Takedown (15 page)

“Darren's gonna give her something serious when she's done her shift, all right.” Abdul pounded fists with Ray-go.

“Why wait till she's done? That's what the VIP coatroom is for.” Wallop smirked. “She's fire hot, that one.”

It was just as well that Jessica was working the other end of the club—I hated her anywhere near the VIP tables. On the whole, the lieutenants weren't bad, though. They talked tough, a lot like the guys in juvie. But unlike in juvie, these guys had my back. Diamond Tony's lieutenants were loyal—to him and to each other.

“The Bloods are gonna hear about what happened tonight,” Ray-go said to me. “Even if they didn't do your dealers.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Tony would use this as an excuse to continue his war with the Bloods. If he struck soon, it would appear to be payback.

“Tony's a master of neighborhood PR. He'll make this work for him.” Ray-go's voice was full of admiration.

Ray-go reminded me of a young professor, and it wasn't just
because he wore glasses. He had a razor-sharp mind and took the game seriously. The other lieutenants looked up to him. If there was anyone to imitate, anyone who could show me how to walk the line, it was Ray-go. But I also knew that he was the one to watch out for. Of all the lieutenants, he was the most likely to sniff me out.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Busy.

@hospital. Doc says pfree got concushion + broken bones but will b ok.

P-Free would live after all. But someone else wouldn't. The war would continue. Diamond Tony would make sure of it.

T
he lieutenants stuck around until Chaos closed. I waited for Jessica to do whatever waitresses did at the end of the night, then she grabbed her coat and we left together. I held her close as we waited for a cab. Her hair smelled like liquor and cigars, but behind that was her natural scent. A few minutes before, I'd thought I was exhausted. Now my whole body was wide awake.

The cab dropped us at her building, and we went to our private place on the top floor. We curled up together on a couch.

Jessica yawned against my shoulder. “Let's stay here all night,” she said, snuggling into me.

“Don't you have to go home?”

“I told my parents I was staying at Natalie's. I'd planned to . . . until you showed up.”

“Sounds good to me. Don't forget you have class in the morning.”

“So do you.”

“I'm used to not getting much sleep. You're not.”

“I've got first period free. And we're watching a movie in Randall's class. I can sleep.”

“Okay. You comfortable?”

She smiled sleepily. “You're so caring. It's one of the things I love about you.”

“Oh yeah? What are the other things?” This could be priceless. If I knew exactly what I was doing right, I'd be sure to keep doing it.

She lifted an eyebrow. “You want your ego stroked?”

“That ain't the only thing.”

“Ha-ha. Seriously, though, you're a sweetheart. When I see you with Kiki, I can tell you'll be a good dad one day.”

I smiled. I was glad she'd noticed that.

“You're really smart,” she went on. “I don't mean school smart, though you're that, too, when you want to be. I mean smart like you see things for what they really are. You're not living in a dream world. And I don't want to sound superficial, but I love your muscles.” She curled a hand around my biceps.

I tried not to pull away self-consciously. My arms had been
pretty good when I got out of juvie, but I needed to work out more to keep them that way. “I used to hate my chicken arms.”

“You never had chicken arms. Not compared to the other guys, anyway. But you filled out.”

“Thanks. Are you finished stroking my ego?” She could go on like this all night with no complaints from me.

“No, there's one more thing.” She angled her face to look up at me. “I love your intensity, Darren. You're so determined. That's how I know you'll go places.”

It was ironic, maybe. The same intensity that made her think I'd go places had also got me stuck in the game. Still, it felt good, real good, to hear her say those things. I'd wondered what she saw in me when she could have her pick of any guy.

We talked a little more, then faded into sleep. It felt great sleeping with Jessica in my arms, even if my neck was cranked the wrong way. She held me tight, despite being asleep. She held me like she thought I could disappear at any moment.

I didn't want to disappear. I didn't want to be anywhere but here.

W
hen I got home the next morning, Tasha was on the couch watching TV. Usually she was in class by now.

She shot me a glare over her shoulder. “Oh, so you're finally making an appearance.”

“Huh?”

“Staying out all night? Is that your thing now?”

I closed the door. “I was with Jessica. Is that a problem?”

“When I can't get in touch with you, it is.” She stood up, ready for a fight. “Kiki's sick. I couldn't get through to you because you're not answering your phone. I missed my test.”

“Oh.” I would've said sorry, but it wasn't like I could've known. “How's Kiki?”

“He's sleeping. He's got a fever.” Somehow she made it sound like that was my fault too.

“I'm here now.” I glanced at my watch. “It's twenty to eight. You can still go.”

“No point. My class starts at eight. It takes at least an hour to get there.”

“I've got cash for a taxi.”

“In rush-hour traffic? That would take even longer than the subway. Whatever.” She crossed her arms and plunked back in front of the TV. “So I hear you're a lieutenant.”

I was surprised—not that she knew, but that she'd brought it up. It was an unwritten code in our home that she and Mom never said a word about how I made money. After all, you can't criticize
and
lap up the cash.

“What I do is my business.”

“If you get put away again, it's everybody's business.”

“You sure you'll be able to afford to get your hair done if I quit? Because you and Mom never had a problem before.”

“Don't lump me in with Mom. I've never used your money for my hair.
I
don't want you doing what you do. Mom, on the other hand, is hoping you'll become an executive so you can set her up nice.”

Her words cut, because I knew they could be true. “Did she say that?”

“Didn't have to. I know Mom. Tell me, Darren. What kind of example are you setting for Kiki?”

“He doesn't know what I do. I'm not a lifetime player, anyway.”

“Yeah, sure. You'd walk away from all that money.”

“When the time is right, I will.”

“If you're stupid enough to believe what you're saying, I bet you're using, too.”

My patience was running out. “You're full of shit. Do I look like I'm using?”

“You sure look like our daddy.”

I blinked. “What's that got to do with it?”

“Nothing.” She turned up the TV.

I grabbed the remote and turned it off. “What are you talking about?”

“I'm staying out of this. It's between you and Mom.”

I'd had enough of Tasha's games. “Tell me what you know or I'll break this remote over your skull.”

She glanced at me nervously, not wanting to call my bluff. “Fine. Our dad was a drug addict.”

“Yeah, right. They don't let you into the army if you're using.”

“He was never in the army. He couldn't even hold down a job.”

I felt like I'd been sucker punched. “Like you remember all this.”

“I don't remember. Mom told me.”

I shook my head. It didn't make any sense. “Why would she tell you and not me?”

“What, have you just met our mother? She thinks a boy needs a role model, so she made one up.”

“So you're saying Dad's alive?” My mind was spinning.

“Nah. Mom said he turned up dead not long after he left us.”

I couldn't believe it. Any of it. “But I have a picture of him in his uniform.”

She shrugged. “That ain't Dad. I think it's some cousin.
Now
can I have the remote?”

I flung the remote across the room. It smashed against the wall.

A wail erupted from the bedroom. Tasha stood up and glared at me. “See what you did?”

“I got it.” I stalked down the hall to the bedroom that Kiki shared with Mom. He was sitting in his tiny toddler bed, crying hard. When he saw me come in, he hiccupped before bursting into tears again.

Scooping him up, I hugged him tight against my chest. I wanted to cry too. I wanted to cry and scream, because I felt like a whole part of me had been ripped away. I felt like my dad had just died. It made me sick. I wanted to lash out against the pain. But instead I hugged my brother.

“Shhh . . . It's okay, little bro. It's okay. Shhhh.” I felt his forehead. It was warm, but not burning hot.

Kiki's cries turned to soft whines, and after a while I laid him down and he went to sleep while I rubbed his back.

Life was going to be better for Kiki. I was going to make sure of it.

Illusions

The blood of a fiend

Is running through my veins

The dad I believed in

Was nothing but a shame

I thought I had the lineage

Of someone strong and pure

But the story's an illusion

The lies are like poison

No such thing as a hero

Nothing is for sure.

E
arly Sunday morning I got a call from Kessler. She wanted to meet ASAP.

Despite a late night with the lieutenants, I dragged myself out of bed, showered, and headed for the subway. It was a nice day for March, warm enough to break out Kiki's wagon and pull him around the neighborhood. He was the only reason I was still living at home, since I could hardly stand the sight of my mom.

I kept asking myself the same thing: What kind of mother lied to her kid about his dad? The worst part was, I'd been stupid enough to believe her. She'd never had good answers to my questions about my dad's military career. When I'd asked about his
pension, she'd said it was small because he hadn't been in the army very long. And I'd actually bought it. Looking back, she hadn't even been a good liar.

Now, whenever I saw a fiend on the street, I wondered if that's what my dad had been like. I'd believed he was a hero, but he was just another zombie.

I didn't say a word to Mom about what I knew. What would be the point? Nothing she could say would make it right.

As for Tasha, she took an evil satisfaction in my misery. “Poor baby boy,” she'd always said, and now it hit me what that really meant. She hated that Mom had always tried to protect me. But it wasn't my fault she treated us differently. At least she'd told Tasha the truth.

I had to put it aside for now. There were more important things to deal with.

It took fifteen minutes to get to the Garden District address Kessler had given me. I walked up the steps of the brownstone and pulled open the heavy wooden door. The residents' names were listed behind a glass panel. Next to Apartment C, it said: Amber Kessler.

This was her place? I didn't think cops invited informants to their homes. But then, I wasn't an official CI anymore.

She buzzed me in.

Her apartment was one flight up, and she immediately ushered me in, locking the door behind me. It was small, probably a
one-bedroom, cluttered with plants and books and magazines. The main room seemed to be a living room, dining room, and office all in one. I could picture Prescott coming in here, loosening his tie, and putting his feet up in front of the TV. The thought gave me a twinge. I missed the guy.

“I'll take your coat.” Kessler hung it up. She wore sweats and sneakers, and her hair was in a messy ponytail. “I thought it was safest to meet here.”

It made sense. If I hadn't met Prescott in public, the Vet would never have known about me.

“Nice crib you got.”

“Thanks. Can I get you a drink? 7UP or orange juice?”

“I'm good.”

We sat down across from each other.

“I assume Tony's responsible for the grenade attack,” she said.

The grenade attack.
It had happened two nights ago on the South Side. Someone had smashed a window of the Bloods' hangout and thrown a grenade inside. Four people had been burned, and two were in critical condition. The neighborhood was still reeling. Sure, everybody knew there'd be payback for what happened to Busy and P-Free. But the method was unusual. This was Toronto, not Afghanistan.

“Yeah, Tony's behind it. All of his people have been celebrating.”

“Do you know who threw it or who was in the getaway car?”

I shook my head. “They keep the details quiet.”

“Who would Tony use for a job like that?”

“He's got a few thugs working for him. But there are these two cousins, Tyrell and Remy. Everybody calls them the Cuz. I've seen a lot more of them since Pup got locked up. Could've been them.” I didn't mention that they'd disposed of the Vet's body. She didn't need to know about that.

“Tell me more, Darren. Tell me everything about Tony's operation that you think could help me.”

I told her what I knew. She wrote it all down on a pad of paper, interrupting only to clarify certain details.

“You could raid a stash house easy,” I said. “There'd be an exec there, maybe a lieutenant or two, and lots of cash and product. But I know these guys, and they won't talk. You wouldn't find anything that would point to Tony. He hardly ever shows up at the stash houses, and when he does, it's for five minutes, tops.”

“That's our problem. He gives orders but never gets his hands dirty.” She put down her pad. “You've been really helpful to me.”