Page 39 of Maceo

Mia snickered. “I guess that’s one way to get rid of that pent up frustration.”

“Fuck you, Mia.”

The rest of the family snickered at their banter. Clearly, we couldn’t take shit seriously when we were together.

“Y’all, shut the fuck up,” Deuce snapped. “Move in.”

We got ourselves back in business mode and made our way through the compound to where Perry was being held. As we walked through, I could see people peeking out windows. We finally made it to the trailer that was just as Perry described. While the others handled the rest of the guards, Deuce, Mia, and I headed inside with flashlights.

When we stepped in the front door, we were met with the looks of several terrified women and children. We lowered our guns, and Deuce stepped forward.

“Listen up. We aren’t here to hurt any of you. We’re looking for Perry Daniels.”

They all looked around, nobody saying a word. Then, a short, brown-skinned woman appeared from the back with a chubby baby bundled in her arms and a cloth sack on her shoulder. She looked like her picture, just with a little more weight on her and clear signs of abuse. She looked around at the women and children before turning to us.

“I’m Perry,” she said, barely above a whisper. “Did my father send you for me?”

“Yes. We need to go.”

She nodded as she came forward.

“Perry, you can’t leave,” one of the women said. “Brother Thaddeus?—”

“Fuck Brother Thaddeus!” Perry snapped. “If any of you had any sense, you would leave too. Think about yourselves… your children. Do you want them to endure what we did? I don’t want that for my baby, and neither should you.”

She walked out the door, Deuce following behind her.

“Look,” Mia said, surveying the room. “If you want out of this place, speak now or forever hold your peace. You don’t have time to pack anything. You just have to come as you are.”

A few of the women looked around, but none of them moved.

I shook my head. “We get it. You’re scared. I’m sure this place ain’t what you thought it was, but you don’t have to put up with this shit. Do y’all know the nigga y’all are following to Hell? You all have been hoodwinked. If you wanna stay, that’s on you, but think about this shit. You’ve been controlled, isolated, stolen from, and brainwashed by a man that uses you to stroke his own ego and line his pockets, all while claiming he’s the second coming. If you have any dignity left, take your children and get the fuck up outta here like Perry is doing.”

“We have the resources to help you,” Mia said. “You just have to want the help.”

Again, they all stared at us. Mia and I both shook our heads and turned to leave. As we made our way to the side of the trailer, we found our family surrounding a man in all white. This had to be Thaddeus. He stood there with his hands crossed at his waist, glaring at Perry who cowered behind Deuce.

“You’ve come into my home and disrupted my peace,” he said calmly.

Deuce kissed his teeth. “Fuck all that. We got what we came for, so we’ll be leaving.”

“You can leave. The woman and child are staying. Perry, come here.”

Deuce moved her further behind him. “You don’t know me, but I’m not a nigga that negotiates.”

“You’re interfering with God’s work.”

“I’maboutto interfere with life and death. The safest thing for you to do is take your ass back to your little hut and pray to the God you serve.”

“She’s not going anywhere!” Thaddeus yelled.

My brother laughed. “Did he just raise his voice at me?”

“Hell yeah,” Smoke said. “Aye, man. My brother don’t like that shit.”

Before Thaddeus could blink, Deuce flicked open his favorite pocketknife and sliced his throat. Thaddeus’s eyes widened as he grabbed this throat. Blood seeped through his fingers, staining his all-white attire red. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air. Deuce squatted next to him.

“Don’t ever raise your fucking voice at me, bitch ass nigga. To think, I was gonna let you live.”

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