Break Out

Chapter Four

"Monae I'm a grown ass man! If I want to go out then that's what I'm gon do!" I yelled.

"Babe I know that but I need you to listen to me-"

"Fuck that! I haven't left this damn place in weeks! I don't know where I am, what's going on, who half these people are! Somebody better start giving me some damn answers!"

"T, I already told you what happened-"

"A damn lie is what you told me!" I slammed my hand down on the table. Nothing was adding up anymore. And to make it worse, the same face keeps haunting me. In my thoughts, my dreams, she's everywhere.

"Please just calm down," she sighed. "I-I'll take you out."

"I don't need a fucking baby sitter. I can go alone."

***

Kehlani "Queen" Jackson
I burst through the office door, spotting X almost immediately. "X."

"Come here," he said. He sat a computer on the desk and pressed play. It looked like surveillance footage from a street camera. Our connections must have come through for us. X fast forwarded through most of it until we got to one part where there was a car parked out front of a grocery store. He slowed it down as the car door flung open, and out stepped a large man. The man that I've come to know.

"Twain," I whispered. "Where is this?"

"Aldi's on Lincoln Boulevard. And I can do you one better. We can get the license plate number and figure out where the car came from."

"How long ago was he there?"

"This time frame says he was there around 8 p.m. So almost five hours ago," he sighed.

"Well do you think if I took a ride over there there'd be anybody who might've seen him?"

"It's a stretch Kehlani-"

"I'll take it. Get me a location on that car. Now." I walked out the door, hopped in my car, and sped off to get some answers.

Once I arrived at Aldi's I got out the car and locked it. I walked inside straight to the managers office and knocked. The door opened and a large man stepped out and closed the door behind him. "Can I help you?"

"Designer dime bags," I said. He nodded and moved aside to let me in. This particular store has had its share in the game. When I used to work the corners I would come here for anything. Just like a lot of the other kids working these streets. I've known the owner, Mario, since I started working for the Empire. "Mario."

"Delicious is that you? How you been girl," he smiled and gave me a hug. Mario was one of the realest I know and he always has information.

"I need your help Mar."

"Anything for my favorite girl. Watchu need?"

"Information. A few hours ago, a guy driving a 2008 Dodge Avenger came here. Tall, light brown skin-"

"This dude?" He pulled up the security footage and picked out Twain. "Yeah that's King. Him and some chick came up in here. I've known him for a while. But when I spoke he acted like he didn't know a nigga. And the bitch that was with him was lookin real scared that he knew me."

"Mar I need your help. I'm helping run the Empire because King has no memory of anything. That's why he didn't know who you were. Did you see what direction they went in when they left? I'm gonna leave you my number. Please call me if he comes back," I begged and scribbled my cell number onto a piece of paper. "And keep this between us. Please."