She stared at the man she once loved with all of her being for a moment. She barely recognized him. He may have looked like her father to her, but he was not the man she knew. The man before her was just a police officer doing his job. Baby felt nothing for Arthur Love. She realized the little bit of love she once possessed for him had faded. But Baby knew Arthur Love still loved her. She could see it in his eyes. She preyed on her father’s weakness and cocked her weapon.
Arthur Love stood locked with his weapon on Baby. He had a bad feeling about the Mexican standoff he was faced with between him and his daughter. His worst thought became a reality once again. Something told him that, just like before, Baby was not going to back down. His suspicion was confirmed when Baby pulled the hammer back on her first weapon.
Arthur Love raised his weapon higher. “Please, Baby!” he pleaded. “Don’t make me do this.”
Arthur Love could not believe he was back in the predicament he was in. It was as if it was déjà vu all over again. He had played the last scenario over a hundred times in his head. He’d wondered if he had the chance would he do anything different than he had that eventful night. He knew it was one thing to say you would do the right thing, but it was another thing when the right thing cost you something or someone you loved. The last time, he had let Baby and her boyfriend get away, after she had killed her mother, his wife, in front of him. He allowed his paternal feelings to get the best of him when he knew he should have been doing his job by upholding the law, daughter or not. More effort could have been put into demanding she surrender to him. The marksman he was, he knew he could have ended Baby’s life with one shot rather than grazing her. There were lot of should haves, could haves, and would haves, he thought. The question was how would he handle the situation now? Only he knew the answer to that.
Baby could tell he was fighting with his emotions based on the twisted and distorted facial expressions he made while eyeing her down. She felt no remorse. “Do what you gotta do, Detective,” Baby retorted, addressing him by his rank. She knew it would sting.
Her father grimaced. “Don’t tempt me, goddamit!” he boomed.
“Don’t tempt me. Muthafucka!” she returned. Her gun was now level with her father’s heart.
“Baby, put the gun down or—”
“Or what?” she barked. Tears were now streaming down her face. They were not tears of sorrow but rather of anger. Hatred and resentment swept through her entire body. All of the pain and anger inside of Baby came to a head and was released. Without thought, Baby squeezed the trigger of her gun. She never got to see whether the shot landed.
Arthur Love saw the bullet headed in his direction. He had even seen it before Baby had delivered it. He could see it in her eyes before she had pulled the trigger, that she had reached the point of no return. When their eyes first met and he noticed the murderous look in his daughter’s, he knew he had to prepare himself to take her down if she carried through with what he believed to be her thoughts. His instincts went into survival mode. He saw murder in Baby’s eyes and knew he was the intended victim. Arthur Love attempted to squeeze the trigger of his own weapon, but something happened. Something just made him stop. He accepted what was taking place. He just couldn’t bring himself to kill his own daughter. Instead, he sacrificed his own life.
The bullet plunged into Arthur Love’s lower abdomen, just below his bulletproof vest. His weapon dropped to the ground. He grabbed hold of his stomach and bellied over. His semi-limp body pummeled the ground. He fought to breathe as blood invaded his breathing passage. The room seemed to be spinning. Arthur Love let out a disgusting-sounding cough. He rolled over to his side in an attempt to minimize the flow of blood that was trickling down his throat. He took short breaths to preserve what little oxygen he had left in him. With each breath, Arthur Love felt himself growing weaker and weaker. His entire life flashed before his eyes as he lay on his side dying. He stared into the distance.
What strength he had remaining he used to focus on the image a few feet in front of him. Arthur Love grimaced. A tear rolled out of the side of his right eye. His eyes locked with Baby’s for a second time as she lay on the ground bleeding. He’d never know what happened to her. That would be his final thought, before death stood over him and took what little life he had left inside his body.
Andre Randle came out from where he was hiding as soon as Arthur Love made his move. He backed his partner up, waving his gun from top to bottom and side to side in the open space while Arthur Love took chase after his daughter. Andre Randle was surprised that no shots were fired in retaliation to Arthur Love’s shots. He remembered the direction from which the first set of shots had come. He was sure the shooter had to have been Treacherous.
He moved stealth-like through the open room in the particular direction. Reflexively he jumped back when he saw an image of who he believed to be Treacherous bolting from one room to the next. He waited until the image had disappeared before he followed suit. He knew that was the direction Arthur Love and Baby had gone in. He put a pep in his step. Instead of going through the doorless frame he had seen Treacherous dip through, Andre Randle detoured and walked up farther to the next doorway.
He popped his head in. Once he saw the coast was clear, he entered the room. He crossed one foot over the other as he moved forward, snail-like. As he had hoped, he noticed that there was another doorless frame ahead that seemed to put him on the other side of the room behind him that Treacherous had ducked into. The thunderous roar of a gunshot made him jerk and stop in his tracks. He listened to the echo of the shot and followed its trail. A few feet ahead, he could hear voices. When he finally reached the doorway of the room, he had no time to think. He only had a split second to make a decision.
Blood flew out of Joshua Black’s mouth as he regained consciousness. He struggled to sit up. He grabbed hold of his shirt and ripped it open. His dress shirt buttons wildly popped off, one by one.
“Thanks, ol’ chum.” Joshua Black tapped on the Kevlar vest that had saved his life on countless occasions. He blinked until his vision became clear. He looked over to his left and grimaced.
Sammy Black’s lifeless eyes stared back at him. His bullet-riddled body sat upright against the wall. Joshua Black had lain helplessly and watched as the black detective pumped his cousin full of lead. The last thing he remembered from before he blacked out was the same detective pursuing the boyfriend of the girl he had grown to hate.
“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.” Joshua Black said a quick final prayer for his cousin, then stood up and started heading in the opposite direction from which he saw Andre Randle and Treacherous go. He thought it best to regroup. His uncle’s death had already gone unavenged. The last thing he wanted to see was his cousin’s death end the same way. Once outside, he scurried over to the nearest vehicle. He removed the dead chauffeur from the driver’s seat of his cousin’s car and hopped in. He wiped the blood and brain matter as best he could with his hand off the front window, then snatched the gear shift into reverse.
Treacherous’s eyes shot open. He had just regained consciousness after hitting his head on the side of the steel beam. He could feel the side of his head. A knot had already formed and he felt a little discombobulated. He’d rather have a slight concussion of some sort and a knot on his head than be lifeless. He had dived out of the line of fire of Arthur Love’s shots just in time, but lost his balance and fell. Luckily, he saw the direction in which Baby had run and was sure her father had gone in pursuit.
He retrieved the gun that dropped out of his hand when he took cover. He tucked it in his waistband then reached for the sawed-off double-barrel pump he had in the duffle strapped to his back. A shot rang out in the air. Treacherous realized the shot had come from the direction in which Baby had run. He took flight, navigating his way through the open rooms. He was already familiar with the maze structure from when he had first entered the abandoned warehouse. In no time, he stood in front of the doorless frame of th
e room Baby and Arthur Love were in. Treacherous had arrived just in time to witness the standoff between his lady and her father. He was, however, too late to prevent either of them from pulling the trigger. He watched as Arthur Love fell backward but when he saw Baby doing the same, and falling to the ground, he lost it. A mixture of confusion and anger filled his body. He knew there was no way her father could have shot her. Treacherous looked to the left of him, where the shot had come from. His eyes dimmed low, nostrils flared up, and jaws tightened as he rushed into the room.
“Motherfucka!” he barked as he let loose the double barrels in Andre Randle’s direction.
The buckshot tore into Andre Randle’s chest and knocked him back out of the room and through the doorway. Convinced he couldn’t have survived the shot, Treacherous put the double-barrel shotgun back in the duffle then drew the gun in his waistband. He couldn’t believe after all of these years he had just managed to kill the man who was responsible for his mother’s death. It was not how he had imagined it, but dead was dead, he concluded. His attention was actually focused on someone else. He wanted nothing more than to stand over Andre Randle’s lifeless body and remind him of the words he had said to him the day he had killed his mother. But the remaining bullets he had in his pistol were reserved. Treacherous took a second glance back before he made a beeline a few feet ahead. He was now standing over Baby’s father.
Arthur Love looked up at him with pleading eyes. Treacherous could tell he wanted to say something, but he did not grant him a dying man’s last words. Instead, he pointed one of his guns down at Arthur Love and pulled the trigger continuously. He released the remaining four bullets from one of his weapons. Two slammed into Arthur Love’s face in rapid succession. The other two ripped into his chest. Had there been more bullets in the gun he would have fed them all to Arthur Love. The clicking sound indicating the gun was empty brought Treacherous back from his temporary zone. He rushed over to where Baby lay.
“Baby!” he called out. He dropped to the ground and snatched up her body. He brushed her hair out of her face and wiped the blood from her mouth.
“Baby?” he repeated.
This time he shook her. He held her head in his arms. He leaned down and pressed his ear up against her heart. He heard nothing. He squeezed her wrist to check her pulse. Again, he felt nothing. He tapped Baby on the face. “Babe? Wake up!” The pain could be heard in his pleads.
Treacherous’s upper lip began to quiver. Water filled his eyes until they couldn’t hold it any longer. He tapped her again, only this time harder. “Baby, get the fuck up!” he cursed. A nervous feeling began to sweep through his body. Treacherous looked around. For the first time since everything had jumped off, he was afraid. Not afraid of getting caught, but afraid of being alone. Baby was all he had. Without her he had nothing, he believed.
His mind traveled back to the stories he had read about his parents and their demise, and he couldn’t help but see the irony in what he was faced with now. He remembered how he had read about how his own father thought he had lost his mother and held court in the middle of the highway and how she had tried to take her own life until she had found out she was carrying him inside of her. The thought of his legendary parents had Treacherous comparing his and Baby’s own reign of terror to theirs. He thought back to how Baby was in awe when he told her the story about the pact his parents had made with each other to end their own life if something happened to the other, and how his birth had delayed his mother’s death. He reflected on how she had admired the tale and had said she had wanted that same type of love between them.
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Treacherous’s mind, mostly images of Baby. The first time they had made love appeared in his thoughts, followed by a scene of Baby dancing in Club Aqua. Treacherous squeezed his eyes tightly. That caused a flood of tears to burst out of them. The salty tears stained his face and managed to slip into his mouth. He shook uncontrollably. He rocked back and forth with Baby held tight in his arms. The last image that played in his mind was of Baby’s smile. She stood there in a beam of light gesturing for Treacherous to come to her. Treacherous fought with the decision that seemed to take control over his thoughts.
What’s the point? he questioned. He searched for answers within himself. He knew if the shoe were on the other foot, Baby would not have hesitated to make the decision he struggled with. He looked down and stared at her for a moment, admiring her beauty.
This is not how it’s supposed to end, he said to himself. He wiped the tears from his eyes, then lowered his head. He gently pressed his lips up against Baby’s and kissed them. He noticed they were still warm. He didn’t want to remove his lips from hers but knew he had to. It was just a matter of time before the place was crawling with police. At that moment, he felt there was no other reason to live.
Treacherous took a deep breath, then closed his eyes. He pulled the shotgun out of the duffle, then looked down at Baby and sighed. “See you soon,” he then said right before he put the gun to his temple. He curled his finger around the trigger and applied a little pressure. He knew he was stalling and the thoughts racing through his mind made it no better. Images of his mother, Baby, and what he believed his father looked like flashed through his mind as he pressed the barrel tight against his dome. It was low, but it was effective. Just as Treacherous was about to pull the trigger, he heard a noise. No matter how low it was, he knew where the sound had come from. It was a whisper he was all too familiar with. The word no echoed throughout his ears and traveled through his soul warming his heart.
He lowered the gun from his head and peered down. He was met with a partial smile and misty eyes as Baby stared up at him. Her sudden resurrection breathed new life back into him. He was at a loss for words. He knew there was no time for talking though. Time was of the essence and he didn’t have any to waste. The last time they had found themselves in a heated gun battle, it was she who had to get them to safety and get him help. Now the shoe was on the other foot. It was now Treacherous’s turn to get them out of dodge and get Baby some medical attention.
Treacherous tossed the shotgun back in the duffle, then scooped Baby up. Minutes later, he had her laid out in the back seat of the car.
“Don’t worry, bae. I got you,” he turned around and directed to Baby. Although she had closed her eyes again, he knew she could hear him. “Once again, we gonna make it up outta this shit, like we always do. Or die trying!” he ended.
He waited to see if she would respond or acknowledge him. She didn’t open her eyes, but her lips moved until a smile was able to break through. That’s all he needed. Treacherous turned back around and threw the car into drive.
Epilogue
The sound of a squeaky door caused him to jump out of his sleep and his eyes to shoot open. When the door flung open, he saw an image appear in the doorway. The bright light behind it made it difficult for him to make out who it was. But when the figure emerged he was surprised to see his friend standing in the middle of his hospital room, alive and well. If he were able to smile he would have.
“I thought I had nine lives,” were the first words Andre Randle spoke as soon as he entered Arthur Love’s room. He had been coming in and checking on him for the past week. He had finally caught him awake. He shook his head at his friend’s present condition. Love’s jaw was wired and he had a brace around his neck. As badly as he wanted to, Randle knew, he couldn’t respond or laugh at his remarks. Although it was funny, Randle couldn’t have been any closer to the truth. When Arthur Love woke up in the hospital, it was the first thing he had thought.
“That means we’re two lucky cats,” Randle continued with his pun. He was now sitting next to Love’s bedside. “Had it not been for my Kevlar, it may be a different story though,” he added, referring to the bulletproof vest that had saved his life. He too had a close call back at the warehouse when Treacherous pumped what was intended to be his chest with buckshot.
Love blinked his eyes as a means
to agree with Randle. He had seen when Treacherous had spun around and let off the shotgun in Randle’s direction as he lay on the ground fighting for his own life. He was sure Randle was a dead man, which was why he was both surprised and glad to see him when he first entered the room. He listened as Randle continued.
“You know what else that means.” It was more of a statement than a question. “It means we get one more shot at apprehending your daughter and Freeman.” He let his words marinate.
Arthur Love’s eyes widened, flickered, and then closed to imagine that day.
“My thoughts exactly, partner.” Randle nodded as he patted Love’s right hand.
To be continued . . .
Ride or Die Chick 5
Urban Books, LLC
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Wyandanch, NY 11798
Carl Weber Presents: Ride or Die Chick 4
Copyright © 2015 J.M. Benjamin
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, except brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-6228-6931-2
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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Carl Weber Presents Ride or Die Chick 4 Page 18
