Building Empires (MidKnight Blue Book 1)

by Sherryl Hancock

  Kana and Midnight made a strikingly different pair. Midnight was petite with copper-blond flowing hair while Kana was a huge Samoan with dark skin and black hair. Anyone passing them on the street would believe that Kana was the superior between two. That was, of course, Midnight’s edge on most strangers: underestimation of her abilities. Not that Kana wasn’t dangerous; she’d been the leader of one of the biggest gangs in Hawaii, Sisters of Samoa. “So, what’s the deal with this gang?” Midnight asked, looking up at Kana as they walked.

  “Well, they fight dirty, especially the leader. That’s how she got there,” Kana replied.

  “Okay, and what’s the leader’s name again?”

  “They call her Oso,” Kana said, eyeing Midnight for her reaction.

  “Oso? You mean like Spanish for bear?” Kana nodded and Midnight made a face. “Like as big as?” Again, Kana nodded with a grim look on her face.

  “Shit, just make sure you stay real close, in case I start to lose,” Midnight said.

  “You know I will. Hell, Sinclair will kill me if you lose!”

  Midnight laughed. “Yeah he hates it when I solo without him.”

  “Well at least you’re wearing your fighting clothes,” Kana said, as they reached Midnight’s Corvette.

  “I always am,” Midnight replied.

  She opened her door, got in the car and leaned over to unlock the passenger side.

  “So where are we meeting them?” Midnight asked once Kana was in the car.

  “Chicano park.”

  “Great!” Midnight said, rolling her eyes. “Nothing like neutral territory!” She knew that Chicano Park was anything but neutral.

  San Diego, California, 1978

  “Give it up, puta, you’ll never win!” one of the gang spat, as she looked down at her smaller opponent.

  Midnight Chevalier narrowed her gold-green eyes, but didn’t reply. Instead, she stood ready, her eyes never leaving Juanita’s face. She ignored the taunts of the other girls, calling her juerita, puta, bitch, and whatever else they could think of. To think this had been her “family” for the last year. Bullshit Midnight thought to herself, they’d kill me to get what I’m after. What she was after was the leadership of the gang.

  Midnight Chevalier was sixteen years old. She’d joined the gang a year ago, and she was not a follower. With her petite stature she didn’t look like she belonged in a gang. What she had was a lot of anger to draw from and nothing to lose. Her parents didn’t care what she did, as long as she didn’t hassle them, or interfere with their partying. She’d grown up in San Ysidro, California, an area rife with gang activity, and she’d learned fast that either you joined a gang and learned to fight, or you’d be the victim. She was no victim.

  Juanita was the leader of the Sidro Hermanas. Midnight wanted to lead the gang, and to that end had challenged Juanita to a fight. Now the two girls faced each other. Juanita was just barely eighteen, but she stood five foot ten, and weighed over two hundred pounds. She had a round face, and meaty fists that were just itching to beat this juerita into the ground.

  With a banshee-like yell, Juanita launched herself at Midnight throwing a punch that should have landed on Midnight’s face. However, Midnight had moved with amazing agility, tripping Juanita up. Juanita recovered herself quickly, giving Midnight just enough time to get out of her way. Juanita was angry at having been tricked so easily. She knew Midnight was a good fighter, but she’d never figured Midnight could handle her. It shook her confidence just a little bit.

  “You know I’m gonna put you down, puta,” Juanita taunted, as she circled Midnight. “Gonna put you down and put a cap in your ass.”

  Midnight nodded, her face impassive. The smaller girl’s calm made Juanita nervous. Why wasn’t she freaking out? She’d just told the little bitch that she intended to kill her. Juanita knew Midnight knew she could do it; she’d killed some girl in a fight just two weeks before. She looked Midnight over again, as if try to figure out what she’d missed about this girl. Midnight was quiet, but she’d proven herself in the gang, taking on and beating a lot of other gang members. She was fast, and she hit hard when she hit. She was a white girl, but she spoke Spanish with a perfect accent; she never sounded like a white girl when she talked in Spanish. She had never seen Midnight use a gun, but she knew she was good with a knife. Did she have a knife now? Is that why she was so confident?

  Juanita threw another punch and missed Midnight again. Damn the bitch was fast! She threw again and again, and Midnight avoided it each time. After five minutes, Juanita was getting tired. Usually she could hit a girl a few times and the fight would be over. With her large frame, and her weight behind a punch, other girls didn’t stand a chance. But this little bitch, she wasn’t staying still long enough to be hit, and she didn’t look at all tired.

  ‘Bitch!’ Juanita thought viciously and she charged Midnight again. This time Midnight didn’t move. She waited an extra beat and, moving just a fraction of an inch back from the fist coming at her face, she threw a punch of her own. Juanita was stunned, and her lip began to bleed immediately. Midnight didn’t stop with drawing first blood, her first punch was followed quickly by a yell of her own. She put her head down and charged the bigger girl, knocking Juanita to the ground, and landing on top of her. The girls in the gang watched in stunned silence. Juanita rallied, shoving Midnight off her, sending the smaller girl tumbling on the blacktop. Midnight was up on her feet again in a flash. Juanita charged at her, angry that the girl had gotten in so much. Again Midnight moved, tripping her, and when she went down, Midnight slammed a booted foot into Juanita’s stomach. Going down to one knee, she proceeded to punch Juanita in the face repeatedly. Juanita was holding up her hands in defense within minutes.

  One of the other girls pulled Midnight up. Another girl saw an opportunity to help her leader and grabbed Midnight’s other arm, holding her. Mercy, the first girl, saw what her friend was doing and tightened her hold. Midnight knew instantly what they were doing, and she looked over at Mercy, her eyes blazing green fire.

  Juanita climbed to her feet, spitting out blood and coughing. She saw that her girls were holding the blond bitch for her, and she started to grin maliciously. Now the little puta would see what happened when she crossed Juanita. Taking out her switchblade, Juanita made a show of pacing back and forth in front of Midnight. She glanced at the girl, expecting her to look scared, but Midnight didn’t. Her cat-like eyes just followed her.

  “You think you’re tough shit, huh puta?” Juanita said. “You think you can kick my ass?”

  Midnight’s eyes flickered, as her lips twisted sardonically as if to say, ‘I was kicking your ass.’ But again, the smaller woman didn’t speak.

  “Got any last words, puta?” Juanita taunted, holding up the knife threateningly.

  Midnight tensed, causing the two young women holding her to tighten their hold on her arms. Juanita took a step closer, drawing the knife back, ready to plunge it into Midnight’s chest. With astounding agility, Midnight used the girls’ hold on her arms to launch a kick right into Juanita’s face, knocking her off her feet and out cold. The shock of seeing their leader go down slackened the two girls’ hold, so Midnight was able to pull herself free. Turning on Mercy first, she slammed the girl in the face with her fist, then kicked out with her right foot, catching the other girl in the stomach.

  When both girls lay on the ground, Midnight stood over them looking down. Then she turned her attention to her audience.

  “Next one of you that involves yourself in my business, will get the shit kicked out of you till your own mother wouldn’t recognize your ass. You got me?” she asked authoritatively.

  The other girls realized that they were looking at their new leader and started nodding vehemently. Midnight looked down at Mercy and the other girl and said, “You’re out. Get the fuck out of my sight, before I change my mind and kill you both.”

  “Midnight …” Mercy began, getting up slowly. She and Midnight had som
e semblance of a friendship before this fight.

  Midnight looked at Mercy, narrowing her eyes. Shook her head, and turned away from her. Midnight never trusted anyone to get too close to her. She had been friends with Mercy, but she found out how quickly that could disappear when it came to the gang. One more lesson in a long life worth of lessons. Midnight learned quickly.

  ****

  “So what’s the deal with you and Sinclair’s friend? What’s his name?” Kana asked after a few minutes on the road.

  “You mean Debenshire?” Midnight asked. Kana nodded. “Oh, we’re kind of a casual thing.”

  Kana looked at Midnight with a sly smile. “Is he good?”

  Midnight thought for a moment and then she smiled a mischievous smile. “Oh he’s fantastic, but I don’t know.”

  “What don’t you know, girl? He’s good in bed, he’s real easy on the eyes, and he’s probably loaded like Sinclair. What’s not to know?”

  Midnight laughed, shaking her head at Kana. “That easy, huh?” she said with a genuine smile. She wished it were that easy for her.

  “Hell yes!” Kana said, laughing too. “Shit, I still don’t see why you and Sinclair don’t just get back together and stay that way.”

  “Now that one’s not that easy, believe me!” Midnight said, more serious now.

  “Yeah, yeah, I wouldn’t have a hard time with that man. He is Grade A, number one all the way. You’re damn crazy girl!”

  “I’ve heard that,” Midnight said, nodding.

  Midnight was coming up on Chicano Park. As she pulled to a stop, she looked over at Kana.

  “You ready?” she asked, her eyes scanning the area around them.

  Kana took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Midnight knew that she was centering herself; it was something that Kana did often. Midnight waited patiently looking out at the street. She saw members of the Homegirls hanging around, looking at the car. It was very obvious to them who Midnight was, between the car and the size of her when she got out.

  Midnight spotted Oso right away, she stood a full foot taller than Midnight and she was almost as wide as Kana. Oh shit, Midnight thought to herself, reaching back to touch her gun nestled snugly against the small of her back.

  Midnight and Kana walked up to Oso, and three of Oso’s girls closed in beside their leader. Midnight had to look up at Oso, but she managed it without looking inferior. The set of her jaw and the look in her eyes, as well as her stance, made Midnight seem bigger than she really was.

  “So, juera, you wanted to meet, here we are,” Oso said, calling Midnight a white girl in Spanish.

  “Yeah, here we are,” Midnight replied, her eyes moving to each of the three girls backing up their leader.

  Midnight figured they must be a little worried if there were three of them there to backup Oso. Either that or they were ready to pound Midnight into oblivion. While she was always overly confident on the outside, Midnight never made the mistake of being so on the inside. She always treated every opponent as a very dangerous threat, that way she was never surprised.

  “Look,” Midnight said, trying reason first; her cop side she called it. “I need you and your girls to back off the Southside Girls.”

  Oso laughed at her. “Oh, and I guess we’re just supposed to do you what you say, eh juera?”

  Midnight rubbed the back of her neck. She knew she was going to have to fight this one. She had known it from the minute Kana had told her about the war the Homegirls had started with the Southside Girls. At an almost imperceptible nod from Midnight, Kana positioned herself at the side of both women, ready to intervene if necessary. Midnight took two steps backward. She stood with her legs shoulder width apart and her arms down at her sides, but away from her body in a fighter’s stance.

  “Well, we can do it that way, or we can do it the hard way,” Midnight said, her voice calm and low.

  Oso laughed mockingly then. “I guess I’m supposed to be shaking now, eh?”

  Midnight’s look didn’t waver. “You don’t have to be scared, you just have to know I’m serious.”

  Oso gave her a sharp look, she was starting to worry a little bit, this small woman, wasn’t afraid of her, and everyone was always afraid of Oso. Then her eyes narrowed at Midnight.

  “Yeah, you’re a real bad puta with that gun in your back, aren’t you?” she growled.

  Midnight looked at her for a long moment, then with a look on her face that said oh really? she reached for the gun and pulled it out, holster and all. Without even looking at Kana, Midnight tossed her holstered gun to her. Kana caught it easily and looked at Oso as if to say and what do you have to say now? Midnight held up her empty hands.

  “No gun,” she said, but then she nodded her head at the three girls still standing with Oso, “but it’s just you and me, you keep them out of this.” She looked over at Kana then, nodding to her. “She’ll make sure everything stays fair.”

  Then she moved her right foot back, planting it in ready stance, and motioned with her fingers.

  “Let’s go,” she said, her eyes staring down the gang leader.

  She could see she had already planted a seed of doubt in Oso’s mind. Oso hesitated for a second. Big mistake, Midnight thought to herself. When Oso finally did start to move toward her, Midnight launched a kick right to her mid-section. Oso doubled over, surprise evident on her face, but then she launched herself half crouched at Midnight knocking the smaller woman off her feet. Oso’s head hit Midnight’s ribs, not only knocking her off her feet, but knocking the wind out of her. Coughing she rolled to the side, so that Oso couldn’t get on top of her. Midnight knew if Oso could get her on the ground she was done for. Completing the roll and standing, Midnight launched another kick at Oso who was down on the ground, still stunned that Midnight had not ended up under her, as she had planned.

  Midnight stood there breathing heavily. She shifted her weight back and forth, motioning again for Oso to bring it on. Oso was mad and embarrassed now. She launched a frontal attack on Midnight, which Midnight easily stepped aside from, punching Oso in the face as the bigger woman overshot her mark and fell past Midnight.

  “Midnight!” Kana yelled.

  Like a cat sensing danger Midnight turned, bringing her forearm up as she did. The knife her silent assailant was bringing down on her sliced through her arm. Midnight cried out, but brought her other fist up, punching the girl with the knife in the stomach. Kana immediately stepped in to help; the Homegirls weren’t fighting fair, so why should they? After a few minutes, Kana and Midnight were the only two standing.

  “Ah shit,” Midnight said. There was blood all over her arm and a good deal on her jeans.

  She turned and started walking toward her car. Kana handed Midnight her holstered gun. Midnight placed it at her back with shaking hands.

  “Midnight, are you okay?” Kana asked, putting a hand out to steady the leader of FORS as she stumbled slightly.

  Midnight intended to call out the black and whites, but she already heard them coming.

  “Oh boy,” she said, squatting down next to her car. “I feel a little lightheaded.”

  “Midnight!” Kana yelled as Midnight started to fall backwards, but Midnight caught herself with an outstretched arm.

  “I’m okay!” Midnight said. “I’m okay.”

  She sat down, cross-legged on the ground, with her elbows on her knees and her head down. She was taking deep slow breaths, but they hurt too, because of the ribs that she knew were more than likely black and blue. After a few minutes, she got up slowly and moved to the driver’s seat of her car.

  “Are you okay to drive?” Kana asked, as Midnight started the car.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Midnight said, sounding more like herself then. “Really. Why don’t you stay here and work with the uniforms, and I’ll head over to the hospital, and get this stitched up.”

  Reaching behind her Midnight found a rag on the back seat. She wrapped it around her arm, tying it off with her teeth and
her good arm.

  “Midnight, if Joe finds out I let you leave without me, he’ll take my head off!” Kana said, holding up her hand to Midnight. “Hold up just a minute!”

  Kana ran over and talked to the officers that were just arriving, telling them that she was going with to the hospital with the Lieutenant. The officer nodded to her and waved her away knowing that it was more important for Midnight to go to the hospital than to stand around dealing with details. Kana ran back to the car. As Midnight started for the hospital, they heard the radio call that Lieutenant Chevalier was en route to the hospital. Midnight rolled her eyes and switched off her cellular phone. She knew if she didn’t Joe would be on it in a minute reading her the riot act.

  Two hours later, she was pulling out of the hospital parking lot when her cell phone rang. She knew it was Joe, and she knew that he had heard the radio call and had probably been trying to call since then.

  “Yes,” she said, flipping her phone open.

  “Where the fuck have you been?” Joe yelled.

  Midnight smiled at Kana, who returned the smile, it was terrible being right all the time.

  “Well, thank you for your concern, Sinclair. I was just at the hospital getting checked out.” She kept her voice casual, so he wouldn’t go off the deep end on her.

  “Checked out?” Joe repeated suspiciously. He knew his partner had a tendency to underplay things. “And what did they find?” he asked then, his voice still edgy.

  He had tried for two hours to get a hold of her, and he knew that she had turned off her cell phone so he couldn’t.

  “They found,” Midnight said, “that I have three bruised ribs, surprisingly not cracked, a nasty little gash on my arm, and some cut up knuckles. Other than that I’m just dandy.”

  “What’s your twenty now?” Joe asked, using the code for her location.

  “I’m headed back to drop Kana off in front of the office and then I’m going home, sir!” Midnight said, reeling off the information as if she were a new recruit.