Life Of Crime

She quickly got into her car and took off, the tires screeched and the engined roared down the street. It had been much easier than she thought it would be. She originally did not plan on killing him on the grave site, but she felt like people were watching her, so she had to get it over with.

As she sped around corners and turned off on hidden roads, she smiled, thinking to herself Now it's just you and me, Tiny. She brought her car into a scrap yard and tossed them the keys.

"Smash it and crash it, boys." It was her favorite car, but it would be best to ditch it. They happily agreed; parts like those are hard to come around these days. Then, she went to the bathroom and washed the nasty blond out of her hair, and wiped the pounds of make up off her face. Kurokawa jogged around behind the building and hot wired an old Lincoln that was in pretty good shape, driving out the back.

She made her way back to the nightclub and awaited the meeting of her subordinates later that night.

Caleb

I watched as the kid was lowered into the hole. I'd known him. Not well admittedly but enough to merit an invite to his damn funeral. Poor kid. It's always the nice ones that get killed.

I turned away and nodded towards the victim's sister who was clutching tight to her boyfriend and sobbing into his chest. That was when I saw the blonde girl. The knife. The body. Tiny was dragged away by her guards, as was the body, while a group of cobras rushed after the blonde.

"Killing at a grave site? That's enough to start a war," I chuckled as I shook my head in disgust.

"You think it's funny, huh?" A Dark, I think her name was Maria, drew a blade and then beckoned to some of her cobra allies.

"No. I'd like to talk to Tiny in fact," I replied casually. Stalking past her, I walked right up to the car with the guards following close behind. Another Dark, Tanya, was sat beside Tiny. I leaned through the window but was dragged back by rough hands.

"Don't touch me," I snarled, shaking them off. They made as to grab me again but Tiny stepped out of the car and waved them back a step. Tanya joined us and placed her hands upon her hips.

"Who's he?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Tiny.

"You got an invite stranger?" Tiny demanded.

"Yeah," I replied. "From the dead guy himself." I held up the piece of paper and it was snatched from my fingers.

"That's not something to joke about," Tiny snarled.

"It has Antonio's signature, Tiny. I think you should take a look," Tanya murmured. Tiny did so and then grabbed hold of my arm and pulled the sleeve up to reveal a fleshy scar where my gang tattoo used to be.

"You ever tried removing a tattoo with a dagger?" I asked.

Tiny

TIny looked at the man and and back to the letter.

"No, I've never tried to remove a tattoo with a dagger of all things." She replied looking back to his arm. She took the paper back from Tanya and looked over it again. It was Antonio's signature. No one could copy such a signature. "When did he give this to you?" She asked,

"Last I saw him, we swapped papers like that." He replied,

"The girl got away, dumped the car." A Cobra said walking over.

"Alright, tell everyone to meet at the werehouse tonight." She said, he nodded and was gone. She didn't dare look at the grave site or the car where Kevin's body was. She put her hand on the Cobra head on her shoulder, the girls only got the head, the men got the whole snake. She had gotten her's when she was younger, no one had thought she would survive the first year. "Did you want to talk to me?" She asked the man,

Tylar

"You going to that funeral?" Pyro asked casually.

"No," I replied. "I'm going out scouting for new recruits. Want to come?" Pyro hesitated for a moment and then nodded as he pulled his grubby shirt over his head. Why even bother changing for bed? I wondered as I sat on the edge of a crumbling mattress. The Seekers didn't have their own headquarters. That would draw too much attention to us you see but it meant that we had to spend our nights anywhere we could and this abandoned warehouse with its layers of dust and a few old, rotten sheets and mattresses was one of the better choices.

"You think we should tell the boss about that little girl?" I asked as we headed onto the streets and wove our way through the crowds.

"Not yet. Let's keep an eye on her though. It would be a shame if one of the other gangs got her. Waste of a life," Pyro replied.

________________________________________

Caleb

"Yeah. I didn't know your brother too well but I think I was his best friend outside of your little gang and he couldn't trust one of them with the message..."

"Why not?" Tiny interrupted.

"No offence Riley, but you people seem to get yourselves killed a lot..."

"He told you my name? Oh forget it, what's the message?" The girl's eyes that were moments before filled with tears stared at me feverishly. She was pretty actually. Dark brown hair pulled back in an elaborate braid, a soft jaw and these big, blue eyes. I smiled at her and her expression turned into a scowl. I rolled my eyes and began to speak again.

"He wanted you to know that he has some private savings. I'll give you the details later but the main thing is... can we talk privately?" Tiny nodded and we walked aside a little. "He wanted you to know that you have a nephew. His mother lives in town and she wants him to attend school but she says you may visit once a week."

"What?" Tiny demanded.

"Yeah and Antonio wants to leave him there. And he's right. The kid's better off where he is. Goodbye Riley."

Tiny

Tiny watched him leave, she thought about what he had said. She had a nephew, and of all people it was Antonio's kid. She smiled, good old Antonio had a kid. She frowned, they probably wouldn't know he was dead. She frowned, she was left to tell a women and her kid that the husband of the child was dead. She walked back towards the Cobras. Her two gaurds walked over to her.

"WHo was he?" Killer, the bigger of the two, asked.

"A friend of Antonio's." She replied, "WHere did they take Kevin's body?"

"Don't worry none about that. It'll be taken care of and we'll set up the funeral. You just rest." Bently, the other, said.

"Rest? HA, no theres no resting. Kevin wouldn't want it. We'll go to that meeting tonight, and we'll go for a drive this afternoon." She said.

"To where?" Killer asked,

"That is for me to know right now. I'll only take one of you with me. And where we go is not to ever be repeated. You got that?" She asked looking at them both.

"Yes, Ma'am, Killer can go. I need to go see my kid." Bently said, Tiny nodded and he left.

"Killer, who all knows my real name?" She asked him.

"That's alive? Me, thats it now." He said softly leading her to the car.

"Now its two, Antonio told that guy." She replied,

"Do you need him delt with?"

"No, he was a friend of Antonio and if Antonio trusted him I can too." She climbed in and Killer drove off back to the apartment. She got changed and drove towards where she thought her nephew would live. The guy hadn't told her where he lived, but she knew Antonio went to a certain neighborhood alot and did his best to keep gangs away from there.

"Where are we going?" Killer asked,

"To see my nephew." She replied, Killer smiled,

"Antonio's?" She nodded,

"There, does that kid look like him?" She asked pointing to a kid playing in the street with a bunch of others.

"Spittin image if you ask me." Killer smiled.

"Wait here," She said as he stopped. She pulled her sleeves down to cover her tattoo. She walked towards the kids and they all looked at her worried.

"Who are you?" one of them asked,

"A friend, " She smiled, "What are y'all playin?"

"Tag," Antonio's kid smiled,

"Are you having fun?" She asked, he nodded, he was about eight. "Where is your mamma?" He pointed to a house behind him and then jumped back in the game. Tiny slowly walked to the house trying to wet her mouth. How was she going to tell his mom her son's dad was dead. She raised her hand to knock and the door opened.

"What do you want? Why were you talking to my son?" A beautiful lady asked,

"I need to talk to you, ma'am." She said as polightly as she could.

"You look like..." The lady stopped,

"Antonio? He's my brother, well" she sighed, "Can I talk to you inside?"

"Prove your relation." THe lady said, Tiny rolled up her sleeve to show the tattoo.

"Can I please come in and talk to you?" She let her in and Tiny looked around.

"What do you need to tell me?" The lady asked, then a thought occured to Tiny, the guy had said that the lady said she could see her nephew once a week.

"Has someone already told you about..."

"Antonio's death?" THe lady asked, "Yes, yes he was to tell you you can come see Little Antonio once a week if you want."

"Yes, he told me, it just didn't occur to me that you would now. I've had a crazy day." She said softly

"He said you would be ocompanied by the leader of the cobras. Your boyfriend." The lady said giving her some lemonaide.

"He was killed at the funneral." Tiny said looking out the window.

"I'm so sorry, I guess Antonio's death is more of a blow to you then me." The lady sighed,

"No, you have his son, he was just my brother, there is probably a bigger connection becuase of the child then blood." Tiny said, "Keep the kid out of gangs, will you?"

"You don't have to tell me twice, I don't want him around them ever." The lady said,

"I'll keep my tattoo covered, I'll talk to him later. I need to go, thanks for the lemonaid." She turned to leave.

"Antonio said that if anything happened to warn you about someone, someone named Yuro, he never said why."

"Thanks," Tiny walked out to the car and they left. Why would Antonio worry about Yuro, he was a good fighter. He had just joined the Cobras though.

She pulled the car around the back of the club and went inside. That annoying girl was sitting at the bar, and saw Kurokawa come inside. The girl moved across the room and ran up the stairs, apparently getting to the "meeting" they were scheduled to have. Kurokawa followed, signaling the remaining few of her men who were waiting for her around the bar. They ascended the stairs and entered their private party room.


"Alright you ruthless beat necks, listen up." The crowd grunted in approval, some laughing and yelling at her analogy. She loved being with them, but now was a time to get serious.


"Shut up." Kurokawa said flatly, and obediently the room silenced. She sat in a large red recliner, and kicked back the foot rest. The party room was a nice one, and big enough for her whole gang, which was roughly about 25 people, men and women, when put together.


"Today marks the start of the Kadikoy-Cobra war." Everyone in the room screamed, whistled, and banged their fists in excitement. They hated the Cobras down to the pits of their souls, and everyone on the streets knew it. Raising her hand, she waved it through the air to settle them.


"Their leader was stabbed to death...by yours truly. Although," She had to stop before they got too excited again, " it was very dishonorable, I had to do it before we got out of the graveyard. I am not proud of that." They were silent, their faces frozen in thought. They knew the Cobras would be even more furious.


Kurokawa then grinned, baring her wicked smile. "But everyone knows what this means..." Her voice trailed off over the crowd, "One h*ll of a fight!" The shouting started once again, and Kurokawa leaned back into chair, thinking of the things to come.


"Oh, and one more thing. The new leader of the Cobras.... will be Tiny, the old ones girlfriend."

Ronny waited for his drink on a stool in the nightclub. People were dancing just a few feet away, touching each other, feeling one another, everyone invloved in their own dance or too engrossed in their conversation to notice anything.

He looked around. Then he notice from a window behind the bar a group of people, at least twenty, some happy, some serious, stepping from a door out onto the street.

He tossed a few dollars and walked briskly outside towards them. He met Kurokawa at least three times, none of them too joyous. She was the leader of the Kadikoys, that he knew. Before he could say anything, Kurokawa jumped towards him and grabbed the pistol from his belt.

"Whatcha doing here?"

"Don't you know?"

"Yeah, I know. You want to join us, don'tcha? Well, Ronny, I am not sure we can accept anybody who wants to join our group. What's your reasons?"

The Karikoys all stood behind her, sturdy, mean.

"Cobras. They kill me."

"That's it, Parrot boy?"

"I saw how she killed one of yours."

"Tiny?"

"Yeah."

There was murmuring between the members behind her. She looked back and they stopped talking. "That b*tch. We need to get her some day." She gave him the pistol. "I'll think about it. But the first time an Eagle makes a mistake, the Eagles are alone."

A man spoke up from the Kardkoys. "What about the Darks?"

"What about them?" Ronny asked.

As they left him all alone there, a Hispanic girl walked towards him, her hips switching every step she took. "Hello."

He turned around and ignored her, but she got closer and toucheed his face. He put his hand on the gun, but could not resist hearing what she had to say, touching his hair.

"So, you don't want to be with us anymore, huh? Boy, you are up for some fun."

He knew the voice. He pointed the pistol at Maria and shot her arm. She screamed and fell on the floor. She's not going to die, but he knew that she deserved pain. After what she did to him. At least now there was one more reason to be against the Darks.

*Sorry if I ruined your killing scene :'[*
Tiny

Killer pulled up in front of the apartment and Tiny walked back to her room. She slipped out of her clothes and put on her normal black pants and tank top. She curled up on her bed and burst into tears. She had lost Kevin, and Antonio. She gritted her teeth. Someone was going to pay. And the fact that it happened at a grave yard made it even worse.

"Tiny?" Killer called knocking on her door.

"Yea?" She asked,

"I'll be right back, I need to go check up on someone." He said,

"Alright, don't get to far away though please." Seh said,

"I wont, don't worry, I have a few Cobras stationed around the house." He said, she heard him leave and she looked around. Her small german shepard puppy was sleeping in a corner on a bed. Kevin had just given it to her. She frowned, why did they have to kill him? She stood up and looked around. She slipped a knife in a holder strapped to her ankle. She put another one on her left upper arm. Her tattoo on the right arm. She checked her gun that was in the holster across her chest. She slipped another small thin knive into her braid. it was about as long as her palm and the blade as long as her middle finger. The blade was thin like a pencil tip and could easily slip in between someone's rib cage.

The puppy yawned and walked over to her. It was up to her knee now. It was about ten months old and feirce already. It listened to her every word.

"Hey, boy, I'lm gonna have to leave you here again. When you get bigger you can come." She smiled down at it. It barked happily up at her and she sighed, she looked into the mirror and sighed, her face barely showed she had been crying but by the time she got to the were house it would be gone. She slowly walked back to Kevin's room. He hadn't had any family either so there was no one to tell. She looked around. He had always kept it neat and orderly. She sat on his bed and jumped when someone knocked on the door.

*Tis all I have right now*

*sorry I haven't posted in forever. I was at a storytelling conference friday and saturday. I'm here to catch up now though. hehe*

Althea slowly climbed out of bed, swinging her legs over the side, and looking at the puke yellow colored wall. She was tired of Brian. He was always being such a little boy. So immature. So self-centered. So idiotic. What made things even worse was that he was the leader of The Eagles. HE was the leader of the Eagles. Of all people. She wasn't sure if she could do this anymore. She wasn't sure if she wanted to.

As Althea was sittng there thinking, Brian rolled over and kissed her lower back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Good morning beautiful."

She looked at him over her shoulder to see his goofy grin, eyes sparkling, cheeks rosey. She loved him. She couldn't leave him. And she couldn't kill him. She just loved him too much.

She sighed and stood up, walking towards the window. She stared out, watching all of the people of the city walking to their destinations. God, look at those little naive people. They had no idea what was going on around them. How little and unimportant their lives were compared to the huge things that happening right under their noses.

Without looking at Brian, Althea spoke softly, almost in a whisper. "I can't do this anymore Brian. We can't do things like this anymore."

She heard Brian sit up on the bed. "What do you mean you can't do this anymore? What things can't we do anymore?"

"I can't be with a little boy anymore and I can't have a little boy running our gang."

"When did you start thinking you could have things in this gang?" Brian's voice rose. She could hear the tension rising in it.

She turned around to face him. He needed to understand.

"Listen, I love you Brian and I know that you love me, but things aren't going right in this gang. Your priorities aren't straight. I think we need to reconsider who's actually going to run this gang."

Brian hopped off the bed and walked towards Althea, he's body startling close to hers.

"Who put you up to this, huh? Who?!"

Althea trembled. "N-no-no one, Brian. I have be-been thinking about it."

He rolled his eyes and turned his body away from Althea's.

"You. You off all people want to get rid of me. My father was right. Women can't be trusted."

Althea grabbed Brian's arm and spun him around to face her.

"You listen here. I'm not trying to get rid of you. I'm not trying to off you. And I sure as hell can be trusted. I just think that instead of you running this gang, maybe we should run it together."

Brian laughed, and it sounded like he was mocking her. "You really want to run this gang together? You think you can help me run this gang?"

Althea's face went rigid, and her eyes grew cold.

"You can laugh all you want, but this is the deal I'm going to put on the table. You take it or you leave it and once you make your decision, you can not and will not go back on it. Either you let me help you run this gang or I walk and I don't come back."

Brian's eyes grew wide. "You're not serious are you?"

Althea folded her arms and stared him dead in the face. "Does it look like I'm joking?"

Brian sighed heavily and turned away from Althea once again. He walked over towards the dresser and stared at himself in the mirror, whispering some unintelligble words. Finally, after a few minutes he turned back around to face Althea, leaning his back on the dresser.

"Fine, I'll do it. On one condition."

Althea kept her hard stance until she knew the complete deal.

"What is that?"

"That you can't create a mutiny against me. We work as partners, but you must never turn against me. Ever."

Althea broke out into a huge smile and ran to Brian, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself close to his chest. She looked up at him and happiness radiated from her face.

"I love you, Brian. Never. I will never turn anyone against you. Never. I love you. Never."

He gave Althea a half hearted smile and pulled her to his lips.

Tanya and Maria were back at the garage. The whole gang was already there when they arrived. Tanya leaned on her new ride and looked around the group of ten women and eighteen men.

"Listen up." She said calmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Kevin, the leader of the Cobras, was stabbed today on the Cobra burial grounds." Murmurs filled the huge garage. Tanya continued when it got quiet again. "It won't be long before Tiny, the new leader, calls on us. The war we've known was coming is here."

"Remember, guys, this is a serious matter," Maria said, "but tonight is one of the biggest races Team Dark will ever enter. We have rivals that wrecked our rides last time." This comment was focused more on Tanya than the others, but they've all suffered damages from their rival street racing team.

"You'll know when Tiny needs us so sit tight and prepare for the race." Tanya said. They all nodded in agreement and split up to work on their cars. Team Dark was the largest street racing team known, and their records showed that they were the biggest and the baddest.

Tanya got into her car and drove it to the parking garage where it could wait for the night.

Althea hopped into her mercedes and put the keys in the ignition. She looked up and saw Brian standing in his bedroom window, starring down at her. He smiled and she beamed back at him.

Things are going to get better between us and for the Eagles.

Brian turned away from the window and left the space where he had been empty. Althea turned on the car and pulled out of the driveway. She was going to call Ronny and tell him the good news. Maybe he had some information for her too.

It's time to start getting some power on these streets.

His phone vibrated.

"Hello?"

'Hey. It's me Althea. I have some good news."

"Me too."

Her voice was clear and strong. "Brian's not our leader anymore. He decided to let me share the job with him."

"Thank god." Not that he was much of a leader anyway.

"No problem, Ronny. He also said some stuff about you last night. Did I tell you?"

"No."

'Never mind then."

He coughed into the phone. "We are officially with the Darks."

"Good. Stupid Cobras, we are going to get them at one time. I am with you all the way."

"Well...goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Just before she hung up, Ronny yelled into the phone: "Wait!"

"What?"

He had to ask her this question. It had been bothering him those past couple days, and now was the right time to ask. "Were you...did you shoot the cobra that was standing above me? Were you the one that killed him?"

"No."

"Oh. Sorry Althea. Just a question."

"Okay. Talk to you later."

They both hung up. The icy morning smell filled his nostrils, the leaves, the flowers, the dew. In... and out. In... and out.

( The Cobras are allies to the Darks, and the Kadikoys and Eagles are allies....Well, that's how it's going to work out for the Kadikoys and the Eagles. )

Tiny

Tiny opened the door and let Killer in. He set a big bag down on the table and then walked to his room. She looked at the bag but sat on the couch flipping the TV on so her curiousty didn't get any stronger. He soon came back out. He was in his normal jeans and a white wife beater shirt. He looked at her and smiled,

"So you didn't look in the bag?" He asked, she shook her head no. "THat is amazing."

"Well shut up and tell me what it is." SHe snapped walking over. He smiled,

"I can't talk and shut up at the same time. You'll have to see at the meeting." He said leading her outside. They got in the car and screached to the were house. She walked in, all the CObras were there a few Darks too. She walked up to a ladder. She sat on the top and looked around at everyone.

"As you all know, Kevin was stabbed today, at Antonio's funneral." She started, there was a lot of booing and mumbling. She raised her hand and they hushed. "I am takeing over."

"WHo says you are?" A voice demanded,

"I do, anyone that has a problem with that step forward." She hissed,

"You lost two loved ones, you aren't stable." Came the reply. Tiny laughed,

"You better believe I"m stable to take over what Kevin left, and to take down whoever killed him. Now if you call yourself a Cobra a suggest you come forward if you don't get the hell out of here." She said, Yuro stepped forward and she frowned. Antonio's warning had been right.

"No girl can run a gang right, where has it gotten the Kadikoy." He snapped,

"DON'T EVER COMPAIRE ME TO A KADIKOY!" She snapped stepping off the ladder. Killer started to walk over but she put her hand up. "I suggest you shut your mouth and keep it shut before I make you." He smiled,

"If you die, I get control." He replied.

"If you kill her I kill you, if she dies no matter from who I will hunt you down and kill you myself." Killer said glaring at Yuro. Yuro backed up and looked for help from any other Cobra's but they all just glared at him.

"Anybody else want to challenge me?" She asked, no body said anything. There was a five foot radiace around Yuro now. No one smiled at him, no one talked to him. He probably wouldn't make it through the night and he knew it. To try to change gangs would be just a fatel too. "Now, someone went as low as to kill him at the grave site." More booing burst out of the group.

"KADIKOY! It was a Kadikoy." Someone yelled,

"It was a girl, Kadikoy or not, she will be found, and when she is." Tiny made sure she looked around the room and tried to make eye contact with everyone. THere was maybe thirty to forty Cobras. "She is MINE!" Everyone whooped at that.

Kurokawa headed out of the club and sat on the steps in front of the door. The bouncer nodded at her and the two men that followed her out; they were brothers. They weren't her body guards, but they liked to watch her back; they had been with her a long time, and were very loyal. She leaned against the building, listening to the music thumping against the walls, as she looked up at the taller of the two men, Chad.


"You boys partying tonight, or do I have to make you have a good time?" She joked, and lit up a cigarette. It wasn't a normal habit, just one she picked up every now and then as a sedative.


Chad smiled, his perfect white teeth beaming, "Yeah, but not until you go back inside with us. That bouncer over there sure wouldn't be able to stand up to any Cobras if they decided to take you on." The bouncer overheard, and stiffened himself upright, trying to look more manly and muscular.


Kurokawa took a drag off her cigarette and almost laughed. "Whatever. You know good and well I'd be more than happy to take some Cobras down right here, right now...Especially that girl...Pipsqueak. Or was it Tiny?" Both of the men started laughing, the shorter one slapping his brother on the back.