The Ex-Con

Chapter 24: Gotcha

Friday March 14th, 2008

6:30 p.m.

Tahime

I sat there laying in my bed just thinking about everything that I've been through and not only everything that I've been through with Maurice back in the day but I thought about everything that Roderick has been through with him in the present day and not only Roderick but I was also thinking about my son. He dragged my flesh and my blood, Angelo into this mess. Angelo had to deal with him and do his dirty work. Maurice knew what he was doing by bringing my son into the equation, he knew that that would lure me out. But Maurice knows me pretty well and I'm pretty sure he knows that what he's done will not go unanswered. The thing is though that this time I'm going to do it the right way and not the wrong way, because he would love nothing more than to see me back behind bars. I've been scouting his Hangouts over the past two weeks and seeing who he hangs around. He thinks he got me all figured out but I always got an ace up my sleeve. See Maurice knew that I was helping Roderick, and a few other people get away from him, I was trying to show them a better life and tell them to follow their dreams. Maurice knew what I was doing so he tried to stop me. He sent his goons to try and get me fired from school, from my job, he tried to stop me from getting paid and supporting myself so I could go and try to get back with him and run things but wasn't going down like that. He tried other underhanded tactics and this wasn't just over the past few weeks but the past few months. Maurice is never happy unless he knows he's trying to make somebody's life miserable. But that's going to stop tonight.

(Knocking on the door) "hey Tahime, it looks like you got a lot on your mind there a young man." Reggie said as he opened the door and peeked into the room.

"Yes sir, you know me. When it's something on my mind I like to come in and just lay down and take my mind off of it. You know what, I'll be honest with you...... I have been contemplating whether I should do this or not. I mean there are so many ways that this could go wrong. I mean I know I'm doing it for the right reasons because if I wasn't I mean I wouldn't be anything except a failure." I said. "I'm doing this for the kids and neighborhood and I just don't want to screw this up. These kids have a lot to live for they don't need to be involved with somebody like Maurice. Not at all."

"Well I'm going to tell you something Tahime, you are not doing anything wrong. You cannot doubt yourself because you are in the right and you're doing this the right way. You don't have the kids involved, you got some of Maurice's goons and they are as sick of him as you are and they want to see a change too. So don't doubt yourself because you're doing things the right way." And you're working with the police officers and that's always a good thing in a way, especially a situation like this because they want to take him down for a long time."

"But that's the thing, there is a kink in the armor. Maurice got some of the police officers on his payroll."

"That may be true but when it's time for those officers to get exposed they will, trust me. What's always done in the dark, WILL come to light." He came over to me and I got up, he gave me a hug. "Now you've come a long way within the past four to five months. I've seen a lot from you, things will work out, just trust me. Now go and meet Maurice & take him down." He gave me some keys. "Now look, here are some keys, in my garage I have a 1985 mustang you're probably like where I get it from, it was from my dad and I want you to have it." He said. "Now get dressed because you got changes to make."

6:45 p.m.

I got out of bed and I got dressed. I was nervous because things were about to go down that were out of my control, this might be one big blood bath, now I hope not but that's the way it looks. As I drove down to Maurice's place a lot of things ran through my mind and when I say a lot of things I meant a lot of things. Our past, me getting caught all those years back and him being the only one that got away, the past two decades in prison, Getting out and making a change in my life, and tonight, tonight all of that can be taken away in one fell swoop. I arrived at his place around 7:15 p.m. once I got my car, I walked up to the entrance and was escorted in by two of his goons. They took me through multiple corridors and passed a lot of rooms until we got to his office.

"I'm so tired of people meddling into my business. Ahhh Tahime, old buddy it is great to see you again." He smiled and said as I walked in. "Would you like to drink?" I could see it in his eyes, this was like a game to him. He really thinks he's going to walk away again. He smirked. "What you don't want to drink? You're not drinking man that remembered two decades ago. Man Tahime you don't remember those days? Those days of us drinking and getting high and running trains on these tricks?" He said. "Man those were the days. We were buck wild." He said laughing.

"Yeah I wasn't always like that. Hanging around you, trying to fit in. I ruined my life because of you and I've been two decades behind bars because of you. Maurice who you are in my life as of this moment is nothing but a thorn in my side. You were the one that got away. Me, Melvin, countless other people's lives were ruined because of you. And now you trying to do that to my flesh and blood, you got Angelo involved in your mess?" At this point I was fuming with anger I was beyond pissed. If I had a gun I would off this dude. But that's not the type of person I am.

"Awwww what's wrong? Are you angry Tahime? What do you want to hit me?" He said taunting me. "You know if you lay one hand on me you'll be dead before you even leave here. But you know what we can just forget about all of this. What can we do to make that happen? Do you want Angelo out? If so then he's out. Do you want Roderick out? Well then he's out too. They're nothing but replaceable. They mean nothing to me. All these niggas here are replaceable. They honestly have a little value to me. I can put new soldiers on the streets at any time and I can't be stopped and I won't be stopped if you think you're the guy to do it then you are dead wrong."

"Is that a challenge Maurice? Because as long as you've known me you know that I've never back down from a challenge." I smirked at him. "What will make me happy the most is getting you off these streets." I looked him dead in the eyes. "And that's exactly what's going to happen tonight."

Next thing I know I saw him reach for his gun and I lunged at him and tackled him and we began to fight, his boys came in and I grabbed the gun and popped them right in their kneecaps. And then I went back over to Maurice. He started running like the coward he is. "Get him boys!" I heard him say. Next thing I know four of his goons ran over to me, two of them I knew, Phil and Branson. They looked at me and then turned on the other two goons and shot them down.

"Come on, there's an exit through here. We'll cover you." Branson said. At this point there was no turning back.

"I thank y'all for this, I appreciate this."

"There's no problem sir." Phil said. "Now we got to get you over to that exit."

We could hear gunshots going off behind us. Bullets whizzed past us and we made it to the exit as all that was going on and I burst through the door and I was followed by Phil and Branson.

"Come on over here behind this dumpster." Said as me and Branson followed him. We duck behind the dumpster and waited for Maurice's boys, Phil had one side covered and Branson had the other side covered.

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Maurice

I knew Tahime wouldn't make this easy. I was going to have to get to him before he got to me. Because he's just as ruthless as I am I don't believe that he's a changed man. I could hear sirens in the distance as my running slowed down to brisk walking. As I headed down an alleyway I went to my escape car. I was about to get in my car but I heard a voice that I turned around.

"Same old Maurice." The guy said. When I turned around, I couldn't believe who it was.

"You? What are you doing here?"

He didn't say anything.

"You heard me talking to you, I said what are you doing here??" I said as I got close to him.

"Are you sure you want to get that close to me?"

"Well then answer my question damn it!! What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here?"

"You know what I should pop a cap in you!!"

"Damn why don't you do it why you just talking?"

Before I could take my gun out and took his out and put it right to my chest.

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As the sirens wailed in the distance gunshots rang out Maurice dropped dead. The person who killed him then disappeared into the night.

End Of Chapter 24