Authors: Treasure Hernandez
A King is Born (13 page)
Chapter Eighteen
S
harina lay in her hospital bed, looking at the newscast and hoping that her baby was okay. She saw Malek's face on the television and listened as they described him as a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. They also kept showing video footage of Malek and an unknown robber sticking up a couple of banks. When Sharina saw the footage, she automatically knew it was Scratch. A small smile spread across her face as she watched Scratch do his infamous walk into the bank.
harina lay in her hospital bed, looking at the newscast and hoping that her baby was okay. She saw Malek's face on the television and listened as they described him as a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. They also kept showing video footage of Malek and an unknown robber sticking up a couple of banks. When Sharina saw the footage, she automatically knew it was Scratch. A small smile spread across her face as she watched Scratch do his infamous walk into the bank.
“Scratch ain't gon' ever change,” she said to herself. Her smile quickly faded when her daughter's face appeared on the screen and the news reporter said she wasn't a hostage, but an accomplice on the run with Malek.
Sharina began to pray for her baby. She wished that Halleigh could see her clean and sober. She didn't want to be remembered as a junkie and bad mother. Once she finished her silent prayer, she thought about how she'd never told Halleigh who her real father was.
Back in 1984, Scratch had fathered her after a one-night stand. At the time, Sharina was dealing with another man, who was doing better financially than Scratch. She decided to go with that man because she thought he had a better future. How could she tell Halleigh that her father was a junkie and bum that stayed on the streets?
The man Halleigh believed to be her father died when she was five. He was a good man, so Sharina thought it would have been selfish to let Halleigh find out that he wasn't her father.
Sharina saw the door crack open and noticed an unfamiliar face. The woman had long braids and didn't seem to be a nurse.
Without saying anything, the woman walked toward Sharina, and the look in her eyes expressed pure hatred. The woman slowly closed the door and smiled at Sharina, but the smile wasn't a warming one. It was more like a sinister smirk.
Sharina could see the devil in the woman's eyes, and her fear filled the air.
The woman pulled out a gun with a silencer from her waistband and pointed it at Sharina. She took her time, so she could be precise and accurate.
Sharina froze in terror. Before she could reach for the nurse's call button, a hollow-tip bullet went through her skull, killing her on contact, splattering blood on the white bedsheets.
Toy held the gun and smiled. Her vengeance rampage had begun. She would not rest until she felt she'd erased every last memory of Halleigh and Malek from the city. They had stripped her of the only family she had, and now everyone was going to pay. Flint had never experienced a killer like Toy, but they were about to get put on game.
Tasha had nothing to complain about. She had the money she took from Mitch, and no police troubles. She had managed to free herself from the sheets and slipped out of the hotel room while the police gave chase to Malek and Halleigh.
Later, she discovered that everyone from the old crew was dead, even Sweets.
“Karma is a bitch.” She smiled and licked her thumbs as she sifted through the bills. She thought about Halleigh, but those thoughts were short-lived. She was gonna worry about herself and herself only.
Tasha was so busy counting the money, she didn't notice the person creeping up behind her.
Toy and her crew had broken into the back of the house. Flint was small, so it wasn't hard for Toy to find out who was the woman in the video and then find out where she lived.
When Tasha felt someone was in the room with her, it was too late. Toy had an all-black TEC-9 pointed to the back of her head.
“Oh my God,” Tasha whispered, taken by surprise.
“God can't save you now, baby girl,” Toy said in a low tone, admiring Tasha's pretty hair.
“I came to talk to you about Halleigh.” Toy pulled up a seat in front of Tasha, who was still in shock. Before she killed her, Toy had a few questions for this beautiful woman. The details were still sketchy, but talk on the street let Toy know that this chick was close to Halleigh. She probably had inside information that would help Toy understand exactly what happened to her brother.
Tasha didn't know the woman that sat in front of her, but she wasn't going to ask who she was either. “Please don't hurt me,” Tasha said in a pleading tone. Her eyes never left the gun Toy was holding.
Toy smirked and then stroked her hand down Tasha's soft hair. She looked deep into Tasha's eyes, almost mesmerized by her beauty. Although she was about to kill her, she took a liking to Tasha. “You and me have some things to talk about. If you tell me what I want to know, maybe I'll make your death quick and painless.”
A tear ran down Tasha's face. Her whole body was trembling.
“I'll even put this gun down while we talk,” Toy said as she leaned back in her chair. She kept the gun pointed at Tasha, but put it down in her lap. “So, let's start at the beginning. Tell me how the fuck my brother Mitch let himself get killed by this muthafucka Malek.”
Chapter Nineteen
One Year Later
B
altimore, Maryland had a different feel, a different vibe, and different people. It was a long way from Flint, Michigan, but Halleigh and Malek were happy. They were living in a quiet area just off the east side of B-more, far away from Flint's ills and their police. They had a newborn baby boy, and life seemed to be going good.
altimore, Maryland had a different feel, a different vibe, and different people. It was a long way from Flint, Michigan, but Halleigh and Malek were happy. They were living in a quiet area just off the east side of B-more, far away from Flint's ills and their police. They had a newborn baby boy, and life seemed to be going good.
After Halleigh refused to escape from the Detroit tunnel without him, Malek had quickly devised another plan. Using a sand bag he had in his trunk, he placed it on the accelerator, causing his Mercedes to exit the tunnel at full speed. The resulting explosion was even better than Malek had hoped for. With the police and news helicopter crew distracted by the huge flames, Halleigh and Malek were able to get out of the tunnel undetected and make their way to the bus station. No one was looking for them at this point, because everyone assumed they were both inside the burning car. It was weeks before investigators discovered that there were no human remains among the ashes recovered at the scene. By that time, Halleigh and Malek were living in Baltimore under new names, while the bewildered cops were still searching for them on the streets of Flint.
Malek used Mitch's money to buy a small brownstone, and invested the little he had left in a small coke operation. Malek didn't do it too big. He knew he had to make just enough money to get by and stay under the radar.
He thought for a minute about going legit, but he deemed it to be true what they say: The game pulls you in and never lets you go.
He watched Malek Jr. during the day while Halleigh went to her part-time job at a store at Mondawmin Mall. It worked out good, because the owner paid her off the books, so there was no record that she worked there. Malek had told her that was the only way she could work, since they couldn't risk being tracked down. Even though they were living under assumed names, Malek still didn't want to take any chances. Although he wasn't in Flint, he still suffered from paranoia, and was always on the lookout for anything out of place.
One night, Malek came in late from doing his thing on the streets, and found Halleigh asleep on the couch with Malek Jr. on her chest. Malek locked the door behind him and peeked through the window with his gun in hand. When he was satisfied no one had followed him, he turned to look at his sleeping family.
He removed Malek Jr. from Halleigh's arms and held him to his chest. He got instant relief when he saw Halleigh's eyes slightly open up and a smile form on her face.
She then closed her eyes, the residue of the smile still on her face. It was something about her smile that made Malek feel warm inside. As long as he had that smile in his life, everything would be okay. If she was happy, he was happy.
He watched as the sun came up, and wondered what his life would have been like had he gone to college ... if he had never gotten into the street life. What if Halleigh didn't have her innocence stripped from her?
All of these unanswered questions would remain that way, so Malek had to play the cards he was dealt. Those cards included a son he was proud of and vowed to do right by. He walked Malek Jr. into the bedroom to spend some time with him before putting him in his crib.
It was only a few minutes later that Halleigh woke up. She had been dreaming about Tasha, remembering the tight bond they shared during the years they worked together on the streets. Halleigh felt she owed her life to Tasha. If Tasha hadn't come to rescue her from Mitch's place, things could have turned out very different for Halleigh and Malek.
Although Malek had warned her to never make contact with anyone in Flint, Halleigh felt bad that she hadn't talked to Tasha. She felt like she at least owed it to her friend to let her know that she had a baby boy. He might never have been born if it weren't for what Tasha had done.
Thinking about Tasha had become almost a daily thing lately for Halleigh, and after tonight's dream, she felt like it was a sign. It was time for her to talk to her friend.
She heard Malek's voice in the bedroom, playing with their son. She peeked into the room, and Malek didn't even notice her. Feeling it would be safe to make just one quick call, Halleigh walked into the basement, where Malek wouldn't be able to hear her. She dialed Tasha's number, hoping it hadn't changed.
She smiled when she heard Tasha's phone ring. It had been a year since she'd talked to her.
“I forgive you, Halleigh. I've moved on, and I'm glad to hear that you are doing good. I wish you well,” Tasha said as she squirmed in her bed.
Moments later, without even saying bye, Tasha hung up and began to shake feverishly. She looked down at Toy, who was giving her the best oral sex ever. Toy worked her tongue like a professional and pleased Tasha better than any man had ever done. They had been lovers for about a year, and Toy had Tasha turned out and sprung on her.
Toy's pretty, wavy hair wasn't braided as it usually was, and with her clothes off, she was immaculate. Tasha watched as Toy pleased her, then moaned as she exploded all over Toy's face.
Toy came up and smiled, knowing she had just pleased her woman. “Is that who I think it was?” She wiped Tasha's juices off her face.
“Yeah,” Tasha said, running her fingers through Toy's hair.
Tasha had been with Toy ever since the day Toy had come to kill her. Toy always got what she wanted, and she wanted Tasha. Toy was blown away by Tasha's beauty, and gave her an offer she couldn't refuse: If she became Toy's girlfriend, she would live.
Tasha wasn't gay and never thought in a million years she would go that way. Initially she agreed only so she could stay alive, but Toy had the swagger of a hustler, and Tasha eventually fell for it.
Aside from the sex, Toy kept Tasha around because she was sure that someday she would lead her to Halleigh, who would no doubt lead her to Malek. When the police finally figured out that there were no bodies in the burned-up Mercedes, the hunt for Halleigh and Malek was all over the newspapers. Toy wasn't even pressed to look for them, because she was so certain that one day they would resurface, and then she could get her revenge. It looked like that day had finally come, and Toy couldn't be happier.
She picked up Tasha's cell phone and looked at the number, noticing it was a Baltimore number. Then she smiled and went back down on Tasha.
Epilogue
H
alleigh sat at the front desk at the store typing into a laptop, since there were no customers. Ever since she'd called Tasha a couple of days earlier, she'd been feeling better. All of the loose ends were finally tied back home in Flint. Tasha had forgiven her for being with the man that killed her brother, so Halleigh was at peace with herself.
alleigh sat at the front desk at the store typing into a laptop, since there were no customers. Ever since she'd called Tasha a couple of days earlier, she'd been feeling better. All of the loose ends were finally tied back home in Flint. Tasha had forgiven her for being with the man that killed her brother, so Halleigh was at peace with herself.
Halleigh began to get teary-eyed as she thought about all the things that had occurred in her life. She often wondered about how her mom was doing. Although her mother had been nothing short of a bad parent to her, she just wanted to know how she was. Halleigh thought about her life of prostitution, hustling, and stripping at the hands of the game.
She looked at the computer screen, proud of what she had accomplished. She had just penned a novel, and her hard work had finally paid off. “I'm all finished,” she whispered.
She smiled and continued to reflect on her life. At the age of twenty-one, she had gone through more than most sixty-year-olds and lived to tell the story. That in itself was an achievement.
Halleigh scrolled to the first page and added the finishing touch to her book. It read:
This book is dedicated to good ol' Scratch. I know you're watching down on me. Love you.
This book is dedicated to good ol' Scratch. I know you're watching down on me. Love you.
Halleigh closed her laptop, unaware that she had just dedicated her book to her father. She thought about Scratch's gap-toothed smile.
She was also unaware of someone standing in front of her at the counter until she looked up. “Whew! You scared me,” Halleigh said. “I didn't see you come in. Can I help you find anything in particular today?” she asked the customer.
Halleigh looked at the butch female who stood in front of her. The woman wore dark designer glasses and long French braids to the back. “No, I don't need any help. I know exactly what I'm looking for.”
Halleigh didn't understand what the woman meant by that statement, but she would soon find out.
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