Dressed in a night gown and fuzzy pink slippers, Safari left the bedroom to see why Shaquille hadn't answered her. "I know you heard me," she said, standing over him. "I'm up here starving and in pain, so the least you can do is order the food." Two days earlier her brother, Snake, was killed and she didn't have much strength. "Y'all sitting around here playing games and getting high when you should be finding out who killed my brother, and took over four ki's from y'all."

"First of all, I told you about parading around my boys with no clothes on. What type of time are you on?" Shaquille asked, looking at his watch. "I'm about to order the food now."

James turned his attention from the game, and said, "Oh, and we got the drop on who killed your brother. We letting shit die down before we act."

She stared down at James' poppy eyes, and said, "Oh sure," before heading back upstairs. In the middle of the stairs, she yelled, "Order my food, or I'm leaving." Her favorite threat.

FORTY MINUTES HAD PASSED.

The pizza man approached Shaquille's front step just as a gunman had. He dropped the pizza box and brown paper bag filled with food. He froze, and said, "I only have thirty dollars cash."

"I don't want your money. Give me your work T-shirt, Sammy, and run along," the robber said, having read the delivery man's name on his shirt.

This wasn't a part of the plan, but it was a convenient improvisation. He slipped on the T-shirt, picked up the pizza box and bag, and then proceeded to deliver the food.

Bullets and blood would be included. Free.

INSIDE OF THE HOME, Cutty said, "Ayo, I got next," as he came from the kitchen. James and Shaquille sat in front of a forty-two-inch flat screen TV playing John Madden Football. "And pass me that weed, yo. You had the shit for like forever." Cutty stood next to them as he reached for the Backwood.

A loud pounding on the door interrupted his puff.

"Who is it?" James yelled, looking at the door agitated. Who the fuck is banging on the door that loudly? He didn't want to talk to any more detectives about Snake's death. He planned to settle the score on the street, not the courtroom.

"Aye, make sure that work put up." Shaquille panicked, hoping that who ever was on the other side of the door wasn't any type of law enforcement by the way they banged.

"Man, all that shit sold. Stop bitchin'." Cutty smiled while swinging the door open. Before him stood a pizza man.

"Anybody order a pizza?" the pizza man, Sammy, asked with a smile.

"Yeah, we did," Cutty said, reaching into his pocket for money.

"Hey, Safari, the―" Before Shaquille could utter another word, the pizza man dropped the pizza box and bag, grabbed Cutty by the throat, put a gun to his belly, and forced his way inside.

"Aight, aight. Don't nobody make a muthafuckin' move or big guy here gonna take a spill," Pizza-man said, turning the home into a crime scene.

Kidnapping.

"All you muthafuckers get on the floor," he demanded, using his gun to point at the floor.

All three men complied. Seconds later, a second man came running into the house with a gun in his hand.

Welcome to the party.

Upstairs Safari had heard the commotion and feared for her life.

"Help me duct tape these fools," Pizza-man said. "'Bout time you came in."

"Better late than never," the other man replied. Gunman.

After the task was done, Gun-man ran upstairs to see who was up there. He found Safari cowering in a closet with her baby in her arms.

"Oh my God, Safari said, "please don't kill us." She clutched her daughter to her breasts.

"Bitch shut the fuck up," Gun-man yelled, pointing his gun at her. "Get the fuck up and bring that ugly baby, too. We're going to a surprise party." He grabbed her by the arm, dragged her out of the bedroom, and down the stairs.

Back down stairs and in the living room, she saw three men with their hands and feet duct taped behind their backs.

"Now, everyone, listen up." Pizza-man's voice was cold and sinister. "I'm only gonna ask one time. Where's the money and the work?"

Shaquille looked around and knew that he had to say something. This was his operation and he couldn't let his friends and family die on behalf of his stupidity. The situation was dire and could become more volatile at any moment. Safari's eyes locked onto his and told him exactly what to do, but he didn't take heed.

With the silence heavy in the air, the intruders waited for answers before they escalated things. Pizza man looked from person to person, and said, "Oh, so everybody quiet now, huh?" He picked a target and focused on it. "Aight, well, we gonna do it like this." He smirked, before going to the door and signaled for someone else to come in.

A moment later, another man walked into the house with a pistol in one hand and an all-white red-nose pit bull terrier in the other. Dog-man. The dog's bark sent chills through the occupant's spines. Foam sat in the corners of the dog's mouth and spittle fell from his razor sharp teeth. Pizza-man walked over to Shaquille and kicked him in the ass. He kneeled down and whispered into his ear, "I don't ask questions a second time. You probably don't know that. So I'll give you a little leeway." He smirked. "Now tell me what I want to know. Where's the shit?" He pressed his pistol against the man's chin.

"I don't know, man," Shaquille said. Pizza-man pressed the gun harder. "I, I, I ain't got shit. I swear I don't," he said, but even if he had something he'd call the intruder's bluff. He prayed they'd give up and leave empty handed.

"That wasn't the answer that I was looking for," Pizza-man said, then looked over his shoulder. "Grab the baby," he ordered calmly.

His demand sent Safari into a fit of panic as Gunman wrestled her baby from her arms. He put the child on the cold hardwood floor.

Dog-man walked over to the child, and whispered, "Get her boy. Watch him. Get her boy," enticing the pit bull into aggression.

"Noooo," was the only thing that Shaquille got out before the dog locked onto his daughter's head and shook her entire body like a common chew toy.

The pit bull's head moved from side to side as blood dripped down its mouth and onto its plush white fur. The canine rested when the child's head had almost been severed from her torso. Safari was forced into hysteria and passed out at the sight of her dead new born.

Murder number one.

"Oh, no you don't," Pizza-man said, smacking Safari with an open palm. She stirred awake, and he began to tear her nightgown off of her. "See bitch, now I didn't want to do all of this, but ya little boyfriend thinks that I am a joke," he stated, snatching off her thong.

When she was naked Pizza-man pulled out a pair of Totes Isotoner gloves that barely came over his palm. He said, "Women's size small. You know what they say."

Dog-man said, "Nope, they don't fit, so―"

Pizza-man put the gloved hand in her face and told her to, "lick the fingers." She shook her head and cried harder. He slapped her twice before she submitted to his request. He swiped her clit with a wet gloved finger before ramming three fingers into her. She had just had the baby and wasn't fully healed. The pain shot through her, and she screamed, snapping her legs shut.

"Bitch, open ya legs," Gun-man ordered, putting his gun on her face.

Safari tried to get up but was punched in the face. She gave in and opened her legs.

Pizza-man then penetrated her with the silencer attached to his pistol. Her body stiffened as she felt the tremendous pain rip through her. Fighting a losing battle, she closed her eyes awaiting her moment of dread. And that moment arrived soon enough. He jammed the gun inside Safari deeply and pulled the trigger. Twice!

Murder number two.