Out a Order Read Online Free PDF

voice droned on.
    A small coffin sat in a circle draped with flowers. Inside, one tiny child rested alone in darkness. All sound and life had ceased to exist for her.
    The minister was saying, “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.”
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    Dressed down in a sharp-looking black suit, Spence cruised up behind some tombstones. He raised his rifle with the scope once again.
    This time he would take Rico out.
    Spence centered Rico in the hairs of his scope. He had the shot. He took it. Automatic gunfire split the air. Spence tumbled backward. Rico and his crew were armed and ready. Their guns clicked quickly into place. The mourners ran and screamed.
    Tawney fell across the top of her daughter’s coffin. Shannon looked wildly around trying to spot the gunmen. Shots were still being fired. He threw Marcus to the ground and pulled Tawney off the coffin, throwing his body on top of her.
    When the shooting stopped, Shannon looked up to see Eight Ball standing in front of him with the body of Spence, dripping with blood. There was a gaping hole in the middle of his forehead.
    Eight Ball dropped the body into the fresh grave that had been dug for Jasmine. He stood staring at Shannon. Just as quickly as Eight Ball appeared, he was ghost, he disappeared, leaving a stunned Shannon on his knees beside his daughter’s coffin.
    Cars and Jeeps revved up, rolling out of the cemetery. Temaine shouted out of the car at Shannon, “We take care of our own, Mr. Davenport!” The car careened away, spraying dirt and gravel in its wake.
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    That night Tawney sat in the corner of her bedroom with her knees pulled up to her chin. The bedroom was decorated with warm muted colors, but she drew no comfort from a room she had once taken great pride in. Her eyes were blank and slightly unfocused.
    Shannon got up from the bed. He wandered to the window. He lit a cigarette. “Tawney, we need to talk.”
    Tawney shot him a cold stare. “About?”
    â€œAbout? How can you ask me that? Damn it, Tawney, this is not my fault. Jasmine was my daughter too.”
    Tawney jumped to her feet. “And you think the way to vindicate her death is to resort to your old ways?”
    She snapped her fingers. “Just like that, justice is served.”
    Shannon narrowed his eyes. His voice was dangerously low. “What are you talking about, Tawney?”
    â€œI’m talking about that disgusting little play of power that was acted out at my daughter’s funeral. It’s not bad enough that I lost my baby, is it, Shannon? Nope. That’s not the hell enough. I also have to be subjected to a bunch of petty-ass street gangsters who think that they are the law.”
    â€œLet me tell you something. That’s why I work every day, because I want to get out. I thought you did too. But I was wrong, wasn’t I? Tell me I’m not wrong, damn you.”
    Shannon said nothing.
    â€œAre you listening to me? People are afraid to go out after dark. Old people are scared to go to the store. In downtown Newark you can be shot just for being down there too late.”
    â€œYou think I enjoy driving past corners, when I come home at night, filled with angry young black men who would just as soon hurt me, shoot me, and rob me as look at me? No. I’ll tell you, I don’t enjoy that at all. That’s why I was trying to get out. But you don’t care. Do you? This is your stomping ground. You’ve been lying to me. You don’t care about getting out.”
    Tawney panted. She was in deep.
    She shook her head. “You’re afraid of the real world, Shannon. Why don’t you just admit it? But you know what? You can just stay in this hellhole with them and think about how they cost you your daughter.”
    Shannon nodded at her logic. “This is my world, Tawney. And nobody is going to run me out of it. As for your world, it’s a fantasy. All in your head.” He pointed to his