Privileged Poverty

Chapter 1

Young Robert is looking into the rear view mirror of his late model Volvo S60 seeing the same black SUV that he had been trying to shake for the last hour. Robert had been awake for the last 3 ½ days and this was likely a paranoid delusion, nonetheless it was very real to him; in hindsight he realizes that it has not been the wisest of ideas for him to of been ingesting Crystal Methamphetamine; however, there is no taking it back now and he has to ride out the drugs powerful effects.

Robert pushes the accelerator to the floor as he nearly flies airborne on the elevated ramp entering Interstate 10 heading towards downtown Houston. Once feeling a comfortable distance from the black SUV and not seeing any vehicle in sight while glancing in the rearview mirror Robert exits the deserted freeway. Due to the fact that it is 3:30am on a Tuesday not many vehicles are occupying the roads.

Upon approaching the inner city Robert observes an empty parking lot and decides he can park there as he gathers his bearings figuring out what to do next. While driving into the parking lot Robert glances over his shoulder through the back window of the car to double check that no one is following him. Satisfied no one is tailing him Robert turns back around. Crash!!, it is too late, Robert runs over the cement barrier in front of one of the parking spaces. His front tires are now suspended over the curb and Roberts's vehicle being front wheel drive is not going anywhere. He tries pushing the gas a few times but the wheels just furiously spin without moving the vehicle an inch. Curious about what he has done to his new car, Robert exits his vehicle to survey the damage.

He walks toward the front of his car, suddenly!! He hears Boom! Boom! Boom! and immediately kisses the pavement making sure to dodge the shots flying towards him. The reality is the noise is coming from a nearby parking garage where construction workers are trying to finish up a job before regular business hours when people would be coming and going getting in their way. Robert is drenched in sweat and can feel his heart beating through his chest with panicking fury.

He is a sitting duck. The snipers have a tactical advantage being in the upper level of a parking garage. They have a birds eye view of the small lot where Roberts disabled Volvo is. Robert is shaking with fear feeling as if he is going to have a heart attack. Robert lies hunched by the bumper of his car. Bam! "Fuck" Robert yells as he hears the sniper unloading another round. However the round did not exit the chamber of a snipers' rifle but is really a clumsy construction worker dropping a piece of ¾ inch plywood onto the concrete. Robert frantically makes a run for it trying to stay hidden from the gunman's line of sight. One of the tired construction workers looks over the ledge of the parking garage while smoking a cigarette on break. He sees Roberts's car with the driver's side door wide open and the dome light on. This sight makes the worker curious so he looks from side to side then spotting a horrified young Robert running in full sprint. Confused by this strange observation the construction worker decides to call the Houston Police Department.

HPD Sergeant Richard Mayfield is finishing up his shift at a renowned art studio in downtown Houston. He is trying to clock all the hours he can having a kid on the way. While keying in the alarm code activating motion sensors which guard priceless works of art the officer observes a rattled Robert Yancy running through the streets with the look of sheer panic painted across his face. Officer Mayfield rushes out of the thick glass doors of the art studio confronting Robert and asking him, "What is going on?" Robert tells the officer, "People are after me" and continues running away from the cop not even breaking stride. With the seasoned officers' years of experience in addition to Roberts over sized pupils the Sargent assumes the young man has to be on some kind of drugs. Immediately he gets on his radio calling for backup as he follows the perp down the dark streets at the edge of downtown. Robert keeps sprinting as he runs directly on the tracks of the light rail which is part of the city's transit system. The officer decides that this is extremely dangerous and un-holsters his department issued yellow Taser gun taking aim and firing.. Robert has consumed such a high dose of Methamphetamine that he is unfazed when the metal prods from the Taser strike into his lower back on the left side and just rips them out of his skin. Robert tosses the electrodes with precision striking the 15-year veteran of precinct one effectively neutralizing him. The officer falls near the track shaking violently and flopping like a fish. The Transit Authority is doing some kind of maintenance on the light rail and is operating in the wee hours. The large metro rail train misses the officers' head by mere millimeters. Robert continues down the street no longer on the tracks running past parking garages and skyscrapers. He goes a little further reaching an intersection and breathes a sigh of relief as he is finally able to catch his breath. Suddenly! and seemingly out of nowhere 2 black and white patrol cars flank young Robert. One of them hits him with their bumper striking the backside of his knee making his legs give out from underneath him. Roberts back lands on the hood of the car as his head smashes into the windshield knocking him unconscious. Four officers jump out of the patrol car and see how badly Robert has been injured. One of the officers takes out a foul smelling substance from his pocket hovering it over Roberts's nose waking him immediately. While no longer incapacitated his injuries are deemed treatable. Robert is brought to the infirmary located on the basement level of the Harris County Jail for further observation.