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I rushed out without thinking about saying goodbye. I rushed into my house and went straight to my gun safe in my closet. I grabbed my Glock .45 and loaded the magazine into it. I strapped on my holster and tucked the gun inside it.
Jogging from my place to my truck, I found Cam waiting by the passenger door.
“What are you doing?”
“Going with you. What does it look like I’m doing?” she said with her hand on her hip.
“Cam, this might be dangerous. I can’t…”
She pulled a pink Glock .43 from her purse.
“I can take care of myself. I’m not going to let you go on the north side by yourself.”
The north side of Saint Louis was one of the most neglected sections of the city. There was a great migration of black families – middle-class flight – from the city of St. Louis into the suburbs, leaving many abandoned homes, underfunded public schools, and a diminished community. The neglected neighborhoods fell into despair, causing businesses to close and crime rates to spike and stay consistently high. The impoverished area had a reputation for violence. Poverty bred violence.
I shrugged, opened the passenger door and helped her into the truck.
“Has their mother ever done anything like this before?” Cam asked after I navigated out of our complex.
“Nope. I’m so pissed right now,” I said while gripping the steering wheel. “I can’t even think straight. I may be going to jail. Do you have Averie or Samuel’s telephone numbers?”
“I have Keeva’s number. Let’s just think about getting the girls and deal with the bullshit later,” Cam said.
After quickly navigating through the city streets, we pulled up to the address Tez had given me. The enormous two-story brick house sat between two abandoned homes of similar style. Across the street were vacant homes that had been empty for so long that the windows were broken or boarded, and weeds and trees covered a large portion of them.
Several people were sitting on the porch of the house. A couple of people were looking in the truck, trying to figure out who we were.
“Cam, you don’t have to come in here,” I tried one last time.
Cam pulled out her gun and checked it before putting it back in the secret compartment of her bag.
“Do I look like the type of bitch that sits in cars, Morris? Let’s get in and get out,” Cam said.
“Let’s go,” I shrugged.
She hopped out of the truck before I could help her.
“Y’all need something?” A young guy with his pants hanging mid-thigh asked.
“We are looking for Tez. My daughters are here,” I answered.
“Oh.” His whole demeanor changed. “You the shawties’ pops?” the young guy asked.
“Yes,” I responded.
“Get Tez and the shawties,” he said to another kid on the porch.
“Cam?” One of the other men on the porch said as he walked down from the porch. I leaned in closer to Cam just in case he was on some stupid shit.
“Breon?” Cam responded. “What the hell you doing out here? Morris, this is Nelson’s brother, Breon. Blacc cuts Morris’ hair,” Cam said.
“Oh, what’s up? These your daughters?” Breon asked after giving me some dap.
“Yes,” I answered.
“They were in good hands. Tez called his girl Trina over here. She kept them in the back. Tony and his chick was here. They left about two hours ago and said they would be back,” Breon explained.
“Where did they go?” Morris asked.
