Chasing the Dragon

by Tiana Laveen

  ‘My daughter is an asset to society. She made a mistake, but she can help people. She’s a changed woman … something bad happened to her … she was raised right … please don’t lock her away…’

  The prosecution and defense then rested their cases, and she waited for several days to find out her fate…

  “We the jury find the defendant, Tiffany Angelica McCall, not guilty of the charge of first-degree murder, guilty of the charge of aggravated robbery, not guilty of second degree murder…” And so, it continued. Lowering her face into her hands, she sobbed, trembling with relief and remorse. Phoenix had already told her that the robbery charge would more than likely stick, but thanks to all the information provided, if that was the only charge she received, she would be released on parole once Jane got finished. Everything became a blur, but then her mind cleared when she heard her cousin’s sentencing soon after…

  ‘Life, with no possibility for parole…’

  There was something to be said about that first high…

  It was the king and queen of highs, the best of the best. Tiffany had heard about ‘chasing the dragon’ too many times to count in her line of business. Once the addict was hooked, they’d spend their entire check, sell their ass, steal and kill to try and get back to the euphoria of that first high—but it never came, and the addict, though enjoying his new highs, could never achieve that base level again because his body got used to the drug.

  When you’re high on life though, you can always get higher. There is no plateau, only your own limitations…

  Miracles were just that, unlimited potential, and as Tiffany walked out of that jail, she felt like a brand-new woman. She told Phoenix she’d meet up with him in an hour because she had some business to take care of. She had no home in Chicago to go to, but she had a new state of mind. Her parents had offered their home, but she refused, stating she’d be all right and just fine. Even after all the attorney fees and fines were paid, she had plenty of money, enough to take care of her next plan of action…

  She got out of the cab on the corner of 53rd and Kimbark, on the southside of Chicago. This neighborhood was a haven for crime and violence, but in it resided a bit of hope, too. Bundling up to counter the brisk morning air, she tapped her foot, waiting for the bright red Ford Explorer to pull up. The street began to vibrate with the loud, thumping music bellowing from a nearby car.

  At last, Dehaven rounded the corner, his big, black mass of a body in the driver’s seat. She couldn’t make out the passenger, but wasn’t surprised he’d brought a friend. He parked and took his time approaching her with his usual swagger, a toothpick dangling out of his mouth. His large, black bomber jacket strained to wrap over his muscles. After giving his cheek a good, hard scratch, he looked down at her, like she wasn’t shit. At that, she offered a smile. She stole a glance at the man still sitting in the passenger’s seat, then back at Dehaven.

  “Tiffany, you said you had somethin’ for us. The only thing keeping me from wasting yo’ ass right here and right now is that I’m curious about what you might have to say … but after you say it, I still might pop yo’ ass. Now, what is it?”

  “Before I get into that, you need to understand something, Dehaven. I know this may mean little to you, but you’re a rational man. First of all, yes, I set things up to rob those men you all were working with, which you now know were setting you up. I know it was stupid, but I figured I’d be doing you all a favor and also helping myself, too. Things obviously didn’t go as planned. Secondly—”

  “Shut tha fuck up. You not gonna stand here and try to outtalk me, do that mindfuck shit you like to do, talkin’ like some mothafuckin’ attorney or motivational speaker ’nd shit. I’m not buyin’ it. I heard all about you in the courtroom. You fooled everybody, even that old ass white conservative judge. I know what you do, Tiffany. You slick with that tongue. That’s how you got out of prison time while ya boy still up in there doin’ a life bid. ’Cause of you, Purp is dead!”

  “Hold on, mothafucka,” she said, sneering. “I went up in that goddamn hospital to see my mothafuckin’ aunt and Purp and the rest of your goons decided to have a GD family reunion at my expense! You can’t fault me for protecting myself. That’s code! I wasn’t there for you, or for nobody else. I was there for Shirley, period, point blank! Purp and the rest of them ain’t ever do shit to me up until that point, so what sense would it make for me to just start blasting? It just so happened that I had company… table for two, and they weren’t additional dinner guests.”

  The man slid his hand in his pocket, staring daggers at her. She knew he was gripping a gun, but she’d see this through. She’d come this far; there was no turning back.

  “I’m not your enemy, Dehaven. I want you to call your dogs off me.”

  “I’m not doin’ shit. If you get sprayed, you get sprayed. You brought this shit on yourself.”

  “Yes, I did bring it on myself but let me finish the rest of what I called you over here for. I wanted to get close to you all because I wanted to do business, not rat you out, not hurt you or have any of you up in prison. I considered the mother of your son, Tiny, my friend! The charges against your homies have been dropped now anyway thanks to Gable’s arrest—and speaking of Gable, let’s go ahead and get to that because that’s why we’re here.”

  “What does he have to do with anything at this point?”

  “Everything. Remember right before you went in to serve time, over $67,000.00 came up missing? You all never found it.”

  “Yeah … you took that too, bitch?”

  “No.” She smirked and shook her head. “Gable did. Now look, I am going to take something out of my purse, don’t shoot.” Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her phone. “I want you to listen to this…”

  “Why are you so mad, Tiff? Damn! Them mothafuckas owe me! ’Member that deal I got for them with Abraham? They made a lick and only gave me a 5% cut.”

  “I don’t give a shit. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you! If Marcel finds out you took that money, he is gonna kill you, no questions asked! He might think I had something to do with it, too. What the fuck is wrong with you? You’ve screwed up, big time!”

  “Marcel in prison. He ain’t gonna do shit!”

  “Why do you do dumb shit like this? Gimme that money! I’m taking it back to them!”

  “You ain’t takin’ shit back. I run this shit, Tiff! You have forgotten yo’ damn role. You don’t outrank me. What? You suckin’ Marcel’s dick or something?”

  “We don’t even need that money! And no, I’m not fuckin’ Marcel but you fucked him over, and if he finds out, it’s a wrap for you. Him being in prison has never stopped any body drops.”

  ‘You the only one who knows, so who’s gone tell him?”

  She turned the player off. When she looked into Dehaven Marcel Simmon’s eyes, she could see the flames jumping.

  “That mothafucka…” He grinned, but he was clearly far from amused.

  “I taped the conversation just in case one day I’d be blamed for that, too. And he got life, Marcel. But he still gets to live. Seems unfair, don’t it? Now.” She cocked her head to the side and smiled up at him. “Here’s what I’m prepared to do. I am going to pay back my cousin’s debt to you, with interest.”

  “And what do you want back?”

  “Oh, baby,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t want anything back. Well, except for natural selection to take its course. You get it all … the money and payback. Seems like a good deal for you, don’t it? I have already been to the bank.” Pulling out a white envelope, she handed the man the money. “I trust you won’t spend it all in one place. Have a great day.”

  With a wink at the man, she swiveled on her feet and walked away…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “That’s one of the first things you have to do though.” As they walked the Vegas strip, he took a sip of his Coca Cola, practically flavorless after the ice cubes had melted. “Keno, Roulette, and Blac
kjack, just to name a few.” They held hands; he so enjoyed the feel of her smooth skin against his.

  She seemed to overdose on the bright, flashing lights and the frenzied electric feel of Vegas nightlife. The whole scene was an old hat to him, but seeing it through someone’s fresh view was always titillating. The evening was warm but comfortable, a far cry from the temperature they’d experienced in Chicago and D.C. Her sheer oil slick colored baby doll dress flowed with each step, showcasing long legs he couldn’t wait to part wide open again. Tossing his cup into a nearby trashcan, he paused when they came upon the Chapel of Flowers, an elegant looking venue lacking Elvis and the excessive glitz and glam, but attention-grabbing all the same. Tiffany kept walking until her body swayed back towards him. Her eyes landed on him, at the chapel, then back on him. All he could do was smile.

  “You wanna get married?” He grinned. The woman’s eyes widened and her lips parted but nothing came out. “Tiffany? Earth to Tiffany.”

  “Let’s do this,” she finally managed.

  He had to take a moment to temper his excitement before tugging her towards the entrance of the place. Her hold on him tightened as they entered the building.

  “Hello!” A cheerful woman approached them. “How can I help you?”

  “We want to get married,” Tiffany blurted.

  He laughed. “Yeah, this wasn’t planned. I haven’t even actually, well, technically proposed and I assumed my girlfriend would want a big wedding but—”

  “Sir, we can do whatever type of wedding you want. First though, you need your license, and then I can show you the chapels we have available. We have everything from simple and small, to larger and more sophisticated. The sky is the limit.” The host paused, her brow raised. “You look familiar. Where have I seen you?” She tapped her lower lip.

  Tiffany snaked her arm around his and blinked. “He works with the President of the United States. He is the Director of the DCP,” she stated proudly.

  The woman gasped. “So, you’re like, in the oval office ’nd stuff?” She giggled.

  Phoenix shrugged. “Well, sometimes. So, uh, yeah—look, Tiffany, pick out whatever you want. We’ll take care of getting the license first thing in the morning. You’re open twenty-four hours, correct?”

  “Yes, and you can plan your wedding right now with me and then return during the scheduled time.” The woman looked shifty-eyed, then leaned in to whisper, “We’re booked solid for the month right now, but we will squeeze you in. When did you want to do it?”

  He looked down at Tiffany, and did some quick calculations in his mind. “Well, we need to fly her parents up, and some of her friends I suppose, too. I have some friends in Washington who will be beyond irritated if they aren’t invited so let’s do it for Wednesday evening. That gives us two days, and for timing, your latest availability.”

  “Sounds like a great plan.” The woman took Tiffany’s hand and led her away. “We’ve got fresh roses. You can even rent your dress if you need to, you name it!” Tiffany looked over her shoulder at him, winked, and disappeared with the woman into a small room. Unable to get the grin off of his face, Phoenix slid his phone out of his pocket.

  His mother answered the call. “These cookies are horrible,” she said, her voice muffled from a mouthful of food.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be watching your sugar intake?” He paced back and forth, his hand in his pocket.

  “Yes … I watch myself swallow it. Look what time it is. You only call me this late when you’ve done something great or something stupid. Which is it?” She chuckled.

  “Mom, I’m getting married.” He burst out laughing when the woman remained silent, then she started chewing once again. “We’re at the venue right now arranging it, but we’ve got to get a license first, you know, things like that. We’re going to invite everyone we love and care about and it’s being scheduled for Wednesday night. I know it’s late notice, but…”

  “It’s not late notice. I knew this was coming.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When you told me you were back in town with Tiffany today and going to the strip, my mind immediately went there. Not that I thought you’d planned this, but you know how it is over there … exciting, gives people ideas. You’re not a gambler, and I know you said she’s never been here but I just imagined this very scenario as a possibility.”

  “All right, fair enough.”

  “So, here is my question. Don’t I get to meet my future daughter-in-law before you make it official? I mean, it’s kinda rude even for you to run off and marry a lady without lettin’ me take a look at her first.” He heard another sound like her popping another cookie into her mouth.

  “Yes, of course. I was going to bring her by anyway. Tomorrow, that is, because I figured you’ll be going to sleep soon so I’ll just—”

  “No … bring her behind over here tonight. I’ll have the porch light on.”

  He was then met with the dial tone. Shaking his head at his phone, he leaned up against the wall and waited for the love of his life to finish telling the woman all the things she wanted for her special day. In the distance, someone was playing the trumpet outside, accompanied by loud, boisterous laughter and passionate yelling. This was life, in full color, brought on by alcohol induced hysteria, fresh cocaine highs, high stake gambling losses, and falling in love for the second time around.

  This time, he was playing for keeps…

  It was two in the morning and her bare feet felt good against the kiss of the soft air from each sway of the porch swing. Phoenix was on the phone making airline arrangements for her girlfriends, who were more than happy to accept a free trip to Vegas. Her parents were already packing their bags. To her left sat a woman with a plain appearance, but possessing a wealth of love and devotion for her son. Something about Mrs. Hale screamed ‘kindness and nobility.’ The older lady looked straight ahead, one pink sponge curler on her head. In one hand, she gripped a cup of tea; in the other, a handful of fabric from her paisley printed brown and orange robe.

  “You’re beautiful…”

  “Thank you.” Tiffany smiled.

  “I’m talking about in here.” The woman let go of her housecoat and thumped her chest where her heart beat underneath.

  “Thank you even more…”

  “Phoenix is the type of man who needs a wife.” The woman nodded, as if coming to that conclusion for the first time. “He didn’t know this, but I did. He needs that balance.” Her blue eyes were watery and sad, but full of promise, too. “His childhood wasn’t exactly perfect. I’m a crazy retired librarian and his father was a sweet drunk who played a cop in his spare time. We love our sons though and all three of them knew it. Nevertheless, I believe in telling the truth about these things. Being honest is important. You don’t have to stomp a man with the truth, you know, be rude about it, but I am what I am, a nut who happens to adore her sons, the living and the dead. I’m sure some days Phoenix would gladly trade me in for a ’57 Buick.” She chuckled, causing Tiffany to smile.

  “I highly doubt that. He speaks with great respect about you and his dad.” She smiled sadly, set her tea cup down on the small table off to her left, and rocked a bit more vigorously on the swing.

  “One day, when Phoenix was about seven, he told me he wanted to be a police officer like his father. I told him I thought he should think of somethin’ else. It was hard being married to a cop, Tiffany. You never knew if they were coming back home…” Silence webbed between them. “He insisted anyway, and that was pretty much his plan until he decided to go to law school a couple of years before he graduated from high school. He completed that, passed the bar exam and I thought my son was going to be a lawyer.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Nope. He took it in another direction and went after a position with the DEA. I think Phoenix needs the adrenaline rush.” The woman narrowed her gaze and stared out into nothingness.

  “I understand that feeling all too well.” Tiffany crossed her legs and
grimaced. “It’s like the world is just so big, you never want to stop exploring it.”

  “The world is definitely big, but we all have more in common than we realize. It’s funny how humans divide each other—you know, by race, age, religion. That’s all a crock of crap if you ask me. Phoenix never limited himself. He eats danger and excitement for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not a happy time for a mom, but that’s who he was … my little daredevil. Falling from trees, flying across trampolines like a spider monkey…” They both chuckled at that. “I had more E.R. bills from that boy than you could imagine. But then, he started getting good.

  “He could scale things without falling, run track like a streak of lightning. Amazing how he could push his body to do the unthinkable. He doesn’t feel alive without it—the excitement of life, that treacherous energy. My son has quite a reputation but he’s always wanted his share of normalcy, too. Unfortunately, he can’t really have that because he likes his women like he likes his life: thrilling.” The woman fixed her gaze on Tiffany. “Whenever he picked someone ‘normal’ to date, and I say this with no offense to you, it didn’t last.” She shrugged her shoulders. “That’s boring to him. Not only that, normal women don’t understand him. Run of the mill people can’t appreciate what he’s trying to do out here in this big, crazy world. But you…” She pointed her finger at her and laughed lazily. “You, my dear, regardless of what I or anyone else thinks, are exactly what the Director of the National Drug Control Policy ordered.”

  “I’m going to be real with you, Ms. Hale. I understand why you feel the way you do about me. It’s fine. If I were a mother, I wouldn’t want me for my son, either.” She laughed at her own words. “Not with the way things have been. But I love him with all of my heart. And even though you may see me a certain way, maybe even beneath him, I appreciate you being nice about it and at least pretending to give me a chance.”