Big Debt

By Xlibris US

A rabid car bomber hellbent on revenge terrorizes 1990 South-Central Los Angeles and the city of Compton. The bloodshed ignites a feud between vicious gangs and sends high-top fade security guard hero Buckett Collins on the maniacs trail. Buckett fights to save his clients and his beloved black community from the mad dog terrorists bloody reign of death and destruction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499047790

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Sheldon McCormick.

ISBN:          Softcover          978-1-4990-4780-6

                   eBook                978-1-4990-4779-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/04/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

About The Novel

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

IN MEMORIUM

Dedicated in loving memory to my dearest parents Ouida McCormick (1930-1982) and Leon McCormick (1924-1991); my beloved grandparents Dora and Tyree Smith, Mary Jane and William McCormick; aunt Willie Mae and uncle J.C. Reynolds; Kimbrough Foley; Ron Settles; LaTasha Harlins; Eula Love; Lamont Norwood; Rick Jason; Arthur Winston; Reverend Eugene Thomas; Robert Pirosh; Ron Dungee; Melanie Lomax; Compton Policemen James W. MacDonald, Kevin M. Burrell and Dess K. Phipps; Stetson Kennedy and all Security, Executive Protection and Armored Car Guards who lost their lives in the line of duty.

TRIBUTES

In special honor of Joan Adrienne, Yvette, Vicky Lindsey, Marie Hill and her late, great mother Mabel, Lily Belle Black, Monte Johnson, Lita Herron, Stephanie, Yolanda, Andrea Wallace and the Wallace family, my beloved nieces and nephews and their children, Stanley Schall, Jarette Fellows, Jr., Lisa Willis Groves and Christine Gerstenberger my inspirational journalism hero, Louis Lomax (1922-1970).

And to Dr. Nicolette Ballou and Jessica R. Maes.

ABOUT THE NOVEL

A RABID CAR BOMBER hellbent on revenge terrorizes 1990 South-Central Los Angeles and the city of Compton. The bloodshed ignites a feud between vicious gangs and sends high-top fade security guard hero Buckett Collins on the maniac’s trail. Buckett fights to save his clients and his beloved black community from the mad dog terrorist’s bloody reign of death and destruction.

CHAPTER ONE

L IKE JUBULANT THRONGS of her kin and supporters, Jenny Morton raised a glass of bubbly. The swan-seahorse-mixed faced, bespectacled medium brown-skinned black woman with her sleek black hair in a ponytail laughed as her two grown daughters and four veteran feminists flanked the lithe 53-year-old dark purple pants suited ex-convict. Her roly-poly, paunched, balding Uncle Reuben, 68, doubled over with laughter to the point of tears, a drink in his hand, then patted her on her right shoulder.

Jenny!, he said to her in his loud, gaggling Alabama drawl. We’re so glad to have you back home where you belong. Outta that jives ass prison. Just because that racist white devil tried to hurt you in police custody and the System tried to suppress the Black Cobra Party from the black community. The crowd yelled, Yeah!’ That’s right!

Jenny was once again president and chairman of the party.

Jenny’s joy momentarily turned to displeasure, a bit somber, over her beloved uncle’s revelation as he continued. Set y’all up on a false robbery charge.

Arlene, Jenny’s longtime friend, a medium, strident black Comptonite with a square marlin, conservative-featured face, stepped forward and told the crowd, without a microbe of fear and commitment to the truth, This woman had a right to defend herself! Whether her rapist is a street punk or a jailer, nobody got the goddamn right to violate her! Any woman or girl!

The gathering cheered loudly in agreement. Jenny’s daughters Gertrude, 21, and Lucy, 24, comforted their mother and this cheered her up again. Uncle Reuben managed to break through his tipsiness and finished his speech about Jenny. But God’s glory and justice prevailed, people! Now she back here with us, fighting for the community’s oppressed African-Americans! Let’s give our warrior queen a big round of applause!

A thunderous ovation filled the air as Jenny faced them. She exerted black pride, courageous feminism and a victorous leadership bearing, she addressed the crowd. They became silent and listened to her. First of all, I want to thank all of you that supported me and my family during this long… ordeal. Her voice broke and for a few moments she became emotional.

Through that kangaroo court and my imprisonment in Oakbite State Prison. Jenny’s tone regained dominance and dignity. "I never robbed no store. Just fought back against the cocaine dealers that were poisoning the community. Trying to keep our kids out of crime, gangs and jail. The racist System is out to get us! These negative things are what they use to do so!

Several rally attendees became emotional, some having suffered from racist law enforcement officials, a biased criminal court system and incarceration, as Jenny concluded her speech. Don’t give up the fight against racism, sexism, all injustice! Peace be unto you! Love you! May freedom,justice and God be the glory! Thanks, everybody!

The crowd cheered and applauded for ten minutes. They then moved away from the one-story residence to an awaiting caravan of shiny SUVs, Nissan station wagons and a motorcycle escort in front of a black limosine. Jenny waved, shook hands, hugged and kissed several friends and ralliers, including several children and babies.

Hey, Bob! Kapeesha!, a tall, ernest-faced black man in sunglasses and a black mustache and a bushy, rounded goatee, motioned his entourage. Y’all come on! Get these cars reved up! We gotta make it to the auditorium! Tony! Get your black militant ass over her and get this limo going!

Jenny fell briefly into reflection as she told Lucy, "I wish your father would have lived long enough to see this day. The pigs took my freedom, one nearly raped me and leukimia took my lover away.

Her, her daughters and two feminist bodyguard-escorts boarded the limo, An Afro-headed Black Cobra Party official closed the rear passenger side door that faced the sidewalk. Others kept watch for trouble.

After he got behind the wheel of the rented limosine, Balding and bearded, easy-going Tony, Jenny’s older, round spectacled brother with a scholar’s alertness, informed her, happy about her freedom and confidence as a superb driver, Don’t worry, Jen. It’ll all be smooth sailing for us and the Black community.

Tony inserted the key