St James Gate (James Webb Rescue Book 1)

by BL Burke

  Eddie wanted to get up and attack the man. He tried to stand, but his legs didn’t respond, his eyes filled with whatever anger his body still had left.

  “You have a chance though,” the man said slipping his gun to his lower back, “I give this offer to all of my fighters, like the gladiators of Rome, you win enough fights… say five, I’ll set you free,” Eddie shook his head.

  “Fights?” Eddie said, the glowing eyes of the man seemed to tear right through him. “that ain’t shit,” he said.

  “To the death, yes, and I’ve got your next fight almost ready, tomorrow sound good for you?”

  “No break?”

  The man looked at him, “You get a night,” he said, “You murdered my best friend.”

  “Your best friend,” Eddie said, “I don’t know you?”

  “Yes you do, you and that piece of shit helped kill my dog.” The man started to walk away, “then there is the last one of your group. The one who pulled the trigger.” Eddie remembered the face, the kid, all those years ago. He spent six months in jail. Eddie looked down at Skitter’s body, it was a night out for laughs, for celebration. Just him, Skitter and Perry.

  Chapter 10

  Perry stared down the predators of this jungle. The dog in his arms whimpered softly. “We were just leaving Kieron.” Perry said.

  “In this hood, you leave when I tell you pig,” Kieron said. Perry saw Marshall moving toward his own gun out of the corner of his eye. It was like this years ago in Afghanistan, when Perry and his unit came across a group of crazed haji’s, Perry and his men were quicker. Only one of his men died, they lost eight.

  “I leave when I want,” Perry said, they were outnumbered and outgunned.

  “What are you doing here, I let you leave, you weren’t to come back,” He could feel the adrenaline start to pump through his veins. He eyed the taller white guy who looked slow in more than one way.

  “You didn’t let me do anything.”

  Behind Kieron, a smaller guy’s eyes were jumping, his gun hand looked shaky. Marshall whipped out his Sig and stuck it in Kieron’s temple.

  “So, boss man, tell them to… back the hell off,” Marshall said, the big guy pointed his gun at Perry’s skull. The little one’s eyes were wide.

  Perry locked eyes with Kieron, his oldest friend. Perry could see the pain in his eyes. Kieron wanted out of the hood most, but Perry left him behind.

  “No need for that,” Kieron said, not moving his eyes. He lowered the big guy’s arms with his hand. “We’re all adults.” Perry inhaled, his heart was racing. Marshall kept his up.

  “You don’t threaten cops asshole,” Marshall said, his voice came out strong with a hint of crazy. Spanx wouldn’t back down.

  “Lower it,” Perry said. He glanced toward Marshall whose eyes darted and he lowered the gun.

  Kieron gave a half smile. “Long time, you don’t call no more?”

  “E’s missing, you seen him?” Kieron’s eyebrow raised.

  “We found his van this morning over there,” Perry nodded his head toward where the van was. “This address was in the glove compartment.” Kieron shook his head. “There was a dog in the back, a female pit. Looks like she fought this guy.” Perry said. The dog was getting heavier, he could still feel a heartbeat in the dog, but it seemed to get weaker. He needed to go.

  Kieron moved his arm back, pushing the little guy off the stoop. “No clue, hadn’t heard from homey in weeks,” he said, looking away. He was lying.

  “Kieron,” Perry said, catching his eye. “I need to know where he is?” he said enunciating every word.

  “We don’t have a ton of business together.” Kieron scratched at his elbow.

  “Drugs? Pimping? Guns?” Marshall said, “I’m betting you boys don’t have permits for those,”

  “Doesn’t’ concern you.” Kieron said, his voice now annoyed more than upset. Kieron was smart, smarter than Perry. Kieron reached in his pocket, Marshall tensed. He pulled out a business card and laid it on the blanketed dog. He read it.

  Kieron Bell

  Real Estate Consultant

  “You a flipper?”

  He nodded, “Partly, it’s an easy game to get into, these two work for me.”

  “They carry around guns?” Marshall said.

  “Bad neighborhood,” he said with a small grin, “give me a call if you’re interested in some property… or other arrangements.”

  Kieron patted the dog's head then turned and walked away, the little guy followed quickly, the big guy took a few steps backward, watching the two of them. The little guy made Perry nervous, he knew him from somewhere.

  “Call a vet, let them know it’s an emergency,” Perry said to Marshall. Marshall opened the rear door but as he set the dog down Perry felt something missing. He touched the chest, no heartbeat. Perry lowered his ear to the dog’s mouth, nothing.

  “Jesus,” he said. Perry felt his heart kick as he closed the dog’s eyes. “Sorry boy.”

  ----

  Perry pulled into the drive as the evening sun was dipping below the rear of his bungalow. He leaned his head against the steering wheel and closed his eyes. It was getting harder coming home, all the shit happening. It seemed the world was just falling apart with everyone attacking each other and getting more and more divisive.

  Could he lie to Charlene again? Tell her it the day was fine.

  He felt the stare of eyes on him, Perry looked to the little ranch next door. The orange glow of a cigarette grew on concrete porch. Yaps of the poop machine next door started to make it’s way through his closed window. The ankle bitter yapped all the time. Sadie loved Mr. Barkles, Mr. Barkles loved Sadie, but hated Perry. He wondered sometimes if dogs had some sort of ESP, he heard studies that claimed they could sense things. Maybe Mr. Barkles could sense Perry’s past. The dead dog popped into his mind’s eye. He shook it away.

  “Shut it ya damn mutt,” the coarse voice of Mr. Tatar yelled. Perry looked up and saw the cranky man basking in the glow like a pumpkin carved by a goth teen.

  His door was closed but not locked, not necessary in this neighborhood, but once inside the formal living room he always hated, put on the chain. The floor was cluttered with Sadie’s crap, little dolls, a plastic house, a fake school. The pair of Hot Wheels, Eddie got for her a few days after her last birthday. He said it was to “get her liking dem sweet rides.” Probably an excuse for forgetting she was a girl not a boy.

  Through the kitchen he saw the soft light from their den. He could smell whatever his wife was cooking, steak?

  “Charlene?” Perry whispered as he stepped into the kitchen.

  “Just reading,” He walked in and put on a smile. She held up the book for him to see. ‘How to deal with dumb men.’

  He cleared his throat, “Um, so dinner?”

  “At six,” she said.

  “What are we having?”

  “Sadie and I have a few steaks, picked up a chuck for you, and a baked potato.” Her sassy smile said ‘I’m messing with you.’

  “Thanks,” Perry said, “I gotta do some work, I’ll be back then.”

  Inside his small basement office. He sat on the thrift store chair and put his head on the Goodwill desk. He closed his eyes, “Where are you bro?” he whispered. Perry raised his head and opened his refurbished laptop. Slipping his hand in the mini fridge he pulled out a Miller Lite and cracked it. From his push button landline, he called the number again, easily his tenth call since the morning.

  “E,” it said and beeped for a message. He hung up. He glanced around the office and saw two pictures of him and Eddie as kids, the one from his graduation… a lot more of Charlene and even more of Sadie from the time she was a baby to last month. He couldn’t believe she was already eight, soon he’d have to be one of those dad’s using his gun as a deterrent for over ambitious boys.

  Perry smiled and stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out the card. Kieron wanted to tell him something, that much he knew. The only other
one from the neighborhood to graduate high school, Kieron went to Madison, Perry joined the army instead of jail.

  He used his cell to dial Kieron. As he put it up to his ear the basement door opened and he heard the stairs squeak. His wife wouldn’t like this call.

  The voicemail was long, “Kieron Bell Real Estate, I got what you need if you need it, if you don’t, man you know I still got it.”

  “Its Perry, call me back.” He said. Then she was in the door.

  “Who’s that?”

  “An informant,” Perry said briskly. Her light brown eyes seemed to be poking him, like Kieron, she could tell he was hiding something. “Kieron.”

  “You’re calling that... monster.” She never met him, but he told her about Kieron, their friendship was one of the good things about his life before her, and what he became.

  He sighed and slouched deeper into the chair, “Eddie’s missing,” he said. She shrugged while crossing her arms.

  “Probably on drugs with some little whore.”

  “That’s not it,” Perry said shaking his head. She turned away with her crinkled eyebrows and pursed lips.

  “You said you’d never to talk to any of those criminals again. When we got married you promised Perald Jefferson.” Perry stood up and slid his hand to her elbow.

  “It’s my job and he’s my brother, it important,”

  “It’s important... now you’re starting to talk like one of them again,” she raised her nose to him. “I don’t know what else to do?”

  “He’s my brother,”

  “He’s a damn criminal,” part of her was happy about it. “So do your damn job and put him in jail, that way you’d always know where he was.”

  “Kieron, he knew something.”

  “You saw him?”

  “On business, I need his help.”

  She shook her head, “you could’ve called from the station, not waited until you got home, I don’t want our daughter exposed to this… and your past.”

  “Char… please,” he tried reaching his arms around her slim waist. She pulled away, he tried flicking his eyebrows and smiling.

  “You can sleep on the couch tonight,” she said pulling away, “you need to think about your family.”

  “I am,” Perry said. Charlene grunted and disappeared out of the door. Perry grabbed his beer and took a big gulp. He looked at his computer and opened a Word document. Eddie ‘E’ Jefferson. He typed. He needed a plan. Check his E’s house, his ma’s old house. No normal cop would go there. He didn’t want to go there unless he had a friend.

  He pulled up Eddie’s rap sheet on the computer, it was long but maybe there was a clue in there. His cell rang, a blocked number. “Detective Jefferson,” he said.

  “Hey,” Kieron said.

  “Hey, we need to meet tomorrow.”

  “Where?”

  “My old place.” Kieron agreed, Perry had his backup.

  Chapter 11

  “Are you ever gonna tell me who that is?” Kate said staring across her almost empty strawberry margarita at Cindy. Cindy quickly put her phone on the table face down and smiled, her eyes sparkled again.

  “Just a guy,” she said, but Kate could tell it wasn’t. She took a drink and got a hit of mucho tequila. Cindy did the same.

  “So you want to talk about it?” Kate asked, “the case against Calloway?”

  “Not particularly,” she said, “I just want to drink and not think about work again till Monday.”

  “Me neither,” Kate said taking a sip from her straw.

  “Animals, dogs especially are just so amazing. I hate people who hurt them.” Kate thought she saw a flash of anger in her friends face.

  “They’re better than men,” Kate said. Cindy nodded. “Most men.”

  “He’s our boss and twice your age Kate,” Cindy said, her blue eyes looked even deeper beneath her dark brown hair, Kate sometimes called them witch eyes.

  “I’m not into him that way,” Kate said turning away and looking at the bar. A pair of young guys in expensive suits pointing their way. One caught her eye and he gave her a long distance ‘hey there’ nod.

  “And what way exactly are you into him?” Cindy said.

  “He’s just honorable, someone to actually look up to… he’s got principals, not corrupt or a party hack.”

  “More than the previous DA.”

  “That’s before my time. But he stands up for his convictions, that judge and his underage sex slave, he didn’t bow to the pressure that we both know he was under. There aren’t many men our age who have that courage.”

  “I’m a little older than you sweetie.” Cindy said.

  “Not much, most guys just want to hook up, they’ll say whatever to get into our pants then leave.” She caught the sight of the two suits walking over to their pub table. “Like these two.”

  “Hi, can we buy you girls a drink?” A short dark-haired guy said with a confidant smile. Cindy looked down at the back of her phone then back to them.

  “Girls?” Kate said, “We’re women,”

  “Two more strawberry margaritas,” Cindy butted in, “chop chop.”

  Kate looked over at her a smile crossed Cindy’s lips. Kate went through enough of this in college and law school. After her scumbag dad left she had to take over the finances of the household since her traditional mother was more or less incompetent. She imagined him in some tavern saying the same things to an old bar hag with greasy hair and leather skin.

  “Sure thing,” dark hair said and turned away.

  “Free drinks,” Cindy said.

  “What about your boyfriend, what was his name?”

  “He’s busy for a while.”

  “Let me guess, something bland, Dan… Bob… Paul… you look like a girl who’d date a Paul.”

  “Did someone say my name?” the second guy who didn’t leave said. He wore plastered red hair melting into his forehead. “Do I know you?”

  “No,” Cindy said.

  “I’m Paul and that’s Dan,” he pointed to dark hair coming back.

  “We weren’t talking about you,” Kate said as the drink was put down in front of her. “Do you smell that? What is that? Do you guys shower?” Kate waived her hand in front of her face. She didn’t smell anything, but it put them on the defensive, the way she liked guys.

  “Not me I showered after I hit the weights,” Paul said trying to flex his muscle through his slim fit suit coat, there was barely a bump.

  “I shower twice a day, why?” Dan said putting the drinks before them.

  “There aren’t any roofies in here?” Kate said.

  “No! God, I would never,” Dan said. Kate glared at him and put her thin lips to the straw. After a drink she sat back.

  “You’re lawyers right?” Kate said.

  “Affirmative your honor,” Dan said.

  “I’m Carry, this is Kylie,” Cindy said.

  “Hi Kylie,” Dan said putting a beer on the table and moving closer to her. Kate felt a slight tug on the back of her stool. More pompous lawyers who thought they were the greatest thing ever. I’ll never be like that.

  “What type of law,” Cindy said playing the wowed girl that they expected, though at thirty-one, she was easily five years older than them and was practicing law when they were shoving their faces in piles of horse crap during rush week.

  “He’s a bankruptcy attorney,” Paul said.

  “Well... that’s not all I do,” Dan said quickly removing his hand from the back of the barstool and adjusting his tie.

  “You get that degree online,” Kate said coldly. Cindy covered her mouth and coughed. Kate smiled, she saw bankruptcy attorneys on par with ambulance chasers, pathetic excuses for a career.

  “What?” Dan said. “I’m a good guy, I help people who get harassed and stuff by creditors and the evil banks.”

  “So where do you keep your money? Your retirement?” Kate asked. Dan looked away, like a wounded puppy, he didn’t seem used to people confrontin
g him. “And let me guess... the people were so happy to borrow the money but when they have to pay it back... its harassment.”

  “Well…”

  “That is what you do,” Paul the ginger said his freckled face beaming. Even in the dim lights Kate could see his complexion turning as red as his hair. “I’m in criminal law, I help people…”

  “Break the law?” Kate said scrunching her nose up.

  “Sometimes, but there is a thing called due process in our constitution. Every man or woman is to be given a fair trial... and don’t get me wrong, I love the police, but some of them are just as bad as the people they put behind bars.”

  “I’m sure... but then if they were in trouble they’d come to you?”

  “Well... yeah, it’s like a game, you win some you lose some.”

  “Except for the victims of your games.”

  “And what do you two ladies do might I ask?” Dan said trying to get some of his confidence back?

  “Attorneys,” Kate said, “We work for Z. Walter Holland.”

  “Oh,” Paul said stepping back, “I shouldn’t be talking to you,”

  “No?”

  “You could get in trouble too.” Paul said.

  “No law against it, besides, you came up to us,” Cindy said. Paul gave Dan a quick nod and they both started to walk away. “Thanks for the drinks.” She called at their backs.

  “And that’s why I don’t respect men my own age,” Kate said, “weak minded and all about themselves.”

  Cindy picked up her phone and a small smile crossed her face. “Not all of them,” she said again. She took a big drink of her margarita until Kate heard the slurping of the straw in air. “They had some passion.”

  “For money,” Kate said. Cindy put on her blazer and threw her purse over her shoulder.

  “You want to meet some people with passion, come with me tomorrow.”

  “I’m going out tonight.” Kate said, “Water Street.”

  “Ah yes, to be in my twenties again.” Cindy said, “I’ll pick you up at ten then.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I volunteer some weekends at an Animal Rescue, you’re coming.”