It Needed Doin' - Lamarr WIlson

She'd flirted. He flirted back.

She touched him first. Then he touched back.

Then... he took. She'd very, very much enjoyed that.

She was thinking of inviting him over for the coming weekend, since DL would be with his father then.

Yes, that would take her mind off her worries.

Very much so.

++++++

"Lamarr, you see'in this?" said Smiley.

"What?" Lamarr asked, looking up from where he sat behind his desk. He'd been looking for an apartment to rent online.

Smiley nodded out the window, where he'd been standing for the last couple of minutes.

Lamarr got up, and walked over, trying to see where Smiley was looking.

"Where?" he asked.

Smiley nodded in a direction and said "Up the block, in front of the cans."

Lamarr looked, and saw what Smiley was pointing out.

It was three large marked vans, he couldn't see the logo on the doors from where he was. Much easier to see were the three cop cars, and the one grey car that had the 'code enforcement' logo he could just make out.

There was a crowd of at least five cops, and a load of other guys. They were having a meeting, that was obvious.

Lamarr felt his nerves start to get tight.

"The fuck is this?"

Smiley went over to the desk, and hit a button on a box. "Yo, Mike, you there?"

"Yeah, 'sup?" came the response a moment later, from the wire speaker on the box.

"See if there's any cops or shit on the West side of the building."

"What? What for?"

"I ain' aksin' you. Go look. Fast." Smiley said.

Smiley then went to the third-story window, to peer out beside Lamarr. After scanning up and down the street repeatedly, both men focused their eyes on the police up the block from them.

++++++

"Nah, we got the landlord's okay, in writing," said the utility inspector to the uniformed and code enforcement officers. "We're gonna get the whole block today. We started with Wilson's a couple weeks ago, but they wouldn't let us in certain places in their place. That's why we got you guys. The warrant."

"What happened?" asked an officer.

"Their building is loaded with old and outdated wiring,... they got cables in there that aren't insulated, their boxes ain't to code, there's a lot of shit in there. They wouldn't let us in a few rooms last time. The city ain't gonna let that stand. The entire block is old, so we're gonna spend the next couple of days going over everything, all those buildings was built at the same time, then sold off over the years. These buildings over here..." he pointed. "...we got the landlords okay to go in. They stonewalled, they know they got big repair bills coming... but Wilson? They brought out some big boys, and wouldn't let us finish. I'm sorry, guys."

"Why didn't they let you finish?" asked one officer.

"I dunno. It happens sometimes," said the foreman. "They just kept telling us we couldn't go in a few rooms, and the city tells us we gotta be complete, even though there's more than enough already to get a court-order to update. It's bullshit."

"Let's hope we don't get static today," said one officer. "I'm pullin' a double, I don't want to start my day being a asshole."

"Let's hope," agreed the utility man. "We only gotta do those few rooms in Wilson's. We don't need to redo the rest of the place. I'd say you guys can take off after we get done there. Thirty minutes, I'd guess."

"Here, give me the warrant," said the senior code enforcement officer, holding out his hand.

++++++

"Yo, Smiley!" said the box on the desk.

Smiley walked over, and hit the button to let him talk. "Whatcha got Mike?"

"Dude, there's like two cop cars over here, and we don't see the cops!"

++++++

"Yeah, let me get the egg and sausage, with cheese, and a large coffee. What do you guys want?" said the rookie as he placed his order at the food counter.

"I want what you're getting, Krepps wants the crueler with the glaze and sprinkles, and Shannon wants the egg and triple bacon heart attack. And two large coffees. Oh, and you're paying, rook." said the senior officer behind him, Hall, who'd gone along to be certain the orders were right. The other two officers were grabbing a table.

++++++

"Fuck!" said Lamarr as he moved away from the window. "Damar! I know it's him!"

Smiley moved back to the window to see what was happening. He passed Lamarr as Lamarr almost jumped to his desk, and hit another button on the box.

"Joe! JOE! Pick up, man!" Lamarr said as he got louder.

"Joe. What's up?" came the response through the box.

"Cops! Do it! Dunk the shit and flush it! Now!" Lamarr near shouted.

"What?" came the voice. "All of it?"

"Muthafucka, ALL of it! Dint' you hear?! COPS!" Lamarr affirmed.

"Shit!" and the line disconnected.

"Fuck, they marchin' this way," said Smiley, from the window. "I bet that guy there... that paper's gonna be a warrant."

"Fuck!" declared Lamarr. "Fuck! Why now? I bet he knows I'm out, and he's comin' for me! Shit!"

"What?" asked Smiley, not knowing the truth of Lamarr's recent issues with housing.

"Grab the cash. Grab the cash!" Lamarr said. "We gotta get the fuck outta here!"

"What?" Smiley asked, not understanding what was happening. "What'd you do?"

"Grab the cash!"

Smiley moved to the standing safe, and started to input a code to open it. He didn't know exactly what was happening, but Lamarr wasn't one to lose his cool. If he was worried, there was reason to worry.

Lamarr danced from his desk to the window, and watched as the large crowd of cops, uniformed and plainclothes he assumed, moved to the crosswalk across the street, and started toward his building.

"Fuck!"

Smiley had gotten the large safe open, and was full-arm scooping stacks of banded cash off the shelving, and into one of the nylon bags that were kept handy. He filled one, then started filling the next bag.

Lamarr watched the officers cross the street, and move toward the main door of the building. He expected to get a call any second from the front, asking him to come down.

No way was he walking into the arms of the cops.

When the crowd reached the main door, and stared disappearing from his elevated sight, Lamarr ran back to his desk, and opened a specific drawer.

Fron inside that drawer, he grabbed an envelope with a phone chip in it, and his Glock 19.

"Fuck, you packin'?" asked Smiley.

"We're runnin'." Lamarr said. "We're takin' the roof out."

"Ah, shit." Smiley said. "You sure about this?"

"You seen those cops, right?" Lamarr asked, disbelieving. "C'mon, we gotta go!"

Grabbing a bag of cash each, the two men went out of the office, found the fire stairs, and ascended, coming out onto the roof.

"I can't let 'em catch me here." Lamarr said, as they started moving across the roof, heading toward the next buildings rooftop, which was separated by a partition wall. "We'll bail the guys out later, after it calms down, if the dump and flush don't work."

"Joe's good." Smiley said. "He'll get it done."

"I ain't takin' no chance." Lamarr returned as the men slid onto the next rooftop. "Damar's been hassling me for a month, he's comin' after me 'cause of his kid."

"What?" Smiley asked. "Whatchoo do, man?"

"Nothin'!" Lamarr protested as the two men moved across the next roof. "I been good to th' boy! The kids been talkin' shit about me to his Dad!"

"Who's his Dad?" Smiley asked.

"A cop detective named Damar Freeman." Lamarr responded.

"Wait, Shawna's a baby-momma to a cops kid? A detective?" Smiley was surprised, and it showed in how he spoke. "You been living with a cops kid? What're you, crazy?"

"Damar is Shawna's ex..." Lamarr said, his tone low.

"WHAT?" Smiley couldn't believe it. "You been livin' wit' a..."

"Look, it was workin', okay?" Lamarr protested, as they reached the partition wall, separating them from the third and final rooftop, and the fire-escape stairs on the far side. "An I know Damar, I grew up wit' 'im..."

Lamarr neglected to mention how he'd gotten a thrill out of teasing Damar, taunting him, and essentially 'poking the bear' while he was living with Shawna and DL.

"Fuck, bro..." Smiley comments as they slid over the partition. "You fuckin' live dangerous. An' you pissed this detective off?"

Lamarr didn't respond.

"Shiiiit..."

The sound of a faint gunshot reached them.

"What the fuck?..." Smiley asked as both men paused halfway across the roof, questioning if what they heard was what they heard.

A second later, the sound of another gunshot reached them. That was followed by several more.

"Shit," both men chorused. Then they hurried to the far side of the roof, and the fire escape to be found there.

++++++

"All available units, shots fired, shots fired. Respond, 4th and Richwood, Wilson Food. All available units, shots fired, 4th and Richwood," is what came over the radios.

"Shit," said Krepps and Shannon at the same time.

"That's... holy shit, that's the other side of the block," said Hall

"Unit 342, responding." Shannon said into his radio as he stood up from the table.

"Unit 280, responding." Hall said.

"Do we take the cars?" asked the rookie, who was riding with Hall.

"Always take the cars." Hall answered.

++++++

Hall and his rookie were coming around the corner in their car, when the rook started peering at something that Hall couldn't see while driving.

"Hold up..." the rookie said.

"What?" Hall asked, slowing.

"Check this?"

Hall brought the car to a stop, their lights weren't flashing and the siren wasn't on, and Hall leaned over to see what the rookie was pointing at.

"Well, well, well..." Hall muttered, while looking up at the two men, carrying large grey bags, who were coming down the fire escape. "Two guys, looking really suspicious."

"What do we do?" the rookie asked.

"We call it in, suspicious individuals, potentially fleeing," said Hall, reaching for the radio. "Unit 280, we are onway to shots call, we have two suspicious..."

++++++

Smiley, in the lead down the final ladder, dropped off and stepped away, clearing space for Lamarr who was right behind him.

"Hello gentlemen," said a voice. "Whats up?"

As Lamarr landed, Smiley turned and saw a huge cop, linebacker size, standing behind him. With him was a smaller white cop, who had his right hand on the yellow handle of his taser.

"Uhh," Smiley intelligently said.

"Shit..." Lamarr muttered under his breath, and side-stepped to get behind Smiley, making it look like he was recovering from dropping off the ladder.

"Don't move, guys." said the large black cop. "Stay where I can see you, and just tell me what's going on."

Lamarr, his right hand behind Smiley, reached into his pocket, and found his Glock.

"Sir, please step over here." Hall said, aware that he couldn't see what Lamarr was doing.

The rookie could sense something wasn't going right.

"Sir, please step..." Hall said again, stepping forward to try and assert some control.

Lamarr pulled the Glock and stepped up tightly behind Smiley, and keeping his gun low, he extended forward over the top of Smiley's bag, on the right side, aimed at the rookie, his gun beside Smiley's hip. If you weren't close, you would likely see the gun, but just think these two guys were doing some front-to-back hug.

"Stop right there, pig." Lamarr said.

Smiley was looking down, and saw the gun in Lamarr's hand, beside him.

"Sir, please, let's not..." and then Hall became aware of the gun pointed at his rookie.

"Gimmie your pieces. Hand 'em over." Lamarr said, his voice was all-business.

"Oh, shit," muttered Smiley, realizing what was happening on the sidewalk, in open view.

"Be cool, bro..." Hall said.

The rookies eyes were wide. He hadn't had a gun aimed at him before.

"Fuck that." Lamarr said, half his attention on Hall. "Pass over the guns and tasers."

"We can't hand over the guns." Hall stated.

"You think I won't shoot this guy?!" Lamarr challenged.

"You won't like the result if you do." Hall asserted, his voice even.

"I think..." Lamarr hesitated, assessing. "...I think, I can put one in him, and he'll be dead. Then you are gonna do what you gonna do... but he'll be dead still..."

Hall kept quiet.

"You..." Lamarr said, looking at the rookie. "Two fingers... hand over that gun, and that taser."

The rookie looked from Lamarr to Hall, hoping for some guidance.

Hall's attention was focused on Lamarr and Smiley.

"...an' if he don't hand me his shit, after I shoot him, I'm gonna keep pullin' the trigger, until you get me or I get you... but I will fire into the people walkin' on this here sidewalk..." Lamarr finished. "I got fifteen bullets in this, and I'm gonna use 'em."

"Oh shit." Smiley again muttered, sweat beading on his skin. He knew Lamarr would use him as a shield.

Hall had heard Lamarr's threat, and took a second to look around.

There were way too many civilians around, only a few were starting to get an idea that something wasn't right among them.

Hall decided he was about to break a cardinal police rule. The guy with the gun sounded too rational, while also sounding too scared, for him to consider risking things. Fear was motivating him, but he had a plan.

"Allright,... be cool... I'm doin' it..."

Hall stepped sideways, slowly, and put himself in front of Smiley, and simultaneously, between Lamarr and the rookie.

"Naw, naw, we ain't playin' that hero shit." Lamarr said, knowing he had the upper hand for the moment. "Don't you go getting' in the way. Step over there...."

Hall almost said something smartass in response, until he saw the gun move to aim somewhere past him. Probably at a civilian. Could this guy essentially hip-fire accurately was a question he was asking. He was also thinking he could move the human shield and fuck up the guys shot... but in time? Enough?

"Oh... Shit..." Smiley almost prayed.

"Be cool now..." Hall said to Lamarr.

"Move." Lamarr indicated with his head. "And pass over your shit."

Hall, his eyes on Lamarr's face, saw a wave of resolve come across. Hall judged this guy was getting ready to make an example.

"Okay,... Okay,... I'm doin' it." Hall said.

Using the two finger method, Hall pulled over his weapon, and put it into the shield's hands... which were shaking slightly. As he reached for his taser, the shield took a firing grip on his Glock 22, and suddenly looked a lot more confident.

Smiley kept the gun low, held sideways, atop the bag of cash, as out-of-sight as he could manage.

Hall then handed over his taser.

"Keep it on him." Lamarr said to Smiley, then stepping around the side, and keeping his gun trained on the rookie. Smiley put the taser into his pocket, while he held the gun low, and as out-of-sight as he could. Thankfully, their large bags helped hide their hands.

Lamarr stepped up to the rookie, who was moving slowly, and said "C'mon..."

The rookie handed over the gun and taser to Smiley. One-by-one, Smiley put the weapons into the big bag on his side.

"Now, we gonna take a walk..." Lamarr said. "We're gonna go to that parking garage, and when we get there, Imma handcuff you two fucks to something, and we're gonna leave."

Hall, familiar with how things in reality didn't match words, recognized that the first one wanted the two cops out of sight... and probably not to do anything good to them. He looked again at Lamarr, and started to make a judgement about distance.

"Naw, naw..." Lamarr said, recognizing what he was seeing out of the big cop. "Don't get stupid now, man. You ain't got armor on your legs, and I still got people walkin' around."

Hall hated that reminder.

"Yeah, you mad, but you gonna do it." Lamarr asserted, and he was right. "You ain' gonna put these civilians at risk."

Hall started turning around, and when he saw the rookie, he gave him a nod. The rookie looked some combination of unhappy and angry.

"Do it," said Hall to the rookie.

At an almost normal walk, the foursome went down the sidewalk, drawing some looks as they went, and eventually entered a parking garage.

"Aight, stop there." Lamarr said after going down a level. He'd spotted a convenient vertical drainage pipe, painted a bright yellow, that would do. "Step to that pipe."

In short order, Hall and his rookie were handcuffed together, left-wrist-to-right, with their backs to the large metal pipe that ran from ceiling to floor. Lamarr pulled off their mics after they were cuffed.

Afterward, Lamarr and Smiley walked off, to find Smiley's car.

++++++

"Dude, what now?" Smiley asked. He had just cleared the gate exiting the parking garage, and was heading toward his apartment.

"We grab some of our shit." Lamarr said, watching to see if there were police behind them. "And we get the fuck outta town."

"Where do we go? They're gonna be on our asses, man." Smiley observed. "They had bodycams, that garage had cameras, we took guns off cops... they're gonna be comin' for us, bro!"

"We gonna make for Mexico." Lamarr said. "From there, we make plans. We got a shitload of cash."

"How we gonna get to Mexico?" Smiley asked, frustrated. "We ain't flyin'!"

"No, we gonna hire one of those guys who sneaks people across the border. Whatcha call 'em... 'coyotes,' or some shit."

"Fuck..." Smiley muttered. "Ok, we gotta get close to the border first. That's South. We can't do that in one shot, man. We gotta hole up somewhere, let the heat die down some."

"Yeah, we're gonna do that." Lamarr said, the plan forming in his head. "I know somewhere we can hide for a while, nobody will think of it."

"Where?"

"I'll tell you later. First, we get our shit from your apartment, we ditch this car, we grab some more cash I got stashed, we toss our phones and find some burners... then I got one more stop..."

"We wastin' time, man. Whatta we stoppin' for?" Smiley asked.

"Damar wants to fuck up my life?" Lamarr said, flatly. "Then I fuck up his, and get us some leverage at the same time."

++++++

A short time later, after stealing two license plates, stealing a blue 1997 Ford Probe in surprisingly good condition, a stop to a transit locker for a box of cash, a visit to a back-alley 'vendor' for all the burner phones he had, two cokes, Lamarr steered the duo to a certain school.

Lamarr found what he was looking for quickly at the school, he knew where his goal would be at that time of day.

Smoking cigarettes around the edge of the side parking lot of the school.

"Yo, DL, c'mere..." Lamar shouted to the boy as he stood up out of the car.

DL, not suspecting anything, trotted over, acting as cool as he could.

"Lamarr, 'sup?" he asked as he got close. "Smiley, yo."

Lamarr and DL hugged, and exchanged pleasantries, which for DL served to prove that the two of them were still 'cool.'

"DL, you remember us talkin' about hittin' the road, doin' some stuff?" Lamarr asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, we goin' on a trip." Lamarr said, gesturing to Smiley who was behind the steering wheel of the car. "C'mon."

"No shit?" DL asked, suspicious. "You tell Mom?"

"We good." Lamarr said. "She's meetin' us later, c'mon."

DL hesitated, but he decided to trust the man he'd lived with for a while. They'd always been good, other than what happened the other day.

He climbed into the back seat of the car, after greeting Smiley again.

"Where we goin'?" DL asked again, after the car started moving.

"We're gonna visit my Grams." Lamarr said.

The car wound through the city, and after the school was long out of the rearview mirror, Lamarr looked back over the seat to DL.

"Hey, you still got that playlist on your phone?"

"Which one?" DL asked, pulling out one of his earbuds, and holding up his phone a bit.

"That one that's got the Nineties stuff." Lamarr said. "I like that stuff."