Lessons.

"Get your skinny ass off that bed and get dressed now, Kaz screamed as he pulled open the blinds," letting in the morning sun.

I struggled to open my eyes and when I did, my sight was foggy, coupled with a sickening headache.

"I'm never taking alcohol ever again," I whispered.

"Lesson number one. Avoid all things that dull your mind and slows you down. Your life might depend on how sharp you are and how fast you can react to situations," Kazeem shouted.

"So that's why I never see Kaz drink, I thought to myself.

"Now get out of that bed, little brother! We have business to attend to."

Chuks was already up and I wasn't surprised. He barely slept even then. I got up, rinsed my face, and got dressed hastily.

"What business are we attending to today?" I asked.

"First of all, we must make sure that Bammy gets home safely. I don't have to remind you that we are at war, and we might be hit at any time. You don't want to be the one that partied with the boss's son when he gets shot.

Lesson number two. Avoid being the one at fault, or you're going to end up dead quickly."

"But isn't he safe with all the security around?' I asked.

"Lesson number three, bro. You are never safe. The moment you feel safe is when the enemy strikes."

"Why are you sounding like a sage all of a sudden, Kaz?" I started laughing, but it was cut short by the pain I felt. The hangover mixed with my face hurting from all the blows from the jump in.

Because I'm a sage in these streets, little bro. I am a fucking philosopher," Kaz whispered and smiled slightly.

We made our way down to the reception area and Bammy was already there with the rest of the guys. He was chatting with Shadae and laughing loudly. When he saw us he stopped.

"You guys had fun last night, yeah?" he grabbed me by my shoulder.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"Good. Because, I have a job for later," he referred to Kaz.

Kaz responded by nodding his head and proceeded to the door, he stopped and gestured to us to come over. Chuks and I joined him and we made our way to the car.

"You don't really like that Bammy guy, do you," I asked. 

"He's an asshole. He's the boss's kid but he's an asshole. He's the real reason for this whole war in the first place."

"What do you mean," I whispered.

"Forget I said anything," he replied as he suddenly fixed his attention on something somewhere on the other side of the street. He screamed, "Get down," and we both did.

He flung the car door open and started running towards Bammy who had just stepped out of the hotel. The loud sound of assault rifles rose to the air and bullets started whistling. We were being attacked. Kaz was quick enough to push Bammy to the ground and that saved his life. The two people that stood beside him got hit. When our guys started shooting back, the attackers fled. When the air cleared we found out that Adam had been hit, he died on the spot of several shots to the chest. The second person that got shot was Sanusi. I and Chuks stepped out of the car in time to see them carry him to the car, he held on to his neck as blood gushed out. His clothes turned red, soaked with his blood. Growing up around gang members, in a crime-infested neighborhood, I was no stranger to gunshots and hearing about people getting shot, but that was the first time I saw it up close, and it was a mess. 

"Get him to the hospital, right now!" Bammy screamed as he got off the ground and dusted off dirt off his clothes.

"Those are Jason Bade's boys. They're 666 mob, and I know where they'll be," Kaz mumbled.

"What the hell are we waiting for? Let's go kill those bastards!" Bammy fumed.

"No, Bammy, I got this, Kaz placed a hand on his shoulder."

"You got it? Who the hell do you think you are?" he slapped Kaz's hand off his shoulder angrily.

"Look here, Bammy. You almost got shot just some minutes ago. What do you think your father is going to do to me and all these men if you get killed? Just go home and let me handle this shit."

He got calmer and started walking to his car, and his men followed him. When he got into the car, he reached his head out and said "You better kill all those motherfuckers, Kaz." The engine started and zoomed off.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Lesson number five, bro. Always clean up the mess. It gets you credibility and it's good when they know you're the guy that gets things done."

He made a phone call and some minutes later a truck parked in front of us. The door opened and Samson got out.

"Did I hear you say Jason Bade's boys took a shot at Bammy?" he reached into the truck, brought out an A.k. 47, and cocks it. 

"We're going to King's Lane, boys," Kaz said as he got into the truck. We got to King's Lane around some minutes to noon.

Two police patrol trucks stopped right behind Samson's truck. I missed a breath thinking we were getting in trouble. Being caught with a gun in Harmony city was a serious offense, and these guys didn't have just one gun, they had a whole armory in that truck.

"Hello, Kaz. We heard there was trouble earlier," one of the policemen said. 

He appeared to be the one in charge. The crooked motherfucker was just an officer back then. He grew to be an important associate over the years. He got out of the car and stood in front of Kaz, starting at Samson.

"Samson, I see you're here too. I know who to come arrest later if you don't do the normal, Kaz."

"When have you ever known me to disappoint you, officer?"

"Good, then you boys are free to conduct your businesses in this district, happy hunting."

"Shit, Kaz. You're friends with that cop?" I screamed.

"Lesson number six. The police are not your friend."

Kaz knew exactly where Bade's and his crew would be and at first, it was a very good thing. It made what was done in King's Lane that day easier, but we didn't realize it would eventually get Kaz into trouble with the boss.

"Stay in the car with Chuks and keep the engine running. We're in enemy territory and we're going to need to leave in a hurry. Grab a weapon, and look sharp."

They all opened the doors and got out. They ran towards the apartment building and almost immediately the gunshots were heard. Chuks was so calm he lit a cigarette and started smoking. 

People in poor neighborhoods back then knew to mind their business. They don't even try to call the cops. The cops would give excuses like lack of transportation for not coming. All they did was close their doors and windows and wait till the air clear. 

The streets looked deserted as the gunfight rages on. It lasted for almost an hour and no single police came. 

Suddenly, a window burst open from one of the apartments, and someone got thrown out of it. He landed on the ground, splattering blood everywhere. I watched as he took his final breath. It was One eyed Sunday. 

A kid ran out of the building holding a pistol, he couldn't have been older than I was. He pointed the gun at me and I froze, I had a gun in my hand too but I froze. When I heard the gunshot I thought I was dead, but the kid fell to his knees clutching his stomach as he began to bleed. He appeared to be clearing, yes tears stream down his cheeks. He suddenly made a final attempt to move, and just like that, I became a murderer. It was like I was taken over, I guess it was the fear of death that made me do it. It was going to be one of us, and I wasn't going to let him make the choice. I shot at him and the bullet caught him right in the forehead. He fell to his back and stopped moving.

Chuks ran back into the car and I followed him, trembling. The others came down and we zoomed off.

Kaz must have figured out what happened. He just placed a hand on my shoulder but didn't say anything.

"Shit! Bade wasn't there," Samson shouted.

"We got the whole of his, crew. He won't stay hidden for long. This is a win," Kaz replied.

They all thought it was indeed a win, but just like I've learned over the years, when you're in the business of crime, things aren't always as they seem.