A week ago, it wouldn’t have crossed my mind to kill a man that wronged me. I had worked hard changin’ and making myself a new man. A respectable law abidin’ businessman. But muthafuckas didn’t want me to be a good man. They wanted the savage I had been years ago, runnin’ the streets and causing mayhem. The man next to him shook as he coughed up blood like he had never seen a dead body. These niggas out here doing hits on muthafuckas and scared of a little blood and brain matter.
“I… I don’t know where he is. I swear, man. I just did what I was told. Kennedy runs point…” the one covered in Damon’s blood sputtered.
Blue stepped around the man placing his fingers on the pulse point of his neck.
“Ya pulse says you’re lyin'. Ya eyes twitch left when lyin’. Right when guilty. You looked left.” Blue said flatly.
“You want me to start? I don’t need many tools. Just five fingers and time.” Black huffed, cracking his knuckles.
“Start with the hand he used to aim a gun at my family?” I told Black. Then I stepped over to our last guest. “You can either tell me what I want to know or cutting you up piece by piece will be merciful compared to what I’ll do to you,” I told him. I didn’t have any more time to play with these muthafuckas. I needed answers and they were gon’ give them to me. Picking up a thin blade from the table of torture devices, I gripped it in my hand before bringin’ it down across the niggas face in front of me. His warm blood sprayed out covering my chest and arm as he howled in pain.
“If you don’t want me to peel the skin off yo’ muthafuckin’ face, talk!
“Okay! Okay! H-He’s in the hollow on the outskirts of town.” He cried as blood ran down his face and his partner screamed next to him. “Big old house in the woods… used to be a hunting cabin. Kyle said once he got his family back, they were leaving. His sister has been living there since she came to town plottin’ on your wife. You were our main target. Once we took you out, we were supposed to bring your wife and daughter to the spot. Kyle told us to make sure you didn’t walk away from the attack but Kennedy. She wanted you alive.” He said, sweating and pulling on his restraints.
“Get eyes on that house. Once you make sure his information is real, lock the area down. No movement without me knowin’.I want eyes on everyone that steps in or out.” I spat, stepping behind my victim.
“Already on it. I’ll confirm and alert you and our team as soon as I have something,” Blue huffed.
“Pick a safer job in ya next life bitch.” I said to Kyle’s goon before snapping his neck. “Black, finish him,” I said, ready to get this shit over with. Black stood from his torture with a huff like I was interrupting his fun. He stepped behind the screaming man without a word then silenced him with a quick twist of his neck.
“What now?” I said still brimming with murderous energy.
“Go home to your daughter we got this. We’ll let you know when it's time to move.” Blue said, still focusing on his laptop like we weren’t just in the midst of torture and murder feet away from him.
But he was right. I wanted nothing more than to go home but I couldn’t look Timberly in her eyes and tell her that I didn’t know where her mother was or when she was coming home.
I needed my wife back. Now.
“She needs you.” Black said, obviously reading my mind.
“Call me.” I said.
The house was too quiet when I entered. Too quiet. Despite the added additions of Tyra, DJ, Del, Pops and Janelle who had volunteered to stay here since Nova was taken, the house still felt empty. Closing the door behind me I locked it and set the alarm as I moved through the foyer. I could hear Janelle bellowing orders on her cell from the family room where she had been stationed since she arrived. I followed her voice to where the noise was coming from and just like I thought Del was next to her with her laptop and headphones on no doubt coordinating all our plans with Blue. Not bothering to interrupt I headed into the kitchen and found Pops nursing a glass of brown with a similar look of vengeance in his eyes.
“You get anything outta those pieces of shit?” Pops asked, not even looking up from his drink.
“Yeah. Enough. Once we shook the trees we found out that Kyle might have her somewhere out in the hollow. But you and I both know nobody lives out that way. Maybe some bootleggers or a few of the homeless dudes from town living in tents, but no houses. My people are checking it now just in case. If they find anything we’ll move in.” I told him.
“Why aren’t you waitin’? You could be walkin’ into a trap,” he asked, finally looking up with bloodshot eyes.
“I know Pops. But I have to try no matter the cost.” I said. My brain was working overtime plotting revenge on Kyle.
“Listen to me, boy. I want that bastard Kyle dead. All of ‘em. Any man breathin’ who laid hands on her, but you can’t go in there halfcocked. You need to think like a father for Timberly. She needs you. You can’t die for revenge. You have to live for her and Nova. Do you hear me? Nobody takes anything from us and lives to talk about it. I know you wanted to be a better man, and you have been but right now your wife doesn’t need a good man hunting for revenge, she needs a calculated killer. I see that look in your eye. Same one you had when Sabrina died. You remember what you did to men you thought were responsible for her death?” Pops said, leaning forward and looking me in the eyes.
“What do you want me to do, huh? Sit on my hands? Wait for Kyle to send me a piece of her in the mail?” I said through clenched teeth.
“No. I want you to kill ‘em all. But I want you to do it smart. I want you to come back alive. I want you to be here to hold Timberly when she wakes up screamin’ asking for you and her mama.” Pops shouted standing up slowly.
“I don’t know how to answer her.” I said breathing out a ragged breath.
“You tell her Crew-dad’s gonna bring her mother home. And you damn well make sure you do.” He said, voice cracking a little.
“Yeah.” I said swallowing hard.
“You’re my grandson. You got my blood in you. But you ain’t a rabid dog no more. Keep your head. Plan. Then make ‘em pay.” Pops said, pointing at me, his voice hardening again.
“I hear you, Pops.”