Wolves In Helfire

S H A D O W M A N

The next morning, when Aunt Tina got home, she came into the guest room to check in on me and Stacey. We were knocked out. Only reason I knew she’d attempted to wake us is because Karen told us later in the day while teasing about what she heard the night before.

That damn girl, always in someone else’s business. Karen suggested we go to the park a block over from her house. We weren’t doing anything else so, why not? On the way there, a guy seemed to be walking and talking on his cell behind us.

I couldn’t make out what was being said, but it didn’t feel right. The girls were laughing and carrying on like girls do, but I was inside paranoia for a reason. I didn’t feel completely safe leaving the house anymore or being home alone with no protection.

I kept my eye on this guy but tactfully. I could tell he’s trying hard to appear to be normal in his approach. I never alerted the girls. As we walked onto the park grounds, the guy kept straight but glanced one last time our way before disappearing around the corner.

Naturally, I go straight to the court where I see a few familiar faces. They tossed me the rock. I got a couple of practice shots in before the 3-on-3 game took off. I hadn’t played in a year but with skills like mine, I knocked the rust off quick.

First game, we won. I dropped 8 points in a game to 21. Second game, we lost. I dropped 10 buckets, but my teammates lacked defense towards the end. Third game was interrupted by a group of men approaching the court.

Everyone was puzzled as to who they were. They’d never seen them around before and on top of that, they called me out personally. I figured they were there to play ball, so I entered my cocky stage. Hell, I’d just warmed up and knew I was in the kick-ass zone.

“We ain’t here to play games with you little twerps. Justin, right? Come let me talk to you for a minute.”

“I don’t know you, homie, keep moving.”

“I’m not your f*****g homie, boy, get over here before we have some problems.”

My friends on the court took my side.

“Yo, Justin said he don’t know you. How about you fall back before s**t get out of control.”

That’s T-Bone talking all gangster and could back it up. He usually keeps a gun on him just in case anything popped off. Luckily for us, he wasn’t the only one with guns this day. Four of his friends were out there and was strapped as well.

They all started pulling out their guns as I motioned for the girls to stay back. The group of men laughed and walked away. Everything was back cool for the time being. The girls were terrified and wanted to go home.

Before I left, T-Bone asked me if I had any protection to keep on my side. I told him no and he gives me his fully loaded S&W .40caliber pistol.

“Take this in case you run into these punks again. You know I got your back.”

“Good looking out, cuz, stay safe out here.”

“Yeah, you to, family.”

The walk home was silent. There was no cheerful laughter or girly giggles. Everyone, including myself, was too busy looking in every direction. I have experience with a handgun, and I’d be damned if I wouldn’t use it to protect us while we were all out together.

We made it back safely. Aunt Tina had taken her nap and was now up making dinner. After Karen told her what happened at the park, she excused herself to make a call. I could only imagine to who and what about.

Time came for Aunt Tina to go back to work, only this time, she gave Karen full access to her weaponry if needed. Shotguns. Handguns. Assault rifles. Who knows what else there were? We felt fully protected. Not only did we have access to her weapon cabinet, but we were also informed that someone may peek in on us throughout the night to ensure our safety.

Everything went smooth until about 11 o'clock that night. We were sitting in the living room on the couch, everyone with a gun of their choosing. Stacey had a 9mm on the coffee table. Karen had a AR15, extended mag and advanced scope. I stuck with the .40caliber T-Bone gave me after removing any previous prints.

There was a bang on the front door.

“Who is it?”

No answer. I yelled again.

“WHO IS IT?”

Still nothing.

I signal for the girls to spread out and stay low. We heard a car burn rubber away from in front of the house. I looked out the window. A car turned around and started speeding back this way.

“GET DOWN” I yelled.

We all dropped to the floor as shots began to pierce through the front of the house. 60 or more bullets rang ears before a group started shooting at them. I raised up, letting off shoots at the car who shot up the house. They sped away. The group rushed over to check on us.

After seeing no one was injured, one of them pulled his phone out and called my aunt. She was there in 15 minutes. Worried and pissed, she loaded us up in the car and took us to this abandoned warehouse. At least, it looked abandoned from the outside.

The inside of this place was full of people moving crates on and off trucks. They were all packing serious fire power and seemed to know my aunt. She walked us in and took us in a back room where we met the leader of this tribe of killers.

She showed me an image of the person that followed us to the park, and a couple more we saw in that group that called me out.

“Nephew, is these the people?”

“Yeah, that’s them.”

She sent the photos to the leader then turned and faced us.

“These kids are MY family. If anyone f***s with MY family, they’re asking to be swimming at the bottom of a lake.”

She turned back to the leader. He nodded after looking at the pictures. That was it. I don’t know what happened, or what was about to, but that was the end of our short visit. Now, for obvious reasons, we couldn’t stay in the house that night.

Aunt Tina didn’t feel comfortable staying at the nearest hotel either. We traveled about 20 miles from the city to a cabin off the road. Only a few people knew it was there, none of which were the ones after us. I hoped.

There were four cars already parked on the backside of this place. She walked us inside and straight down to the basement level. 3 bedrooms. 2 full bathrooms. A kitchen. A sitting area with a huge flat screen placed on the wall. This was just downstairs.

Aunt Tina joined her friends upstairs after warning us to not come up for any reason. There was a phone downstairs connected to the one above and would ring if picked up. That was how we were to communicate with her until she told us otherwise.

Karen, Stacey and I sat on the couch, all damn near on top of one another. Quiet. Staring at a television no one has turned on yet. We were, lost for words. Why the hell were we God’s lucky ones, to go through such events, even when I felt it would make us stronger one day?

This isn’t how I seen me spending my summer. On the run from my father who I’d only met once and hated already. I’m sure the girls’ summer was pictured differently in their mind before all of this. It’s too late now, we’re here.

I turned on the tv to break the awkward silence between us and found the least threatening program I could. Cartoons. Tom And Jerry to be precise. Karen and I loved this cartoon growing up. Wouldn’t miss it to be with friends on a beautiful day.

We all watched, and chuckles began to flutter through the room. We did it. Through all of this s**t, we managed to bring back our smiles and laughter. Conversations are picking up and everything seems to become balanced once more.

Doesn’t matter how long it would last this time, it’s here with us in the present. A piece of peace of mind.

“Justin… Stacey… I found some cards. Everyone knows how to play Crazy 8’s?”

“Crazy 8’s? That’s my jam, girl.”

“You two don’t know anything about Crazy 8’s. Sat back, ladies, and watch a professional card master.”

“Nope. Watch him closely, Stacey. He means master card manipulator.”

“Really, cousin? You’re just gonna throw me under the bus like that?”

“Because you be cheating.”

“I don’t.”

“Justin won’t cheat me, would you, hun?”

“Of course not, dear. Pay her no attention.”

Laughter erupted.

We played 4 games, and none came to me. Stacey won 3, Karen won 1. I think they cheated me, but I wouldn’t worried about a little card game. We looked around the place. In the kitchen cabinets, there were more liquor than we could drink combined.

Karen called us over for a toast.

“A toast to what, cousin?”

“To… Life&Death. If tonight is our last night on Earth, then may tomorrow be heavenly and eternal.”

“Salute.”

“Salute.”

We threw back our shots. And another one. We turned on the radio and started jamming to club music. We’re just having a good time during a bad situation. Aunt Tina came down the steps with a serious look on her face. She stopped our music.

“Turn this s**t off…”

We all stopped dancing, facing Auntie. She walked up on us with a surprise. She repeated herself.

“Turn this s**t off and play some real club music.”

She started back up the party but with her mix of dubstep club music. Dancing along with us, she knew, if we were ok then she was ok. She even took a couple of shots with us because everyone was just in that mood. This night turned out to be a pretty good one, despite the fact we almost got blown to smithereens.

Just one hour later, I’m passed out in the sitting room’s floor next to my girl to be, and cousin. Wasted. If I didn’t have to piss really bad, I probably wouldn’t have staggered my way to the bedroom. If anything were to happen now, we’d be screwed. It was peaceful throughout the night.

The next morning, I wake up to see both of these idiots still passed out on the floor. I laid in between them, messing with their nose in attempt to wake them. First, Karen.

“Stop, mama, leave the turtle alone.”

What is she dreaming about? Next, Stacey.

“No, you can’t ride the monkey to school.”

Really? No, seriously, what the f**k are they dreaming about? I kept poking their nose until they came to. I didn’t realize Aunt Tina was at the foot of the stairs, laughing at us all.

“Justin, when you finish playing with your crew’s face, you three come up for breakfast.”

“Yes mam… HEY, WAKE THE HELL UP. It’s time to eat.”

Damn near jumping out of their skins, they eased up, both holding their heads.

“Justin, why are you so annoying right now?”

“Right. Babe, give us a minute.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I’m following Auntie's orders. If you two made it to the bed last night, you would’ve woken up feeling brand new, like me. Not hung over, like, well you get it.”

I kissed Stacey on the cheek, and Karen on the forehead, then made my way to the bathroom to freshen up. Once the 3 of us were ready, we made our way upstairs for breakfast.

“You two look like shit.”

“You know what, Auntie, I told them the same thing. Didn’t I? Didn’t I tell y’all that on the way up the stairs?”

“Ma, make Justin stop talking for 10 minutes and I’ll be fine.”

“Please, Ms. Tina, make him shut the hell up.”

Aunt Tina was trying not to burst a gut laughing, while I on the other hand, let my laughter flood the surrounding area. My spirit was extremely high for some reason this morning and I’m not questioning it.

“Alright, you 3, behave.”

“So, auntie, what you got cooking good looking? Besides bacon, I know I smell bacon.”

I’m looking around at the food but started picking up on things I hadn’t seen while being playful. There’s 4 people standing by the front door and windows, armed, and another 4 standing on the back wall faced those windows. Also armed. My spirit never dropped but increased just a little more.

“As you can see, there’s much to choose from, so dig in.”

We did just that. We ate like there was no tomorrow. Wow, what a phrase to use. There may not be a tomorrow for some of us, so I guess it fits quite well. We pigged out. There were piles of food left over but we couldn’t eat anymore. I know I couldn’t.

Auntie breaks from laughing and picking with us to answer her phone. I paid close attention to her facial expressions. It went from happy, to back to work. She tried to cover it up and continue enjoying the morning with us, but she couldn’t for long.

“Alrighty, children, I have to make a quick run. Stay put, and I’ll be back shortly.”

Out of the 8 people I seen, auntie only took 2 with her. I wonder who it was that called her. I did my best to keep the girls mind at ease while she was gone. We made our way back downstairs to lounge around this huge flatscreen.

“Karen, did auntie handle business like this all the time?”

“Yeah. I don’t worry, much.”

“Who do you think it was that called her?”

“Hell, Justin, it could’ve been anyone. It probably has something to do with your situation though.”

“My situation?”

“Yeah, cousin, your situation. You know, the whole your dad is a psycho thing.”

“Karen, how’s that my problem?”

“Well, if you were never bor….”

“No, f*****g finish the sentence. If I were never born, we wouldn’t be in this mess, right?”

“That came out wrong, Justin, I’m sorry.”

“f**k you, Karen.”

“You two, stop it. Fighting amongst yourselves is not helping anything. We need to keep calm and wait for our next move.”

The downstairs phone rang. Karen answered it.

“Hello…”

She listened, then handed me the phone. The man on the other end told me to come upstairs, alone. I did with caution. I went up and my auntie’s goons led me out the front door. When I got outside, one of the men gave me a phone.

“Yes?”

“Justin, thank God you’re ok.”

“Mom!!!”

“Listen to me, son, and listen carefully. There’s a traitor working for your aunt. You and Stacey are no longer safe out there.”

“So, what the hell are we to do?”

“LISTEN. Tell your aunt when she gets back, that I said Don’t Blink. She’ll know what I’m telling her. I’ve arranged for a grey truck to come get you and Stacey to take you somewhere safer.”

“How much longer, ma? I want to come home, to you.”

“We’re closing in on the finish. Just hang tight, and be brave for me, ok? We’ll see each other soon. I love you lots, son.”

“I love you too, ma. Stay safe.”

Then, she hung up. I went back inside, fighting back tears. The girls knew something was up from my expression.

“Babe, are you ok? What happened?”

“I spoke with my mom. She’s sending a grey truck to pick us up. She said there’s a traitor working with Auntie Tina and it’s no longer safe here.”

“Well, did she say how much more of this s**t we have to go through?”

“According to her, they’re closing in on the finish. It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“But cousin, think about it. Wouldn’t Ray already have the word in, to finish the job if his death comes before his accomplishments? You could still be fighting off hitters for a while after he’s dead.”

“s**t, I never thought about that. Well, if that’s the case, then we’ll kill them all when time comes.”

“Babe, what if the traitor’s the guy we went to see last night? That’s another whole army on top of your dad’s we’d eventually have to face.”

“I got a feeling that’s where Aunt Tina went. People like him seems like the type that gives in-person confirmation on jobs completed. Auntie leaving has something to do with the fools that shot up her house. I just know it.”

“What if they were just a local gang contracted by your dad to finish you? Wouldn’t that mean that he hasn’t arrived yet but know where we are?”

“Maybe. For now, I’m going upstairs and waiting on auntie to get back. Ma gave me a message to give her before I leave.”

We all made our way upstairs and had a seat at the bar. Time passed. One of the goons came to the door and announced that my ride was out front. I begged Karen to come with us but, understandably, she chose to wait on her mom. I whispered the message my mom gave into her ear.

We stepped outside. I noticed the black jeep sitting in front. I stopped, as if I had forgot something.

“Stacey, we have to get our bag, I left it, downstairs…”

She played along but was confused. As I walked back by a goon, I told him I’m waiting on a grey truck. He hurried us inside. They threw up their weapons and told the driver to step out of the car before they fire.

The driver did not comply. They gave a final warning, and that’s when hell broke loose. The driver floored the pedal while shooting through the windshield. The four goons opened fire, same time, dodging the car that crashed into to cabin.

They killed him, instantly. Two of the goons phoned in for backup from different sectors as the other two came inside to protect us. One stood at the top of the staircase; the other was down there with us. Apparently, before this driver committed suicide, he phoned in for help as well.

There’s a massive firefight going on outside but the two that were in here with us didn’t budge. They held their position firmly. This location was now a warzone, and I was the intended target. I was helpless but wasn’t panicking. The girls are starting to freak out.

They went and hid in the closet inside the room I slept in the night prior. After 15 minutes of shooting, everything went quiet. I heard the goon at the top call out CLEAR. I ran and got the girls from the closet, then we were led outside to meet Auntie Tina.

She was hit. Twice. One bullet penetrated her shoulder but the other just grazed her. We got in the car and her driver pulled off. Aunt Tina removed the bullet from her should and wrapped it tightly with a bandana.

“Is everybody ok? No one got hit, did they?”

“Nobody but you, mama. Are you ok?”

“I’ll be fine, Karen, don’t worry.”

“Where are we going, Auntie?”

“We’re taking you to meet your mom’s contact. They’ll take over from there.”

She moaned with minor pain.

“Karen, baby girl, you have to go with your cousin. It’s just not safe for you here anymore.”

“Mama, no, I’m staying with you.”

“NO, You’re not. You’re going with your cousin and…”

“If you haven’t noticed, mama, they’re trying to kill him. Wherever Justin is, that’s where danger will be.”

“IT’S NOT MY f*****g FAULT, KAREN.”

“IT MAY NOT BE YOUR FAULT, JUSTIN, BUT YOU ARE THE REASON THIS s**t IS HAPPENING.”

“ALRIGHT, ENOUGH. Karen, you’re going with him and that’s final. Where you 3 are going now is the last line of defense. I guarantee, with my life, NO ONE WILL HURT YOU. Not even Ray’s army can penetrate, nor infiltrate.”

We drove to the airport where 100’s of armed militants was waiting for us. We boarded a jet with about 30 of the militants. The remaining got on 3 separate jets that would meet us at our destination. I still remember seeing Aunt Tina standing outside the jet, holding her arm as she watched us jet off.