Tales of the Underground: Blinded - 35. A Hero's Welcome?

I should be the happiest I’ve ever been in my life…I mean I’m free…in the morning I’m even meeting with Mr. Williams and a few detectives to make sure Ro rots in jail. We start playoffs in a few days, I have a new little brother, the only kid in the Northside who’s been a dick to me literally owes me his life…and I have the best damn boyfriend in the world…I’m living it up…I mean, shouldn’t I be?

That night the pain from my new cuts and bruises seemed to roar off me, keeping me awake. Not that I could fall asleep even if I wanted to…every time I closed my eyes all I could see was Ro’s angry face. I know we’ll get him, but right now, he’s out there, and sure he’s weak…he’s out of weapons…but he’s been the shot caller of the saints all these years for a reason…I have a bad feeling I’m in just as much danger now as I was in the Southside.

“Sleep well your first night back?” Aaron smiled, as the alarm on his phone sounded. It took about an hour of fighting, but our parents finally convinced Aaron to let me stay in my old room for a few weeks…just until they can convert the upstairs library into a bedroom. The original plan was for Tak to stay in Aaron’s room, but if anyone’s sleeping in this bed…it’s gonna be me. Tak didn’t care either way, he’s not like other 11 year olds, or even me for that matters, he’s not scared of nightmares or sleeping alone…he won’t say how long he’s been homeless for, but I have a bad feeling he was more like me than he lets on. “I hope you know there’s a Carter ban on this room too.” Aaron teased, ignoring my silence. I turned away and flashed him a middle finger “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed” Aaron shrugged , realizing he was hitting the wrong buttons.

Finally Walter yanked me out of bed, and forced me out to the William’s house. As I got ready, all I could see on the news was flashes of me and Owen’s faces as they tried to get the story right. A few made it the feel good story of the year, an exgang member saving a kid from another world…while other’s made me out to be the villain, the one’s whose fault it was he got taken in the first place. Either way, they were the least of my worries…for now anyway.

“What’s up with you?” Carter smiled, seeing the exhaustion and pain on my face.

“I’m fine” I grumbled, trying to force a smile “Just a lot goin on.”

Carter shot me a concerned look and discreetly rubbed my arm “It’s over Riley, you’re safe.”

“No” I shook, looking deep into his eyes “It’s just startin”

“What do you mean?” Carter cautiously exhaled, as we overheard negotiations between my father and the lead detective.

“I need assurance that what my son has immunity…” We overheard Walter shout “I refuse to let him speak unless we have that! That goes for testimony from Takbir as well!”

Carter went to speak, but I raised my hand, wanting to hear the rest of the conversation “Then we’ll just have to take him in for questioning, I don’t know what you want me to…”

“Go for that!” A muffled Walter interrupted “He’s been raised in these games, he can stare down anyone for days, and not talk…I can guarantee the only way he talks is if I tell him to.”

“Oh” Carter sighed, starting to get a grip of my fears “My Dad won’t let you go to Juvy.” he shook, as we both slowly made our way to the room they were in “I mean nothing you did this past week and a half was that bad…was it?”

“I ran with the saints again.” I mumbled, not even looking at him “I been sellin meth, watching drive bys happen, and walkin around with a dead officer’s badge…and if Owen’s Dad presses charges…maybe this sacrifice was bigger than I thought.”

Carter went to say something, but words escaped him as we finally entered the room with everyone in it. “Come on Riley…” Walter began “Let’s get out of here, it’s clear…”

“No” the lead detective sighed “I can give you assurance that if he speaks, none of what he says will get held against him.”

Walter shook his head and let out a long groan “I need assurance that his action won’t be held against him, I’m done playing these games…now if you’ll excuse me, we’d like to celebrate Riley’s return, and our newest son’s arrival.” Carter made a face at his words, as though he didn’t understand what Walter was talking about.

“Yo” I let out, slowly backing up towards Walter “Take this” I instructed, pulling a badge out of my pocket and throwing it to the detective “Ro made me hold onto this back on the streets…get it to Cooper’s family.”

“This was Cooper’s?” The detective repeated, taking another look at me.

I shrugged my shoulders but refused to elaborate “Sorry” I finally let out “I gotta do what’s best for me.”

“I want that case solved” Mr. William’s spoke up as Carter pulled on him “More so than this one…dead cops are bad publicity…” he pressured, looking towards Walter “I mean cops are a brotherhood right? Surely you can give this kid immunity for selling drugs and theft for information on a cops death.”

“Alright!” the detective frustratedly let out, pulling over a paper and drawing up the agreement “The state won’t pursue your son on this case, but that doesn’t mean the Avery family won’t pursue him for damages in civil court.”

“Oh you have to be kidding me with that!” Mr. Williams couldn’t help but let out “I don’t even like the kid, and I wouldn’t press charges against him! He returned their kid…”

“Dad…” Carter let out embarrassed by his father’s words.

The detective, pushed the paper towards Walter to read, before turning back to Mr. Williams “Look, the kid detailed a lot of abuse, and he claims most of those cuts and scars he now has are from Cy…” The detective lead, looking towards me.

I kept silent until finally, Walter waived me over and told me it was okay to sign the paper. “Carter leave” I mumbled, as I took a seat “You don’t wanna hear this.”

“What?” he shook, staring at me “What do you…”

“Carter” his father scolded “Go to your room, Cy can go hang out with you when he’s done here.”

“It’s for the best” I reassured as he reluctantly left the room. When I was certain he was out of hearing range, I looked up to the detective, and took a deep breath “On my first night back Ro forced me into a room, and made me carve up Owen…”

“We know” the detective interrupted “It has your handiwork written all over it.”

“Handiwork?” Walter repeated, starting to grow uncomfortable “How many times have you done something like that that you have…”

“Maybe you should go too” I shook, peering over at him.

“No” Walter dismissed “I’ll…I’ll stay quiet.”

“Then what?” I exhaled, turning back towards the detective “What do you want to hear?”

“Tell us about Ro Martinez.” The detective keyed in “Who is he?”

For the next hour or so I went on and on about the man I knew as Ro. I told them everything…from when he tried to recruit me, and when he saved my life…to my most recent beatings from him. I tried my best not to spare a detail…to leave it all out there. I never thought I’d ever talk to the cops…but if it gets rid of Ro…if it gives them a case to lock him up…then that’s all I need. Finally as we wrapped up, Walter gave me the okay to go talk to Carter for a few minutes while they sorted all the legal stuff out.

“I know you think it’s over…” I let out, creaking open Carter’s door “but trust me, it’s just startin.”

Carter lightly shook his head, as he laid on his bed, back to me “Why couldn’t you have just let the police handle everything?” he let out in a low voice.

“Cause…this way we all came back alive” I exhaled, walking over and taking a seat on his bed “I don’t know if you could ever understand…but they woulda killed Owen the second they heard I was talkin to the cops.”

“So what? You go and put a target on your…”

“I was gonna put a target on my back anyway!” I interrupted grabbing onto his arm, and forcing him to look at me “Whether I talked to the cops then, or now…I was always gonna end up with a target on my back…at least now I got the evidence I need to put Ro away…at least now I know I tried to end the saints.” I laid there and held him for a minute as tears began to fall from his eyes “I jus need to know…are you sticking with me…or is this the end of us?”

“What?” he shook, not understanding why I would even ask that.

“I’m all over the news right now…and Owen’s dad’s gonna hit us with a lawsuit…” I exhaled, no longer looking at him “I’m gonna have to testify against Ro…and I don’t even know if I’ll ever be the same again.”

“Why not?” he poked, reaching up and gently rubbing my face.

I exhaled a deep breath as his hand hit all the new cuts and marks on my face “I can’t close my eyes without seeing it all…this time…this time everythin I did…I knew it was wrong. When I was younger at least I was too stupid to realize, but now I know what I was doin…and I know what testifying against Ro means.” I shook my head and pulled away from him “What if it puts you in danger? What if…”

“Stop” he smiled, sitting up so we could be on equal level “Whatever happens…happens, but I’ll be by your side through it all.” He gently grabbed my hand and met my forehead with his “And if Owen’s dad is that much of an asshole to come after you…he’ll have to go through my dad.”

“Too bad he doesn’t like me.” I groaned, trying to pull away, but Carter kept himself on me, making sure I couldn’t put space between us.

“Oh please, he just said that because he doesn’t want you to suddenly think you can come over whenever you want.” He quietly laughed “Trust me, after what you did this week…it’s went a long way with all the people who’ve doubted you.”

I took in a breath, and kissed him for the first time since I left…a lot of things don’t feel the same, but thank god this does…thank god our love still makes me feel whole “I really gotta go, we gotta make sure Tak is adjusting and well…I guess I’ve learned a thing or two about that.”

“Tak?” he repeated, not having heard the stories from his mother yet.

“Takbir.” I explained, but the curiosity in his eyes didn’t disappear “He helped me rescue Owen, he was going to replace me in the Saints…it’s a whole thing, we’re going to adopt him though.”

“What?” he jumped up with excitement “There’s a second Riley on the way?”

“There’s only 1 Riley” I smiled, as the happiness in his eyes spread “But yeah, he’ll be me and Aaron’s newest brother.”

“Can I meet him?” Carter poked, excited by the potential of helping save another ex-gang member.

I softly nodded, as I backed up towards the door “Yeah, he’ll be around, but for now we just have to help him settle…although he’s already getting the hang of things…I guess the change is easier when you’re 11 than when you’re 16.”

“Awwww he’s 11?” Carter laughed, still full of excitement “You’re a hero Riley Walker.”

I rolled my eyes and began to walk out the door “You might be the only one who sees it that way.”

“When have you ever needed anyone else?” Carter teased, as I walked out of his room. Thank god he’s still got my back…thank god he’ll always be there for me…thank god I have Carter.

The next few days went just as rocky, but I knew I had the support of my family. Throughout all the nightmares, and sleepless nights they were still there with me. This fear…this anxiety…it’ll all pass once Ro goes behind bars…right? Finally the day came when the police finally tracked down Ro, and his court date was set…as if I didn’t have enough time to be worried about that, Owen’s father hand delivered court papers for a civil suit against me for “assault”. Nancy and Walter didn’t even hesitate to tell me it’ll all be okay…that we’ll win with our hands behind our back…but I could tell they were worried…we all were. After all, Brock wasn’t suing for money…but to have the state to remove our right to foster and adopt…to take Tak away from us.

The real fight…it’s all just begun…but this time I’m not alone…this time I have the people I care about behind me...and Brock…he’s going to regret not just walking away.