Eviction Notice, page 8
Animal was overcome with emotions and questions when he saw his brother again after so many years. After his stint with the Road Dawgz, and a short stretch up north, Justice had gone into semiretirement, but ended up catching a body and going right back to prison. It was a self-defense killing, as the victim had been trying to rob Justice and his girl, but a paid informant testified to hearing Justice planning the murder. With the word of the snitch and Justice’s reputation as one of the alleged leaders of the Road Dawgz crew, the judge wasted no time in throwing the book at Justice. He was given the long walk, and locked away never to be seen again, but, as with Animal, K-Dawg had intervened and changed his fate.
It was on the plane that Animal learned of the devil’s bargain he had unknowingly struck in exchange for his freedom. K-Dawg had gone from hood politics to covert operations, and from the looks of things he was excelling at it. Unlike most, K-Dawg had learned from his mistakes and restructured his operation accordingly. He had assembled a team of wayward souls and molded them into his vision of the chosen army, deadly, merciless, and loyal to none but him. The name Los Negros Muertes was whispered throughout the urban ghettos of the Caribbean as the real power behind several political parties. Justice tried to assuage Animal’s apprehensiveness by making it seem like what K-Dawg was doing was done out of love, but Animal knew better. For men like K-Dawg, love was an alien thing, and all that mattered was power. The members of Los Negros Muertes were little more than pawns in K-Dawg’s game and Animal didn’t plan on sticking around for the final move.
“Hey, mister,” a voice called, snapping Animal out of his thoughts. His body immediately tensed in anticipation of combat, but eased when he saw the short and thin Hispanic boy approaching him. “Can I get you to buy some of my jewelry to help me and my family get a hot meal for the night?” The boy held up his arm to show Animal some of the rinky-dink jewelry dangling from it. Most of it was slum, but there was a silver rosary that caught Animal’s eye.
“How much for that?” Animal pointed at the rosary.
“An excellent choice.” The boy untangled the rosary and placed it in Animal’s hand. “Handcrafted and made from sterling silver. This piece goes all the way back to the year—”
“I didn’t ask you all that. I just want to know how much?” Animal cut him off.
The boy thought on it for a minute. “For you, amigo, two hundred dollars.”
Animal laughed. “Li’l fella, if you’re looking to rob me you could’ve at least brought a gun with you. That old piece of junk don’t look to be worth much, especially not the ransom you’re trying to charge for it.”
“Junk?” The youth frowned. “Sir, this rosary was a gift to Nicolas de Ovando himself on the day of his baptism and has been handed down through his family for years. It’s not only an heirloom but a piece of Old San Juan’s history.”
Animal examined the piece a little more closely. Though the silver was dull and stained, you could see the detailed craftsmanship that had gone into making it. “If it’s such a valued treasure, how did your li’l ass come by it?”
The boy thought on it for a minute before answering. “How it came to me isn’t important, my friend. What is important is that I am willing to part with it for the sake of making sure my family doesn’t go hungry tonight.” The boy’s voice was quite sincere, but Animal saw the larceny in his eyes.
“I’ll tell you what,” Animal pulled out a knot of money and peeled off one hundred dollars, “I’ll give you fifty dollars for the rosary and fifty dollars for your hustle. If that ain’t enough, you might as well take it down the street and try to beat one of these crackers outta their bread, because I ain’t going no higher.” Animal extended the hundred dollars to the boy. The boy hesitated, but when Animal went to put the money back in his pocket, the boy quickly snatched it from him.
“Sir, it pains me to part with this treasure for so little money but it would pain me more to watch my little brother and sister go hungry for the night.” The boy stuffed the money into his pocket.
“You are wise beyond your years.” Animal smiled down at him while slipping the rosary around his neck over the gold link chain he was already wearing. There was something calming about the rosary lying across his chest.
“Looks good on you, sir.” The boy nodded in approval.
“Yeah, it does look good on you.” An older kid came out of the cut. He was flanked by two rough-looking dudes. “Since you’re feeling like giving back to the poor kids in Puerto Rico, how about you kick something down to us?”
Animal stepped between the kid he’d bought the rosary from and the thugs. “Get out of here, kid,” Animal said over his shoulder. The boy wasted no time in getting away from the confrontation. Animal now focused on the thugs. “The three of you look able enough, you ever thought about getting jobs instead?”
“Oh, you’re a comedian, huh?” the second boy said in a thick accent. His sneer showed off the missing teeth behind his dry lips.
“Nah, funny would be us having to explain to the policia why we threw down in the middle of a busy street in broad daylight,” Animal said coolly. “Come on, fellas, we ain’t gotta do it like this.”
The first boy pulled a knife from his pants and brandished it. “You’re right, so why don’t you hand over the chains and whatever money you’re carrying and you can go on your way without getting carved up.”
Animal let out a deep sigh, as he already knew how he would answer. “I think we both know that I can’t do that, so I guess it’s gonna be what it’s gonna be, huh?”
By the time the third boy who had been standing with the group tried to blindside Animal, he was already in motion. He dodged the awkward punch and folded him with a hook to the back of the head. The boy was out before he hit the ground. Animal had just managed to draw his pistol from his waist when one of the boys brought a pipe cracking down across his wrist and sent the gun flying. Animal tried to make for the gun when he was bull-rushed by a boy wielding a knife. The boy was good, but Animal was more skilled. When he lunged with the knife, Animal sidestepped it, but not before the blade had cut through his shirt and opened up his side.
Animal locked the boy’s arms under, immobilizing him and leaving him at Animal’s mercy. “It’s been a while since a nigga made me bleed, but allow me to give you a lesson in suffering.” Animal wrenched the boy’s arm upward, breaking it at the elbow and causing him to release the knife. Animal caught the blade before it hit the ground and dragged it across his throat. The boy’s eyes widened in terror right before blood began to spill from his mouth and throat. Animal tossed him to the ground to bleed out and turned his attention to his last opponent. “What you waiting for, homie?”
The remaining thug croaked out something in Spanish, and the next thing Animal knew, more thugs were coming out of the woodwork and he found himself backed into a corner. They were at least a half-dozen deep and armed. It was about to pop off.
He had been warned: keep a low profile and avoid causing scenes. These were the words K-Dawg and Justice had drilled into Animal when he was first introduced to his new life, but their words were drowned out now by the demon whispering in his head that it had been too long since he had fed his cravings. Being confined to boundaries set by K-Dawg was making him feel closed off from his true nature and he needed a release. The thugs had come along looking for a victim, but what they had found was an animal.
“This is your last chance to leave with your dignities and your lives,” Animal snarled at the thugs. He tossed the knife from one hand to the other and back again, testing the weight and getting a feel for the weapon.
“We’re gonna fuck you up now, bro,” the thug who had hit him with the pipe threatened.
Animal nodded. “So be it.” He moved with more speed than any of them had expected, swinging the knife in a complex pattern, causing the thugs to backpedal. One of the thugs felt himself and tried to step in the square with Animal, waving a box cutter. Animal faked high and went low, opening the kid’s belly with the knife. When he stooped over to try to stop his guts from spilling into the street, Animal drove the knife into the base of his skull, severing his spine and taking him out of the equation. Another kid swung a bat at Animal’s head and ended up connecting with air because Animal was already standing behind him with a fistful of his T-shirt. Animal shoved him into the crowd and bolted for the street.
Animal dodged through the busy marketplace with the thugs hot on his heels. Had he known his little shopping trip would turn into a mad dash for his life, he probably would’ve stayed at the house. He laughed as he thought about how he managed to end up fleeing for his life no matter what country he was in. A shot whisking past his ear from one of the thugs wiped the smile off his face and brought him back to the reality of what he was dealing with. One of the thugs managed to close the distance and get close enough to grab the back of Animal’s shirt. Without breaking his stride, he spun around and cut the thug across his face, which would require almost fifty stitches when he finally got around to getting it treated.
Animal had managed to put some distance between himself and the thugs chasing him, but his pack-per-day cigarette habit was catching up with him. He tripped over a fruit basket, which allowed the thugs to get close enough to try to grab for him again, but fate intervened when a flower cart was pushed out into the street and tripped the thugs up. The boy who had sold Animal the rosary gave him the thumbs-up and motioned for him to keep going. As Animal’s lungs began to heave he tired of the game and decided to put an end to it. He came across an alley a few blocks down and ducked into it, determined to bring the chase to a close.
The thug who had hit Animal with the pipe was the first to arrive at the mouth of the alley, with the rest of his mob joining him a few seconds after. He couldn’t see much, but he heard Animal moving in the darkness. “Let me get the hammer,” he said over his shoulder. After a short conversation about who was armed, he was handed a gun and led his party into the alley. It was so quiet that all he could hear was his heart pounding in his ears. A can rattled somewhere to his left, causing him to fire two blind shots into the darkness. A frightened alley cat darted past him and into the street. When the thug turned his attention back to the hunt, something whistled past his ear, followed by a warm splatter on his face. When he touched his hand to his cheek, it came away slick with blood. He initially thought it was his blood until he saw one of his comrades fall to the floor.
“You wanna play, muthafucka, then let’s play.” The thug fired blindly into the shadows.
“I sure hope you’re keeping track of them shells you’re wasting,” Animal taunted.
“You stick your ugly face out here and I’ll show you just how many bullets are left in this gun!” the thug shouted. He could no longer hide the fear in his voice. There was a scuttling of feet somewhere to his rear. The thug turned in time to see one of his boys swept away by the darkness. There was a bloodcurdling scream and the boy spilled out and collapsed at the thug’s feet. His neck was cut from ear to ear. Most of the group hightailed it out of the alley, leaving just the thug and one of his partners, who was too frightened to run.
“You smell that? That’s fear, baby boy, sweeter than any drug you can image.” Animal cackled.
The thug was now so nervous that his palms were sweating and it became a task just to hold the gun. Something flew at him from the darkness and he fired four times before he realized it was a trash-can lid he’d just mangled. He was so focused on the trash-can lid that he didn’t notice Animal standing behind him until he heard his remaining comrade scream. He turned just in time to see Animal gut the frightened young boy like a fish. The thug raised his gun and pulled the trigger, but it clicked empty.
“I told you to keep track of those shells.” Animal stalked toward the thug with blood dripping from the knife. The thug was so afraid that he was still holding his gun as if it could save him. Animal smacked the gun away and grabbed him by the throat, pinning him against the wall. He pressed the blade against the thug’s cheek and traced a pattern. “You ready to stand before your maker and be judged?”
“Please don’t,” the thug blabbered.
Animal frowned in disappointment. “Mercy is for God-fearing folks.” He leaned in and whispered into the thug’s ear, “I fear nothing.” Animal had just pierced the tender skin of the thug’s throat when he heard a voice behind him.
“For as much as I love a good bloodbath, I think there’s been enough killing done for one day.”
CHAPTER 13
She was an exotic bronze beauty with eyes the color of mercury and hair that resembled sunset. The cut-off fatigue shorts and black tank top she wore clung to her shapely figure like a second skin. She licked her lips playfully, but the AK cradled in her arms said that she was all business. Watching her back was a tall dark-skinned cat with hawklike features. Though his guns weren’t visible, there was no doubt that he was armed.
“This is no business of yours,” Animal said through clenched teeth.
“It becomes my business when bodies line my father’s streets.” She slung the machine gun over her shoulder and strode into the alley. She made sure to keep a safe distance from Animal, who was still watching her intensely. “Do you know who I am?” she asked the thug Animal had snatched up.
The boy cut his eyes at Animal for permission to speak. When Animal eased his grip, he took it as a yes. “Of course … who doesn’t know Red Sonja?” he croaked.
“Then you know it was foolish of you to attack one of our guests.”
Realizing how deep in the shit he had stepped, the thug began to tremble. “Sonja, on my mother’s eyes I didn’t know he was with you guys. We were just trying to roll him for a few dollars,” he groveled.
“From all of your homeboys stretched out up and down this alley, I’m guessing it didn’t work out too well for you, huh?” Sonja closed the last of the distance between them. “Amigo, I may be able to convince my friend to let you live, but I need to know that this isn’t going to turn into a bigger problem in the future.”
“No problems, no problems,” the thug assured her.
Sonja slowly and cautiously placed a hand on Animal’s shoulder. She felt him tense, but eventually he loosened up under her touch. She leaned in close enough for her lips to brush his neck when she whispered, “Poppy, the streets of Old San Juan see how you give it up and the word will be spread. There’s nothing left to prove here.”
“This pussy tried to take my life, the scales gotta balance out,” Animal told her, pressing the knife into the thug’s throat again.
“And you have killed at least three of his, from what I can see. Too many bodies in the street lead to too many questions and I think we both know you don’t need that right now.” She slowly began pulling Animal away. “No more bloodshed today.”
Slowly, Animal eased back to the point where he was holding the thug at arm’s reach and glaring at him like a hungry tiger. The beast lurking inside Animal cried for more death, and though Sonja’s touch was soothing enough to bring about reason, there still needed to be compensation. “Your life is yours for today,” Animal told the thug, “but you will be forever reminded of my passing.” Animal dragged the knife down the thug’s cheek, opening him up.
* * *
At the west end of the island was the Fort San Felipe del Morro. It had originally been built to protect San Juan Bay and the city of Old San Juan from seaborne invaders but had long ago become more of a tourist attraction than an actual military base. People visiting Old San Juan would occasionally venture out to see the fort and its lighthouse, but with the rash of violence that had broken out in and around the village, few dared to venture out that far, which is why K-Dawg chose to make his base in the shadow of the ruined fort.
It was a large farmhouse with a few head of cattle that sat in the middle of nowhere so as to maintain his privacy, not that anyone would be foolish enough to breach the fence that encircled all ten acres of the farm. Vicious guard dogs, bred and raised by K-Dawg, roamed the grounds and would kill without hesitation to protect their master’s keep. K-Dawg had many secret hiding places like it, but the farmhouse was special to him because it had been his first real purchase when he was getting money in New York. While most of his comrades spent their money on guns and whores, K-Dawg had been planning for his future.
The farmhouse was safe haven to all members of Los Negros Muertes, but only those closest to K-Dawg actually lived there. When Animal had first arrived in Puerto Rico he’d been offered a place of honor in the farmhouse, but he had declined, opting to make his home in a smaller structure that sat a few yards off from the main house. The small building was said to have once been slave quarters, which struck Animal as ironic considering his current circumstances.
Animal’s room was a shadow of his home in Houston or even his apartment in Harlem for that matter. There were no big-screen televisions, no video games, and hardly any electronics at all except for a desk lamp and a satellite radio that sat on his nightstand. On the walls were maps of Puerto Rico and other Caribbean ports marked with red and green thumbtacks that formed strange patterns that only Animal understood. Stacked in corners and scattered on the floor were piles of newspapers and a few magazines. Most of them were New York Daily Newses, as Animal liked to stay abreast of what was going on stateside. It was one of the few connections he had left to the home he’d been forced to flee.
“Shit, be careful with that thing,” Animal said. He was topless and lying on his side across his full-size bed. At his side, Red Sonja sat on a small stool beside the bed with what looked like a sewing needle pinched between her fingers.
“You cry more than a girl. Now quit fidgeting so I can finish,” she told him, adjusting the gooseneck lamp so she could see his wound better.
“That sounds familiar,” Animal said slyly, which paused her stitching. Animal looked over his shoulder and saw the sadness that had crossed her face. “I was only joking, Sonja.”
