his shotgun hardagainst Ivoryâs throat under the jawbone and pleaded in his loud voice, âPlease! Please! Crack another word! Come on, you terrible bastard, do me a favor and open your jib again so your mammy can bury you without your head. Now letâs march!â
Ivory went toward the front of the Pontiac and its rigid occupants, with the shotgun rammed under his jawbone. He kneeled beside the front wheel with his palms on the fender.
Slim stepped back to cover Ivory and the interior of the Pontiac. He said, âWhere did you hit Lard Ass?â
Thick Set laughed and said, âThrough the right eye and out the top of his skull.â
He pointed the thirty-eight at Dew Drop through the open door and said, âGet out and kneel beside this loud-mouthed nigger.â
Dew Drop got out and followed the order. Thick Set stood behind Dew Drop and Ivory. Slim moved to the open rear window of the Pontiac. He pointed the shotgun at Bumpy and Roscoe on the backseat.
Thick Set said, âWhitey Blue Eyes, are you a Warrior too?â
Dew Drop said loudly, âI sure am, and you can bet your motherâs fucking life Iâmââ
Dew Dropâs reply was cut off as Thick Set took a step forward and fired two rapid shots. Roscoe and Bumpy saw the arms and hands of Dew Drop and Ivory slide lifelessly from the front fender.
Thick Set threw his head back and said gleefully, âWhat the hell, letâs be tidy and go all the way.â
Slim swung open the rear door and said, âYou niggers hit the ground and go the clean way or sit right there and Iâll blow you away nasty with this shotgun.â
Bumpy hurtled though the open door toward Slim and seized the barrel of the shotgun with both hands. Roscoe was paralyzed. His teeth chattered as if he were encased in ice. Bumpy struggled with Slim for the shotgun. Thick Set sprinted toward them casually, pressed the thirty-eight against the back of Bumpyâs head, and pulled thetrigger. Bumpy sagged to the ground. Slim and Thick Set stuck their faces into the Pontiac. Vomit dribbled from Roscoeâs mouth. His eyes walled toward the top of his head. He lay on the floor in a ball, whimpering piteously like a puppy with a crushed rear end.
Slim guffawed and said, âWe should have a camera to get a shot of this bad Warrior crapping in his pants.â
Thick Set reached in and jerked Roscoe to the alley floor. He pointed the muzzle of the thirty-eight at his temple.
Roscoe stared into the muzzle. His heels clicked together in a spasm of terror, and he blubbered rapidly, âI ainât no Warrior, I swear I ainât. Iâm one of you. Call Lieutenant Porta at Eleventh Street Station. Heâll tell you I ainât lying.â
Thick Set snorted and said, âBullshit, youâre no undercover cop. Weâd know because weâre members of Portaâs special squad. Whatâs your badge number?â
Roscoe waved his arms and pleaded, âI ainât got no badge number âcause I didnât mean I was a real roller. I mean the lieutenant is got me working to get inside the Warriorsâ hideout, to set them up an stuff like that. Please believe me, Officers. I ainât stuffing on you. Call Lieutenant Porta at Eleventh Street. If he ainât there, I got his unlisted private number at home. I ainât jiving, Officers. I ainât no Warrior.â
Slim said, âWrite it down.â He dug into his coat pocket and took out a small address book, then he threw it on Roscoeâs chest.
Thick Set flung a ballpoint beside it. Roscoe, in the glow of the spotlight, shakily scrawled a telephone number in the book. They pulled Roscoe to his feet. He leaned against the rear fender of the Pontiac. Then he shuddered and batted his eyes rapidly at a terrifying spectacle. Bumpy sprang up, grimly alive. He came toward Roscoe, followed by Dew Drop, Lotsa Black, and Ivory Jones. They stood in a half circle
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