Present Day
Sunlight seeped through the blinds and placed delicate kisses upon her exposed skin. Aaliyah squirmed under the warm sun rays but found refuge against the strong body next to her. With covers adjusted to block the sun, Aaliyah nuzzled into the nape of her lover's neck, and he instinctively pulled her in. A faint smile curled up her lips when she felt soft kisses on her cheek and forehead.
"Good morning, Terrence." Aaliyah said with a yawn. She arched her back and extended her arms above her head for the unnecessarily added emphasis that she knew Terrence loved. He looked at her and raked his fingers through her hair.
"Good morning," he smiled before he shifted in the bed, "never knew you were a wild sleeper." Terrence added with a chuckle.
Aaliyah slapped his bicep, "Why do you sound so shocked by that?"
"Because you never cease to amaze me." He retorted.
Aaliyah pushed Terrence away as she giggled. In normal circumstances, Aaliyah would have kicked Terrence out once their late-night rendezvous finished. However, last night, she wantonly desired to wake up next to him the following morning like a typical morning after scene she'd seen so many times in movies. But here they were, together in her one-bedroom apartment, located close to the center of Rose District. And she didn't have those butterflies in her stomach like the women in the movies.
Instead, guilt seeped into the pit of her stomach through her pores and crept up her throat like vile. Waking up to an empty bed helped her hide from the sins of her own doing. However, seeing Terrence here with her in this moment forced her to acknowledge the problems she'd locked away in the back of her mind. Aaliyah rolled over to face her bedroom window and admired the large cement wall in the distance which enclosed all of Rose District. The perimeter was created a year into the treaty to ensure that no illicit activity outside of the wall would spill over into Rose District.
Terrence arched an eyebrow, "Are you okay?"
Aaliyah stared at him with pursed lips, while the sunlight began to warm up the room around them. Aaliyah felt hot, yet cold at the same time. Hot from the burning guilt inside and cold because she knew to keep her emotions and feelings estranged with this man.
"Why did you stay last night?" She questioned. Aaliyah brushed her fingers through her hair, but her eyes never wavered from his. "I mean I know I asked you to, but why agree?"
"You ignored my question," Terrence noted with a smile, "but I guess, I decided to stay because that's something I've wanted since we began this. I was just waiting for you to finally give the greenlight." Terrence stared at Aaliyah, waiting for a response that never came. "Everything will be okay. I told Michelle I had to cover for someone. Timothy called out sick last night, but my supervisor found someone else to cover his route." Terrence pulled Aaliyah closer and began placing kisses on the nape of her neck. "I told you. You never have to worry. About. Anything." Terrence mused between kisses. Aaliyah pushed away from him, causing Terrence to arch an eyebrow yet again.
"She's your fiancé, Terrence." Aaliyah mumbled. "You asked that woman to marry you, but you're still coming to see me."
"Why is this a problem all of a sudden?" He asked, as he shuffled in the bed to get comfortable.
"You're making that woman your wife!" She forced out through clenched teeth.
"And?"
"Terrence, don't be stupid." Aaliyah said. "You chose to spend the rest of your life with her. So why even bother continuing this?" She questioned while pointing back and forth between the two of them. Terrence dropped his head and tossed the comforter off his body. Aaliyah watched him get out of bed and begin to dress himself in the corner of her room.
"So, you're ignoring me now?" She asked, "Terrence!"
He yanked his Levi jeans from the floor and shoved his left leg into the pants followed by his right. A part of Aaliyah did not want Terrence to leave, but at the same time she knew that having him there would only make their complicated situation worse. She always felt good in the moment, but once the aftermath set in, she couldn't ignore the tormenting guilt that clawed at the back of her mind every chance it got. Just in this moment alone, her back burned from Terrence's touch and her skin reeked of his scent. Terrence dressed himself and left without a word, but what did Aaliyah expect?
Whenever they met like this, the same cycle would occur. Aaliyah would bring up his fiancé and Terrence would leave without a word, as if they had not betrayed each other all over again. Once Aaliyah heard the front door slam shut, she flopped backwards on the bed with a sigh. Her hair laid tossed across her snow-white pillows, as the morning sun continued to bake her bedroom. Aaliyah glanced over at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand and watched the neon green lights blink '9:30am'.
"What a great way to start a Saturday morning." Aaliyah mused, as she ran her hands down her face. She stared at the popcorn ceiling and let her mind roam freely. Lord knows her mother would have a fit if she found out about Aaliyah's entanglement with Terrence despite him having a fiancé. Aaliyah's mother treasured the covenant of marriage and hated any form of adultery. She was a dead woman if anything were to ever get back to her parents. It was too early in the morning to already feel like a complete failure for the day, especially when she still had to get out of bed, and meet her friend, Jordyn at the local diner by 10:00am.
After a few more moments of sulking in guilt, she muscled up the strength to crawl out of bed and languidly walk to the shower. Aaliyah turned on the shower, then shuttered when the warm steam filled the bathroom and crept up her spine. This was the part of the morning after that she hated the most. This became a routine she grew tired of, especially when she had to scrub her body clean of her sins. Aaliyah could remember once when she accidentally scrubbed until she bled. She grabbed a beige washcloth from her linen closet in the bathroom, pulled back the shower curtain, and stepped in the shower. The water pummeled her body almost as if punishing her for falling for the same tricks again. The hot water coated her skin in a loving embrace yet burned her with disappointment.
Aaliyah cupped a handful of water into her palms and threw it on her face. Life wasn't a show, but here Aaliyah stood, in the shower amid an episode of Twilight Zone. She let the water cover her naked body, as she grabbed the soap from her soap holder and washed herself. The fresh smell of peaches tickled her nostrils as she coated herself in soap. Time was nonexistent; a figment of her imagination left behind at the threshold of the bathroom door. The bathroom was her haven; a refuge to spill out all worries and relieve all doubts. The soap glided across her breasts, creating small rivers of white foam that trickled down her nipples. She stepped forward under the water that rained down from the showerhead. Aaliyah sighed in relief, as the feeling of her morning impurities swirled down the drain at her feet.
"I gotta stop ending up like this." She grumbled. Aaliyah turned off the water, and stepped out the tub onto her pink, plush floor mat. She wrapped her favorite beige towel around her body and began to dry herself off. Her brown eyes glanced over at her phone to see that the time was currently, 9:50am. After putting on deodorant, Aaliyah grabbed her cellphone from the bathroom counter, and reentered her bedroom to dress. Growing up, her parents always spoke of the importance of getting a good paying job so she could find a nice place inside Rose District. Those born here in Cartersville knew how safe Rose District was, due to its' high police involvement and safe zone criteria.
Seldom she found herself outside of Rose District when her job called for her to do so. But sometimes she stayed anchored in her home awaiting her next mission. Prior to joining the police force, Aaliyah didn't quite understand why the Chief decided to allow two huge drug organizations to take charge over certain parts of Cartersville. However, she later learned it was a way to keep those organizations in check. Her father would say growing up, 'that when you give someone an inch, they always take a mile'. So, by giving two opposing kingpins a sense of power, it would only be a matter of time before they slipped up or fought each other for more territory. That way, they would eliminate each other, and the police would move in the cleanup whatever's left.
Aaliyah pulled on her denim jeans and sat on the bed to put on her all-white Chucks. Once they were tied, she put on her plain black T-shirt, then trudged back into the bathroom to brush her teeth. However, she stopped when a small cut, and bruise on her neck caught her attention. Just another sign of her foolish mistake. But when it comes to Terrence, could she really say he was a mistake when she continues to freely let him in? Aaliyah vigorously brushed her teeth, then spit out the foamy toothpaste, and cleaned up the excess with tap water. She jumped at the sound of her cellphone ringing and pulled it from her back pocket to see Jordyn's smiling face.
"Sup JoJo." Aaliyah greeted when she answered her phone.
"Hey Liyah, where are you right now?" Jordyn asked. The persistent blinking of a car's turn signal echoed in the background.
"I'm getting ready to walk out the door right now." Aaliyah said as a matter of fact. She wiped her mouth on the decorative towel in her bathroom and rushed towards the living room. With one swift motion, she snatched up her purse and keys from her kitchen countertop before she stepped out into the outside corridor. "Give me like ten minutes." She pleaded while locking her front door.
Jordyn sighed on the phone, "You know we planned to meet at 10:00, right?"
"Yeah, I know. I know," Aaliyah said apologetically, "I just overslept."
"You overslept?" Jordyn asked.
Aaliyah juggled the phone in her hand and placed it between her shoulder and cheek as she frantically descended the wooden stairs. She ran to her car and slid into the driver's seat. Aaliyah could hear Jordyn enter the diner and request a table for two.
"What would you like to drink, Liyah?"
"Just get me a cup of coffee and a glass of water." Aaliyah said, as she drove out of the parking lot towards the local diner. She pulled into the parking lot approximately nine minutes later and tumbled out her car towards the front door of the diner. Aaliyah pulled the front door open and was greeted by a young lady, wearing a red and black checkered apron. Her hazel eyes glistened in the sunlight pouring in from the front glass window. Aaliyah greeted her with a smile and scanned the diner for Jordyn.
"Table for one?" The waitress said.
Aaliyah shook her head, "No thank you. I'm looking for someone." She pulled her purse closer to her side and unlocked her phone to text Jordyn.
"Oh, I think that may be her right there." The young lady said with a giggle. Aaliyah looked up from her phone and followed the direction of the young girl's finger towards the back right corner of the diner. Aaliyah smiled when her eyes landed on Jordyn frantically waving her towards the red booth.
Aaliyah chuckled, "Thank you." She said to the young lady, as she shook her head and walked over to the table.
"So nice of you to finally make it." Jordyn said with a smile.
Aaliyah slid into her seat and thanked Jordyn for ordering her drink. "I'm so sorry, JoJo."
"It's okay, Liyah. I'm just glad that you're okay." Jordyn shooed off. "But anyway, how is your morning going so far?"
"Well, it's like any typical Saturday morning." Aaliyah retorted. "What about you, JoJo? How's Christian?"
Aaliyah scanned over the half-filled cup of lukewarm coffee, then smiled at Jordyn, who started to blab on and on about her husband. Aaliyah nodded her head whenever she thought necessary and raked her loose strands of hair behind her right ear. Her fingers tapped a faint rhythm against the burgundy coffee mug, and her eyes danced around her best friend's head.
"Then he had the nerve to ask me to massage his feet!" Jordyn said, making Aaliyah's face scrunch into a scowl. Jordyn sucked her teeth, "I mean, who does he think I am?"
"His wife." Aaliyah forced out before she took a sip of her coffee.
Jordyn chuckled and rolled her eyes in response. Aaliyah admired the now crowded diner and found herself lost in the sea of colors. This diner had become a staple to Rose District, and the people who visited this part of Cartersville, Georgia. Aaliyah remembered visiting the diner with her parents as a little girl when it first opened back in the 90's. They had these delicate, golden buttermilk sand dollar pancakes she grew to love. As well as their famous fluffy scrambled eggs that always seemed to melt in her mouth. She even met Terrence here on their first date fresh out of the Police Academy, prior to him meeting his current fiancé, of course. Aaliyah jolted back to reality when Jordyn reached across the table to snap her fingers in front of her face. Jordyn frowned at Aaliyah, who slumped down into the booth across from her.
"You're not paying me any attention, Liyah."
"I'm sorry, JoJo. Just thinking." Aaliyah sighed.
"About?" Jordyn asked, "Terrence?"
Aaliyah took another sip of her coffee.
Jordyn released an exasperated sigh as she smacked her palm against her forehead. "I bet that's why you were late getting here." She added with a matter-of-fact tone.
Aaliyah sat her cup of coffee down, "I plead the fifth."
"I know you do," Jordyn rolled her eyes, "He's taken, Aaliyah. Just move on."
"You act like I haven't tried to do just that. I mean, I have actively ignored phone calls and text. Then next thing I know, I'm in bed with him again."
Terrence had only been engaged for a few months now and just hearing his name gave Aaliyah heartburn. She couldn't deny that she had once loved – or still loves the man, but Jordyn was right, she needed to move on. They had a lot of history from the Police Academy days, yet from his various Instagram posts, he wasted no time moving on from their five-year situation-ship with Michelle. Within a matter of months, they were engaged, but Aaliyah gave him five long years of her mind, soul, body, and spirit just to end up with nothing in the end. Furthermore, it's quite hard to move on when the same person keeps coming around for the same reason.
"Girl, there are more fish in the sea with better qualities than that idiot." Jordyn said with certainty.
Aaliyah chuckled and shook her head. "I'm not worried about Terrence. Can I not relax and enjoy the world around me?"
"Liyah, I know you."
"Whatever." Aaliyah murmured before she took another sip of her coffee. She watched the way Jordyn pursed her lips and calculated the way the corners of her mouth twitched and twisted. Aaliyah deserved better after she spent five years with a man. Wasted 1,825 days of her life with some guy that wanted to playhouse instead of stepping up and taking their relationship to the next level. He wanted a forever girlfriend but not a wife. And to think that he wanted Aaliyah Symone Smith to play that girlfriend role forever. But after four months of being separated, now he's ready to settle down with the next girl he managed to sleep with.
"Aaliyah?" Jordyn said. Liyah looked up at the call of her name, which made Jordyn shake her head and laugh. "The way you're holding that cup, I thought you were practicing how to choke someone out." she added.
Aaliyah loosened her grip and smiled at her friend. "I didn't realize I was doing it."
"Girl, we definitely need you to find a new man soon. I don't like depressed Liyah." Jordyn said.
Aaliyah rolled her eyes, "I'm not depressed. Things just didn't work out, so I must move on." She said with a shrug of the shoulders. The waitress came over to their table, to which Aaliyah asked for a fresh cup of coffee. Aaliyah then turned to Jordyn, who narrowed her eyes, but Aaliyah only smiled in response. "Keep looking like that and your face will get stuck." Aaliyah teased.
"Whatever, Aaliyah." Jordyn said, which made Aaliyah laugh. Their waitress brought back more coffee and disappeared into the kitchen once more. "I'm serious, when was the last time you actually went out and enjoyed yourself for once? Everything isn't just about paperwork, or whatever you undercover detectives do."
"Why does my love life concern you?" Aaliyah said with a forced smile. She brought the rim of the coffee mug to her pursed lips and took a long sip. "Last time I checked, I was in charge of my life."
"Well, I'm just adding assistance." Jordyn chimed in, while she ran her fingers through her own afro puff.
"Annoyance is more like it." Aaliyah said.
Jordyn gave an exaggerated gasp, placed her hand firmly on her chest, and whined about how offended she was. The diner filled and emptied with a rhythmic flow as the duo continued to talk and eat over the course of the next hour. Jordyn laid the tip on the table once the waitress took the last set of plates from their booth.
"It was nice being able to spend time with my day one and tell Christian I said don't give up on the foot massage." Aaliyah teased, which made Jordyn roll her eyes as they stood from the booth.
"Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to grace me with your presence." Jordyn said with a bow and the two women hollered with laughter. That line became an inside joke for them after, Christian used it on his very first date with Jordyn back in college.
"That never gets old." Aaliyah said through laughter.
"No, it doesn't," Jordyn said through her chuckles, "but you know he would kill me if he knew we were picking at him." Jordyn teased, and the women laughed some more. The cool breeze of autumn wrapped around their bodies as the fresh smell of crisp air wafted into their nose.
"Be safe Liyah, and text me when you get home." Jordyn said as she gave her best friend a long hug.
"You do the same." Aaliyah insisted, before they both went their separate ways. Aaliyah slid into her black Prius and turned the car on. She waved goodbye when Jordyn passed her car while exiting the parking lot. Aaliyah buckled her seatbelt and pulled out of the lot. She drove about a block from the diner before a red light stopped her at an intersection in Rose district. With an eye roll, she tapped the tips of her fingers aimlessly against her steering wheel. After a few moments she pulled out her shades from her glove compartment and put them on to block out the sun. Aaliyah needed to get home and finish prepping for her meeting on Monday with the Captain of her unit. When the light turned green, she took a sigh of relief, removed her foot from the brake, and pressed lightly on the gas.
Her immaculate badge glistened in the sunlight as it dangled from her rearview mirror. When she first joined the force, Aaliyah knew she had to up her game and maintain a certain image for her counterparts to gain her respect. Many women were overlooked, because of the ideology of gender roles placed on various occupations. Aaliyah turned into her apartment complex once again and pulled into the same parking spot as before. As she cut off the car, and stepped out, her downstairs neighbor exited their apartment.
"Nice weather we're having, right?"
"Yes, it is, Sheryl. How are you?" Aaliyah said as she closed her car door and headed towards the stairs. Sheryl smiled at Aaliyah as she passed by.
"I'm doing well. Hope you are too."
Aaliyah nodded her head, then ascended the stairs. A gust of wind danced its way into her apartment when she opened the door, and instantly she shuttered from the cold. Aaliyah closed and locked her front door, then beelined toward the beige sofa in the center of the living room area. Her work computer sat idle upon the desolate coffee table.
"Its' on." Aaliyah mumbled under her breath. With an exasperated sigh, she flopped onto the couch and grabbed her computer from the coffee table. She opened the laptop, signed into her work account, and was instantly greeted by a new email from the Chief of police.
He rarely sent out emails.
'It has been brought to my attention that a breach in our treaty with Legend and Rales has occurred. As you all know, Rose District is a sanctuary for those living here and those outside of our limits. We have always upheld the laws of those before us, and for someone to tarnish the good lifestyle we have created is inexcusable. However, someone is importing drugs into our sanctuary and distributing them illegally within our perimeter. We know this because drugs have been seized from various parts of Rose District. This has not occurred before to this multitude since prior to the signing of our treaty. And from what we have found, the breach seems to be coming from members of the Disciples.
For those who are unaware, Rales passed away years ago, but his predecessor remains anonymous. From the information gathered, he is known by the street name, Adonis, or 'A' for short. It is believed that no one knows his identity, not even the members of Rales' old gang, the Disciples. Adonis resides in Rales' old territory of Movan District on the Southwest portion of Cartersville. We know from research, Rales left behind two children, his oldest, Damien Jackson, and youngest, Malik Jackson. However, both young men seem to have a clean record with no prior arrest, or even a minor traffic violation. Neither are associated with any gang related activity that we know of, but we still cannot eliminate them as being Adonis.
Come Monday, we need several patrolling officers at all perimeters monitoring the area for any clues and/or leaks, while others continue their normal duties. The undercover officers must report to their captains for further instruction. Our priority is to protect the citizens within Rose District from any form of danger, and this must be dealt with accordingly.
Best regards,
James Hector
Chief of Police'
For the last seven years of her life, Aaliyah has dedicated her time and effort to the force. Nothing to this magnitude had ever occurred before, and it was disheartening to say the least. Yes, there were the typical stops at the perimeter of some citizens trying desperately to sneak in drugs. But those people were quickly detained, prosecuted, and/or cited. Yet someone was able to slip through the cracks and distribute large quantities of drugs within the perimeter, and this baffled her. Growing up, Aaliyah could recall stories her father would tell of a ruthless lifestyle in the streets of Cartersville prior to the treaty.
Rales and Legend ran the streets with iron grips and fought every step of the way to overthrow the other. She could recall her father describing the streets as a warzone with so much bloodshed and death. She refused to allow Cartersville to fall back into its old ways, especially when the lives of innocent people were at stake. Aaliyah closed her laptop and slid it off her lap onto the cushions of the couch beside her.
Seems like there's always somethin'.
Aaliyah stared out the adjacent window and examined the 60-foot wall circling the perimeter of Rose District. She could vaguely see the individual cement blocks stacked one on top of the other, which kept those who didn't belong out. The sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds, and the snipers on top of the wall looked like ants on the top of a hill. Ever since Aaliyah could remember, the construction of the wall resembled that of a prison yard perimeter. One that kept the rich separated from those who didn't fit the socio-economic status that certain families had. The cost of living in Rose District was more than what the average person working a simple nine to five could afford. The construction of the wall was never something that Aaliyah found appropriate, but those laws were set in place before her existence.
Now the giant wall stood proud around Rose District, and symbolized peace amongst those living in this part of the city. With the growing crime in both Movan and Dunwall Districts, the perimeter should have established a shield of protection against the overflow of illicit activities. However, Adonis and the Disciples found a way to sneak pass the wall and continue to cause harm to the people of Cartersville. Knowing that Adonis can slither his way through such a strong defense, shows Aaliyah that he was different. He was smart and calculating, which knowing that only made tracking him down much harder.
Rales was quite the opposite of Adonis, from previous case files Aaliyah had studied before. Rales wanted police and everyone living in town to know when and where he committed his crimes. He was quite boisterous about any activity he was involved in, which Aaliyah contributed to his lack of discipline. Rales was hard to capture, and whenever he was arrested for his crimes, Rales found a way to continue his reign over the city even though he was locked away in prison. Rales had a sense of invincibility, that no one else seemed close to touching. Yet Rales' predecessor lacked that same cadence and M.O. that Rales displayed.
Could this have been Rales plan all along? Or was this merely a strategic move by Adonis to throw off the police?
Aaliyah had learned from years of detective work that many follow behind the same tactics that their mentor once followed. So, if Adonis chose not to do so, there was something worth investigating to find out why.
What in the world could Adonis be hiding?