Sin City Assassin (The Bill Dix Detective Series Book 3)

by Swinney, C. L.

  Dix gestured toward the smoldering car. “It takes a sick person to do something like that.”

  All Frazier could do was nod.

  Dix began to think the group responsible for Petersen’s injury, the dead officers, and the brutal injuries to the man pulled from the burning vehicle was unlike any organized group he’d ever investigated. For once in his career, he wondered if he had what it would take to investigate this case and bring justice to the victims.

  *******

  The paramedic tried to slam an intravenous line in the victim’s arm. The flesh pulled away and Bruno Roy began laughing and screaming uncontrollably. The paramedic plunged a needle full of morphine in the flesh of Bruno’s leg.

  Almost instantly he stopped laughing. His face was badly burned and almost unrecognizable.

  Bruno looked around the ambulance and didn’t recognize anyone. He had no idea where he was or what had happened. His mind and body slowly shut down. Bruno felt death swallowing him, but he was not afraid. It dawned on him that there was a police officer in the vehicle with him based on the neck shield the guy was wearing. He jerked instinctively to get up and brutal pain shot through his body. Bruno looked down to see bones, his bones, sticking out of both legs. He coughed up blood and suddenly remembered pieces of what had happened to him.

  Bruno was supposed to meet up with his brother and sister at the safe house. He walked into the house and detected something wasn’t right. As Bruno walked into the kitchen and flipped on a light switch, a heavy object smacked him from behind. He struggled to see who his attackers were as they beat him viciously. However, they were masked and did not speak. Bruno’s eyes widened as he recalled seeing a tattoo on one of his attackers. It was the distinctive seal of a rival gang in Canada. But, how would they know about the house? He suspected his sister. He hated her. He was jealous of her, sure, but she was such a bitch. He decided he’d get the last laugh before his death.

  He motioned to the man with the badge around his neck. The man bent down and looked genuinely concerned for his well-being. Bruno hoped his sister would suffer an even worse fate than him when he finished telling the officer what he could before he died.

  Dix could see the man was trying to talk, but blood was gurgling in his throat. He looked to the paramedic. “Get a tube down his throat, he’s got something to say, but the blood is making it difficult.”

  The paramedic looked confused.

  “Hurry!”

  The paramedic inserted a tube down Bruno’s throat and sucked some blood out.

  Bruno was moments from death. He labored to speak again. “Roy’s, Toronto, we killed the cops… key… neck.”

  Dix had no idea the man who’d just died in front of him was one of the men responsible for Petersen’s injury. His face was so terribly burned and everything had happened so fast he didn’t recognize him. Nevertheless, Dix sensed strongly the man was somehow related to the situation with Petersen. The fact the man was found in a similar Range Rover to the one he’d seen earlier, and he mentioned Canada, Dix was sure he was involved. He wondered what ‘Roy’s’ or Toronto meant?

  The paramedic had also heard the man’s dying declaration and reached inside the man’s shirt. Both he and Dix noticed the man was wearing a ballistic vest. The paramedic pulled the vest further away and noticed a simple necklace around the man’s neck. He fished it up and at the bottom of the necklace dangled a small key.

  Hmmmmm, what will that mean to this case? Dix then turned his attention to the man’s statement about killing cops. Dix assumed he was talking about the officers on the Las Vegas strip. He looked at the dead man and wondered if he was the crook who put a bullet in Petersen. None of it mattered now. Dix was armed with leads and a key to something. He flipped the dead man’s chain around his neck and dialed Sergeant Randy Frazier.

  Chapter 10:

  Marie woke in the morning in plush satin sheets provided by her lover and psychotic criminal, Robert Blass. The room smelled musty. She scanned the area and saw several kilos of cocaine stacked on a table at the foot of the king bed. She estimated it to be twenty to thirty kilos with a street value of close to two million dollars. Well, I know what he did with the money we took from the police, she thought.

  She showered and wondered where Blass had gone. She stepped out of the bathroom with only a robe on, hoping to spend more time with Blass. However, she saw two men, dressed in black suits, standing at the doorway to the bedroom. The men looked her over as though she was a piece of meat. They had lust and curiosity in their eyes. Oh brother, I hope I don’t have to kill these two idiots.

  One of the men motioned to the cocaine. “Boss man wants you to make a run to Vegas with those. Meet the buyer at the address on your Blackberry.”

  “Where’s Robert?” she asked.

  “Gone,” one of the goons replied.

  She felt herself get flushed. They were supposed to spend more time together and she didn’t know anything about the job he’d just given her. Plus, going back to Vegas right after the debacle with the cops wasn’t something she really wanted to do.

  “What do you mean, gone?” she snorted.

  The other guard shrugged. “He seemed rather upset, grabbed a bag of clothes and took off four hours ago. We actually don’t know where he went.”

  Marie was a great read of people. She believed the two goons had no idea where Blass was. She wondered what caused him to take off so quickly. He usually did that when something bad was about to occur or if he felt the cops closing in on him.

  She narrowed her eyes. “So he wants me to go right back to Las Vegas? Right after my idiot brothers killed two cops and tried to kill another? And what about the civilian? Christ, the local media is probably having a field day with all the chaos.” She watched their faces and detected nothing useful.

  Again both men shrugged. They could tell Marie was growing impatient with them. Neither of them wanted that. They’d seen what she was capable of.

  “Honest, Marie, we have no idea what the deal is. He took off and said you needed to get the coke to Vegas.” One of the men grabbed a manila envelope from the kitchen counter. “He said the info you needed was in here.” The guard tossed it on the table near the cocaine.

  Marie had known Blass for several years and although he was never predictable, this whole thing seemed off. Nevertheless, in order to keep things cool with him, she needed to do as he said.

  She spread the contents of the envelope on the table as she pushed the kilos out of her way. The contents looked like surveillance photos, maps, and hospital blueprints. There was a handwritten note from Robert:

  Hello Honey,

  I trust the issue with your brothers has been handled. I’m sure in a small sense it was difficult to do what you did, but it needed to be done. Nevertheless, I’d like confirmation soon after you read this letter that they are deceased. Remember, no loose ends.

  It appears your assessment of the man who wanted the pharmaceutical pills was correct. He in fact works for the feds. The job was not finished with him, however, and he needs to be dealt with.

  Further research indicates the two men your brothers tangled with outside the casino are narcotics detectives from Florida. The one who was shot is still alive. He also needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, the second man was Bill Dix. Yes, you read that correctly. This presents a significant problem for my entire operation.

  As you already know, Dix is unlike any law enforcement person you will ever encounter. He’s got previous special-forces experience, unbelievable senses, an uncanny ability to interrogate suspects, and he’s tenacious. The fact your brother shot his partner is going to awaken him and propel him to an even higher level. I trust you can deal with his partner. He should be in the hospital for a few more days. However, I will be assisting you with Dix.

  Get the stuff on the table to Las Vegas. Check your phone for the location. Once that is done, take care of the fed and Dix’s partner. We will deal with Dix together. I caution you,
honey, do not take Dix on by yourself.

  Sincerely,

  RL

  Marie felt stunned and angry in the same instant. She crumpled up the letter and threw it across the room. So many thoughts rushed through her head. She knew the guy she’d seen was a cop and reveled in how easily she had duped him with her provocative seduction. She hoped he died before she got back to Vegas, but if he didn’t, she hoped he’d see her face when she killed him. At the same time, she couldn’t believe the shit her brothers had caused. And, what bad luck to run into the great Bill Dix and his partner in the alley. She was stubborn as hell and eager to prove to Blass that she was the person to take over all operations for his criminal enterprise. She decided she’d kill Dix’s partner, then hunt Dix down and take him out too. To hell with Blass. I can handle myself.

  She made the necessary arrangements to move the cocaine to Las Vegas. She’d participated in over a hundred deliveries from Canada to Las Vegas over the last three years. None of her loads had ever been intercepted, but she took extra care with this one. After she was confident things were in order, she checked the luggage containing the cocaine and boarded the plane. She took her seat in first class, near the window, and watched as her luggage was loaded in the belly of the plane. She ordered a Bloody Mary. When it arrived, she gently stirred it with the piece of celery. Instead of focusing on getting the cocaine to Las Vegas, all she could think about was killing Bill Dix.

  Chapter 11:

  Dix finally reached Frazier on his cell phone. He couldn’t believe it took him so long to answer his calls. Calm down, man, you need to be more patient.

  Before he could speak, Frazier cut him off. “Dix, I’ve sent a local guy over to pick you up. We’ve got another body in the rear of the Range Rover.”

  “What? Are you kidding me?” Dix instantly calculated what a second body might mean. Man, I hope it’s not another one of the shooters. If it is, I’m running out of people to give me leads.

  “Nope. The body’s badly burned, but it looks like he was shot in the back of the head. I’ve run the license plate. It’s the same Range Rover we were looking for. I’m thinking maybe this guy and the guy you’re with might be the two male shooters we were looking for.”

  Dix was beside himself. He didn’t care that the two men were dead, but the fact they couldn’t tell him about who had orchestrated all the chaos enraged him. “Damn it. That means we don’t have anything for a lead besides what my guy said just before he died. That, and the key the paramedic found around his neck.”

  “Wait, what? He’s dead?” Frazier sounded stunned.

  “Yup.” Dix sighed.

  “Shoot, well, what’s this about a key?” Frazier hoped something positive would come from the key and wondered what he said before he died.

  “He said ‘Roy’s, Toronto, we killed the cops.’ Then he said ‘neck’ and ‘key.’” Dix paused. “You have any idea what Roy’s and Toronto means?”

  “No, but I’ll run it by the UC and my team. We should kick this information around in the local and international databases too. As far as that key goes, your guess is as good as mine as to what it might open.” Frazier suspected a lock box was sitting in an unknown location containing more pieces to this puzzle.

  Dix nodded and watched a marked unit pull up to the hospital. He wanted to get back out to the scene and poke around. He also wanted to check in with his wife, Petersen, and Michelle. He rolled his eyes thinking about how much he needed to do, and caught himself biting his nails.

  He pulled his fingers out of his mouth. “Randy, I think my ride’s here. I’ll meet up with you at the scene. In the meantime, see if your UC knows what the dead man meant with ‘Roy’s, Toronto, we killed the cops.’”

  “Okay, I’m already on it. See you here in a few.” Frazier paused for a second. “Bring the key with you and I’ll have people start looking at it to see if anyone recognizes what it might belong to. I’ll let you know if we get a break.”

  Chapter 12:

  Petersen lay in his hospital bed, oblivious to what was happening around him. He opened his eyes after coming out of surgery and noticed his new bride, Michelle, sitting next to him. She had obviously been crying.

  Michelle noticed he was awake. This whole thing about his shooting hand was causing serious tension between them.

  “Hey babe, how ya doing?” she asked him.

  Petersen thought for a moment. “I’ve been better.” He looked down at his hand and saw pins coming and going in every direction. His hand pounded each time his heart beat.

  Michelle looked at Petersen’s hand and began to cry. “I don’t know how to say this Steve, but they’re not sure you’ll be able to use your hand again.”

  “What? What’s wrong with it? They said it was just a nick!” Petersen felt nauseated and feared he might become sick. The pain in his shoulder and hand was unbearable and he struggled with the news Michelle had just given him. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He wished Dix was also there to talk him off the ledge.

  “After the swelling went down, the doctor said there were some complications. They know it’s your shooting hand and brought in an expert. She operated right away. I’m so sorry, babe.” She hugged him lightly because she didn’t want to cause him more pain. Michelle knew if he couldn’t shoot again and the department forced him to medically retire, he’d be a complete mess.

  Petersen’s head swirled with thoughts of a possible forced medical retirement. It was more than he could bear. “What am I going to do? How can we have a family if I can’t work? Is there a second expert? When will I know what’s happening with my hand? Where’s the doctor?”

  “Shhhh. Honey, it’s okay.” Michelle rubbed his forehead. “Calm down baby, it’s going to be okay. We will get through this. You’re gonna be fine.”

  Petersen couldn’t calm down. Having Michelle by his side comforted him, but a pit formed in his stomach about what the future would hold. Then his fear quickly turned to anger. He wanted to find the bastard who'd caused him all this grief and pain. He couldn’t imagine what he’d do to the guy if he got his hands on him.

  “Thanks. I’m just freaked out. Sorry about dumping it on you,” he said as a single tear fell from his eye.

  Michelle kissed him. “No need to apologize, baby. We will get through this together.” They talked awhile before the nurse came in to give him some more pain medication. Petersen thought about their future and wondered what he’d do without wearing a badge. Eventually, the conversation turned to Dix.

  “Any word from Bill?” he asked Michelle.

  “Not yet, but all kinds of things have happened since you were out. Two cops were killed by automatic weapons on Las Vegas Boulevard and a Range Rover suspected to be the one you had a run in with was located on fire in Pahrump.”

  “Pahrump? Where the hell is that? I hope someone makes these people pay. Do they think the guys who killed the cops are the same guys who shot me?” His investigative instincts were running full speed again. It helped him think less about his hand.

  “The shooters were in a Range Rover. Everyone thinks it’s the same people.” Michelle could see the old Petersen was coming back and it made her happy.

  “Jesus, criminals today are so damn brazen. But, they have no idea they’ve got Bill Dix chasing ‘em now. You think I could get involved somehow, honey?” He looked at her sheepishly.

  Michelle shook her head. “Oh, no you don’t. Those are the meds talking. You’re on the sidelines with me. If they got your hand fixed, there’s no reason to push your luck. Besides, what could be better than spending all your time with me?”

  He chuckled and his body ached. “Ok, but can you at least share whatever updates you get with me?” He looked over himself lying in the hospital bed, “Maybe I can help from here.” He forced a small grin and Michelle kissed him again.

  “I love you, babe. You’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Not even a bullet can take you away,” Michelle replied.
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  The couple embraced and shared good memories while a stone cold killer landed in Las Vegas.

  Chapter 13:

  Marie exited the plane in no real rush. She was superb at blending in with the masses. The reason she was so successful as a smuggler was because it was so natural for her.

  She felt a momentary rush of anxiety when she caught a man staring at her breasts. Not because he was looking at her like that, but because she noticed a slight bulge on his right hip and assumed he was an air marshal. She giggled and flirted with him as he checked her out. He turned red after she winked at him. She calmed down considerably because she knew no righteous air marshal would let his guard down like that. All guys think about is sex, she thought disgustedly. She chuckled internally, however, as she'd recognized this fact early in her life and used it as a weapon against men every time she could.

  She walked to the tram station and caught one headed to the main terminal. From there she located the luggage carousel and looked for the bag containing twenty-five kilos of cocaine. She wasn’t anxious about it not showing up because she had paid the airline employees a ton of cash to ensure safe passage of her luggage. She felt anxious and excited in anticipation of hunting down the undercover officer, Dix’s partner, and finally Bill Dix. She became euphoric when she killed someone; it was a rush like no other. Her amazing looks and sexiness allowed her to easily lure her targets into bed, and after she had sex with them, she killed them. It was her calling card. She’d earned a name among criminals, law enforcement, and the media. They called her the ‘Praying Mantis.’ She absolutely loved the name. The Praying Mantis smiled at herself as she scanned the luggage area for threats while looking for a black duffle bag for the money drop.

  She watched as her Burberry piece of luggage came up the conveyor belt. She let it go around one time to see if anyone made any sort of movement toward it. The people she'd paid off only insured the bag would make it to the carousel; after that, she was on her own. She was extremely careful because being connected to this large amount of cocaine would surely land her in federal prison, and that was not acceptable. She continued to scan the area around the carousel looking for the person to complete the exchange with. There he is.