K'wan - Gutter

The Charger moved almost soundlessly through the Long Island streets, ignoring stop signs and traffic signals. It was a miracle that he didn’t get pulled over en route, but he had made it to the house without incident. As he slowed near the house he saw Pop Top’s Ford in the driveway, along with Sharell’s ruined X5. He was so focused on the house that he didn’t even notice the young man sitting in the Lincoln watching him pass by.

Instead of pulling up in the driveway, Gutter parked on the street. He scanned the house for signs of movement, but didn’t see anything. Checking the clip of his.40 caliber, he slid from the car and moved cautiously up the driveway. Placing his ear to the door he couldn’t hear anything, which was strange. Pop Top was a loudmouth by nature, so the eerie silence unnerved him. When he tried the knob he found the door was unlocked, definitely a bad sign. Sliding a bullet into the chamber he walked into the setup.

EDDIE PACEDthe basement floor nervously. Through the small window he could see Gutter coming up the driveway with a pistol in his hand. Shit was about to get real ugly, real quick.

“Why the long face?” Hollywood taunted from the chair where he was tied. He craned his neck and saw the bottoms of Gutter’s sneakers. “I see death has come calling.”

“You shut you fucking mouth, crab!” Eddie shouted.

“You know it ain’t too late. All you gotta do is cut us loose and I’ll see to it that you don’t catch the same hell your homeys are about to.”

Eddie looked like he was considering it, then his face went hard again. “I ain’t no fucking traitor.”

“Aren’t you? You know the word is out about Hawk getting killed in Harlem. The UBN might not know off top, but ain’t nothing slow about the big homeys. It’s only gonna be a matter of time before they put two and two together and what do you think is gonna happen then?” Hollywood smiled. The whole time he taunted Eddie, he was working on the phone cord that bound him to the chair.

“Shut up!” Eddie snarled in his face.

“What, you put off by a little truth? Eddie, you and I both know that you’re the low man on the pole, and it’s usually the low man who gets it the worst. Major Blood has got you in a whole world of shit that’s gonna blow up in your damn face. Right now, I’m your only chance. You let us go and Harlem will make sure you get to higher ground before the flood. If not, you might as well put that pistol in your mouth and take the easy way out, pussy, because either way you’re done!”

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?!” Eddie lashed out and kicked Hollywood’s chair over, which is what he had hoped. The impact cracked the back of the chair and loosened the phone cord that had been binding his arms.

“Hollywood!” Sharell screamed, drawing Eddie’s attention to her.

“Everybody shut the fuck up!” Eddie clutched his temples. When he turned back to Hollywood he was shocked to see that not only had the man managed to free himself, but was charging in his direction.

Eddie tried to raise his gun, but a swipe of Hollywood’s cast sent it flying across the room. Though Eddie considered himself a tough guy, he couldn’t fight worth a damn. Hollywood delivered a crushing blow to the side of Eddie’s head with the cast, knocking him to the ground.

“I told you that ass was done!” Hollywood snarled, slamming the cast into the side of Eddie’s head. He struck him again and again until Eddie lay motionless, with blood pooling beneath his head.

“Y’all all right?” Hollywood attended the ladies, who Eddie hadn’t bothered to tie up.

“I’m good,” Satin told him. “Sharell?” She turned to her friend, who wore a strange expression on her face.

“Something is wrong!” she gasped. There was a gush of fluid and blood spilling from between Sharell’s legs.

“She’s in labor,” Satin said, trying not to panic. “Shit, shit, shit! We gotta get her to a hospital, but how with those guys in the house?”

“No.” Sharell grabbed Satin by the shirt. “Take the Camry and go for help. Hollywood”-she turned to him-“warn Gutter. Don’t let them kill my baby!” she pleaded.

“I got you, Sharell. Just stay here. I won’t let them kill him,” Hollywood vowed, snatching up Eddie’s gun and heading for the stairs.

GUTTER BURSTinto the house with his gun drawn, expecting the worst, but it was surprisingly quiet. He made his way from the foyer to the living room, eyes scanning for enemies, but instead he found Pop Top, lounging on the sofa watching videos.

“What it is, homey?” Pop Top asked, not bothering to get up.

“Top, what the fuck is going on? Where is Sharell and why the hell is the door open?” He relaxed a bit seeing a friendly face, but was still alert.

“That nigga Hollywood probably forgot to lock it when he left. Why the fuck you acting so paranoid?” Pop Top asked casually. From the angle Pop Top was sitting at, Gutter couldn’t see the gun in his lap.

“Sharell didn’t sound good when she called me, so I thought something had popped off.”

“Man, you know broads be extra when they’re pregnant and missing their man. Put that damn gun away before you shoot a nigga by accident.”

Gutter still felt like something was wrong, but his friend managed to put his mind at ease enough to tuck the gun into his waistband. He was making his way to the living room when the basement door flew open and Hollywood came spilling out, with Satin on his heels.

“Gutter, it’s a setup!” Hollywood screamed, but Pop Top was already spinning on them with his gun drawn.

POP TOPopened fire with the.45, trying to lay everything in his path. He tried to murder Gutter, but Hollywood ended up taking the initial bullet, giving Gutter a fraction of a second to react. Without even thinking he clapped back with his.40, splitting Pop Top’s wig. With the traitor dead, Gutter turned his attention to Hollywood.

“Wood, talk to me?” Gutter cradled his head in his hands.

“I promised her I wouldn’t let them get you,” he coughed, dribbling blood down his chin. “I promised” were Hollywood’s last words before death claimed him.

“Wood?” Gutter shook him. “Hollywood!” he shouted his comrade’s name over and over, but he was gone. “Not another one,” Gutter whispered.

“Oh, God no,” Satin sobbed, startling Gutter.

“Where’s Sharell?” Gutter snapped.

“She’s in the basement… her water broke.”

“I gotta get to her.” Gutter stood.

“No, there’s more of them in the house!”

No sooner than the words were out of her mouth the window behind Gutter shattered. He looked up and saw three men he didn’t recognize barreling down the stairs. Rolling across the living room, Gutter blasted the first invader, sending him spilling down the stairs. Another man pushed open the kitchen door, and was rewarded with a bullet to the chest, sending him flying back the way he came.

“Get out of here!” he barked at Satin, as he laid another man down. The war was on and he had no intentions on taking prisoners.

GUTTER BACKEDup, still firing the automatic pistol. It seemed like for every man he dropped three more took his place. The door suddenly imploded as the enemies, who were now surrounding the house, sprayed it. Among them he could see Major Blood, smiling triumphantly. It was a smile Gutter fully intended to wipe off his face.

Hollywood lay on his back staring vacantly at the ceiling. If it weren’t for the quarter-sized hole in his chest, he could’ve passed for someone who was just thinking. The whole time he had been down with Harlem he had pledged his life to the set and his reward was to die young, leaving a beautiful corpse. The house seemed to be swarming with enemies and he would be overrun unless reinforcements arrived soon.