by Tra Verdejo
“I’m going to make a few announcements. I’m not taking any questions, not today. I just want to let my fellow New Yorkers know that we are not sitting back and accepting any more damaging allegations. We will get rid of the poison and move forward. Those officers and city officials who acted unlawfully will have their date in court. I’m not just moving my lips. I’m a man of my word.
“I have also granted the release of two young men who were wrongly accused and jailed for many, many years. I’m referring to Rell Davis and Juan Medina. All charges against Rell Davis will be dropped, and Juan Medina will receive a new trial. I have a meeting with District Attorney Johnson in regard to the Perry Coleman case. The rumors that the trial was getting moved to another county were just rumors.
“We have some other things to further investigate, which I will comment on at a later date. I also want to look into this Wiggins family incident and revisit all the evidence against the cardinal. But, most importantly, we need to capture former officer Donald Gibson and bring him to justice as well. I’m officially placing Donald on the top of the list of the most wanted criminals in New York. I do understand the courageous act he is displaying, but let’s not forget he also incriminated himself. We also have reason to believe he was behind the shooting in Cape Cod.
“I want to thank everyone who came out. I will hold another press conference soon, when I will answer questions and concerns, but right now I have a ton of work waiting for me.”
After the governor’s press conference, the City of New York, for the first time in a long time, felt there was hope in the air. They believed their governor was genuine and spoke from the heart, not a scripted message.
When Brandon and Tuna heard the press conference on the car radio, they were devastated, and so was every other cop in the city. They felt betrayed.
“Damn! Did the governor screw us live on TV?” Tuna asked.
“I think he just did. We’re on our own. We have two choices, run or face the music.”
“How much time are we looking at? It can’t be much. I think we should still find Lucky and have him confess. That will help us a lot. I don’t like the idea of running. At least in jail I will get a chance to see my family,” Tuna said.
“I really don’t know. I’m forty-eight years old. I’m too old to go to jail. If I’m thrown in jail for these charges, once I make bail, I’m hitting splitsville.”
They both started laughing, but they both knew they were screwed. Tuna kept thinking about his family. He knew his wife had to be hysterical back at the house if she saw the press conference.
Brandon kept his poker face on as well, but he knew his only option to escape was suicide. That’s what he meant by splitsville. His last hope was the tip about Lucky. Once he heard the new intel, he would make his decision then about whether to face the music or the barrel of his gun.
The Colemans were excited when they heard the press conference. They started thinking, maybe they would get justice for their son’s murder. To hear the governor say it live on television that the location for the new trial would not change gave them some relief. They were all in tears.
“Thank God,” Laura said. “Our prayers have been answered.”
While all this drama was taking place in New York, Lucky was still driving down I-95 on his way to Atlanta, Georgia. He had no clue any of this was going on. He told Tasha to pull out his laptop and see if she could get a signal for the Internet.
“Why do you want the Internet? You are driving, babe.”
“I know, but I want you to check the news to see what else they’re saying about the shooting. I’m sure they’re blaming everything on me. I was waiting for Tamika to fall asleep.”
“Boy, you never stop working,” she said as she was logging on.
To their surprise, they couldn’t believe all that had taken place in the past few hours. They first played back Destine Diaz’s news report from the morning news, and then they heard the governor’s press conference.
“Damn! I don’t think I need to go back and show my face. It looks like they believe everything I sent. My plan worked to perfection.”
“So does that mean you’re not leaving us?”
“Well, I still have to go up to New York, but only to empty out my storage unit.”
“Can you just forget about whatever is up there? I have enough money to buy us a house and maybe start our own little business.”
“Sweetheart, we’re talking close to five millions dollars. I’m not walking away from that. But, don’t worry, it will be an in-and-out situation. I’m not grabbing anything else, just the money. I’m even leaving my truck behind.”
“Okay, I understand. I wouldn’t leave five millions dollars behind either. But, baby, can you just wait a few days? Maybe a week or two? We have enough money to rent the villa until we’re ready to buy. You don’t need to run up there right now. Let the heat cool down. You heard the governor say they’ve made you the number one most wanted criminal in New York.”
“Baby, I don’t want to wait. I want to close this part of my life. This type of situation will haunt us forever. I don’t want to settle in Atlanta then have to move again. Once we get to Atlanta, I will chill for a few hours, catch my rest, and then I’m off to New York.”
“That’s too quick. You’re going to need more than a few hours of rest. I understand you need to get up there as soon as possible, but please get some rest.”
“My bad. I’m just hyped. This kind of drama excites me. They’re falling right into my trap. I’m glad to hear the Perry trial won’t be moved. You are right, baby. I will get my rest before I bounce. As a matter of fact, let me start now. I’m pulling over at the next exit, and we’ll switch spots. You could drive through Maryland and Virginia.”
“I might as well drive the rest of the way. You are so crazy, boy. I don’t have any problems with driving, I know you’re tired.”
Chapter Fifteen
The Final Tip
Tuna and Brandon were just arriving downtown, to Fifty-ninth Street and Third Avenue.
Brandon made a five-second phone call. All he said was, “I’m outside.” He turned to Tuna. “I just called my second cousin’s son. He was the one who called me about the new tip on Lucky.”
“You trust our future on your kid cousin? You can’t be serious.”
“Let’s just hear what he has to say. His job is to answer incoming calls off the crime tip hotline. He gets the information before we do.”
“Well, I hope we’re not wasting our fuckin’ time.”
They waited for about five minutes for Brandon’s little cousin, Roy Fratt, who appeared to be very nervous when he showed up.
Brandon made the introductions. “This is Tuna. Tuna, this is my little cousin, Roy.”
They shook hands.
“Okay, listen, Brandon, let’s walk up two blocks to McDonald’s.”
“Sure. No problem, kid. You look nervous. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just a little shaken up, that’s all. Let’s hurry before someone from my job sees me talking to you.”
“I understand, but I hope you’re not wasting my time.”
As they walked two blocks to the McDonald’s, Tuna and Roy made small talk about the Yankees and the Mets. Tuna was trying to help Roy relax. When they arrived inside, they all headed straight to the bathroom.
After checking to make sure no one was inside, Tuna placed his left foot by the door to block anyone from entering.
“Okay, Roy, what do you have for me?” Brandon asked.
“Last night I received a call about a storage unit in the Bronx that is used by kingpins to hide drugs and money. At first, I was going to ignore the call, but when they mentioned that Donald Gibson is a silent partner, I sat up on my seat and took down all the information. Here is the recorded conversation on disc, as well as the tipster’s name and phone number.”
Tuna and Brandon couldn’t believe how easily this information just fell on their lap.
>
“Little cousin, this is fuckin’ great. The whole conversation is on this tape?”
“Good job, Roy,” Tuna added.
“There’s more shit on that tape that you need to hear. Well, fellas, this is the end of the road for me. Bathroom meeting is over,” a confident Roy said.
Tuna and Brandon waited a few seconds before walking out after Roy. They almost ran back to the car. They couldn’t wait to play the CD and hear the call.
As they were walking, a white van with dark-tinted windows pulled up beside them. The side door opened, and two armed men with M16 rifles jumped out, wearing SWAT team patches on their arms and federal badges hanging from their necks.
Tuna and Brandon didn’t have time to react or reach for their weapons, but they were relieved it was FBI and not Lucky. Tuna and Brandon were forced in the van and ordered to sit still. The two armed men sat behind them, aiming their rifles.
The men drove toward First Avenue and jumped on the FDR north toward Spanish Harlem.
While they were driving, Tuna asked, “Where are we going? And are you really the feds?”
One of the armed men tapped Tuna with the barrel of his gun and told him to shut up.
When Tuna turned around to ask why he needed to shut up, the armed officer cocked back his weapon. “I’m not going to repeat myself. Please, shut the fuck up.”
“C’mon, Tuna, just turn around and listen to their commands,” Brandon told him. “If they wanted us dead, we would be.”
After a ten-minute drive, they arrived on 100th Street and First Avenue. The driver parked the van, and the passenger up front, the only one wearing a three-piece suit, turned around and started speaking.
“My name is Special Agent. I don’t give a fuck, but everyone calls me Mr. Asshole. Personally, I’d rather play with my dog’s shit than to work with dirty cops. We were ordered to help you eliminate the target. Hand over the CD, and let’s see what this tip is all about.”
“How the fuck you know about the CD? And why the fuck you couldn’t just introduce yourself? What’s up with the whole kidnapping scenario?” an angry Tuna asked.
“We’ve been following you ever since the Cape Cod shooting. When one of our agents gets murdered, we move quickly, unlike the NYPD. The kidnapping thing was just for fun.”
“Hey, listen, asshole, enough with the insults and jokes,” Tuna shot back.
“Just hand over the CD, sit back and relax, and see why we are the FBI.”
Brandon handed the CD to them and asked if he could talk to Tuna outside the van. At first, Mr. Asshole was hesitant, but since he had the CD in his hand, he figured there was no risk, so he agreed.
Brandon just wanted to make sure Tuna understood his options. “Listen, Tuna, I know you’re used to running your own team and being in charge, but right now, today, you no longer have that luxury. We’re in no position to be turning down help. I hate working with the FBI, but they have the manpower and connections to capture him a lot quicker. Let’s get back in this van and remember our number one target is Lucky, not Mr. Asshole.”
“Okay, I understand where you coming from.”
When they went back in the van, Mr. Asshole said, “Hey, listen, let’s start over. My name is Fred McCarthy, not Mr. Asshole, although I could be one at times. I will be honest. I don’t want to be here working on this mission, but I am. So let’s make the best of it. Let’s get this muthafucka and cut his head off. By the way, where is your other partner?”
“Now we are talking. Hey, no worries. I understand why you don’t want to be here. Right now, I’m at your mercy. The commissioner too. All the help will be greatly appreciated. Speedy, he’s at home, depressed. I will call him after we listen to the tape and bring him up to speed.”
Lucky was getting ready to leave for New York. He didn’t listen to his own advice about resting. He kissed his daughter and told her, “I love you, baby girl. Keep taking care of your mommy for me. I will be right back.”
“Are you sure, Daddy?” Tamika replied. “Please come back.”
Lucky turned to Tasha and kissed and hugged her as well. “I will see you real soon, sweetheart. Trust me, nothing will happen to me. I will be in and out.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, baby, I promise. Get with your friend and start looking at houses.”
As Lucky was driving up to New York in Tasha’s car, he kept thinking about his last conversation with Tasha. It was almost exactly like the one he had with Diamond. He’d lied to Diamond, but he wasn’t lying to Tasha.
He started thinking about Diamond and how much he missed her. He was thinking about stopping by to visit her in Maryland on his way up to New York. He wanted to, but he knew that was a bad idea. If he stopped and visited, she would try to keep him there for a few days, which he didn’t have to spare. But he missed her so much, the risk was worth taking. He had a lot of hours to debate on whether to stop by the house or not. Diamond was the type of broad any man would want to marry. It was just so hard to walk away from a lady with a full package.
Lucky rarely second-guessed himself, but the more he thought about Diamond, the harder his dick got. That’s when he realized it was all a sex thing. He loved how she fucked and fed him, but he needed more. And that’s where Tasha came in the picture.
He refocused himself and started thinking about the mission ahead. He was going to need help.
Once he touched New York, he would stop by and holler at Divine and his two boys. He always liked how they operated. He thought it was finally time to give them another shot.
After a few hours went by, Lucky was hitting North Carolina. Those thoughts about visiting Diamond were coming back to his head. He was able to keep shaking them off, but he decided on his way back to Atlanta he would stop by to see her and also come clean about his decision.
As Lucky was driving up, his old partners were regrouping at a new hideout in the Bronx. Captain Tuna called Speedy and gave him the address. When Speedy arrived, he didn’t know what was going on.
“Speedy, I’m glad you made it. My name is Special Agent Fred McCarthy, and we are with the FBI.”
“I could see that, but what the fuck is going on here?”
“I will let your captain explain.”
“They are here to help us find Lucky.”
“But didn’t the last two agents we met also imply they were here to help? Now, Loose Cannon is dead.”
“Speedy, these guys are not dirty. We have a recording. A call came in where a caller told us about a storage facility in the Bronx where they believe Lucky is storing his money. We finally got him, Speedy. We finally got him. We have the address, but we were waiting for you to arrive. Are you okay? Two days ago you couldn’t stomach this shit anymore. I need to know if I can still trust you with my life.”
“Hell yeah, I’m okay. I’m back, Captain. Can I hear the tape and make sure it’s not another setup? Remember how he fooled us in Central Park?”
“You’re right, Speedy. I was so caught up in the moment, I forgot how he fooled us before. C’mon, let’s go to the other room and play back the CD.”
Speedy was still very skeptical about the whole tip. Knowing Lucky, he was just setting them up once again. He went into the room with his mind already made up. He sat down next to Tuna and listened.
“Thank you for calling crime tips. My name is Roy Fratt. How can I help you?”
“Hello. My name is Diamond. I have some information for those cops that are on trial for shooting the unarmed Black kid.”
“Okay, Diamond, I’m familiar with the case. What kind of information do you have?”
“Well, the kind that can help you find Donald ‘Lucky’ Gibson. He keeps his money in a storage facility in the Bronx, actually off Gun Hill Road, called Put-It-Away. Lucky is a silent partner, and the owner is one of his childhood friends.”
“How can we make sure you’re not pulling my leg? We get all kinds of calls coming in through here.”
“I’
m not lying. I’m the girl that everyone thought was shot and killed in front of that police station in Harlem. That was all a setup. If you want to find Lucky, then watch the storage facility. He will pop up. He has a few million dollars hidden in there. In fact, all types of high-profile drug lords stash their money and drugs at this location.”
“Okay. I will pass this information over. In the meantime, do you have a callback number?”
“Yes, it’s 347-555-1212. My real name is Tracey Sanders. Please call me back because I’m going to need protection. I’m on my way to New York.”
“Can I ask why you are coming forward with all this information?”
“Let me ask you something first, Roy. Do you have a wife or a girlfriend that you love?”
“Yes, I do. I’ve been married for five years now.”
“Well, always treat her right. You don’t have to be loyal, just treat her right. Don’t ever lie or misguide her because one day she will wake up and smell the bullshit. This muthafucka thinks I’m stupid. He buys me a house in some hick-ass town and gives me all this money. I know why. Because he’s not coming back. He abandoned me. Payback is a bitch.”
“Point well taken. Well, I’m glad you called. Lucky is number one on the most wanted list. I will have someone call you back to arrange protection.”
“Thank you.”
Tuna got up and turned the CD player off. He said, “So, Speedy, talk to me. Is it legit?”
“Wow! I don’t know, but it sounds real. I guess the only way to really tell if she’s telling the truth is to, one, check out the storage place, and two, run her name. She said Tracey Sanders. Also, did anyone try calling the number she left?”
“We tried calling, but she gave us a bogus number,” Tuna replied.