Corrupt City

by Tra Verdejo

  Everyone got quiet for a few seconds.

  The Colemans didn’t bother telling the minister about the money in the car that Lucky gave them.

  Kim was in a daze, thinking about the package Lucky left. She didn’t know if she should say something and didn’t see any harm in telling him about it. “Wait, I have something,” she said.

  Shocked she was withholding information from them as well, the Colemans quickly looked at her.

  “What is it?” Minister Muhammad asked.

  “Lucky said he would get in touch with us again.”

  “When? How soon?” he asked.

  “He didn’t say.”

  “He didn’t say, huh. Well, we’ll have to wait and see,” Minister Muhammad replied, knowing Kim was hiding information.

  “Oh, before I forget, you guys need to get ready. I have a reporter coming in about an hour to run this story. I guarantee you the mayor and police commissioner will bang their heads against the wall a few times. I will shake the city with this report. Hopefully it will work in our favor.”

  “That’s the thing, Minister, but what if it backfires and hurts our chances in court?” Laura asked.

  “I doubt it will. We clearly have foul play, and you guys should not be under surveillance like criminals. This is unacceptable, and we will take action. I don’t care if we have to march from City Hall all the way down to Washington, DC. We need to show our true character as a nation.”

  Chapter Seven

  The Media

  When Channel 5 News first came on at five o’clock in the morning, they reported the story on the early show. The news station titled the breaking news, “An Illegal Government Home Invasion.” The news reporter stated they would go live with an exclusive interview with the Colemans at eight o’clock in the morning right from their home, along with Minister Al Muhammad, and their civil lawyer, Joseph Anderson.

  The breaking news was the rush-hour gossip in all of the city’s public transportation. Everyone wanted to know what happened and who was responsible for the invasion of privacy. New Yorkers were very concerned. No one knew what was going on, but rumors were already circulating through the grapevine. Some were saying the Colemans’ house was broken into by a warrant squad looking for evidence that would damage Perry’s reputation. Others were saying the Colemans were being watched by the federal government as a precaution.

  People couldn’t wait until the exclusive interview at eight o’clock. New Yorkers crammed into every businessplace with a TV. Some didn’t care they were running late for work. They were not leaving their house until the interview was over. This case was real important to the people of NY. At this point, it didn’t matter the color or gender of those involved. New Yorkers had had enough. A few were even calling for the resignation of the mayor and police commissioner.

  Back at Captain Tuna’s place, The Watcherz were still waiting to hear from Tuna or Loose. Around seven forty-five in the morning, Speedy zoomed in through the front door.

  “Oh my God! Did you guys see the news? Where’s the captain and Loose?”

  “They are still on the fourth floor. They had a party, and the girls are still in there. We tried calling and knocking on the front door, but we didn’t get an answer. We called you last night as well, but you slammed the phone on my ear.”

  Speedy raced downstairs and started banging on the door as hard as he could. He couldn’t believe their whole operation was just shut down and the captain and Loose were in there celebrating like it was New Year’s.

  After about thirty seconds of banging, Loose Cannon finally opened the door. “Speedy, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you banging on the door so early? Where the fuck is your key?”

  “Where’s the captain? We have a fuckin’ situation upstairs that needs immediate attention. Tell the bitches the party is over, and meet me upstairs in five minutes.”

  Speedy looked at Loose then looked at the naked girls passed out on the floor. He just walked away in disgust.

  Loose knew it was a serious situation.

  The captain woke up when he heard Speedy’s loud voice. He turned over and asked what happened.

  “I don’t know, Cap, but we better get upstairs in five minutes before he comes back down here. He also said get rid of the girls.”

  “Get rid of the girls? They could wait down here. I’m not sending these pretty bitches back today. I’m paying for another night.”

  “I don’t blame you. I had the time of my life last night, but I think you should get rid of them. I got a funny feeling we won’t have time. You should have seen his eyes. I haven’t seen him that spooked since our rookie years.”

  The captain was shocked to hear Loose agree with Speedy. He knew it was serious, so he told the girls to leave. They slowly made their way upstairs.

  Speedy was waiting for them at the top of the staircase. “Hurry. We only got two minutes before show-time.”

  They both looked at each other, not knowing what to expect. When they entered the apartment, Tuna quickly noticed all the monitors were blank. The power was on, but the screens were pitch-black.

  “Why are the monitors blank? What the fuck is going on? Why are you guys sitting in front of the TV?” Tuna asked Speedy and The Watcherz.

  “The Watcherz tried calling you last night. They even banged on the door. Pull up a seat, the both of you. Watch the news and see why those monitors are blank. Laura Coleman has an exclusive interview coming up.”

  “What!” the captain yelled.

  “They are calling it ‘the home invasion,’ or some shit like that.”

  “This can’t be fuckin’ happening right now!” Tuna yelled as he got up and threw a metal stool right through one of the big-screen monitors worth ten thousand dollars.

  Loose tried to spit a few words out, but Tuna quickly rejected him.

  “Shut the fuck up! Not right now! This right here, gentlemen, this interview, is about to send our asses to jail. I don’t need to see the interview. If the monitors are blank, and the news is calling it a home invasion, then the Black bitch must have found our cameras.”

  “Let’s hear what she has to say first. Once she finishes her interview, we will know what they’re working with. Then we could figure out a plan. We’re in this together,” Speedy said, walking up and embracing his boss.

  “I’m calm. Turn the TV up, and someone please find me a beer. Better yet, some fuckin’ vodka. I got a feeling this interview will be a historic disaster for us, but a celebration for all niggers. I will bet you one million dollars that fuckin’ scumbag, Minister Al Muhammad, is planning a rally.”

  “SHHHH! It’s on, Cap. Here we go,” Speedy said, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

  Everyone was quiet and sitting still, except Tuna, who was the only one standing. He was about to watch an interview that would almost guarantee a guilty verdict in his court case. His heart was pounding, and his knees were shaking. The anticipation would have given any man a heart attack. They weren’t the only ones watching. The whole New York City was. Plus, it was being broadcast via Internet as well.

  Lucky was also up watching from his bed, sipping coffee, a smirk on his face. As the interview was about to start, he shook Diamond awake.

  “Get up, baby. C’mon before you miss it. Get up.”

  “I’m up. My eyes are open. Turn the volume up,” she replied in a low, grumpy voice

  “Good morning, my name is Destine Diaz from WBZT Channel 5 News. Today, I have an exclusive interview with the mother of Perry Coleman. Perry was gunned down by three New York detectives. We have some new disturbing allegations made by the Colemans’ family lawyer, alleging that the their house and vehicles were illegally bugged by surveillance cameras and listening devices. Hear for yourself as we roll the tape.”

  The media did an excellent job in attracting the public attention through fear. This was the way to sell ratings and newspapers, coming up with catchy titles that would attract attention. By using words like illeg
al and invasion, the media sparked the attention they needed. The media still couldn’t be trusted, but it couldn’t be ignored either. The media’s best attribute was their backstabbing motives and sneaky ways. All they cared about was ratings, but many felt they were still manipulated by politics.

  Five seconds after the reporter said roll the tape, TV screens across the tri-state area went blank for three to four seconds, and then the weather guy came on with the forecast. While Blacks and Hispanics already knew the deal, a lot of White people didn’t and were puzzled.

  Meanwhile, the captain, Loose, and Speedy were all celebrating and whipping the shit out their asses. They knew they were still in deep trouble, but happy the media didn’t air the interview.

  Once the mayor got word of the interview, he called up Eric Macintosh, the station’s CEO, and his golfing buddy.

  “Hello,” Eric said, on the way to his office.

  “It’s me, Ralph.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Mayor. To what do I owe the pleasure of you calling early this morning?”

  “I need a favor, and I need it in ten minutes.”

  “Let me guess. This has to do with the interview airing at eight in the morning?”

  “You know about it and you’re letting it air?”

  “Calm down, old friend. I received about four phone calls already. You know I don’t screen every report. But don’t worry, I already made some phones calls, and it won’t air.”

  “Thank you. I owe you one.”

  “You bet you do.”

  “Damn, Captain! We are untouchable. Once these charges get dropped, I’ll bet you, we all will get promotions. I love being a cop, I love it,” Loose said.

  “Let’s not get too excited. I’m pretty sure a lot more heat is coming our way,” Speedy said.

  “Don’t worry. They will do what they always do—yell and yell. Loose is right. Once these charges are dropped, things will get better.”

  All three of them went down to the fourth floor. They wanted to relax and wait for the call. They knew the commissioner would either call or request a sit-down.

  While they went downstairs, The Watcherz resumed their hunt for Lucky.

  Lucky was in his bedroom doing exercises. He wasn’t surprised that the network pulled the interview. Two corrupt moguls, the media and the government, pulled another fast one on the community. Lucky had bigger issues to worry about. His identity was back at risk once he showed his face in that courtroom.

  He turned the TV off and continued working out, listening to music, and acting as nothing happened. He couldn’t be rattled.

  The real drama was taking place back at the Coleman residence, where Minister Muhammad quickly started making calls and trying to set up a press conference with independent outlets.

  “I can’t believe what we all just witnessed. White America just made a mockery of us. Brother Perry and Sister Laura, I apologize for this pain not going away. It just keeps pounding harder and harder. In the name of Allah, we will get justice, by all means,” the minister preached.

  “Well, I don’t care who or which God, Allah, Jesus, Jah, whomever. We need closure, and it seems like we won’t find it,” Laura said.

  “I understand, Sister. That’s why we won’t stop. We can’t quit. At the press conference, we will tell the truth to the city. Trust me, the people want to know. Several media outlets will show up. Are you ready to start fighting back?” Minister Muhammad extended his hand to her.

  She grabbed his hand and told him, “Yes, I’m ready.”

  When 10:00 a.m. came around, there were at least eight media outlets outside the Coleman residence. Laura, Perry, Kim, and the minister were all standing on the porch.

  Laura took the center stage and told the world about the hidden cameras and microphones found in their home and cars. “We don’t know how long the government has been watching us, but we discovered these devices last night. Donald ‘Lucky’ Gibson made us aware of the hidden show taking place in my home.”

  Reporters quickly began hounding Laura with questions, but Minister Muhammad stood up and said, “Please, ladies and gentlemen, one at a time, or your questions will go unanswered. We are here to talk. We will get to everyone’s questions, but please, one at a time.”

  “Laura, hi. My name is Angela Stile. I’m with BETV Channel 20 News. Did you just say Donald Gibson, the police officer who testified in court, made you aware of the surveillance taking place in your home?”

  “Yes, that is correct.”

  “Laura, hi. Channel 4 NBZ Prime Time. Let me ask you this—Are you sure the government is behind this?”

  “Donald stated, the police officers who are on trial for killing my son are the same ones watching us.”

  “So it’s not the Government, but these three police officers, correct?” the reporter shot back.

  “Let me jump in here,” the minister said. “When Laura called me out my bed and told me about the hidden cameras, I called in my very own friend, an ex-Navy SEAL who, for over ten years, specialized in surveillance tactics. He indicated the gadgets were top-of-the-line equipment. If these three cops are responsible, then they must be receiving federal help because the equipment we found is very expensive in the black market.”

  “So you don’t know who’s behind it?” another reporter asked.

  “No, we don’t. That’s why we called this press conference. We wanted to share this with all New Yorkers and let them know how your privacy could be invaded. We are not pointing fingers, but these three officers and the police department are on the top of our list of suspects. We will launch our own investigation.”

  After a few more rounds of questioning the Colemans realized the media was out there trying to downplay the involvement of the government and police department. Minister Muhammad picked up on the media’s intention and ended the press conference without warning. He had his FOI security escort everyone off the Colemans’ front lawn.

  Inside the house, Laura was having a nervous breakdown. The poor lady had had enough. Her baby boy got killed by police officers drunk and high off cocaine, and the whole system was against her. Now the media, which she thought was her only hope of spreading the truth, was turning against her as well. She was on the floor, kicking and yelling like a four-year-old child.

  “Why? Why, Jesus? You don’t need him up there. I need him. Please, bring my baby back. Why did You have to take him? Take me instead. I lived my life already.”

  Kim attempted to console Laura, but Perry Sr. stopped her.

  “Let her be. Just let her be. This is the first time she has cried like this since our son was murdered. Just let her get it out of her system.”

  Kim held her ground but couldn’t stand there and watch. She grabbed little Perry and went upstairs. Minister Muhammad and his people walked to the kitchen area.

  Once Perry Sr. noticed everyone was gone, he approached his wife. “Just let it out, baby. I’m right here when you’re ready for comfort.”

  Laura looked up at her husband, wiped her eyes, and hugged him like it was her last hug.

  “I just want my baby back, that’s all. I want him back.”

  “Come here, sweetheart,” Perry said as he hugged his wife.

  They both sat on their sofa crying together, rocking back and forth. They asked the minister to leave because they were tired and wanted to be left alone.

  The minister left a few bodyguards behind before leaving. Then Laura and Perry Sr. went upstairs to their bedroom to catch up on their rest. The rest of the day went pretty quiet, which was exactly how they wanted it to be.

  The captain, Loose Cannon, and Speedy kept it quiet for the night as well. For the first time ever, they finally realized they needed to keep a low profile.

  The next morning, Diamond went out to the front door to pick up the paper, routine for her every morning around seven. She would brew coffee and get the newspaper.

  Lucky would head down to the basement and go over his video footage from the nigh
t before.

  This morning was a little different. Diamond was shocked when she saw the front page. She quickly ran down to the basement, calling out Lucky’s name. “Baby, you are not going to believe this. Here, check the front page of the newspaper.”

  Lucky grabbed the paper and stared at Diamond for a few seconds. He was hoping he could read her eyes before looking at the paper. He couldn’t read her eyes, but knew by her facial expression it was bad. When he finally looked at it, he laughed.

  “Those dirty muthafuckas,” he said, laughing.

  “That’s all you have to say, Lucky? I don’t understand.”

  “There’s nothing I could do about this. Now it’s time to think about leaving. This will bring a lot of pressure our way. As a matter of fact, let me finish watching these tapes from last night. You start packing your shit.”

  “But, Lucky.”

  “But nothing.”

  Diamond walked away upset. She didn’t understand why Lucky wasn’t upset about his face being on the front page of the most popular paper in the city. The headline read: NYPD issues warrant for Lucky’s arrest in connection with bugging the Colemans’ residence.

  Diamond went upstairs to pack, but she turned on the TV first. Lucky’s face was on every channel. She turned the TV off in disgust and started packing. Things were moving too fast for Diamond. She sat on the edge of the bed to catch her breath. She was scared to death. She knew her life would be in jeopardy if she left with Lucky.

  Actually, for the first time ever, she thought about staying behind and leaving him. But her love for him was too strong, and she wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of her man. Whenever she was in doubt about her love for him, she always thought about the first night she’d met him and how he saved her life. Not only did he save her life, he gave her hope and a new beginning. He’d always treated her like a lady, and she knew he was in love with her. She also respected the fact that he waited until she was twenty-one years old to have sex. She didn’t care about the age difference between them. They were in love with each other, so it was a no-brainer. She decided to roll with him. She didn’t even know why she second-guessed herself.