Come Find Me

by Casper Valentine

  "Is something wrong?" she asked.

  Nate didn't want to panic the girl. "I haven't been able to get in touch with Ruby. It's probably nothing, but I am a little worried about her. You can call me Nate. What's your name?”

  "Sofie."

  "Do you remember anyone acting strange last night, Sofie?"

  She shook her head. "Everyone seemed pretty normal."

  "You said you talked to Ruby?"

  "Yes, after her speech. We talked alone for about a half hour."

  "Were you two the last to leave?" Nate asked.

  "I left before Ruby. She stayed to clean up. I should have stayed and helped her."

  "It's OK. I'm sure Ruby didn't mind. Did you see anyone outside?"

  Sofie picked at her fingernail. "It was quiet. I didn't see anyone,” she said, glancing around the room.

  "I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you nervous. What about cars? Were there any around when you left?" Nate asked.

  Sofie shook her head. "I'm sorry I'm not helping."

  "You're helping just fine. If someone was waiting in a car you probably would have spotted them."

  "How does Ruby get home?" Sofie asked.

  "She lives close and likes to walk," Nate said.

  Sofie forced a half-smile. "I hope she turns up. Ruby is very sweet, and it means a lot that she stayed late and talked to me. I hope something didn't happen because of her staying late. This could all be my fault," Sofie said, with a sadness creeping into her voice.

  Nate put a hand on her shoulder. "None of this is your fault. I'm sure I'm just being overprotective. Let me walk you to your car."

  He gave Sofie an escort and once she drove away, he checked the surrounding area, looking for security cameras or anything out of the ordinary. When he finally realized the stop was a dead end, he got in his car and slammed the door.

  Pulling away from the center, he dialed Boniva. "When's the last time you spoke with Ruby?" he asked when she answered.

  "A couple of days, why?" Boniva asked.

  "I went to her house and she was gone. Baby Keith was there alone."

  Boniva’s response was so loud it hurt Nate's ear. "Oh my God! Ruby would never leave that boy alone."

  "Some things in the living room were knocked over. It looked like there was a struggle."

  "Where was Mick?" Boniva asked.

  "He came home later. He left when they got in a fight."

  "Where is Keith now?" Boniva asked.

  "Ruby's mother, Ebony, is looking after him. I had nowhere else to turn. I filled her in on what happened, and she was there in a heartbeat.”

  “She did seem different at the funeral.”

  “Older and wiser, I guess. I need to go. I can tell you more another time." Nate hung up and turned onto the first street through Highpoint, hoping he'd get lucky and spot someone matching Craig's description or a late model Pontiac.

  •••

  "Gear up, boys," Sarge said, pulling back the slide on a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm. After a peek inside to confirm a round was chambered, he released the slide and tucked the M&P into a holster at the small of his back, below a black tactical vest, with Narcotics Unit stenciled in white.

  Nate stepped out of the van and pulled a black ski mask over his head. Only his wide, wild eyes were visible when he racked a shell into a Mossberg tactical shotgun.

  "It's go time," Scarecrow said as he and Rosales got out of the van, both with HK MP5 submachine guns. Rosales pointed to a black streetwalker, standing under a flickering streetlight at the next intersection. Scarecrow nodded.

  Other than the hooker, the block was quiet. The only remaining building that didn't appear vacant was the run-down tire store across the street, and it closed hours ago.

  "It's not too late to run," Sarge said, and gave a shitty grin.

  "Do I look like I run?" Nate said as he raised the shotgun over his right shoulder, his bicep filling the sleeve of the black T-shirt under his vest.

  "Did you put on your big girl panties, Conejito?" Sarge asked, looking at Rosales.

  "You can bet your balls I did," she said, giving Sarge a little grin.

  Sarge smiled. "I've been watching this place all week. Like we talked about, second floor and these fuckers don't have anywhere to run. There shouldn't be more than two or three right now," he told the group as he went to the back of the van for a battering ram.

  Adrenalin was kicking in, and Nate could feel the rush, his heart rate chugging along like a freight train.

  Nate followed Sarge along the side of the building, toward the steps. Scarecrow and Rosales were right behind him.

  "I think back in the eighties this place was a movie theater," Sarge said quietly.

  They carefully eased up the stairs, single file. Once they got to the door at the top, Sarge whispered, "On three," and initiated a silent count with his fingers.

  Nate raised the shotgun to his shoulder, and felt Scarecrow put a hand to his back.

  Sarge swung the battering ram, and the door flew open.

  Two men were sitting at a table, stacks of money and shrink-wrapped packages of heroin in front of them.

  Besides the table, the only furniture was a ratty sofa, and a small TV set on an old microwave cart. Filthy, stained curtains were hanging from the windows like rags.

  "Hands up, hands up!" Sarge yelled.

  Nate stepped through the doorway with the Mossberg pointed toward the dealers. "Move and I'll blow your head off!" he shouted as one man eyed a handgun, sitting in front of him.

  Rosales and Scarecrow took aim at the dealers. Each one had their gun pointed to a head, and they were slowly inching forward.

  With no chance, the dealers raised their arms in the air. "Damn, dog, we give up," one of them yelled. It was clear to Nate that in spite of their rugged exterior, they were scared shitless.

  Rosales lowered her HK and reached around her waist for cuffs.

  "For fuck’s sake, clear the rooms!" Sarge shouted.

  Before Rosales had a chance to raise her weapon the bathroom door burst open and she was rushed by a madman, coming at her in full force, with a large hunting knife pointed at her. Screaming wildly, he lunged toward Rosales.

  Scarecrow fired two burst shots from the HK into Madman's chest. As he toppled backwards, Nate hit him with a blast from the Mossberg shotgun, and the madman was sent flying back, before crashing to the ground.

  Sarge pointed his M&P 9mm at the dealers.

  "Aww shit," one dealer said, looking at the wound the 12-gauge had opened in the madman's chest.

  "Clear the rest of the rooms, I got these two slime balls," Sarge said as he snatched the Glock from the table.

  Rosales blinked a few times, and Sarge could tell she was stunned. "Conejito, you're OK. Clear the rooms with Scarecrow and Nate," Sarge told her.

  She nodded and followed her orders.

  Sarge cuffed both dealers, making sure to bend each of their arms forcibly enough to cause pain, but not hard enough to snap a bone. "This is what happens when you're slinging dope on my watch. You got that, homey?" Sarge said before he threw them both to the ground.

  "Clear," Scarecrow said as he and the others returned.

  Sarge patted the dealers down and found a baggie of white powder. He opened it, dipped a finger inside then stuck it in his mouth. "It's coke," he said, and tossed it on the table. "Snort it," he said, looking at Nate. Then he turned his gaze to Rosales.

  Rosales stared at Sarge, and raised her eyebrows. "It's not a request," he told her.

  Nate knew it was an initiation, to form trust, and something to hold over them if loyalty was broken. Without hesitation he took the baggie and dumped some of the white powder on the top of his hand. Nate always felt in control of his drinking, the steroids, and drug usage—in Nate’s mind, he was invincible.

  "I don't mess with this stuff," Rosales said when he tried to hand her the baggie of coke.

  Nate looked her in the eye and put his other hand on her
shoulder. "It'll be OK," he assured her.

  She reluctantly took the bag and poured a tiny bit on her hand. Her eyes shifted to Sarge. He nodded, and she put her hand to her tiny nose and breathed in.

  One of the dealers looked up at Sarge. "Damn, dog, y'all are messed up."

  Sarge pulled a knife from his tactical vest and sliced open one of the bricks of heroin, as Nate snorted his bump of cocaine. "I'll divide this brick up between the four of us. Never know when it might come in handy," Sarge said, hunting around for something to bag up the portions.

  "What about the cash?" Scarecrow asked with a wide grin, showing his Chiclet teeth.

  Sarge counted twelve stacks of rubber-banded one hundreds. He pitched two stacks to Scarecrow. "Divide this up," he said.

  Looking at Rosales, Sarge could see the surprise written on her face. "Welcome to the big leagues," he said and started bagging up the heroin to divvy out.

  Scarecrow poked a grape lollipop into his mouth, and Rosales managed a half-smile.

  •••

  "Did you see the look on the homeboy's face after you blasted that guy?" Sarge asked.

  Nate nodded and took a sip of his beer.

  Scarecrow looked toward a waitress and whistled. "We'll take another round over here, and bring us all a shot of tequila."

  Rosales smiled. "I think I'll just stick to beer, or I might end up puking my guts out."

  "Come on, Conejito. You're in the boys’ club now," Sarge said with a grin.

  "OK, OK, one shot," she said.

  Nate gave her a wink.

  Sarge took a huge drink of beer and belched. "That bust should keep the peanut gallery off our backs for a while."

  "Nate, did you find out anything from your friend in lockup?" Scarecrow asked as the waitress arrived with a smile, and four shots of tequila.

  Nate nodded. "He thinks he has the connections to get me a meet with one of the Armenians."

  Sarge grinned, and Scarecrow passed around the shots. "That a boy," Scarecrow said.

  "Big things coming our way," Sarge said as they held up their drinks. "To our new little task force," he added as they bumped their glasses, and tossed back the tequila.

  Scarecrow nudged Sarge in the side. "I think it's time I school you in a game of pool," he said.

  "Oh yeah, why don't you put your money where your mouth is," Sarge said as he stood up.

  "I think I'm going to call it a night," Rosales said as Sarge and Scarecrow went off to shoot pool.

  Nate laid his hand on top of Rosales'. "Please don't," he begged. She was the only one he felt like he could confide in.

  Rosales leaned back and took a deep breath. "I really fucked up tonight. I could have gotten one of you guys killed."

  "You did fine," Nate said.

  "I knew that place needed to be cleared. I just—"

  Nate cut her off. "I get it. The adrenalin was flowing; it was our first sting."

  Rosales smiled. "Thanks. It's nice to hear that. I want to fit into this group, and I will."

  "What made you decide to join the police force?" Nate asked.

  "Wanted to since I was little. I grew up in a large family, all brothers, and I was a tomboy. I liked all the cop shows my brothers would watch. I was so small they laughed at me when I told them I was going to be a policewoman. I didn't let it stop me. Once I put my mind to something, there is no stopping me."

  "How'd you end up on the task force?" Nate asked.

  "The Bandidos. I was on the inside. I cozied up with one of their young enforcers, helped them out with some of their shady business deals, and was able to get enough to bring down their VP at the time. I didn't blow my cover either—they never did find out I was involved."

  "That's awesome, Esperanza," Nate said with a slight smile.

  She giggled.

  "What's that all about?" Nate asked.

  "Esperanza—nobody calls me that," Rosales said.

  "I like it," Nate added.

  "Then I suppose I won't stop you," Rosales said, and took the last sip of her beer. "What about you? What made you decide to be a cop? Tell me about Nate Randolph?" she asked.

  "Another time, Esperanza. There's too much to tell," Nate said as he felt his phone vibrate. He checked, and it was a text from Lacy. He read the message and was relieved she could get in touch with Craig. "What's with the grin?" Rosales asked.

  Nate leaned in close to her pretty face. "If I tell you, will you promise not to mention anything to Sarge and Scarecrow?"

  "I won't say anything, Nate."

  "My sister Ruby is missing—she was abducted. There was evidence of a scuffle at her house and she was gone, her baby boy, my nephew, left alone."

  "That's terrible, I'm so sorry. How long has she been missing?" Rosales asked.

  "It’s been two days."

  "Missing persons?"

  "They haven't come up with shit." Nate pointed at his phone. "This is a lead," he said as he called Lacy's number.

  "Nate!" Lacy said over the line.

  "Hi, Lacy. I need some good news," Nate said.

  "I got the info and can set up a meet with Craig. I'll just tell him I'm back on Oxy and need some kickers," Lacy said.

  "Do you think he would meet me? If you told him I was a friend. It'd be best to keep you out of this," Nate said.

  "He won't go for it."

  "Then meet someplace public. Is there a place you've met him before?" Nate asked.

  "That Irish pub on Conway," Lacy said.

  "Text me the time and get there early so we can talk. I'll hide out somewhere close by."

  "You'll hear from me soon," Lacy said.

  "I'll go with you," Rosales said, the moment Nate hung up.

  "No, I don't want you to be part of what I'm about to do," Nate said.

  "It could be dangerous alone."

  "I've had plenty of one-on-ones with dealers like this. I'll be fine," Nate assured her. "Go home and get some sleep."

  "Only if you promise to keep me in the loop. I want to help you find your sister."

  "I'll take any help I can get. Let me walk you to your car," Nate said.

  Rosales gave him a grin. "You know that's not necessary."

  "OK. I'll keep you posted. Just keep quiet about this," Nate said before she walked away.

  •••

  "Damn it, Boniva," Nate said under his breath. He was parked a few rows over from Lacy's car, watching her, while Boniva continued calling repeatedly.

  Finally, Craig was approaching Lacy's vehicle. Nate wasted no time—he was out of his car, and sneaking up behind him. By the time Craig heard Nate, it was too late. Nate grabbed the man by the collar, swept his legs and drove him into the ground. Lacy followed her instructions and sped off.

  "Hamilton County Sherriff's Office," Nate said, folding back Craig's arms and cuffing him.

  "I didn't do nothing," Craig said.

  "Ruby Randolph. Where is she? What have you done to her?" Nate yelled, driving his knee into the man's spine.

  "Nothing," Craig said between screams.

  Nate took the pressure off his back. "So, it's going to be like that," he said, pulling out the bag of heroin Sarge had divvied out. "What's this?" Nate asked, shoving it in Craig's face.

  "That ain't mine," he said.

  "It was in your pocket. This isn't a few kickers, this is enough H to send you away for a very long time," Nate said.

  "It's not mine," Craig repeated.

  "Tell me where she's at and what you did to her and I'll make this go away," Nate said, his voice calming.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Craig said.

  "Get up," Nate said, pulling Craig up by his arms.

  "Aww, that hurts."

  "Time for a ride," Nate said, leading Craig to the Charger.

  Nate shoved him into the backseat headfirst, fastened his feet together with a zip tie, and pushed his legs inside.

  •••

  Nate pulled to the curb in front of the b
uilding where the task force made the earlier bust and cut the engine. He got out, untied Craig's legs and dragged him out of the car.

  "This ain't no police station!" Craig said as Nate led him toward the building, and up the stairs to the second floor.

  "You're going to like this place even better," Nate said, opening the door and pushing him inside. "Have a seat." He shoved him into a chair at the table.

  "Jesus Christ!" Craig said, spotting the blood splatter on the wall and floor.

  Nate took a pair of pliers out of his jacket pocket and flung them on the table. "Ready to talk yet?"

  "Look, I swear to you, I don't know what happened to Ruby."

  "I know you went to her house," Nate said.

  "I did," Craig said, fidgeting. "She wasn't home, so I left," he added.

  "Where is she?" Nate screamed, and slammed his fist on the table.

  Craig leaned forward and lowered his head. His long greasy hair spilled into his face, nearly hiding it. "I don't know," he said in a low voice.

  Nate picked up the pliers. He moved behind Craig and put him in a headlock. Craig shook from side to side, trying to break free as Nate gripped Craig's earlobe with the pliers. When Nate pulled hard, Craig screamed so loud, Nate could hear his vocal cords straining.

  "Where is she?" Nate asked, easing up on the pulling.

  "Wait, stop, please, I have an alibi," Craig pleaded.

  Nate released him from the headlock. "Then let's hear it," he said.

  "I went straight home after I left Ruby's and ordered a pizza. I used my credit card, you should be able to see that on record, right?"

  Nate shook his head. "Ordered a pizza? You had all night to go back over there."

  Craig looked Nate in the eyes. "I went to work the next morning. I was there by eight AM, you can check. You think I scarfed down a pizza, went over there, did something to her, and was at work by eight o'clock? She owed me five hundred. You think I did all that over five bills?"

  Nate pulled Craig from the chair and led him out of the room.

  "Where are you taking me now?" Craig asked.

  "To jail, asshole. You're the one that got my sister hooked on Oxy, and now you're going to pay for it."