Collect Calls: The Heist

Chapter 2: Prinsloo Bridge

If there's one animal JayB can relate to, it's a shark. The principle of Death by Immobility is a mainstay of JayB's beliefs so while the plastic packet was sailing through the air JayB had already darted away. Those two are just a few of the brutes Shaka sent after him, akin to a block of ice which happens to fall of the tip of an iceberg.

As long as he stays in Shaka's corner of the world, JayB will have no safety so he decides to do what any sane man facing nearly insurmountable odds does in the face of life and death; run as fast as your red sneakers can carry you. In roughly the direction JayB was running away from, a thick plume of black smoke rises up like the arm of a new born demon and furiously punches at the sky. An explosion erupts, causing the smoke to surge with youthful, obese vigour.

JayB spares a second to quickly glance back but he doesn't stop. He only shakes his head slightly. This wasn't supposed to happen. Disasters never are. At that moment a familiar malevolent tune rings from JayB's right pocket. It's his phone ringing but he doesn't stop to pick it up. He just darts out of the maze of backyards, sidestreets and potholed cul de sacs and onto Roseville's main road: Bridge Lane. The Prinsloo Bridge, so named after the family that owns everybody in Roseville, connects the cramped but large township to Greater Port Nataal. It spans about 70 metres over the Nataal River. It's a major passageway, one of the largest in the whole Port Nataal metro area.

Where there are people, there is crime. The number of gangs and organisations of varying creeds, ethnicities and disciplines which have branches on or near the Prinsloo Bridge nearly encompass every gang which operates in Port Nataal. In this sort of melting pot of crime, it would be detrimental to business if conflict were allowed to spark wantonly and as such, police presence is kept at a maximum.

However, police have never offered JayB any safety. Police are like cats, JayB had thought seven years ago, they're released into the maze whenever the scientists feel we need motivation, or coaxing, or controlling. JayB found safety in the complexity of the maze. Some corners are dangerous because they are dark. Other corners are dangerous because of who switches the lights on and some, admittedly rare, corners are safe because the light is always on. Bridge Lane is of the latter.

Due to the immense profitability of Prinsloo Bridge, no gang was willing to let any other hold monopoly over Bridge Lane and no gang was willing to lose members in such a volatile, but lucrative, area so a somewhat unspoken rule existed on Bridge Lane which was enforced by those it applied to: Don't stir the pot.

Yes, there are hijackings, muggings, drug dealing, credit card scams, plenty of con-men and theft on Bridge Lane but, as any police officer would explain, there's very little actual violence. This is because of the Unspoken Rule. Although Shaka would, no doubt, have men on Bridge Lane, those men's jobs aren't to murder. That requires a specific skillset which not every gang member posseses. JayB does and if Shaka tried to send killers into Bridge Lane, the reaction from the various gangs would be many times worse than the benefit of killing JayB. JayB understands this.

His phone rings again. This time he picks it up and starts "Shaka..." "Where are you?" but he is cut off by Shaka's cold voice. "Bridge Lane," JayB replies with similar coldness blowing into his voice.

"Yous a smart one" Shaka compliments, "but it won't be enough. You owe me."

"Look man, you're right. I do owe you but it ain't my fault. Shawn went crazy, shooting up the house and shit. He wanted to cross me on the deal! The fuck was I supposed to do?" JayB explains in an angry whisper, "look. I'll pay you for the house, that's on me. What's that need? Like a hundred stacks*?"

The other end of the like is silent for a long time before Shaka speaks. "Did you save me as fool on your phone? I know you took the cash from the house before it went up in smoke, I also know you took 10 keys of yay**, but they ain't with you now. Tell me where you stashed em and my cash and we can start talking bout what you owe me for the house,"

"Fuck you." JayB replies decisively. "If you think I'm bout to roll over like a bitch, you prolly don't know how big my balls are. Why don't you ask your girl Tee? She'll tell you the diameter of my balls to the millimeter, bitch."

On the other end of the line Shaka, who's currently enjoying breakfast on one of the finer dining establishments within Port Nataal, finds his face twitching with rage. How long's it been? 5? 10 years since somebody talked to me like that. I gotta calm down before my big announcement later. This fool don't even know who he's talking to. Thinking this far, Shaka takes a deep breath and glances at his wrist which is attached to an exquisite, very flashy, gold watch. 9:20. "You got till 10:00 to tell me where you stashed my shit and get your stupid ass out of Port Nataal." Shaka commands like a man who's used to an expensive suit of power and authority.

"Or what? You'll get your goons to look for me? The same goons who ain't found Tee in 3 months?" JayB replied.

"You can hide, but can your grandma in Park Rynie hide too?"

JayB flashed a vicious, triumphant smile before replying, "Bitch all my grandmas dead! I ain't ever lived in Park Rynie. You think I'd tell your stupid goons where I live? See you around, you dumb fuck," the sound of a call dropping carries through the speakers on Shaka's phone. A look of anger flashes across his face before he puts the phone down and carries on with his meal like nothing happened.

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While JayB and Shaka are enjoying their conversation, on the other side of town in a small, quiet neighbourhood a family wakes up with anxiety and dread carved into their faces. There are only two women in this family but in a perfect world, there would also be 3 men.

The older woman has a beautiful, kind face that's had wrinkles pressed into it by stress and sadness. Streaks of grey line her hair and her lips are dry, almost chapped. Her eyes exude a sense of desperation and defeat all at once. 10 years ago, she was 34 years old. Now, she looks almost 60.

The younger woman is different. She shares the woman's richly brown skin tone, but her face is still supple without a trace of wrinkles. Her hair also resembles her mother's, save for the lack of grey streaks but the biggest difference is in the eyes. Where her mothers wail with despair and defeat, her's yell to the heavens in rage, the will to fight and a faint trace of hope. This girl was 12 years old 10 years ago.

The two women go about their tasks quickly, washing, eating and getting dressed, in silence. They both wear formal looking shirts, skirts and shoes in neutral Browns and beiges. The only words that are passed between them occur when they are both in the car, waiting for the garage door to open. "Mom..." the young woman says, "are you sure you're up for it?"

The older woman is quiet, then she replies, "whether I'm up for it or not isn't important sweetie. Today, your dad either comes home, or we never seen him again." A tear glistens on her eye. The garage door is fully opened. Silence drills into every soundwave in the small cabin of the white 2005 corolla. The young girl, Nina, determindly nods and puts the car in reverse. I'm going to get you out today, dad. She silently promises, everything I've done has been for today. Today, it pays off. The car reverses out of the garage and onto the street. Nina shifts it into first gear and presses the accelerator. The car drives off towards the Port Nataal High Court.

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*A/N*
Slightly shorter chapter but I felt it unnecessary to make it too long. A lot of important things happen or are set to happen in this chapter. This chapter also sets the tone for how most of the dialogue is probably going to sound throughout the story.
Also...

*a "stack" refers to a thousand dollars/thousand currency
**A key is a kilogram, yay is usually cocaine