TWENTY
A’SHAI TOOK A DEEP BREATH AS HE stood outside of the police department. He prepared to go see Baron, hoping that he could smooth things over. The guilt of that horrible night haunted A’shai, and he knew what Willow would have wanted. He had to get back in good graces with his father Baron for his mother. A’shai entered the precinct and stood in line as people waited to see their locked-up loved ones. He went through the motions and finally got to the conference room where the visiting booths were set up with thick glass separating the visitors and inmates. He walked to the booth where his father sat waiting. As soon as he locked eyes with Baron, Baron’s facial expression changed. He expected to see his lawyer, not the person who was responsible for his current awful situation. A’shai sat down and picked up the phone to communicate. Baron didn’t move at first. He just stared at A’shai trying to find something in his heart to give him kind eyes and forgive his son. However, he couldn’t. He took a deep breath and reluctantly picked up the phone. “Why are you here?” he asked coldly.
“I’m here . . . because I love you. I’m here . . . because I am your son,” A’shai said as his voice began to crack and his eyes started to water. The visions of the car being blown up and his mother smiling while in the car invaded his mind. A’shai closed his eyes trying to shake off the thoughts, but they still remained. The deep regret was killing him inside-out.
“You are not my son. You murdered the only woman that ever loved me . . . the only woman who ever loved you. You took her away from me!” Baron yelled into the phone as his bottom lip began to quiver. His eyes were bloodshot red from the sleepless nights and his aching heart. A’shai just stared into the eyes of a broken man, and he didn’t know how to respond. The pain in Baron’s eyes was imbedded deeply and A’shai could feel the hatred screaming from Baron’s soul.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” A’shai said as he thought about what his father had just said. Did he sacrifice his mother for Liberty? Was he wrong for following his heart? He asked himself hard questions and came up with no answers.
“I never want to see you! I’m done,” Baron said through his clenched teeth as tears slid down his face as he rejected his son.
“I’m always going to be loyal to you . . . even if you hate me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” A’shai said as he watched as his father stood up and slammed the phone on the hook. He left A’shai behind, sitting with the phone in his hand. A’shai slammed the phone in frustration and stormed out. His life was falling apart, but he still vowed to get things right with Baron. It didn’t matter if it took years to reconcile their relationship. He would visit him as often as he could until Baron was ready to forgive him.
It was the day of trial and Baron rode in the back of the police van handcuffed. He was being transported to the courthouse so that he could stand before a jury. He wore a gray Armani suit that his lawyer had provided for him and the thought of his reality hit him. His lawyer had explained to him that they would take a plea for ten years to avoid a potential life sentence. Baron hated to wave a white flag, but the hard evidence was basically a nail in the coffin. They couldn’t take the risk, so Baron’s inevitable prison term was about to begin. Baron thought about A’shai everyday but he always ended up with a bad taste in his mouth. He would forever be bitter and it was out of his hands at that point. Baron silently prayed, hoping that his wife was in a good place. I love you Willow, he thought, but his brief conversation with his wife was interrupted by a violent jerk. Baron’s body was hurled to the back of the van and the sound of screeching tires was followed by a crash. The airbag in the front seats exploded in the cops’ faces causing them to be temporarily disoriented. Baron yelled as glass shattered everywhere and the sound of the van’s horn blared.
Two Hummer trucks sandwiched the police van. They were being ambushed. One of the Hummer’s back doors flew open and three masked men sat in the hatch of the truck and pointed automatic assault rifles at the driver and passenger cops. They let bullets rain before the cops could even pull their guns out. Meanwhile, Baron was in the back of the van covering up, not knowing what was going on. “F*ck!” he grimaced, knowing that the assault was intended for him.
The masked men jumped out of the Hummer and ran around to the back of the van with guns drawn. One man had a shotgun, which he used to blow off the lock on the back door. The door flew open and they quickly grabbed Baron and pulled him out of the back of the van. They hurried him into their trailing car and sped off. The whole fiasco was started and finished within thirty seconds. They were skilled professionals that flawlessly executed the plan. Baron was now a high-stakes fugitive and he had no idea what had just happened. Guns were on him and he tried to piece together what was happening. Did Shai send someone to bust me out? he thought.
Baron had been taken by surprise, and he asked the masked man what was going on, but he got no answer. The truck sped into an empty parking lot and Baron was swiftly forced out after which they jumped into another tinted vehicle. Everyone, even the driver, hopped into the new car. One of the masked men then grabbed a can of gasoline from the back of the Hummer and began to pour it all on the car they had just exited.
“Hurry up!” one of the men yelled as he left the door open for the man to jump in when he finished. The masked man threw the can on the ground and jumped into the truck with the others. The truck pulled off and the man reached out of the window and fired the assault rifle at the old getaway car. The sound of a loud explosion erupted and the Hummer went up in flames. They sped off, jumping on the freeway and escaping smoothly.
Baron remained silent as he was taken a few miles down the road and the truck pulled into a empty parking ramp. A limo awaited them. Baron had already figured out who was behind the current fiasco. Samad, he thought to himself as he grinded his teeth and sat in between the two gunmen.
The truck pulled about thirty feet from the limo, and the masked man opened the door.
“Get out,” the masked man said to Baron. Baron slid out of the car and saw that someone was stepping out the back of the limo. He saw the fancy shoe step onto the concrete and just as he thought . . . it was Samad.
“I never meant to harm your wife,” Samad said first as he slowly began to walk towards Baron. His goons got out of the cars and began to circle Baron, all with guns out.
“Why did you do this?” Baron asked, not wanting to talk about his wife. He only wanted to figure out Samad’s angle. Why did he bust him out? What was his motive? Baron wanted to know.
“I want to know where the girl is. Enough bloodshed has been spilled. I just want to get the girl back. Give A’shai up,” Samad said as he opened his arms and shook his head as if the problem was simple and without conflict.
“F*ck outta here,” Baron said after he sucked his teeth, blowing Samad’s request off. Although he was at odds with A’shai, he would not break the code.
“I can’t understand how you are so loyal to a hoodlum that had plans to kill you. He was plotting against you since day one,” he lied. Samad was trying to turn Baron against A’shai and get the information that he needed to find Liberty. Samad’s jealous streak was a mile long and he was determined to find Liberty and kill her for crossing him. His ego, on top of his bitterness, made him a heat seeking missile hell-bent on revenge.
“That’s a lie!” Baron yelled as he scowled and spit flew out of his mouth.
“No! That is the truth. He told me where you lived, and how to get you set up. How do you think I got the address? Huh? He wanted you out of the picture so he could take over. He was impatient. He didn’t want to wait for you to retire. Now I’m giving you a chance to double-cross him because he stole something from me. I want revenge,” Samad lied, leaving out the fact that Nico was his inside source. Baron took in Samad’s words, and they were like daggers to his heart as he tried not to believe what Samad was saying.
“You’re full of shit. You killed my wife and if you let me live . . . ,” Baron began to shoot his threats as he stared at the man that stood before him.
“Am I? Think about it. How did I get your address? How did I know about your secret cabin up north? He planned on taking you out of the picture. That was before he laid eyes on Liberty. That’s when the plans changed,” Samad said trying to mind-f*ck Baron . . . and it was working. Under different circumstances, Baron wouldn’t be as susceptible to manipulation. But with Baron’s mind in disarray and sorrow clouding his judgment, Samad’s story began to seem like it made sense.
“F*ck you!” Baron said as he dropped his head and hoped that what Samad was saying wasn’t true.
“F*ck me? No f*ck that rat who betrayed you. Look where he is. He is lying up with a woman while you are on trial for your life. You can’t blame me . . . I didn’t break the rules, your boy did!” Samad yelled as he pointed his finger at Baron. “If he cared so much, why didn’t he break you out? I did this for you! I got a deal for you. You help me set him up, and I will send you on a helicopter anywhere you want to go. It’s all up to you,” Samad said as he placed the deal of a lifetime on Baron’s plate. There was no doubt in Baron’s mind that Samad’s offer was more of a demand than a question. Baron knew that if he denied Samad that he would be shot down right then and there. He then began to feel the grief and hatred towards A’shai for putting Willow in harm’s way. Baron dropped his head and thought about his decision.