Bricks stepped up to her. “We have good news and bad news.”
“Well since I’m scared right now, give me the good news first.”
“Yao was murdered and he’s no longer chasing us. He’s not a problem anymore.”
Ming dropped her head, and Swoopes pulled her into his body. Although she knew he was a despicable man, she loved him anyway and the news hurt. It didn’t make things any better that the detective told her in anger.
“Are you serious?” She looked at the three of them. “He’s really gone.”
Bricks smiled. “Dead serious.” He swallowed. “Now that’s the good news, the bad news is, you’ve been relieved of duty, Squeeze. For now anyway.”
“What?” She looked at them strangely and when she tried to stand up, noticed her ankle was chained to a wall. Somebody was always treating her like an animal, maybe she was. “What is this?” She tried to move her leg but it was securely locked. “Why are ya’ll doing this?”
“To protect you and keep you safe.” Bricks responded.
On the table in front of her was a cloudy glass of water and some crackers. “What is all of this? And where am I?”
“You’re at a safe location. And you gonna be here for the next couple of days, until we sort some things out and get rid of AFCOG.”
“Bricks, don’t fuck with me. My head hurts right now and I don’t have time for this shit.”
“I’m not playing with you. And I haven’t been this serious in a long time.” In a loving voice he continued. “You not well, Squeeze and we want you to get better.”
“By chaining me to a fucking wall and feeding me dirty water and crackers?”
“Don’t worry, if you drink this water and not waste a bit, you’ll get a better meal. We not leaving you here forever, just until we work things out.”
Focusing on Ming she said, “Don’t let them do this to me. Please.”
“I’m sorry, but we’re doing this because we love you.” She said in a low voice. “This is not meant to hurt you.”
“Ming, if you let them do this to me, I never want to talk to you again. Do you hear what I’m saying? Never!”
“I’m sorry you feel that way…but I can’t.”
Looking back at Bricks she said, “I hope you know I’m never going to talk to you again after this shit. I would never have done something so foul to you, Bricks. This is wrong and you know it.”
“Well for an opportunity to make you better, that’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
CHARLES BANK
Charles sat in his white Subaru, across from a daycare center, watching happy kids play outside. He was surprised at how lax the staff was at, ‘With Love Daycare Center’. The white woman with a red updo allowed most of the children to play next to the open gate, as she preoccupied herself on the phone. This had been the third day in a row Charles followed Delilah, and he trailed her whether she was with her aunt Jesse or not. Although watching their love for one another took his mind off of his murderous lifestyle, it wasn't his intent.
He was waiting on Yvonna Harris to show her pretty face, so he could finally put her out of her misery. When his cell beeped indicating his battery was running low, he bent down to plug it into the charger. When he rose, he saw Delilah being walked away by a man he had never seen her with before. He knew Jesse had a boyfriend, but that he was away at Florida State. He also knew Yvonna was involved, but Bricks, who he could identify, was on the run with her. The man who held Delilah’s hand was definitely a stranger.
Although the child seemed not to mind going with him, something about his gait told him something was wrong. He watched, as the man looked both ways as he led Delilah to the sidewalk and toward his car. To be sure he wasn't losing his mind, he looked for the woman who was supposed to protect the kids. She was involved in a heavy conversation and was not tuned into the scene. What a dumb bitch.
"You can't be serious!" he said to himself. When he saw the stranger open the passenger side door, place her inside and jog to the driver’s side, he knew what was happening. Delilah Harris was being kidnapped in broad daylight. If the abductor were successful, there would be no need for Yvonna to check on her only child. This would do nothing but make his job more difficult. He needed Delilah’s life to remain in tact because she was his bait.
When the man pulled out into traffic with Delilah in tow, Charles followed behind them, doing his best to avoid being detected. The moment he turned on a residential street, Charles rammed his car into the back of his vehicle. The man’s wild eyes through the rearview mirror told Charles he knew it was done on purpose. The stranger sped up, in an attempt to get away but he was rammed a second time. Again the wrongdoer was able to regain control of his car. But when he made a left turn on another block, Charles plunged into him so hard, he went flying into the stop sign a few feet before him. The hood popped open and the glass shattered the man’s view. Smoked poured from the car and it looked like it was seconds from blowing up.
Charles instantly hopped out of the car, leaving his door open. He zoomed up to the kidnapper’s vehicle, flung his door open and pulled him to the ground. Briefly he looked inside at Delilah who was in her seat belt and alive. “Who the fuck are you with?” He asked the abductor.
The man was off balance because he was just forced into a stop sign without his seat belt. His head was split open and his own blood poured into his eyes. Stealing him in the face again Charles asked, “Who the fuck are you with? Answer me!”
“I…I don’t know what’s happening.”
Charles released his gun stuck it in his open wound. “This will be the last time I ask you.” He looked around and saw a woman open her door with a phone in her hand. She had already activated ‘Run Tell That’ and the cops would be there in a minute flat, so he had to hurry. “Who are you with?”
“Rufus Day and Abel Pickling. Of AFCOG.” He placed his hand on his stomach. “They hired me, to kidnap her for ransom. Now can you please get me some help? I’m think I’m dying.”
Tiring of him quickly, Charles stood up, tightened the silencer on his nine and shot him in the body followed by a blow to the head. The man jerked once before closing his eyes permanently. With him dead, Charles dipped to the passenger side, grabbed Delilah out the car and picked her up. She kicked at first but she quickly realized she was no match for his strength. None of this shit was in the plan and he was heated. He threw her in the car like a rag doll and jumped in the driver’s seat before speeding away.
Angry he looked over at her. “What’s your name?” Although he knew it.
“Delilah.” She responded softly.
“Why would you go with somebody you don’t know, Delilah? Without screaming? Don’t you realize he could’ve hurt you real bad?”
She shrugged and looked up at him. “He said he knew my mommy. And I wanted to see her again.”
“Well he didn’t!” He focused back on the road. “Some men do evil things to little girls. And if you don’t watch out, they’re going to do evil things to you too.” He felt he wasn’t getting through to her and decided to go deeper. Since it was obvious that the staff was incompetent, he wanted to drive his point home, in case there was another attempt on her life. At least until he got a hold of Yvonna, then she could do what she wanted. “There are a lot of bad men out here. Who’ll take a little girl like you and make her do all kinds of things that will hurt badly. So the next time a man grabs your hand you don’t know, you better scream to the top of your lungs. Or else he’ll kill you.” He parked in the same place he was before he pulled off. “You understand what I’m saying? It’s for your own good.” She nodded.
Before he stepped out, he looked across the street at the daycare employee who was still on the phone. She was so oblivious to her surroundings and that a child was stolen under her watch that she carried on like all was well with the world.
Frustrated Charles got out of the car and walked around to Delilah’s side. When he opened the door she h
opped down and placed her hands on the ground to break her fall. Standing up straight, she dusted her fingers off on her clothes and looked up at him. He could tell she was scared and although he was irritated, he understood she was a child.
“Go ‘head.” He pointed at the daycare across the street. “Look both ways and then cross.”
When he walked to the driver’s side, he noticed she hadn’t budged. Before getting in, he looked around again, approached her and asked, “What are you doing?” He pointed toward the street. “Go ahead…there aren’t any cars coming.”
She shook her head. “My mommy said don’t cross the street by myself.”
“I bet your mother told you not to go with strangers too, but you did anyway!” He yelled. After all, the child was being ridiculous. “Didn’t you?”
She was about to cry until he said, “Please don’t.” He observed his surroundings once more. Little girls crying crept him out. She was draining all of the life from him and when he was done with her, he was going to call it a day. “Don’t cry, Delilah. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” He put his hands out in front of him. “Please, stop, I’ll go with you across the street.”
He grabbed her hand to lead the way. When he did, she let out a blood-curdling scream. She chose now to follow his advice to yell whenever a stranger grabbed her. In his opinion it was the worse timing but what was a killer to do? The lady across the street finally recognized she was a child short and dropped the phone on the ground as she headed toward the gate. Charles flew into his car and left the scene, observing the woman in his rear view mirror. When he was far enough away from getting detected he shook his head and said, “I’m getting too old for this shit.”
CONNIE GRISWALD
Connie Griswald drove speedily down the highway at midnight, half tired and afraid. Her lieutenant said a crime occurred at his home and he needed her help. When he first called, she was hesitant about answering, when she saw his number on the caller ID. They had an argument earlier in the week when she arrested Ming Chi, after tailing her without authorization. Lt. South tore her a new pussy when Ming was brought into the precinct and Ming’s attorney threatened to sue the entire department and their mothers too. Not to mention she was distraught over hearing about the loss of her uncle Yao in such a hostile manner.
Griswald knew it was a bad idea when she arrested her, but Ming sent her over the edge when she spit in her face and she wanted to implicate her in the crime. In the end Lt. South determined that Ming Chi had no more to do with the AFCOG murders, than President Barack Obama. He certainly didn’t see where she was going with her insinuations, by assuming that Yao’s death was related to the minister murders. But Griswald thought differently.
She believed that because Pastor Robinson was murdered not to long before the AFCOG ministers, that there was possibly a link to Yvonna and Yao too. It was a long shot but one she gladly took. She would’ve preferred to interview Yvonna but could never find her. It was as if she fell off the face of the earth. Ming on the other hand, was easy to locate because of her weaknesses. The need to see her son, Boy, who was staying with one of her aunts in Maryland and her reckless use of the phone. So when the time was right, she followed her and it ended up being her latest mistake.
When she pulled up at his residence in an upscale city in Maryland, he was standing in the doorway wearing grey slacks and a matching grey sweatshirt. He didn’t seem happy to see her even though he extended an invitation. He opened his door wide and said, “Come in, Griswald.”
Griswald pulled out a pen and pad. “I got here as fast as I could, lieutenant. I’m sorry it took me so long.” She closed the door behind herself. “Did you contact the local police first? Or am I the first one on the scene?”
“I didn’t contact them. I need your help instead.” He walked toward the back of the house. “I know you have a knack for solving a case under a case.” His tone was off and it made her uncomfortable. “So I figured this would be right up your alley.” He looked back at her. “Follow me, it’s right this way.”
When he walked down the hallway and stopped at the door, she followed suit. Until they were standing in front of a bathroom. “What is it, sir? The suspects were in here?”
“Yeah, and they left something in the toilet that I wanted you to check out.”
She laughed until she saw he was dead serious. “You’re joking right?”
“No I’m not, Griswald. Look in the toilet,” he pointed, “the evidence is there.”
She stepped inside and saw yellow water and brown stool floating in the bowl. “Sir, what is this? I’m not understanding what it is you’d like me to do. I’m not a forensic scientist. I’m a detective.”
“I know who you are, Griswald, although you forget at times. Like I said, the evidence is all right there.” He smirked. “Now I have some gloves under the sink along with some plastic bags. Get them out. You’ll need them to be sure you’re following every lead.”
“Sir,” she laughed, waiting for him to say he was kidding, “What lead can this possibly tell me?”
“I guess you’ll find out after you remove it.”
She laughed from embarrassment more than comedy. “I can’t do this.”
“You can and you will.”
She could tell by the look in his eyes, that he was not backing down from his request. She needed her job. Not because she had bills, or a child or even responsibilities. She needed to be a cop because without it, she was nothing. So she did what she had to do. Following his orders, she grabbed the gloves and a plastic bag. And then she turned her head, reached into the toilet and felt for the log. When she found the shit she grabbed it and threw it inside the bag, before tying it in a knot. She placed it down on the floor because she couldn’t bare to have it in her hands, and removed the gloves. Tears fell down her face and she was humiliated.
“Sir…I…I don’t,” she took two quick breaths to prevent crying, “I don’t understand what this is all about.” She looked at the bag.
“You came here to do a job. And I pointed you to the bathroom so you could follow the lead. What is there to understand?”
“You said the perp left evidence in your bathroom.” She threw the gloves in the trash. “And then I find stool. Like I said, I’m not a forensic scientist. There was virtually nothing I could do about this. I’m not even sure what happened. You haven’t told me anything.”
“You are absolutely correct. You were asked to collect evidence without knowing the facts. You were given a job,” he stepped closer to her, “and I made shit out to be more than what it is, just like you, Griswald.” She held her head down, having gotten his point. “Don’t look so sad, Griswald, if I can take your shit, you can definitely take mine.”
“I’m sorry, LT.”
“What?” He leaned his ear closer to her lips, to hear her better.
“I said I’m sorry, lieutenant.” She said louder. “I get where you’re going with this. I’m an idiot for bringing Ming Chi to the precinct, without having evidence that she was guilty. Forgive me.”
“I know you’re an idiot, but that’s not why I’m not going to fire you. I’m going to give you another chance because you’re young and dumb, and too smart to realize when you’re ahead. I’m not going to fire you because despite your fuck ups, you’re a good detective. But the next time you disregard my orders, it will be over for you. And when that happens, taking my shit will be the least of your worries.”
ABEL PICKLING
Bricks, Swoopes and Ming followed no more than three cars behind Abel Pickling on the Maryland highway. They knew this was the last kill before moving onto the man of the hour, Rufus Day. Originally they went to Delaware to find her, before she was spotted in Maryland. They were partially anxious and eager to put this AFCOG shit behind them.
“Where the fuck do you think she’s going this time of night?” Swoopes asked, wiping his fingerprints off the bullets before placing them in his gun. “We’ve been trailing this bitch for
hours.”
“You don’t think she knows we’re following her do you?” Ming asked, sitting in the back seat, behind Bricks. “And telling people we’re following her? They say she’s the most dangerous out of the four. We have to remember that shit.”
“Naw.” Bricks guessed. “That old bitch is looking for something. Eventually she’ll stop driving and when she does, we’ll put something in her head. I’ll be glad too, because it’s time to get at Rufus, once and for all.”
They followed her for another fifteen minutes. Shit was groovy until she turned off the highway and onto a dark rural street. The only vehicles on this street were Abel’s, theirs, and two other cars.
“Be careful over here, man.” Swoopes observed, looking out into acres of dark land that appeared to go on forever. “It looks like they be lynching niggas over here.”
When she made a right into a lot, they observed the sign on top of the entrance. It read Pumpkin Face Haunted House. “This the joint Tata was telling us about.” Bricks added. “She owns this spot.”
“But why come over here now?” Swoopes inquired. “It’s gotta be closed for business.”
When she turned into the lot suddenly they were all alone. If they didn’t know before, they knew now. She had to be fully aware that they were following her. And outside of the taillights on Abel’s car and their headlights, it was completely dark. Just when things couldn’t get any wilder, she sped up and killed her lights. They tried to speed after her but they didn’t know nor could they see where they were going. As she mashed on the gas leaving a dust cloud in her wake. Before long, all they saw was pitch-blackness and a puff of dust from their own wheels.
Shyt List 5: Smokin' Crazies The Finale' (The Cartel Publications Presents) Page 25
