Ronnie paced back and forth, trying to contain his thoughts. He took a deep breath and continued to pace until he could no longer hold it. “Travis, look man, I’m sorry. I fucked up. I let myself get distracted and tripped the alarm. I got careless.”
“Don’t sweat it, Ronnie. We got everything we came for. We didn’t get caught and we didn’t have to kill anybody. Besides, it’s not your fault; it’s mine. I should have known that the store manager would have a gun somewhere. I should have anticipated that contingency and planned for it.”
“Come on, Travis, you’re good, but there is no way you could have know that he had a gun and would be stupid enough to go for it.”
“Maybe, but I should have. It was logical for him to have one. Maybe we’re running on too tight a timeline. I don’t know. It would have only taken what, another thirty seconds to check and make sure he wasn’t armed?”
“Now you’re second-guessing yourself. You had the job planned down to the second, Travis. Another thirty seconds could have meant the difference between us standing here kickin’ it with that briefcase full of jewels in your hand or some cop telling you to relax your hand so he can get a good fingerprint.”
“I know, but still-”
“But still my ass, Travis. You said it yourself; timelines are tight for a reason. If we don’t have tight timelines, we get relaxed. Get sloppy, get careless and get caught.”
“Did I say that?”
“Yes, you did. You said it when I complained about the timelines being too tight. Now I can really see why they’re like that. You had the whole thing planned out to the very last detail. When they’d get there, how many cameras. You knew what kind of security and what devices we’d run up on and how to disable them. You knew what to take and how long it would take to get it all,” Ronnie said as Jackie pulled up in the car. “It wasn’t your planning. It was my execution that got us fucked up today.”
Travis was listening but he wasn’t hearing what Ronnie was trying to say. As far as he was concerned, it was his fault. He should have known that the manager would have a gun somewhere in the store. It was his job to know that. That mistake could have gotten them killed or caught. He knew the timelines were too tight. He planned it that way. Tight timelines equal tight execution.
“Sorry I’m late, y’all. I got caught up in lunchtime traffic. And you did say to drive safely,” Jackie said as Travis and Ronnie got in the car.
“See, Travis. You even knew Jackie was caught in traffic. Ain’t nothing wrong with your planning skills, Spock. I just fucked up, that’s all.”
“What’s he talking about?” Jackie asked.
“I told him it was my fault that things went down the way they did. I should have known that the manager had a gun somewhere. We should have taken the time to make sure that he didn’t. He thinks it’s his fault.”
“No, Travis, you’re wrong about this one. It is most definitely his fault. What the fuck were you thinkin’, Ronnie?” Jackie asked angrily.
“I’m sorry, Jackie. Damn,” Ronnie pleaded.
“Sorry don’t get it done. Not this time. It wasn’t the fuckin’ timeline. That shit was tight and on time. It was them extra fifteen seconds I had to spend gettin’ you off that man’s ass that fucked shit up. Kick the fuckin’ gun out of his hand and get the fuck back to work. But no, mister fuckin’ adrenaline has to have a kick fit,” Jackie argued. “It was those fifteen seconds that allowed rental cops to get there and in position and then allowed the cops to get close enough to actually chase us.”
“Enough already,” Travis shouted.
“No, Travis, Jackie is right. Those are the fifteen seconds that put us all in jeopardy. It won’t happen again.”
“Good,” Jackie said. “’Cause if it does, I’ll shoot you myself.”
Everybody laughed.
While Jackie drove back to the Bronx and argued with Ronnie, Travis closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He thought about how they went from college students to robbing crew.
They had known each other since the third grade at PS 87 in the Bronx and had been friends, the best of friends, ever since. They were inseparable; they did everything together. They went to their first party together. They smoked their first joint together. When it came time to fight, it wasn’t one, it was all three that had to be dealt with. And when it came for Travis and Ronnie to satisfy their curiosity about sex, there was never any question in any of their minds about how it was going to happen. Ronnie made a big deal about going first, but Travis believed that Jackie had saved the best for last. And when it was all said and done, Jackie, who had already explored her sexuality prior to that day, came away knowing that her closest friend would be the last man she would ever have sex with.
Above all else, they were good students who looked forward to attending good colleges and getting good jobs after graduation. And it worked out just that way, at least for a while.
Travis was the leader and always called the shots. Even as a young boy, Travis was very logical and disciplined, but he loved to have fun. After high school graduation, Travis attended the University of Connecticut and studied computer science. He was a natural born programmer. It was the way he thought: if, then, else. If this happens, then do this, or else do this.
Jackie was always interested in science; she attended Rutgers University and took up chemistry. Ronnie Grier was the wild one, always high energy. As for Ronnie, he loved New York too much to leave the city. He went to Columbia University and concentrated on finance.
After graduating from college, Travis quickly got a job as an entry-level programmer at Software Solutions in New Jersey. Jackie also got a good job after graduation. She began working as a chemist at Frontier Pharmaceuticals. As for Ronnie, he graduated at the top of his class with dual degrees in Finance and Economics. Wall Street was his next stop.
The remainder of the nineties was great. Money flowed and their individual careers flourished. This afforded each the opportunity to explore and indulge their passions for gambling, liquor, weed, and the pleasures of women. However, the new millennium brought changes for all Americans, especially those Americans of color.
Travis was the first to feel it. Y2K had been a boom for those in the technology field, and most especially programmers. Once Y2K came and went without any major incidents, the technology bubble burst. Although his work was superb, Travis was one of the first programmers at his company to be laid off. “Not a problem,” Travis told Jackie and Ronnie. “I’ll have a better job by the end of the week.” But that wasn’t happening. The economy had started its historic downturn.
Ronnie had been working as a trader on Wall Street. As the economy continued its slide, so did Ronnie’s career as a trader. His pink slip was next. His firm dropped the news on him late one Friday afternoon. He wasn’t all that surprised. He had watched week after week as colleagues lost their jobs. It became known as the Friday afternoon death march.
On Friday nights, Ronnie always met Travis and Jackie at Cynt’s, a private gambling house with strippers. The place was run by Mike Black’s organization. By the time Ronnie arrived at Cynt’s, he had already been drinking with the other fired trader and came in cursing. “God-damn muthafuckas fired me today!” he told Travis and Jackie.
Travis had been out of work for two months by this time and was surviving on unemployment checks. “What! You bullshittin’, right?” Travis asked, but he could tell by the look on Ronnie’s face that he wasn’t. “Jackie got fired today, too.”
“Get the fuck outta here. You the best fuckin’ chemist they got.” Ronnie had believed Jackie’s job with Frontier Pharmaceuticals was secure. “Everybody out there knows that shit. Muthafuckin’ pharmaceutical industry doin’ fantastic. Last quarter’s numbers were phenomenal. Shit, all them fuckas poppin’ pills ’cause they got fired or ’cause they worried about gettin’ fired, shouldn’t be no fuckin’ layoffs in pharmaceuticals.”
“I didn’t get laid off, Ron. I got fired for insubordination,” Jackie said quietly.
“You? Got fired for insubordination? What’d you do, tell the president of the company that you had sex with his wife at the last Christmas party?” Ronnie laughed.
“No, Ronnie, I’m not stupid enough to tell him nothing like that. My supervisor, a bitch made busta named Jake Rollins, fired me ’cause I refused to work on some project he had goin’ on.”
“Shit, Jackie. You were supposed to get fired for that. That is insubordination.”
“Yeah, I know, but he wanted me to work on my own time. Then he lied about it.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“For sure.”
As the months dragged on, the New York economy went from bad to worse, and then September 11 changed the world. But through it all, they stayed true to one another and tried to help each other get through these hard times. They still met at Cynt’s every Friday, but one particular week they agreed that this would be their last Friday as it was something they could no longer fit in any of their budgets.
Since this was to be their last night, they decided to go out in high style. Their glasses were never empty, and there were never less than two women dancing at their table-that is, until Travis sent them away.
“Hey!” Jackie said. “What you send her away for?” she said of the dancer who was making her cheeks clap while standing on her hands. “I was just about to make a move on her.”
“Shit, save them two bills, Jackie. You know you got better things to do with that money,” Travis said. “It ain’t like she was gonna fuck you for free.”
“Now, Travis, you know I got half these bitches in here linin’ up to suck this pussy. I don’t have to pay any of them.” Jackie laughed. She was a very attractive woman and had no problem getting anyone she wanted.
She liked hangin’ out at Cynt’s with Travis and Ronnie. She liked watching the women dance, but her vice was gambling. She loved to play poker. “Payin’ for pussy is Ronnie’s thing,” she said playfully.
“Watch that shit, Jackie. Girlie or not, you can still get your fine ass kicked,” Ronnie said and finished his drink.
“I guess you forgot what happened the last time you tried that. I was the one who kicked your ass.”
“Give me a fuckin’ break, Jackie. We were nine and I slipped on some ice. That’s how you got me. I also remember Travis grabbin’ and holdin’ me when I got up, and you running away.”
“But I ran away after I kicked your ass, and I ran home laughing all the way.”
“Anyway,” Travis said. “I got something to say.”
“What’s that?” Ronnie asked. “Better be important enough to send away the women.”
“It is. I was just thinkin’ that we need to find another way to make some money. Ain’t no jobs out there and ain’t none comin’.”
“What you got in mind? Startin’ a business? That takes money, too,” Jackie said.
“Yeah, I’m talkin’ about goin’ into business for ourselves, but just not the type of business you’re thinkin’ about. Look around this room. There’s plenty of money up in here. Muthafuckas in here spendin’ mad cash like it’s goin’ out of style tomorrow morning. Ain’t no recession in here.”
“Yeah, Tee, but these mutha fuckas are ballers and gangsters. That’s why they got paper. They out there takin’ theirs,” Jackie said as she finished her drink. “My glass is empty. Can I at least get a waitress over here?” she asked and flagged one down.
“So, what you got in mind, Tee?” Ronnie asked.
“What’s rule number three?”
“Nigga, get off your ass if you plan to be rich,” both Jackie and Ronnie said in unison.
“That’s right. We’ve been sittin’ on our asses waitin’ for shit to get better. That shit ain’t happening. We got to go out and take ours,” Travis said.
“So, I say again,” Ronnie questioned, “what you got in mind, Tee? You talkin’ about us rollin’?”
“Hell no! You know everybody and his pops tryin’ to sling rocks.”
“Then what you talkin about?” Jackie asked.
“Let’s get outta here,” Travis said as he stood up. Jackie and Ronnie got up and followed Travis toward the door.
“Yo, Tee, there go your boy Freeze,” Ronnie said.
“Where?”
“Over there, at that table in the corner.”
“I need to holla at him real quick. I’ll meet y’all outside.” Travis stepped toward Freeze. “What’s up, Freeze?”
“What’s up, Travis?”
Freeze had been a captain in Mike Black’s organization for years. But with Black gone to the Bahamas and Bobby Ray being semi-retired, Freeze ran the day-to-day operations. He had known Freeze since junior high school, when Travis used to do Freeze’s homework for him. Freeze liked Travis and respected him for what he had accomplished.
“I need to holla at you for a second.”
“Have a seat,” Freeze instructed. Travis sat down. “So, what’s up?”
“I need to get some guns.”
Freeze stared at him. He was little disappointed to know that Travis didn’t make it legit. But at the same time, Freeze saw a valuable opportunity in having somebody like Travis on the team. “What you lookin’ for and how many?”
“Six. Nine millers.”
“I can do that,” Freeze said. “Clean, no serial number.”
“How much?
“What you need them for?”
“How much?” Travis laughed and asked again.
“Look, Travis, I can get you the guns you need, any kind you need and as many as you want. That’s not a problem. I know you got your people waitin’ for you, but answer my question and then listen to what I got to say.”
“I’ve been lookin’ at a little spot I wanna hit.”
“Thought so. Now listen. Here’s the deal. I give you the guns and whatever else you need, you give me a cut of the job.” Travis sat back and didn’t answer. “I know what you’re thinkin’. Why don’t I just buy the guns myself and keep all the money?” Freeze said with a smile.
“The thought had occurred to me.”
“’Cause if you do it my way, you work for me. You have my protection, and the protection and services of this entire organization. If you need something, you come to me. You have a problem, you come to me. You get caught, you call me. You keep your mouth shut and I take care of you. You tell me what you’re gonna hit, I tell you first if it’s gonna be more of a problem than it’s worth, if you dig what I mean. Then, if it’s worth your time- ”
Travis thought about what Freeze was saying. It sounded appealing, but he wasn’t sure it was something he wanted to get involved in. He had known Freeze for years and knew how he rolled.
Travis remembered seeing Freeze and Mike Black one night when they were involved in a running gunfight through the streets. They had shot one man on the run; the other had run out of bullets. Black ran him down and pistol-whipped him while a crowd formed. A woman ran up on them and tried to shoot Black in the back. She missed, though, and hit him in the arm. Before she could get off another shot, Freeze shot her. Black yelled, “That bitch shot me! Hey, muthafucka, your bitch shot me!” Black made the beaten man get on his knees and shot him once in the head.
“I don’t know, Freeze,” Travis said quietly.
“I don’t make this offer to just anybody, but I know you. You a smart, schemin’-ass nigga. Always was. I know you got this job, whatever it is, planned out to the very last detail. And I know you plannin’ on hittin’ someplace that’s gonna be worthwhile for you. If you wasn’t that type o’ muthafucka, I wouldn’t fuck with you.”
“How much you want?”
“Ten percent. But don’t answer me now. Think about it. Talk it over. I know you ain’t talkin’ bout rollin’ up in nowhere by yourself. I know they down with you. Six hands, six nines.”
That was two years ago, and since that time, Travis planned and the trio executed four robberies each year. The days and times would vary depending on the particular job. They robbed banks, grocery stores, jewelry stores, and anything else that they could hit quick and come away with a large return for their investment of time. They were organized, prepared, and over all else, disciplined.
They created names for themselves so they would never make the mistake of calling their real names during a job. Travis, whose last name was Burns, became Mr. Blue. Ronnie Grier became known as Mr. Green. There was a lot of discussion about whether Jackie should be Miss White, Ms. White, or Mr. White, but it was Jackie who had the final say. “I think it’s more important for us to be uniform and consistent than politically correct. And besides, Miss White sound too soft for a robber, and Ms. sound lame.” So, despite the fact that she was a woman with a model’s good looks, Jackie Washington became Mr. White.
Jackie pulled the Lexus up in front of the home of Murray Sewell, a fence that Freeze had put Travis onto. Freeze had done business with Sewell for years. He was a dirty, low-down, cutthroat, back-stabbin’ muthafucka, but he paid, and he paid well.
When they arrived, Murray was standing outside the house talking with another man. Once the other man looked up and saw Travis coming toward the house, he dropped his head, turned and walked away quickly. Murray looked at Travis and frowned, but just as quickly, he posted a big shit-eating grin and raised his arms as if Travis were his best friend.
“Travis, good to see you. Come inside. Best you’re not seen. You know how the old ladies like to talk in this neighborhood.”
Travis and Ronnie walked in the house past Murray. When Jackie entered the house, she handed Murray the keys to the Lexus. “What year?” Murray asked as he looked at the car parked in front of his house.
“Two thousand four,” Jackie replied.
“And the keys? Where did these come from, may I ask?”
“Key box. Under the car, beneath the driver’s side door,” Jackie advised.
“Very obvious, but good for you for thinking to look there,” Murray said as he walked out to the car and took a look at it. He unlocked the car and got in, started the engine and checked the mileage, then drove the car in back of his house to park it in the garage.
Once he came in the house, he picked up the phone. When the party answered, Murray spoke about the Lexus and agreed on a price. “Eight thousand, minus my fee?” Travis nodded his head.
Murray hung up the phone and turned his attention to the bag that Travis was carrying. “So, Travis, what else have you got for me?”
“I have the items we discussed,” Travis said. He handed the bag to Murray.
“Come into the dining room, Travis,” Murray made a point of saying. “You two sit. Make yourself comfortable. We won’t be long.” Murray waved his hand at Ronnie and Jackie. “What am I saying? You know we’ll be a long time. So sit.”
Ronnie and Jackie looked at each other. Travis nodded his head to let them know that everything was cool. Jackie grabbed the remote and plopped down on the couch. Ronnie shook his head slowly.
“Can I get you anything?” Murray asked before he disappeared into the dining room, followed closely by Travis.
“Just our money,” Ronnie said as he sat down in a chair.
As Travis followed him into the dining room, Murray whispered, “Sorry it has to be this way, Travis. Things will go smoother this way. You’ll see. It’s not so much Jacquelyn, but that Ronald-whew, he can be such a hothead.”
“I understand, Murray. Let’s just do this.”
Murray sat down at the table and proceeded with his work. He meticulously looked over each piece while Travis watched in silence. Every now and then, Murray would make a sound or say, “Hmm.” After about an hour, Murray put down his eyepiece. He looked at Travis. “Very good work, Travis. Very impressive indeed.”
“How much, Murray?”
“A hundred and ten is the best I can do.”
“Including the car?” Travis asked, not believing what he was hearing.
Murray nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Including the car, that’s the best I can do.”
“What the fuck you mean that’s the best you can do?”
“Just what I said, Travis. One-ten is the best I can do for you for what you got here.”
“Give me a fuckin’ break, Murray. I know you can do better than that. Come on now, we talked about this.”
“Travis, I know what we talked about. But things are different now,” Murray said softly.
“Murray, be fair with me. The diamonds are worth a hundred grand on their own. Eight grand for the Lex. So, what you’re tellin’ me is that you’re only givin’ me two grand for the rest of this shit?”
“Travis, I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can do. The word is already on the street. Gun play inside the store. Gun play outside the store with the police. Car chases though the street with the police. Travis, please understand the stuff from the store is so hot now that it’s gonna be very difficult to get rid of,” Murray said.
“Get the fuck outta here!” Travis yelled loud enough to get the attention of Jackie and Ronnie.
“Please, Travis, lower your voice. There’s no need for shouting,” Murray said as Jackie and Ronnie came into the room.
“That’s bullshit, Murray, and you know it!” Travis yelled as he raised up from his seat.
“What’s up, Tee?” Jackie asked.
“This muthafucka only wanna give us two grand for the stuff we got from inside the store,” Travis said, moving closer to Murray.
“What!” Ronnie screamed. “This muthafucka think he gonna rob us like that?”
“Like I was explaining to Travis, with the gun play and the involvement of the police, Ronald, it’s going to be very hard to move the items from the store. No one locally is going to want to touch them. I’m probably going to have to go outside the country to move these items.”
“Now you see what them fifteen seconds is gonna cost us, Mr. Adrenaline?” Jackie shook her head.
Travis observed what was happening and smiled with satisfaction. He took a step back and let things develop.
“Shut up, Jackie. This ain’t even about them fifteen seconds. That’s a whole other matter. This is about this bitch here thinkin’ he gonna rob us,” Ronnie said and pulled out his gun.
Murray jumped out of his chair and backed his way into a corner. “Calm down, Ronald. Please. The stuff is too hot right now. Really, that’s the best I can do. You know I’ll make it up to you on the next job.”
“Next job my ass, muthafucka.” Ronnie followed Murray into the corner and put the gun to his head. “You better come correct on this job right here, right now, or you gonna die wishin’ you had.”
“Travis, please!” Murray screamed as he dropped to his knees.
Travis smiled and laughed to himself. He didn’t think Ronnie would really kill Murray, but there was no point carrying it any further than it had gone. He and Jackie stepped up behind Ronnie from either side. Jackie grabbed Ronnie around the shoulders while Travis put his hand gently on the barrel of his gun. “Don’t kill him, Ronnie. Just give me the gun and it will all work out,” Travis said calmly. Ronnie slowly moved the barrel away from Murray’s head and handed it to Travis. “Thank you.” Travis helped Murray get up from the floor and walked him back to the table. He handed the gun back to Ronnie and pulled out his own. “Sit down, Murray.”
Murray removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. Maybe Travis knew Ronnie wouldn’t kill him, but Murray thought he was going to die. He sat down at the table and looked at the gun that was now in Travis’s hand. He looked around the room. Jackie had let Ronnie go and now she also had her gun in hand. Murray turned quickly to Travis. “One-two-five, Travis. Please. I’m cutting my own throat here.”
“One-two-five is good, Murray.” Travis smiled and put away his gun. “In small bills, if you don’t mind.”
With money in hand, they left Murray’s and drove off. Travis sat quietly in the back seat, counting the money and listening to Jackie and Ronnie argue. Once again, he was lost in his thoughts. Although he didn’t believe that Ronnie was really going to kill Murray, the possibility did exist. Ronnie was becoming more and more un-predictable every day. He and Jackie had always had their disagreements, but they were occurring much more frequently. And that day’s events only proved to be another point of contention between the two.
Maybe it’s time to quit?
The words rolled around in his mind, over and over again. Maybe it was time to find a way to make it out of the game. They had been doing this thing for the last two years. They had made plenty of money during that time.
Travis reached forward and handed Ronnie his cut of the day’s job. “Here you go, Ronnie.” He handed a stack to Jackie. “That’s for you, Jackie.”
“I think I should get a bonus for drivin’ us out of Ronnie’s mess,” Jackie said with a laugh.
“Ronnie,” Travis said, “I think Jackie has a point.” Travis counted off two thousand dollars and handed it to Jackie. “That’s two grand. Thanks for gettin’ us out of there.”
“Shit. All right,” Ronnie said reluctantly. “Here. Thanks.”
“I was only kiddin’ y’all, but thanks,” Jackie said and continued laughing.
The $37,500 that they had each earned that day was about average for the jobs they did. In that time, Travis had built himself a nice house in Connecticut, bought a timeshare in Freeport and had $75,000 in an account in the Cayman Islands. That’s not enough to retire on. A half million or so is what I need to have before I even consider retiring. Just a few more jobs with no mistakes, and I’ll be set. But maybe it’s time to quit.
“Where to now, Travis?”
“To Cuisine. I might as well give Freeze his taste now and get it over with.”