October 1993...
Seventeen year old Tasha rushed through the front door in tears. She had just been in a fight with one of the girls at her high school. Her long black hair was all over her head and partly covered her face. She had light red bruises on her neck and face. Momma watched as Tasha sat her backpack down on the floor and walked over toward her. She grabbed the remote control and turned the TV off. With a smile, Momma looked into Tasha's watery eyes and asked, "Did you win?"
Through falling tears Tasha managed to show a smile, “Yes Momma, I won”, she said whipping her tears away.
"Good, cause if you would've lost we were going right back out there, so you could fight 'til you won," Momma honestly told her. "Now, tell me what happened?
Tasha looked deep into Momma’s caring eyes and after a deep sigh, she said, "Momma, I had to beat up some girl that was all up in Face's face. Her name is Stacy Robinson and she's
been liking him for a while. I saw them standing out in the yard talking and I just snapped!"
Momma reached over and grabbed Tasha's hands. "Tasha, you can't keep beating up every girl you see talking to Face. He's a handsome boy, and there's a lot of little girls that's
gonna like him. What did Face do while you were fighting this girl?"
"He pulled me off of her and told me to go home," Tasha replied.
Momma smiled and shook her head. She knew that her young granddaughter was deeply in love, and no one, not even her, could change the way Tasha felt about Face.
"Momma, he drives me crazy, and sometimes I don't know what to do!" Tasha said, as the tears started to fall. "I don't know why I love him so much!" she cried.
Momma leaned over and wrapped her loving arms around Tasha's back. Tasha laid her head on Momma's breast and tearfully sobbed. "I'm...I'm afraid Momma," she muttered.
"Afraid of what, Baby?" Momma said, as she tried her best to console her.
"I'm afraid that one day some other girl is gonna' take Face away from me. "
"Look up," Momma told her.
Tasha looked up at Momma's genuine £ace.
"That boy love you more than anything in this world. Trust me, Face is going nowhere. You got a hold on his heart forever," Momma said, then leaned forward and kissed Tasha on the lips.
"Thank you, Momma," Tasha said producing a big comforting smile.
When Tasha woke from her memories, she sat up and looked around the empty living room. As Jill's soulful voice floated out of the speakers, Tasha laid back down and let the tears escape the confines of her eyes.
CHAPTER 101
One week later...
Another week had passed. Now Gloria and Face were both prepared for the government's final two witnesses. So far the trial had been a seesaw battle. Still, with all the evidence and witnesses the government had, Face and Gloria both knew that the cards were stacked high against them. And with the last two witnesses that were waiting to testify, things didn't look as if it would get any easier.
Inside the Federal Courthouse...
The crowd of onlookers silently watched as the deputy led one of the government’s star witnesses to the stand. After Jose Gomez was sworn in, he calmly sat down and looked out at all the staring faces. He didn't want to be there, but he felt he had no choice. It was simple; either he testify against Face, then go into the Federal Witness Protection Program, or he spend the rest of his natural life inside a maximum security Federal prison somewhere.
When the federal prosecutor walked over to the stand, he got straight to the point. "Can you please state your full name for the court?"
"Jose Manuel Gomez," he said into the microphone.
"And, Mr. Gomez, can you tell everyone here where you are from?" Mr. Bradley said, as he paced the floor.
"I am a citizen of Managua, Nicaragua."
"And can you please tell the court what you do for a living?" Mr. Bradley said with a smirk on his face.
After clearing his throat, Jose put his mouth to the microphone and said, "I am an international drug trafficker."
"And what type of drugs did you traffic?"
"Cocaine and heroin," Jose said, showing no signs of nervousness.
"And where are some of the places you took these drugs?"
"All over the world. Including here in the United States."
Mr. Bradley walked over near the jury stand and paused, " And how much of these drugs did you smuggle into this country?"
"Tons! Many, many tons," Jose answered.
"Did you have any help moving and getting rid of so much contraband?"
"Yes, I supplied many people to help my cartel move the product."
"Mr. Gomez, can you look around this crowded courtroom and find anyone that you supplied with drugs?"
Jose pointed to Face and said, "Him. Right there. Norman Smith, Junior."
Some commotion came from the back of the courtroom and Judge Marino silenced them when he banged his gavel. "You may proceed," he told the prosecutor.
"And around how much drugs did you supply for Mr. Smith?"
"Too much to count. All I know is Face was me and my brother's top man. And we supplied him with enough drugs to run eight major U.S. cities."
"Wow! I'll bet that was a lot," Bradley said, being melodramatic. "You mean to tell this court that one man had that much respect and power, to be put in charge of eight American cities?"
"Yes," Jose replied. "He was the best!"
"The best, meaning what, Mr. Gomez?"
"That there may never be another drug dealer like Face, ever again. He is a man who is in a league of his own," Jose said, honestly.
"So, you really think so?"
"No, I know so. That is why he was my top man."
Mr. Bradley walked back over to the stand and stopped directly in front of Jose. "Mr. Gomez, are you saying that Mr. Smith is one of the biggest drug dealers in the country?"
Jose smiled sincerely and said, "No,..."
"Objection! Your Honor, leading the witness!" Gloria shouted, coming to her feet from behind the defense table.
"Objection overruled," Marino stated dryly. "Please answer the question, Mr. Gomez."
"What I was saying is that, considering the amount of drugs Mr. Smith was moving, he was by far the biggest drug dealer in America!"
"Objection, your honor. Supposition. The witness has no proof that he was the biggest smuggler bringing drugs into America. Therefore, his testimony has no basis for his claim. It’s merely a personal belief and therefore prideful boasting."
"Overruled. Based on the amount of drugs in question, Mr. Gomez's opinion may, in theory, be a fact!"
For almost three more hours Jose Gomez sat on the stand telling the shocked crowd and jury everything he knew about Face and his violent drug organization. Just like Roberto Chevez
had done weeks earlier, Jose painted a vivid picture of corruption, murder and mayhem, and blamed it all on Face. His powerful testimony was a lot worse than what Roberto had done. This
was the 'Boss' himself. One of the two leaders of the Gomez drug cartel telling the world that Face was a cruel, heartless drug kingpin and how he was a man who yearned for power, and
wouldn't hesitate to kill a single soul that stepped in his path.
Gloria sat back listening, occasionally looking over at the hypnotized jury to see their reactions. She could tell that most of them had already made up their minds. And so could
the smiling prosecutor.
Two days later, Jose's younger brother, Rico Gomez took the stand. Just like his brother had done he too told the story of a violent and ruthless drug kingpin called Norman 'Face' Smith, Junior. Their stories were almost identical.
Once again Gloria had done a powerful cross examination but still she felt that it wasn't
enough. In his closing arguments, Mr. Bradley reminded the jury that Face had been one of the biggest, if not the biggest, drug dealer in U.S. history. A ruthless, cold blooded killer with a violent temper.
; "Norman, 'Black Scarface' Smith, Junior, is the epitome of pure evil," he told the jury. "If we ever plan to save this great country from all the evils that exist, then I pray that we start right here!"
When it was Gloria's turn for her closing argument she told the jury about a loving husband and father of two young children. She told them about a passionate man who had four
non-profit charities that helped poor inner city children stay away from drugs and guns. She told the jury how Face was a high school graduate with a spotless criminal record. And how
all of Face's money came from his wife's multi-million dollar real estate company.
Gloria painted a picture of a loving, caring man that wouldn't hesitate to give a friend the shoes off his feet and the shirt off his back.
"Norman Smith, Junior, is a person, just like you," she said, pointing to the jury, then around the courtroom. "He knows what it's like to grow up in the ghetto, fatherless and poor. He knows what it's like to see his loved ones die and to struggle, and only want the very best for his family. Norman Smith, Junior is not the monster that the government would like for you all to believe he is. Look at him." Gloria pleaded.
All eyes in the courtroom turned to study Face.
"Does that man look like he is responsible for all of the destruction in America? When the facts show that our government is the cause of most of the pain throughout the world. Do you all see those two women crying behind him? That is Norman's lovely mother and beside her is his wife. Think about being in their shoes and hearing all the lies being told about the person you
love. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, today you can fix what is broken; a system that is designed to destroy its own citizens. I close my argument with something that Norman once told me. He said, "Jealousy is love’s worst enemy."
When Gloria looked around the courtroom, she saw lots of understanding faces. The crowded courtroom was in complete silence.
She walked back to her chair and sat down. She had done her very best, and Face couldn't ask for more. Now, the final decision was left to the twelve members of the jury. It would be their job to decide if Norman Smith, Junior would go free, or spend the rest of his life in prison.
CHAPTER 102
Two days later...
The Jury was still deliberating and had yet to come up with a unanimous verdict that would decide the fate of the accused. In the meantime, Face was in his cell at the Federal Detention center, patiently waiting the outcome. The last two days felt more like two years, but Face remained calm and poised. He read his favorite newspapers, exercised, called Tasha and his children and occasionally he wrote a few letters. At night before he went to bed he would get down on both knees and pray to God. In the tranquility of his cell he would confess his sins.
As Face laid across his bunk reading the Philadelphia Inquirer’s newspaper he had no idea that he was in the midst of a world of political chaos.
Downtown Philadelphia...
Inside his private chambers, Judge Marino sat back watching the sex disc featuring him and his young black mistress, Veronica. A terrified look was on his pale white face. The footage was
clear enough for anyone to see that it was him. As he watched with wide eyes, he couldn’t believe it.
An hour earlier, he picked up the small package from his secret P.O. Box Address. He knew that the package was from Veronica, because other than himself, she was the only person who had the address. As the judge nervously watched the explicit footage, he reached into the opened package and took out a small white postcard. Dubiously, he stared at the card. It read: If Face loses, then so do you!
Judge Marino turned off the disc player and removed the small disc. After putting the disc and card inside his jacket pocket he quickly reached for the phone. When he dialed the number, he realized that he had never been this scared in his entire life.
City Hall...
Inside his elegant office, Mayor Charles Klein reached for the remote and turned off the DVD player. He stood from his leather chair and nervously started pacing the floor. After watching the sex disc with him and his long time mistress, Veronica, he knew that his political career was now hanging in the balance. He had watched the disc three times and each time he cringed and slouched in his chair.
The confession that he made on tape was enough to destroy him and his godfather, C.W. Watson's, political careers. Worried, Charles rushed over to his desk and sat down once again. He looked at the small white postcard that was in his trembling hand, 'If Face loses, then so will you! He couldn't believe that Veronica was blackmailing him. But, it was true and he couldn't do anything about it.
Charles reached into his jacket pocket and took out his Blackberry cell phone. First he started to call Veronica, but her line was no longer in use. She had gotten all of her old phone numbers changed a day earlier. After a long sigh, Charles dialed another number and nervously waited for someone to pick up the phone.
"Hello Charles, it's good to hear from you," C.W. Watson said, answering the phone. He had seen Charles’ name on the caller ID.
"Godfather, I need to see you. It's very important!"
"What is it? Tell me now!" C.W. said.
"Not over the phone. I have to see you in person. I'll meet you at home later tonight," Charles said before ending the call and closing his cell phone.
As he sat in his chair staring at the white postcard, Charles was filled with total fear. He confessed his deepest and darkest secret and it was all caught on tape. Now the lives of so many people were at stake.
Inside the U.S. Attorney's office, downtown Philadelphia...
Vincent Bradley and FBI agents Jeff McDonald and Steve Powaski sat at a small conference table talking.
"I have some good news, fellas'. The jury is leaning towards a unanimous guilty verdict. I found out through my inside source," Vincent said with a grin. "My good friend, the court
deputy has been transferring information to me straight from the Jury Foreman himself," he added.
"Did you talk with Mr. Watson?" Agent McDonald asked.
"Yes, I told him the good news earlier today and he's just as excited as I am. Face is going down!"
"And then, six feet under!" Agent Powaski said as they all laughed.
Vincent's expression quickly changed to a more serious one, "Don't no one but us three and Ron Perry, know about the ‘hit’ on Face. I would like to keep it that way."
"Don't worry, Mr. Bradley. After Face is found guilty our pawn will put a bullet in his head. Then he will receive one the same way," Powaski said in all seriousness.
"There's no better way for a vigilante, crooked cop, to kill his long time enemy. The press will eat it up! And no one will know that the government is behind all of it!" McDonald said.
"I can't wait. Face is responsible for the deaths of a lot of good agents. Now, it's his turn to meet his demise," Powaski replied.
"I have some more good news, "he said.
"What is it?" McDonald asked curiously.
"After the verdict is read and Face is found guilty, I'm resigning from my job as the U.S. Prosecutor."
"What?" Powaski asked excitedly. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm very serious," Vincent replied.
"But why?" McDonald asked.
"Because I'll be moving my family to Washington, D.C. to prepare for my new job," Vincent grinned.
"And what will that be, Sir?" Powaski asked.
"A member of future President Watson's executive staff," Vincent replied. "He’s already promised me a job."
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia...
Veronica pulled up and parked her Mercedes in front of Pamela's house.
"By now, everyone should have received their packages and we'll find out very soon if our plan worked or not," she said to Pamela.
"I'm gonna tell Face what we done when I go visit him later. He needs to know what's going on," Pamela said.
"Alright, just call me later tonight," Veronica said, as she leaned over
and gave Pamela a kiss and a hug.
After Pamela got out of the car and went into the house, Veronica took her tinted Gucci frames off the top of her head, put them on, and drove away.
Inside the Federal Detention Center...
Face had just left from mail-call and returned back to his peaceful cell. After he closed the door, he sat on the edge of his bunk and started looking through the large stack of mail; mostly letters from his friends and family.
When he saw the name Sandy Carter on one of the envelopes he pushed all the other letters aside. It had been a while since he had last received mail from her. But, the letter wasn't from Sandy. It was actually from his best friend, Reese.
Since Face got arrested, they used Sandy to correspond with each other through the mail.
Face ripped open the envelope and took the letter out. After he got comfortable on his bunk, he unfolded the paper and began reading Reese's handwritten letter;
"Dear Face, when this letter reaches you I hope that you're in the best of health and spirits. What's up, Homey? I been reading about the case and seeing your face on the news. Everywhere I look, I see they're talking about the case. Please stay strong and keep praying to God. As for me, I'm staying out of trouble and staying very focused. I'll be out in a few years and you know once I touch down, it will be on again! A real hustler can't be stopped. Ain't that what you always used to tell me?
Anyway I got some more news to tell you. A few months back the 'pigs' came here and had the nerve to ask me to testify against you. I couldn't believe that shit! They threatened me and told me a bunch of bullshit about doing life in the fed, or living free in a federal witness protection spot if I snitched you out. I just listened to the pigs as they explained how bad they wanted you. Then one of the pigs had the nerve to ask, "Would Face do life for you?' On the outside I just frowned at the dickhead, but on the inside I was laughing my ass off. I knew right then and there, that they ain't have a clue about the man they were dealing with. Or me.
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