Cops' Kids

C24

"Hey mama," Tyson knocks on the dining room door. His mom looks up from the stove, breakfast bacon sizzling in the pan.

"Morning Tyson," Serena says. She hopes she isn't showing it to her very independent son but she is worried. She sees the way he leans to the right and favours his left shoulder. Tyson takes a deep breath and peeks over his shoulder, double checking no eavesdroppers are near.

"You wanna leave him, mama?" He asks softly. Serena stares at her tall son, the first from her first husband but no one knows that. She wonders if he'll finally make her proud. He's the one that gets into trouble, plays with the ladies, argues and talks back, fights because of all the rage stored up in his body. And Tyson has a very powerful body, even before joining the weight lifting team at fourteen he'd already been working out at home.

"It isn't that simple," Serena responds quietly. Tyson's admiral blue eyes stare at her expectantly. When they hear her words the life seems to whoosh out of them.

"Yes or no, mama," Tyson says, his voice hardening. He regrets asking her. It's going to be hard making someone leave when they don't want to. How many of his brothers will want to stay?

"Yes, Tyson I do!" Serena snaps, still quiet. She doesn't want the other boys overbearing this precarious conversation. Her spatula slaps against the counter, the noise startles Tyson. The movement startles Tyson. It is such an Elmer move. "I'm sorry Tyson. But don't you think I've tried?"

"You trust me, mama?" Her hesitation hurts worse than any beating Elmer ever gave him, cuts sharp as a knife. He knows he's always been the disappointment but he thought his mother would give him the benefit of the doubt. "When the time comes, mama, you're gonna trust me."

"Tyson..." his moms voice trails off as he walks away. Isaiah and Jeremiah are playing in the living room and he ignores their cries for a playmate. They're too young to be told the plan or given the option, they might accidentally tell their dad. He jogs up the steps, absentmindedly rubbing his sore shoulder and leans on Ross and Colin's doorframe. Ross is studying, making his own flash cards for his science class vocabulary. He gives Tyson a small, cursory smile. Ross actually likes hanging out with Tyson but it scares him to. With Tyson there is a reckless freedom and Ross never wants to be caught by his father. Colin is praying his morning prayers, on his knees in the corner of their bedroom where he has a home altar. Tyson sees the rosary hanging from his fingers.

"You guys wanna leave him?" He asks them quietly. No need for anyone to overhear this conversation if it's going to go anything like the one with his mom.

"It'll be the answer to my prayer for all of you," Colin answers immediately. His green eyes, a replica of their mothers, hold that hope and peace that none of the rest of the boys feel. Tyson knows it's because of the God he never stops praying to but at the same time can't bring himself to pray with that surrender to a Being he can't see. It's not a straight yes but Tyson takes it for that. Ross cautiously nods his head in agreement.

"I'll tell you when and you follow me." Tyson informs them. Ross's blond haired head bobs in agreement. "You just have to trust me."

"Easy," Colin answers, completely at ease with the conversation. His black curls are cut a few inches long, short enough to keep Elmer from berating him but long enough they grow out to their most curly state.

"I love you guys," Tyson can't help the waver in his voice or the tears in his eyes. Ross and Colin are two of the best younger brothers a guy could ever want. Tyson looks at Ross, his not blood brother. "Both of you."

"I love you too," Colin replies. His heart is full of love but confusion. Tyson never says those three words, something must be bothering him. Ross nods but doesn't say anything. Elmer tells them all he loves them and that's why he hits them so those three words are a hard pill to swallow. Tyson leaves their bedroom and walks to his bedroom that he shares with Benjamin and Warren. There is an extra bedroom one of them, either Warren because he is the oldest or Benjamin because he is Elmer's firstborn, could move into but Elmer insisted they share a bedroom to keep the last one a guest room. Funny thing is, they never have guests over.

"You guys wanna leave him?" Tysons drops the bomb. Benjamin, still in bed and half asleep, mutters and groans as he rolls over.

"Hell, yeah!" Warren says easily. Tyson always acted out, which is why he was most often beat on, but in the beginning Warren would cover for him. Because Warren was the oldest, he often got the rap for shit that went wrong anyways.

"Huh?" Benjamin groans and sits up, wiping his eyes and yawning blearily.

"I'm leaving Elmer," Tyson says blandly. He sits on the floor and digs in their little hiding spot. The bottle of Johnnie Walker Benjamin gave him is still there, half full. He pulls it out and takes a few swigs, his throat and stomach burning. It's never a good idea to drink on an empty stomach. Tyson burps as he waits for Benjamin's response. "I can take you with me."

"Really?" Benjamin asks. The usual mean look in his eyes is abated. It's a selfish fend-for-yourself attitude that's kept Elmer's hands off of him all these years.

"You'll have to leave your phone and laptop, anything that can be traced." Tyson says, putting the bottle back and sitting next to Warren on the window ledge. They fist bump. Warren might be the oldest but he isn't the smartest. Tyson's elaborate escape plan will show him that. "You'll have to leave your car," Tyson winces. Warren is the only boy to have a car and he has it because it is a Watson family heirloom. Their late father's father had kept it and given it to Warren last year.

"I know," Warren says quietly. It will be hard to part with the car but freedom from abuse is worth more than the mileage he shares with his dad behind the steering wheel. "Just the clothes on our back," he continues, his fingers drumming against the window frame. "So he don't know we planned it."

"You trust me, right?" Tyson asks. Warren simply smiles and throws an arm around Tyson's shoulders, rubbing his fist in his hair. Benjamin watches with jealousy in his eyes and anger raging in his bones.