by Easton, Don
Two men held Vicki and Katie by the arms and roughly jerked them along to a pallet that contained only a few bags. Then they were shoved and fell beside each other onto the pallet. The two men stood over them, watching as Katie cried and choked through her gag.
Then two more men approached. One was carrying bolt cutters. The other rolled Vicki over onto her stomach and then grabbed her hands. She tried to scream but the gag prevented any real noise as she twisted and rolled her body. She managed to roll over, digging her fingers into the sack for support and kicking upwards with her feet.
The men stood up, then looked at each other and laughed. They spoke to each other in Spanish.
Vicki did not know these men. Perhaps it was better that she didn’t.
They were hand-picked from an army of desperate, violent men who wanted a share of the narco dollars. Carlos did not pick them because of their limited knowledge of English or even their willingness to do anything he asked. He picked them because they were likely insane. They inspired terror and would do anything asked of them. It was simply human nature to pick people who are like you — albeit not as intelligent.
Seconds later, both men were on her again. She fought and kicked hard. Katie got to her feet and kicked one of the men. He punched her hard in the mouth and she fell to the ground and didn’t move.
Vicki quit kicking. Tears blocked her vision and she allowed herself to be rolled back over onto her stomach. She was conscious of the taste of coffee beans on her lips from where a sack had been torn. She felt a man’s grip on her fingers and the cool metal of the bolt cutters as the pinchers tightened on her finger. For a brief instant, her brain refused to accept that the sound she heard, like celery being crunched, had come from her own body. For a moment it was as if her brain had detached itself from her body. She heard her own muffled cry as if it came from someone else, but then she felt incredible pain and knew the voice was hers. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying in vain to block it out.
chapter twenty-four
Connie Crane and her partner arrived at the motel and a uniformed officer waved to them from the doorway of one of the units.
“Call came in about forty minutes ago,” he said as they approached.
Connie glanced at her watch and replied, “About nine-thirty, then?”
He nodded and stepped aside to allow them to enter.
Connie did a brief examination of the room while her partner fished wallets from each of the two victims. One had a pistol in his belt, and Connie saw a Mac-10 pistol lying on the bed in the adjoining room.
The radio response to their inquiries came back within seconds. Both victims were listed as probation-ary member of Satans Wrath out of Montreal.
“Gee, that’s a big surprise,” said Connie sarcastically.
“What the hell are they doing out here?” her partner asked.
“Dope deal gone bad,” replied Connie.
“You find dope?”
“No, but this door is open to the adjoining room. There’s a blood smear in the bathroom and it looks like a third guy escaped out the back window. These two yo-yos were killed instantly so it wasn’t them moving around.”
“Could be dope. They have lots of firepower.”
Connie nodded and said, “That’s their number one money-maker. Three guys — bikers — in adjoining rooms with only a double bed in each. They weren’t here to sleep. Probably using the other room as either security or to stash the money or the dope. Being from Quebec even fits. Last year Intelligence discovered that assholes from Satans Wrath in Quebec were running speed out here.”
“Who would have the balls to waste a couple of these guys?”
Connie glanced around the room, then replied, “No sign of forced entry. I bet whoever did this was known to them. They didn’t even have their guns out. Alert the hospitals to be on the lookout for anyone coming in with potential GSWs. Let’s see if we can find who did this before the bikers do.”
Fifteen minutes later Jack walked into the motel room. “Hi, CC. Want some help?” he said.
Connie turned around in surprise. Jack was already in the room and she saw Laura looking in from the doorway. “Careful! We’re still waiting for Forensics to arrive.”
“Hi, Connie,” said Laura. “There’s a blood smear on the sidewalk.”
“We know.” Connie looked at Jack and asked, “How the hell did you hear about this and get here so fast? It’s Saturday morning of a long weekend,” she added.
“A source I’ve known for a long time told me that three Satans Wrath members from Montreal were in town to do a major dope deal this weekend. An executive of the club known as The Toad and two strikers. Apparently they were to hand off three or four million bucks to buy dope.”
“Three or four million!” said Connie’s partner. “I guess that could give someone the balls to do this!”
“Recently I turned another informant — a hooker — who knows The Toad. We were meeting her when we heard your radio transmission about the two strikers. She has been servicing The Toad since he arrived. She said that back on the second of May, she was with The Toad and saw him meet some dark-skinned guy on Robson Street. She says the dark-skinned guy then walked across the street to a park and met with Lawrence Leitch. He’s a lawyer that Satans Wrath uses.”
“I know about that!” said Connie. “We were working with...” She paused and looked at Jack and said, “Wait a minute, that was almost three weeks ago! You telling me that some hooker can remember an exact date that long ago?”
Laura leaned against the doorway and watched. This ought to be good.
“Definitely,” replied Jack, his face expressionless as he stared at CC. “She said she remembered it because of something she had said to The Toad the day before and he joked to her about it as they drove past the park.”
“Which was?” demanded CC.
“She had said, ‘Hooray, hooray, it’s the first of May — outdoor screwing starts today!’”
Laura snickered to herself, more at the sincere look on Jack’s face than his words.
“Oh,” replied CC, eyeing Jack warily. “I was there that day with” — she glanced at Laura — “your husband. That was over the Molen incident. This Toad is tied in with the guy we call the Brit? The same son of a bitch who attacked the O’Reillys and murdered Holly’s husband and shot their baby?”
“Has to be,” said Jack. “The Toad told my informant to wait for him in the car. She said he was acting really kinky and paranoid. She followed him and only caught a quick glimpse of the action.”
“Damn it! I was there that day. I didn’t notice any hooker or The Toad,” said Connie.
“How would you have known?” replied Jack. “It’s not your fault,” he added, while stepping over to look at the face of the biker lying on the floor. He looked closely at the biker who was sprawled face-down on the table.
“Be careful,” said Connie. “Forensics hasn’t —”
“Just making sure that either of these two isn’t The Toad. They switch identities like most people change underwear. They’re not. No money here, I take it?”
Connie shook her head.
“There’s a rental out front. Could be theirs.”
“It is. We already checked. No bags of money.”
“Sure, you say that now,” said Jack. “I’ll be watching. If you two retire next week I’m coming after you.”
Connie grinned and replied, “Don’t I wish.” Her face then became serious and she asked, “Any suggestions? Can your sources help us out? We think one guy was wounded and escaped out the bathroom window.”
Jack rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then said, “Maybe The Toad decided to retire early. The bikers probably had security out front. Bet that’s why he slipped out the back.”
“But who would have shot him?” said Connie. “There’s some blood on the bedspread and a smear on the bathroom wall. Neither victim had a gun in his hand.”
“Who says he was shot?” said Jack. “This gu
y sprawled out on the floor ... maybe he saw it coming and got a punch in. The Toad might only have a broken nose.”
Connie considered this and then said, “Guess that’s possible.” She paused, then asked, “Your hooker friend have any leads as to where he might be?”
“I’ll check. You should call the narcs right away and tell them what I told you. This much action should have their sources talking. Tell them I have a hooker close to The Toad. Maybe something will click with them. If The Toad is running off with the club’s money, he won’t be sticking around long. Maybe one of the narcs will know something to identify the Brit. If we find him, I bet we find The Toad as well.”
Connie looked carefully at Jack as she digested what he said.
“We’ll head out now,” said Jack, moving toward the door. “Tell our source to get to work.”
“Not so fast, Jack!” said Connie.
Laura felt a lump in her throat. Oh man ... I knew we couldn’t pull this off!
“What’s the problem?” asked Jack.
“Your DNA,” said Laura. “It’ll be all over the room now. We’ll need a sample for elimination.”
Laura had wondered why Jack had moved around the room. Now she knew.
Jack and Laura were just returning to their car when Jack received a call on his cell.
“You said you wouldn’t bust our guys! I’m dead! I’m fucking dead!”
Jack recognized Lance’s voice and said, “Your guys weren’t busted.”
“Bullshit! I just left the motel. There are cops all over the place! The Toad’s not answering or returning calls!”
“I know. I’m at the motel now. I was notified about it through Homicide.”
“Homicide?”
“The maid checked the room this morning. Both strikers are dead and The Toad is missing. Looks like he took the money and split.”
“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me!” “We should come and meet you and talk about it.” “Danny back in action?” “No,” said Jack, glancing over at Laura. “I’ve got a new partner. You can trust her.”
“It’s a her? Oh fuck!”
“She’s a ... good friend. Trust me.”
“Yeah, like I have a choice.”
On their way to meet Lance, Laura asked, “How long do you think it will be before Damien hears the whopper you just told Connie?”
“Wish we knew who the dirty narc is. Regardless, the club is out a few bucks. Not to mention two dead strikers and a missing toad. The heat will be on. I bet Damien hears the story by Monday or Tuesday. The friend I’m about to introduce to you will hear when Damien finds out.”
Jack introduced Laura to Lance. He was polite but mostly ignored her. Bikers tended to view women as property. Not as anyone you would listen to, let alone take orders from. At the moment he had too many other things on his mind to worry about Laura.
“What the hell happened? Who whacked ’em? Where’s The Toad?”
“We don’t know,” said Jack. “You called me last night to say everything was okay. That it was a done deal!”
“It was! I don’t know anything about this!”
“You said nobody knew about the motel except you and The Toad,” said Jack accusingly.
“And the Colombians,” said Lance. “But that don’t make sense. They were already paid before I...” Lance stopped and glanced at Laura.
“She knows,” said Jack. “I trust her. You’re going to have to do the same.”
“Yeah, well ... anyway. They were paid before the ship was unloaded. So why would someone kill ’em?”
“Have you talked with Damien? Maybe The Toad is with him.”
“Not yet. Guess I better send him a short message, then drive over to talk details.”
“Do it, but first call the motel office and see if they’ll tell you what happened.”
Lance understood, and a couple of minutes later a clerk at the motel admitted that two guests had been murdered.
“Good,” said Jack. “Now tell Damien you went to look for The Toad and saw cops all over and called the motel. Call me as soon as you’re done meeting with him.”
After Lance left, Laura suggested, “Home to bed?”
“Think you can sleep?”
“I might. When I get really stressed I feel like my whole system shuts down. All I want to do is close my eyes.”
Jack nodded, then gestured toward the back of the car and said, “Right after I stash what’s in the trunk.”
“Three-point-five. You’re going to have a lumpy mattress.”
“Actually ... I rented a storage locker the other day.”
“I knew it! How long have you been planning all this?” she said, letting her exasperation show.
“The storage locker was for something else a couple of weeks ago.”
“Something else?” She paused, then asked, “You have a freezer in there?”
Jack smiled, then replied, “You are tired. If I had a freezer in there I wouldn’t have had to call you out last night. Great idea, though. Maybe I should get one and extend the rental.”
“If you do, get a new partner while you’re at it. No wonder Danny is on stress leave.”
Laura had meant it as humour but saw the look on Jack’s face and was embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she said, “that was a dumb thing to say.”
“Not your fault. I just feel bad about how things turned out between me and Danny.”
Jack noticed that Laura was silent as he drove her back to her car. Then he saw that she was shaking. “Cold?” he said, turning up the heat.
“It’s not the cold. I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of what I did! Helping you!”
“Now it hits you?”
Laura opened and closed her fists a few times to try to regain control.
“Afraid we’ll get caught?” asked Jack. “A little. More worried about whether or not I did the right thing.”
“When we catch the Brit you’ll feel like you did the right thing.”
Laura sighed and said, “I know. I’m not blaming you. I made my own decision.” She paused a moment and then added, “Although it bugs me that you made me look at Charlie’s picture. I feel manipulated.”
“Kind of late to change what we did now.”
“I’m not saying we should. I’m just not sure what we did was right.”
Jack felt the acid in his empty stomach as he worried about Laura having second doubts. He glanced at her and said, “What we did was right.” He then paused and said, “Sorry about the manipulation. Won’t let it happen again.”
“Yeah, right. As if I really believe that. You’re an operator.”
“You’re an operator too.”
“Exactly,” Laura said, and then smiled.
“Were you just jerking my chain?” “About having second doubts? Yes. You should have seen your face. But not about the manipulation part. I don’t like being manipulated. I was just getting even.”
Jack smiled. “Are we even?”
“Sure. Now how about we get some sleep.”
“Let’s have brunch first. It would be better if you relax a little before going home. I know this great little café. Excellent service as long as you don’t try to leave a tip.”
It was almost noon when Damien received a text message from Carlos. A cold phone is at your front house. I will talk at you in one hour!
Damien chuckled. Carlos’s attempt to use English slang sometimes sounded funny.
My front gate perhaps? Probably means a delivery service will bring me a cool phone. Damien went to his communications room and checked the television monitor near the front gate. Vicki’s Hummer was parked there, but she was not in the driver’s seat.
Maybe she’s picking a package up from the ground. I’ve warned her about packages! He zoomed the camera in on the Hummer. Where’s Katie?
He paused as he received a text message from Lance. Two bros from Q were murdered last night at the motel. Coming over.
<
br /> Damien stared at the Hummer. It was still deserted. He ran from the house.
chapter twenty-five
Connie Crane called her boss and briefed him on the double homicide. She spoke of Taggart and Secord’s involvement and said that Drug Section was canvassing their members for any leads.
Randy hesitated when he hung up. Any reason for calling the assistant commissioner on a Saturday had to be extremely serious. He soon knew he had made the right decision.
Isaac listened to the details with a keen interest and thanked Randy for updating him. Isaac then called Staff Sergeant Legg and ordered him to contact Elvis immediately.
Elvis took the call and listened carefully as Legg explained the situation.
“I don’t really know anything,” said Elvis. “She’s not home yet.”
“It’s after twelve. You haven’t heard from her?”
“She called about an hour ago. Said she was going to have a bite to eat with Jack and would be home after. That’s all I know.”
“What time did she start working last night?”
“We were asleep. I didn’t really check the time. It was late, after midnight for sure.”
“She didn’t mention why she was called out?”
“I asked her if it was undercover. I thought she said surveillance, but I’m not sure. I was half asleep. Do you want me to ask her?”
“A little gentle prodding might not hurt.”
“She should be home any minute. I’ll ask.”
“Be discreet! As I said before, we’ll just keep this between the two of us. The road to hell is slippery and steep. Let’s make sure Laura doesn’t reach that part.”
Damien stopped when he reached Vicki’s Hummer and looked around. Nobody was in sight. Something was wrong. Really wrong.
It was with a sense of dread that he opened the driver’s door and looked inside. He felt relieved to see that it was empty, except for a plastic bag on the driver’s seat. He peeked inside the bag and saw that it was just a cellphone, partially wrapped in a rag. The keys hung from the ignition. He parked the Hummer in the garage and brought the plastic bag inside to the kitchen table.