Chapter 43

The elevator dings behind us, bringing down the last batch of niggas to The Loft's lobby. As expected, one of us is missing despite me warning this nigga not to be late. I ain't goin' out my way to remind him either. If he cares about Candyce as much he says he do, then I shouldn't have to.

Simon's ass woke me up three hours before my alarm could. The birds was still chirping outside when he started shaking me awake. I jumped up and grabbed my gun off the nightstand out of reflex. Simon ain't bat an eye. He stared at me with a straight face and said, "Get up."

I prolly would've choked him out if I was in my right state of mind. But I had been fighting demons all night, so I took his early morning wake-up call as a blessing.

Let's just say Candyce's situation got to me a lot more than I thought. I spent the night waking up in cold sweats imagining them niggas violating her in every way possible. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and ain't been right since.

I could always do without Munch's company but his absence is something I ain't know I needed today. Fumes and flashbacks from last night's dreams is the only thing keeping me goin'. The last thing I need is a nigga like Munch tagging along just to disrespect and disobey me every chance he gets.

At least not while I'm still tryna shake off those dreams.

It seems like finding Candyce is the only way to put my mind at ease. I need everybody's head ina game to do that, and that includes niggas that don't like me. If Munch can't handle a simple fuckin' meet-up time, then maybe it's best if he just sits this one out.

"Y'all niggas ready?" I ask as the elevator doors open.

Rondo, Cutta, Reese and Tony file out.

"Ready," Rondo says.

I watch him pull his white, collared Gucci shirt over his gun. Then I size up the niggas next to him. Cutta looks well-rested and ready to go. Tony stands there silently like a solider awaiting orders. Then there's Reese.

This nigga never miss a chance to show out. Even on a rescue mission, he decked out in a platinum Cuban link chain with a black and white Armani Exchange T-shirt.

"Let's go get our girl," He says.

I pull my head back. He don't say it in any particular way, but I still don't like that he said it.

I search his face for what his words ain't saying. You never know. Losing Candyce got me ready to jump over hurdles to make her mine. Maybe Reese feeling a lil' nostalgic too.

I check his body language for signs of underlying intentions. But as far as I can tell, it's just geniune love from his end. He prolly just feel like he got a claim on Candyce 'cause they used to date, but I thought it was understood that that was ancient history.

So what the fuck he mean by our girl?

I wan' tell him something, but again, now ain't the time. I focus on the niggas crowded around us instead.

Tony's the only one dressed in all black while the rest of us sport regular clothes. We still ona mission, but we ain't gotta dress the part. At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the sun is pressed high in the sky, so there ain't no getting around people seeing us. It don't make sense to dress like the Reaper when we don't have the nighttime to blend into. That's only gon' draw attention to us from all the wrong people.

I know we only pulling up on Maj's grandma-and from the sounds of it, she's outta her wits-but that's more of a reason to dress it down. I don't wanna' put her neighbors on high alert and I don't wanna' scare her either.

I kept it simple in jeans and a white Tee. It's not like I really had a choice. It was all I had from my morning with Candyce, and I wasn't boutta drive all the way to Chalmette to change.

I take a look around at the niggas that's gon' bring us across the final stretch.

"I think we can all agree that this shit has gone on long enough. Let's find Candyce and get this shit over with," I say.

Everybody nods their heads. That's all the confirmation I need to head out. I turn to leave out the main entrance but someone pulls the double doors open before I can get a chance.

Munch walks in with Daz of all people. Maybe it's just the sun pouring in from outside, but I swear I see red.

I storm over there.

"I thought I told yo dumb ass not to be late! Then you bring Daz up in here with you?" I say, jabbing my finger in Munch's face.

He pushes me back.

"Man, somebody better get this nigga out my fuckin' face before we have a problem!" He says.

I start walking over there again, fully prepared to knock his fat ass out. But Reese steps in front me, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"You been snapping all day, nigga. What the fuck got into you?" He says.

"Get the fuck out my face, Reese."

I push him out my way.

"I'm sick of this nigga showing up for Candyce when he feel like it. She only went missing 'cause of that stupid ass nigga he got by his side!" I say.

Daz pulls his head back.

"Hold on, bro. Who the fuck you talkin' to?" He says.

I look over at him. Reese talkin' bout what's got into me. He really should be asking what the fuck has gotten into Daz? I pointed a gun in his face yesterday and wasn't met with this kinda reaction.

"Now I see what took y'all so long. Daz went and found his balls, everybody," I say, laughing.

"'Cause if I remember correctly, yo bitch ass been walkin' on eggshells ever since this happened. Tip-toeing 'round me like you scared to death. Now you coming at me sideways like yo life don't mean nun' to you," I say.

Daz tilts his head and crosses his arms.

"If I ain't know no better, I'd say that sounded like a threat. But that can't be right 'cause you and I both know I'm the best runner you got," He says.

"He ain't that stupid, D. He know better than to threaten you in front me after what he did to Tory," Munch says.

I fix my lips to say 'fuck Tory', but even in a blind rage, I ain't that stupid. Keezy 'nem staying out of it today, but I know it's gon' be all hands on deck if I let those words slip.

"Everybody need to chill the fuck out," Reese says, looking around us.

"I thought Candyce was the priority today. We can use all the help we can get to find her," He says.

"Nah, we good. I don't need anybody as long as my trigger finger still work," I say.

I knock Reese's hands off me for the last time. I walk past him and up to Munch and Daz.

"Especially not you," I say to Daz, brushing past him.

"Why we don't?" Simon chirps up.

The entire room shifts to look at him posted up in the corner.

The rage that's been behind his eyes for months now is gone. He been quiet all morning too. I figured he had a lot on his mind after eavesdropping on his conversation with Calvin last night. I see now that I was right 'cause the old Simon would've been spazzed out on us, telling us to focus on finding Candyce right now.

"If he wanna' help, then let him," Simon says.

"I think he helped enough," I say.

"I ain't never disrespect you or Ace's business. I made a mistake. I own that. But it ain't like anybody a saint 'round here, so what you really gettin' at? What's yo problem with me?" Daz asks.

Ain't no way he just put himself back in the line of fire after Munch saved him the first time. I turn my attention to him.

"You my problem, muthafucka! Munch don't work for me, but you do. Why you ain't never where I need you to be?!" I say.

"You mean, where Candyce need me to be," Daz says, "That's what this is about, right?"

"Look around you, nigga! Damn right that's what this is about! You had one fuckin' job! To make sure she got home safe. Now it's been almost a day since anybody heard from her," I say.

Daz lets out a frustrated sigh.

"You think I don't know that this is on me?! You think I wanted this shit to happen?!" Daz explodes, "I don't need any more guilt on my conscience, nigga. First Tory, now this. I just wan' help her get home safe!" Daz says.

He can save his meltdown for the next nigga 'cause he ain't convincing me. I walk away from them.

"You know you ain't the only one that care 'bout her, nigga," Munch says to me.

I stop walking.

The fuck he talkin' bout? They knew her for what, a couple months? I been knowing her all my life. The only person that's feeling this more than me is Simon. He's too consumed with his own guilt right now to direct the blame where it belongs, but I ain't.

I don't care how Daz spin it; he's still the reason Candyce went missing. And I can't have him around me today.

I just shake my head and continue walking to the door.

"You don't know what we walkin' into, Caese. The more the merrier," Reese says.

At first I thought it was me, but now I see that muthafuckas just feel like trying me today. As soon as I try to remove myself from the group, here come somebody else saying the perfect thing to get me fired up again.

I turn back around.

"I don't got time to deal with niggas that wanna' move on their own time. I told everybody 1 o'clock!"

I point to the niggas in the lobby, "We all got here on time. Now I'm posed to hold everybody up to bring these niggas up to speed? Nah. I got shit to do," I say.

I push the door open. I ain't even outside yet when Munch starts talking shit.

"Did I miss something? What the fuck wrong with him?" Munch asks behind me.

"He spent too much time around Simon," Cutta says.

I tuck my bottom lip, letting the door close in front me.

"The fuck you just said?" I ask.

Never one to back down, Cutta starts to repeat himself, but Reese jumps in.

"You hot flashing like you in menopause, bro. Just wait outside and I'll tell them what we doing," He says.

I don't believe this nigga. Yesterday he was telling me to watch Munch, now he wanna' slow us down to accommodate him? Since when is he so desperate to get help from a nigga he threatened to kill yesterday?

"What happened to 'let's go get our girl', Reese?" I ask.

"It ain't gon take but a minute to bring them up to speed. Fuck is you trippin' for, yo?" He says.

"Y'all niggas talkin' like we wasn't just here last night. The only thing we don't know is why y'all still standing here. We goin' get Candyce or what?" Munch says.

I shake my head. I'm sick of all these niggas. I can't wait to find Red so I can distance myself from everybody. Even Reese is starting to piss me off.

I don't give a fuck who follows me at this point. I push through the glass doors and walk out into the parking lot. The sun ain't showing no mercy so I turn my fitted cap around to block the sun.

Glancing around the parking lot, it's hard to make out which one of these cars Cam got for us. We had to ditch the van after last night, so against my better judgment, I asked Cam to bring us something less conspicuous.

To my surprise, even he's on time. It's like everybody owns a clock except that dumb ass nigga back there.

Cam walks through the parked cars in an olive green Dickie's fit. I meet him halfway.

"Why you dressed like a soldier when you know you ain't one?" I ask.

"For the same reason you can't seem to stay off my dick. I like it," Cam says.

It takes everything in me not to cock my arm back and sneak the fuck out him. It's like he and Simon got the cheat codes to getting under my skin.

Another time, I think to myself.

For now, I just turn my lip up at him.

"Won't you save that faggot shit for Simon 'cause I ain't the one. Just give me the fuckin' keys and get the fuck out my face," I say.

Cam smirks as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out an assortment of keys. He hands them over. I stare at the three sets of keys in my hand.

"What the fuck is this?"

"You said you needed something lowkey," He says.

"What's lowkey about three cars following each other?" I say.

"Would you rather I brought you a fuckin' bus? Maybe y'all could wear school uniforms too since you being stupid. Separate cars work better for what you tryna do, nigga," He says.

Is it me or is everybody coming out of character with me today?

"This ain't The Italian Job, bitch. A fuckin' mini van would've sufficed. And how would you know what we tryna do?" I say.

I shake my head.

"Simon. I don't know why I asked."

Simon and the rest of the gang catches up to us just as I'm finishing my sentence.

"How many times I gotta tell you not to call me that?" Simon says.

I toss him a set of keys.

"You driving," I say.

I toss a pair of keys to Munch too.

I gotta get as far away from them as possible or I'ma wind up burying one or both of these niggas next to their brothers.

"We splitting up. Tony, and Mad Max ride with me. The rest of y'all can walk for all I care," I say.

I hit the locks on the car keys and wait to see which car lights up. I spot a blue Nissan Maximum with some minor scratches and dents calling us over.

I walk over there while Mad Max rubs the crust out his eye. I been watching him yawn for the past twenty minutes, so I know the chances of him talking to me is slim, which is good since everybody else been pissing me off. I recruited Tony for the same reason; the less talking, the better.

Mad Max lazily strolls behind me. His long sleeve Burberry shirt blows in the wind. Meanwhile Tony's big ass acts like my shadow since he ain't missing a step behind me. You can't tell this nigga he ain't secret service. He don't know if he wanna' be a mime or a body guard.

I wanna' tell him to fall the fuck back but we at the car before I know it. I climb in the front seat. Thankfully, Mad Max goes around to the passenger side and climbs in before Tony does. Tony gets in the backseat, but he scoots over to the middle.

I swear this nigga weird as fuck.

I just turn the key in the ignition.

I gotta find Red. Saving her is the only thing that's gon' put me out my misery.

...

I'm still steaming on the drive over, so it only takes us fifteen minutes to get there. Somehow, we still manage to pull up late to the address Calvin gave us. The other two cars are already here, so I park in front them. Since everybody's still in their cars, I tell Max and Tony to hang tight while I see wassup.

I get out and walk past the second car Munch and Daz is sitting in. I go behind them and tap on the driver's side window of the car Simon is driving and Reese is riding shotgun in.

Simon raises the window down. I put my hands on the hood and lean inside.

"What took you so long, son?" Reese asks.

"Road work. How y'all managed to avoid it?"

"Rondo recognized the name of the street, said he knew the way," He says.

I glance in the backseat to find Rondo and Cutta sitting there, which means Bee and Keezy are riding with Munch and Daz.

"Y'all niggas riding with me next time. Boo Radley 'bout creepy as shit," I say.

"Who the fuck is Boo Radley?" Rondo asks.

"You would know if you put down yo gun and picked up a book every once ina while," I say.

"Save it, Mom. I ain't no after school special," Rondo says.

I shake my head.

"Damn, so Tony's Boo Radley. You Rambo. I wonder what they call me when I ain't around," Cutta says.

"Goofy. There, mystery solved," I say.

Cutta smacks his teeth.

"You know, Caese, I would tell you something if I ain't think you was a victim right now."

"Victim?" I ask.

"Tony just got out the pen like a year ago. I seen the way he was following you earlier. I'm guessing old habits die hard," Cutta says, smirking.

Why everybody on that gay shit today?

Rondo starts laughing while I mug the shit out of Cutta.

"Nevermind. I'll ride by my damn self," I say.

Cutta joins in on the laughter while I focus my attention on Reese.

"So how we doing this?" He asks.

I rub my beard.

"I'm thinkin' only a few of us go in so we don't spook her. Everybody else can stay in their cars and stand watch," I say.

Reese nods his head.

"I'm with it. Who going in?" He asks.

"Y'all can come" I say, pointing to him and Simon.

"What about us?" Cutta asks.

"Rondo can come, but not you since y'all turn into Conceited and Hitman Holla when y'all next to each other," I say.

Cutta smacks his teeth and smirks.

"Look, Rondo, they splitting us up like our teachers used to. When they gon' learn that don't stop nun'?" He asks.

"I'on know, but it's too damn hot to be sitting in this car with you. I'm rollin' with Caese on this one," Rondo says.

"Bet. Fuck you too, Rambo," Cutta says.

I tune them out.

"I'ma grab Keezy to watch our backs and Munch too 'cause I don't know what he'll do if I leave him out here. I'd rather keep my eye on him," I say.

Reese nods his head, "Heard that."

"Let's go, then."

I tap the hood of the car and walk up front to Munch and Daz's car. Munch raises the window down.

"For a nigga who was so pressed 'bout the time, it sure took you long enough," Munch says.

I ignore him.

"I need you and Keezy. The rest of y'all could stay in the car. Hit me if y'all see sum'n funny while we in the house," I say.

They nod their heads. I waste no time gettin' out Munch's face. I walk back to my car where Mad Max is slouched in the seat.

"Aye, listen up," I say.

He sits up straight.

"Me, Twin, Reese, Ron, Keez and Munch are goin' inside to talk to the woman. I need y'all on y'all toes. Make sure ain't nun funny goin' on outchere while we ina house. Call me if you need me, aight?" I say.

"Damn, Caese, you actin' like you leaving me alone with the babysitter. I got this," Mad Max says.

"You better. I'm trusting you to watch my back, and the last time I did that, you got shot."

"And I ate that shit," Max says, slapping his arm.

"I hear ya," I say.

But he's gotta point. That hole in his arm is a permanent reminder for him to always watch his surroundings. That's rule number one no matter where you at or who you with. Now that he knows what the hot sting of a bullet feels like, he ain't gon' make that mistake again.

I tap the hood of the car and walk out into the street. I wave two fingers forward so my crew can know to get out of their cars.

Once the last door closes, we head across the street to the pale green house sitting between a dirty yellow one on the left and a white one to the right. There's three faded blue steps to get to the porch. We climb it. I check behind me to make sure we all look like respectable young men before I ring the doorbell.

It chimes out and a second later we hear an elderly woman scream, "I'm coming!"

Slow footsteps make their way to the door.