Slipping Into Darkness Read Online Free PDF

where either one of the two undercover cops–Flag, my ex, or Anderson, his partner-in-crime–had shot me always told the truth. Or, maybe I should say, my old wound never lied. It was going to rain sometime soon. That I knew for sure. If not tonight, by tomorrow for sure. My old wound was like an internal weather barometer.
    At a loss as to what to do, I tottered over to Melrose Boulevard, ignoring how my feet hurt in the Prada heels I was wearing. I stopped before I reached Melrose, and slipped off my heels. I could feel the runs beginning up my light pantyhose as the sidewalk grated against my feet.
    I started to call Romero but changed my mind. He probably was caught up on his own case. He’d been tagging a methamphetamine lab for some time now and he must have gotten a break in the case.
    Finally I flagged down a cab. I decided I would go home to my garage apartment at my foster mother Shirley’s and try to get some sleep. As I climbed into the cab, I turned on my phone and I saw I’d missed a lot of calls. I listened to my voice mail. The first call was from Venita. “We need you, Z. Please help us.”
    Several hysterical calls were from both Chica and Haviland. “Where are you?” they both screamed frantically into my message center. I decided not to return their calls at this moment. I didn’t feel like being interrogated by them right now. Anyway, who did they think they were? My mama or something? Even my foster mother, Shirley, or my biological mother, Venita, didn’t try to keep tabs on me.
    I could only conjecture that things were crazy when Chica and Haviland realized I was missing from the Academy Awards ceremony. Absently, I told the cabbie where to transport me, which was home.
    Before I could return my friends’ calls, my phone rang, its Beyoncé song “Run the World (Girls)” ringtone startling me. I pushed answer and instantly a Skype picture of Mayhem appeared on my screen. I looked down and saw that this was Skype and was not a video. I gasped. I didn’t know what to say. His eyes were swollen shut and blackened, but he was holding his head high.
    â€œHey, sis.”
    â€œMayhem?” I didn’t know what to say. “Are you okay?”
    â€œFor now. I need your help, sis.”
    â€œI–”
    â€œI got caught slippin’. Go see Tank.”
    â€œWho’s Tank?”
    â€œMy lieutenant. You’ve met him before. The big dude. He’ll know what to do.”
    â€œWhere is he?”
    â€œCall Venita and get the number for him and set up a meeting.”
    â€œWhy me, Mayhem?”
    â€œYou are trained. I’m counting on you, Z. You can do this.”
    â€œWhat do you want me to do?”
    â€œGet the boys outta here.”
    My ears shot up.
    â€œWhat boys?”
    I thought he was talking about his muscle or his henchmen.
    â€œMy sons. They just kids,” Mayhem said. “You’ve got to help me save my boys.” He paused before continuing. “If they don’t get this money they’ll kill them too.”
    â€œWhere is their mother?”
    â€œThey have their mama, my wifey, in Rio as a hostage.”
    â€œSo what are you saying?”
    â€œSis, I’m going to need you to go to Brazil.”
    â€œWhat?” I almost screamed in the phone. He might as well have said he needed me to go to the moon. I swallowed a lump in my throat. “What’s going on?
    â€œI need you to go to get my wifey, Appolonia. Then the money can be released.”
    â€œWhat money? You’re the third person who’s mentioned this money.”
    â€œJust do it, bitch, if you want to see your brother alive again,” an electronic squawk box voice interrupted, and Mayhem was cut off. The voice had sounded like a robot.
    I didn’t see the person on the screen but another threatening voice with the same electronic sound bellowed in the background, “The next time you see