by Ashley
“I want to be wherever you are, A’shai. So I’m staying, and when you’re ready we will run away together.”
TWENTY
A’SHAI TOOK A DEEP BREATH AS HE stood outside of the police department. He prepared to go see Baron, hoping that he could smooth things over. The guilt of that horrible night haunted A’shai, and he knew what Willow would have wanted. He had to get back in good graces with his father Baron for his mother. A’shai entered the precinct and stood in line as people waited to see their locked-up loved ones. He went through the motions and finally got to the conference room where the visiting booths were set up with thick glass separating the visitors and inmates. He walked to the booth where his father sat waiting. As soon as he locked eyes with Baron, Baron’s facial expression changed. He expected to see his lawyer, not the person who was responsible for his current awful situation. A’shai sat down and picked up the phone to communicate. Baron didn’t move at first. He just stared at A’shai trying to find something in his heart to give him kind eyes and forgive his son. However, he couldn’t. He took a deep breath and reluctantly picked up the phone. “Why are you here?” he asked coldly.
“I’m here… because I love you. I’m here… because I am your son,” A’shai said as his voice began to crack and his eyes started to water. The visions of the car being blown up and his mother smiling while in the car invaded his mind. A’shai closed his eyes trying to shake off the thoughts, but they still remained. The deep regret was killing him inside-out.
“You are not my son. You murdered the only woman that ever loved me… the only woman who ever loved you. You took her away from me!” Baron yelled into the phone as his bottom lip began to quiver. His eyes were bloodshot red from the sleepless nights and his aching heart. A’shai just stared into the eyes of a broken man, and he didn’t know how to respond. The pain in Baron’s eyes was imbedded deeply and A’shai could feel the hatred screaming from Baron’s soul.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” A’shai said as he thought about what his father had just said. Did he sacrifice his mother for Liberty? Was he wrong for following his heart? He asked himself hard questions and came up with no answers.
“I never want to see you! I’m done,” Baron said through his clenched teeth as tears slid down his face as he rejected his son.
“I’m always going to be loyal to you… even if you hate me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” A’shai said as he watched as his father stood up and slammed the phone on the hook. He left A’shai behind, sitting with the phone in his hand. A’shai slammed the phone in frustration and stormed out. His life was falling apart, but he still vowed to get things right with Baron. It didn’t matter if it took years to reconcile their relationship. He would visit him as often as he could until Baron was ready to forgive him.
It was the day of trial and Baron rode in the back of the police van handcuffed. He was being transported to the courthouse so that he could stand before a jury. He wore a gray Armani suit that his lawyer had provided for him and the thought of his reality hit him. His lawyer had explained to him that they would take a plea for ten years to avoid a potential life sentence. Baron hated to wave a white flag, but the hard evidence was basically a nail in the coffin. They couldn’t take the risk, so Baron’s inevitable prison term was about to begin. Baron thought about A’shai everyday but he always ended up with a bad taste in his mouth. He would forever be bitter and it was out of his hands at that point. Baron silently prayed, hoping that his wife was in a good place. I love you Willow, he thought, but his brief conversation with his wife was interrupted by a violent jerk. Baron’s body was hurled to the back of the van and the sound of screeching tires was followed by a crash. The airbag in the front seats exploded in the cops’ faces causing them to be temporarily disoriented. Baron yelled as glass shattered everywhere and the sound of the van’s horn blared.
Two Hummer trucks sandwiched the police van. They were being ambushed. One of the Hummer’s back doors flew open and three masked men sat in the hatch of the truck and pointed automatic assault rifles at the driver and passenger cops. They let bullets rain before the cops could even pull their guns out. Meanwhile, Baron was in the back of the van covering up, not knowing what was going on. “Fuck!” he grimaced, knowing that the assault was intended for him.
The masked men jumped out of the Hummer and ran around to the back of the van with guns drawn. One man had a shotgun, which he used to blow off the lock on the back door. The door flew open and they quickly grabbed Baron and pulled him out of the back of the van. They hurried him into their trailing car and sped off. The whole fiasco was started and finished within thirty seconds. They were skilled professionals that flawlessly executed the plan. Baron was now a high-stakes fugitive and he had no idea what had just happened. Guns were on him and he tried to piece together what was happening. Did Shai send someone to bust me out? he thought.
Baron had been taken by surprise, and he asked the masked man what was going on, but he got no answer. The truck sped into an empty parking lot and Baron was swiftly forced out after which they jumped into another tinted vehicle. Everyone, even the driver, hopped into the new car. One of the masked men then grabbed a can of gasoline from the back of the Hummer and began to pour it all on the car they had just exited.
“Hurry up!” one of the men yelled as he left the door open for the man to jump in when he finished. The masked man threw the can on the ground and jumped into the truck with the others. The truck pulled off and the man reached out of the window and fired the assault rifle at the old getaway car. The sound of a loud explosion erupted and the Hummer went up in flames. They sped off, jumping on the freeway and escaping smoothly.
Baron remained silent as he was taken a few miles down the road and the truck pulled into a empty parking ramp. A limo awaited them. Baron had already figured out who was behind the current fiasco. Samad, he thought to himself as he grinded his teeth and sat in between the two gunmen.
The truck pulled about thirty feet from the limo, and the masked man opened the door.
“Get out,” the masked man said to Baron. Baron slid out of the car and saw that someone was stepping out the back of the limo. He saw the fancy shoe step onto the concrete and just as he thought… it was Samad.
“I never meant to harm your wife,” Samad said first as he slowly began to walk towards Baron. His goons got out of the cars and began to circle Baron, all with guns out.
“Why did you do this?” Baron asked, not wanting to talk about his wife. He only wanted to figure out Samad’s angle. Why did he bust him out? What was his motive? Baron wanted to know.
“I want to know where the girl is. Enough bloodshed has been spilled. I just want to get the girl back. Give A’shai up,” Samad said as he opened his arms and shook his head as if the problem was simple and without conflict.
“Fuck outta here,” Baron said after he sucked his teeth, blowing Samad’s request off. Although he was at odds with A’shai, he would not break the code.
“I can’t understand how you are so loyal to a hoodlum that had plans to kill you. He was plotting against you since day one,” he lied. Samad was trying to turn Baron against A’shai and get the information that he needed to find Liberty. Samad’s jealous streak was a mile long and he was determined to find Liberty and kill her for crossing him. His ego, on top of his bitterness, made him a heat seeking missile hell-bent on revenge.
“That’s a lie!” Baron yelled as he scowled and spit flew out of his mouth.
“No! That is the truth. He told me where you lived, and how to get you set up. How do you think I got the address? Huh? He wanted you out of the picture so he could take over. He was impatient. He didn’t want to wait for you to retire. Now I’m giving you a chance to double-cross him because he stole something from me. I want revenge,” Samad lied, leaving out the fact that Nico was his inside source. Baron took in Samad’s words, and they were like daggers to his heart as he tried not to believe what Samad was saying.
“You’re full of shit. You killed my wife and if you let me live…,” Baron began to shoot his threats as he stared at the man that stood before him.
“Am I? Think about it. How did I get your address? How did I know about your secret cabin up north? He planned on taking you out of the picture. That was before he laid eyes on Liberty. That’s when the plans changed,” Samad said trying to mind-fuck Baron… and it was working. Under different circumstances, Baron wouldn’t be as susceptible to manipulation. But with Baron’s mind in disarray and sorrow clouding his judgment, Samad’s story began to seem like it made sense.
“Fuck you!” Baron said as he dropped his head and hoped that what Samad was saying wasn’t true.
“Fuck me? No fuck that rat who betrayed you. Look where he is. He is lying up with a woman while you are on trial for your life. You can’t blame me… I didn’t break the rules, your boy did!” Samad yelled as he pointed his finger at Baron. “If he cared so much, why didn’t he break you out? I did this for you! I got a deal for you. You help me set him up, and I will send you on a helicopter anywhere you want to go. It’s all up to you,” Samad said as he placed the deal of a lifetime on Baron’s plate. There was no doubt in Baron’s mind that Samad’s offer was more of a demand than a question. Baron knew that if he denied Samad that he would be shot down right then and there. He then began to feel the grief and hatred towards A’shai for putting Willow in harm’s way. Baron dropped his head and thought about his decision.
TWENTY-ONE
A’SHAI RUSHED OUT OF THE COURTROOM AND held the phone to his ear tightly as Baron spoke to him on the other end. Liberty hurriedly trailed behind him as she exited the courtroom. She wore oversized shades and a conservative black dress as she eavesdropped trying to figure out what was wrong. She knew it was an important call because of A’shai’s instant change in behavior before he rushed to leave.
“I need you to come and get me quick. I’m at the old trap spot off Woodward Ave. I just escaped, and I need your help,” Baron said.
“Don’t move. I’m on my way,” A’shai answered as he flipped the phone down. He was waiting at the courthouse for Baron’s trial to start and got a call from him while in the pews. Baron had informed him about the breakout and failed to mention that Samad was behind the escape. A’shai quickly flipped down the phone and whispered back to Liberty, “We have to go now. I don’t have time to drop you off so you are going to have to go with me,” he said as they headed out. Liberty tried to keep up with him as they made their way to their car. She didn’t want to ask any questions, so she followed A’shai, trusting that he would take care of her.
A’shai sped down the freeway trying to get to his father on Woodward Avenue. He pushed his car 100 miles per hour down the highway trying to cut his travel time in half. Word was already on the street that the infamous Baron Montgomery had escaped from custody. Baron had the streets on fire, and every cop in the city was now looking for the drug pin escapee.
The radio blasted through A’shai’s speakers and the news alert came over the airwaves. A’shai and Liberty listened as the reporter called Baron armed and dangerous and a threat. The authorities encouraged civilians to not approach him and call authorities if seen. The entire city was up in arms and they were painting the picture of a villain on Baron’s name.
“Fuck that,” A’shai mumbled as he pushed the button on his radio, turning the newscast off. He was focused on getting his father out of the city and eventually out of the country. He sped off the exit towards the trap spot where Baron was hiding out.
A’shai pulled up to the house and threw the car in park.
“Come on,” he said to Liberty as he hopped out. He wanted to keep her by his side while he figured out the plan. A’shai went to the back door and saw that it was kicked in, obviously by Baron. He walked in and saw his father sitting on the couch. “Pops, are you okay?” A’shai asked as he motioned towards him. A’shai never saw it coming. Goons were waiting for him and before he knew it, he heard Liberty scream. Before he could even react he felt a blow to the head, and then everything went black.
Baron sat in a beach house in Costa Maya, Mexico. He had taken Willow to the expensive paradise many times before. He had made love to her on that very beach, and it pained him that he would never share that experience with her again. He would never be able to kiss her forehead or slow dance with her to a smooth jazz tune. Baron looked out of the window of the small beach house and watched as the sun began to rise. He retrieved funds out of his offshore accounts and then fled to the beach house that was under an assumed name. He was glad that his wife had convinced him to buy the home before her passing. Now it had become his greatest asset. He would reside there in peace under an assumed name.
It had been a week since he had given A’shai up and the guilt was eating away at him. He sipped cognac and contemplated suicide daily. He was at rock bottom. It was as if he was losing his mind. He looked at a picture of Willow, A’shai, and himself that was taken a year after they had taken him in and they all were as happy as could be. They had taken it while vacationing on that same island. There was a time when Baron could have made different choices which would have changed the outcome of what had happened, but he chose to grind harder instead. Getting deeper and deeper and eventually leading A’shai into the same lifestyle. Baron wished he could rewind the time. He would have quit the drug game a long time ago. He would have put his family first and thought about how his profession could and eventually would put them in harm’s way. He understood that A’shai could have been molded to be anything other than what he was. A’shai, under the right direction, should have been a Wall Street banker. Baron had created a monster, and it eventually came back to haunt him.
Why didn’t I show him another way? I failed my family, Baron thought as he downed the ninth glass of liquor. The thought of betraying A’shai ate at his soul and he knew that he had made the wrong choice. Baron walked over to his untraceable cell phone and quickly dialed up an old friend. He had to try to right his wrongs because the guilt was going to eventually kill him. He knew that he had to call in some professionals to do the job, he called the most efficient and ruthless crew he knew… he called the Murder Mamas.
A’shai groggily began to wake up. He had a pounding headache, blood dripped from his mouth and his body was full of purple and black bruises. His entire body ached as he had been beaten within inches of death. His hands were tied above him, and his body slowly twisted in the air. He saw that Liberty was tied to a chair and turned facing him. Samad circled him with a crowbar in hand. A’shai had been beaten by Samad for days, and Liberty watched as they both were tied up. A’shai was the closest to death than he had ever been.
“You are finally up. I have been waiting on you,” Samad said as he began to roll up his sleeves so that Liberty could watch him beat A’shai once again. Over the past few days A’shai had been tied up and beaten badly out of pure revenge. He never thought that Baron would be the one to set him up. He walked right into a trap and he never saw it coming. Samad wanted to give A’shai a slow death while Liberty watched. He also planned on murdering Liberty after he killed A’shai. Samad just wanted the lovers to hurt a bit longer before he ended their lives. Samad began to walk around the beaten warrior, and he called him every nasty name in the book as he spit on A’shai and totally disrespected him.
Just as he was about to strike A’shai again, he heard the sound of the glass shattering and two girls burst through the door with their guns drawn. Before Samad could even react bullets were sent through his chest, dropping him instantly. Liberty squirmed as the bullets whizzed by her and she saw two slender figures get into gunplay with Samad and his goons. By the end of the gunfight, when the flying bullets finally stopped, the two masked shooters stood alive. One of the masked men walked over to A’shai and pointed the gun near the top of his heart. They shot and the bullets pierced the rope holding A’shai and he fell to the floor. The gunmen then pulled off their masks, exp
osing silky long hair and two very different but equally beautiful faces. A’shai realized they were a part of the Murder Mamas, a special hit team that Baron occasionally told stories about. A’shai had always dismissed the tales as myths, but as they stood before him he realized that these women were legends in the street game. That’s when A’shai knew that Baron had sent the Murder Mamas to his and Liberty’s rescue. She handed A’shai the gun and looked over at Samad. “Me saved de honors for you,” one of the women said in a heavy island accent. A’shai struggled to get to his feet and hobbled. However, he managed to stand straight up and grab the gun from the lady. He then put a bullet through Samad’s left eye, rocking him to sleep. He dropped the gun and collapsed after he asserted all of his energy to hold himself up. He breathed heavily as he grimaced from his wounds. He hobbled over to Liberty and unleashed her from the tight ropes. She collapsed into his arms. The war with Samad was finally over. A’shai and Liberty could now finally have each other without any hurdles or complaints. Their lives had come full circle, and their fate brought them back together. Despite all of the odds that had worked against them, their love had seen them through.
As A’shai and Liberty were escorted to an awaiting vehicle they clung to one another. “You know that house I told you about,” he whispered as he held her body up, even though he felt as if he would collapse at any moment.
She nodded weakly.
“It’s time… we’re going to live there for the rest of our lives… happy. Only now we don’t have to hide. I love you, Liberty, and wherever you go, I’ll follow. Nothing will keep me from you ever again. I’m sorry for everything,” he whispered.
“Don’t be sorry, A’shai Montgomery. You saved my life.”
TWENTY-TWO
