Lifted: Power, Money And Speed (A Novel by King Coopa J) Read online

  He found the key room without any problem. He found the mini safe with the key to the Boss. He began to pick it. The safe was already unlocked. “Dayum, somebody is going to get fired.” He thought it was odd but brushed it off. Time is money. He hurried to the garage to lift it so he could drive the Boss out without any damages. Suddenly, the dealer’s lights cut on. He heard freeze! “Fuck!” He rushed to the Boss and hopped in and fired up the engine.

  Police swarmed the car lot. “Get out of the car!” Daverson yelled. “Twenty! It’s over! Police are everywhere, you’re cornered!”

  Twenty began to realize he was set up. They were waiting for him. What to do? He looked at the glass doors. “I can’t go to prison.” He floored the Boss and busted through the glass doors. The engine growling through the parking lot. He shifted the motor into high gear. “Fuck!” The police were at the front entrance. He shifted to reverse and burnt out backward, leaving a trail of smoke. He couldn’t get far. A helicopter lowered close enough to the ground and blocked the car in. The police had weapons ready for business. He watched his young life go. No choice, he surrendered.

  Lifted

  Trial

  Twenty knew there was nowhere for him to go. They had finally caught up to him. He rested his head on the headrest in the Boss 302. He exhaled deeply waiting for them to apprehend him. Police cars were everywhere. Two helicopters hovered over the car with their lights directed at the vehicle. He thought about what his best friend Jeff said before he left. He didn’t feel right. Out of all of the times he has said that, he was right about this one. The last one for a while, Jeff. Then we can chill, he thought. He smirked to himself thinking about the consequences. He knew exactly who voice it was in the building that told him to freeze. It was detective Daverson.

  Daverson has been after Twenty for the past three years. Ever since Twenty became a professional car thief. The GTA number went up three hundred just in the area. One hundred and seventy-five of those he believes belonged to Twenty. His signature twenty dollar bill was left on the scene. Pay for what you steal is how Twenty looked at it. He could never catch up to Twenty until now. The tip from the Spokesman put him one step ahead. “Twenty, it’s over son.” Daverson said. “Hold your hands out of the vehicle and come on with me.” He had his Glock aimed at Twenty through the driver side window.

  Emotions ran through his mind as he still couldn’t believe he had been caught. He thought about his best friend Jeff. It was now that he realized he actually loved Paula and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He wanted to tell her he’s sorry for being a no good dog and for how he treated her. Now, that will never happen. Tech, he wanted to tell him that he really was his friend before he asked him to join the team. He thought he was kind of weird, but cool for a computer geek. The Lifters, his family. “Daverson,” Twenty answered casually. “You finally got me, huh? Doesn’t it feel good?”

  “Twenty,” Daverson spoke over the commotion. His clothes were blowing from the helicopter wind. “You couldn’t run from me forever son. I told you I’ll catch you. Now come on and step out of the vehicle quietly and come with me. I got a party to go to.”

  Twenty smirked. “What kind of party is that? Am I invited? I promise I won’t steal a car.” He joked.

  “A party for busting the best car thief around. Now, bring your funny ass with me son.”

  Twenty smiled and stuck his hands out of the window slowly. The police moved in on him and removed him from the car cautiously. He saw Channel 2, 5, and 11 news vans out.

  Reporters were swarming the scene for information on Twenty. They cuffed him on the hood of the Boss 302. Daverson lifted him from the hood. He noticed that all of the police officers were smiling and giving each other high fives. They were excited to bring down the greatest car thief in Atlanta’s history. Promotions for everyone.

  Twenty nonchalantly kept a cool smile watching the SWAT team and the FBI party for his arrest.

  Daverson shoved him forward.

  “Chill playa, this shirt is worth more than that promotion you’re about to get.”

  Daverson shoved him again. “Told you it was going to be a party. After this, I’m going to bust the rest of your friends. Move your ass son.”

  A reporter approached Twenty with a cameraman. “Is there anything you would like to say to the people?” She held her microphone out for him.

  Daverson spoke arrogantly. “Yeah, he wants to say he’s retired.”

  “We want to know if the man they call Twenty have any comments?” The reporter was struggling with her hair blowing from the helicopter wind. She held the microphone up to Twenty.

  “Is that any way to speak for a famous person Lenny?” Twenty taunted Daverson. “Yes, there is something I would like to say.” He knew by now that everybody in Georgia was watching this or soon will be. There was only one person he wanted to talk to. “I frequently don’t do this, but I want to tell Paula I’m sorry. Sorry for everything I ever did. I want to tell you that I love you, Paula. Jeff, you will always be my best friend. Take care of her for me. She deserves a guy like you. Both of you would make a great couple. Tech, you always have been my friend since computer class and you always will, man. Take care, I’m fuckin’ out. Holla.”

  They got him booked in and later he made his one phone call to Jeff. He told him the court date. A week later, every one of the Lifters showed up to support Twenty. He faced the judge for the final decision.

  Lifted

  Prison

  Life without the chance of parole. Twenty knew it was coming. He sacrificed his own life to save his friends. They threaten to put every one of them behind bars for fifty years. No one would have a life to live. He cared too much about Paula and the rest of the Lifters. He wouldn’t let something evil as that, happen. He manned up and took the one hundred and seven six felonies. One for each vehicle he lifted. He held his head high and sucked his teeth at the judge before turning to his team. They had no idea he just saved them from fifty or more years in prison. He already told Jeff where his savings were hidden. He had a little over 1.2 million from all of the past lifts. Take the money and get out of the game with Paula. That’s what he told him. That was his new plan. For Twenty, it was officially over. The rest of his young life would be life behind bars.

  He noticed Jeff had his arm around Paula soothing her as she grieved on his shoulder. Jeff looked extremely sad while Tech had his head down in his hands. The scene was emotional as he watched the pain over their heads.

  Jeff turned his attention to him. He smiled at his best friend and nodded. He knew Twenty wanted him to be strong for the team. They would need his care more than ever now that he was gone.

  The courtroom police escorted Twenty out to the hall. That’s where the other inmates waited chained together. Three officers chained Twenty back up and went back into the courtroom.

  Twenty put his head against the back wall. He heard chatter all around him from the other inmates, but he blanked them out from his mind. All he could think about was his friends and life in prison. “Life.” He muttered to himself. The guards came after all the inmates were finished and took them back to the bus. The longest bus ride of his life and it was back to confinement. What a waste of twenty years of living. The sad part was his twenty-first birthday is in two days. His cracked out mom told him he wouldn’t make it to twenty-one. Guess the pipe head was right, he thought. She was hooked so bad it was amazing how she is still alive at 46 years old. She kicked him out when he turned 14 years old and haven’t seen him since. He knew she was alive for sure. Paula visited her a time or two.

  He arrived back at the jail. They informed him he was scheduled to leave with the next prison shipment. The judge wanted him shipped immediately. A menace to society is how the judge and the DA label him.

  Twenty’s bus ride to prison arrived one week later. The deputy chained him to a white guy, huge and heavily tattooed. He resembled a biker. Twenty guessed right. The guy he is chained to is a part o
f a biker gang called, White Shield. They are known for moving ice and prostituting women and young girls. They respected nothing but their kind. The whites.

  Twenty settled in his seat. He was chained inside, so he took the window seat. He heard the biker snorting. Obviously, he could sense the biker didn’t like him. He could care less. He wasn’t afraid to hook with nobody. If it came to that, he already had planned out in his mind how he would take the guy. He had a plan for every occasion and every situation. He always did. He sucked his teeth and faced out the window. All he wanted to do was ride in peace to his next destination. He didn’t want any problems with nobody. Not even the bus driver.

  The biker snorted again. He was breathing over Twenty. “You suckin’ your teeth at me, nigger?” He was sounding real tough. “I said you suckin’ your-”

  That’s as far as he got before Twenty elbowed him without looking. He caught the biker off guard. Blood shot from the biker’s mouth all over him. He shattered his front teeth. Pandemonium broke out on the bus as the guards tried to rush to the back. The prisoners were standing in the aisle, making it difficult.

  The biker groaned. He was feeling light headed. “Ah!” He tried to reach for Twenty.

  Twenty had immediately followed with another elbow and the biker blacked out. Two swift shots to the face violently. The biker fell forward and his head rested on the front seat. Twenty nonchalantly faced the window until the guards arrived. They were shocked.

  “What’s going on here,” One of the guards roared.

  “He’s thinking about prison.” Twenty answered the guard coolly while still looking out of the window.

  The guard looked at Twenty. Twenty stayed facing the window while ignoring him. Minding his own damn business, he thought. The biker was sleep and heavily snoring with his body leaned forward and his head resting on the front seat. Blood was pouring from his nose like a water fountain. The guard hadn’t noticed it until a large puddle of blood formed around his feet. Only five minutes into their long trip to Jackson County Prison and the bus had to stop. The guards finally got all of the prisoners to settle back down. Their guns and Tasers came in handy with cruel threats.

  “Wake him up.” One of the guards told another.

  The guard that was standing in the puddle of blood tried to wake him. He was trying his best, but the huge biker remained asleep, out cold. “Sir,” he cried. “He’s not waking up.”

  “Unchain him and move him to the front of the bus. We need to stop the bleeding.” He ordered another guard to help him move the biker to the front of the bus.

  The two guards took ten minutes to move the guy. Dripping much-needed blood from the biker’s nose and mouth the entire way. They propped the biker up in the front seat and begun to operate on his wounds while he was still asleep. The bus got back on its course headed to the prison.

  The head officer spoke to Twenty arrogantly. “If I have any more problems out of you.” He was close enough to kiss Twenty on the cheek while he had his index finger pressed against the temple of his head. “Your ass is going to the hole for one month immediately. You’ll be pissing and shitting in a bucket and wiping your ass with your hand. I’ll make sure of that, believe me.” He was sweating ferociously over Twenty.

  Twenty didn’t want to show any signs of weakness to these guards or anybody else at the prison. If he’s going to be there for life, they were going to respect him no matter what he has to go through. He moved his head away from the guard’s finger and mushed his head away as he spoke. “Man, back your sweaty ass off me. Your breath smells like shit.” He said nonchalantly. Then he faced the window.

  The head officer was furious. He whipped out his Taser and zapped Twenty until he passed out. “Looks like we got ourselves a smart-ass, boys.” He laughed and walked back to the front.

  Twenty stayed sleep the rest of the trip. It seemed like only five minutes. The bus came to a harsh stop waking him up. His vision came back into sight as he looked out of the window. He was looking at his new home. “Fuckin’ bullshit.” He muttered to himself. He still felt shocks from the Taser.

  The cage door up front opened and two guards hurried to the back. “You’re coming with us.” One officer lifted him from the seat.

  Both of the guards dragged him harshly off the bus. He was faced backward as they dragged him. When he got to where the biker was seated in the front. He violently kicked him in the face busting his nose and mouth back open. The biker was in too much pain to try an attack. He vowed to kill him on the prison yard. The guards threw Twenty off the bus cuffed. He hit the ground and dust covered his face. The guards came off and gave him a good whooping with their batons. Afterward, they immediately dragged him all the way to the hole.

  He heard one say. “Two months tough guy!” Then slammed the door.

  “Fuck you!” Twenty yelled. He picked himself up and brushed off. Prison was already hell. This is how he had to spend the rest of his life, in hell. He sat back against the wall and closed his eyes. He thought about what had gone wrong at the Antique Cars of Atlanta. The safe for the Boss 302 key was open. His instincts told him something was wrong then. They were waiting on him. Waiting for him to make a move to catch him red handed. What a setup. He smiled. Nothing to do about it now.

  Two months in the hole were hell. It was time for him to leave the shit and piss smelling room. The guards came to get him. The fresh air hit his nose and cleared up his breathing. They hauled him out of the hole and dropped him off at his cell after a shower and his medical shots. He entered his cell and the guards removed the cuffs.

  “Remember boy.” One guard growled. “We run this prison.” He slammed the door.

  Twenty sucked his teeth. “Please, we’ll see.” He muttered. He turned around and a Chinese man was doing pull ups.

  The Chinese man stopped and stared at him. “John Kim.” He held his hand out.

  “Twenty.” He shook his hand.

  Lifted

  The Bikers Club

  Twentymade his bed and then he laid down. Just lying on a bunk made him feel ten times better. The floor in the hole wasn’t exactly the best place to sleep.

  John sat at the table in the room. “So what are you here for?”

  “Lifting.” Twenty muttered. He put his head back and closed his eyes.

  “Lifting,” John asked? “What kind of charge is that? Shoplifting?”

  “Exotic, antique, luxury,” Twenty was exhausted. “Any kind of vehicle you want.” He exhaled. He really wasn’t in the mood to be getting to know his roommate. He was tired and happy he had a place to lay his head.

  “Oh, you steal vehicles for people.” John leaned back in the seat. “Good money?”

  Twenty shrugged. “Make a decent living.”

  “What they give you?” Couldn’t be much, John thought.

  “Life without chance of parole.” Twenty sat up in his bed. Since John wanted to know so damn much. He might as well find out about him. He’s in the same room with the guy. Bastard could be insane.

  “Damn,” John was shocked by that. “They gave you life for GTA?”

  “Yep, fucking life.”

  “You must’ve been one bad motherfucker to get life.”

  “One hundred and seventy-six felonies.” Twenty assured him. “One for each vehicle.”

  “Wow, how they know?”

  “They knew. The entire three years they knew. They just couldn’t catch me. I actually lifted over 250 cars. I just started leaving my signature twenty dollar bill on the last one seventy-five. Too many people tried to take credit for my work so I began leaving a twenty at the scene of my lifts. Pay for what you steal.” Twenty stood and walked over to the cell bars.

  John thought that he heard about a guy stealing cars and leaving behind a twenty dollar bill. They talked about him getting shipped to the prison two months ago. He never showed. “They caught you at the Antique Cars of Atlanta right, 69’ Boss 302?”

  “That’s me.” He said looking out to t
he prison. “You must watch the news?”

  “Nah, I heard the guards talking. News gets around in no time here. You’ll soon learn that. I thought you were supposed to arrive two months ago?”

  Twenty exhaled. “I did. I ran into some trouble with a biker and some bus guards. I spent the last two months in the hole.”

  “You’re the guy who whooped the biker and then mush the lieutenant in the face.” John sounded excited.

  “News does fly around here.”

  “The bikers have been talking about taking you out for two months,” John assured him. “The guy who harmed one of their brothers. White Shield have good numbers here. They want your ass bad. You better be careful man.”

  “Not worried about a bunch of bikers.” Twenty spoke calm and casual. “I have life, nothing they can do better than that. Not even kill me.”

  The guards did the prison count and release the prisoners for free time. Twenty stayed in his cell and slept except the last ten minutes. He needed to take a shower. He followed John. John joked with him telling him not to drop the soap. Twenty actually thought John was alright. He could tell he’s a smart man. They got in the showers. Twenty and John washed side by side.

  “I’ve been waitin’ on your nigger ass!” A harsh voice roared.

  Twenty turned around and saw four huge bikers standing in front of him. He quickly sized them up. The one with the busted nose and missing front teeth is the one he beat down on the bus. He had a handmade shank in his hand. The others were his biker brothers. White Shield presumably. There’s no way he can take them all, but he’ll die trying. His plan registered in his mind the moment he turned around. Only chance, take the shank and fight for your life. The biker swung the shank trying to cut Twenty in the face. He ducked and gave him a brutal jab to the lower gut. The biker bent from the blow and he followed up with a knee to the face. The biker slumped to the ground and dropped the shank. The other bikers roared and jumped on Twenty. He tried to defend himself. Taking multiple harsh blows were a toll on him. Suddenly, one biker went flying backward and then another. Twenty noticed John Kim karate the shit out of two bikers. Twenty handled the other biker with a fierce combination to the head and finished with a knockout blow. The first biker retrieved his shank and went at Twenty again. Twenty blocked it. The biker’s force combined with the wet floor caused both of them to fall. The biker landed on top of him. Twenty back ached from the 300-pound man. His body seemed lifeless laying on him. The biker wasn’t moving. Twenty muscled the biker off of him. The biker rolled off the top of him and slumped to the ground. He stood to his feet. John had the bikers at a standoff. They were too scared to pursue a battle with the Kung’ Fu master. The third biker was out cold with the shower raining all over his body. Twenty looked down at the biker who attacked him. Blood running from the lifeless biker stomach turned the shower waters red like a plague. The shank had inserted into his stomach with a death blow from the fall killing him instantly. Both biker’s eyes grew wide when they had noticed. They both grabbed their biker brother who was lifeless under the shower water and swiftly shouldered him away. That was the last time he ever had to deal with them. He caught his first body. The bikers didn’t want any more of their brothers killed and they sure as hell feared John Kim and his skilled fighting. They were no match. They retreated for good.