The next day, CJ rode through Ganton to see B-Dup for more tasks to complete. He came across the apartment buildings and put his vehicle in park. He hopped out of the lowrider and ran to the apartment buildings. As he stepped inside, he saw some cockroaches crawling on the walls and spiders building a web on the corner.
I'm surprised B-Dup didn't make Bear sweep up the mess in this hallway, CJ thought.
He went to B-Dup's door and knocked on it loudly.
"Yo B-Dup!" he called. "You in there?!"
CJ waited for several seconds until he saw the door slowly open and B-Dup standing right there.
"Right on time, CJ!" B-Dup said grinning. "Come on in!"
CJ walked inside as B-Dup opened the door wider. "So what other types of jobs you have for me to do for you, Dup?" CJ asked him.
"A'ight, listen up!" B-Dup explained. "I have just one last job for you to do for me, and I promise you, I'm out of this drug dealing business for good! And I'm gonna be back on the Grove to cap them Balla motherfuckers!"
CJ's face brightened up like a buzzer on the shot clock above the basketball hoop. "No shit?!" he asked sounding eager.
"Hell yeah!" B-Dup answered. "After this one job, you can kiss this crack epidemic bullshit goodbye!"
"Yo that's great, man!" CJ said. "Great to know that, homie!"
"Yeah," B-Dup told him. "I took a second thought about this crack game and it's fucking up the 'hood, homie! No amount of money is worth spreading this shit all over the 'hood!"
"I'm glad you had a change of heart, homie!" CJ told him giving him a high five. "We can't be having no drugs fucking up the families!"
"I know, Dog!" B-Dup replied. "The crack's been introduced in the 'hood ever since this loan shark came around and started helping the Ballas' drug dealing business expand in order to have them taking over."
"Ah shit!" CJ cried out. "So this crack's been introduced in the hood because of some loan shark?!"
"Hell yeah!" B-Dup told him. "It turns out this loan shark was working for the Ballas all along. Luckily, Sweet blasted that motherfucker last year!"
"Good on him," CJ said. "So what is that last job you need me to do for you, B-Dup?"
"Simple," B-Dup said. "All you gotta do is grab my weed. I got it hidden underneath the floorboards in the trapdoor of this abandoned house all the way back in Willowfield. All the way on the left side. I just want to smoke my final joint before quitting this shitty drug business."
"Oh, f'sho, B-Dup," CJ told him giving him another high five. "I'm down with that."
"Cool," B-Dup replied. "No go ahead and do yo' job, homie. Consider me recruited after this."
CJ nodded as he walked away. He was feeling even more confident than ever. He would finally get B-Dup back to fight for Grove Street and would most definitely consider getting Big Bear into rehab as well.
He walked out of the apartment building and went to his lowrider, hopping inside and starting the engine before he drove back onto the road. CJ drove straight ahead and made a right turn on Willowfield. He drove straight and made a left turn down the street.
He looked on the left side, where B-Dup said the abandoned house was located. CJ drove closer to the dead end of the road and put his vehicle on park. He hopped out of the vehicle and walked up to the abandoned house.
CJ took a discerning look at the house. It was dilapidated and broken down. The glass of the windows was missing. The boards were falling apart. CJ took a deep breath and walked into the building. Inside was bare and replete with cobwebs. Cockroaches crawled all over the walls. Graffiti was also written on the wall as well. It was like walking into a cave ran by thugs.
CJ felt his heart pumping. He knew he was getting himself into a risky job. But he had too much heart to back out now. So he searched around for the trapdoor by walking around the house. He walked through the living room, the kitchen, the den, and finally the basement.
Shit, CJ thought. This nigga didn't tell me it would be hot down here.
As CJ made it down the basement, he walked down the stark darkness. It was feeling hot and dry down there. There was a heater right on the right corner roaring silently.
CJ heard his heart beat hard. He walked around until he finally found the trapdoor and promptly opened it. There it was! The bag of weed! Just like B-Dup said it would be!
So CJ grabbed the bag of weed and stored it in his pocket. He started to sweat a little bit. It was hot and sticky in the basement. But CJ wasn't discouraged. At least he got the bag of weed to give to B-Dup. Most importantly, B-Dup was finally going to rejoin the Grove Street Families to help take back the hood.
But CJ's luck just ran out when he finally stepped out of the basement door, where he walked through the den to be confronted by a group of Ballas.
"What the fuck?!" CJ cried.
"Yeah, you ain't got no place to run now, motherfucker!" one of the Ballas members taunted.
"Any last words, punk?!" another member asked CJ snidely. "Before we blast your bitch ass?!"
"Ah shit!" CJ grunted.
CJ barely made it back into the basement when the Ballas began firing their bullets at him. CJ ducked behind some crates on the right-hand corner and looked to see one of the Ballas members walking through the door firing bullets at CJ.
CJ showed no hesitation and fired back at the Balla member, riddling him with bullets. More Ballas came through the door and started firing bullets at CJ. The young gangster just stayed behind the crates as he fired back at each Balla member, killing them all one by one.
The shoot-out lasted for a good two minutes until CJ killed the last Balla member that came down the stairs shooting at CJ. It was now silent, and all that was heard was the heater in the basement.
CJ looked behind the crates to see the dead bodies of the Ballas lying on the floor and slowly crept out of the basement, very cautious of any other gang member that would eventually pop out to attack him.
CJ quickly ran outside and hopped inside the lowrider. Unfortunately, as he attempted to ride away, he heard police sirens. The cops were right behind him!
Ah shit! CJ thought. I just got over the Ballas trying to kill me! Now I got the cops after my tail?! Can't anybody ever give me a fucking break for once?!
So CJ stomped hard on the gas pedal and sped as fast as he could, with the police car trailing behind. CJ took a left turn on Ganton and drove straight down, crossing the railroad tracks through Idlewood and making a left turn on the road, where he quickly entered the Paint 'n' Spray.
He quickly lost the cops and slowly backed away from inside the garage onto the street. Before he began to back away, he heard his cellphone ring and quickly answered it.
"Yeah," CJ answered.
"CJ, it's Bear," he heard Big Bear say over the phone.
"Big Bear?" CJ replied. "What's up, man? Aye, I got the weed. Thankfully, I grabbed it before them Balla Dope Pushers ambushed me in Willowfield."
"Yeah," Big Bear answered. "That's kinda what I called you about."
"What's up, Bear?" CJ asked suddenly sounding confused.
"How you think the Ballas knew you would be all the way out there in Willowfield?" Big Bear asked him. "A territory they don't even own?"
"So you telling me that B-Dup set me up?!" CJ cried out.
"You just got played, homie!" Big Bear responded. "That dude was never gonna quit the drug business."
"I can't believe this shit!" CJ growled.
"Hey," Big Bear said. "Come back over here, homie. There's something I need to talk to you about."
CJ hung up the phone and shook his head. B-Dup had actually ambushed him. He was never going to help Grove Street Families after all, and CJ was naïve enough to believe it. So without another word, He drove furiously down to Ganton street.