This made it simple for guys like Brady and Reid to control things. They were forceful, opinionated and unafraid to do what they wanted. They were aggressors amongst the aggressive and it had given them armor in this fight. You almost had to respect them for that.
The death of the Negro boy had changed his whole life, he mused. It would force him to become like Brady and Reid or would crumble him under its power.
And the homicide detectives still had no clues to Ned’s murder. They were officially still investigating the case. Unofficially, they’d decided a Negro radical killed Ned. Thomas didn’t buy this and knew that the killer would never be found if he didn’t force the issue with Brady and Reid. It would be dangerous to do so but these days, everything was.
**********
Robert put the tiny practice bomb inside the makeshift structure and counted off footsteps as he walked back to Yusef. The device was about the size of a shoebox and the charge as big as a golf ball.
They were in the country near I-75. Robert remembered his uncle taking him there, hunting for rabbits when he was younger.
He and Yusef had driven off the interstate, careful not to be seen by anyone. They found a clearing and had built a little structure from loose wood and fallen trees.
The remote was good for several hundred yards, which meant that they’d have to be fairly close to police headquarters in order to detonate it effectively.
Robert had spent the previous night nursing Denise who was sick all the time, it seemed. He’d sent her back to his mother’s house for a while out of his fear of what would happen when he wasn’t around. She did not argue. The baby was coming, he thought. With all the things going on in the world, his child was coming and he had such mixed feelings about it.
“Okay,” said Robert. “I’m ready.”
“Some game yesterday,” said Yusef referring to the Tiger’s loss in game one.
“It’s just one game and it wasn’t even at home,” said Robert. “All the Tigers have to do is take one in St. Louis and then we kill them when they come to Detroit.”
Robert had taken the loss hard and it did seem like the Tigers were horribly outmatched by the mighty St. Louis Cardinals and their ace, Bob Gibson
Robert took out the detonator, a crude and evil looking box about the size of a transistor radio. It was a slate gray metal box with lumpy, soldering marks on the corners. There were two buttons on the faceplate, which he had colored red and black. The red button armed the unit and the black one brought the thunder.
Robert took a little breath and then pressed the red button. “Armed,” he said. He looked at the structure and thought a second and then said. “We’d better move back some more.”
“Oh come on,” said Yusef. It can’t be—“
“Just move back a little,” said Robert.
They did. Yusef now had a disbelieving look on his face. Robert took another breath then pressed the black button.
“Fire in the hole!”
The structure literally disintegrated. The sound was deafening. Chunks of wood flew into the air and Yusef and Robert both jumped backwards from the force of the explosion. Debris fell around them in clumps.
“Whoo shit!” said Yusef.
“Damn,” said Robert. “It was bigger than I thought.
“That’s okay,” said Yusef excitedly. “It worked. So, compared to this one, how is the actual device?”
“I’d say at least twenty times as powerful.”
“Then you’d better give the detonator more range,” said Yusef. “We don’t wanna get blown up when it goes off because we’re too close.”
They ran back to their vehicle and quickly returned to the city. Even out here in the sticks, someone might have heard a blast that loud.
Robert sat in the passenger seat as they pulled onto the interstate. Yusef turned on the radio and heard Mary Wells’ silky voice rise.
Halfway to Detroit, a police cruiser began to follow them. Yusef reduced his speed. He switched lanes. The cops followed him, keeping pace.
“Shit,” said Robert.
The cops sat there trailing and Robert knew they were calling in the plates. If they were pulled over, the cops might find the detonator and somehow put two and two together.
“Be cool,” said Yusef. “The car’s clean.”
The Guard made it a habit never to drive hot vehicles or carry guns on their person unless they were working. Yusef knew the laws and tried to stay a step ahead of them. After a few minutes, the police cruiser passed them and took an exit.
“Fuckin’ pig,” said Yusef. “It’s gonna be so good to watch them burn.”
Yusef had a smile on his face that wouldn’t go away. Robert knew it was not that he had out-smarted the cops. Yusef was seeing visions of destruction and adulation.
**********
Thomas tried not to let the empty passenger seat make him feel naked. Riding without a partner was like going to the prom alone. You felt unwanted and lonely.
The Tigers had stolen game two in Missouri and were now home with the series tied. Frank had some connections for tickets but it looked pretty dry out there.
He hated working nights alone. Thomas sat on a street doing nothing. He saw shady types but didn’t feel like hassling anyone. He just wanted the shift to end and then go home and sleep.
The police radio crackled and brought him back to the living.
“Unit requests back up... Twelfth Street near Clairmount,” the female voice was barely audible and there was a lot of static.”
“Copy,” said Thomas.
There was another blast of static and he heard the voice again. He knew the dispatcher on duty and so he spoke to her.
“Claire, your channel’s shitty tonight,” he said with a smirk.
There was no response as he drove off. The address he’d gotten was in a very bad area near the heart of where the riots were.
Thomas got to the area, a bleak, ravaged sector. He saw no other officers. He waited a moment, then got out of the cruiser and looked around. Nothing. He reached into the cruiser and grabbed the radio mic.
“Unit nine at scene, no officers in sight,” he said.
“Unit nine, clarify,” said the voice on the other end this time, it was crystal clear.
“You sent a back up request,” said Thomas, “but there’s no one here.”
“I didn’t send a request,” said the voice on the radio.
“You didn’t—-“
A shot rang out in the night, breaking the stillness wide open.
The windshield of the cruiser shattered.
Thomas fell to the ground but he wasn’t hit. He pulled his gun and reached for the radio mic, which dangled from the window of the cruiser.
“Shots fired! Shots fired!” he screamed as he scanned the area looking for the sniper.
Thomas opened the cruiser’s door and got behind it. He heard the dispatcher calling for back up as he continued to search for killers in the darkness.
He saw nothing and heard nothing. Then from somewhere, a dog barked and then stopped. The stillness loomed around him for several minutes. Thomas’ heart was pounding and he heard his owned strained breathing.
“They tried to kill me,” was all he could think of. First Ned and now it was his turn. They could not silence him with guilt or their fake nobility and so they tried to silence him the old fashioned way, just like Kennedy.
The stillness was cut by the sound of sirens. His heart slowed and he felt his confidence begin to return.
As the other units arrived, Thomas stood, lowering his weapon. This was totally against police procedure but he was no longer afraid of being shot.
He stood beside his cruiser waiting to answer the inevitable questions that would be asked. But he knew it would be to no avail. His assailant was gone.
**********
The rain had been coming down all day. Abraham and the grounds crew had worked overtime trying to keep the field playable and for the most part the
y’d done a good job. The team had lost the third game and now they might have to play in the mud in game four.
Abraham sat in the grounds keeper’s service area on a stool. He had his food and some cold beer. The team wasn’t doing well but he had a feeling things would turn around. After all that had occurred in the last year, they needed something good to happen in Detroit.
“He ain’t coming,” said a voice to Abraham’s right.
Abraham turned to see Otis Young, one of the other grounds keepers. He was a squat man with big arms and a bald head. His eyes gleamed and Abraham knew why.
“Go on Otis, my boy is coming.”
“They’re gettin’ ready to play the anthem! Let me sell his ticket”
“No,” said Abraham, “for the last time, no.” Normally, Robert could come to the game for free but during a World Series everyone had to have a ticket. Abraham had gotten one for him and left it at the gate.
“Do you know what I can get for that ticket, man? I told you I’d split it with you.”
Abraham turned, his face all business. “Me and my son have been seeing games all our lives. No matter what problems we might have, it ain’t bigger than the World Series. So, I don’t care if God and Jesus himself wants the ticket, I ain’t giving it up.”
Otis made a disgusted noise and walked off. Abraham turned and watched the players warming up. He said a silent prayer for the team and for all the broken things in his family’s life.
How did it come to this, he thought. He was young once, vital and could control his kids with one harsh look. Robert had always been a handful but even he was manageable back in the day.
He hoped the Army would change the boy, but that hadn’t happened. The only thing that could save Robert now was God and Robert had all but renounced Him.
Abraham heard footsteps behind him but he didn’t turn around. They came closer and still he didn’t move. He heard wood against the ground as another stool was pulled next to his and Robert sat down.
Abraham turned his head and looked at his son. Robert looked at his father and something like a smile played on his lips.
Robert turned and looked at the field like a kid at Christmas as the players returned to their respective sides.
Abraham said nothing. He turned to watch the game munching on a big bag of peanuts. He held them out to Robert who absently took some.
The national anthem began to play. Abraham stood and placed his hand over his heart. Robert just sat and waited.
**********
Linda and a woman named Ruth Smith, one of The Guard’s oldest members entered police headquarters with dread. They had been assigned to join a janitorial service some time back and now they were trusted faces. They headed into police headquarters through the rear, carrying a large box marked “clenser.”
They quickly went to the janitorial service area and grabbed a cart. The women carefully slid the box in the bottom of the cart and loaded other supplies onto it.
Ruth was a big woman with wide hips who was fond of braiding her hair. Others said it made her look too harsh but she said the look was from the Motherland and they could kiss her considerable ass.
“Wegottabe quick ‘boutdis,” said Ruth. She talked fast and had a habit of running words together.
“No doubt,” said Linda.
They rolled their service cart down a long hallway. The White cops and office staff walked by them oblivious, not speaking to or even noticing the two Negro women. They were invisible, just like Yusef said.
One of the wheels on the cart twisted and the whole thing turned into a wall with a thud.
The box containing the bomb dislodged and tipped out onto the floor.
Linda gave an audible gasp. For a second, they were both paralyzed with fear.
“Need some help?” asked a voice from behind them.
They looked around and saw a young Black officer. He was kind of handsome Linda would later remember.
“Oh no weokay,” said Ruth.
The young cop lingered on Linda. He was obviously interested in the pretty girl.
“Here, let me,” said the cop. And he bent and helped Ruth put the box back.
“Thank ya,” said Ruth.
“No problem,” said the cop. “Don’t think any of these other officers would ever help you.” Then to Linda, he said, “Do you talk?”
“Sometimes,” said Linda and she couldn’t help giving him a pleasing smile.
“See you around?” said the cop and it was a question to Linda filled with intent.
“Probably,” said Linda.
The cop moved on and Ruth pushed the cart back into the hallway.
“Why you gotta flirt wif da man?” asked Ruth angrily. “We supposed ta be invisible.”
“How did I know they had Black cops down here? I couldn’t just ignore him.”
“You needda turnit off sometimes,” said Ruth.
“We ain’t got time for your jealousy, old woman. Just do your job.”
“Ain’t nobody jealous of yo’ skinny behind.”
Linda bit her tongue. Black women like Ruth thought that anyone who was a normal size was skinny. You had to be some big ass heifer in Ruth’s mind.
Linda had several unkind things she could have said but she had visions of an argument and the bomb tipping out of the cart and killing them all. She glared at Ruth and said nothing.
Ruth pushed the cart around a corner. They made their way down another hallway and stopped to do some work according to the plan.
They cleaned several rooms and bathrooms, which always made Linda sick to her stomach. Men were such pigs, she thought. Finally, they made their way to a supply closet down another hallway and went inside.
Ruth and Linda entered and then quickly put on rubber gloves. Yusef had made sure everything on the bomb was wiped clean and that no one ever touched it with a bare hand.
They uncovered the bomb. It was heavy and they took care when they removed it. They had it halfway out when they heard a massive cheer and celebration outside the door.
“Guess they won” said Ruth.
“Who cares?” said Linda.
“I do,” said Ruth. “We down three games to two. I got money on this thang.”
**********
Thomas entered the precinct house and immediately his nerves jangled. He had taken some time off since the shooting incident but felt good enough to come back in. Officially, it was reported as an unidentified sniper.
Within the ranks, it was whispered to have been a militant group trying to kill a cop. Some even said it was retribution for something Ned and Thomas had done while partners.
But Thomas knew better. It was Brady and Reid at their worst.
Frank, Esther and Katie had rushed to the stationhouse to console him. Esther was near tears and Katie was as well. Frank was silent and had a concerned look on his face. He was too strong a man to show emotion even for something like this.
Thomas spent the night at his parents’ house. He lay in the bed and dreamed of better days. He closed his eyes and thought of innocence and complete families, of love and fulfilled desires.
He saw all the Riley men, the living and the dead, throwing the baseball around and making the soul-deep connection through the game.
Sarah read about the story in the newspaper and had rushed to meet Thomas. She was very concerned and seemed genuinely happy to see him. Thomas didn’t press her on anything of a personal nature and there was no kiss at the end, still he entertained notions of them being together again.
Thomas moved into the lobby of the precinct and found more people there than usual. There were even some women from the clerical staff.
Thomas waved at Dennison and headed for the lockers when he saw them all start clapping. His first thought was that something good had happened to the Tigers. The team needed to win the last two games in order to win the World Series. But the game wasn’t going to be on for hours, he thought.
Then he realized that the ovati
on was for him, for what had happened on the street, for facing the sniper alone. Thomas blushed visibly and couldn’t fight the smile forming on his lips.
He walked into the locker room and headed towards his locker.
Thomas saw Brady and Reid standing together. They looked at him and shared a laugh about something and then Brady looked at Thomas and winked. Or did he blink? It didn’t matter because as soon as he did it, Thomas launched himself at the pair.
Thomas now understood what it meant to “see red” because that’s just what happened. He had crossed the room before he knew it and grabbed Brady by the front of his shirt. He shoved Reid out of the way as the first punch sailed at Brady’s jaw. It caught him flush and dropped him.
A second later, Reid hit Thomas in the small of his back and Thomas dropped to one knee. Reid was about to deliver another blow when Thomas swung with his right arm and caught Reid in the groin. Reid toppled to the ground in a heap. The whole fight had lasted about twenty seconds.
Other officers scrambled over and broke up the attempts to keep fighting. In the end, no one would say how it started. They were all told to just cool down.
Thomas got a paid day off from the commander who didn’t like the fact that he was back to work so soon after the incident anyway.
Thomas left the precinct and drove to his father’s house. The streets were empty and the city looked deserted. Then he remembered that a game was coming on.
He found his father watching the game alone, sitting in front of the old black and white TV.
“No party this time?” he asked, sitting down.
“It’s at Donahue’s place,” said Frank.
Thomas was about to ask him why he hadn’t gone but Frank had one of those looks on his face that told him not to. Frank was brooding about something.
Thomas told Frank about the altercation at the station house and was surprised to find his father upset. He thought his Frank would be mad about the fact that he’d struck another officer but there was something else on his mind, something that had unsettled him.
Dark Town Redemption Page 22