Slipping Into Darkness by Maxine Thompson Read Free Book Online

and Goliath. Go with God.” Shirley hugged me. “I love you, Z.”
    â€œLove you too, Moochie.”
    I hugged her back and got up to leave. I barreled inside my garage apartment and threw on a pair of black jeans, a black T-shirt, and jacket. I packed my piece on my shoulder strap. I always felt safer on the streets with my pearl-handled Glock. I fed my ferret, Ben, and let him out his cage so he could be free to roam my studio apartment. I didn’t know how long this day was going to be. After our postprandial lovemaking session, I’d taken a long nap the afternoon before at Romero’s so that helped. I called Romero to tell him I wasn’t coming to spend the night at his place after all, and it went to his voice mail. I left a brief message.
    My thoughts turned back to my brother. I didn’t even have any childhood pictures of us together. Now I only had the image of Mayhem on my phone screen, eyes blackened and swollen. My eyes watered, but I bit my lip to keep from crying. Was I my brother’s keeper? I guessed I was.
    I tried to call the number Venita had given me for Tank, but I didn’t get an answer. There was no voice mail system set up, and I wouldn’t have left a message anyhow. I hung up, clearly shaken, but an invisible hand pushed me forward. It was four in the morning when I headed to Imperial Courts. It looked like it was going to be a long night.

Chapter Six
    Crossing the bridge into Imperial Courts in Watts, my hands felt clammy as I gripped the steering wheel and a dull thud stabbed me in my stomach. My intestines growled and felt all twisted up. My gut was saying that this was going to be dangerous. That wasn’t a good sign. My gut never lied.
    At first I felt this dropping sensation from my chest to my stomach, and then my heart went into a full throttle of arrhythmia. I did a series of deep breathing just to slow my heart rate down. My tae kwon do instructor, Mr. Wong, always said to breathe deeply before going into battle. I guessed I was going to have to go to war. Unfortunately, I didn’t know who the enemy was.
    I wanted to back out, but something compelled me forward. I knew my life would change if I even talked to Tank. Then I’d be committed, and once I was in, I’d be all the way in, even if it meant my death. Oh, no! My feelings flip-flopped. Hell naw. I was back to cussing again. I should turn this car around and go back home. I had too much to lose. I was just beginning to get a toehold on life again since I’d lost my police job. The PI jobs were coming in steadily where the good months carried me over the slow months.
    My mind stayed in a battle with the pros and cons of getting involved. Here I was even thinking about the new American Dream of becoming a reality show star. I didn’t need this drama in my life. But then, Mayhem’s blackened eyes would come back and haunt me all over again. No, I had to do whatever I could do within my power to help my brother. He was all I had of my siblings.
    I called Tank several times more to no avail. I started to turn back around, but my mind wouldn’t let me. Now I was curious and I was compelled to go forward. Where was Tank? Did he set my brother up? Wasn’t he supposed to be his lieutenant?
    What was going on? Why did Mayhem want me to go to Brazil? What could Tank tell me? I needed more information and the only way I could get it was to go see Tank.
    As I drove through the outhouse dark streets, I saw the differences from Baldwin Hills, less than twenty miles away. Graffiti marking different gang territories let me know on whose turf I was treading. Bullet holes left their marks on different walls, houses, and cars too.
    I realized that I was entering what was an entire subculture–the other America. I was born into it, but through a twist of fate, somewhat escaped it. After being raised in foster care from age nine, somewhere along the way, I decided I couldn’t