A Trap Within A Trap

Chapter 6

Jaquez could feel his heart beating a thousand times a minute, as he remained ducked behind the hip height freezer at the front of the grocery store. He heard the discharge of bullets spraying from outside, and was down before the first of the ordinance whizzed over his head. He had his Glock in hand before he went to look over the counter in search for the elderly attendant he whitnessed being violently punctured by the life taking beads of hot lead seconds before. She did not explode, or even scream like the scenes in an action movie. But the slow motion of those few seconds would haunt even the hardest of criminal / soldier.

The woman instinctively clenched her eyes shut, to protect her eyes from the shards of glass, or possibly in response to the deafening endless explosions. Though Jaquez conjectured, (enjoying the hindsight labeled 20/20) over the fact that the more appropriate reaction should've been to duck. She held to the counter as she felt the aggressive thrusts against her backside pushing her forward. Her eyes flying open to lock upon where filled with fear, pain, and sorrow. Realizing those thrusts continued through her body, destroying vital and necessary machinery that allowed her respite in this world.

Jaquez took in the wall sized window covered in advertisement, now all but destroyed. There she layed with eyes still open, making the motions of breath tho it was apparent none came. She was an older, overly plump, Latino woman, who probably had grand children to watch later that night while her son worked the graveyard shift. As she was the actual "Mom" of this "Mom and Pop" business. 'Stop that shit Jaquez!' he demanded of himself 'THINK! Think about all tha shit you gonna do with your life when you make it out of this, without a bullet in ya ass!'

Looking out of the window he did not see either Suburban that followed them, within the urban landscape. He hoped this was a "drive by", which meant they should be driving the fuck on at this point. He decided to take a chance, and crossed over to the front entrance. He rose from crouching to peek out on his homeboys to check and see if they got iced. The memory of the children playing out in front of the store hit him like a freight train, causing his stomach to turn, and the hairs on the back of his neck to stand.

He stoned himself and decided to jet to the either car for cover, no matter what he might see when he stepped out. While taking in a deep breath for courage, he heard the distant sounds of a helicopter growing closer. "FUCK!" he hissed under his breath 'Fuck my life! This shitty day just keeps gettin better.' Whether it was the fuckpigs, or the news on that fucking thing it wouldn't matter, either way he couldn't chance being seen down here. '... and not just cuz i'm on papers either.' He ran out the back, fell over a pile of boxes in the alley scuffing up his new Jordans, and dropped one of his beepers. He didn't give a fuck as long as he got far from here. He memorized Feeds last number anyway, and so all he had to do was find a payphone. 'I gotta let Feed know wassup.' He thought. He had a passing idea as he half jogged, and speed walked 'This coulda been Feed! Shit!', but it wasn't his style. Jaquez had been part of a few eraser jobs for Feed, and Feed likes short, sweet, and cheap. Those trucks and shit, the bullets all through that store was more than he'd put into taking him out. 'Fucking, that thick chick last night had me sprung the fuck out. He could've of put me down with her easy. So nah.' Still he saved that idea for later consideration.

'Why can't I find a fuckin payphone! It's getting harder to find a phone since everybody was ditching beepers for them mini cell phones out now. I can't trust those things not being tapped. Feed said they were definitely being tracked.' "How else is that little box on a phone line all day." He'd say. After a brisk walk as fast as possible without being to noticeable, he was ten blocks away from the scene. 'At least I look like I'm from around here.' He figured.

He was in the black part of town and so fit in, unless he had to start talkin, cuz then the Brooklyn sty would come tumbling out. Finally a payphone was only two blocks away. He picked up his step, but worked to keep chill. Reaching in his pocket to pull out his beeper he remembered it was ghost, and that he didn't give a fuck then; but now that shit slowed down, he knew it was a dumb move to leave it. As the panic began to rise he remembered Feeds new number, which changed every week. He slipped in the phone booth as he heard sirens heading his way. He leaning into a corner keeping his back to the sounds of Miami's finest, as he also held the phone to his ear feigning a conversation. A steady stream of police, and ambulances sped by 'I hope my boy didn't x'ed out.' He thought, not giving a single thought to the peons that drove in the car behind them.

"Feed!? Yo! I ..."

"Shut the fuck up! Where the fuck are you?" Feed cut in.

"Yo, I'm at ..." he franticly looked up, turning round a few times searching for street signs. Now looking full on suspect, half wrapped in the phone line as he finished "... uh Whitney and 1st. Yo, it ain't my fault we were ..."

"I said, SHUT, the, fuck, UP!" Feeds tone a low, quiet growl. Jaquez decided not to piss him off more than he already was, and just listen. "My cars and your monkeys are on the fuckin news right now. Are you anywhere near this shit?"

"Nah, I'm like twenty blocks away ..."

"Hold on." Feed said, Jaquez could hear mumbles in the background. "There's a storefront church Notre-Dame' D'Haiti on that street you're already on." Feed started "Stay on Whitney Avenue, move the opposite direction of the shit storm you brought to Miami ..."

"Feed, man I'm sayin ..."

"Mutha fucker, MUTHA FUCKA!!" Jaquez heard the phone fumble, and knew just what it was. He had seen Feed do it during his rage filled conversations with other people. He'd half drop the phone then catch it, fumble to get it up right and back to his ear, to then hold it out in front of his face yelling with eyes a blaze, and crazed the fuck out. "You say any another word than "yes" by the end of this convo, nigga..." he scuffed, "It's gonna be the end of you." Feed said in a weird sing song, pleading manner. Feed then breathed in fire, to exhale ice. "Walk another eight blocks. Go in, sit at a pew and wait, my boys will be there. Say your Hail Mary's If you want. Get me?" Jaquez was about to remind Feed they both didn't believe in God, to lighten the mood but noticed that dead silence of an ended call that was confirmed once the automated message kicked in. "If you 'd like to make another call, please hang up and dial again ..."

Jaquez hung up, and pulled a picture of his motivation out. Both Greg and Alicia,cheek to cheek with bright smiles. He felt jealousy fall over him then ebb away just as quickly. He had done his job, was doing it as best he could. His babies'll grow with food always in their bellies, and no fear in their heart. 'I wish I grew up with that. Plus they got each other. Somebody who will always be the other's keeper. He thought again about the children playing out in front of the grocery store. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to breathe. And to find that special place within his mind, to hold the image of his kids fresh in his mind forever.

'That lil girl jumping rope ... she looked so much like my Alyssia.'