Spectrum

Chapter 12

" Mane, we got shot at, " Jamal explained as we were all currently hanging around at the Oaks.

" My damn car was messed the hell up, " He swiped his hands across his face.

" That's messed up though, that bulletproof car was worth it though cause you could've died dawg, " Don said looking up from his phone.

" Y'all know who did it? " Tiana asked as she seemed to be the most invested in the situation.

" Man, it was some Mob or Cartel dudes and we done seen some exchange go down so dudes shot at us, " Jamal said completely pissed of over the situation while Azariah was completely out of it as she sat quietly staring in space and if I knew anything, I could say that she was a bit traumatized after what had happened.

" What you plan ta do? " Tiana asked as if she was ready to ride for anything.

I had a bit of time to understand their group, they may act harsh to each other or fall out all the time but no matter what, they were down to do anything for each other because loyalty was assumed to be the highest currency in these parts which was refreshing to see as I come from a background where loyalty was only a folktale, no one was to be trusted.

" What is there to do? that's a whole Cartel we're talking about, they can wipe us all out, they have the numbers and links, we don't stand a chance, " Azariah spoke for the first time since we had all got here which seemed to surprise the others.

" You talking as if you seen sum, " Tiana said narrowing her eyes at Azariah.

" Of course I saw sum, I was there bruh, " Azariah replied with a bit of an edge to her voice which had seemed to rile up Tiana a bit.

" Mane, yo a*s know sum you not telling anybody and that s**t not cool yo, yo as might as well had planned that s**t ta go down, " Tiana said fiercely standing up.

" Aye, " Jamal also stood up blocking Tiana from Azariah.

" And you da next one, why you protecting her, she know some s**t and ion play like that bruh, she prolly an opp, hoe prolly planned that s**t too man, " Tiana, after her little rant got even more heated and it was in that exact moment that Azariah's eyes connected with mine and I could feel the emotion through our stare.

" She prolly an opp too, " Tiana said pointing at me after seeing the small interaction between Azariah and I. " No damn way she just shows up here and instantly apart of our group and then everybody else here riding these tow's d***s, " She said hatefully.

" Aye, stop, " Don said seriously standing up, " You doing to much, calm the hell down and move up and outta here bro, we not for that s**t, " He seemed to get more heated as each word passed his lips.

" You not gone come in here and get disrespectful, you claiming everybody an opp, what about you bruh? with yo fake a*s smile and emotion get yo a*s up on out here, " Tiana seemed to visibly flinch at Don's words as she unconsciously rubbed her things together.

" You really gon accuse me of sum like that? we all been friends since sandbox days, I can't be no opp, " She said, her anger diminishing to hurt as she looked around, her gaze lasting a bit longer on me.

" That don't mean nothing, we coulda been in da womb together and niggas still find a way to betray you, " Don harshly sneering back at her as he clenched his fist together.

Tiana went pale at his words before quickly going for her coat and making her way out the door and Don turned to punch the wall in anger causing small dent while Azariah had her head down, clearly, a bit traumatized at what had happened the night before and Tiana accusing her of being a trailer clearly added to her grief.

" You good, " Don turned to ask me as he had seemed to calm down a bit.

I nodded at him looking back to Azariah who was now curled into a small ball on the chair. Jamal stretched his hand out to offer her some comfort to which she accepted.

The room was quiet for a long while before Jamal motioned over to Don who had seemed to get the message as he made his way into another room.

" I'm gon talk to Don for a lil bit, " Jamal said looking between Azariah and me.

" Y'all gon be fine? " He asked waiting for us to nod before stalking off in the same direction as Don.

The room was quiet again as Azariah and I were left to each other's company.

" I want to talk to you, " She said lifting her head up, her face was a bit hard but you could see the pain in her eyes as she struggled to keep eye contact with me.

I held my hand out to her in a stop motion before I spoke " You don't have to force yourself to do anything. "

" But I want to, " She said getting up and making her way to the couch I was sitting on to plop down next to me.

" I know who shot at us, " She said looking around the area to see if anyone might be listening in.

" What? what don't you tell Jamal? " I asked looking at her confused.

" I wanted to tell you and I can't tell Ace cause he's going to want to go up against them and we stand no chance Milan, it was a whole Mob or Mafia, whatever they want to call themselves, but I saw one specific face and we know him, " She said biting her lip.

" Tell me what happened, the full story, don't leave anything out, " I said seriously looking her straight in the eye which caused her to squirm a bit, I knew how intense I could get when I was angry and I knew I could make people feel uncomfortable so I toned it down a bit closing my eyes to calm me down a bit.

" You have to promise me you won't do anything when I tell you who, " She said closing her eyes for a split second.

" why would I not do anything? " I said a bit perplexed at her.

" Just promise me please, " She said more seriously this time but I could still hear the tremble in her voice.

She swallowed a lump before starting " I honestly had never feared for my life as much as I did that night, you know, I've told you this already, my pops is a kingpin, the biggest one around these corners, which practically makes him untouchable, but there was always a greater threat, the top dogs in the d**g game, as a matter of fact, they don't even do lowly crimes as selling baggies of cocaine or meth or whatever to crackheads, they do the much more and much greater crimes, it's go big or go home for them, no one around these corners wants to pass them on the street, let alone get involved with them, they're a whole system that we could only imagine going against. " 

Azariah chocked up a bit a the end causing me to rub her back.

" These people have ties in everything, from business to politics to law enforcement and even more, these people are people of your society and how can we, some low-level d**g dealers and kingpins go up against a Capo or a Don or whatever they call their leaders, they could paint our whole block red and get away with it and I can't risk any of my friends like that Milan, no matter how much we say we're untouchable, we aren't and I'd be dead before I allow anyone I care about to go up against people like them, that's why I didn't like you at first, I thought you were like them but the more I got to know you, the more I realized that you didn't know your family history, what they really do, who they really are, "

I held her hand, keenly listening to what she was saying especially the last part, she sighed a bit before getting into the real story of what happened that night.

" We were in the regular alley we go to, it's our best night out there and we wouldn't miss happy hour but we should've seen the signs yo, out there was a got damn ghost town, little to no one was out there, we thought everyone was just late so we waited a bit until some cars to pull up, some big black SUVs and s**t and it was there we knew that they were some important people, the only thing we could do was duck and watch and we saw the exchange go down and just when they were getting back into the cars I lifted my head up. "

" God, I was so stupid, " She said staring up to the ceiling.

" He saw me, I could see the recognition in his face, he made perfect eye contact with me and as quickly as it started it ended and before I could count he raised his g*n and fired the first shot and everyone follow after and we were being sprayed with bullets left and right and it seemed like it wouldn't stop. " From there on she was a bit inconsolable as I had to hold onto her hand.

" What, who did you see, " I brought her face up to look up at me.

" Mason, I saw your brother Mason. "