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who was responsible for his current awful situation. A’shai sat down and picked up the phone to communicate. Baron didn’t move at first. He just stared at A’shai trying to find something in his heart to give him kind eyes and forgive his son. However, he couldn’t. He took a deep breath and reluctantly picked up the phone. “Why are you here?” he asked coldly.

“I’m here . . . because I love you. I’m here . . . because I am your son,” A’shai said as his voice began to crack and his eyes started to water. The visions of the car being blown up and his mother smiling while in the car invaded his mind. A’shai closed his eyes trying to shake off the thoughts, but they still remained. The deep regret was killing him inside-out.

“You are not my son. You murdered the only woman that ever loved me . . . the only woman who ever loved you. You took her away from me!” Baron yelled into the phone as his bottom lip began to quiver. His eyes were bloodshot red from the sleepless nights and his aching heart. A’shai just stared into the eyes of a broken man, and he didn’t know how to respond. The pain in Baron’s eyes was imbedded deeply and A’shai could feel the hatred screaming from Baron’s soul.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” A’shai said as he thought about what his father had just said. Did he sacrifice his mother for Liberty? Was he wrong for following his heart? He asked himself hard questions and came up with no answers.

“I never want to see you! I’m done,” Baron said through his clenched teeth as tears slid down his face as he rejected his son.

“I’m always going to be loyal to you . . . even if you hate me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” A’shai said as he watched as his father stood up and slammed the phone on the hook. He left A’shai behind, sitting with the phone in his hand. A’shai slammed the phone in frustration and stormed out. His life was falling apart, but he still vowed to get things right with Baron. It didn’t matter if it took years to reconcile their relationship. He would visit him as often as he could until Baron was ready to forgive him.

It was the day of trial and Baron rode in the back of the police van handcuffed. He was being transported to the courthouse so that he could stand before a jury. He wore a gray Armani suit that his lawyer had provided for him and the thought of his reality hit him. His lawyer had explained to him that they would take a plea for ten years to avoid a potential life sentence. Baron hated to wave a white flag, but the hard evidence was basically a nail in the coffin. They couldn’t take the risk, so Baron’s inevitable prison term was about to begin. Baron thought about A’shai everyday but he always ended up with a bad taste in his mouth. He would forever be bitter and it was out of his hands at that point. Baron silently prayed, hoping that his wife was in a good place. I love you Willow, he thought, but his brief conversation with his wife was interrupted by a violent jerk. Baron’s body was hurled to the back of the van and the sound of screeching tires was followed by a crash. The airbag in the front seats exploded in the cops’ faces causing them to be temporarily disoriented. Baron yelled as glass shattered everywhere and the sound of the van’s horn blared.

Two Hummer trucks sandwiched the police van. They were being ambushed. One of the Hummer’s back doors flew open and three masked men sat in the hatch of the truck and pointed automatic assault rifles at the driver and passenger cops. They let bullets rain before the cops could even pull their guns out. Meanwhile, Baron was in the back of the van covering up, not knowing what was going on. “Fuck!” he grimaced, knowing that the assault was intended for him.

The masked men jumped out of the Hummer and ran around to the back of the van with guns drawn. One man had a shotgun, which he used to blow off the lock on the back door. The door flew open and they quickly grabbed Baron and pulled him out of the back of the van. They hurried him into