To Live or Die in the Broox

By Shawn M. Robinson

This story is set in the early 1990s. Our prime character in this hood novel is Jacob Johnston, who was brought up in Brooklyn by his estranged mother. They were estranged due to his mother’s neglect and use of drugs. She is desperately trying to be a better mother, but Jacob can’t forget the hardships she bestowed on him at an early age. Jacob, who is mostly called Jake, takes on a proposal from a childhood friend that could be better summed up as making a deal with the devil.

Jake’s family is now having money troubles, and Jake is ready to step in again and help out, as well as get his own place. These are but a few reasons he takes on this scheme. Shortly after his success with his childhood friend’s proposition, things begin to take on a boomerang effect and hit Jake where it hurts. Sort of a tit for tat becomes this for that, and lives are lost.

Unbeknownst to Jake, his main foe is located in the Bronx. This menace has no plans to slow or back down from the war that has been waged. Will this hellish roller coaster come to an end before it’s too late? The only two things left in Jake’s mind were to live or die in the Broox.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781543499995

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Copyright © 2021 by Shawn M. Robinson.

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 Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/24/2021

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CONTENTS

Dedication

About the Author

Chapter 1     The Proposal

Chapter 2     The Masked Man and the Hit

Chapter 3     The Missing Member of Jake’s Crew

Chapter 4     The Mystery Money

Chapter 5     The Missed Mark

Chapter 6     The Bust and the Masked Man

Chapter 7     A Taste of Rikers Island

Chapter 8     The Attempted Suicide

Chapter 9     The State Witnesses

Chapter 10   The Discovery of a Rat

Chapter 11   The Death of a Boss

Chapter 12   The Rooftop

Chapter 13   The New Beginning

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my many loved ones that are now in the bosom of our creator. My mom, Mary Williams-Robinson; my grandmother; and my father. I hope you are all looking proudly upon me.

About the Author

Much like the story, I was born and raised in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Not to be confused, this is not a memoir. Stems and pieces may be from my life’s story, but for the most part, this is fiction. Sure, I was underprivileged growing up, but we went from hotel to hotel and Eau to shelters. It was a very trying time. I managed to get my high school equivalency diploma and went on to get my associate’s degree in microcomputer operations and business management at Blake Business School in Lower Manhattan. I’ve been a jack of many trades, from construction to office clerk, to running my own business, and my most recent job as a data entry personnel for a book publishing company (Haworth Press). It was then I found my knack for writing. And so my quest to share my stories with the world begins. This is but one of many more projects to come. You are invited to join me; it’s going to be a hell of a ride. So strap in, and let’s go!

Chapter 1

The Proposal

It was the early ’90s, coming close to spring. The sun could be seen glistening off the dewy pavement of Atlantic Avenue, which was now very busy at seven in the morning. Drivers and pedestrians alike scurry to get to work. Public transportation flared exhaust into the air while yellow cabs are dipping and diving through the streets of the Big Apple.

Of all these ambient noises, we find our ears tuning into the low-pitched noise of music playing inside the house of the Johnston family. The sounds of gospel playing ever so softly on the Panasonic stereo brought a soothing comfort to the home until . . .

Get up!

Mommy said get up, Jacob! Claudia Johnston yelled to no avail. Claudia was the younger sister of Jacob and Joshua Johnston. Joshua was the oldest of his three younger siblings; next, Jacob, age eighteen; then Claudia, age sixteen. Brad was the youngest of them all, fifteen years young. Claudia was very pretty, standing about five feet four with a petite frame and a short Halle Berry hairdo. Some would say she had an annoying vocal pitch because it was nasal.

Suddenly, a pillow was flung across the room and hit Claudia square in the head. Get out of my room! Jacob yelled from under the covers that he now had thrown over his head.

Mommy said get up, Jake! Claudia yelled again even louder.

Jake was short for Jacob, so most people called him by the easiest of the two names. Most of his family called him by his given name, but sometimes they’d be short.

Get your behind up, Jake! came the eerie voice of his mother Daisy with affliction. Daisy Johnston was a full-figured woman with dark skin and at times a very jolly personality. To her, Jake was a bit of a disappointment. Jake had been left back in school twice; this was supposed to be his last year of school, but instead he was only in the tenth grade. Daisy was a certified nurse’s aide and a widow. Her husband James Johnston was shot and killed when Jake was just ten. Both Joshua and Jacob had the same father, but Claudia and Brad had a different dad. To ask any one of them, they only knew they were full brothers and sister siblings; no half and halves made sense to them. After all, if one of them had a problem, they would all pull together.

Okay! Jacob responded, finally rising out of bed to get himself prepared for the day. Upon reaching the hall on his way to the bathroom, he noticed that he was the only one not fully dressed and ready to go. Oh boy, he muttered, knowing his being late would probably trigger a chastising from his mother. Jake and his mom had an estranged relationship. His mother was trying very hard to redeem her past track record.

Reaching the upstairs bathroom, Jake looked back at himself in the mirror and took close inventory of his face. Brown-skin complexion with a short haircut, a medium build yet cut up, it was obvious he worked out. Standing about five feet ten inches, he looked like the makings of an athlete or even a young model. The smell of bacon and eggs seeped through the bathroom door as Jake inhaled a deep whiff of it.

The sound of wind chimes and slamming doors reached Jake’s ears as he finally made his way down the carpeted stairs on his way to the kitchen. The door slamming was an indication that both his younger sister and brother were off to school already.

Damn, Jake muttered to himself.

Upon reaching the kitchen, his mother Daisy stood at the breakfast table with her hands on her full hips and a familiar disgruntled look on her face.

Why are you always the last to get going in the morning? Ms. Johnston said with fire rolling off her tongue. Ms. Johnston worked hard to maintain the house that her late husband James had provided for them. Daisy was always afraid that one of her children would follow in the footsteps of her former husband. Though James was a good provider, his occupation wasn’t a desirable one.

Jake’s father was what was called a sentinel; he guarded or played security to many high-level officials, celebrities, and even drug lords. Their dad used to say, What’s more important than the red blood he may spill from them is the green money he could make from them. It didn’t matter to him who he guarded as long as they paid his private fee. He was a whiz with a gun and often took his sons Joshua and Jake with him to the various shooting ranges, even when he and Ms. Johnston were on the outs.

I’m okay, Mom, I’ll make it to homeroom class in time. Jake retorted.

Jacob, why can’t you be like your big brother Joshua? He’s doing good in college. I really don’t want to see you get left back for another year, Ms. Johnston continued.

In an attempt to change the subject, Jake blurted out, Is Joshua still coming home for the spring?

Pausing from her tongue-lashing, Ms. Johnston gave Jake a stare, knowing full well he was trying to change the topic. She was aware of his weariness to listen; after all, she grew tired of telling him the same thing over and over again.

Turning to reach for her coat that hung from a coatrack positioned by the back door, she murmured, Yes, he’ll be here this Friday, and I don’t want no foolishness out of you. Lord knows when you boys get together, all hell breaks loose in this house. All y’all horseplayin’ and carrying on, I don’t want none of that, ya hear?

Yes, ma’am, Jake retorted.

His mother entered back into the kitchen after turning off the stereo in the living room. With her coat and scrubs on, she kissed Jake on the forehead and headed for the back door to the garage where her car is parked.

Now, Jake, I’m gonna be home a little bit late today so be sure to fix y’all something to eat, and I don’t want no company in this house, you hear?

Okay, Mom, he replied with a slight grin.

And be sure to lock that front door when you leave, which should be any minute now, right?

Ummhmm . . ., Jake said with a mouthful of eggs as he also nodded his head in affirmation.

Locking up the back door, Daisy took off for work. The car could be heard taking off into the distance. While at the kitchen sink, washing his dirty dishes, Jake’s eyes fell on a paper and envelope with large writing that read, Important Notice! It seemed to be peeping out of a drawer in the kitchen that once held the utensils.

Making a closer observation, Jake revealed to himself his mother’s overworking practices and why she was barely home lately. She was now about three thousand dollars behind on her mortgage payments. Worry filled Jake’s mind until he glanced at the time from the clock on the kitchen’s far wall.

Finally, Jake rose from the breakfast table and veered to the kitchen sink. Boys and girls’ high was reached about half an hour after Jake left home. As Jake walked toward the Utica Avenue entrance of the school, he could hear the tardy bell. It jolted him to a slow stride to get to his homeroom class, which he shared with two of his best friends, Maurice and Ronald.

The three of them hung outside of school all the time because they lived in close proximity to one another. All three of them had shorter versions for their names. Just as Jacob was called Jake, Maurice was called Moe and Ronald Ron. Maurice was a bit of a mama’s boy; he mostly used logic over instinct. To them, he was the voice of reason. Though he and Jake were closer in age, Maurice was the only senior of the three of them. He was also the tallest. Standing six feet two inches with a thin frame, he was referred to as the linky one.

Ron, on the other hand, was a dreamer. He was an inch shorter than Jake and was rebellious. He was always conjuring up some get-rich-quick scheme and gave little stance toward consequences. Ronald had a little thing for Jake’s sister Claudia even though she never gave him the time of day. Ron was light-skinned with curly hair; he could easily be mistaken for a Spanish-speaking person even though he couldn’t speak the language.

Mr. Johnston! You’re late again twice this week, and it’s only Wednesday!

Sorry, Mr. Minafo, Jake said with a smirk on his face as he made his way for his seat near the rear of the class. Both Moe and Ron shook their heads in a poke-fun-at sort of way in Jake’s path.

The day seemed long as it progressed. The smell of pencils, writing paper, and disinfectant seemed to ooze throughout the halls, not to mention cheap cologne and perfume that lurked in the small classrooms. Bathrooms were riddled with graffiti and toilet fresheners covering the disdained smell of urine. The constant chimes of the period bell ringing made the day drag as students purposefully carried on to their next class. Lockers banging open and shut, voices of conversing friends and classmates was audibly exhausting to hear.

Finally, the school day had come to an end; and as usual, Jake made his way to his girlfriend’s last class, where her locker was mere yards from the door. There she was, Valarie Cantrell. By most people’s standards, she was very attractive; to Jake, she was stunning. Her long flowing black hair made her look like Pocahontas. Her frame was ebony pinup material. She wore glasses, but it didn’t blemish her beauty; in fact, it may have added a touch of elegance in a sexy-librarian kind of way. A kiss followed by a warm embrace began their set off to exit the school building. Holding hands while smiling and chatting made them look like true sweethearts. Jake and Valarie had been a couple for almost two years. Unlike Jake, Valarie was a senior at boys and girls’ high school as many of Jake’s friends were as well, except Ron who was a sophomore. Ron was left behind only once.

Yo, Jake! came a familiar voice from an even more familiar vehicle. It was a white 1994 BMW. Since it was only 1993, the car was very modernistic and trendy.

It was Joseph. Joseph was the bad guy