Neighborhood Gang Activity Task Force – South River Office

Scene 1: Situation Briefing

There are approximately forty different named gangs in the local area, but a genealogy of the organization tracks them all back to four major city gangs around the country.   Here we are talking about the LA oriented Crips and Bloods, and the Chicago oriented Folk Nation and People Nation.   Currently, the most hostile known confrontations occur between two local hybrid gangs, the Royal Gangsta Boys (RGB) and the Black Local Busters (BLB).  The RGB is a localized offshoot of the Latin Kings which is part of People Nation.  The BLB was started by a relatively unknown member of the Crips known as “Poochie” who came out of prison, moved here from Los Angeles, and promptly began his own affiliate gang called the Busters.  These days, Poochie has attained “O.G.” status, as one of the hard core “original gangsters” that are at the top of the food chain in the gang hierarchy.  

Each of the boy gangs has a girl gang. The Royal Brides (RBF – as in ‘Royal Brides Forever’) are linked with the Gangsta Boys (RGB) while the Black Widow Girls (WG) hang with the Busters and wear Crip paraphernalia and shades of blue.  The Gangsta Boys and the Brides wear Black and Gold.

The rapid proliferation of graffiti throughout the city has documented the Busters’ challenge to their Gangsta Boy rivals.  Up until now, the graffiti has mostly told of individual gang member exploits and crimes.  Now we see massive levels of disrespect on our streets, and the body count is higher than ever before.  But never have we seen the vicious ferocity that we see today from the girl gangs.  

Completely atypical of gang culture, we have determined that the Royal Brides actually carry more weight than the Gangsta Boys.   We have determined that this is because of the far reaching influence of the leader of the RBF, one Consuela Reid, aka “Pinto.”  We have no details of Pinto’s rise to power, but she has clearly made a significant impact in a very short period of time.   The initiation process for the Brides, before Pinto, involved new members having unprotected sexual relations with all active Gangsta Boys present.  We even have a few reports of young ‘wannabes’ who were forced to have sex with Gangsta Boys known to be HIV positive. Rumors indicate that Pinto has ended all “sexed-in” initiations in favor of controlled group beat-downs under her personal supervision.  

A violent confrontation between the Brides and the Black Widow Girls occurred late Monday afternoon at the Middle School.  Six were taken to local hospitals, one with a potentially life-threatening head injury. We have been able to identify the two primary combatants.  Apparently, a sixteen year old female known to us only as “Kayla” has become the primary target of one Okaretta Grace, aka “Bandit”.  “Bandit” is well known to us in the task force and already has a lengthy rap sheet for a teenager. 

These two are apparently both fairly influential within their respective groups, and the officers on the scene reported angry verbal threats were issued on both sides as the combatants were separated.

I am quite sure that we have not heard the end of this.

South River Recreation Center Basement – RBF Initiation Area 3

Scene 2: The Politics of Brides

Goldie and AG were the loudest as usual, laughing and signifying about kicking some Widow-ass.   Pinto was just wandering in with three or four of the “new booties” with her.   La Hembra was holding court tonight with “Wanna-B” and about seven other Brides.

Kayla could not hear what La Hembra was saying, but she could tell from the frequent glances in her direction and her body language, that she was the primary topic of discussion.  Hembra is Pinto’s War Lord.  She has been War Lord now since before Pinto took over.  Pinto is smart, but Hembra has always been the muscle.  That’s because Hembra is stone crazy and she’s not sure but there hs been some tension between Pinto and Hembra recently.  

As Kayla watched, Pinto stalked through the group and said something to Hembra.  Then Pinto and her War Lord left the group and walked over to the other side of Area 3, in deep conversation.   Pinto was several inches taller than Hembra, but then Pinto was taller than damn near everybody.   La Hembra, on the other hand was broad-shouldered, rock solid, muscular, and moved like a cat.

It occurred to Kayla, now that above the raucous of the other Brides, she could now hear Pinto’s voice raised loudly.  As she looked she could see Pinto literally yelling at their War Lord, who was just standing there taking it in.  Then Pinto turned to the group.

“Brides” she screamed in her deep husky voice. “Consique tu evaluar tranquilo.”  (Get your asses quiet.)

“I am not gonna be here tonight” Pinto continued. “Tengo cosas que hacer.” (I’ve got shit to do.) “But I don’t give a damn about what went down with the Widows yesterday, I don’t want no static about it.  I want you to chill… am I clear?”   Pinto was carefully looking in the eyes of all of her sisters as she spoke.  Everyone there knew that when Pinto could actually put two sentences together without switching back and forth from English to Spanish… that meant that she was good and truly pissed. 

“Am I clear Kayla?”  Pinto had singled her out because she knew that the beef with Bandit was not over… but I could chill for tonight.  

“You clear girl,” Kayla said under her breath, but loud enough to be heard. 

“Am I clear Bitch?”  Pinto directed this last question directly to La Hembra.  They watched as La Hembra just looked away and didn’t say anything.  The room was deathly quiet as they watched this contest of wills between their leader and their War Lord.  Then Pinto turned without a word and walked out into the night.

The room erupted in a chorus of, “Ooooooh girl’s” and “Ahhhhh shit now’s,” as everybody understood that there was clearly a disturbance in the force.

Then they were looking at Hembra, who was now standing center stage and waiting for our attention.  In a minute it got real quiet.

“I don’t know about you hoes…” Hembra began softly. “But my man Truck pulled me aside this afternoon, and told me that the word on our streets… is that we got punked by some old Black Widow bullshit yesterday.”  This was followed by an instant uproar and angry denials from the sister Brides.    

La Hembra had a wicked reputation for violence and ruthlessness.  So it was unexpected that she would have such a clear and melodious voice.  She could speak perfect English when she wanted to and rumor had it that she could actually sing like the bamas on VH1 and BET.

Too bad she was psychotic.  Then she turned on Kayla.  

“And how about you… Kayla… my… sistah?”  She said it loud and exaggerated as she slowly got up in her face. 

'What was her problem?'   Kayla thought to herself.  'I had never had a beef with Hembra, and I definitely did not want one now, but if she was going to call me out here tonight… I would lose all respect in front of my home girls if I don’t step up.   This was bad.'

La Hembra’s desire for some kind of a confrontation was now clear as she stepped all inside Kayla's personal space.  Nose-to-nose they were about the same height, but everyone knew that Kayla was no match for her.  To be honest, Kayla could talk a good game, but that fight with Bandit was only the second fight that she had ever had in her life.  If Wanna-B hadn’t jumped in right on cue, it is a pretty safe bet that the Brides would have seen Kayla get her ass kicked all over the school parking lot.  As it was it was looking like she was holding her own.

That would not be the case here with Hembra.  She could expect no help, and she was pretty sure that the War Lord would not know when to stop. 

La Hembra was now staring at her as she went on.  “What are you going to do about this girl?  You gonna let Bandit punk you like that?   You did right to step to her, but you can’t just let it go now.”  She was wrong about how the fight started, but Kayla was content to let her be wrong.

“Girl you are all up in my grill… what is your issue?”  Kayla said this as she  stepped back a bit, speaking to La Hembra with as much false bravado as she could muster. 

“Pinto thinks that we can just walk away from this but she’s wrong.  The Gangsta Boys won’t respect us and the Black Widows… will… not… respect… us,” Hembra said in that way she had of sounding like Lara Croft on meth.  “But this is not an us Kayla girl… this is a you.”

“Excuse me?” Kayla sputtered, now genuinely confused.  “What are you talking about?”

Now Hembra was walking slowly around the room, still talking only to Kayla, but confident that she had everyone’s attention.  “You have to go back and step to Bandit like an O.G. Bride, but you gotta be strapped,” she said, freezing the blood in Kayla's veins like ice.  “And I don’t believe you have the balls.”

In her heart, Kayla had known that this day would come.  The day when either the Brides or the Gangstas would try to make her to do something that she could not bullshit her way out of.  That day had arrived.

 “And you know what Kayla?  I’m not even going to ask you about it… and I’m not going to let anybody help your little pretty ass either.”  Hembra was smiling now as she spoke, which made her look far more dangerous than before. “You’re going to have to prove your loyalty tonight right now… Bride strong.”

AG spoke up now.   We called her AG, which was short for “Asno Grande” (Big Ass), because that girl could easily take up two airplane seats without even trying.   But AG was close to Kayla and she could see concern on her face.   “Nita… what the fuck are you talking about?”  That was the first time that Kayla had ever heard anybody call La Hembra by her given name.  She and AG went way back, so it must have been alright. Kayla was still technically one of the “new booties” and yet to gain her full measure of respect. 

Kayla had come in on the coat-tails of Pinto, and was not forced to fuck anybody or commit a crime to be initiated as a Bride.  She got her beat-down, of course, but in the eyes of a few like Hembra, she was not yet a proven Bride even though she was well liked.  Everyone kept silent and watched their War Lord gathering herself to make this play.

She sauntered over to an old desk that had been pushed over and against the wall. Kayla noticed a back pack had been left on the desk top, and against the wall.  She continued on as she sat down on the edge of the desk.

“I believe that Pinto means well, and he has lots of new ideas about what we need to do and what we need to change,” she said, “but it’s my job to make sure that the Brides are righteous for our Gangsta hermanos.  This is mi familia, and we’ve got to be the baddest bitches on the strip.” 

“The Latin Kings would insist. The Queen Nation would insist.  Gangsta Boys… they would insist. RGB!!!  And as your War Lord, I insist, that we not let anybody walk over the Brides.”  La Hembra’s voice had become strident now as she played to her crowd.  A few were joining in, fully roused by her speech.  Others still looked quizzical, and at least one of the brand new girls who had come in after Kayla looked scared. 

“Prove yourself Chica,” she said looking at Kayla again.  “Show us you have balls of stone.”  And with that she had reached into the back pack and was now holding up a gleaming revolver in her right hand.  

In her left hand she held a bullet. 

South River Recreation Center Basement – RBF Initiation Area 3

Scene 3: Royal Brides Forever

I know that I am in trouble.  Madness reigns.  It’s been almost two hours since Hembra made her play for this new type of “initiation” and she has these bitches mesmerized with her sick charisma. Somehow the word seems to have gotten out and slowly more Brides and some of the Gangsta Boys have drifted in.

I’ve been silently praying and watching for Pinto, but she is nowhere to be seen.  She would put a cap in this shit pretty damn quick.  I am even hoping for "King Kai" or "Eddie Cuts" or any of the real leaders of the Gangsta Boys… someone who would recognize that this is some lethal shit that Hembra is doing here.   

Someone could get dead.

“Truck” is the only Gangsta Boy here with any influencia, and he is as crazy as Hembra.  In fact, now that he’s here, La Hembra has become even more animated and loud.  Her gestures and body posture are mimicking the Gangsta plantean (pose).  So now she is swaggering and making Latin Kings hand signals and frontin’ at the encouragement of her new and expanded audience.

“We have to show our brothers-in-arms, that we are for real and we’ve got their back cuzz.”  Hembra’s performance has reached something that is more like a religious revival meeting now.  She has already made it clear that nothing short of a sick game of Russian Roulette will allow me to save face and prove that I am Bride enough to do Bandit. 

I’d laughed it off at first, mildly encouraged by AG’s insistence that Pinto would break us down gran tiempo if we went ahead with this.   But little by little, Hembra had gained support by sheer force of will, and AG had been quieted down.   Now I can not find AG in the group.  I am feverishly hoping that she went looking for Pinto, or King Kai, or someone to put a stop to this.  But right now it’s not happening.

My girls are all around me yelling their encouragement and love for me.   Several of them are crying.  Their cheap makeup is running down their cheeks with tears of love for me.  But it’s not because they don’t want me to do it!  Oh no. They’ve been swept up in this contagious call for Bride loyalty and commitment and they are overwhelmed with love and sisterhood for me.  

This is why I jumped in with the Brides in the first place.  The Brides are mi familia… for real. When I wear the Black and Gold at school, or on the street… I am somebody.   I am part of something.  Before that I was just poor little Carmella… but now, me conocen como novia Kayla.  RBF!  (…they know me as Bride Kayla.  Royal Brides Forever.)       

I’m sweating and my body is cold.  I cannot tell if my eyes are burning with tears or sweat.  My girls are struggling to get to me so they can hug me.  They are swearing their love for me, amazed that I can do this.  Nobody seems to realize that I have not said I would play Hembra’s game, but it’s quickly become a reality.  If I jet now, I punk myself in front of my girls and in front of “Truck” and the Gangstas here.  Word will spread and if La Hembra doesn’t kill me for embarrassing her… the Widows will because I will be alone.   I will be alone.  Shit.  I’d be beter off dead anyway.   With Hembra’s game, I at least have a shot. 

I can’t hear anymore. It's all white noise. Hembra’s pushing people aside so she can stand beside me.  She is talking loud.  She puts one arm around me as she hugs me tightly while she speaks to my Brides.  There are tears in her eyes as well.  She believes in this shit.  Suddenly she pushes me aside, and she waves her arms as she says something else to her audience.   Then, with deliberate and exaggerated movements, she holds up the revolver, cracks it open, and shows us that the chambers are all empty.   Then she places a single fat bullet in one of the chambers, spins the cylinder and slaps it closed.   She puts the revolver to her own head and screams “R..B..F” and pulls the trigger. 

The loud metallic click breaks through the fog of my silence. The room goes apeshit.  

No one knew that she was going to do that, nor do I believe that Hembra planned to do that.  She just did it.  When the gun did not explode, she collapsed into the arms of her sisters.  Tears and screams of Bride pride and loyalty.  Through the crowd I could see “Truck” elbow his way to her side.  He pulled her to him in a tight embrace and stuck his tongue down her throat with more sincere passion than I thought him capable of. 

The celebration went on for long minutes, and I was as caught up in la gloria del momento as my sister Brides. I was so proud of our War Lord. So proud to be a Royal Bride in that moment.   Then Hembra was beside me.  Her face was ashen.  Her eyes were empty.  She grabbed my face in both hands and kissed me hard, hugging me tightly.  The white noise was back in full force and I could hear nothing.  Then we parted.  She held up the revolver, cracked it open and let the single bullet full back out into her hand.   She held the bullet up to more cheers and cries of encouragement.  Then she put it back in the chamber, spun the cylinder and slapped it shut in one smooth movement.     

Then she handed it to me.  I am amazed at how heavy it is.  There is no strength in my arm, and I can barely heft the hard piece of metal.  I see more tears running down Hembra’s face.  I love my sisters and I can see them crying and screaming, but I can’t hear them.  White noise has blotted out their voices.  I watch some of them step back.  I see insane mixtures of pride and fear and envy in their faces. 

Now I can feel the barrel of the gun against my temple.  I actually turn to look at it and I find myself looking into the black hole at the end of the barrel.  For a crazy moment I feel as if I am going to fall into that hole.  Then I turn again, and I wonder why my mother is standing beside Goldie cheering me on.  She is wearing Queen Nation gear, dressed to the right.  My father’s face is easy to see as he stands behind Wanna-B as she hugs herself. He is looking at me with love… finally. He loves me. I spot Romero’s face in the crowd. He had ignored me after I gave him some of my good stuff.  He laughed at his little Bride with his handsome Gangsta features, and that sexy soul patch on his chin, and those strong tattooed arms. Now he sees me… finally. 

I see AG and Pinto. Then there is an instant of hard white noise that seems to cut through the dull roar of my life. It’s like an echo in a blinding flash. 

Up close, I see... Wanna-B?  Got something on your kicks girl.