Protect What You Love

Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson put micro-video cameras in front of my house and in the back so that if anybody came to either door...Sepia and I could watch from inside.. I talked to Clerow and Corabeth, Sean Jackson and Sheila and Kool Kat and Chelsea about getting the same system for their homes..Robert Foxworth and Bonita already had the same system as did Cole and Chance Howard....I felt better knowing that my friends had at least a fighting chance if someone tried to make a move on them.

I would have felt horrible if anything happened to any of my friends because of me..I had small GPS units hidden in both my car and Sepia's car so that either of us could be tracked at anytime.  I didn't leave my house without my kevlar vest and trauma plate on... I made sure that I had my .38 smokeless and my .22 on me at all times.

I watched my movements...I didn't go to work or come home the same way on any given day and I deviated from my pattern of visiting Josie or other places with my friends...I took nothing for granted and I checked Sepia and my car everyday for anything suspicious...

This was no way to live... but I had to protect the people closest to me.

II-

Kool Kat, Owen Todd, Clerow and I hit Josies, The Mermaid Club, Bottom of the C., Ciros and Mulberry Street... We talked to all of the hipsters and mid level playas...Most of them could tell us nothing, because they didn't know anything...The only major playa I had talked to who knew anything had been Fathead's guy, Ralph Mole...

After a few nights of this...I realized that for the first time....Something was about to go down and not one soul knew about it...Gus always said that whenever something happened..Someone somewhere knew about it....As I would find out...He still wasn't wrong!

It was amazing that within a few days ,I got a visit from a most unlikely person...The gambler, Stephen Bristol.  He had once hired two hitmen to kill me....and failing at that and living to talk about it...he had become somewhat of a friend... He called me and we agreed to meet at a tony coffee shop in his part of town...I took Kool Kat and Clerow  with me...They patrolled the street, while me and young Owen Todd walked inside and met with him him... He was  as usual, immaculately dressed...He sat at a table with a hot steaming tumbler of coffee...He offered Owen and I coffee...We accepted and sat down..

"Mr. Bristol to what do I owe the honor?" I asked.

"You no doubt know that there is a rather large contract on you ." He said.

"My question is "How do you know that?" I asked.

"Some associates of mine have been questioned by you and your friends...and a few people from the big apple visited my high stakes poker game recently...Let's just say that bits and pieces of conversation got back to me.." he said.

''Who are they?" I asked.

"Well, one is a heavyweight from New York City named Jack Ambrose...He's staying in one of the hotels at Penn's Landing..." he said.

"Really?" I said.

"Really...in a few days, one of my associates will have an address for you...Anyway...he's not the one you should be concerned about in the near future..." said Bristol.

"Oh? Who should that be? "I said.

"Well, Mr. Ambose's number two man, a man named Bobby Darden has called in a heavyweight from London, who is supposed to take you out...To my knowledge...He's not in town yet." said Bristol.

"He had a sleazy private investigator following me...Did you know that?" I asked.

"Exactly why I called you here....The late Mr. Watkins was in his employ....Only he got greedy , wanted more money for his uh ruh services...and threatened to go to the police with the whole scheme and worst, to tip you off.. so Mr. Darden hired a local guy to terminate his services.." he said.

"And this local guy?" I asked...

"An ape you may know....Ben Ali...Ring a bell?"  said Bristol.

"Yeah...I tangled with him before..." I said.

"A really nasty piece of business." said Bristol.

"So you're saying that he killed Watkins on orders from Ambrose?" I asked.

"He's probably never seen Ambrose or Darden...He killed Watkins for them though." said Bristol.

''So why are you telling me all of this?" I asked.

He hesitated for a minute...then smiled...

"I know that we all got off to a bad start Kevin....but over the years..I've come to admire you....I would hate to see anything untoward happen to you." he said.

"Before you got a chance to do it right?" I laughed.

"Kevin..I am insulted and hurt that you would think that....I'm a changed man now of days." he said with a smile. Then he passed me an envelope...

"What is this." I asked.

"It's Ben Ali's address and a list of his known hang outs." he said.

''Bristol why are you doing this...What's in it for you?" I asked. I knew the gambler only too well.

"Ben Ali is a brute and a drunkard as well as a bully...He caused quite a ruckus in my poker game recently, put two of my players in the hospital and aimed a pistol at me....I'd greatly appreciate any hurt that comes his way." said Bristol.

"I knew there was a catch." I said.

"You hurt my feelings Kevin...You must always protect what you love." he said with a smile.

"Always." I said.  "I owe you Bristol." I said and thanked him for the coffee...

As we walked out Owen Todd said to me-

"You trust that guy Kev...This could be a trap." he said.

"Bristol is a gambler...He always figures the odds...He always has an angle...He just showed me his hand, his angle...I think he's on the level." I said.

"What if it is a trap?" he asked.

"Well....if it is and I survive, Where does that leave him?  If it is and I don't survive...Promise me you guys will burn his joint down." I laughed.

"You got it Kev" laughed Owen Todd as we walked out to the car.

(To Be Continued...)