Ice Ice Baby

I was in the office of the Attorney, Robert Foxworth....My friend, Chance Howard was also an Attorney there..We were working on a will!

"You know young fella, it's good that you're doing a will this early...Most folks don't want to think about this type of thing until it's too late." said Robert Foxworth.

For me, it could already be too late....I had some money stashed in an off shore account in the Caymen Islands and a few bucks in the bank here...I wanted Jennifer to have all of it, whether we made it to the alter or not. We were due to be married at the end of the week...I wondered often if I was even going to make it that far.

Jennifer was so happy...How could I tell her that she might be a widow sooner than she thought? We went to the mall,looking at furniture, curtains, et al for the new house...We went to marital counseling at the church and we made arrangements for a short honeymoon at a timeshare that belonged to Chris Thompson on Blue Island...His wedding gift to us. That made me somewhat happy.

There were times of relative quiet when I didn't think about it at all. That was how most marked people got it..When they weren't thinking about it..They never saw it coming. I'd be walking down the street and I 'd do a double take at every guy I saw...or every guy that seemed like he was looking at me funny...I still carried the gun that Donald Smooth gave me...I kept it serviced and fully loaded at all times...It would be just my luck...some cop would stop me for something and find it on me.

II-

I met with Donald Smooth and another good friend, Sean Jackson in Josies a few nights later...We were sitting in a booth drinking and talking.

"Basil, I don't know if this is good news or bad news...but I know who accepted the contract on you." said Donald Smooth.

"Yeah and better than that...I got a photo." said Sean Jackson.

Sean Jackson was a photographer who worked with Kevin Morris at Hype Magazine...He also helped Kevin, who moonlighted as a private detective with his cases....

"Kevin and his wife Sepia are out of town.....They are in California on Vacation, so I couldn't go to him...but I know enough about his methods to kind of pinch hit...When Donald Smooth told me about your troubles...I went to New York with him...We talked to a few people who weren't afraid to talk and we got a scope on this cool cat." said Sean Jackson ,who tossed a photo in front of me of
a guy who I vaguely recognized...

"This cool cat is Cordell "Ice" Creame......A major playa in Geechie Dan's organization...I hear he has the number two spot now that Brad Richardson is dead...He's nowhere near as smart or shrewd as Brad, but he makes up for it in his lethalness...The cat shoots his victims and then encases them in ice..Thus the nickname." said Donald Smooth.

"Sounds like a real sweetheart...I met him a few times when I went to New York to turn in Geechie's end of the proceeds..He used to be a collector." I said.

"Well at least you know who is gunnin for you...You still got that heater I gave you?" asked Donald Smooth.

"Sure do." I said.

"Don't hesitate to use it...If you see him first...Light him up...He's standing between you and good things..remember that." said Donald Smooth as he and Sean patted me on the back, got up and quietly exited Josies.

That night I lie in the bed next to Jennifer....I was staring at the ceiling..She was sleeping silently and soundly...I looked over at her...For once , I had a reason to live...For once I had something to look forward to....I didn't want to have to hurt anyone...My soul was troubled....I said a silent prayer....I didn't know what I was going to do....

III-

"Basil, did you see this?" asked Jennifer the next morning.

"No, what is it?" I asked.

"I guess this is a gift from somebody....It's a gift certificate for two cases of Beer , Imported Beer from the Gandison Beer Distributors and ice house..They are paid for...All we have to do is pick them up...It's for our reception next week." she said.

"Beer? I didn't order any beer! and I thought Gandison's Ice house went out of business a year ago?" I said.

"Well, somebody ordered it for you...and it's free." she said. "I guess it's a gift. Check it out, what can it hurt?" she said.

''Where you goin?" I asked.

"Me, Anita Jenkins and Cherish are going to Bernadette's spot to get our hair done...." she said as she left.

"Okay..I'll check this beer thing out." I said.

I wondered who would give me a gift certificate and not put their name to it, and for beer at that? ...Then I thought.....Beer??, Beer distributor!!.....Ice!!......This was a trap! If I didn't know who was after me...I would've walked right into to it...But I did know....I said another prayer...Then I loaded my .38 smokeless and stuffed it in pants....I was going to give "Ice" the surprise of his life. I had to end this...I wondered if I could reason with "Ice" Fat chance! I had to try.

Gandison's Beer Distributors and Ice house looked empty......I drove past twice....Finally, I parked...about two blocks away. I walked quietly down the street....I pushed the door open....Nothing...an empty abandoned warehouse....Perfect place for a hit!... I walked around in the warehouse...The refrigeration units were surprisingly still working and on!! Why Would they be on in an abandoned and supposedly closed warehouse???Why hadn't I gotten Donald Smooth or somebody to come down here with me? Yeah, there were lots of questions why? I heard the silent sound of footsteps ......Showtime!

I heard the sound of a gun clicking and I ducked down....It was him alright, Cordell "Ice" Creame...he fired three shots that whizzed past my head....I tried to reason with him...

"Cordell...why are you doing this? You know me man...I always been straight with you.." I said.

He fired another shot at me as I ran and ducked.

"How you know it was me? Who tipped you off?" he said as he fired at me again...I returned his fire and he ducked behind a wall....

"Listen to me Cordell...This is crazy...I got no beef with you." I said.

"It aint personal babe , it's just business....A man wants you dead babe..it aint for me to figure out. He's payin me well and oh well...I got to eat." he said...

In that case...I returned his fire...

"Ohhhhh, you gone try to talk to me and then shoot at me too!" he said.

"You're shootin at me!" I said.

"That aint the point..I'm supposed to shoot at you..I'm gettin paid." he said.

"What's he payin you? I'll double it , if you take him out for me." I said.

"Yeah? He's payin me a mil man." he said.

"You lyin...one million dollars to take me out?" I said.

"Yeah..you got two million man?" he said.

"Nah man, Hell...I guess I'm just gonna have to take you out then..I can't afford that." I said and sent a fussilade of bullets his way, almost wounding him..I reloaded and moved to another position and fired again.

"Ohhhhh....Ohhhhhhhh...it's like that..You cheap bastard...." he said...

By now, I was shooting and moving towards the exit into the main street behind the warehouse...He was coming behind me, shooting and running..

"Come back...Come back...don't run...take it like a man...I was gonna slip up behind you and kill you quick...you wouldn't have felt a thing!" said Cordell.
He was crazy...I wonder if the situation were in the reverse, would he have understood that kind of logic?

Just as he came running out of the warehouse...a huge bread truck was speeding around the corner! The driver was yelling-

"Hey get out of the wayyyy...the brakes are failing...I can't stop this thing..."

He jumped off of the truck, but Cordell was so busy trying to get at me that he didn't see the truck.....He turned around too late...

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"he yelled....

The truck hit him and sent his body flying through the wooden wall of the adjoining empty warehouse!! Finally the truck came to a halt at the corner of the block....just like that! Now this was eerie!

The truck driver ran over to me...

"You okay pal? This was the freakiest thing...I just lost control...I don't understand it." he said.

"I'm cool, but that other fellow isn't." I said.

"Oh my God....You know him?" asked the truck driver.

"Him? Nah..Never saw him in my life." I lied.

"I thought you was runnin from him." said the truck driver.

"Oh no...no..." I lied again.

We walked over to the other warehouse.. There was a body sized hole in the wall.
Sprawled on the floor in the corner lie, Cordell "Ice" Creame....Quite dead!!!!
I secretly removed his gun and got in my car and pulled off....The truck driver could talk to the cops and tell them what happened.

I felt good...Yet another person Geechie Dan had sent had come to a unfortunate ending....I think there was something to what Pastor Struthers said about a "Contract With God" This guy had tried to kill me and had met his end without me actually causing it...Hmmmm!

III-

Jennifer and I enjoyed a delicious meal at Dollar Bill's joint, Bottom of the C that night...

"Oh Basil...this meal was scrumptious....but honey , you think we should be spending this kind of money this close to our wedding?" she asked.

"It's cool...this aint gonna hurt me..In fact, as good as I feel babe..I don't think anything is gonna hurt me for a long time." I said.

"Wow...You sure sound confident." I said.

"I got a "Contract With God" I said.

IV- In the "office" of Fathead Newton.

"That damn Geechie Dan has become a problem....He aced my good connect in Atlanta...and he's puttin the squeeze on some of my New York friends." said a Playa known as Panama Brown.

Fathead, Roscoe and Ralph Mole looked at him.

"So you come to Philadelphia to tell me about a problem you got with Geechie Dan in New York?" said Fathead.

"Look, Allejandro is in prison right now....He and I are business partners...If you would do us this solid Fathead, we wouldn't forget it...It could mean a big favor for you down the line...You feel me? Nobody in New York can get close to that freak...but an out of towner he don't know,just might" said Panama Brown.

"Nobody likes Geechie Dan....I sure don't...Hmmmmm, okay...Tell Allejandro, we'll make it happen." said Fathead.

"Boss...Allejandro tore New York City upside down tryin to get at Geechie Dan...how we gonna do it and we from Philly?" asked Ralph Mole.

Fathead looked at Roscoe, his chief enforcer, Roscoe smiled.

"A motivated man can do a lot of things eh Roscoe?" said Fathead.

"Yeah...I been waitin for you or somebody to give me the word to get back at Geechie Dan...We got history....Panama..Tell Allejandro....Geechie Dan will be gone baby gone." said Roscoe.

Fathead looked at Ralph Mole.

"Motivation...you never know what it can do." laughed the Philly Kingpin...

Ralph Mole, Roscoe and Panama Brown raised their champaigne glasses and enjoyed a hearty laugh.

(To Be Continued...)