May 30, 2024

Jade's eyes popped open. Unaware of her surroundings, she sat up taking it all in, finally realizing that she was in a hospital bed. Brandon woke up as Jade's feet hit the floor. He immediately stood up, rushing to his baby sister, crying.

"Jade," excited that his sister was alive, Brandon tightly hugged his sister. Jade winced in pain, so Brandon let up a bit.

"Br- Bran- Brandon?" She cried out. "Did you get him?" She whispered, only Brandon didn't hear her question.

He pulled away and put the cup of water with a straw up to her mouth. "Here. Drink some water."

Jade drank her water the same way she did last night. She's extremely parched and drank all of the water from the extra-large hospital cup. Brandon felt liquids dripping down his leg and heard it drip onto the floor. He looked down, Jade urinated on herself from the water she drank last night. She had been holding it in her sleep and couldn't control it.

"My God, Jade," Brandon rushed out of the hospital room. He asked a nurse at the receptionist's desk. "Can I get a mop?"

"You want a janitor?" She asked him.

"I said I want a mop. I need to clean up a mess that I made," he told her, not wanting to embarrass his sister.

"No, sir. We'll send a janitor to your room. It's a safety precaution. We don't want to be liable for any accidents if you just so happen to slip and fall."

"Damn," Brandon sighed. "I apologize for my language, but you wouldn't even know I made a mess if I hadn't told you."

The receptionist tilted her head to the side with a tight smile. "Sir, what's your room number?" This woman is clearly new because many of the officers who work in this district are familiar with the hospital staff.

"It's the room for Jade Lewis," he told her. "I really don't remember the exact room number, but I know the room when I go to it."

"Oh, okay," she looked down at her sheet. "The janitor will be there shortly."

Brandon nodded then walked away. He saw his baby sister crying. He sat on the bed, holding her. He just knew that his sister had been through so much throughout these seven years. He never stopped looking for his baby sister.

"Jade, where were you all of this time?" Brandon asked her, needing answers. "Who kidnapped you?"

Jade turned to her brother. "All of this time? Brandon, did you find him?"

"Who?" Brandon asked, immediately thinking about DeLane and the possibility of him hurting his sister. "DeLane?"

"Who?" She howled out.

"DeLane," he repeated.

"I have never heard that name in my life. Have you found Asaad? Last night, he- he assaulted me and beat me mercilessly. Apparently, he buried me too because I clawed my way through the dirt," she cried, putting her hand to her lips. "I don't  know how, but I did."

"Asaad?" Brandon frowned. "Last night?" His head jerked back in confusion.

"YES!" Jade stood up. "PLEASE arrest him before he gets away. You- you have to Brandon. You have to!" She cried falling to the floor in her mess, making a splashing noise when her body made contact with her bodily fluid.

"Jade, you've been GONE for SEVEN years," Brandon raised his voice, then realized that he needed to calm down. "What's wrong with you, Jade? You're speaking nonsense." He stared down at his sister.

"Asaad broke into the house while Mom and Dad went away for vacation. He was upset that I broke up with him for cheating on me. I had just gotten out of the shower and he was- he was standing there. I asked him to leave and he refused, which led to me being sexually and physically assaulted by him," she whispered at the end.

Brandon stood up, helping his sister up off of the floor. "Um, let me- allow me to get you cleaned up," he told her.

"You've got to get him, Brandon," she pleaded, tightly holding her brother's hand.

Brandon realized that his story and DeLane's seemed to be matching up, but he couldn't be too sure if any of their statement. Not until he saw the footage because they both sound insane. This whole thing sounds like a film. As much as he didn't want to see his sister naked, he helped her get cleaned up. Her body is still sore from the sexual assault and she can no longer control her bladder. He knew they had nurses for that, but he just wanted to be there for his baby sister and frankly, he trusted nobody at that point. Nothing made sense!

Tests were already in the works of being run. Nurses took samples last night while Jade slept. They're running a rape kit, drug tests, blood tests, etc. DeLane sat in the chair and perked up once Officer Terry entered the room. She set the cell phone on the table and slid it to him. She sat the breakfast food near herself. She promised Brandon that she'd stay to continue to interrogate DeLane and review the footage.

"It's charged and powered up. All you have to do is unlock it so we both can review the footage," she sat down.

DeLane picked up his cell phone and unlocked it. He clicked on the RING application again and then clicked on the footage from yesterday. Officer Terry stood up and walked to DeLane, standing beside him. He fast-forwarded it to nighttime. He turned his phone up as things started to play out. Though DeLane already saw this in real time, he still was shocked about the matter. They both were. They watched it a few times to be sure, only some of the audio was distorted, so they didn't get to hear everything.

After they finished watching the video, Terry sent it to her phone via email and then sent the file to Brandon from her phone through email. Brandon finished washing his baby sister, looking over all of the bruises on her body. It was as if it was still fresh. He grabbed a towel, covered her body then began to whimper, which eventually turned into full-blown weeping.

Brandon's phone rang and he just allowed it to ring. Jade, on the other hand, made her way towards the noise. When she made it, she plopped down on the chair in her towel and picked up the ringing phone. Afraid of who'd respond on the other, Jade remained quiet.

"Brandon, did you see the video I sent to you? It's true... Everything he told us was true," Terry spoke into the phone.

"Wh- who is this?" Jade whispered into the speaker.

"Jade?" Terry called out. "What- what happened?"

Brandon pulled himself up and noticed his sister was gone. He made his way into the hospital room again and saw that his sister's bodily fluid had been cleaned up. He looked up to see his sister holding his phone up to her ear. Brandon rushed over to Jade, grabbing the phone.

"Hello?" He spoke into the receiver.

"It's- it's true, Brandon... She crawled out of the dirt. The dirt looked like I hadn't been touching it prior. It looked like a regular lawn. No indication that it has been tampered with before. He's telling the truth, Brandon. I can't believe my eyes," Terry ranted. "I sent you the video and drove him back to his home."

Brandon glanced at his sister, "what?"

"I sent you the video. What has she told you?" Terry questioned.

"I'll speak to you about it in person. I need to question my sister. Terry, thank you," he smiled at her.

"You're welcome," she replied and Brandon hung up the phone, plopping beside his sister.

He rewinded the video, skipping through the day to get to the point. He will review everything later. When he and Jade finished viewing the video, Brandon allowed his baby sister to get dressed, then immediately went into big brother mode/ work mode and questioned his baby sister. The questions and answers left them both confused.

He started on his second to last question, "How old are you, Jade?"

"Twenty-one."

"Jade, do you know what year it is?" Whilst recording her, studying every emotion and body language, he asked his final question.

"May 18 of 2017 is when everything occurred, so today has to be... May 19, 2017," she replied.

"No, Jade... Today is May 19-"

"That's what I said!"

"Jade, it's 2024. The entire world was just in lockdown from a pandemic. Things were crazy. The crime, the deaths, the sickness. Everything," he revealed to her.

"Pandemic?" Jade squinted.

"Yes. As in people felt like it was the end of the world due to how many people died. Almost six million people have died around the world from COVID-19," Brandon revealed to her. "You don't remember any of it?"

"NO, Brandon!" She said feeling irritated. "Why isn't anyone doing anything? Find him, Brandon. Find Asaad!" She put her hands up to her face, sobbing.

"We will, Jade. We will find him," he replied, ending the video, and going back into brotherly mode. "I promise that I'll find him if it's the last thing I do on earth."

They cried more, and a doctor entered the room, closing the door behind her. There's a curtain blocking her view, so she knocks on the wall near the door.

"Come in," Brandon replied.

The doctor entered the room. "I have all the test results that were run upon her arrival. Are you comfortable with your brother being here?" He asked Jade.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

"So we ran every test that we could. We have concluded that Jade Lewis was violated. We ran a matchup for DNA, but could not find any matches."

"Asaad. Asaad Rasheed is who did this to me," she wept into her hands. "He's my ex-boyfriend he broke into my house." The doctor wrote the name down. "He is from New Haven Connecticut. He moved to California in 2013. He's a landscaper and repair man."

"Ma'am, we also found dirt in your womb," Doctor Hector revealed. "Could you tell me what happened?"

"My ex-boyfriend sexually and physically assaulted me, then buried me," Jade told him.

"That's enough," Brandon spoke up.

"Oh, there were no drugs, alcohol, or diseases in her system, just a bladder infection and the infection of her wounds. The vaginal canal was also damaged due to assault. Don't worry because you will heal, but it'll take some time. Not only that, but you have a mild concussion in your head, which is why you're bandaged up. She'll have to stay for a while so we can keep a close eye on her. Okay, um," Doctor Hector cleared his throat. there are FBI agents outside waiting to question you," Doctor Hector revealed.

"What?" Brandon perked up. "Who sent the state?"

"Sir, she's been missing for seven years. Her DNA is on file for missing people. However, someone already contacted the FBI before I could tell them anything, sir," Doctor Hector replied. "I have to let them inside."

Doctor Hector turned, walked to the door, and opened it, inviting the Federal Bureau of Investigation inside the hospital room. Jade watched them and when her eyes landed on one of their faces, his breath shook, except she didn't know why. It just didn't feel right to her returned soul.

"Officer Lewis," Brandon stood up, getting into work mode.

"I'm FBI Agent Hawke," he shook his hand, then Jade's hand.

"And I'm FBI Agent Qadir." He shook Brandon's hand.

"Qadir. Qadir. Qadir. Qadir. Qadir," Jade repeated inside of her head.

But she couldn't sense where it came from. He stuck his hand out, shaking it. The moment their hands touched, Jade had flashbacks. They looked at her as his head dropped down, but her hand remained engulfed in FBI Agent Qadir's hand.

Flashback: "Baby, this is my older cousin, Kashif," Asaad introduced. "Be careful around this nigga because he the Feds now," Asaad joked.

"Nah, it ain't even like that. I'm just trying to be the example the black community needs. Show them that there are cops that look like them that are clean," Kashif plainly stated.

~End of Flashback~

•

~Start of Premonition~

"Jade is alive," Kashif revealed to his cousin.

"Wha- what?" Asaad said in disbelief. "She's dead. I made sure. How? She was buried."

"It doesn't make sense, but it's true. Her face was busted all up. Another officer at the scene told us that the owner of his house claimed she crawled from the ground. It doesn't make sense, but I've seen a lot of shit.."

"What's his name? What should we do about this? This shit doesn't sound right."

"Was Jade spiritual? Was she into voodoo or somethin'? Her family?"

Asaad stayed there trying to remember something. Anything! He snapped his fingers. "She told me stories about her family."

"According to the officers and documents I got my hands on, his name is DeLane Moreau. I could only get so much information on him. I googled him and got nothing. All I know is his name and that he just moved here."

"I think we need to pay buddy a visit," Asaad stated.

~End of Premonition~

A loud gasp escaped her lips and she observed his face, then looked deeply into his eyes. He recognizes her.

"Nice to meet you," Jade replied nicely.

"Nice to meet you too, Jade Lewis," FBI Agent Qadir replied.

Brandon gave her a strange look. They asked her the same questions and Jade told them everything they needed to know, except the name and that it was her ex-boyfriend. Her intuition told her to leave it out and she always listened to her intuition, like when she figured Asaad was cheating on her.

"I can't- I can't remember. Sorry," she held her head as if she was in pain and her heart rate sped up again. The same thing also happened when she had a vision.

"She has a concussion. Give her time," Brandon told them, even though he knew she knew the name.

"I think we're done for now. We need to allow him to rest. It's still fresh," Agent Hawke told his partner.

"Okay, have a nice day," the officers left, leaving the siblings alone.

•

DeLane stayed on the phone with his father. "Mom and Dad, I was literally in the interrogation room overnight. I promise you, this is true. I'm sending evidence over now via email. It's still loading. The Internet connection here sometimes gets bad."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, so we can get to the bottom of things. Right now, there's a case ending for another client. Keep me in the loop," his mother replied.

"Thanks, ma. I love you," he smiled.

"I love you too," she smiled.

"Me too," his father replied. "I love you son and I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too. Bye."

"Bye, son!" The parents replied in unison before hanging up the phone.

DeLane slipped his phone into his pocket, then made his way outside to inspect the hole. Meanwhile, Brandon and Jade sat there in complete silence. Brandon went to the door, and opened it, looking in each direction. All he saw were staff members of the hospital, roaming around. Deciding to break his silence, Brandon closed the door and made his way past the curtains.

•

"What the hell was that?" Brandon exhaled through his nose as he spoke.

"You won't believe me," Jade told him.

"At this point, I believe everything. This shit is crazy," he cocked his head to the side.

"I had- I had a flashback then a premonition. Agent Qadir is his cousin. I remember meeting him once and Asaad mentioned that he's part of law enforcement. My premonition consisted of him telling his cousin that I was alive. I'll assume that they're planning something," she revealed to her brother.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't say shit, but do you think it's true?" Brandon asked his baby sister.

"Yes. It has to be. This has never happened, but I believe- I have a strong feeling that it's true," Jade nodded.

"Damn..." Brandon plopped down in the chair. His hands slid down his face with his elbows resting on the top of his knees. "What are we going to do, Jay? What do we do if it is true?" He called her by her nickname.

"I don't know. Wait for another premonition?" She inquired. "How's Mom? Dad? Sevyn? Corey? Kitty? And Nathan?" She asked about all of their siblings and their parents.

"Nathan? Nathan passed away from COVID-19 in 2021. He thought it was over and he caught it, passing away in the hospital," he folded his hands against his forehead. "Everyone else? Everyone else is fine. I actually spoke to mom and dad, telling them that we found you. I told them not to tell anyone, but I think they'll still tell our siblings."

"Nathan's dead?" Tears welled up in her eyes again, pouring out onto her lap. "Grandma? Grandpa?"

"Grandpa passed the same year you disappeared or died- I don't know what to call it. He passed in July from prostate cancer. They caught it too late and it went quickly. That was the hardest year for us. Grandma passed away in her sleep on January 1, 2020. It was due to natural causes," Brandon explained to her.

"Oh, my God. I should- I should've been there," she spoke with a lump in her throat.

"How could you?" Brandon asked her. "You couldn't. You were dead and buried in our backyard. I don't know how I didn't catch that, Jade. How?"

They consoled each other again, taking everything in.

"Why me? How did I die and come back? Am I demonic? These premonitions never happened to me before," she said, starting to hyperventilate. The monitor started to beep fast.

"Calm down. Take a deep breath," he coached her, inhaling and exhaling.

The breathing exercises helped and her breathing was paced.

"Why not you?" He asked his sister and she looked up at him. "I don't think they know we're related, but we need to keep you safe. We need protection. I'll be back later tonight. In the meantime, I need you to stay near the emergency button. I need to inform them not to allow anyone by- what's his first name?"

"Kashif Qadir," Jade answered her brother's question. "That's his full name. Well, a possibility."

"Yeah, I'll tell them about it. I need to inform the man who contacted us to be aware and not to give any information or footage," he said putting on his jacket.

"Who is he? What's his name?"

"DeLane Moreau," Brandon told his sister and her breath hitched. "He moved into our childhood home almost two weeks ago," he told Jade. "You really were dead."

"I guess so, but how come all the doctors found was dirt and DNA? How did they find DNA? How did I resurrect?"

"Questions that you and I need answers to. Alright, bye. I love you," he hugged his sister tightly, and then walked out of the hospital room.

Brandon made sure to tell the receptionist not to allow Kashif Qadir and Asaad Rasheed inside his sister's hospital room. Brandon made his way to DeLane's home. Not only does he want to prevent anyone from being killed, but he also needs to make sure his sister isn't sent to some lab and tested on like a test dummy. He doesn't want the news to cover this story. He doesn't need his family being hounded by the masses of people.

"It's Officer Lewis. Please, open up," Brandon gently spoke, looking into the RING camera.

DeLane was in the middle of creating content and huffed once he got the notification and the doorbell rang. He had already forgotten that he allowed Officer Lewis through his gate.

"What the fuck do they want now?" He asked himself, making his way down his stairs, eventually making his way to the front door. DeLane snatched the door open in irritation. "What is it now?"

"I need to talk to you," Brandon walked inside of DeLane's home without even asking.

"Aye, nigga. Don't be just comin' in my house. You ain't got no warrant," DeLane spoke with irritation clearly seeping, then slammed his doors shut, locking it.

He's talking to the Officer in a reckless manner, but Brandon doesn't care.

"I'm sorry, but I need that footage. You also need to delete it. Have you sent it to anyone?"

"No..." DeLane lied.

"Understand that if you have sent it to someone, they may get into some bad trouble," Brandon turned to DeLane.

"Trouble?" Delaned chirped. "What kind of trouble?"

"Law enforcement. Bad law enforcement. I've looked you up and you're all over social media. I advise you not to tell anyone about what occurred last night. There's something weird going on."

DeLane scoffed, "First you arrest me, an innocent bystander. Then you come here making commands?" DeLane squinted.

"Sir, I apologize. Anyone else comes to question you, you don't know anything about anything. Can you please delete the footage?" Brandon asked DeLane. "It's all I'm telling you. Some can become forceful and I need people in my jurisdiction to remain safe," Brandon told him.

"Why do you need me to delete it? Y'all accused me of some shit. Why would I? I want to make sure my name is in the clear."

"I can assure you that your name is in the clear. That's for sure. We have a bit more information now. Like I said, I just need the people in my jurisdiction safe. If you truly don't have any evidence to this, you won't be lying," Brandon explained.

"Okay, I'll delete that shit, BUT why do YOU need me safe? Why do you give a fuck about me so much?" DeLane asked, clearly not buying his words because it wasn't adding up.

"The crime in this area is low and I'd like to keep it this way. Delete me coming here today and delete all of last night's footage," Brandon stated then looked him in the eyes. "I hope you aren't filing a suit against us. It was just protocol. Anyone at the scene is a suspect."

"Y- no, that is unless y'all do some more shit," DeLane said making a decision, cooperating.

If the officer says there are dangerous people involved, DeLane doesn't want him or his family involved. He'd have to tell his mother to drop the case and delete the footage, but his mother is always stubborn. She's a justice warrior, literally.

"No. I came to this neighborhood for a fresh start. I don't want to be involved in shit," DeLane shook his head, then he ran up the stairs to fetch his cellphone.

He also needs to delete it from his computer and laptop, because his computers are also connected to his ring. He'll do it later, but he tucked his gun inside of his pants for his protection. DeLane ran back downstairs to delete everything in front of Brandon, so he'd be left alone. He also deleted it all from his trash file.

"Done," DeLane exhaled. "Anything else?"

"Do you have footage anywhere else?" Brandon asked DeLane.

"Um, my laptop," is the only thing he said. "Follow me." He led him to the kitchen.

DeLane deleted everything in front of Brandon, but that still leaves evidence on his computers in his control room. DeLane decided not to mention it because he needed to cover his own behind if something went down. He has footage of everything. From the girl digging herself from the dirt to the police and ambulance arriving, the ambulance taking the mystery woman away, and to them being aggressive towards him when he was arrested.

"Thank you. Again, I'm sorry for any trouble to have caused you. If you need anything, here's my personal number. Enjoy your day," Brandon spoke as DeLane led him to the door.

Brandon grabbed the card from him. "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Bye," DeLane allowed Brandon to open his door.

All he knows is fingerprints are read and if anything happens to him, they'll have Officer Lewis's fingerprints. However, if the officer wanted to commit a crime, he knows how to rid of evidence.

•

In the meantime, Kashif paid a visit to his cousin. Asaad opened his condo door, happy to see his cousin.

"What's up, man?" Asaad pulled Kashif into a half hug and dap.

Kashif pushed his cousin into his condo, shutting and locking the door behind him.

"Is Misty around?" Kashif asked his cousin. "The kids?"

"No. The kids are at school and daycare, but they'll be home in about forty-five minutes. Nigga, why are you askin' all of these damn questions? I just got home from work and I'm being bombarded with questions," Asaad chuckled. "Man, what's goin' on?"

"Does Jade Lewis ring a bell?"

Asaad's breathing went shallow, remembering what he had done seven years ago. "Yeah." He also told his cousin not too long after it happened because he felt like he needed to tell someone.

The cops were onto him for a short period, but Kashif was part of the case, deeming it a cold case.

"Jade is alive," Kashif revealed to his cousin.

"Wha- what?" Asaad said in disbelief. "She's dead. I made sure. How? She was buried."

"It doesn't make sense, but it's true. Her face was busted all up. Another officer at the scene told us that the owner of his house claimed she crawled from the ground. It doesn't make sense, but I've seen a lot of shit."

"What's his name? What should we do about this? This shit doesn't sound right."

"Was Jade spiritual? Was she into voodoo or somethin'? Her family?"

Asaad stayed there trying to remember something. Anything! He snapped his fingers. "She told me stories about her family."

"According to the officers and documents I got my hands on, his name is DeLane Moreau. I could only get so much information on him. I googled him and got nothing. All I know is his name and that he just moved here."

"We need to pay buddy a visit," Asaad rubbed his nose.

"I think so too. He has the information we need. He could even have footage. Almost everyone has cameras surrounding their homes, even in the nicest of neighborhoods," Kashif replied.

Asaad stood up. "You got the spare badge on you?"

"Yeah, nigga," Kashif pushed it into his cousin's hand. "Put on a suit. A nice one too. Not one of your clown suits. Nothin' flashy and distasteful."

"I KNOW, damn!" Asaad chuckled.

Asaad entered his bedroom, shutting the door, raging so hard that he punched the full-bodied mirror. Kashif heard it from the living room. He knew his cousin had problems, but that's not his fault. Asaad has always had problems and everyone was always there to protect him and cover up for his wrongdoings. His anger issues always caused him to become impulsive. Although, Jade's murder WAS premeditated.

Asaad not only scrubbed everything clean, but he also repaired what he broke, meaning the door he pushed to break into the home. Asaad went to a trade school, picking up multiple skills. He can fix just about anything, but his anger when it gets to a certain point. Asaad is on the horrible spectrum of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It's worse than Bipolar Disorder. People diagnosed with bipolar disorder tend to have a shift of personality throughout the day, while people with Borderline Personality Disorder tend to change personalities throughout the day. Not to mention, Asaad has BPD AND Schizophrenia. He has the violent symptoms of all of his mental disorders. Jade had never seen that side of him until the night she met her demise or she just didn't pay too much attention to it. Love can make a person ignore red flags.

"Fuck!" Asaad screamed, grabbing the sides of his head like the insane man he was.

Asaad halted his growling screams, then walked into his bathroom, taking his medication. Then he rinsed his bloody hands, then washed them both, bandaging them afterward. Kashif took a seat on the couch, scrolling through his phone and doing more research on DeLane.

•

Jade sat wide awake in her hospital bed, thinking about everything. What's her purpose for coming back? When she's completed her purpose, will she remain living? Where are these visions coming from? Jade has never heard of people coming back from the dead remembering everything that has happened to them so vividly. She's heard of reincarnation, but never in the sense of someone coming back to life as the same person, a sane one at that. Brandon came back into the room with his sister.

"So... I got you some food. I don't know if you've eaten yet. I got you a Junior King's chicken sandwich, fries, a drink, and some of your favorite snacks," he sat the food down at the wheelie table. "Have you eaten?"

"No, I didn't even think of food. I've just been gathering my thoughts. Trying to make sense of everything," she gestured with her hands.

"Can you like... Eat? Does your body allow it?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I- I haven't TRIED," she told him.

"So the staff didn't come with any food?" Brandon asked his sister.

"No, they did, but it sat out all day, so they eventually took it away," she replied staring at her good before snatching it up. "I feel hungry," she felt the need to mention.

"I also got you a brand new phone. We have to set this shit up though. Tomorrow I'll have to go back to work and I need you to call me if ANYTHING happens. Okay, Jay?" He asked his sister, watching her eat her sandwich.

"Mmhm," she nodded while demolishing her meal.

"Well, I can tell that you haven't eaten in a while," Brandon joked and Jade smiled with a mouthful of food.

•

Around nine o'clock at night, DeLane received notification that someone was at his gate on his private road. He opened the notification to look into it with a deep sigh.

"I ain't lettin' nobody through my shit this damn late," DeLane sighed and let the men in the car stay where they are. He didn't even speak through his speaker at them. "I ain't ever seen these niggas in my life either, so why the fuck should I let them through?"

He fell back into his bed, closing his eyes, clutching his gun. DeLane couldn't take any chances. His phone rang and he looked down to see it was an unknown number but still decided to answer it immediately.

"Nigga!" His big brother, Loyal, yelled into the phone.

DeLane scoffed, "Aye, what your ass not finna do is yell in my fuckin' ear like you just did. It's too fuckin late for this shit. You know better!"

"A'ight, nigga. CHILL the fuck out," Loyal chuckled. "My bad, but I saw that damn video. Mom and pops showed me that shit. I was uh- sent down to where you are for your safety. So... With that being said, I'm in an Uber about five minutes away from your crib. Make room, baby brother," he chuckled at the end. "I heard there was a lot of shit goin' on. I'm your protection."

"Protection?" DeLane sat up. "I can hold my own ground," DeLane told his brother. "I don't need your protection."

DeLane was sent another RING notification, so he put his phone on speaker to check it. It shows the two men hopping over the fence.

"What the fuck?" DeLane trailed off, clutching his piece.

"What? What's wrong?" Loyal asked his brother.

"These niggas just jumped over my gate. It's a security gate and hard to pass through on foot. They makin' their way down the road as we speak. Are you really five minutes away?" DeLane asked how wanting for his brother to arrive without flatly saying it.

"The app says that I'm a good seven minutes away. Aye, can you speed up?" Loyal tapped his driver's shoulder when he asked his question.

"Sure," the man with a thick Spanish accent replied.

"De, call the police," Loyal hung up.

DeLane immediately called the police.

"911, what your emer-"

"There are two niggas that climbed over my security gate and I live on a private road. This is private property," DeLane spoke fastly into the speaker.

"Sir, slow down. Can you please repeat what you said?" DeLane recognized it as the same lady from the night before.

DeLane huffed, "there are two men in suits that climbed over my security gate and I live on a private road."

"Okay, is this DeLane Moreau from the previous night?" She asked him.

"Yes, please send the police!" He yelled at her out of frustration.

"What do they look like?"

"Two black men wearing black suits with ties. One is wearing a- a white undershirt and the other has on a light blue one," he spoke as he watched the men walk down the road, getting closer and closer to his home. DeLane's phone dinged again. "They look like Men in Black or some shit. Shit, they might be. Creepy ass shit has been happening here lately."

"Let me through," Loyal whispered to his brother through the intercom.

DeLane opened the gate and split the screen watching the screen, focusing on the two mystery men and his brother. DeLane made his way downstairs, still on the phone with the police operator.

"They're on their way. Make sure you're in a secure place in your home," she told him.

"My brother is outside," DeLane replied to the operator.

"FBI, open up," they both held their badges up to the camera.

"They said that they're FBI," DeLane stood near his front door. "They showed their badges."

"FBI, OPEN UP," they then began knocking.

Asaad kept his head down to avoid the camera view, but Kashif didn't care because he was part of the case AND he's not posing as an agent because he really is an FBI agent. Little do Asaad and Kashif know that cameras are facing them at all angles.

"No, don't let them in, wait until the police arrive. You can't be too sure." The operator told him from the other end.

DeLane looked at his phone the same way he'd look at the operator if she were standing in front of him. Why in the world would he open his door? Well, other than the fact that Loyal is outside. The two men CLIMBED over his gate for Christ's sake. That doesn't sound like something the FBI would do. Besides, there are only two men. There are usually more FBI at a person's house in the movies and television shows he watches. He'd do anything to help his brother. Loyal got out of the Uber, placing his bags on the ground.

"How many I help you?" Loyal asked walking up to the two men as the Uber drove away.

Though the matriarch of the Moreau family is a lawyer, Loyal consistently gets himself into trouble. They didn't grow up in a terrible neighborhood, it was more like Loyal would always seek trouble. Loyal always felt bored in his neighborhood and left to hang with kids from other neighborhoods. Since then, he's been in and out of jail for various crimes that he didn't even have to commit. Because of who his mother is, he ALWAYS got off easily. Loyal wasn't a complete dummy because he always stayed in places where his mother could represent himself because he knew she always did it. Things got worse when Loyal's twin, Royal, was mistaken for Loyal and was killed because of it.

"FBI, I'm Agent Qadir. Are you DeLane Moreau?" Kashif folded his hands in front of his pants with his eyes squinted because the DeLane he saw online had similar but different features.

"And you are?" Loyal squinted at Asaad.

Asaad cleared his throat, "Hawke. Agent Hawke," he used his cousin's ACTUAL partner's name.

"Can I see your badges?" Loyal folded his lips into his mouth and they pulled them out again.

Loyal doesn't know the difference between a fake FBI badge and a real one. Although, they both are real. Asaad is only posing as someone he is not. Loyal wanted to make it seem like he knew what he was doing.

Loyal cleared his throat, "I'm him," Loyal nodded, staring at Asaad who had a familiar face. "What do YOU want with me?"

"Sir, we are investigating a case here that happened just last night. We have questions," Asaad spoke.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I don't have any answers," Loyal didn't even mention the fact that they climbed over the gates.

Loyal stood on the other side of the door, waiting for something to pop off, so he could bust a few caps to defend his brother.

"There's no warrant, neither is it an emergency. This is no hostage situation, so the two of you should go on about your day," Loyal smiled, tilting his chin up, looking at them from the bottom of his eyes. He motioned them off. "This is private property. I could call the police."

Kashif and Asaad glanced at one another, then looked at Loyal, taking in his features. Loyal always knew when someone was sizing him down.

"Yo, did you hear me?" Loyal stepped forward and so did Asaad.

Asaad let out a short, deep, and threatening chuckle. "We were just leaving." Asaad nodded, brushing past him.

The collar on Asaad's shirt shifted, showing a small portion of a scar that Loyal took notice of.

"Good," Loyal nodded.

Kashif walked past him, leaving. Loyal watched the pair walk down the road and so did DeLane through his cameras. When they were no longer in Loyal's sight, Loyal knocked on the door and DeLane opened it, letting his big brother inside. He immediately closed and locked the door behind them.

"Why'd you pose as me?" DeLane squinted.

"Because you're too scary to open the door," Loyal snickered. "Nigga, you saw me out there and still didn't come out. Scary ass."

"Dude, you have no idea everything I've been through in the past twenty-four hours. A while ago, the Officer visited me sayin' that I might be in some sort of trouble. THEN asked me to delete the footage from last night. You would be scared too!" DeLane told his brother, then looked down at his phone, watching the agents walk down the road.

"De, I'm never scared. I dare somebody try some shit with me. I'm not scared of death, but I'm not finna just stand there and let that shit happen either," Loyal told his brother, laughing.

DeLane shook his head at his brother. "Man, don't say that..."

"It's the truth," Loyal told his brother.

"Still," DeLane felt a pang in his chest from his brothers' words. "I missed your ass though, man," he pulled Loyal into a tight hug.

"I also have to tell you something," Loyal finally hugged him back at the end of his sentence.

DeLane pulled back, "What is it now?"

"Mama ain't send me here," Loyal sighed. "She ranted to me about what was going on with you and you know that I just got out of prison. She told me where you went, I looked you up and found your address on the Internet. Them niggas back home are well aware that I just got out and I noticed that I was being followed a few days of being out, so I never went home to our home state, so I just stayed in Connecticut with a like-minded friend. I know that our parents live in a nice gated community, but still... I don't need shit happening to them, especially on my account. I wouldn't be able to take that shit. So..." He let out a deep breath because he always had trouble asking people for help. "A nigga was wondering if could I stay here for a while?"

"Loyal..." DeLane trailed off. "Of course, you can stay here as long as you don't bring trouble to my house or YOU don't find trouble. You sure nobody followed your ass here?" De looked at his phone, opening his cameras.

"Nah," Loyal chuckled. "You're good," he reassured his baby brother. "Nobody would expect me to be here. We are all the way in the boonies."

"Do our parents know you're here? Or your so-called friends?"

"No, I spoke to our parents, which led me here. Mother told me that you had recently moved while I was still locked up, but I never informed them where I was going," he told him, then smiled. "Thank you, man. I really appreciate this."

"You smell like you been smokin' that shit all day. That's the best part of living here. This shit is legal and you know ain't nobody fucked with your shit when it's from the dispensary," DeLane laughed.

"Legal?" Loyal's eyes widened.

"Hell, yeah!" He laughed.

"Damn, I was gone for a while then. I thought that shit would never happen."

"Nigga, you missed the entire pandemic," DeLane stated, while laughing hard.

"Nah, not really. That shit was bad in prison. They treated us like shit and that Covid shit was spreading like crazy. Hella people were dying from that shit. We couldn't even go to the yard for fresh air. We were locked in there 24 hours every day. We only were allowed out for showers. We had to eat in our cells to avoid physical contact. Shit was rough..." Loyal shook his head reminiscent.
He then looked at his brother again with a proud smile. "Man, I'm proud of you." Loyal looked around his brother's home. "This is a phat ass crib," he shook his head. "DAYUM!" He shockingly spoke. "You could definitely use some company. Company like your big brother."

DeLane looked at his phone watching the posing FBI agents jump over his tall gate.

"Those niggas ain't no damn FBI," DeLane sighed. "I feel like I'm in a world of trouble. I need more than that fuckin' gate to keep me safe."

"Laney, that nigga looked mad familiar to me," Loyal spoke.

"Which one?" DeLane's eyebrows furrowed.

"The..." He trailed off thinking of what they said their names were. "Agent Hawke. Not to mention that they climbed over the gate to enter. They trespassed with no warrant. They know that shit is illegal if they're the law. Somethin' is tellin' me that they left with unfinished business."

DeLane got another motion detection notification. He looked at his phone to see it was the police at his gate. He opened it through his phone.

"They always show up too late," DeLane shook his head at his brother.

It didn't take long for the officers to pull up and the two brothers made their way outside to speak with them.

"That was quick," DeLane sarcastically spoke.

"Most importantly, we're here," Officer Harold squinted, folding his arms across his chest. "We just wanted to make sure you weren't hallucinating again. So where are these two men in suits? Men in Black."

"They left," Loyal spoke up, ignoring the sarcasm. "They claimed to be FBI agents. Agent Qadir and Agent Hawke."

Terry's suspicion rose, "we were told that they hopped over the gate."

"And they did with no warrant," Loyal spoke up.

"I'm sorry, sir. And you are?" Officer Terry Franklin asked Loyal.

"I'm Loyal. Loyal Moreau. I'm DeLane's big brother," he held his hand out for her to shake it and she did, but Loyal brought Officer Terry's other hand up, holding her hands between his.

"Officer Franklin," she said, dropping Loyal's hand. "Did they say why they were here?"

"Something about last night's case..." Loyal glanced at his brother.

"Oh, okay," DeLane responded.

"Ma'am and sir, we don't know much," Loyal told them.

"ACTUALLY, Loyal said he thinks one of the guys looked f-" DeLane stepped speaking once he saw how his brother stared at him.

"We don't know anything," Loyal repeated, but with different wording. "We just want peace."

"Oh, okay," Terry nodded not digging deep into it because she was well aware of everything.

"We still have to check the home to make sure the two of you aren't being held hostage. Although, I'm familiar with both Agents. Just to be sure, then we'll be on our way," Officer Harold sighed walking forward to the entrance of DeLane's home, Loyal followed behind him to make sure the officer didn't take anything.

When Officer Harold went inside, Officer Franklin pulled DeLane aside. "I know you have footage, so please contact and send the evidence to Officer Lewis. One of those agents has a long history of accusation," she handed him her contact personal information as well as Brandon's.

"Okay," DeLane glanced at them, then slid both cards into his pocket.

Terry then entered the home searching the downstairs area, while Officer Harold checked upstairs. The house, of course, was clear. Loyal followed Officer Harold down the stairs as he had been following him everywhere. While he followed, Loyal took the time to take in the beauty of his brothers home. Even though it should be the other way around, Loyal looks up to his little brother. What Loyal doesn't know is that DeLane looks up to him in many ways, just not the bad ones.

"Damn," Loyal looked whispered to himself, checking Officer Franklin out.

Due to Loyal's imprisonment, he hasn't had a woman in four and a half years and he's feeling the effects. He always loved busty women and Officer Franklin was just his type. The pig suit wasn't fooling Loyal, Officer Franklin has a little edginess to her. She reminded him of some girls from the hoods he would often visit.

"Everything's clear upstairs," Officer Harold spoke to Officer Franklin.

"Same thing downstairs," Terry replied.

"Good. Let's go," Officer Harold replied.

"You two have a nice day. Don't hesitate to call," Officer Franklin told the brothers.

"I won't," Loyal shit her a smile. In turn, he received the side eyes.

Terry walked out of DeLane's home, and entered Officer Harold's squad car. Loyal and DeLane followed her outside because Loyal had his bags sitting in the middle of the road.

"She is fine," Loyal spoke loud enough for Terry to hear him.

Terry heard him, chuckled under her breath, and then closed the door.

"You want her?" DeLane asked his brother, picking up one of his bags. "She's a nice-lookin' woman, but you've also been in prison for years. You two are like water and oil. You get in trouble with the law and she IS the law," DeLane laughed as he made his way back to the front door.

"Listen, she can arrest me anytime she wants as long as I'm layin' on my back," Loyal laughed.

"Your horny ass!" DeLane shook his head, closing and locking his door.

DeLane then grabbed his phone, making sure they exited his property. His gate automatically opens from the inside if a vehicle is trying to exit. It won't do it if it's just a person, but there's an exit and entrance for walking too, but you need a passcode to enter and press a button to exit.

"Shit, I've been in jail and been layin' low, so a nigga ain't got no pussy since before prison," Loyal chuckled.

"What happened to Candy? That was your sweet tooth," DeLane replied.

"That's my girl, but you know she got kids and shit. I don't want her or those kids mixed up in this shit..." Loyal shook his head, still looking around. "So where's your woman?" Loyal asked his brother.

"Man, I HAD plenty, but the pandemic slowed that shit down. I ain't got shit in this state yet. I just moved here. Just a few numbers and potentials, but they're still pretty far away. Nearby cities." DeLane shrugged his shoulder, dropping the bag on the floor. "The pandemic didn't stop most people because STDs have increased significantly. Loy, what the fuck you got in this bag? Firearms?" Loyal shot his brother a knowing look and DeLane's eyebrows furrowed. "Nigga you're a felon. This shit is illegal and I don't want this shit in my crib because I know this shit isn't registered."

"I'm fuckin' with you, baby boy!" Loyal combusted into a fit of laughter. DeLane stood there, staring at his brother with a face of stone. "I'm serious! Look through it," Loyal calmed down when he noticed his brother wasn't amused. "Feel free to look through gem both. I'm not trying to go through that shit again. Yet alone, risk puttin' YOU, my brother, at risk. I wouldn't be able to take that shit if something happened to you, man," Loyal spoke spilling his heart out which was unusual because Loyal was NEVER the sappy type, even as a kid.

Loyal didn't even like physical contact, so when Loyal pulled DeLane into a half embrace after his arrival, it took DeLane by surprise. Loyal always showed his love through acts of service, even if it meant being violent with another person. Sometimes when a person hasn't had physical touch for so long, they long for it. Loyal spent four years in prison his entire time during lockdown. He couldn't even fight anyone like he wanted. Violence was his usual outlet, but this time in jail scared him because he felt like the world was ending. He became appreciative of the people who always had his back; his family and best friend since childhood, Kishwaa. Loyal was appreciative of these people sending him commissary.

DeLane is the only sibling that Loyal could speak to without having to constantly be reminded how it was his fault that his brother was killed. DeLane always gave him the benefit of the doubt, especially because Loyal always stood up to their parents, something DeLane never had the guts to do. Loyal always had DeLane's back, so it was so the same in return.

DeLane checked his bags because he didn't want to be involved with his brother if he was into what he was before his imprisonment. Loyal dropped his other bags near his brother so he could check them too. DeLane did a thorough bag check, taking everything out, then putting it back once he was done with each bag.

"Okay," DeLane zipped up the last bag. "I just needed to be sure, because your ass is crazy as hell," DeLane let out a chuckle while pointing his index finger at his. "You know that shit too."

Loyal let out a drawn-out sigh. "Some say crazy, I say personality. What I need is a fat joint, some brown, liquor, and some old-school tunes, baby boy. My lungs are starvin'. Shit might as well. You said that shit legal here."

"Now you're speaking my language," DeLane dapped up his brother. "But first, let's take all this shit to your room. I can't stand clutter."

"Three bags are clutter to you?" Loyal raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "You kept your bedroom at mom and pops house a pigsty. Now all of a sudden, you're Mister Clean?"

"Nigga, Lamont and Damon's dirty asses ruined that shit for me when we all lived together. Now I understand why momma and Royal were so pissed. They cleaned after pops, and five boys," DeLane chuckled. "I cleaned up after all those niggas when we lived together. They still remained the way they were as kids when it comes to cleanliness."

"You can't say shit about me. I was a problem everywhere else but with cleanliness. I was always clean. I fought plenty of roommates at the prison and y'all when y'all would fuck up my area."

"You right. You right," DeLane agreed with his brother.

"Exactly," Loyal stood there waiting on his brother. "What the fuck you standin' there for? Ain't you gon' show me my room?"

"Yeah," DeLane nodded, "follow me. You can have the bedroom downstairs, so that way we don't run into each. I done got comfortable in my own crib," DeLane hinted, making eye contact with Loyal.

"Ew nigga," Loyal frowned. "I done seen too many asses while locked away. I don't want to see yours either."

"While your ass is here, we gon' get you started up a social media account one of these days, so you can make an honest livin'. I can't have you in those streets again, man. It'll just get you back where you just came from."

"Laney, man... I have people after me. I would love to do that shit, but they tryin' to get me back, which is crazy because I got my lick back. You know I don't like that social media shit. Never did l like it."

"Understandable, but you can also go anonymous. You know my field of study. I know dude killed Royal and shit, but you can't kill somebody on his side in retaliation," DeLane clutched the handle of the suitcase as they walked. "I miss him just as much as you do, but we got to move on with our lives. Life's for the livin' man. Live that shit or you're just as dead as the person whose life was cut short."

"Laney-"

"De, man. I go by De now," DeLane corrected.

"Laney," Loyal spoke, not caring about what DeLane was talking about. "If somebody did some shit to you and especially killed you, I will spend the rest of my life hunting them down. You hear me?" Loyal tilted his head forward, looking at him from the very top of his eyeballs with a serious expression.

"Loy," DeLane sighed. "No. I wouldn't want you to do that, but knowin' you, I know that you would. You don't care what the hell I'm tellin' your ass. I would want you to move on because that shit is neverending it seems..."

"You know me so well," Loyal patted DeLane's back and DeLane pushed open the bedroom door.

"You got your own bathroom and everything," DeLane sat the suitcase in the corner then went to the door, leaning on the frame.

Loyal walked into the room, taking in his surroundings. He smiled at the fact he had a king-sized bed because he'd been sleeping in a bunk for the past few years. He then made his way through the room, he opened the bathroom door. Once he entered the bathroom, he inhaled, then exhaled deeply, admiring the fresh air. He no longer has to smell anyone else's shit or body odor in general. He touched everything he passed, before exiting out the bathroom. Loyal peeped outside of his window, getting him a view of the front yard. The beautiful greenery.

"Man, why do we have to walk further away from the door just to make it to a bedroom at the front of the house?" Loyal asked his brother.

"I don't know, nigga. Fuck I look like? An architect? I ain't built this shit from the ground up," DeLane joked.

"Okay, since you're so generous, dinner is on me. A nigga is starvin'!" Loyal rubbed his stomach.

"Wait a minute," DeLane did a double take. "You-" he rubbed his tired eyes, "you mean to tell me your ass gon' TRY to cook? When the fuck your ass learned how to cook?"

"DeLane, trust me. I got this bro... Now take me to the kitchen so I can do what I do best," Loyal ordered.

DeLane nodded for his brother to follow him and he led him to the kitchen and took a seat on the stool, at his bar.

"You can do your thing, but I did order me some food before you got here. My shit is upstairs in my bedroom. That's my backup food. Imma leave you to it because I need to finish this video," DeLane stood up and left Loyal to cook them some food.

Loyal worked his magic in the kitchen and DeLane worked his in front of the camera.

"I don't know what the fuck they were thinkin' when they came out with this shit, but it's trash. Looks wonky as fuck," DeLane spoke into the camera. "I'm all for standin' out, but not if that means lookin' like a God damned fool. A'ight y'all, until next time. Peace!" He turned off the camera, then put it into his closet.

DeLane doesn't like the idea of a camera recording him when it's not supposed to or someone tapping into his devices. He made his way downstairs to see what his brother cooked up for both of them. Of course, he made sure to bring the food that he ordered earlier downstairs. When he made it to the bottom of the staircase, he inhaled deeply, expecting to smell food aroma, but his home just smelled as it always smelled, like his Chanel Bleu de Chanel scented candle.

"I don't smell no food God damn food up in this piece!" DeLane yelled through the house as he made his way toward the kitchen.

"That's because I made that shit fast. I'm good at what I do, and it took no time at all. I got this shit down packed," Loyal told him. "I cleaned up after myself. Hell, I even ate all my damn food. Just finished before you came downstairs," he threw his paper plate away.

Though DeLane lives in a big house, one thing he will never like is washing dishes.

"Thank," DeLane said looking into the empty sink.

Loyal fetched DeLane's meal from the fridge and sat it in front of him. DeLane's jaw dropped at the monstrosity before his eyes. He sliced it with his fork.

Then DeLane burst into a fit of heavy laughter. He laughed so much that he began to run out of oxygen and he began to heave through his laughed.

"Man..." DeLane laughed even more and Loyal stood there offended.

With a mug in his face, Loyal snatched the plate from the counter, irritated by his little brother. "Fuck you."

"Man! You're institutionalized as fuck!" DeLane cackled. "What the hell possessed you to think that I'm gon' eat this slimy ass shit right there!?" He pointed. "That shit wet and dry at the same damn time!"

A smile found its way to Loyal's lips, then he started laughing too. "You know what they say though, right?"

"Nigga, I don't who THEY are, but THEY better stop whispering in your head tellin' yo ass that me, your brother, will eat this bullshit. Look like it came from an animal's ass!" He cackled.

"Don't knock it until you try it!" Loyal answered his own question.

"They said that shit about every drug known to man, and I still ain't tryin' that shit!" DeLane covered his mouth as he coughed up more laughter. He stood up to warm up his tacos in the microwave.

"Damn, I thought you'd like it, but you won't even try it," Loyal shook his head at his brother.

"You damn right!" DeLane told him.

"Well, more for me then!"

"Yeah, don't you EVER in your life fix your mouth and offer to make me a meal until you become UNinstitutionalised," DeLane grabbed the hot sauce.

"That's cold."

"Yeah, like that damn food that you tried to get me to eat! You eat that shit! Because that's exactly what it looks like. Shit looks like it came from both ends! Looks like the after-effects of Taco Bell!" DeLane kept messing with his brother.

They laughed even more. DeLane got to enjoy his restaurant-style tacos with hot sauce and chunky salsa. Loyal on the other end, he ate the prison meal he prepared.

He went to University for Marketing, earning a bachelor's. He's a social media influencer. His mother is part of law enforcement and his father is CEO of a company. He had two siblings and two dogs."