“What are they feeding these kids that they look like that?” Val pointed.
At that point Cole jumped out of the car. “Hey, kid! Wait up.”
The kid stopped and turned around just as Val followed Cole out of the car.
“Aren't you Max Ferretti?”
The kid moved his book bag off his right shoulder to his left then nodded his head yes.
“You're the captain of the wrestling team, right?”
The kid smiled a little at the recognition. He figured Cole was a fan who saw his picture in the paper.
“Great! I've been wanting to meet you.” Cole held out his hand, and the two shook hands. “You know, I think we have a mutual friend.”
“Who?” Max's smile was so wide that Cole could see his tonsils.
“My sister. Caitlyn. Caitlyn Haas.”
Max's smiled faded, and his eyes dropped. “Don't worry, I'm not here to get you in any trouble, I just want to talk with you.”
Max nervously took a step backwards.
“When's the last time you heard from my sister?”
Hesitant to reply, Max kicked around some pebbles on the ground. He glanced at Val suspiciously.
“Man, that's my . . . my wife.”
Val gave Cole a strange look.
“It's okay to talk in front of her. She won't say anything,” Cole reassured him.
“It's been a while.” Max's face turned red.
“Don't lie. I believe the last time she was here was last week, and I also know what it was she supplied you with. You are one of her favorite customers. She talks about you all the time.”
Max gave an uncomfortable grin.
“I'm sure it's almost time for you to replenish your prescription.”
Max shrugged his shoulders. “I guess.”
“Listen, kid, Caitlyn tells me everything. I know how she's been hooking you up with steroids and how you've been giving them to the entire wrestling team.”
When he said
steroids,
Val swung her head around. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing.
“I've read how your team is now ranked number one in the state.”
“Mister, what do you want?”
“I need you to do me a favor,” Cole said.
Max shook his head no. “I don't know. I think I'd rather just be left alone.”
When Max tried to turn and leave, Cole put his arm around Max in a friendly way. “Kid, I would hate to have to go to the principal and suggest he give you and your teammates a piss test, because we both know what the outcome would be.”
Val couldn't believe Cole would go as far as to threaten a high school kid to get to Caitlyn. “Cole!” Val was going to put a stop to this and demand he take her home.
“What do you need me to do?” Max looked like he had been blocked into a corner and had no choice but to cooperate.
Max called Caitlyn, after Cole had already coached him on exactly what he needed him to say.
“Hey, Caitlyn! It's Max”âHe pausedâ“I was wondering if you could hook me up. I'm really in desperate need of some juice.” He listened to Caitlyn and watched Cole. “Listen, I have practice tomorrow, so I can't meet you at our usual place. Can you meet me inside the coach's office on the second floor of the school?” He wiped sweat off his forehead. “No. The coach will be with us. During practice I'll tell my coach I need to run to my locker. That way, I won't raise no questions by running outside to meet you. Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at four o'clock.” Max disconnected the call.
“Good job.” Cole patted Max on the back and gave him a hundred-dollar bill for his trouble. “Remember, this is between you and me.”
Cole opened the passenger side door for Val to get in.
“I can't believe Caitlyn is selling steroids to high school kids.”
“That's the only way she can make any money. I told you she was flat broke.” Cole walked around to his side of the car and got in.
“Why did you arrange for them to meet in the coach's office? Aren't you scared they'll get caught?”
“He won't be the one meeting herâI will. When I confront my sister I want to make sure she has no way of escaping. That's why we had to make sure the meeting place was inside the school. That was the only place the kid could guarantee we could be alone with her. He knows the layout of the school a whole lot better than I do.”
Cole stopped in front of Val's house to drop her off.
She placed her hand on the handle, but before she got out she had to ask him something that had been bugging her since they left the school. “Do you think Caitlyn had something to do with Julian taking those steroids?”
Cole looked at her. “I really can't say for sure, but it's a good possibility.”
Chapter 32
“Dean, are you sure you feel up to this? I told you I don't mind doing this alone.” Colin turned off the car's engine. Today was the day he would expose Baxter for who he really was.
For days Colin had been dodging Baxter, still unsure of what to do. He prayed and fasted, but he was running out of time. Sooner or later he would either have to accept Baxter's offer and work side by side with a racist, or resign and start his career all over again at another university.
“What? And have you meet with one of Satan's helpers alone? Naw, I couldn't do that.” He opened the passenger side door. “You know me my man. I always got your back.”
They gave one another a pound.
“Make sure you stay out the way, just in case I have to start knocking somebody out. I can't allow you to get a scratch, or Olivia will kill me,” he joked.
Both men, dressed in black tuxedos, walked up the front steps that led to the prestigious Claymont Country Club.
This club had a reputation of catering exclusively to rich white men. The structure was built several hundred feet above sea level on top of one the steepest mountains in Pennsylvania. Tourists would come from miles away to get a look at the white porcelain and gold palace that towered over the city.
When they entered the lobby entrance, the light buzz from several conversations being held among its members ceased. It was hard for Colin and Dean not to notice that the focus in the room had turned to them.
Dean turned and whispered in Colin's ear, “Why do I feel like I just walked into a Klan meeting?”
“Maybe because we did,” Colin shot back.
“Gentlemen.” A tall, uptight man with perfect posture and a thick British accent snuck up on them from behind. “Can I help you?”
Although the man was so tall that he towered over Colin and Dean, he still managed to keep his nose in the air, to plainly show they weren't welcome.
“Yes.” Colin forced a cheery smile on his face and greeted the man with just as much enthusiasm. “Yes, I'm Reverend Colin Montgomery, and this is a friend of mine, Mr. West. Could you direct us to the awards banquet? We were invited by Reverend Baxter.”
A look of confusion filled the man's face. “Reverend Doctor Baxter?” the man stuttered.
“Yes, that's right. Is there a problem?” Colin spoke with confidence. He refused to allow the man to think he was lying.
“Do you have your tickets?”
Dean stared in disbelief. He had never seen a man act so pompous before.
“He told me I wouldn't need a ticket and for me to just walk in.”
The man looked uncertain of Colin's story. Reverend Baxter explicitly instructed him to not allow anyone in without tickets.
“Wait here.”
They watched as the man called a waiter over and whispered in his ear. They glanced back over their shoulders at Colin and Dean before disappearing behind a pair of closed doors.
As expected, Colin and Dean were ignored by all the guests mulling around in the lobby area. People turned their heads and acted as if they didn't even exist.
“I never thought I would experience the same blatant racism that went on in the sixties,” Dean said as they watched two janitors wipe down the glass door handles they entered through.
Seconds later Reverend Baxter charged through the doors. His eyes scanned the room. When he saw Colin and Dean, his face turned white with horror. He took quick long strides until he reached them. “Montgomery, what are you doing here?” Baxter seemed confused.
“Sir, I heard about your banquet, and since we've been missing one another at the school, I figured I would come here to speak with you in person.”
“Reverend.” Baxter stopped a moment to acknowledge Dean. “Now is not a good time.” He placed his arms around Colin and Dean and pushed them toward the exit. “How about we meet first thing Monday morning in my office?”
Colin laughed. “Professor, I feel like you're embarrassed of me.”
“No, that can't be true. Why would Reverend Baxter be ashamed of his new assistant dean?” Dean's words were dripping with sarcasm.
“You're going to accept the position?” Baxter was delighted at the news before he remembered something. “How did you know I was going to offer you the position?”
“Remember when you left that note for me to stop by your office? I overheard you talking with your friend.”
Baxter looked confused. He wasn't exactly sure what Colin was referring to.
“Now that I've accepted the position, I just want to know, am I going to get a piece of that hefty finder's fee from the affirmative action dollars that will be pouring into the school?”
Clarity unveiled itself on Baxter's face. “Colin, I think you misunderstood my conversation,” Baxter tried to explain.
“No, I don't think I did. You're part of an extreme racist group that has terrorized minorities for years.” Colin's voice was steadily rising. He was so angry that Dean thought Colin was going to hit him.
“Let me show you something.” Baxter led them through a pair of double doors.
Colin and Dean looked bewildered when they looked out at the tables full of people of various nationalities. There were blacks, Orientals, and Mexicans in the room. Everyone was dressed in beautiful ball gowns and talking and drinking amongst themselves as if they were a huge family.
“Excuse me,” a black man spoke into the microphone at the podium. “This is a part of the program where we present our financial contributions to our young people.”
The crowd applauded and cheered.
“I would like to begin by extending well-wishes to our recent high school graduates, and I want to be the first to contribute to our children's future.”
The man pulled out five white envelopes from out his tuxedo pocket and handed one to each one of the children sitting at the head table. There were three white boys, a white girl and one black male boy. Then one by one everyone got up from their tables to give the graduates gifts.
Baxter leaned over toward Colin. “Each one of those envelopes contains at least five thousand. We take care of our own, and it has nothing to do with color, and guess what? The largest contribution we have is coming from your church.”
Colin looked at him strangely.
“What does First Nazareth have to do with this?”
“Remember all that money we collected for Judge West's defense fund? Unfortunately, it never made it to the lawyer's hands. I helped Simms in choosing a lawyer, and I made sure I found the cheapest, most inadequate lawyer in the city. We paid him a small fee, and the rest went in my pocket and toward our children's future.”
Then Baxter gestured for them to follow him into an adjacent room. This time Colin was the one with a confused look on his face.
“What's the matter, Montgomery? I told you that you misunderstood my conversation. I'm not a racist, but I do actively support the uplifting of my race, the superior race, in controlling this county.”
“So what lies have you told the minorities in that room? Because I can't believe they support the uplifting of the superior race!” Dean shouted.
“Every person out there is a living example of the theory âa person should not be judged by the color of their skin.' Mexicans shouldn't be allowed any special privileges because they're immigrants. America is a country that does not discriminate. Every citizen of this country is given the chance to get a good quality education and the opportunity to work hard.” He pointed at Colin. “Just like you did. You told me that you put yourself through college with no grants and no help from the government. You're successful and smart. The perfect example for your people. That's why I want you to not only accept my invitation, but to also accept membership into our organization.”
“You can't be for real. You really expect for him to join a racist extremist group?” Dean was in shock.
“We are no different than the NAACP. They support the education and the rights of their own. We accept all nationalities, but we actively oppose affirmative action. We want the Blacks and Hispanics to have their own companies and own neighborhoods. I don't believe in blood mixing; it messes with the purity of our race.”
Dean rolled his eyes at him.
“You can hate us, but without people like us your grandfather would never had gotten to where he is today. We paid for his law degree. The millions of dollars that are donated each year allow us to strengthen our bond, expand our network and help kids like the ones being celebrated outside this room.”
“This is insane,” Dean cursed. “Why would he join a group of people whose primary goal is to destroy everything he's worked so hard for? Like the community centers, free healthcare, and most importantly a better quality education taught in the ghettos.”
“If you join us, you'll have a slew of banks ready and willing to give you money for any business venture, community project, idea or proposal you desire. And don't forget about the amount of money you'll be making. Colin, we wouldn't simply look at you as a black member, but someone who chose a better quality of life.”
“A better quality of life?” Colin repeated.
“Yes. This is to your benefit. I'm giving you the opportunity to live a whole lot better than your ancestors.”
Baxter walked closer to the window and pulled back the curtains to display the country club's breathtaking mountain view.
The scene reminded Colin of the Biblical story when Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world if he would only bow down and worship him.
“Think about it. The amount of money you'll be making as Assistant Dean will afford you any luxury you desire.”
“How much money do you think will be collected at this banquet to support your organization?” Colin asked.
“I can guarantee we'll collect close to a million dollars,” Baxter said.
“Colin, you can't seriously be considering this guy's proposal.” Dean never thought Colin would betray his own people for a couple dollars.
Colin considered Baxter's offer a moment before speaking up. “What about Ernie West? If you can guarantee the release of Judge West, then I'll join you.”
Dean pulled at his friend's arm. “Man, you don't have to do this.”
Baxter smiled to himself. He had already been informed that Ernie had agreed to reactivate his membership and was set to be released. “I don't think that'll be a problem. Shall I introduce you to the group?” Baxter extended his open arms toward the banquet hall.
The three walked out together and toward the front of the stage.
The emcee for the evening was just about to wrap things up and wish everyone a safe drive home when Baxter walked up behind him and took over the mic. “Ladies and gentlemen, I know you are in a hurry to get out of here, but I had to take this moment to introduce a good friend of mine.” He beckoned for Colin to come closer.
Colin went to step on stage when Dean stopped him one last time. “Man, you don't have to do this. My grandfather's not worth it.”
“It'll be all right,” Colin said before joining Baxter on stage.
“This man not only works with me, but he's also a pastor. Please welcome Reverend Colin Montgomery.”
The crowd gave a round of applause.
“And today he's decided to become a part of our organization.”
The crowd gave another round of applause, and Colin humbly waved back to the crowd.
Then suddenly the applause was cut short by the raid of dozens of FBI agents storming into the room. They surrounded the place with their guns drawn and told everyone to put their hands up.
Several agents ran onto the stage and pushed Baxter against the wall. Then they searched his body.
“Officer, I'm not sure if you know who I am, but if you get in touch with Federal Agent Charlie Watkins, I'm sure this misunderstanding can be cleared up.”
“Sorry, Baxter. Watkins was arrested earlier today. We've known for a while that he's been a part of your organization, and he now has a long list of corruption charges to face.” The officer turned Baxter around to face him.
“Dean.” Judge West climbed through the chaos in the room.
“Grandpa, what are you doing here?” He was surprised to see him.
“Your grandfather has been working with us from the beginning,” a female agent explained to Dean. “The only reason we took him into custody was for his safety. We've been watching this sector of the brotherhood for quite some time. We had no idea one of our own agents was working with them until a few months ago. That agent tipped them off that we were bugging their offices. That's when they fed us bogus information and tried to pin that thirty-year-old murder of that kid on Judge West. We decided to go ahead and arrest Judge West and make it as public as possible. That allowed us more time to further gather enough evidence to convict them.”
“I should have never doubted you.” Dean felt like a fool for the nasty way he'd treated his grandpa.
“It's all right, son. I understand how you must have felt, but that's why I couldn't tell you the truth. It was all confidential.”
“We could have never wrapped this case up without your grandfather's help,” the female agent added. “We've worked with him in the past as an informant, so we knew he wasn't responsible.”
“Ernie West. You're a traitor!” Baxter screamed. “When I get out of jail, watch out, because your family will pay for your sins.”
Baxter struggled with the two agents who were trying to lead him out of the building. Baxter fought to get at Judge West. He finally got one hand loose and grabbed one agent's gun from the holster.