Love And Trouble

I was in Josie's a few nights later and I saw the gangster, Nato Jackson talking to the singer, Ingrid Rose at the bar..

"Did you get the flowers I sent you and the plane tickets for for Vegas?" he said.

"Yes ,I got them Nato and I'm sending them back...I can't accept them..I've told you that I don't feel that way about you...now I don't know what I have to do to make you understand that?" said Ingrid..

"You could learn to love me baby....I'm tryin...I'm tryin hard to show you a different side of me.." he pleaded.

"Stop trying so hard Nato....I'm sure you are a nice guy..but I'm not in love with you...I'm sorry if I led you on...but it was never like that between me and you." she said.

"But baby..." he pleaded..

"Nato...please!" she said and walked away...

He was visibly hurt..but a man like him was not going to show that hurt in public...and once he saw me...His hurt went to astonishment....

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked me....He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"I could ask you the same Nato...but I already know...You're here getting turned down." I quipped.

He looked like he was getting ready to lunge, so I looked at him hard and I said-

''You don't want to do that partner...I am packing and I'll fill you full of lead without hesitating....So do us both a favor and sit down." I said.

"Who do you think you talkin to?" the gangster snapped.

"A smart man...A smart man who'd better get out of here if he knows what's good for him... Fathead Newton, Roscoe, Ralph Mole , Chris Thompson, Chess and Donald Smooth are all on their way here...and they'd love to see you Nato...

You know what I'm saying...Especially since, like me...you have contracts out on them..." I said.

'How did..what?" he said.

"It's all on the street...Everybody knows...I hear you got a very efficient hitter too..In fact I'm already supposed to be dead...I'm wondering myself why all of us are still alive....You think about it Nato...think about all of the people you've asked her to kill....We are personal and childhood friends of hers..I was engaged to be married to her once...She must be going through a lot with this assignment." I said.

"Why I oughta..."

"You oughta get to steppin....My lady just told me that you're still bothering her,she don't want you man." said Baseball player, Johnny Diamond of the Phillieswho had been outside signing a bunch of autographs when I came in...

Nato was flabbergasted....First ,I dropped a bomb on him...now this....He was enraged..He leaped up out of his seat , but the Baseball player said to him-

"I know who you are and what you are and you don't scare me...I got people too...So you'd better sit down and stay away from my lady." he said and he walked away.

I smiled at Nato and said-

"Gee, you're just making friends all over the place, aint you playa?"

He stormed out of Josie's....I was lying about Fathead and all of his people coming to Josies...but they did know that they were marked and they were on the lookout for Nato.

Since he had put a contract out on me...I had had my operatives, Lockpick Johnson and Peeping Tom break into the club he hung out in and wire his office for video and sound...No easy job....Clerow and Cock Robbins had to , let's say,

immobilize two guys that wouldn't leave for a few hours in order for them to get inside...

I drove to Peeping Tom's house that night with Clerow and Sean Jackson...What I heard was not unexpected.....He had had two of his goons bring Kim Beverly there and he was reading her the riot act-

"I give you a big contract and the next thing I know it's all over the street and what's worse..it aint even done yet..what the hell is your problem?" he yelled.

"Nato..I know these guys...Chris Thompson, Chess, Fathead...I went to school with them , they are my friends..." she cried.

'So what? I don 't care..that makes it easier for you to get next to them..." he screamed...

"and Kevin.....I can't...I just can't....We were once engaged..." she said, sobbing.

"Him , I especially want dead...and that strutting bastard, Jack Stanley White

too...I want bodies in the street by high noon tomorrow and if not...then I'll get someone else to do it.." he screamed

"No." she said.

"No? What do you mean no?" he said.

"I killed your wife for you..and all those others in Newark and Jersey City and Patterson.....I didn't know them...but these are my friends...I can't and I won't do it...you get somebody else Nato." she said.

"Okay...kool...I'll bring in Leroy....Leroy will take care of em...you just stay out of his way..." he said.

"You're a monster!" she said.

"You like this monster in my pants don't you? And as long as you're hooked on it...you better not say or do anything to make me change my mind .." screamed Nato.

"You said you loved me...you said we were going to be together, that you were going to give me the world...take me places....and here you are saying the same things to this singer, Ingrid...What's up with that Nato?? I killed your wife for you, I ran drugs for you....I gave up a chance to be happy with a really nice guy because of you.....and you were just stringing me along all of this time.." she sobbed at him.

"Kim....I can't deal with you right now.. get out of here." he said.

"I hate you...I hate you Nato." she said.

That was the end of the recording...Peeping Tom looked at me...So did Lockpick Johnson...

"Kevin...you still got problems... He hired a guy named Leroy "Bonecrusher" Smith to do you...He's as nasty a killer as there is man....You gotta either get out of town or get some people to help you out man..He's no joke." Said Lockpick Johnson....

"Thanks for your concern...but I can handle myself." I said.

"Well my friend...we picked up another phone call from that clubhouse...Listen to this.." said Peeping Tom.

"Hello Leroy?" said Nato.

"Yeah man, what's up?"

"I need you to do a big job for me."

"Okay, but it'll cost you."

"It always does..."

"I want Fathead Newton, Roscoe, Ralph Mole, Chris Thompson, Chess and Donald Smooth taken care of..."

"Ouu, those are heavy hitters, but I can get the job done...twenty four hours...that's 250 g's for a job like that."

"Oh and there is more...there's a cat named Kevin Morris, another guy named Jack Stanley White and a baseball player named Johnny Diamond I want hit too..."

"Yankee killer? Aww come on man...I like him.."

"He falls...."

"Alright...that's another 250G's..."

"Got it...Daryl will make payment...oh and add one more to the list....Kimberly Beverly..."

"Your babe? Are you serious?"

"Hey stop asking me questions and get the job done." he snapped.

"Okay Nato....I'm on it babe!"

Both men looked at me...

"That's some list." I said.

"Kevin...This guy can do it...He's that good." said Peeping Tom...

"You got a scope on him?" I asked.

"Yeah....I can give you three places he has been known to stay." said Lockpick Johnson.

I patted him on the back...

"I knew you could man....Read the papers and watch the news....Bonecrusher is as good as gone." I said.

I began calling a number on my blackberry.....Within 24 hours...Nato Jackson's time in Philadelphia and possibly this Earth would be coming to an end...

(To Be Continued....)