The Jersey Wars

Chapter 9 - Down & Out

November 1988

Mark Adams sat in his Irvington, New Jersey apartment waiting for the telephone to ring. He was to receive confirmation from some Dominican cats he'd hired that KC and Ghost were dead so that he would have an easier time of killing JDC, then swooping in and taking over leadership of North Jersey, restoring it to its rightful place in The Garden State Syndicate.

Vincenzo Ditta and Vito Costanzo had already assured him that once JDC was dead, he'd be entitled to his place in The Syndicate....as Don. Mark wasn't a completely hard hearted individual though. When he was first approached by Ditta and Costanzo he'd declined their offer. Mark and JDC had come up together and to betray that kind of bond had taken a lot, but once JDC had willingly let North Jersey get kicked out of the G.S.S., to Mark that was the last straw.

It had been Ditta's law enforcement and political influence that had helped Mark to financially thrive in his counties, but without them he may as well have worked on salary, so he reasoned with himself that the betrayal was strictly business. Mark loved JDC like a brother, but his time had come and gone. It was time for North Jersey to become an East Coast power once again, and he was just the man to guide it there.

The information he'd given the Dominican hitters was spot on. They knew everything about KC and Ghost's work schedule and extracurricular activities so all they had to do was pick their opening and BOOM!....two of the most feared killers in the history of New Jersey would be a me memory.....

****

I was never one for hip hop/rap music. All of it sounds like a bunch of bewildering nonsense to me, but if I had to pick one "artist" that embodies the true spirit of the life I'd lived it'd be Tupac Shakur. He made a song that talks about what truly lies in the hearts of men, and as I lay on the brink of death and recounting the situation with Mark that song is playing on repeat in my head. The point that I'm trying to make is simply this:

the people that you keep close and consider to be your greatest friends in the world, your family, your boyfriend/girlfriend, there's no conceivable way to tell what truly lies in someone's heart. It's unfortunate that a good man had to die before something could be done about it....

****

Vincenzo Ditta and Vito Costanzo sat in Vito's study, a sniffer of cognac and a lit cigar sat off to the side of each man's right hand as they discussed business. Vito's eyes were red and teary as they'd just finished discussing CeCe's funeral service from a few weeks ago. Taking a sip of the spirits, Ditta patted Vito's had in a reassuring manner. "Mark's gonna come through for us Vito, just you wait and see. I think that he wants JDC dead more than we do."

Smiling at his mentor's words Vito replied, "Of course he does, but who's to say that he'll succeed?"

Nodding in agreement Ditta responded, "That's why it's up to us to help by stacking the deck in his favor. Now what's stopping anyone from putting some hot ones in that fat fucker JDC's head?"

Taking a four second pull of the cigar Vito answered, "That security of his; those hammers KC and Ghost have been stuck to his ass like baby shit. If we could get those two out of the way, killing JDC would then be easy." A look of disgust crossed Ditta's face before he countered, "They're crazy as hell those two, but they're probably some of the best that I've ever seen. Attaching a tail to either of them will be no small feat."

Standing up from his desk with the cigar in his hand, Vito paced while motioning wildly, "Well something has to be done Vince! These fucking niggers have killed THREE of my children AND blew up my fucking restaurant! They CAN'T get away with this shit!"

Ditta stood and put a hand on Vito's shoulder which halted his pacing motion, "You worry too much kid. Let's see what Mark can do before we get ourselves all worked up. Trust me, if he can do what he says he can, CeCe, Petey, Jeanie, AND Dolfi will be rightfully avenged."

Looking his mentor right in the eye, Vito angrily responded, "They damn well better be...."

****

"....then the guy was like, 'I was in there earlier and I just left to get my wallet from the car.' Lying ass bastard!"

Amber then laughed at the punchline of her own story. KC and Amber were double dating with Ghost and his girlfriend Fay (a 5'6" 110 lb. mocha-skinned beauty), and as the foursome walked through the movie theater parking lot Ghost got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Pulling KC aside, Ghost spoke in a low and almost imperceptible tone, "Keep your eyes open, I got a feeling."

KC simply nodded his head and palmed the loaded Desert Eagle at his side. He was well aware of Ghost's hunches and since they were so (98.3%) accurate, he kept his eyes moving around the lot as they walked toward Ghost's Ford Bronco. Ghost had a Desert Eagle as well, only his was holstered beneath his San Francisco 49ers windbreaker.

Amber and Fay were running their mouths and oblivious to the danger that was potentially waiting for them. As they reached the truck, Ghost signaled KC with a "tsk-tsk" before opening the front passenger door. It was an unwritten agreement that whenever they double dated, KC drove since he was the better driver of the two. KC followed Ghost's eyes to a tinted out black Camaro that was parked about fifty yards to their left.

"Ladies," Ghost said in a serious tone of voice. "Get in the car and don't ask any questions."

Fay and Ghost had been together for years so she knew what his lifestyle entailed and while Amber was somewhat aware as to how KC rolled, she had to ask, "What's going on here Jamison?"

Still eyeing the Camaro, KC withdrew his gun and asked in a low and growling voice, "Didn't you hear what my cousin just said?! Get in the ride and I'll explain later!" The Camaro's headlights instantly came on and the car zoomed toward the truck at break-neck speed. The ladies froze at the open passenger side doors as Ghost and KC stood side by side with their weapons brandished. They'd been putting in work together for so long that no verbal communication was necessary.

As the car swiftly approached, Ghost's finger tensed around the trigger as KC mentally aimed at the vehicle's occupants. The Camaro came up on them....and rolled on past.

"Man it wasn't nothing but some fucking teenagers!" Ghost yelled as the car sped off into the distance. "This is some bullshit!"

Lightly chuckling at his friend's reaction, KC opened the front driver side door and said, "We were on point though weren't we Cousi...." A figure wearing all black and a silver ski mask suddenly leapt from the back driver side seat and began stabbing KC in the neck, chest, and right shoulder with what looked to be a small sword. Fay and Amber started screaming which unfroze Ghost from his state of shock.

With the gun still in his hand, he aimed at the assassin over the truck's roof and squeezed off three times. The bullets found their mark in the assassin's head which dropped him immediately. Fay (who was a registered nurse) rushed around the truck to KC who had fallen to the asphalt.

There were numerous deep and heavily bleeding wounds all over his upper body and the hectic nature of his breathing only caused them to bleed more.

Fay took off her sweater and covered the majority of KC's neck and chest to no avail as he instantly bled through the garment and started going into shock.

By this time Ghost had come around the truck with Amber and knelt to the ground. He held his comrade's hand as he watched the life bleed from out of the big man. Amber had also knelt and grabbed KC's other hand as her falling tears stained his blood smeared face.

"JAMISON!" She continuously cried (more like howled) his name. KC looked up at Ghost and used the last of his remaining strength to strongly grip his boy's hand and weakly utter, "Make....those....mu'fuckas....pay...."

KC's head then lolled to the right as his open and lifeless hazel eyes stared at whatever it was that lay beyond the realm of the living. Fay and Amber sobbed heavily while Ghost removed his shades and silently made a vow to murder whoever was responsible for this direct violation. A single teardrop fell from Ghost's eye as he prayed and wished his friend a safe passage into the afterlife....