Free A Hood Legend by Victor L. Martin Page B

gave him a chance to regain his composure. He tucked the Mp5 under his chin and sent three rounds right to the man’s face. He dropped lifelessly onto the glass coffee table, shattering it on impact. Menage watched his headless body fall, but it would cost him. The last of the four men, now acting out of pure fright, darted into the living room, catching Menage off guard. He pulled the trigger, wildly spraying the already-destroyed wall and kitchen, but he found his target. The lead tore into Menage’s left shoulder, spinning him around and onto his back. At first he was in excruciating pain, but he soon lost feeling in his left shoulder, now bleeding profusely. With his adrenaline working overtime, he clenched his teeth and got to his knees. The MP5 was nowhere in sight now. Vapor whined and drew closer to his owner, licking his face. Menage let out a deep guttural cry and stood up quickly. He fired his .380, emptying the clip of hollow tip slugs.
    The last man stood against the wall as the slugs exploded just inches from his head. He held his Uzi to his chest with his eyes closed. When the firing stopped he slowly opened his eyes and looked to his left toward the living room to see a dog walking slowly through the shattered glass door, teeth grinding. The man panicked, nearly dropping his gun and let out a long, ten-round flurry of bullets in the dog’s direction. Menage saw Vigor jump out of the way before the man could empty an entire clip on him. He tried to make it to his Mp5, but he didn’t move fast enough. The man veered around the corner and yelled as he pulled the trigger, letting off another six rounds. They all found their mark. Menage was off his feet and lay crumpled on the kitchen floor. The man tossed his empty gun to the floor. Fear and shock made him forget about the extra clip he had in his pocket. He looked at all the blood and his headless friend. Holding back vomit, he closed his eyes and picked up his dead partner’s Uzi. He wouldn’t need it. He had to finish the job as ordered—a bullet between the eyes. He slowly made his way toward the kitchen. Vigor charged through the front door behind the man, growling viciously as he locked onto his leg. The man yelled and tried to fight off the dog. Vigor slipped in some blood and lost his footing. Again he charged the man, this time not minding his weapon. The audible spit of the Uzi stopped Vigor in his tracks. The man then heard the familiar sound of an empty clip. Shaken and drained he slung the Uzi on the floor. It landed next to the Mp5. Before he could take one step, Vapor appeared from behind the counter, his hair standing up on his back as he bared his teeth and growled. The man froze. He saw the muscles tighten and flex in the dog’s full chest. He was now prevented from grabbing the Mp5, and he winced when the dog barked. “Easy b-b-boy, it’s okay now,” he said and slowly took a step back. Vapor took a step forward, ignoring the soft mush of brain matter and blood under his paw. Standing over Vigor, he quickly dropped his head and let out a soft whine, never taking his eyes off the intruder. He nuzzled Vigor with his nose. Seeing his chance for escape, the man bolted for the front door. Vapor took off like a rocket after him, but he lost his traction in the blood. He quickly regained momentum but it was too late; the man slammed the door just in time for Vapor to crash into it, sealing it shut with his own weight. The man was about to head back to the van when all of a sudden, a Lexus GS430 smashed into the iron gate and came to a screeching sideways halt.
    * * *
    Dwight was a few blocks away from Menage’s house. Even from a distance, he could see the front gates leaning at an odd angle; he knew something wasn’t right. He nearly gave Tina whiplash as he floored the Viper. DJ ran toward Dwight’s vehicle as it came to a sudden halt. Dwight jumped out with his 357 in tow.
    â€œTina, stay in