The Finale Read online

  Tasha had earned the orgasm that Toy was about to deliver. Now Toy could concentrate on the day she would face the bitch-ass nigga that killed her brother and finally bring him his fate.

  Chapter Two

  Scar Johnson and Derek Fuller sat across from each other in a small Italian restaurant just outside of Baltimore in a small town called Bowie. They always met there to avoid being seen together, which would be bad for their business arrangement. Baltimore was their stomping ground, so when they met, it had to be discreet.

  Scar Johnson was a well-known kingpin throughout the inner city of Baltimore. He got the nickname Scar because of the long mark that went across his face. With his deep voice and built stature, the streets feared him, and the women loved him. All the makings of a street legend.

  Fuller slid the rare steak into his mouth while listening close. He had a neat goatee and a lean build. He wore a leather coat and neat slacks, and looked like a cop. Maybe that was because he was one. Fuller was the head of the Baltimore Narcotics Unit and also partner in crime with Scar. Their operation was flawless. He was assigned to take down Scar, but in actuality, he was helping him, making Scar untouchable.

  Scar said to Fuller, “Yo, I’m hearing a lot of noise about this new kid named Malek. He is fucking with my money. He’s a out-of-town nigga trying to move in on my territory. He is selling coke at a cheaper price and taking away all of my clientele. My young boys are saying that our fiends are leaving our block to go fuck with him.”

  “So this li’l nigga is a problem, huh?”

  “You damn right,” Scar shot back. He had seen his money drastically slow up, and it became a problem that needed to be solved quickly. “Shake things up a little bit. Get the rundown on the nigga.”

  “I got you,” Fuller answered confidently. “I’m on it today.”

  After discussing other matters, they exited the restaurant and headed back to Baltimore in separate cars.

  Malek held Malek Jr. in the air as he looked into his son’s eyes, seeing his own features. He glanced over at Halleigh as she sat at the vanity mirror combing through her hair, getting prepared for work. Halleigh didn’t have to work by any means, but Malek let her because it kept her occupied and busy.

  “You sure you don’t want me to take Junior to the babysitter?” Halleigh applied some lipstick.

  “Naw, I’m good, baby. I’m not going anywhere until you get back. He’s cool here with me. Aren’t you, li’l man?” Malek munched on his son’s fat jaws.

  Halleigh smiled and admired the way Malek was so close with his son. She knew he was a good man and would always protect them. She was with the man of her dreams and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  But as you know, trouble always seemed to find Halleigh and Malek, so just because they had moved to Baltimore, shit didn’t change. Just the scenery.

  Chapter Three

  Halleigh sat in the busy Inner Harbor restaurant waiting patiently for Tasha to arrive. Her son sat in his car seat, which was atop the table. Anxiety filled her stomach as her foot tapped nervously on the floor. She was knocking at the devil’s door by reopening the line of communication with Tasha. She knew the risks, but at the same time needed a friend, so she felt that it was a risk worth taking.

  Like always, Malek was in the streets, but on this day she welcomed his absence. She didn’t want to tell him Tasha was coming to town. He would flip if he knew Halleigh was meeting with her, so she kept this to herself.

  Toy eased her car into the downtown traffic as she and Tasha approached the restaurant. “Don’t be too pushy with her. Act like you are really here for a reunion between old friends. I don’t need to make my move today. I just want to watch her and see if she leads me back to that bitch-ass Malek. When the time is right, I’ll make my move.”

  “How long should I tell her I’m in town for?” Tasha asked as she pulled out a small baggie of powder cocaine.

  “Slow down on that shit. I need you on point for this.”

  “I’m always on point.” Tasha continued her get-high routine, vacuuming the coke up her nostrils. “Just drop me off at the corner. I’ll call you before dinner is over, so you can be ready to pick me up.”

  Under normal circumstances Toy would have just snatched Halleigh and tortured her until she gave up Malek’s location, but the young girl was a bit brighter than she had anticipated. As Toy looked at the crowded tourist area, she realized that Halleigh had chosen a place where nothing could go wrong. Too many witnesses.

  Tasha emerged from the car and headed into the restaurant. Not a flicker of remorse crossed her mind as she stepped inside. It wasn’t hard for her to spot Halleigh. Although her appearance had changed and she had put on a couple pounds of baby weight, Tasha could spot her a mile away. Her body language and gracefulness hadn’t changed.

  Halleigh breathed a sigh of relief when Tasha finally walked through the door. The bad feeling that had been lurking in her heart immediately disappeared when she saw Tasha wave and smile. She stood to greet her with outstretched arms.

  “Hal!” she screamed, not caring about the other patrons in the building.

  “Hey, Tasha,” Halleigh replied as they held one another and rocked back and forth affectionately. “It’s good to see you, girl.”

  Tasha immediately focused her attention on Halleigh’s son and her heart could not help but skip a beat at the innocent face. “Oh my goodness. He’s beautiful, Halleigh.”

  “Thank you.” Halleigh pulled him from his seat and handed him off to Tasha.

  Tasha held Malek Jr. in her arms as she took a seat. The amount of love she felt from the baby boy surprised even her. She had to hurry up and get him out of her grasp before her conscience started eating at her. She was, after all, plotting on his mother and father. She handed Halleigh her son, and Halleigh put him back in his seat.

  Halleigh discreetly zipped his diaper bag to conceal the .45 handgun she had taken from Malek’s closet. She had brought it with her for protection, just in case, but now that she was face to face with Tasha, she didn’t feel the need for it anymore.

  She sat down, and after a round of drinks, they were chatting as if no time had passed them by. It seemed so genuine to Halleigh, and for the first time in months she felt normal. There was no need to peek over her shoulder every few minutes, no anxiety, no paranoia. She was relaxed and social. Finally she was able to let her guard down.

  After sitting for hours, she checked her watch and noticed how quickly the time had passed.

  “I’ve got to go, Tash. But how long are you in town for?”

  “A few days.”

  “Well, we should get together again before you leave. I work at this mall out here called Security Square Mall. I’m working tomorrow, but you can stop by if you want. I know you’re always in the mood to do some shopping.” Halleigh laughed.

  “Definitely. I’ll call you.”

  The two girls hugged once more before Halleigh wrapped her baby securely and left.

  A bored Detective Maria Rodriguez sat back in her unmarked car and watched the restaurant. She hated to get stuck with the uneventful stakeouts. While the rest of her squad was busy tailing their mark, Malek Johnson, she had drawn the short stick and was instructed to follow his girlfriend. The only female cop on the task force of the Baltimore Narcotics Unit, she was used to being put on dummy missions and knew at first glance that Halleigh was a dead end. The girlfriends never lead you to anything. As she sipped her coffee, she knew this stakeout was a waste of time. She picked up her squad car radio so she could two-way her partner.

  “Hey, numb nuts. I hope you know you owe me dinner for this one. There’s nothing going on my way.”

  “Just stay on the girl. There’s a big reward in it for everybody if we stop this young boy in his tracks. Just play your position, Rodriguez,” Detective Derek Fuller replied, reminding her who was in charge. “Everybody has a position.”

  She sucked her teeth and gave him a few choice words in Spanish
before refocusing on the task at hand. Just as she was tempted to pick up the newspaper from her passenger’s seat, she finally saw movement from the entrance of the building where the restaurant was located.

  She watched as Tasha exited the restaurant first. The detective silently admired the glamorous clothing and jewelry. These young girls walk around here with no job or education. All they have to do is snag a hustler or baller and they live the lavish life. Here she was working a nine-to-five and could never afford the high-end designers that graced Tasha’s body. That was the reason why she never felt bad about the drug dealers that she and the rest of her Narcotics Unit colleagues chose to extort. That leveled the playing field. And, unfortunately for Malek, he had come to town and stepped on the wrong toes.

  She observed Halleigh as she retrieved her car from the valet. The detective started her own vehicle to prepare to set up her tail, but she fell back when she noticed a black Charger pull out behind Halleigh. She followed three car lengths behind, to stay undetected. She ran the plates and discovered that the car was a rental.

  “Looks like somebody else is interested in this girl too. Maybe there is more to her than meets the eyes,” the detective mumbled to herself.

  She flowed with the traffic, making sure she made every light, to keep up with the two cars ahead of her. Something was up. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but she didn’t want to overplay her hand before she figured out what was going on. This girl doesn’t have people following her for nothing. What type of shit is she into? Detective Rodriguez’s instincts told her that Malek and Halleigh were into something other than the petty drug game.

  “What the hell? Is this the same Charger that has been behind me since I left the harbor?” Halleigh tried to peer through the windows of the car, but the limousine tint didn’t give any indication of who was inside. Her heart began to beat as her foot got heavier on the gas pedal. “Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” she tried to convince herself.

  To test her suspicions, she got off the highway and rode through the city streets, redundantly hitting for lefts. She hoped that the car behind her wouldn’t follow suit, but her fears were confirmed when she made her first turn.

  Detective Rodriguez fell back as she noticed Halleigh begin to drive in circles. She knows she is being followed. “She’s not as dumb as she looks,” the detective commented to herself.

  She patiently waited at the corner to see how the situation would play out. Her stakeout had ended for the day, but she would start again first thing in the morning because now she wanted to know who else was on Halleigh’s trail, and why?

  After realizing she was being followed, Halleigh jumped back on the expressway and headed in the opposite direction of her home. No way was she going to lead someone back to the place where she rested her head. She sped up, pressing her car to the max, hoping to shake whoever was on her ass.

  “Fall back, Toy! She knows you’re following her.”

  Toy, her eagerness for revenge making her foot heavy on the gas, ignored Tasha.

  “You think she’s going to lead you to Malek now that she knows we’re behind her? Halleigh’s not dumb. She’s not going to put that boy in harm’s way. She’ll die herself before she lets anything happen to him! Fall back. I’m supposed to call her tomorrow. We can catch up with her then.”

  Toy reluctantly slowed her car down. She was too close to let her temper blow her plans now.

  Chapter Four

  Scar and Fuller were set again to meet at the small restaurant in Bowie. On the way to the spot, as Fuller drove up, he began to feel guilt for playing on both sides of the law by being a cop and partner with a drug dealer. But Scar and Fuller had a relationship that went much deeper than what appeared on the surface. They were blood brothers. Derek Fuller thought back to how thier partnership came about.

  “Mom!” Derek screamed, his small, angelic face turning flush red as he jumped up and down in sheer terror. His brother stood next to him and peed on himself as he watched too.

  “I told you before, bitch. You don’t play with my fuckin’ money!!” a strange man screamed as he dragged their mother by her hair.

  The man was so big, and his skin was so black; to Derek he looked like a giant monster.

  As the boys screamed, the man hoisted their mother in the air by her throat.

  Derek felt vomit creep up his throat, and his bowels threatened to release from the fear he felt.

  His mother clawed at the man’s hands in a futile attempt to loosen his grip so she could breathe.

  “Get off my mommy!” Stephon screamed, the scar he was born with dragging the side of his mouth down, causing his words to slur.

  Derek grabbed onto his little brother’s shirt and pulled him back. He couldn’t risk this monster harming his brother too.

  “Please don’t hurt my babies,” their mother rasped, begging the man for mercy.

  “Bitch, you should have thought about that before you decided to cross me,” the giant said, hoisting her up and throwing her up against the wall.

  She hit the wall with a thud and slid down, her body going limp like a rag doll. She continued to scream and beg for her life as the man pounded on her, his fist landing at will, each punch harder than the one before.

  “You like to smoke crack? You like to steal from people, bitch?” the man growled as he lifted her weak body up so he could get to her face. With the force of a Mack truck he backhanded her, sending one of her teeth flying from her mouth. Blood covered her face and hugged the floor around her. “Now, I expect to get my money by tomorrow, or you and these bastard trick babies of yours gonna be dead.” The man spewed a wad of spit on her crumpled form.

  Five-year-old Derek and his four-year-old brother Stephon cowered in a corner, with Derek trying to shield his brother from harm, as usual. Although he was only five, Derek often acted as if he were ten or eleven. On the nights his mother disappeared or stayed holed up in her bedroom with different men, he would pour cereal or make a sandwich out of whatever was there for him and his little brother, who his mother had nicknamed Scar because of his misshapen head and the scar that dragged down one side of his face, making his head resemble a boulder. He would make sure his brother washed his face and brushed his teeth before they went to bed.

  “Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top,” she would sing to her younger son. She would call Derek her “baby genius” and tell him he was destined for greatness.

  People often thought Derek and Scar were fraternal twins because they were the same size. Although Scar was a year younger, he was always just as big as Derek.

  When he was sure the giant was gone, Derek got up and went to his mother’s side. “Mommy?” He nudged her frantically. He thought she was dead for sure. “Mommy!” he called out again, urgency rippling through his words.

  Finally his mother shifted and winced in pain. Then she moaned and turned over. Struggling to get up and barely able to speak through her swollen lips, she rushed her boys to put on their coats.

  Afraid and visibly shaken, Derek followed his mother’s instructions and helped Scar into his coat and put on his own. Their battered mother rushed them out of the apartment, looking around nervously the entire time. Once they were outside, she let her motherly instincts take over. She ignored the massive pains ripping through her entire body and walked at a fast pace to get her children far away from the potential danger.

  Derek could keep up, but Scar had a hard time, and he gasped for breath because he had to jog just to keep in step.

  After walking for what seemed like an eternity, the trio finally came to a middle-class white neighborhood that Derek had remembered passing on numerous occasions and wishing he lived there.

  “Go in there, and y’all stand right by that green dumpster. Don’t move until I come back. You hear me, Derek?” his mother said, her words garbled and her face becoming more swollen by the minute.

  “When you coming back?” Derek asked, shivering.

  “Take care of
your brother, okay? He is special, and don’t you let nobody bother him about his face. You hear me?” Her body quaked with sobs.

  “When you coming back?” Derek asked her again, an ominous feeling taking over him.

  His mother shoved them along. “Just take care of your brother.”

  As they started ambling forward slowly toward the dumpster, their mother turned and limped away, her heart breaking as she went farther and farther away from them. She knew somebody would find them there and take care of them. She feared that if she had kept them, her addiction would’ve eventually gotten them killed.

  Scar began crying out, “Mommy! Mommy! Don’t leave us.”

  “Shhhh! Mommy is coming back. I’m gonna take care of you until she comes back,” Derek consoled, squeezing his brother’s hand tight.

  Derek took his brother and stood right where his mother had instructed him. They stood at the dumpster until the sun came up, and their legs throbbed. Scar whined and cried the whole time, between nodding from sleep deprivation. Derek refused to sit down or allow Scar to sit down. His mother had told him to stand there, and he would not let her down. Several people passed them and stared, but no one said anything to them. It was the trash truck driver who came to empty the dumpster that finally asked Derek why they were there.

  “My mommy said she is coming back for us,” Derek had said.

  After waiting with Derek and Scar for three hours, the trash man finally called the authorities, and Derek never saw his mother again.

  When Child Protective Services workers and the police showed up, Derek still refused to move. “No! I’m waiting for my mommy! No!” He screamed and kicked to no avail.