A Stainless Steel Cat (11 page)

She took a deep breath. "When I was sixteen, almost seventeen, I got pregnant with you, David. My family wanted me to abort you, but I refused. I was going to raise you as my son." She stopped, fighting back the tears again.

"Take your time, mom." Royce said. "Like I said, I have all day."

Lisa regained her composure and nodded. "So when you were born, my parents... your grandparents were furious. My father threatened to disown me if I didn't give you up. He threatened to make you disappear so I would never see you again."

This time the confession was too much, and she broke down from all the years she'd lived with what she'd done. Royce got up from the chair and went around her desk. He gently pulled her up and hugged her as she cried.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced over to see Tam smiling at them.

"Mom? I'd like you to meet someone." He smiled, and indicated Tam.

Lisa turned to look and saw the smiling Nubian goddess. Lisa smiled in return.

"Mom, this is Tam. Tam, this is my mom." Royce was smiling like he'd just found the closure he had needed all his life, but never thought it would happen.

"It's good to meet you, Tam." Lisa sniffed as she wiped away her tears.

"You too, Mrs. Keen." Tam replied, coming forward and shaking Lisa's hand.

"Mom, we have some things to discuss." Royce said in a serious tone.

"Of course." Lisa nodded and retook her seat.

Tam sat in the chair next to Royce and reached over, interlacing her fingers with his. He looked at her gratefully, then back at his mother before forging ahead.

"Mom, who is my father?" He asked.

Lisa sighed. "His name is John Bradley, and he was the Quarterback in High School. I was young and in love. Please don't judge me, Royce." Lisa begged.

"I'm not going to judge you on that, mom. But now that that's out of the way, I have some other things to discuss." Royce said, his tone turning grim.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Your under the table business dealings. Before I met you, I was having trouble with whether I should send the evidence to the police or not. I'd never felt hesitant before. When I discussed it with Tam here, she noticed our family resemblance before I did. It's her that you should thank for those files not going straight to the cops, actually." Royce said and closed his eyes.

"So this is blackmail?" Lisa's voice had hardened.

"No." Royce said calmly. "Not in the traditional sense. My terms are these: You will cease and desist all criminal, shady, and/or under the table deals you have going on. I am the Steel Cat, and I usually don't give warnings. However, since you are family, I am giving you this chance, and for the love of God, mom, don't make me regret it."

Lisa was stunned by this. The Steel Cat was her son?!?! Her emotions were fighting inside her. Here was her long lost son, whom she had given up hope of ever seeing again. Here was a Cat Burglar. He was blackmailing her to do what she had known to be right all along, but had lost sight of her own convictions. Here was her Conscience in the form of another human being. Here was a man who she barely knew and a woman she didn't know at all sitting in front of her. Here was...

Her train of thought was interrupted by the black girl sitting next to her son. Lisa noted that their fingers were still interlaced like lovers.

"Mrs. Keen, please listen to us. Royce doesn't give warnings, but I think he knew deep down that you two had a connection. He wasn't lying about anything. I did see your family resemblance before he did, and I helped him make the decision to confront you. He just wants to give you the chance to do the right thing." Her plea hit Lisa in her heart, even more than Royce's had.

"I don't want anything from you, mom. I don't want to barge in on your life. I don't want you to think that you have to make up for lost time. I don't want to break up the life or family you have now. But I also don't want you dealing with criminals and hurting the people you're supposed to protect." Royce said, his voice quiet, yet powerful in the silence.

Lisa wasn't in as deep as Royce seemed to think she was. She had dirt on all the gangs she... employed, and knew that if they tried to tell the police about their arrangement, she could send them all to prison for the rest of their lives. However, that cut both ways. A few gang members had threatened her family already, and she realized that Royce was more correct than he knew. She did need to stop dealing with them. She realized the affect she was having on her own son, who had discovered her evidence against the gangs themselves... and against her in the process.

"Royce, if you want me to get out, I need the file back with the gang evidence in it. I will have to use that to get them to stop." Lisa said calmly.

"Will you turn them in to the police?" He asked.

"No, but I will tell them that the deal is off, and if anything happens to me or my family, the evidence will go to the police and the FBI." She said with a nod of conviction.

Royce looked at Tam, and Tam nodded once. "I believe her, baby."

Royce smiled. "So do I." He replied, then leaned over and kissed Tam sweetly.

Lisa blushed at the Public Display, but kept her cool. "When can you deliver the file, David?" She asked, using his real name.

"Right now." He smiled, then turned to Tam. "I'm going to get the file from the car, Sweetheart. I'll be right back."

"Ok, Baby." She replied and smiled as he stood up.

When Royce had left the office, Tam smiled at Lisa.

"Are you my son's girlfriend?" Lisa asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes, ma'am. I never thought I would actually meet Royce's mom, though." She smiled uncomfortably, realizing that IF Lisa wanted Royce in her life, Tam would be part of that too.

Lisa smiled reassuringly. "That's ok, dear. I never thought I would see my son again, and these circumstances are definitely unconventional." She chuckled.

Tam chuckled with her, realizing the absurdity of it all. "I know the feeling. Ma'am, Royce told me a few weeks ago that he didn't care who his parents were. He just wanted to get on with his life. Since all this happened, he really does want to connect with you. Don't worry, he'll keep his word, though. But if you want him in your life, the ball is in your court."

"Thank you for that, Tam." Lisa smiled at the girl. "I have some thinking to do, though... and I will need to discuss this with my husband. He's not going to be happy that I kept David a secret from him."

"Then don't tell him, mom." Royce said as he entered the office and set the file on her desk. "I meant what I said. I won't mess up your family."

"But..." Lisa started.

"Listen to me, Senator. I'm not the son you wanted. You have a son, two daughters, and a husband who all love you. I'm at peace with who I am, now more than ever. I appreciate your honesty earlier when you told me about your life and about me. I wanted to say thank you for giving me a fighting chance instead of letting your father dictate my fate." Royce was nearly in tears, but fought them back as he took a deep breath. "You've given me the closure I need to get on with my life. For that, I will always be grateful."

Royce smiled then, a single tear rolling down his cheek as he hugged his mother. She clung to him tightly, not wanting to let him go again.

"So does this mean you're going to give up being this Steel Cat?" Lisa asked with a chuckle.

"Not on your life, mom." He chuckled back. "I'm just not going to come after you again, unless you give me a reason. Deal?"

"Deal!" Lisa said with another chuckle, squeezing her son in a hug. She let him go and turned to Tam. "Tam, sweety, please keep an eye on my boy here. I know I don't have much right to ask this, but he IS my son, if only by genetics. Please take care of him and don't let him get out of hand."

"I will, ma'am." Tam said as she came over and hugged the Senator herself. She released the older lady and gave Royce a quick kiss on the lips. "Come on, baby. Let's go."

"Wait a moment." Lisa said, and they turned their attention back to her. "Dav... Royce, I am going to tell my husband about you... not that you're the Steel Cat, but that you're my son. I want to be part of your life, no matter what happens. I've missed out on you, and I have a confession to make."

That took Royce off guard, but he just raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Lisa took a deep breath. "I recognized you ten years ago when I was in Sacramento and you were there with the group from the orphanage. I wanted to say something to you, but I couldn't. I am so sorry, Royce."

Royce took a moment to soak in that information. He closed his eyes, then opened them and looked at her evenly. "It's the past, mom. And I'll consider what you've said about being in my life. However, I do NOT want the Press finding out about this. I don't want my face and name plastered all over the News."

Lisa nodded. "I understand, sweety." She smiled.

"Thanks, mom." Royce said as he and Tam stood up to leave and turned toward the door.

As they went to leave, Lisa looked at the keychain on her desk. "Royce, you forgot this." She held it up as he turned back for a moment.

"No I didn't, mom. I want you to have it. I don't need it anymore." He smiled, and Lisa watched them go.

When they'd left, she sat at her desk and checked the file he'd returned to her. She smiled, thinking of the possibilities. He was her son, and she wanted to get to know him and his girlfriend. She wanted to be a grandmother. She also saw that dealing with lowlife gangbangers was not the way to get things done. Her son was the Steel Cat, and she had an idea...

Royce was fighting back his own tears as Tam drove them home. He felt better than he'd ever felt before, but he couldn't help wanting to get to know his mom and siblings. But this was for the best. He also had a new target to think about, from the reports of some strange stuff down by the Docks.

Tam glanced over at him where he stared out the window. "Are you ok, baby?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, Sweetheart. I'll live." He looked at her with a smile and squeezed her hand.

"Good. I love you, you know." She smiled back and gave his hand a return squeeze.

"I know, and I love you too." He replied immediately.

Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as they pulled into their parking spot.

"Hold on, Tam." He said suddenly, stopping her from opening her door. He looked around, and spotted the black sedan that didn't seem to belong with all the other vehicles. It wasn't that the car was that different, since there were other Mercedes-Benz models in the lot, but this one was in the wrong spot. It hadn't been there before, to the best of his knowledge.

"What is it, Baby?" She asked, as Royce made sure he could quickly reach his belt buckle when he exited the car.

"Black sedan, three o'clock." He inclined his head. "The Mercedes."

"What about it?" She asked.

"That's Mr. Willard's spot, and we know he doesn't make enough to afford that car. He's also at work right now.

Tam realized that he was right, and looked at Royce. "What do we do?"

"When we get out, we go to the door as if nothing's wrong. If we make it inside before they get to the door, head to the bathroom and get in the tub. If they get out before we get there, I'm pushing you forward and acting as a decoy. Ok?" He looked at her, and she saw the iron resolve in his eyes.

"I don't like this, but ok, baby." She replied with a nervous smile. They got out and started towards their door.

Royce kept his eyes sideways and watched through his sunglasses as the doors to the sedan opened, and when he saw Darnell, he pushed Tam forward towards the door as he slipped all three throwing knives out of his belt buckle with his left hand.

Darnell didn't give a fuck that he was violating the restraining order. He also didn't give a fuck that Mr. Wolfe would send people to kill him when he found out what had happened.

The reason was that he had successfully recruited 40 good soldiers from a gang in Compton to help him with his revenge. His plan was flawless in his eyes. Take out Royce first, give Tam a chance to come back, but if she didn't take it, cap her sorry white boy lovin' ass too. Then he would go for Mr. Wolfe himself. He had the firepower and manpower, even if he had to exhaust most of his cash to get it. He would have more than enough after his coup de état.

He saw Tam's blue Toyota pull in, and then park as she and that fuckin' cracker talked for a moment. Then they got out and started towards their new place.

Darnell gave the signal to the three men with him, and they got out with him as they drew their weapons.

He saw Royce pull something from what looked like his belt buckle as the white boy pushed Tam toward the door with his right hand, and dove behind the nearest car.

Tam had her key out already, and opened the door just as the first shot hit the doorjamb.

She slammed the door behind her, and Royce looked around the bumper. Darnell pointed and shot, but the bullet kicked off the bumper and into the wall of the apartment next to the one that his ex shared with her new boyfriend.

"Cap that muthfucka!" Darnell yelled at the two closest soldiers, and pointed with his gun at the car where Royce had taken cover.

Dammit! Shots were fired, and he knew that Tam was already calling 911. He fired again, hoping to hit the gas tank of the car that hid his nemesis.

Unlike in the movies, cars don't usually explode when a bullet punctures the gas tank. Royce knew this, but Darnell didn't. Royce leaned out and flipped a throwing knife into the first gunman's hand holding the pistol, and the man dropped his weapon from nerveless fingers. He howled in pain, and tried picking up the gun with his left hand.

Royce broke cover, sprinting towards the gunman, and slamming his elbow into the man's jaw, snapping it and knocking him unconscious. He retrieved his knife from the man's hand and flipped it at he next gunman before diving to the side and behind the corner of a wall.

The bullets kicked up the dirt and off the wall as Darnell and his two remaining thugs fired without taking time to aim properly. He readied another knife and ducked down as he leaned out and threw it with accuracy and speed.