The Kiss of Death [Dave East]

09

RUSSELL GRUNTED HEAVILY AS HE LIFTED THE RANDOM MAN BY HIS TORSO, slamming him onto the concrete ground. Harden threw a drunken punch at the guys jaw. "Yeah bitch!" He rooted, laughing hestericlly. Russell gave the guy a kick to the rib, grabbing Harden by the back of his shirt. "Get in the crib! Let's go!" He yelled. Harden was laughing uncontrollably as he entered the elevator, watching him flick one of the button's. Russell shoved Hardens lose body away from him. He cringed at the strong smell of alcohol radiating from his body. It was too early for Harden to be day drinking.

He laughed even more when he seen that Russell was giving him the mom look, hands on his hips. The leader had on no shirt, just his flannel patterned boxers and some nike slides. "Bruh, it's 10am. The fuck you doing drunk?" He yelled, throwing his arms around. "I-I had a bottle. I was bored." He shrugged his shoulders. "You stay drinking and shit, how you ever gon' be focused wit yo mind somewhere else?" He complained. The elevator buzzed and the doors jerked open, the two walked out of the elevating room and headed down the hall.

Harden was walking sloppily, his body swayed left and right, his legs also gave out often making him nearly death drop. "The kids at school?" He slurred, to which Russell didn't even answer. He popped open the door, waving him in. "Yea the kids at school." Harden slide out of his jordans, stumbling into the room. "Ima blow Smokes head off her shoulders. Soon as she out, ima have her brain oozing out like some vomit. Swear down." Russell chuckled at his drunken nonsense, helping his brother to the couch.

"I'm serious Russ. I do it for you, you do the same for me?"

"I'd scope." Russell nodded. Harden smiled faintly, finally collapsing onto the couch in a sense of reassurance. "Swear down?" He uttered, sounding like a child. Russell nodded, finally standing straight. "Swear down." He patted Hardens chest twice, watching him fall asleep slow. Russell sighed, sitting on the floor, his head near Hardens. The two went way back, Russell didn't remember much of his father. He was never in his life and his mom was a drink. He seen Harden's face more. When he was sixteen, Russell's father was shot and killed, since then he's been taking care of his siblings Geneva, Kianna and Serenity. His mother died off drug overdose long before his father. Harden on the other hand, wasn't use to having an authority figure in his life.

Since they were young, Russell knew Harden was going to come up the way he is now. Harden never went to school, dropping out in the 8th grade. The only reason why he dropped out so late for a kid who wasn't being forced to go to school, was because Russell nagged him too. Harden was the first to succumb to the streets, he started moving product to get by. He ran from the foster system, seeking shelter in Russell's home. He put Russell on with the street life, taking him over. They ran up and down the streets either moving weight or chasing people off the block with pistols in their hands. Their friendship melded into a brotherhood. They've both lost so much, who's to know what happens if one of them pass.

———-

Spades walked towards the couch with his glass of water, settling down onto the soft cushions. He reached for the laptop just as his phone vibrated off the glass table. He moved in the dim lighting, over the hard wooden floor to reach his cellphone. The texts read MCC Chicago, Federal Bureau of Prisons. He quickly swiped on the arrow, holding it to his ear.

"Yea?"

"Hello! Is this Lucas Green?"

Spades heart raced. "Yea, yea this him. Who asking?"

"I'm just calling to follow up on the trial of Anissa Reed. You were the only person listed under her files, you and a Marcus Dean? But he seems to be incarcerated too. Correct me if I—"

"Nah you not, you straight! what was it 'bout Anissa?"

"She passed for bail—"

Spades threw his fist up, a large smile sat on his face.

"Her bond stands to $60,000."

Spades gritted his teeth, silently muttering curse words to himself. That's a stretch. "Hello?" He finally came back to reality. "Sorry, yes, yes. Thank you. Love, love all love!" He hung up the phone after bidding her a farewell. He slammed his telly onto the table, locking his fingers into his deep curly hair. Vice didn't have sixty-thousand to spare. Out of anger and built up frustration, Spades flung his phone across the room with force, striking a hole in the window. In a blink of an eye, Dave shot out of his room followed by Lucks who had his gun drawn.

"The fuck was that?" Lucks asked, tucking his gun away. Spades remained silent, too deep in thought. "We gotta work these niggas." He said simply. "We can't." A voice blurred out loud. They all craned their neck around, Cesar stood in the centre of the hallway, a look of exhaustion rested on his face. "The fuck you mean we can't? My nigga what you doing with the youngins?" Spades spat.

"It was Russell. Two of ours were stabbed on Saturday, since then the youngbulls been too shook to go and work the corners."

"Call them!"

"They not answering thei—"

"Call them!" Spades yelled even louder. Lucks and Cesar were too shocked to even react, neither one of them have seen him act like this. "Yo." Dave said from the kitchen. Spades turned around angrily, staring at him with pulsing eyes. "Lemme holla at you." He motioned to the hallway with his head. Spades sighed, following him down the hall. Dave lead him towards what would've been Marcus' old bedroom. "What's wrong with you? We gonna get Anissa out. We can make the bread in a couple. Don't stress it man." Everything he said went right over Spades head.

"You don't get it. The Union meeting is coming up."

"Union meeting?"

"Kingpins discuss business, money handling shit like that. Kingpins usually arrive with their second hand. Anissa has to be here for it." Spades sat on Dave'a messy bed. Dave modded, leaning against the door. "Why can't someone take her place?" He asked. "Someone like you?" He added. Spades was never out in a situation like that before. He was just the right hand, he didn't make decisions, he didn't elaborate or pitch ideas. He only executed them. The Union Meeting was no place for him. "I'd be a joke. They look to Anissa." He said.

"Okay. So how we gonna push the guap?"

Spades sighed, finally realizing his final decisions. Calls were going to have to be made. "Lemme see your phone." Spades said. Dave willfully dig into his pocket and gave him the device, Spades fiddled with it for a while, finally dialling the number he was trying so hard to remember. "Who is this?" Xiao's Chinese accent filled the phones speaker. "Xiao, this is Spades." He responded. Dave watched him in confusion and curiosity, a feeling that he's felt a lot since he joined the Vice.

"Anissa's in prison."

"We heard. What does that have to do with us?"

"Everything. You're apart of The Union. Without her, it'll break apart. Back to street violence. Ain't no money in that."

"I'm listening."

"Her bond stands at 60k. We don't have the money to spare—

"And you think we do?"

"You owe her your fucking lives! We'll pay you back however you want once Anissa's out."

"My brother won't like this."

"The money will only be gone for two days. You'll get every dime back in due time."

"Tonight, come to the restaurant and we'll give you the money. Don't be late. 8:30."

Xiao hung up the phone before he could wish her well. "Xiao's getting us the money." He answered, handing Spades his phone back. "Who was she?" Dave asked. "Xiao's part of the Tao Triad. She's her brothers right hand, Chen. And they're expecting us in a couple of hours." He shrugged.