Whitney and TC weren’t really eating their breakfast when they heard the doorbell ring. Whitney ran to the door.

“ Theresa?”, Whitney said with surprise and disgust.

“ Hi, Whitney. May I come in?”

Whitney motioned that it was ok.

“ I…um…came to see how you’re doing.”

” My baby sister is God knows where, but I guess I’m doing hunky dory,  Theresa.”

” Whitney, I know you’re scared. I know what you’re feeling.”

” Oh yeah, how could you?”

Before the words escaped Whitney’s mouth, she was sorry. She looked to the ground as Theresa whispered. “ My father and brother are gone.”

” I’m sorry, Theresa. Sometimes I speak before I think.”

“ I understand your worry. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about Papa and Antonio. Scarily, though, you find a way to get through the days, eventually.”

” I don’t mean to be harsh, but I don’t want to ‘ find a way.’ I’m shocked that you’re here, Theresa. I thought you’d be holding ‘ his ‘ hand.”

” Your brother has left Harmony in order to search for Simone.”

“ WHAT? THAT PUNK HAD NO RIGHT!”, TC yelled as he came into the room.

” Coach Russell..”

” We’ve got PROFESSIONALS looking for Simone. He’ll just get in their way!”

” Chad doesn’t think so. “

” Who cares what he thinks! This isn’t his problem!”

” Yes it is, Coach. Simone is his little sister, and he’s going to help her.”

” Nobody asked for his help!”

” Nobody had to. Chad was going to help find Simone whether you wanted him to or not. That’s how he is. I know that you have anger towards him, Coach, but you need to face facts: Chad is Simone’s brother. He’s a part of her life, and he loves her. He wants her found as much as the rest of us. “

” He had NO RIGHT! And, I’m going to make sure ‘ she’ knows it!”

TC was out the front door.

There was an awkward silence between Whitney and Theresa. Whitney spoke up.

” Do you think Chad can find her?”

” I don’t know. I do know that he’s really trying.”

” He REALLY loves her?”

” He does, Whitney. He loves her. He just wants her safe.”

“ That’s all I want too. I just want my baby sister back at home.” For the first time in ages, Theresa saw the Whitney that she’d known since she was a child. As Whitney broke down sobbing, Theresa slowly put her arms around her, giving her comfort.
 

“ Have you heard from him, Julian?”, Eve asked, as she poured Julian a cup of coffee.

” Not yet. But, in this case, I think no news is a positive thing.”

” Julian, what was he thinking, not taking any of your security people with him?”

” I think he was thinking that he knew the streets and could find her easier that way.”

” But, the streets are so dangerous.”

” Chad knows that, Eve. He’s not some innocent pup being thrown out into the wilderness.”

” No, that’s Simone.”

Julian took Eve’s hand and held it. Then, she heard the doorbell rings wildly, as if someone was constantly pushing it. Eve ran to the door and opened it.

“ TC.”

“ I wanna know WHAT THE FUCK is your son doing looking for MY DAUGHTER!”

” TC, I don’t have time for your antics. I’m worried enough about Simone.”

” No. Your loser PUNK of a son, has no business in this search for Simone.”

” Chad is doing what he thinks is right.”

” He’s no law enforcement. All he knows is about breaking the law!” TC grabbed Eve by the arm, but before he had a chance to say anything, he felt a fist connect to his jaw.

” Don’t you EVER grab her again. Eve is no longer your wife, REMEMBER? And, even when she was, she wasn’t yours to grab!”, Julian yelled.

” You have a death wish, Crane? Because I will…”

” Do absolutely nothing! Do you REALLY think you’re all that better than me at fighting? Please. I’ve taken two different marshal arts to the black belt degree. The ONLY reason I never fought back or had your ass arrested was because of my love for Eve. But, now, I don’t have to be concerned about her feelings. You touch me, and I’ll have you thrown in jail for assault so fast your head will spin. “

” You think I’m scared of you?”

” Well, YOU SHOULD BE! I’m sick of you thinking that you can punch people out and bully them just to suit your feelings. The truth of the matter is…OUR SON went to find YOUR DAUGHTER. Instead of being grateful that he cares enough to risk his life, you have the nerve to complain. Chad has NO RIGHT? I beg to differ. He loves his little sister, and that gives him EVERY RIGHT. Now, if you can’t be civil to Eve, get out. But, you will NOT disrespect her in her own home!”

” You gonna let your ‘lover’ do all the talking, Eve? Is this what being his whore is about?”

This time the punch came from Eve’s fist.

” Don’t call me. Don’t talk to me. Don’t even try to reach me unless you want to apologize. I’m sick of it, TC. I’ve had so much guilt where you were concerned. Now I realize what a joke it was. Grow the fuck up, TC. And get out.”

TC left the apartment and Eve slammed the door behind him. She burst into tears once in Julian’s arms.

” It’ll be ok, Eve. I promise.”
 

Chad had found an apartment in Harlem. It was small, but clean. He made his way to a Harlem landmark: The Abyssinian Baptist Church.

He entered and saw various programs going on. An older woman came up to him.

” My I help you, my young Brother? “

” I was looking for Reverend Butts.”

” Well, he took some time away to go get his lunch. You can find him at Sylvia’s.”

This being Harlem, Chad knew what Sylvia’s she meant. He found his way over to another Harlem institution: Sylvia’s Restaurant. When he entered, the hostess came over.

” May I help you?”

” I have a meeting with Reverend Butts.”

The hostess smiled and took Chad to a private room. The minister was in the middle of his lunch and looked up in surprise to see someone standing there.

” Reverend Butts?”

” Yes. Do I know you?”

” No, Sir. But, I need your help.”

Revent Butts look Chad up and down before he motioned for him to sit down.

” You hungry? You need a job? If you’re willing to turn your life around, I’m sure I can find you a spot in a program or too.’

” Reverend, I don’t need a job. I’m not here looking for work. I’m here looking for my little sister.”

Chad took out a picture of Simone and handed it to him.

“ She’s 17, and she’s runaway from home.”

” Son, I don’t know why you’ve come to me.  Is she from this area? What, are the newspapers not paying attention, and you want me to call some people?”

“ Actually, I came to you because I need the names and location of the local crimelords.”

Reverend Butts smiled. “ I’m a man of God, my Brother. Why would I know anything about crimelords.”

” You run the biggest church in Harlem. That means you know exactly who the competition is.”

Reverent Butts continued smiling. “ And, why should I trust you? You might be Five-Oh.”

” I’m just a Black man looking for his little sister before her life is irreparably harmed. She’s from a little town in Maine. She has NO idea what life is like on the streets.”

” And you do?”

” Yeah, I do. Didn’t find my family until a few months ago. I raised myself after escaping the foster care system at fourteen.”

Reverend Butts called for a waitress. When she got there, he told her. “ Take this young man’s order. He has a hard journey in front of him.”