s
trailers riding off the land with her image, along with those of
Ne`Ne` and Dimples plastered onto the side. Ne`Ne` and Dimples were
smiling brightly while displaying a basket full of greens and onions
as their mother stood in between them with her arms around their
shoulders with her gorgeous smile on display. The trailers were being
pulled by Martha and Twiggy most times as they were still trucking
for the family and earning better than average pay.
DeeDee had finally moved down the ranch and it was a pure blessing
for the aging gangster. He got to see his grandkids and great
grandkids every day, had a garden of his own, and often worked
alongside Walee, Spoonie and Tyke down in the poultry yard. DeeDee’s
past was behind him, he was now a grandpa living on a ranch on
Oklahoma, something he’d never even dreamed when Naomi first
set up in Oklahoma nearly fifteen years earlier.
Mendoza and Francine, meanwhile, were still going strong. Francine
often got sick when she was home in Cicero, so she and Mendoza often
spent weeks at a time on the ranch as it was therapeutic with its
fresh air and organic cuisine. Francine often joked that Mendoza was
making her sick on purpose so he could take her to Oklahoma where he
could spend time with DeeDee, his lifelong friend.
Mendoza always laughed it off, but his wife’s illness was
really bothering him. Something about Cicero was making her ill, but
he couldn’t quite put his finger on it as of yet. Through his
many smiles and jokes, it was fair to say that Mendoza had
suspicions, suspicions that only he and DeeDee would discuss from
time to time, but neither would ever imagine, as it was too gross and
treacherous to even fathom. The two old Mafioso often sat and
observed life unfolding before their eyes, and by all accounts, life
was good, save for a few things involving Francine’s illness
that left them wondering some days.
Everybody was doing well summer of 2006. The family was prodding
along, growing and prospering and many decisions had been made over
time. On this July 4
th
holiday, another decision was about
to be made and a couple of milestones were about to be reached.
Seventeen year-olds Kimi and Koko were preparing to go to college and
Bena and Tiva’s 21
st
birthday was just under a week
away. It was a big deal on the ranch this holiday.
Bay and T-top were nonchalant about their birthdays. They’d
gotten their gift a while back when the deal was sealed on their
entertainment complex. Tiva was happy with her marriage and Malaysia
and Malara were thriving on the land. Bay and AquaNina were still hot
and heavy and getting along well. They’d leased a condo down in
Oklahoma City and were planning to form a civil union. It wasn’t
much more Naomi’s oldest daughters could ask for, so they’d
reserved their day and gave the floor to Kimi and Koko.
Naomi’s middle daughters were locked away in their mother’s
private room preparing to announce their decision on which college
they would attend. Members of the family had money on the line over
which college the twins would choose. Rumor had it that Northwestern,
their mother’s Alma Mater, was in contention, along with Ohio
State and the University of Kansas.
Doss was worried. The last thing he wanted was for his middle
daughters to attend Northwestern. With Kimi and Koko being based in
Chicago where he was widely known, they would need protection around
the clock. His oldest three would have to move there with them,
thereby disrupting their lives and the business they had going on in
Saint Louis. Malik and Jay-D could fill in from time to time, because
that was all the people Doss really trusted, and protecting his
family was first and foremost for the man.
The family was all out on the patio mingling, placing bets and
discussing possible arrangements for Kimi and Koko’s protection
while Jane Dow and the band cued up their instruments for the
impending celebration when the twins emerged from the home with a
slip of paper. Everybody grew quiet and stared as Kimi and Koko
walked over to Naomi, who sat beside Francine and Mary, and handed
her a sheet of paper. Naomi opened the paper, scanned it and asked,
“Are you two sure this is where you want to go?”
“We’ve thought it about long enough and given our
obligations to the family,” Kimi said, “we think this is
the right choice, momma.”
“Fine. I don’t like it, but it’s you all’s
decision,” Naomi sighed as she waved her hands, ushering her
daughters away.
When Kimi and Koko left the patio, Naomi resumed talking to Francine
and Mary. Francine had a look on her face that could freeze
lightening. Mary looked confused. Doss was waiting. DeeDee and
Mendoza were waiting—everybody was waiting.
“Where they going, already?” Dawk yelled aloud.
“Oh, they said they going right down the road to the University
of Oklahoma,” Naomi said matter-of-factly as she eyed Doss with
a wide smile.
Doss leaned down and pumped his fists. “Yes, sir!” he
yelled aloud through laughter.
Dawk stuck his hand out to Junior, who slid him a C-note. “Shoulda
known they wasn’t going too far,” Junior said, having bet
on Ohio State.
“This here a family thang. Kimi and Koko know what’s up
without even being told,” Dawk replied as he tucked the money
into his jeans.
Kimi and Koko had been discussing what college to attend for some
time. The University of Oklahoma was perfect for them. Their
boyfriends, Chablis and Udelle were sophomores there; Bay lived just
up the road in Oklahoma City, about twenty miles or so from Norman,
Oklahoma where the campus was located. They could travel home on
weekends or just kick it with Bay whenever they wanted.
On top of that, they could still help their mother out in the family
business. Kimi and Koko were both planning to earn degrees in
corporate law like their mother, and they were going to take minors
in accounting to further develop their skills when it came to washing
dollars.
Kimi and Koko didn’t understand fully their importance to the
family or the scope the criminal activity that actually went on; all
they knew was that they would be much more valuable if they were to
remain close to home so as to be able to continue on the path that
their mother had placed them on while still being able to maintain a
certain amount of freedom while remaining close to their family.
The twins were peeking out the French doors on the patio, reveling in
the family’s jubilance and were unable to contain their joy.
They ran out onto the patio into their father’s arms and hugged
him tightly as Jane Dow began playing Kool and the Gang’s song
Celebration
.
“Daddy, we thought hard about having grandpa condo to
ourselves!” Koko exclaimed.
“Yeah, right,” Dawk said. “I woulda been their
every night. Here,” he then said as he handed Koko a hundred
dollar bill. “Junior bet on Ohio State.”
“Buster!” Kimi yelled aloud to Junior, who only smiled
and walked off as he began texting on his cell phone.
No dice on
Chicago. That’s off the table.
The text read.
Get at us when you can so we can work it out.
A text read back
before Junior deleted the messages and returned to the celebration.
While Junior was walking up the stairs back to the patio, a horn was
heard blowing wild and loud. The entire family turned and looked and
saw a candy apple red 2007 Maserati Quattroporte sitting on 23”
inch chrome wheels being driven by Martha. The car was a four door
luxury coupe valued at over $145,000 dollars.