Loving Dasia

by Ana’Gia Wright

  Chapter 31

  G and Chaos sat in an alley a block over from where it would all end, darkness surrounding them. A broken streetlight flickered at the other end of the alley. They’d been waiting in this spot for an hour or so for the phone call signaling it was time. Neither had spoken a word to the other since G had picked up Chaos from the house. They were just lying in wait.

  Chaos was the first to break the silence. Staring out the tinted window into the night, he asked, “Yo, G, you ready for this, man?”

  G took another drag from his stogie. “G’s not here tonight, this is all Grim. The Reaper has once again surfaced.”

  Chaos hated when G slipped into Reaper mode. Once that personality took over, only finishing the mission would satisfy it. Something about this entire situation just didn’t feel right. He knew they should be walking away from this, but now that the Reaper had reared his ugly head, there was no turning back.

  G took Chaos’s silence as a bad sign. He was hoping his friend wasn’t going to bail on him, but if he did, he’d understand. “I should be asking you the same thing. It’s been years since we’ve had to do this. You think you still up to it?”

  “No problems here.” Chaos still hadn’t turned to face G. He was trying to figure a way out of this. He knew Gfelt this had to be done, but Chaos wasn’t sure what impact tonight might have on Dasia. G wasn’t thinking clearly, and in Reaper mode, the only thing that mattered was payback.

  The sound of a single ring interrupted their conversation. That was the signal they’d been waiting for. Their target was in the house, and it was now up to them to finish the job.

  “Everybody know what they need to do?” G asked.

  “Yeah. The paramedics and coroner are just waiting for the call if anything goes wrong. Here’s the wallet.” Chaos tossed a wallet to G. If anything went wrong, the ID in the wallet would be tied to him and processed accordingly.

  “And if the cops show up, everyone know what the plan is? There’s no room for error tonight.”

  “Yeah, man, though that probably won’t happen. I’ve bought us some time.”

  “Who’s going to take the shot?” G’s life depended on the shooter. If anything went wrong, he couldn’t go to jail. Former agents disappeared in the big house.

  They’d been there before, having to shoot one of their own. That’s why the paramedics and coroner were always involved. Man’s pronounced dead on the scene and taken to the morgue, where the coroner processes the body. A death certificate is then issued using the information on the ID, and they all go back to living their lives as if none of this ever happened.

  “I am.”

  G was relieved. The shooter only got one chance. If the shot was off by even a hair, the bullet could pierce an artery or lung or even G’s heart. They knew the safety zone. They’d studied the human anatomy well enough to know where to shoot so it looked convincing but still left a window to save the person. It was still a huge risk. But this was personal. G wanted to make sure this guy understood that he’d crossed the line and now it was time to pay.

  “G! Aye, Grim!” Chaos called G’s name, but his friend had spaced out.

  “Yeah, man.” G turned to his friend. He took one last drag from the cigar and flicked the butt out of the sunroof.

  “You sure you want do this? I mean, we can send one of the others in, knock this out real quick, and you can get home to your woman.”

  “Naw, man, I’m doing this one myself. I want to see his face when the Reaper comes knocking.”

  G was calm. He’d killed before. It was what the government trained him for. They just hadn’t realized how well they’d trained him. G had full control over that side of him, but when he willingly released it, he let it run its course.

  He started the car and prepared to pull out of the alley when Chaos stopped him.

  “Wait. There is one other thing you need to know before we do this.”

  “We don’t have time for this, Chaos.” G’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. He could taste death in the air and was ready to get this over with.

  “Oh, you’ll make time for this.” Chaos took a deep breath and slowly released it. He’d held this ace for long enough. He just hoped it would be enough to convince Gto reconsider pulling this job off himself.

  “I know you’ve been trying to get Dasia to marry you for the past couple of months—”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Well, I think she’s finally ready to take that step with you.”

  G’s eyes narrowed. “And how do you know?”

  Chaos again stared out of the window. “Look, I know she wanted to tell you herself, but I think you need to know now before we do this, and she’s not here to break the news.”

  “What news?”

  “Dasia’s pregnant.”

  G paused for a second as his mind processed the words Chaos had just said. A lot of things made sense now. Her constant trips to the fridge, her excessive sleeping, even the couple of weeks she suffered with the strange case of nausea. G couldn’t believe he hadn’t caught on sooner. “How do you know?”

  “Come on, man. You know good and well Katina can’t keep a secret about you to save her life.”

  “Pregnant.” G let the thought roll around in his head before he said anything. He and Dasia had only made love a few times, and now that he thought about it, they hadn’t taken any precautions. But never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he’d get her pregnant.

  “You’ve got a lot at stake, man. Are you sure you want to do this yourself?” Chaos wanted G to reconsider.

  “Now I’ve got all the more reason to finish this myself.”

  G pulled out of the alley more determined than ever. He stopped in front of an apartment building, and Chaos jumped out to take his place. They both hoped this would go off without a hitch, but if something went wrong, they’d work with the new hand they’d been dealt.

  G inched his way past the target’s house—there were lights on—double-checked to make sure his victim was still there. He watched the shadow of the man through the thin curtains. He circled back around and parked the car in front of the apartment building, so Chaos could use it to get away. If he did need to take the shot, there’d be utter chaos. No one would know from which direction the bullet came. They were counting on this. Their plan had worked before, earning Chaos his nickname.

  Chaos took his position in the window of a vacant apartment across from Jeremiah’s house. As he settled into place, he took the time to take a better look at his surroundings. He needed to determine the best place to take the shot to keep from hitting any innocent bystanders if the bullet should go all of the way through. From where he lay, he had a perfect view of Jeremiah’s front door. G only needed to take six steps for him to have the perfect shot. Even if he took two more, Chaos figured the shot would still be good. It would be a little riskier, but it was still feasible.

  Chaos scoped out the rest of the area. Cars lined the alley on both sides of the street. There were a few vehicles in the driveways of the houses surrounding Jeremiah’s. Chaos noticed a couple making out in a white Caprice near the stop sign on the corner. He also noticed the two empty parking spaces at the other end of the street just beneath the streetlight.

  He watched as two men approached a third at the stop sign. A quick exchange was made, and the two men continued on their way, leaving the suspected drug dealer leaning against the sign. The two men disappeared into a white van parked about halfway between Jeremiah’s house and the corner where they’d made their purchase. Chaos waited for the vehicle to start and pull away from the curb, but it never did.

  The man on the corner anxiously waited as G approached. He said something to G that Chaos couldn’t hear. G declined whatever it was the man was offering and continued toward Jeremiah’s house.

  As G stepped up to the front door, Chaos took aim just above his right shoulder in case Jeremiah tried anything. The door to the house swung open, and G steppe
d through. Now all Chaos could do was wait for the saga to unfold.

  Chaos lowered his weapon, relaxing for only a moment. He noticed headlights turning into the alley, but he couldn’t see the vehicle. Assuming it was just one of the neighbors returning home, Chaos turned his attention back to the two men sitting in the living room in the front of the house.

  R.I.P. pulled into one of the empty parking spaces in the alley across from Jeremiah’s house. Just as Dasia reached for the door, R.I.P. stopped her. “Wait. Something’s not right.”

  R.I.P. always trusted his gut instinct. In all of his years at the Agency and his time working for G, it had never steered him wrong. This place didn’t feel right, and he needed to figure out why. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed G’s cell number. When all he got was voice-mail, he hung up and dialed Chaos. He couldn’t get an answer from either of them, and it had been that way for hours. Something big was brewing, and he had a gut feeling they were about to walk right into the middle of it.

  R.I.P. flipped the phone closed and scanned the area. He had an uneasy feeling about this place but couldn’t pinpoint what was causing it. Looking out of the window, he watched a figure resembling G approach the door of one of the houses.

  “What’s G doing here?” Dasia turned to R.I.P., her brow furrowed in confusion. G had told her earlier he and Chaos had some business to tend to tonight, but he’d never mentioned anything about Jeremiah. And Jeremiah didn’t mention meeting G tonight when she’d talked to him earlier. She was sure he’d have told her if he knew G was coming, “I don’t know.” R.I.P. leaned over the steering wheel and scanned the upper floors of the buildings on either side of them. “I don’t think we should be here.”

  “Well, I’m not leaving until I talk to Jeremiah.”

  R.I.P. knew there was no changing Dasia’s mind. He wished he knew what was going on. This felt like a setup, and he didn’t want to be a sitting duck.

  “How about this? We’ll wait a few minutes, give G a chance to finish his business before we go in.”

  “Fine, but I’m not waiting forever.” Dasia turned her attention back toward the house, watching the silhouettes through the sheer curtains.

  G followed Jeremiah into the living room. Jeremiah took a seat on the couch, while G stood in front of the fireplace.

  “So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?” Jeremiah asked. It didn’t take him long to realize something wasn’t quite right.

  “Why’d you do it?”

  “Look, I never meant for anything to happen between me and Monica. And I definitely never meant to break Dasia’s heart. And, I must admit, you taught her well. If I’d been any slower, that bullet would have more than just grazed me.”

  The lies poured from Jeremiah’s mouth, a petty attempt to cover his tracks. G knew what this man was capable of, and this was just as much a setup for him as it was for her.

  “Resourceful bastard. I suppose you used your daddy’s name to find out where she was. But that’s neither here nor there. I didn’t come here to talk about Dasia.”

  “If you’re not talking about Dasia, what are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t actually think they’d let you just walk away from this, did you? I know you’re a fool when it comes to women, but I thought you’d be smarter than that when it came to business.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied nonchalantly.

  “Oh, I think you do.”

  Jeremiah rolled his eyes. He’d suspected the Agency would send G to do the dirty work. But what G didn’t know was that he’d anticipated this.

  “Hum. So you got me. Did they send you here to escort me to some secret prison where they plan on torturing me until I reveal what I know?” Jeremiah propped his feet up on the coffee table, acting as if this was all one big joke. He knew this man wouldn’t jeopardize his relationship with Dasia, and the fact that he was more than sure she was nearby gave him a secret confidence that, in the end, he’d get her back.

  “No. They sent me here to do what I’ve become very good at—disposing of trash.”

  “And what about Dasia?” Jeremiah locked his fingers behind his head, raising an eyebrow at the man standing across from him.

  “What about Dasia?” G spat back.

  “You know if you do this, you’re going to lose her.”

  “She’ll never know.”

  “Don’t be so sure.” Jeremiah looked down at his watch. “I figure she’s probably outside right now wondering what you’re doing here.”

  “How do you know?”

  “You see, she called me earlier wanting to talk about a little package I left for her a few weeks ago. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you about it, Mr. Porter.”

  “You didn’t.” G’s rage grew with each moment he stared down at this sorry excuse for a man. He wondered how Jeremiah came across that information, since it was classified.

  “Oh, but I did. She knows everything about your double life, from your aliases all the way down to your number of kills.”

  That was it, the straw that broke the camel’s back. There was no turning back now. The Reaper was in total control. Nothing anyone said, nothing anyone did, would change Jeremiah’s fate. “Stand up.”

  Jeremiah gasped as he watched G’s eyes, posture, and his total demeanor change. Here he was face to face with death and no trump card.

  “You do realize you’re a dead man, don’t you?”

  Jeremiah just laughed at him.

  “It doesn’t really matter. If I can’t have her, neither can you. Whether I live or die, you’ll still lose her.”

  The Reaper laughed at Jeremiah’s assumption. “That’s where you’re wrong. G may lose Dasia, but I’ll get what I want.”

  Jeremiah tried to figure out what G was talking about. “Who are you?” Did he miss something? Was it possible that G had a twin brother? Jeremiah was sure the man he’d let into his house was Dasia’s boyfriend. Now he was wondering if that was a mistake.

  “That doesn’t really matter for you.” The alter ego that had taken possession of G’s body raised his gun and pointed it square between Jeremiah’s eyes. “You may have cheated death before, but it’s time for you to bow to the Reaper.”

  And just as calmly as he’d spoken the words, the Reaper pulled the trigger.

  Dasia and R.I.P. watched as one man raised a fairly large gun and pointed it at the other man’s head. They didn’t hear the shot, but they watched as the bullet pierced the man’s skull, causing his body to jerk and slowly fall backwards to the floor.

  Chaos watched the exchange between the two men through the night sights on the rifle. The sound of sirens distracted him momentarily, and he scanned the area, trying to determine from which direction the sirens were coming, but they seemed to be coming from all directions.

  He glanced up the street to where the drug dealer had been standing and saw the man make a mad dash for the alley. He followed the man’s sprint into the alley across from Jeremiah’s house, and for the first time, noticed G’s Range Rover parked behind a dark-colored Crown Victoria. This was bad. This was real bad.

  Chaos pulled out his cell phone and made the emergency call, then turned his attention back to the front door. From the corner of his eye, he saw the rear doors on the white van swing wide open. Within seconds three unmarked police cars surrounded the house, blocking all potential getaway routes. The officers all crouched behind their vehicles, weapons drawn and pointed at the front door of Jeremiah’s house.

  This was it, the moment of truth. Though his weapon was pointed at the ground, G continued his trance-induced pace out of the house toward the officers. They instructed him to drop his weapon, but G couldn’t hear them. It’d be hours before he’d again have the Reaper under control.

  Chaos took aim and counted G’s steps. When he got to six, he pulled the trigger, dropping G on the spot. The next thing he knew, Dasia slipped past the officers and kneeled down beside G’s body.

 
; Dasia was hysterical. She’d seen everything from the passenger seat of G’s Range Rover. She didn’t remember getting out of the truck, slipping from R.I.P.’s grasp, or even running past the police officers. All she saw was G fall to his knees and then collapse onto the ground.

  She scooped his head into her lap, frantically calling his name. “You can’t do this to me! G, you can’t leave me! I won’t let you die! God, I need you. We need you!”

  Everyone was trying to pry her away from him, but she wouldn’t let go.

  Hearing Dasia in so much pain, G opened his eyes. “Baby, don’t cry.” G took shallow breaths. He was having a hard time breathing. He could feel his lungs filling with fluid. “No matter what, I love you.” He reached up and rested his hand on her stomach and then he slid it up to her heart. “I’ll always be here, in here.” G’s hand slid back down to the ground. He closed his eyes then. He was tired, so tired. He just needed to rest. He’d be okay once he rested.

  Dasia began screaming as she felt G go limp in her arms.

  R.I.P. was trying his best to get her back. He heard his phone ring once then stop. Then it began to ring again. He knew this signal. He reached down and answered, knowing it was Chaos on the other end.

  “No time to explain. Get Dasia out of there now. G’s working on borrowed time.”

  R.I.P. finally pried G from Dasia’s arms and carried her back to the truck as the paramedics lifted G’s body onto the stretcher and slid him into the back of the ambulance. He took one last look at the ambulance as it sped away and just prayed that G would be all right. He didn’t know how Dasia was going to make it without him. Since Dasia was in no condition to drive, he seat-belted her into the passenger seat and took her home.

  Chapter 32

  For days Dasia sat in the darkness of the study, phone in hand, waiting for the call telling her when G’s funeral would be held. He’d always told her, if anything happened to him, all of his funeral arrangements had already been made. Legally, she wasn’t his family, but she expected to hear something from either Katina or Chaos about the funeral.