The Criminal Within

By Brion Russell

Braylon Rogers is young, tall, dark and handsome. He is also a rising star in the District Attorney's Office. While his position in the DAs office is great, Braylon wants more. More money. More Power. More of it all and when he decides to give way to his ambition, he enters a world which will test everything he has. The question becomes: will this young rising star become a victim of his ambition? You will soon find out, when you read the best urban crime novel of the year!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781105007958

Book preview

Russell

1.

Braylon Rogers sat at his desk within the confines of the District Attorney’s Office getting ready to finish up a trafficking cocaine trial he was completely sick of. Not only was he sick of the trial, he had a cold that was completely kicking his ass. He reclined in his chair and tried to rest before court resumed.

Braylon began thinking about his graduation from The University of Alabama six years ago and remembered leaving the ceremony and returning to his beloved fraternity house where his frat brothers had planned a big party to celebrate the occasion. He and his best friend, Maxwell, had graduated that day and were ready to conquer the world.

Braylon remembered everything like it happened yesterday. Nobody but his brother and grandparents had attended the graduation. His father was in jail and his mother had died when he was twelve years old. She had been killed in a violent shootout, which involved her husband and his criminal colleagues. Her death, coupled with his father’s incarceration, made Braylon grow up fast. While his friends were worried about girls, cars and clothes, Braylon worried about helping his grandparents pay the bills and how he was going to attend college.

Maxwell Brown had no such worries. After the graduation ceremony, Braylon and Maxwell pulled in front of the frat house in Maxwell’s new Range Rover, a gift from his father. They got out and made their way inside the house. The front yard was filled with cars and students who were drinking, laughing and having a good time. A continuous barrage of hip-hop music filled the air inside and outside of the frat house.

Still dressed in their graduation robes, Braylon and MB, as his frat brothers called him, walked through the crowd towards the house with bottles of champagne in their hands. As they approached the house, a swarm of their friends, frat brothers, girls they had relations with and young guys who wanted to pledge congratulated them for their achievements. Before entering the house, they both took big gulps of champagne and looked at one another.

We did it playboy! Braylon stated.

You know the motto: Achievement until death! Maxwell stated.

The two graduates smiled and entered the house to find a huge banner, which read Congratulations to Brothers Braylon and MB! The people inside the party begin to notice the pair and rushed to greet the two men of the hour. One of their frat brothers walked to the DJ’s table and grabbed the microphone and the DJ lowered the music. "Let me please have everyone’s attention. On behalf of the brothers of Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, I would like to congratulate our premier and vice-premier for being wonderful representatives of this fraternity and for their achievements here at the University! We love y’all and always remember our motto.

All of the brothers yell, Achievement until death!

Then everyone begins yelling speech, speech, and speech!

Braylon and Maxwell go to the microphone and Maxwell goes first.

I love y’all and it took me seven years but I am finally a member of the Alumni Association! I’ve got big plans in business and y’all will see me on the cover of Fortune in a few years! Holla!

Maxwell laughs at his remarks and gives the microphone to Braylon.

I’m going to law school so I can help this clown out when he gets caught embezzling money!

Everyone laughs at Braylon’s joke.

"Seriously, I love y’all and I love this fraternity. I’ve been through a lot here and I hope to see y’all still running the yard and being the livest frat on this campus. Some of y’all are going to need legal representation, so holla at me in three years!

The music comes back on as Braylon and Maxwell return to partying. Everybody in the party starts dancing. Maxwell turns to Braylon.

I’ve got some serious things going on right now. Plenty of money is in these streets and I plan on getting all that I can. My dad wants me to go to business school and go to work for him but my time in school is over. When you get out of law school, I’ll be waiting on you to be my lawyer and my partner.

I appreciate that playboy. What type of business you getting into?

An attractive girl comes over and grabs Maxwell. She looks Maxwell in the eyes.

I’ve got a graduation gift for you, baby, says the girl.

MB looks at Braylon and smiles.

We’ll talk and I’ll let you know about everything in due time. Now, I’ve got some business to handle upstairs

2.

His secretary interrupts Braylon’s thoughts. His office intercom buzzes.

"Mr. Miles?

Yes, my love.

Braylon’s secretary is a middle-aged, Black woman named Myra who calls it like she sees it and does not suffer fools but Braylon absolutely adores her and looks at her as a surrogate mother. He also gets a kick out of aggravating the hell out of her at times.

Boy, get your ass to court! They are waiting on you right now!

Myra, have you found a boyfriend yet? I’ve got somebody I want to hook you up with

How old is he?

Seventy-eight

What the hell is he going to do for me at seventy-eight? I’ll give him a damn heart attack! Now, go to court and stop playing with me.

Braylon smiles and heads to court.

The courtroom is filled with spectators. A group of high school kids are visiting the courthouse to see if real trials are like the ones on TV. The lawyers are seated at their respective tables and the judge is on the bench. The jurors sit patiently praying that the case will be over soon.

Mr. Myles, is the State ready to proceed?

Yes, your honor.

You have the floor

Braylon gets up from the prosecution’s table on the right closest to the jury box and begins to deliver his closing argument. He is professional, quietly cocky and smooth as he talks to the jury.

Ladies and gentlemen, as you know the defendant has been charged by The State of Alabama with trafficking cocaine. As the evidence in this case proved, Dewayne Simpson, aka Big Wayne, was observed by narcotics agents entering the Westside Motel with two large duffel bags. The agents obtained search warrants and searched his room where they recovered these items.

Braylon points at three rows of cocaine packaged in plastic that resemble bricks located on the prosecution’s table. Dewayne Simpson, the defendant, sits by his lawyer growing more and more agitated with each word that comes from Braylon’s mouth. Dewayne grew up hard and he looks much older than his twenty-seven years. He is wearing an eye-catching four button powder blue suit with a pink shirt and matching pink tie. His shoes for the day are alligator loafers. Pink, of course.

This man had twenty thousand dollars in cash, measuring scales, a huge supply of baking soda and three semiautomatic pistols. He was about to cook up enough crack to keep everybody in West End high for weeks. He is a very wealthy criminal who has caused tremendous damage to this community for years!

Dewayne’s lawyer, dapper, older gentlemen who represents all the local drug dealers jumps to his feet.

Your Honor! I object to these outrageous comments about my client! He is a respectable, church going, freedom loving patriot who overcame his poverty stricken upbringing to launch a lucrative car detailing enterprise!

The judge is the Honorable Latasha Roberts. She is a no-nonsense, African-American, former prosecutor who demands respect in her courtroom by virtue of her very intimidating presence.

This is closing arguments Mr. Lawson. I need not remind you that I have already instructed the jury that closing arguments made by both parties are not evidence in this case. Please proceed Mr. Myles.

Based on the evidence before you, I ask you to find this man guilty of trafficking cocaine. Thank you.

Braylon returns to his seat. Big Wayne gives him one of the dirtiest looks one could ever give. Judge Roberts turns to the jury.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, that is the end of closing arguments in this case. The State has the burden of proving guilt so they get two opportunities to speak to you. We will break for lunch and then return for deliberations.

3.

Braylon walks from the courtroom back to his office when he feels his cell phone vibrating.

Hello

"Hey baby, you want to meet me for lunch?

"Sure sweetheart. We just finished closing arguments. How about Doolah’s?

I’ll see you in fifteen minutes.

Braylon hangs up from Jessica, his wife of two years. Jessica is twenty-eight, curvy, athletic and also a practicing attorney. She and Braylon met during his third year of law school and her first. They fell in love and got married two months later in Las Vegas.

Although they both attended the same university for undergraduate school, they had never met. Maxwell told him that he had seen her before at a couple frat parties but he didn’t know her.

In their two years of marriage, they had endured various rumors and suspicions of one another. Braylon, for some reason, couldn’t bring himself to trust any woman. This included his wife. He long suspected that she was seeing someone else. He loved her but was prepared to file for divorce the minute he discovered any infidelity on her part.

This was interesting because Braylon saw other women and had no problem with his own infidelity issues. He rationalized that it was ok for him, even expected. However, the same rule did not apply to his wife.

Early in their marriage, they almost broke up because Jessica kept receiving phone calls from her ex-boyfriend. Braylon could not understand why the dude kept calling and began believing something was going on. Maxwell convinced him otherwise and they stayed together. He still didn’t trust her.

Jessica was a lawyer with one of the biggest firms in Birmingham, Fitzpatrick-Russell. She was a rising star at the firm and made double what her husband made as a prosecutor. When she wanted to stick it to him during an argument, she would sometimes point out the discrepancy in pay between the two of them. She loved her husband and was committed to their marriage.

Braylon arrived at Doolah’s the same time as his wife. He immediately spotted her outside the front door and approached.

Hey baby.

Hello handsome.

They kissed and entered the restaurant. Doolah’s was located on the north side of Birmingham and was housed in what used to be the biggest whorehouse in Birmingham. Doolah’s served down-home, biscuit and gravy, I can’t eat no mo type food! The owner