was at a point where she didn’t want to live anymore. Her regard for life was slowly fading.
The longer she stared at the four walls of her imprisonment, the more her mind abandoned her. Breeze knew that if she didn’t find a way out, then she would go insane.
She finished her prayer and got up to walk to the bathroom that was connected to the basement. She stood over the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen from her endless crying, and as she stared at the woman in the mirror, she couldn’t even recognize herself. She was not the same girl. The young woman staring back at her was not Breeze Diamond. At that point, she realized that she had not looked at herself in almost a year. Every time she used the bathroom, she would just avoid eye contact with the mirror, almost as if she were ashamed. Ma’tee had stripped her of her innocence a long time ago, and she was not who she once was. The naivete of a young little rich girl had disappeared. She now knew pain. She now knew what war really was. She now knew loneliness.
“Diamonds are forever!” she whispered as she wiped away her tears and repeated a motto that her father would always say to her as a young girl. She knew that she had the blood of a king, and at that moment, refused to let Ma’tee hurt her anymore.
She glanced over at the corner of the room and saw something that could possibly help her escape Ma’tee grasp. She took a deep breath and walked toward it. She had just gotten an idea.
Sweat dripped off of each of the men as they tried to keep up with little Ziggy as he walked up the rocky trail. The trail wrapped around the tall mountain, and the sun was just setting.
“Come on, guys. We have to beat the sun,” Ziggy emphasized as he led the way, while holding a big stick in his hand.
Carter took off his shirt as the sweat cascaded down his body. They had been climbing the mountain for nearly two hours, and the air was getting thinner as they got higher up in altitude.
“You sure this is the way, lil’ man,” Zyir asked as his legs grew tired.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Me and me friends used to come and play in this jungle every day. We snooped around here last summer when Ma’tee was away in Miami. We’re almost there,” Ziggy said, showing no sign of being winded.
On the other hand, the rest of them were exhausted, but their love for Breeze kept them going. Zyir couldn’t wait to hold Breeze in his arms and tell her that he loved her. He was going to be her knight in shining armor and save her. That thought alone made him put some pep in his step as he sped up, trying to reach their destination.
Mecca’s mind was on shooting Ma’tee right in between the eyes. Breeze was his only full-blooded sibling that was still alive, and he would die if that was the cost of getting her back.
Carter swatted the unfamiliar flying insects away from his face as he looked up and saw the abundance of tropical trees.
“Here is de’ jungle,” Ziggy said as he stopped and pointed to the woods. “Ma’tee’s house is straight ahead. Just stay north.”
Carter stopped and caught his breath, along with Zyir and Mecca. He then looked at Ziggy and rubbed the top of his head. “Thanks, Ziggy. You are real lil’ nigga,” he said as he smiled. Carter reached around his wrist and pulled off his designer watch and handed it to Ziggy. “That’s yours,” he said as he watched Ziggy admire it like it was a masterpiece. “Now, you have to take off,” he told him, and stepped to the side so that Ziggy could go back down the mountain.
“Thanks Ca’ter!” Ziggy said, mispronouncing his name because of his accent. Then Ziggy smiled and ran up and hugged him. “But remember, you have to follow de dirt path or chu will get lost. De jungle is a big circle, mon,” he reminded him as he headed back down.
Carter watched as Ziggy disappeared down the trail, then focused back on Mecca and Zyir. “Let’s go get Breeze,” he said, and they ran through the jungle, following the trail.
After fifteen minutes of running full speed down the trail through the jungle, they saw the house. They all stopped in their tracks when they saw the gigantic house that was before them. They had expected Ma’tee’s house to be guarded and surrounded by gates, but to their surprise, it was wide open and unguarded.
Zyir dropped the bag on the ground that he was carrying, which was full of the automatic guns and bullets. He opened the bag, giving a variety of choices to Carter and Mecca. Mecca opted for the 12 gauge, and Carter got the AK 47 assault rifle, also known as a “chopper” because of its ability to spit bullet after bullet, chopping up whatever is in its path. They all strapped up and headed to the house. They were about to go in with guns blazing.
Breeze smiled as she thought about escaping Ma’tee’s wrath. It would soon be over, and she would be a free woman. She looked down from the chair she was standing on and wrapped the belt around her neck. Ma’tee had left this leather belt down there after he had sex with her. Little did he know that he had provided Breeze an exit by doing so. Breeze tugged on the belt to make sure that it was wrapped around the pipes above her head securely. Tears began to fall down her face as she shook nervously. The only thing she would have to do was kick the chair out from under her feet, and the nightmare would finally end.
Carter put three fingers up, signaling the countdown. Mecca stood at the front door with a 12 gauge shotgun, aiming it at the lock. Zyir held two pistols in his hands, ready to rush in right after Mecca blew the door open. “Three, two, one!” Carter whispered.
Mecca blew through the lock and they all rushed in.
Ma’tee heard the blast while he was in the shower washing the smell of sex off of his body. He quickly turned off the shower and ran into his room that was attached to the bathroom. He reached for the tech-nine automatic handgun he kept under his pillow. He looked at the monitors that were on his wall and gasped. He had his entire house under surveillance, and saw three men running through the downstairs of his home with guns.
“What de blood clot!’ he yelled as he held his gun in his hand while dripping wet, and still completely naked. He looked at the security monitor that was watching the basement where he kept Breeze. Ma’tee’s heart skipped a beat and he gasped at what he was witnessing. He gripped the sides of the monitor in anguish at the sight of Breeze’s feet swinging from the ceiling. He was witnessing her committing suicide. “Nooo!” he yelled as he rushed downstairs to save her. He didn’t care that he was going up against three guns, he just wanted to save his love before she died. “Breeze!” he yelled as he ran down the stairs, gun in hand.
Mecca was the first to spot Ma’tee, and reacted without thought or hesitation. He cocked the shotgun back and let off a round, just barely missing Ma’tee. Ma’tee returned fire, spraying anything he saw moving as he made his way down the stairs. Zyir also opened fire as he came from the opposite corner of the room. He hit Ma’tee in the arm, sending him flying down the stairs violently. Carter was toward the back of the house, and came running when he heard the gunshots.
Ma’tee dropped his gun as tumbled down the stairs, leaving a bloody trail behind him. He landed at the bottom of the stairs awkwardly. “Hmm!” he grunted as he tried to sit up and gather his bearings. When he looked up, Mecca was standing over him with a shotgun to his face.
“Where is Breeze?” Mecca screamed as he dug the barrel into on one of Ma’tee’s eyes. Before Ma’tee could say anything Mecca kicked him forcefully in his temple out of anger. His emotions got the best of him, and he could not contain himself. Ma’tee was the man who had caused his family grief like no other, and his rage emerged like a bolt of lightning, striking hard and swift. “Where is she?” he yelled as he looked at Ma’tee, who seemed to be losing consciousness.
Ma’tee was dizzy because of the blows Mecca had just given him. He could barely speak. “Breeze!” he whispered as he thought about her hanging in the basement.
“Fuck that! Breeze!” he yelled as he ran up the stairs, skipping two at a time in a desperate race to find his girl. Carter headed to the back of the gigantic house screaming her name also.
“Breeze!” Zyir yelled as he invaded every room of the house. His heart pounded furiously in his chest, and his
