Torn by the Code

by Eureka

  Soon, I looked over my shoulder at Junior. I turned back to take one final look out of the window when I felt my morning wood rise. I walked over to the bathroom and began to relieve my bladder.

  “Ah.” I released what seemed like the longest piss ever. The vibrating of my cell phone once again began to frustrate me. What part of him didn’t get that I wasn’t feeling his rants? He wanted to kill my son. There was no way I was staying around his ass, brother or not. My main focus was on us getting back to Chicago and getting my Netta back.

  The vibrating stopped—only to start right back again. Irritated by the constant vibrating, I finished draining my lizard to answer it. I picked up the phone, ready to unleash pure hell on the person on the other end . . . that was until I saw Mita’s face appear on the screen. “Where the hell have you been? I need your he—” I said as I answered the phone, then stopped midsentence when the nervous voice of my wife, Netta, spoke.

  The voice was one that I wanted to shake the life out of him with my bare hands. Flex sounded so cocky and nonchalant. “Well, well, if it ain’t Mr. Man. How’s it going, bitch-made-ass nigga? Kill any more women lately? Better yet, where’s my son?” he said with a sinister chuckle in his voice.

  “If you hurt her, I swear to God, I will make sure yo’ ass is dead for real this time. What have you done to Mita? I swear, Flex, you’re a dead man,” I yelled into the phone.

  “Is that so? Seems to me your wife is a dead bitch if I don’t get what’s mine . . . my son. So what do you say, fair exchange?”

  “Fool, have you lost your damn mind? He’s my son, not yours. I’m the only father he will ever know. I tell you what, return my wife unharmed and I will allow you to live. You are, how they say, ‘foolin yourself.’ First, you thought you could just take my wife; now, you think shit is sweet. You got until 5:00 p.m. to bring my wife to the airport. If you don’t, I will have you and your boys floating in the ocean by sundown. Oh yeah, tell Peanut I say good job,” I said sternly. I could tell I hit a nerve. He was quiet. Then I heard him release a frustrated breath.

  “See, I was gonna do this nice, but I see a bitch-ass nigga like yourself just won’t have it. Okay, here it is. My son, yeah, my son, my blood, my seed better be at the groove on the north side of the island by 4:00 p.m., or your wife and unborn child—oh, she told me it’s a girl. Congrats. But she won’t live to take a breath outside her mother’s womb if I don’t get my son. Also, your precious Mita . . . Let’s just say she is resting peacefully after a hard day’s work.”

  I heard some slapping sound and my wife’s scream that will forever be etched in my mind. Then the phone went dead. I tried dialing the number, only to be met with a voicemail greeting. I walked back into the bathroom and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. The call had me in deep thought. On the one hand, I could save my wife, but I would have to give up my son. I’m the only father he has ever known. How could I give him up? Especially to the very one who destroyed my happy home, causing me to kill my wife and flee the only home my son has ever known. I couldn’t think straight. Did she really mean that much to me, or was it the seed she was carrying my main concern?

  My anger regarding Flex clouded everything. I could have the child of my blood and a woman who did care for me truly and undeniably. I could give the boy back. Netta and I with our new baby will live a happily ever after. But if I know Flex like I think I do, it won’t be that easy. I took the one love he has ever known from him. Now, the only thing I could do was to locate him and kill him. My cell phone vibrated again. It was my mother’s picture who was on the screen this time.

  I didn’t want to answer it. To hear the sadness in her voice was too much for me to deal with right now. The fact that my wife, from the grave, is the reason my father was killed and has broken my mother’s spirit . . . Even when my parents didn’t see eye-to-eye, they still had a bond so strong, nothing and no one could come between that. When I noticed Junior moving in the bed, then calling out for me, I slid my finger across the screen to ignore the call. There was no way I could deal with this. Between her, my brother, and them having Netta, I felt like I was losing my mind.

  “Come on, Junior, let Daddy dress you so we can get some food before we get on this long flight.”

  “Yes, Dada.”

  His speech was improving, and I was grateful for that, but we still have a long road ahead of us. For his speech and motor skills to get back to where they were before the brutal beating he got at the hands of Rasta, I didn’t know how long it would take. There is no way I am going to just hand him over to that Flex. He wouldn’t even know how to care for him.

  The more I thought about it, the more I made my decision. There was no way I was letting my son go, and I will get my wife back. I didn’t give a fuck. Come hell or high water, Flex is a dead man. I turned my cell phone off. There won’t be any time to fight and argue with anyone. My main focus is killing Flex and saving Netta.

  Chapter 40

  Reunited and It Feels Damn Good

  We drove down the highway in front of Knight and the rest of them on our way to lay Mona to rest. I could see in the rearview mirror the faces of everyone. They wondered who I was and why and where this second car came from. All of that will be answered in just a moment, but for now, the breeze from the ocean helped calm me. It was the smell of saltwater and sand that took me back in time for a moment. I reminisced on the moment Flex and I came down here. That was the first time we’d really seen just how much of an important part we were to each other. I remembered those broad shoulders and the tats against his brown, with a hint of dark chocolate, skin. Each tat told a story. The one I will always remember the most is the “None before We, Death before Dishonor.” As we drove down the highway, I glanced over to his chest. He wore a black wife beater. I could see the tattoo slightly from the side. “You okay, baby?” he asked as grabbed ahold of my hand. Never taking his eyes off the road, he held my hand on his lap.

  “I’m okay. This is a bittersweet moment for me. I hate that Mona got caught up in this mess with Naheri. I underestimated him. Did she know you were alive?”

  “Naw, I haven’t talked to Mona in years. After she moved here, we lost touch, but I needed to get away from that fool for a second, and her place was the only place I could think of.” He lowered his head for a second but remained focused on the road as well. He was good for that, but I could see something else was on his mind. I gently rubbed his hand for comfort.

  “I have something to tell you, Dutch. You not gonna like it.” My heart damn near fell to the floor in anticipation of what he was about to say.

  “You know me, Flex, what is it?”

  “Dutch, in that truck behind us,” he stopped and took a deep breath.

  “Go ahead, spit it out.”

  “In the truck behind us with Knight, not only is Peanut’s disloyal ass in there but Vell and . . . and . . .” He was silent for a second. “I kidnapped Naheri’s pregnant wife. Her name is Netta.”

  The air in the car seemed almost to evaporate. I knew that bastard would go on, but to get away with what he thinks of as killing me and stealing my son—oh no, he was not getting away with that. I rubbed Flex’s hand once more before turning to look out the window. I was way past pissed, but I didn’t want anything to stop my reunion with the love of my life and my son.

  “Flex, it’s okay. Just know one thing for sure. He will pay for all of this. A whole year I was alive but not living. I was lost, and a part of me wished I had died in that explosion. The nights were long, and my days were cold. Now that I have you back, I will never let you go. As for his wife, I can’t say what I will do to her. He needs to feel the pain he put me through. He took everything, Flex. Everything from me. Yes, I kept secrets, but he had his own.” In the middle of my rant I hadn’t noticed we came to a stop. When I looked around I could see a shallow pathway that led deeper into a wooded area. We were at the spot where Mona would have her resting place.

  Flex put the tru
ck in park and turned the engine off. He took a deep breath. “You ready, babe?” he said as he held my hand tightly.

  “No, babe, let me sit here for a second. Before I let Vell and . . . You know what? As a matter of fact, leave Peanut in the truck.” A sinister smile crept across my face. I couldn’t get to Naheri just yet, but Peanut will just have to do.

  Flex placed a soft kiss on my forehead, then stopped the truck. “I’ll make this as fast as I can. Have fun, my love.”

  He closed the door and walked back to the truck behind us. I watched him say something to Knight while Vell opened the trunk. Knight walked to the back of the truck to help Vell. Flex grabbed the arm of a pregnant female and walked her down the pathway. I could see worry all over her face. Murder was on the menu, but not for her . . . not right at this moment. I could see Knight and Vell as they carefully took Mona’s body out of the truck, each of them holding her as they walked in the direction of the shallow pathway. I lowered my head so that I could not be seen, not yet. I had some retribution to give. I heard Vell ask Knight, “Who is that man in the truck up there, and why we leaving that muthafucka by his self?”

  He waited for Knight to respond. Instead, he nodded his head for him to move farther down the pathway. “If you move a muscle while we are down there, I will kill yo’ ass with no hesitation, Peanut. Man, I don’t see why we have to leave his ass here. He just gonna try to make a run for it,” Vell said until were they were out of my sight.

  I pulled the visor down and waited. Just like I thought, I watched Peanut open the door and try to make a run for it. Before he could pass by the passenger door, I opened it, causing him to run right into the door. He fell to the ground. I slowly put one foot down on the ground as I reached under the seat. I remembered the first rule of the street: never leave your strap at home and always keep a spare. And just as I suspected, Kainmen had another .38 snubnose underneath his seat.

  I got the gun and cocked it as I stood directly over Peanut. He shook his head dazed and confused.

  “Oh, I see you think this is a game,” I said through clenched teeth as I tightened my jaws. I bit down so hard I started tasting blood. The thought of disloyalty was something I could not stand.

  I glared down at him; his eyes widened in shock. “I . . . I . . . They said you were dead.”

  “Yeah, death does look great on me, don’t it? I see you have been a very naughty boy. I mean, what was the first rule I taught you when you came on the team?”

  He lowered his head toward his chest. “Always look out for family; none before we, death before dishonor.”

  “I didn’t hear that last part. Speak up,” I angrily said as he began to repeat the last part loud enough for me to hear. This time, he held his head higher toward me. I stretched my hand out to help him up from the ground. “Ya know what? I know you are young, and loyalty really don’t mean that much to you. It’s all about the almighty dollar, right?” His eyes screamed remorse, but his actions told me he would do it all over again if he got the chance. “You know . . . I remember when you were just a teenager trying to make a name for yourself, remember that?” I tried sounding as empathic as I could. “That day when I caught you trying to stick up one of Fernando’s boys because he was on the block, you remember that? Where was that? Oh yeah, over on Sixty-ninth and Peoria. Yeah, yeah, that’s it.” I cracked a slight smile as I reminisced on happier times when I took this little, dirty, determined, go-getter under my wing and gave him food and a place to lay his and his family’s head. Now, all I could see was the handiwork of Naheri and his family yet again.

  “When Fernando was about to give you that dirt nap, Flex and I pleaded your case, remember that?” He lowered his head once again without uttering a word.

  Something was sticking out of his pocket, a small piece of paper. I took it from his pocket and began to unfold it. A small picture fell out of it. It was a picture of a small baby girl with bright eyes and two ponytails.

  “She yours?”

  He looked hesitant to answer me. Finally, he nodded his head yes. I smirked, thinking about the driving force behind his backstabbing. I could see she had his eyes and mouth. If I were the judge and jury in a paternity case for her, the results would clearly be “You are the father!”

  “How old is she?”

  “Four months,” he answered with his face adorned with sadness.

  The mother in me wanted to let him walk away, but the betrayal was too much. If I allowed him to walk away just like I did with Rasta, I would be right back here. I placed one hand on his shoulder to gently rub him, to reassure him that he could be comfortable with me. I looked him deeply in his eyes. Holding a long stare, I wanted to make sure we didn’t break eye contact.

  “Psh, psh.” The swishing sound of the snubnose equipped with a silencer whistled in the air. His body fell to the ground as blood gushed from his midsection. His eyes still widened in shock as they were fixed toward the sun.

  “Peanut, I will be sure to kiss that li’l girl of yours.” When I looked up, Flex, Knight, Vell, and Naheri’s wife were coming from the pathway. Vell slowly walked up toward me with his mouth gaped open and eyes to match. “Du-Dutch, is that you? I thought you were—”

  “Dead,” I said interrupting him with a slight smile on my face. “No, you all should know me by now. Not even death can hold me. How ya been?” I opened my arms to hug him. He reluctantly hugged me back; the shock was still on his face.

  Flex walked over and stood next to me with a wide smile. “Looks good, don’t she?” he said as he patted Vell’s arm.

  “But when, where, and how? Come on; they said you died. We even held a vigil for you on the East Side after we got the news. Shit, I even named my new shorty after you, that’s how much love I had-I mean got for you. Wow, this is unbelievable.” He hugged me a little tighter. I was happy to see some of the family remained just like that and loyal.

  “Hey, let’s continue this somewhere else. What we gonna do about this fool?” Knight said standing over Peanut’s lifeless body. We all stood over him looking down in disgust.

  Naheri’s wife started to cry loud sobs. For the first time, I was looking face-to-face with the woman who has been taking care of my son. The woman whom my husband had his seed with, but the features on her that got to me the most were the fact her eyes and hair resembled someone I knew too well. I walked over to her with my hand extended.

  “Hello. Don’t worry; this will all be over soon enough. Just stay in your lane, and you won’t end up like this worthless sack of shit on the ground right here.”

  Knight grabbed a hold of her shoulders and escorted her back to the truck. I watched as her body trembled and shook a little. I could tell she was afraid.

  “Hey, I have a room in the hotel near Mona’s place. When Mona and I spoke, she told me Naheri and Junior were there, so I booked a room. We can all go back there and wait it out. I have something that I know will get Naheri’s attention besides his precious wife.” I knew the level of fear she must have felt, knowing how this all was going to end. But her face looked so familiar to me. I can’t place it, but I have seen her before.

  Chapter 41

  Netta’s Song

  I wondered if she remembered me. I knew she felt something by the way she stared at me as we made our way to the hotel. I wanted to scream out so badly to her just who I was. But I have heard all about her and the ice that runs through her veins. I remembered her just like it was yesterday.

  She walked right out of the house like she was a bag of money. I have followed her career for years, from her graduating and being one of Chicago’s very own to make it out of the hood. I mean, I thought she was going to end up like our mother . . . the neighborhood crack ho. But she proved me and everyone else wrong. However, I knew deep inside of her was the heart of a killer. I remember the day I discovered she was the one and only Dutchtress of Chi-town.

  Back in 2001, while I was in school at Chicago State over on Ninety-fifth Street, I started da
ting this block boy, Yalow. Yalow was one of those guys who did anything he needed to be on top. He started making moves and getting money, and fast. I never questioned it. I just thought it was part of the trade, you know, street hustler. Then one day, he came to my apartment close to the campus all sweaty and rambling on. “I fucked up. Damn, how could I have been so stupid!” He looked scared shitless. I asked him what was wrong, and he informed me that he took some money from some queenpin named Dutchtress. I could see the fear in his eyes. His phone was vibrating so much he threw it on the bed.

  “Shit, baby, I’ma have to leave the city for a while.”

  I was confused. “What do you mean, babe? Why can’t your boys get at her and take her out? You got that pull, use it.” He looked at me like I’d just lost my mind. I had grown accustomed to getting spoiled by the lavish gifts he gave me. Coming from a mother like mine I wasn’t about to let some bitch fuck that up. I grew up on the streets. My first response was to fuck this bitch up one-on-one.

  “Fuck that. Let me at her. Shit, me and my girls will let her know what it is. Besides, you the man on this side of town. I know not one bitch gonna touch you or me.”

  He chuckled a little and smiled. “Babe, it ain’t that easy. This is a fight we would surely lose. As soon as I get settled, I’ll send for you if you’ll come.”

  “But, babe, I thought—”