Love Vs Murder

Chapter twenty four: The Truth Comes Out

Julian sat on Travis's porch, staring at the concrete beneath his shoes. Travis paced back and forth in front of him. Michael had informed the two, over the phone, that Antonio had been arrested the day before and they had to lay low until he was released. They sat there, waiting for Michael to call back with a different order for them. Julian had finally talked Travis out of his fear just for everything to be postponed. He leaned back, placing his elbows on the step up.

"So we sit around and do nothing?" Travis held his arms out.

"I guess so." Julian breathed out.

"What if he never gets out? What if he gets like, fucking twenty years or something?" Travis queried, dropping next to Julian.

"Mike said it was minor. Plus, it's personal. Something between him and Murder." Julian shrugged lazily, "Not much we can do." It took half a second for Julian to spark up, "Unless, we do it ourselves."

"Do what ourselves?" Travis snorted.

Julian looked at him, "I already know what to do and how to do it." Julian caught Travis's expression, "It was going to be me and you anyways. We don't need Murder to be out to do any of this. Everything we find out we can still report to them." Julian said

"He's gonna be pissed and I don't wanna piss him off," Travis complained.

"He won't be, not if he has Vick. He won't even care once he has him. We can get him, me and you." Julian nodded.

Travis shook his head, " You and your bright ideas."

"Come on, what do we have to lose?" Julian tapped his shoulder.

"Our lives." Travis blurted.

"Look at the people we have backing us," Julian said.

Travis exhaled, "You gotta tell me exactly what he told you." Travis said, agreeing to Julian's plan.

"My house." Julian jumped up anxiously to climb back on his bike.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Julian and Travis stood at Keith's door, Julian groping the straps of the backpack on his shoulders. Four hard knocks at the brown door delivered by Travis brought Keith out of his mid-afternoon slumber. He eased his door back cautiously, only to come face to face with the two teen boys. The beating he'd taken from Vick's goons had one side of his face bruised purple and a discolored lump under his eye on the other side to compliment his swollen lip.

"Can I help y'all with something?" Keith's groggy voice croaked.

"We need to talk to you for a second," Julian spoke up.

Keith waved his hand, "No, no, no," He dragged, "I don't need no mo' problems." Keith released the handle of his door, turning away.

"It's a message from Murder," Julian told him through the door.

Keith stopped the door from closing, "I ain't steal nothin' from him. I'll go cold turkey before I steal from him." he said sternly.

"He has a proposition for you." Julian clarified, making Keith drop his shoulders, "Be better if we come in."

Keith pulled the door back, allowing them in. As they entered, Keith stuck his head out of the door, looking each way to make sure no one else was with them. The coast was clear and Keith closed his door.