Tony By The Tail

I pulled up one block from where Kool Kat and Clerow had told me to pull up from...I cocked my .38 smokeless and quietly walked up to the corner...Clerow motioned me over...From a distance ,I could see the van that held, Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson and Sean Jackson...They were getting Audio and Video evidence on a particular house and Sean was taking photos...

"Boss...We hit paydirt." said Clerow.

"Yeah?, What do you mean?" I whispered...

'What he means Kev is that , With his organization gone, "Monster" is wholesaling his products out of that house...We caught a phone call from Tony Dio to this house...We couldn't find you, but we came up here anyhow and got Dio and about six girls in that house...My bet is , they are cookin the product in there and selling it...It's the only place they got...." said Kool Kat.

"This is big...That means that Dio is getting his hands dirty....I'm calling the cops....but we gotta take him..and we gotta take him now...it's the only chance we got... Where is the muscle?" I said.

"In that car, across the street...It's two guys...I'll take care of them...You and Clerow take Dio and the girls." said Kool Kat.

Kool Kat put on some leather gloves...He boldly walked over to the car and snatched the door open....Before one of the startled guys could make a move...He pulled him out of the car and knocked the living daylights out of him....The other guy went for a gun....but Kool Kat put his .44 magnum to his temple and shook his head...

"Don't be a fool...come on out here." he said..  He tied them both up... Clerow and I didn't bother to knock...the door was open.. We walked in and six girls...all completely naked were cutting and processing both heroin and cocaine...It was a sloppy job and very unorganized....No wonder people were dying after using Monster's dope...The girls screamed and went running for the back...Only to be stopped by the grinning  Clerow, who was holding a gun on them and ogling their beautiful shapely, firm bodies at the same time.

"Clerow...keep your mind on your work man." I snapped.

"I am boss...lawddd jesusss...I am!" he laughed.

Tony Dio went for his gun...but I beat him to the draw....

"YOU!  I shoulda figured the neighborhood crusader was in on this.." he snarled as he put his hands up.

"It's all over Baby Blue." I laughed.

"He'll kill you man....He's crazy...He aint like most of these guys out here....." said Tony Dio....The way he said it...I could see that he wasn't some young punk bragging...He was serious.

"I'm shakin in my boots" I said.

"Look..He'll kill me....I know too much....He already don't trust me ,because everybody on the street got busted except me." he said.

"My heart is bleedin for ya man." I said.

It didn't take the police long to get there...They arrested Tony Dio and the six girls....and confiscated enough stash to permanently put Monster out of business.

I walked outside...Kool Kat, Clerow, Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson and Sean Jackson all gathered around...

"Okay...Good work guys...If the cops flip him...They got Dice and Monster, our work is done..This caper is a wrap." I said. We all went to Josies and had drinks to celebrate....Gus came over to where I was sitting and sat down next to me.

"Look Kid...I never ever get involved with your business...but I need to pull your coat to something...This "Monster" guy you been after...Is a different breed of animal....He's a real nasty piece of business." said Gus.

"So I've heard." I said.

"No...I don't think you understand....You put him out of business....but he's got plenty of money....Like all of em, he's got dough stashed away in the islands...He aint worried...and he's got somethin else...Time...Time to plot how he's gonna come back at you." said Gus.

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"Him and that guy Dice have killed more than a few people....They don't care..They like it...You think that because you got Tony Dio in a box that you got em...Wrong...He aint gonna flip...He's scared to death of that guy....Just like all the others...He won't say nothin...and you guys got nothin on Monster....or Dice...Neither one of em is the type of guy you want to be on the wrong side of Kev...Keep your ear to the wood...watch your back." said Gus.

"I will Gus." I said. "And thanks." I said.

II-

Later that night...Kool Kat dropped me off...I got out of his car and was walking towards my steps... My wife Sepia was in the door in her night gown...She waved to Kool Kat..

"Hi Walter." she said.

''Heyy Baby." he laughed...

He had just pulled off...As I was walking up the steps...Sepia's eyes got as wide as saucers and she screamed

''Kevin...Look out!!!"

I pushed her inside the door and I ducked down as two shots rang out...The bullets hit my front door just missing my head... I scrambled and pulled out my .38 smokless and returned the fire...The man ducked behind a car..I fired over his head...He fired back...I fired again and a nice round went through his shoulder...

"ARRRRRRGHHHHH...I've been shot!" he screamed...

I fired again...He dropped his gun and ran towards the corner..I fired again....the shot hit him in the buttocks!

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGhhhhhhh, you shot me in the ass....AGGGGHHHHHHH...." he screamed as he
ran towards his car..He slumped on the seat and by then I had caught up with him...I put the nozzle of my gun right by his nose...

"Blink sucker and I'll blow your nose off." I said.

"Ohhhhh, you're gonna get it....you are sooo gonna get it..argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, my ass hurts..ohhhhhhhhhhhh lawddddddddd!" he moaned.

The police picked "Dice" up...He was charged with Attempted Murder and held on $100K bail... I knew that
Monster would bail him out....but still it was a nice night....Monster's number two and his number three were both in custody and he was permanantly out of business...He had to feel the noose tightening.

"Sepia...you alright?" I asked.

"I'm good...how about you?" she said.

"I'm better...I got that sucker." I laughed.

''That was a close one lover." she said as she kissed me.

"You saved my life girl...you're my ride or die." I said.

''And ya know that." she said as we held each other in the doorway and felt the cool spring breeze blowing.

III-

The next morning, I got a call from Robert Foxworth...

"Kev, you'll never guess who gave me a call and who I was told to bail out and represent?" he said, sounding a little frightened.

''Who?" I asked.

"Tony Dio, the gangster." he said.

"Really?  Now that's interesting." I said.

''Man, I don't want to be mixed up in this kind of crap."he said.

"So don't be." I laughed.

."Kevin...you don't know who hired me." he said.

"Yes I do, Monster Watkins right?" I said.

''Yeah...He's a stone cold killah...You don't say no to a guy like that and if you mess up....He'll kill you." said
Robert.."I'm gettin married in a few days man." he said.

"Robert...With what I got on Dio...Even you can't get him off." I laughed.

"He wants to see you anyway...I called because I need you to go with me to pick him up." he said.

"Okay Robert...I'll be there." I said.

III-

When Robert and I arrived at CFC to pick up Tony Dio....he looked like a completely different man, unshaven and disheveled..It was clear that he hadn't slept much.

"I heard you shot Dice last night." He said.

"You hear a lot for a man on ice." I said.

"Maybe you're just crazy enough to be the one who takes Monster down." he said.

''You never know." I said.

'He's crazy....He wants you dead you know.....When he found out it was you who did the scope and who put all those people in the slam...He immediately told Dice to kill you...Only thing...it was hard to pinpoint your movements." he said.

"I get around." I said.

''Yeah well without my help...you will be in a casket gettin around." he said.

"Your help? How can you help me?" I asked.

"Look...He don't trust me...He's going to kill me....You gotta put me somewhere safe.....And if I was you,I'd
take a powder myself and get Ghost for awhile....He won't stop until you're dead...He's crazy...but I can give you a case on him." he said.

''A case?" asked Robert.

"Yeah...but you gotta put me somewhere away from him..." he said.

"You can connect him to the drugs? You can testify to that?" I asked.

"No...I got somethin better...A MURDER!" he said.

Now Robert and I 's eyes were open!

(To Be Continued....)