Page 43 of More Than a Hero (Baytown Heroes #12)

JIMMY

The tires of Jimmy’s bike hissed against the sidewalk as he and Robert coasted the last stretch toward the Careway complex.

A few gulls screamed overhead, circling lazily in the pale blue sky.

The afternoon sun glinted off the windows of the low brick buildings, but Jimmy barely noticed.

He was too focused on the tight feeling in his chest, the way it always hit him when they rounded that last bend near Mr. Marty’s.

Robert rode beside him, quiet, looking ahead, his expression unusually tense. That was when Jimmy saw it. The black sedan.

It sat in the parking lot like it belonged there, polished and sleek. Its presence twisted something in Jimmy’s gut. He coasted to a slow stop and put a foot down near the edge of the sidewalk, eyes narrowing.

“There it is,” he muttered. “That’s the car.”

Robert braked beside him, gaze flicking toward the vehicle. “You sure?”

“Yeah. He’s been by a couple of times to see Mr. Marty.” Jimmy’s voice dropped. “But I don’t like him. He gives me that… bad feeling.” As if summoned, the front door of the building creaked open.

Jimmy tensed. Tamarcus stepped into view, striding up the walkway like he owned the place. His black cap was pulled low, and the glint of a chain caught in the sunlight as he moved. He rapped on Mr. Marty’s door twice, then grabbed the doorknob and walked right in.

Jimmy’s mouth went dry. “That ain’t right.”

“Duck down,” Robert hissed, already dragging his bike behind the overgrown hedge beside the building. Jimmy followed, heart pounding. They crouched low, out of sight, the muffled slam of the door still ringing in their ears.

Robert kept his head down. “That’s him.”

Jimmy blinked. “What?”

Robert’s voice dropped to a whisper. “That’s the guy I saw with Lashawn.”

Jimmy turned sharply. “Lashawn?”

“The one who was driving when I was with him. The one who wrecked his car with all that stuff in it.”

“Oh shit, man,” Jimmy cursed, his chest heaving as worry began to slither through him.

Robert nodded once. “Same guy. I didn’t know his name then. But I saw Tamarcus with him… kinda hanging in the background. I thought maybe he was under Lashawn.”

Jimmy stared at him, stunned.

“But I said no,” Robert added quickly. “I’m not about that anymore. I told Detective Pete. I told Jeremy, too. They got Lashawn now—but Tamarcus wasn’t there that day, but I know they’re looking for him.”

Jimmy let out a slow breath, everything shifting inside his chest. “And now he’s here. With Mr. Marty.”

Before Robert could respond, the sound of tires and chattering voices rolled in from the sidewalk.

Darius and Mike arrived first, kicking up bits of gravel as they dropped their bikes. Curly, Kyron, and Rasheem followed close behind, then Jalen, Caleb, Tony, and David. The entire crew had biked over to see the grandparents.

Jimmy stood and waved them over fast. “Back here. Quiet.”

They ducked behind the building one by one, crowding into the narrow space between the hedge and the brick wall. They were a flurry of legs and arms as their voices dropped to urgent whispers.

“What’s going on?” Tony asked.

“Who’s in there?” added David.

Jimmy leaned in. “Tamarcus. He’s in with Mr. Marty right now.”

Robert crossed his arms. “He’s dangerous. I saw him with Lashawn. He’s part of it. The drugs, the gangs… all of it.”

That shut everyone up.

Rasheem frowned. “Why would Mr. Marty let him in?”

Jimmy shook his head. “He don’t know. He just thinks Tamarcus is some long-lost great-nephew.”

The boys all stilled as the sound of footsteps came from around the corner.

Barely breathing, the boys all looked at Jimmy as though he was now their leader.

He tried not to make a sound as he listened to the steps stop just around the corner.

Then a knock on the door, and a familiar voice drifted through the air.

“Hey, Mr. Marty, it’s Angie!”

Jimmy’s eyes snapped to the walkway as he peeked over the shrubs. Ms. Angie was at Mr. Marty’s door, her tote bag slung over her shoulder.

“Wait!” Tony gasped. “She’s going inside!”

Robert surged forward a step but stopped, too far away to reach her in time without blowing everything.

The boys all froze, helpless, as the door opened again. Tamarcus was the one who answered it. And Angie stepped right inside. The door clicked shut.

“No, no, no,” Jimmy muttered, fists clenched. “She doesn’t know. She’s in there with him.”

Robert pulled out his phone fast. “I’m calling Pete.”

Everyone waited, watching him, holding their breath.

He frowned. “Voicemail.”

He swallowed hard, then left the message in a low, urgent voice. “Detective Pete, it’s Robert. Tamarcus is here. Um… not at my place but in Mr. Marty’s place. The guys are with me. Uh… and Ms. Angie just walked in too. You gotta get here. Please. Call me back.”

He ended the call and looked around at the others. The younger boys were wide-eyed, the older ones visibly rattled.

Jimmy’s heart thudded so hard it felt like it echoed in his ears.

Angie and Mr. Marty were in that room with someone they knew wasn’t safe.

They were crouched behind the shrubs at the end of the building, next to Mr. Marty’s apartment.

Jimmy’s eyes kept darting toward the parking lot, visible through the small gaps between the branches.

The black sedan hadn’t moved, but it was hidden in plain sight.

“We can’t just sit here,” he said under his breath, more to himself than the group.

Robert looked up. “We called Pete. What else?—”

“I can’t wait,” Jimmy cut in. His jaw was tight. “Ms. Angie’s in there. She doesn’t know. She thinks Tamarcus is just family or something.”

He stood abruptly, brushing dust off his jeans. “I’m going in,” he said. “At least they won’t be in there alone.”

Some of the boys started to argue, but Jimmy was already pointing. “Darius, Robert—you two go back around, stay by the back wall near the end unit. That’s Mr. Marty’s place. I’ll see if I can get to the bathroom window to tell you what’s happening inside.”

Without another word, he jogged around the side of the building, sneakers thudding softly against the pavement. He reached Mr. Marty’s door in seconds and swallowed deeply before knocking. He heard Mr. Marty call out, “Come on in!” and then turned the knob and stepped inside.

The small apartment smelled faintly of the strong peppermint lotion Mr. Marty used on his joints. Sunlight streamed through the front window, catching on Ms. Angie as she looked up from her seat on the sofa. She smiled, her pen pausing mid-stroke.

“Well, hey there, Jimmy.”

Mr. Marty sat across from her, his eyes bright and his grin wide. “I’m gonna get my new hearing aid!” he boomed. “Ms. Angie’s helpin’ me finish the paperwork for the doc tomorrow.”

Jimmy gave them both a quick smile, but his attention was already shifting.

Tamarcus stood a few feet off, leaning near the window, shoulders tight. He wasn’t smiling. His fingers twitched, his leg bouncing, eyes flicking back and forth between the door and the room’s occupants. His jaw clenched like he was barely holding something together.

“Hey,” Jimmy said carefully, stepping farther in. “Just came by to check on you, Mr. Marty.”

Tamarcus didn’t say anything.

Jimmy walked past them, forcing his steps to stay calm. “Mind if I use the bathroom?”

Marty waved a hand. “Course, son. Through my bedroom.”

Jimmy walked through the bedroom and shut the bathroom door behind him. It was big enough for a person who used a wheelchair if necessary, but he didn’t look around. Instead, he quickly darted to the window. Carefully sliding it open, he peered out into the back.

“Psst!” he hissed.

Robert and Darius rose into view from behind a trash can.

“He’s real twitchy,” Jimmy whispered. “I don’t think he likes Ms. Angie being here. Mr. Marty just likes having people so he doesn’t suspect anything. Call Pete again. If he doesn’t pick up, call 911.”

Darius nodded and took off running around the corner to get out of sight.

Robert looked at the younger kids now crowding around. “Get to the other people you know live here. Tell them to stay inside and stay out of sight yourself.”

Within seconds, the group of boys exploded into motion, scattering like startled birds. “We’ll go to George!” Caleb whispered and ran away with Curly and Rasheem.

“We’ll get to Bertram,” Jalen said, grabbing Kyron by the sleeve and pulling him along.

“What about Ms. Hannah and Ms. Rosetta?” Mike asked.

“You three go to them,” Jimmy whispered through the open window, hoping his voice didn’t carry to the room behind him.

Mike, Tony, Darius, and David turned and ran toward the back corner to go to the other side to get to Hannah’s and Rosetta’s apartments.

Robert stayed. “I’m coming in. Move back.”

Robert climbed through the window with Jimmy’s help as he prayed that they weren’t making too much noise. He flushed the toilet as Robert’s feet landed with a thud on the floor. Then Jimmy turned on the water at the sink, hoping that sound would also drown out any noise they were making.

He whispered, “Stay here. Only come out if the way is clear. Then you can hide in… uh… the closet.”

Robert nodded, and Jimmy opened the door, breathing easier when he found the bedroom empty. He stepped back into the living room and tried to act normal, but Tamarcus’s head snapped up the moment he reappeared.

The man’s eyes were too wide now, his skin glistening. Something had shifted. “You got a lotta friends, huh?” Tamarcus said suddenly, his voice sharp, his gaze narrowing.

Jimmy froze and glanced out the window. He looked across the wide garden area and caught sight of the four younger boys entering Ms. Hannah’s and Ms. Rosetta’s apartments.

He had no idea what all Tamarcus might have seen of the other residents’ front doors from his view at the window.

Swallowing deeply, he also spied Mr. Bertram walking to the parking lot.

Tamarcus had his back to the window now, and Jimmy felt his heart beat so hard he was sure everyone could hear it.

He smiled at Ms. Angie, who was staring at him.

Another glance out the window showed Mr. Bertram backing his car out of its spot and parking it behind Tamarcus’s vehicle.

If he wasn’t so scared, Jimmy might have laughed aloud.

Mr. Marty blinked. “You okay, son?”

Jimmy jumped but nodded his head. “Yeah… just, uh… I ate too much pizza earlier.”

Tamarcus didn’t take his eyes off Jimmy.

Ms. Angie glanced up, brow creasing as she looked up at Tamarcus. She opened her mouth but didn’t get a chance to speak.