Lost Boy, page 24
It was getting close to the time for Tangie to check into a hotel. Still early in the day, but if she caught the eleven o’clock check out hour. She could get a pretty good rate. She seemed more interested in the traffic that flowed in and around the street, trying to catch a bead on her brother, than she was a room. It wasn’t a good hot minute when they finally received the call she’d been looking for.
“Sheriff!” The radio was scratchy, but he adjusted the frequency and it cleared up a bit. “Hey, uh, I got something you might be interested in.”
“Bring it on.” It was Randy; one of his task force lieutenants that worked undercover in the field. “I spotted a truck, that burgundy one you told us about. Souped up with the big rims and shit.”
“Yeah, been trying to get up with that. The driver...is it...”
“Naw, man! Strange though...some black dude is driving like a bat outta hell...reckless. Think I should stop him.”
“Well, hmm...might be stolen. Follow him...but not too close so he’ll spot you. Maybe he could lead us to...”
Tangie butted in. “Brown-skinned, wavy hair...like a white boy!”
“Think so...yep, that’s him. You know him?” Randy asked.
She looked at the Sheriff wide-eyed and said, “That’s him...that’s Jabari!”
“Okay, Randy...good work. Keep an eye on him, I got to drop off someone and call for back up, ya hear.”
“Ten-Four...out.”
Tangie looked at him and said, “Oh, hell, no. You’re not dropping me off. I’m going with you!”
“Damn, Tangie, you can’t! Suppose something...”
She grabbed at the steering wheel, making him pull over. “Look, that’s my brother. I want to be there. If something goes down, I might be able to talk to him...help out.” The Sheriff frowned his face and she continued. “C’mon now, I’ve been trained too. I know how to get out of the way...please!”
He banged the dash and said, “Okay...but be careful, ya hear? If it gets ugly, stay out the way. Don’t need no goddamned headaches!”
She nodded her head. He called for back up and called back Randy. Who’d told him the truck was headed toward I-95.
****
Dondi didn’t say a word as he sped down Highway 17 doing eighty-five easy. Dondi had just called him about twenty minutes earlier. Luckily, he was in the process of checking his voicemail when he got the call, or it would have been well into the day before he got it. Cleo was crashed out, but she was in the process of waking up when he left out. He’d told her earlier he was leaving out of town, but he wasn’t quite sure when. He packed a small overnight bag just in case things drug out longer than expected.
He packed a couple grand, a change of underwear, clothes and another .40 Caliber gun with three clips in case shit got ugly. Cleo didn’t ask any questions and he wasn’t giving up any answers anyway. He left her with a couple of dollars and a credit card, just in case she needed to handle any business or just go shopping to kill time and she gladly accepted.
He felt awkward kissing her as he left out. Made it seem like they were a couple and after all, to him it was really just a business arrangement. So, now, here he was on his way to Walterboro to either do one of two things. Kill Jabari to keep from being a snitch and telling the cops what went down that night. Or, get the money from Jabari that they was supposed to have gotten that night. Either way, the first thing seemed a lot more feasible. He’d already heard a little something-something from his snitches about that chick Nikki getting out of the fire. How she did? He didn’t have the slightest clue, but he knew he was slippin’. He’d also heard she might have had the money, but he never got around to calling his main snitch, Wood, to find out.
If that was the case and she was being protected by that muthafucka Dirty-Red like he’d heard, then it would have to be an all-out war getting his hands on her. Dirty-Red didn’t play no games, and Hulie couldn’t go at him just any kind of way. But before he could even think on that level, he had to handle this Jabari business once and for all.
Dondi, on the other hand, didn’t know what to think. She thought they were going to pick up some money, then she’d be on the way back to Charleston to move in with him. At least that was what his mouth had said. She had a hunch though, something wasn’t right. It all seemed too smooth, and one thing she knew from dope boys, smooth wasn’t always good. But she still had Jabari to fall back on. Maybe, he did have some money and they were going to haul ass somewhere. The more she thought about things the better that plan sounded, but right now, she had to play her role in this whole mess she was already in. She glanced at Hulie after about twenty-miles of straight silence.
“Baby...you know where you going?” she asked.
Hulie looked at her like she was fuckin’ crazy. He couldn’t believe that shit. Here it was, she was the one who’d called his ass up, packed a bag, hopped in the car with him, and didn’t say shit for damn near thirty minutes. When she did it was to ask if he knew where he was going.
“This is truly a dumb bitch!” Hulie mumbled under his breath. “And to think she wants to be my main squeeze.” He almost spoke out loud, he had to get her ass out on the track quick...with her stupid ass.
“There it is...I-ninety-five,” she said pointing toward a turn-off.
He looked over to his right and she was right. In the distant, a sign off the side read: Off-Ramp, caught his eye. Only a couple more miles to go now. “Okay, exactly...where did he say to meet you at?”
“Over by a store...gas station...BP. Going away from town!”
Hulie slowed down once he got to the highway. “Okay...over there? I see it!”
Dondi nodded her head, and Hulie pulled into a cut, out of view and stopped. “Okay, this is where you get out.”
“Get out! I thought you said...”
“C’mon now...remember the plan. If he sees me, then he might dip, and we won’t know where the stash is,” Hulie explained.
“He might have it with him,” Dondi replied matter of factly.
The whole thing about Jabari having a stash of money seemed far fetched and she really wasn’t buying into that bullshit at all.
Hulie frowned, he was losing her quick, he had to turn it up a bit. “Picture that.” He moved over and stroked her face, then kissed her. “C’mon, girl, remember what we talked about. If you keep wasting time, we’ll never get back to Charleston so you can move in.”
Dondi’s smile was twisted and forced. “Yeah...sure!” She opened the door and started to get out. She thought about it, then reached back in and grabbed her bags.
“Why you grabbing all your bags?” Hulie asked.
“Like you said, don’t want him to get suspicious, right...baby?”
“Oh yeah...now you thinkin’.”
Dondi grabbed her bags and dragged them off to the side of the road. Hulie didn’t lift a finger to help, then started walking down the road toward the store. Halfway there she spotted Jabari standing on the side of a bright burgundy truck. She looked back and Hulie was gone, nowhere to be seen. All that did was confirm that he was on some old bullshit, but still, she wasn’t sure of what quite yet.
“For once stick to the plan, Dondi,” she coached herself. “At least see where this is headed.”
****
There she was, she looked good, better than the last time he’d seen her. She looked like she’d gained weight, got her hair done and had even got around to getting her teeth fixed. Or she was wearing dentures, either way, she looked good.
“Okay, she spotted me. Damn, I don’t see...why the hell is she walking? Let me see what’s up.” Jabari said to himself as she approached.
“Hey, baby...what’s happening?” Dondi said from behind him.
Jabari spun around and looked her up and down, then hugged her. Her grip was tight around his neck and as she looked in his eyes, she seemed like she was sad. He could tell from dealing with her, even when she was with Rip, he always knew when something was up.
“What’s going on, baby?” Jabari asked.
“My bags...they’re on the other side of the highway,” Dondi sais, then looked off avoiding eye contact.
“We’ll get them. What happened...did that dude you told me about kick you out or something?”
“Yeah, basically...told me to find you best way I could,” Dondi lied.
“Damn...sorry, ‘bout that baby. Hell, I thought he was going to drop you off.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
They hopped in the truck and Jabari drove to the other side of the overpass and sure enough, three bags were on the side of the road. He got out and put them in the truck, then looked around, he felt like he was being watched, he shook it off and got back in.
“I’m probably just being paranoid,” he told himself. Dondi was all smiles. “So, how you been, girl?”
“Been alright.”
“You look good as hell.”
“Thank you!” Dondi smiled.
Jabari rode through town, picking up the case Double D had asked for and was turning on Highway 17 heading out of town.
“So...what did you want to about, Jabari?” Dondi asked.
Jabari wasn’t expecting her to just jump the gun that quick. But oh well there no time like the present. “Look, Dondi, I got a few dollars saved up and all and I figured we could go out of town and get a fresh start somewhere.” Jabari kept it real with her.
“Fresh start...me and you!” Dondi was shocked.
“Yeah, me and you. What’s wrong with that? What I ain’t good enough for you...” Jabari was starting to spaz out.
“No...” Dondi grabbed his hand softly. “It’s not that...am I good enough for you?”
“What you talkin’ ‘bout, Dondi?”
“C’mon now, Jabari. I ain’t nothin’ but a hoe...admit it...straight up.”
“Naw...you’ve changed...right?”
Dondi looked off out of the window and said, “I make meetings, I got a little time under my belt, but still...”
“Look, Dondi, I ain’t no better. At least we can try, and...if it don’t work out. Hell, you’ll still be clean...” Jabari fumbled with his words trying to find the right ones to say and couldn’t. “...and I’ll still be...”
“Jabari...sweet old...Jabari.” She smiled then snickered making him feel a whole hell of a lot better. “Well...so far...sounds good.”
“So, far, huh?”
****
“Did he see us?” Tangie asked as she peered her head up from behind the dash.
The Sheriff was slumped down right next to her behind the wheel. “Naw...don’t think so.”
“I can’t believe Dondi would lie to me! She told me she didn’t know where he was!”
The Sheriff got on his radio and told his Deputies he’d spotted the truck and was following closely behind it. “So, you know the girl?”
“Something like that.”
“And...”
“She was a person of interest...in a double murder...”
“What!” Bobby was shocked. “And you didn’t say this before, because of what?”
“She was involved, Bobby. I had spoken to her already, hell, that D.A. bitch Sunshine tried to damn near kill her.”
The Sheriff pulled the car over and turned toward her. “Hold up...anything else you want to tell me?”
“No...you know everything. I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you about her, but she’s the last person I would have expected to see. Anyway, why don’t we just stop him...”
“No, he’s gonna lead us to the owner of the vehicle.”
“Who?”
“They call him, Double D.”
“Yeah...I spoke to his mother...”
“Damn, Tangie...really! Anything else...really!”
Tangie kept her mouth shut, even though, she was tempted to tell him that everything he knew, she knew, and it only took a week or so to get it. His office needed an upgrade bad and she made a mental note to thank Missy for hers when she got back, but right now, she tried to stay focused and composed.
“So...what happens when he gets where he’s going? Do you know where he’s going or what?”
The Sheriff glanced over at her and said, “Hopefully...he’s taking us to a meth lab.”
“A meth lab!”
“You said you wanted to ride.”
“Oh God...please, Jabari...don’t be involved.”
“Yeah...for his sake.”
The Sheriff continued to follow close behind Jabari, at least three cars behind, not realizing at all that the car in front of his was Hulie’s.
“What the hell...” Was all the Sheriff could get out of his mouth.
The shit happened so quick, the truck turned abruptly and sharply down a dirt road off to the left. He was right behind it, he noticed underneath the tops of the trees was burnt, brownish, and dead looking, and this crazy smelling odor came from the area like bed socks in the heat of the sun and stunk like all hell. He knew from his training and experience, that it was a trail leading to a meth-making operation. Why didn’t he spot it from the air when SLED came through with the Helo? He didn’t know, but when he looked toward the back end of the road and the sides around him, all he saw were acres of top, heavy oak trees, camouflaging everything in sight.
“Damn good cover,” He said to himself. “No wonder we never knew where to find it.”
The car in front of him turned also, and that’s what threw him off. What the hell was going on now? He followed this same car from town, maybe, it was a set-up. He stopped at the front-end of the road and got on his radio. In between crackling, scratching sounds and bad frequency, the only audible words that got through were: “This is the Sheriff...halfway up Highway 17...gonna need back up...and a lot of it...”
Tangie stared at the truck trying to keep an eye on Jabari as it rambled down the winding dirt road, then suddenly, it screeched to a halt. Halfway up the road, the car in front of them stopped too. The Sheriff reached in the back for his shotgun and told Tangie to stay low. She did, but not before she got a peep into the car in front of them and had a clear view of the driver and recognized him.
“Oh shit! Where’d the fuck did he come from?” she asked.
“Who?” The Sheriff inquired.
“The car in front of us...the driver is bad news.”
“Shit...the whole damn thing is bad!”
“Naw...this guy is fucked up, trouble...from outta Charleston. His name is, Hulie.”
The Sheriff got back on the radio and started babbling off. “C’mon people...it’s about to get real ugly out here!” Evidently, he knew Hulie also.
Chapter Fifteen
Jason picked up the call from a cheap, old scanner he’d bought from Walmart for little to nothing, and the frequency, he got that off the internet. The Sheriff’s call for back-up came through as plain as day as him and Double D scrambled around shredding paper, mostly addresses, receipts and phone numbers. Then, suddenly, a high-pitched whine went off in the speakers in front of the barn, a wire had been tripped up the road, Ball was on their way in. Jason looked over at Double D and they both knew it wasn’t going to be good. Stacy came running through the back door with an arm full of large Army duffel bags.
“Okay, D, load the fuckin’ bags with as much cash as you can get in it!” Jason told Double D.
Double D was on it, right along with Stacy. They stuffed fists full of cash into the bags, then Smoak came rushing through the door right behind Stacy.
“Dee, your truck is in the middle of the road!” Smoak yelled. “Is that, Jabari in it?”
Double D looked up, he’d completely forgot about that. “Hell yeah...tell him he’s got to move...”
“No...no!” Jason said. “Keep the truck parked there, matter of fact, block the road. It’ll slow down the police when they come.”
“A’ight...I’m on it.” Smoak ran out to the truck and Jabari was just getting out.
“What the fuck is going on?” Jabari asked.
Smoak pushed him out of the way and jumped in the truck. He put it in gear and angled it sideways, blocking the road.
“It’s a raid...a big one. You might want to get your things together! Get ready to haul ass!” He turned around and started to race back to the barn, then stopped and looked past him. “The girl, too!”
****
All hell had broken loose. Tangie was in the back seat of the car in a state of shock, crying and shivering like a scared child. The Sheriff was bent over toward the side door, trying to get closer to it. His arm had blood all over it, leaking out of a small hole near his shoulder, he’d been shot.
He glanced over at Tangie and yelled out, “Snap out of it! Now listen up, try to go out through the side door once I open up this one over here and run like hell toward the highway and stay low!”
“But, what about you? You’re bleeding...I can’t leave...”
“Damnit Tangie, I ain’t got time for that shit, right now! I’m okay, just do what I told you.”
The Sheriff reached into the glove compartment and pulled out some more shells, then reloaded the shotgun. His handgun was still in his holster, he never got a chance to pull it out with all the shooting going on. He angled his body around and braced the side of the steering wheel then kicked the door open. Tangie opened the back door and jumped out, then took off hauling ass up the road.
****
“Goddamn!” Hulie started telling himself. “How the hell did this shit happen? Got a Sheriff in back of me...motherfuckin’ crazy ass white boys shooting at me in front and I’m fuckin’ trapped in the middle like a fuckin’ rat.”
Bullets whizzed past his head as he looked both ways for an out and found none. He thought about jumping out of the side of the road where the foliage was thicker, but he didn’t have any idea where to go from there. He damn sure didn’t want to get trapped off in the woods, but fuck it, that seemed to be the only way to go right about now. He’d already tried to make a run for it, a little while ago, and ended up shooting at the Sheriff. He shot at someone in the car, didn’t know exactly who, dust was all over the place, but it didn’t matter anyway. With his luck, it was all the same, bad...probably a stinkin’ cop. He damn sure didn’t need that along with the rest of the bullshit he was already going through.
