by Geri Glenn
I pull out of the driveway and make my way to the pool hall, praying that Tommy will be there. I don’t know if I can go through another sleepless night, wondering if my brother is okay. The drive only takes a few minutes, and on the way I plan out exactly what I am going to say to him. I know his buddies will be around and that he’ll likely be a dick at first, but this time I’ll be prepared. I will yank him out of there by the ear if I have to.
Pulling up to the curb, I make my best attempt to parallel park the Rio. I only having to pull out and back in again four times. That’s a new record for me. I’m just reaching for the handle when I see Daniel come walking out of the pool hall, Tommy close on his heels, his face looking sad.
I watch as Daniel opens the back door of an unmarked cruiser and walks around to the driver’s side. Where are they going? Does Tommy know where Derrick is? I consider getting out and approaching the car but I’m worried that I’ll be interfering with whatever Daniel is doing to get Tommy to co-operate. Besides, my car is parked several cars behind them. I’d never make it to them before they pull away.
But they don’t pull away. From where I sit, I can make out the shadows of both men, and neither seem to be moving much. Suddenly, the shadow in the back starts jerking around, arms flailing and it almost looks like he’s hitting the windows but I can’t be sure. What the hell is going on?
I reach across the seat and rummage through my purse without taking my eyes off the shadows in that car. When I finally locate my phone, I pull it out and get ready to dial Daniel’s cell phone. I want to let him know that I’m here.
I just dial the last number when the Tommy’s shadow sits up straight and the car pulls away from the curb. Daniel’s phone rings four times before his voice mail picks up.
“Daniel? It’s Gabby.” I put my car in drive and pull out onto the street, following the unmarked car. “Um… I went to The Corner Pocket to see if I could find Tommy, and saw you and him getting into your car. Did he tell you where Derrick is? Anyways, I’m right behind you. Call me back.”
Pressing the end button, I toss the phone on the seat beside me and do my best to keep up with the speeding car.
Daniel
I see Gabby’s number ringing through on the screen and silence the ringer. Tommy is behind me, finally telling me everything and I’m not about to interrupt him when I’m so close to finding Derrick.
“So this kid at school started selling us weed, ya know? And me and Derrick, we thought he was a cool kid, and we liked his supply, so we started hanging out with him after school and shit.” I keep my eyes on the road, but every now and then look back to where Tommy sits, talking with his head back on the seat, eyes on the ceiling.
“Turns out, this kid is a Crip. We start hanging out with a bunch of them at different spots. We even make a few friends. Derrick and I both started selling weed for them. Just small time shit, ya know? Dime bags to buddies from high school mostly.” He shakes his head. “After a while, they started teaching us some shit about how they work. Invited us both to parties. We spent a lot of time high, man. And the ladies … ” He smirks and shakes his head. “The ladies were everywhere, ya know? Man, we were gettin’ laid almost every night.”
“Who was taking you to these parties?”
Tommy leans forward and his eyes meet mine in the rear-view mirror. “Fuck that, man. I’ll take you to Derrick. I’ll even tell you his story, but I’m no narc. You hear that?” I nod, knowing that he might not have much choice before this is all done. Giving up the gang may be the only way the cops can offer him protection.
Tommy sits back in his seat. “Anyway, all of the sudden the other guys were going to parties and we weren’t invited. It was bullshit, man. Pissed us both off. We were told those parties were for members only. Finally, one of them asks us if we want to become members ourselves. Derrick and I both said yes. We’d have been crazy not to. The weed and women alone made the initiation worth it.”
I look back at him through the mirror. “What was the initiation?”
He smirks. “No way, man. Not tellin’ you that shit either. I will say that we had to do something specific. Something illegal. Once that was done, we were in — full-fledged Crips.”
“So what happened?”
Tommy shakes his head. “Derrick started talkin’ to some bitch online. She lives in the country somewhere on some fuckin’ horse farm. He took her out a few times. Stupid fucker told me that she was the one. You imagine? Dude is nineteen years old and he thinks he found the one?”
I take the next exit, our destination only a few blocks away.
“Anyway, Derrick goes up to the head guy, ya know? Not gonna tell ya more than I need to, but basically he tells him he wants out. Buddy tells him it ain’t that easy. Derrick says he don’t fuckin’ care. He’s movin’ away and wants to go to college with this bitch and he’ll do what he needs to do.” Tommy shakes his head and sniffs, trying to look unaffected by his own story. “Buddy tells him the only way he’ll let Derrick out is to jump him out.”
I know exactly what that means. You don’t work on the Street Crimes Unit and not know what a jump out is. Basically, if a gang member wants out and the gang is willing to let him go without fear of him turning on them and trading their secrets, they’ll do a jump out. It’s where every member of the gang takes turns beating the shit out of the member. If he lives, he’s out. Free from the gang.
“Is Derrick alive, Tommy?”
He nods solemnly. “Barely.” I pull into the driveway of the address he gave me and look up at the large abandoned warehouse. This building had been on police radar for a while for being a hub for gang activity. Tommy directs me towards a rear entrance and keeps talking.
“Those fuckers kicked the shit out of him, man. Even I had to take my turn or I’d have looked like a pussy.” His breath wavers a little. “When they were done, everyone went their separate ways but Derrick didn’t get up. He was bleeding like crazy and I could tell that some of his bones were broken.”
“Why didn’t you take him to the hospital?”
“They were watching me, man. The boss though, he liked Derrick, and he let me pull him off into one of the offices and said if I could nurse him back to health, he was free to go.” I pull to a stop and look back to see Tommy shake his head sadly. “It’s not good, man.”
“Take me to him.”
Getting out of the car, I let Tommy out of the back and he leads me inside the building, moving quietly for fear that someone is around. The place seems deserted. Finally, we round a corner and there he is.
Laying on a pile of dirty rags is a barely recognizable Derrick. His face is black and blue and swollen. One look at him tells me that he has fractures to his face and right arm, and God knows where else. I rush to him, squatting down beside his broken form and feel for a pulse. It’s weak, but it’s there.
I pull out my phone, ready to call 911 when I hear a loud click from behind. Both Tommy and I spin around, and the blood drains from my face.
The first thing I see is the gun, cocked and ready. And then I see where it’s pointed. Gabby’s terrified face is white as a sheet and covered in silent tears as the gun presses hard against her temple. The shaking and angry man holding the gun clutches Gabby to his body with a forearm across her throat.
“I knew you were a fuckin’ rat, Tommy,” he spits. “Fuckin’ piece of shit.”
Gabby
I keep my eyes pinned on Daniel, my body shaking with fear. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t see this guy’s face. I pulled up behind Daniel’s car and walked inside, listening for the sounds of their voices in the empty warehouse.
I heard the faint echo of footsteps off to the right and moved in that direction. I didn’t make it more than three steps before a strong arm wrapped around my neck and a gun is stabbed into my cheek. “Don’t fucking scream, bitch.”
The truth is, when he grabbed me I lost all of the air in my lungs. I couldn’t have screamed if I wanted to. Wit
h wide eyes I stare at the gun that is being held only inches from my eye. “Keep your mouth shut and do what I say,” he orders and starts walking, my body propelled along in front of his as he moves silently towards the sounds I’d been following a few seconds ago.
We round a corner and my body sags in relief when I see Daniel. The strange man behind me pulls the gun away from my face and uses his thumb to cock the hammer before pressing the muzzle to my temple.
Both Tommy and Daniel spin around, Daniel’s hand moving towards his hip. “I knew you were a fuckin’ rat, Tommy,” the man spits. “Fuckin’ piece of shit.”
Tears fill my eyes as I stare at Daniel who stands frozen in front of us, eyes locked on me, his jaw set. I watch as Tommy throws out his arms.
“Tooth, man,” he pleads. “You know I’d never rat. I just want Derrick to get some help, brother. He’s my best friend.” One of his hands drop while he’s talking and points at a pile of rags in the corner.
“Fuck you,” Tooth snarls. “You brought a fuckin’ cop to a fuckin’ Crip joint and likely told him all kinds of shit. Then ya got this bitch creepin’ through the goddamn building.”
I hear them talking, but I don’t know what they’re saying. My body trembles and my head screams as I stare at that rumpled pile of rags. Only it’s not rags. It’s my brother. My breath catches in my chest and I forget all about the gun pressed against my head. Attempting to shrug him off, I let out an anguished cry. “Derrick!”
He doesn’t move. I try to pull free once more and Tooth yanks me back, screaming into my ear. “Don’t move you crazy fuckin’ bitch!” He presses the gun even harder to my head, grinding it into my skull. “I’m gonna blow your fuckin’ brains all over this fucking room!”
I feel his hand move and my eyes lift to Daniel’s, an apology on my lips. Just then, Tommy lurches forward. “No! Tooth! Don’t—”
The sound of the gun going off so close to my face nearly deafens me, my head fills with a loud ringing as I stare in horror at Tommy. He clutches his chest, his mouth open in surprise as the blood stain on his shirt grows bigger right before my eyes. His mouth makes no sound as he drops to his knees.
I know I’m screaming, but I can’t hear my own voice over the high-pitched ringing in my head. When Tommy slumps forward and lands face first on the floor, I know deep down that he’s dead. My eyes move to Daniel.
Like a fearless warrior, he stands proudly in front of my brother, protecting his body with his own, his arm raised as he holds his gun firmly in his hand. Instantly, my mind clears and I scramble to come up with some sort of plan. We can’t die like this.
“I said drop it, pig!”
Daniel’s voice is strong and fearless, his gun held steady. “Let the girl go. She was just trying to find her brother.”
Tooth’s body tenses behind mine and he mutters a soft, “Fuck it.”
Before I know what’s happening, he pulls the gun away from my temple and points it right at Daniel. He pulls the trigger before I can react and I watch in horror as Daniel crumples to the ground.
“No!” I scream, struggling to free myself from his hold. “Daniel!” Daniel doesn’t move. Suddenly, I’m flying across the room, my body landing on top of my brother's in the corner. He doesn’t even open his eyes as I look down at his broken body.
“You wanted to find your fuckin’ pussy ass brother so bad, bitch? Well there he is. Now you can both go to hell!” He raises the gun and time seems to stop as I watch his finger slide over the trigger. I drape my body over Derrick’s and squeeze my eyes closed.
The gunshot rings through the warehouse and my body jerks in surprise and tenses, waiting for the bullet to hit me. Something drops to the floor and I lift my head, wondering what the hell is going on.
Tooth lays crumpled just a foot away, a disgusting looking hole drilled right through his forehead. My heart pounds as I lift my eyes and see Daniel slump to the floor clutching his arm. He’s out of breath when he looks up at me and asks, “You okay, baby?”
Daniel
I shrug my shirt back on and slide off the hospital bed. After a quick examination that the Chief had insisted on, the doctor cleaned my wound and declared that it was a clean shot, the bullet going in one side of my arm and out the other. Six stitches and a bandage later, and I’m free to go.
I was lucky, and I know that. I was definitely luckier than poor Tommy Lewis. The Chief had confirmed what I already knew. The shot Tommy had taken in the chest had been fatal. He had died within seconds. The Chief left just a few minutes ago to deliver the news to Ms. Lewis himself. I didn’t envy him.
After buttoning my shirt, I move through the emergency room and head straight for the elevator. Gabby is on the third floor, waiting for her brother to get out of surgery. They still weren’t sure if he was going to make it. He’d lost a lot of blood and there had been a lot of internal damage done in the beatings. Infection had set in from just laying on the floor, in a heap for days.
When the elevator door opens, I turn to the left and there she is. Her hair is a mess and her makeup is smudged all over her face. I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight in all my life. When she sees me, she doesn’t hesitate. She covers the distance between us at a run and slams into my chest, her arms wrapping themselves tightly around my waist.
“Oh, Daniel. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I chuckle softly and hug her tight, pressing my lips into the top of her hair. “I’m fine, baby. Just a few stitches.” We hold each other in silence, our bodies slowly rocking from side to side. “Any news on Derrick yet?”
She pulls her cheek from my chest and looks up at me, her face sad as she shakes her head. I give her a reassuring squeeze. “Have faith, babe. If Derrick is anything like his sister, he’s a tough son of a bitch and will be just fine.”
A small smile appears on her face and she shakes her head. “He’s more like me than he’ll ever admit.”
I grin down at her, glad to see she still has a sense of humour. Taking her hand, I guide her to the waiting room chairs and pull her down beside me. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I pull her body against mine and whisper, “Sleep, babe.”
She shakes her head, not looking up from where it rests on my shoulder. “I can’t,” she whispers back.
“You can,” I say. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wake you if the doctor comes in.”
She sits up, unable to hide her surprise. “You’re staying?”
I frown. “Of course I’m staying.”
Her sigh is heavy and her shoulders droop. “I can’t ask you to do that, Daniel. You have your own life to live. You’ve done so much for me already —”
Gripping her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I tilt her face so she can’t avoid my eyes. “I said I’m not going anywhere.” She looks confused so I decide to make it a little clearer for her. “Gabby… I’ve known you for two days. That’s it. Two.” She frowns, but I keep going. “And in that time you’ve done some shit that deserves a serious spanking.” Her eyes widen and she sits up in her chair. “But even though it’s only been two days, I couldn’t imagine leaving you here alone. The thought of being away from you at all feels wrong.”
Her eyes search mine, tears threatening to spill from their blue depths. And then she smiles. Her smile lights up her whole face. It also lights up a place inside of me that I didn’t even know had been dark.
Pulling her towards me, I cover her lips with my own and show her just how much she’s grown to mean to me. Her lips move against mine, her hands clutching my shirt. When I finally pull away, her cheeks are flushed and her lips are swollen.
A thought suddenly occurs to me. “Hey, did you know that Derrick has a girlfriend?”
She jerks and her brows drop low over her eyes. “What?”
Gabby
Seven hours and an achy back later, the doctor finally comes to find me in the waiting room. “Miss Monroe?”
I bolt upright in my chair, my heart in my throat. “Yes?”
“Miss Monroe, I’m Dr. Connolly. I’ve been operating on your brother all night.” I stare at him, afraid to even blink while I wait for him to finally tell me if Derrick is going to be okay. “It was touch and go there for a while. Your brother had a lot of internal injuries and a skull fracture. His lung was punctured by a broken rib and he lost a lot of blood.”
Daniel reaches over and grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. I just nod at the doctor and wait for him to continue.
“The good news is I think we got it all. He has a lot of stitches, both inside and out. He has a lot of broken bones that will need to heal and he will likely need another blood transfusion before the end of the night.” He stuffs his hands into the deep pockets of his lab coat. “The bad news is there was a lot of bleeding in his brain. He had a skull fracture that did some damage to the tissue there. We won’t know how much until your brother wakes up.”
I can’t speak. Fear wraps its cold hand around my throat and squeezes with all its might. “When will that be?” Daniel asks.
“I don’t know. Derrick has been through a major trauma. We’ve done what we can surgically. The rest is up to him.”
I manage to find my voice and squeak out a quiet, “Can we see him?”
The doctor looks to Daniel and then to me. “Family only, I’m afraid. If you’d like to sit with him though, I can take you to him.”
I look to Daniel who places a tender kiss on my forehead and gives me a gentle shove. “Go. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
It’s at that moment that I realize that nobody has ever said that to me. Nobody has ever been there when I needed them. I have been there for myself. And for Derrick, and Tommy. My mother had never been capable of being there for anyone but herself and after Gunner left, I stopped counting on people. Standing up on my tiptoes, I press my lips against Daniel’s, fighting back the emotion that his words caused.