VL-45
Max M. Power
Published by: Max M. Power at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 Max M. Power
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Please send all questions or comments to:
Writing With Power
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For Veronica and Gabrielle.
Thank you for believing I could become a writer.
I would like to say a special thank you to all women in the world. You have a stronger influence in the world, more than you will ever know. Even if we do not show it at times, men would be lost without the women in our lives.
I have had the good fortune to have been influenced by very strong women. From my grandmother who taught me that a lack of funds did not mean I could not live a rich and fulfilling life, to my many aunts who would slap me around, reminding me how good I had it while their own children did not.
From my mother who always rode my ass, remaining tough and strict, despite her feelings of wanting to give in, making sure I walked a path of light instead of slipping into an abyss of darkness forever, to my sisters who would pick fights with me for no other reason than they could because they are my sisters and it's their job to torment me as such. To my dying day I know one of my sisters will still make me scream in frustration and smile, that's what siblings do.
From the many teachers who put up with the headache that was me as a student, desperately trying to teach me something to the one teacher who planted the seed that grew into my path that is writing. Thank you Mrs. Williams.
From my wife who gave me the greatest gift of all, our daughter, another strong woman that will drive me crazy because that is her role as a daughter. Everything I do I do for my family, to provide a better life than I have.
From my many friends who read what I write and demand I give them more, to those that threaten I would regret it if I ever stopped writing.
To Tyra Banks, whom I have never met, but with one single general question to the world, unlocked the flood gates that allows me to write so freely.
To the many future women I will meet in my life and in one way, shape, or form will inspire me to write something.
Even the bible acknowledges women as a great army. They certainly are the backbone of my life and for that I wish to say, "THANK YOU!!!"
I would like to thank the members of my fan club. For pushing me to be a better writer than I thought I could be. For always demanding more of me and never accepting NO for answer, this book is for you. As always:
"Submitted for your approval"
The Vigilante
The law can't touch you
But you know you've done wrong.
Enjoy your freedom
Because it won't last for long.
You've done the crime
Now you must pay.
I am coming for you
There is no safe place you can stay.
I will hunt you down
And in case you had not heard.
I am the Vigilante
MY JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED.
Max M. Power
Chapter 1
Looking into someone's eyes is like looking into their soul. But this body no longer had a soul. This child's life ended before it began.
Wyatt couldn't believe his ears when he got the call. An eighteen month old baby had been shot in a drive by.
EIGHTEEN MONTHS!
The father was the intended target but the baby was hit instead. Two bullets hit her in the chest.
The father was a small time drug dealer who sold home grown pot by the ounce. He was returning from a drug deal that had gone bad. The really bad thing was he took his daughter with him to the deal.
Nothing had been moved since the first patrol car showed up on the scene. The baby was still strapped in her car seat. Her eyes open wide.
Wyatt stood there looking down at the baby. What kind of monster would do such a thing? A single tear fell down his face.
"I swear Wyatt something's got to be done about these guys," came a voice from behind Wyatt.
"Same M.O. Doc," Wyatt asked as he squeezed the tears away.
"Yea," Doc answered. "VL-45."
"How many does she make Doc?"
"Five in seven days," Doc answered, taking a closer look at Wyatt. "You okay Wyatt?"
Wyatt didn't answer his partner. Richard "Doc" Holiday has been Wyatt's partner for six months. They were paired up as a joke but they became great friends. Richard got the nickname "Doc" after being partnered up with Wyatt. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday, two legendary names, fighting crime together in the modern age.
They just ignored the jokes and did their jobs.
"Wyatt?"
"No Doc," Wyatt snapped before taking a deep breath, regaining control of his anger. "I'm not okay. This makes me sick to my stomach." Wyatt turned away from the baby. He saw the father sitting in the back of a squad car. "Get his ass to the station. I want to question him now."
Wyatt walked away from Doc. He got into his car quickly as he tried to catch his breath. Wyatt took long deep breaths, suppressing the dinner that wanted to escape his body in a violent rush of vomit. Doc was right about one thing, something needed to be done to stop the VL-45.
Chapter 2
"Hello asshole," Wyatt said as he walked into the interrogation room, slamming the door shut behind him.
"I want my lawyer."
"Way wrong answer," Wyatt responded as he dropped a very thick phone book on the table in front of the man. "Right now you need to shut up and listen." Wyatt stood behind the man, his lips nearly touching the man's ear. "You better do as you're told Gary. You're in so much trouble that Jesus himself couldn't save you."
Wyatt walked around the table and sat across from Gary. Doc was standing in the corner behind Gary.
"Who were you selling to tonight?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Wyatt stood up, picked up the phone book, and walked back around the table, standing in front of Gary.
"I'm only going to ask nicely one more time. Who were you selling to tonight?"
"Like I said, I don't..."
Wyatt swung the phone book like a baseball bat, hitting Gary hard across his jaw. Garry would have fallen out of the chair if he wasn't handcuffed to it. Wyatt spread out the 8x10 photos that had been lying on the table.
"Look Gary." Wyatt grabbed Gary's hair, turning his head toward the pictures. "This is your little girl Gary. You killed her Gary, you killed her."
"No I didn't."
"Yea you did Gary. You were dealing drugs. They came for you Gary. You killed your own daughter."
"It wasn't me."
"Gary we know the VL-45 was involved. Just tell us what we need to know."
"I don't know anything."
Wyatt spread the pictures out.
"This is Ronald Davis, he was five. This is Tina Ross, she was eight. Dorothy Ryan, she was four. Juan Ramirez, he was two."
"They are all dead because of the VL-45. We can't ask any of these kids parents because they're dead too. Unless you want to join them I suggest you tell me everything you know about the VL-45."
"Who are they," Wyatt shouted. "Where are they from?"
"I don't..."
Wyatt slammed Gary's head into the desk. He pulled Gary's head back and slammed it down again.
"This isn't 'Good Cop, Bad Cop' Gary. No one is going to stop this. You killed your daughter Gary. As far as I'm concerned you're scum." Wyatt lifted Gary's head back one more time before throwing it back into the desk. "Now talk Gary."
"Alright, alright!" Gary paused to catch his breath. "They're a gang out of L.A. They relocated here two months ago."
"They drive low riders cars. They have VL-45 tattooed on their left hand. They all carry forty-five automatics. Always a forty-five."
"That's it man. That's all I know."
"Okay," Wyatt said. "Now we're getting somewhere. So what happened tonight? How did the deal go bad?"
"Look man, I wasn't dealing to them. No one was dealing to them."
"Then why did we find one of their members dead. His prints were on that bag of dope we found in your car. The slug that killed him came from your gun."
Gary took a deep breath. He let it out slowly.
"Talk to us Gary. It's the only chance you got," Doc said as he walked over and sat down next to Gary. "Come on, what happened?"
"I shot him, yea, but it was self defense, I swear."
"Just tell us what happened."
"Last week this gang shows up and tells me I'm no longer dealing in their territory. I told 'em to fuck off."
"I get a call from one of my regulars. I go out to meet him. This Vato Loco shows up and snatches my bag of weed from me."
"He pulls his gun, telling me to leave. I pull my gun. Another car drives by. When the Vato looked away I shot him and grabbed my weed. I took off."
"That's everything, I swear."
"Okay Gary," Wyatt reached behind the chair and uncuffed him. "Clean yourself with your shirt. An officer will be in to take you to central booking."
"You can't put me into general population!"
"Why not?"
"They'll kill me man. They got guys on the inside. You can't put me in there."
"You killed your daughter Gary. You deserve to die."
Wyatt stood up and walked out of the room. Doc followed him out. They left the pictures of the children on the table. Gary stared at his daughter and cried.
Chapter 3
Wyatt sat at his desk looking over files. This seemed to be a case of a gang coming to town for a hostile takeover. There was no doubt that they were being hostile.
Vato Locos or VL-45 for short was written on the walls of the other victim's houses. They wanted attention. They wanted their name all over the news. Wyatt had managed to keep a lid on their name so far.
One thing was for certain, these guys were not subtle.
The Vatos would bust into a victim's house with guns firing. They killed everyone in the house, including the children, then they would steal all the drugs before leaving.
Each guy the Vatos killed was a small time drug dealer. None of them belonged to any gangs. They all had regular jobs. They all had families.
Gary was right about the guns they used, forty-five caliber pistols. Makes a loud noise and leaves a big hole. The dangerous thing for Wyatt is that a bullet proof vest will not stop a forty-five slug.
"What cha thinking partner?"
"Just trying to find something that'll lead to these guys," Wyatt answered without losing his train of thought.
"Well I just got off the phone with forensics. They say all the casings were clean of finger prints. They were wiped clean."
"That's unusual for a street gang."
"True but they're a little more than just a street gang. I've called L.A. homicide. The Lieutenant there is Fed-Exing us files on some known VL-45 members. Seems they left L.A. two months ago looking for a new home."
"And they found that home in my city."
"Looks that way."
"Why do I get the feeling we're going to be looking at a lot more homicides?"
Chapter 4
It's been a week since Gary's baby was shot. There have not been anymore killings since then. No new leads either.
One good thing had happened in the past week, Doc finally got a date with a motor cop, one of two women to work in the motorcycle division.
Doc had been hitting on Denise Dunbar for the past four months. Everyone called her DeeDee for short. Doc found it ironic that her nickname was also her cup size, DD, but that's a guy thing.
DeeDee is five foot ten with long strawberry blonde hair and deep light brown eyes. She would flirt back with Doc, always making him try harder. Doc was excited about tonight; he just had to wait until her shift was over.
"Calm down Doc," Wyatt said from across his desk. "I don't think you're going to get laid tonight."
"You're wrong partner," Doc responded, confident. "She wants me, I know it. Besides she won't be able to resist my charm."
Wyatt laughed. "You're so full of shit. You ready to go?"
"Yea. I got to shower and get dinner ready. We're eating at my place."
"Well get the hell out of here then. I can handle things."
"Thanks partner."
Doc stood up and pushed his chair under the desk. He grabbed his coat and ran out the door. Wyatt laughed to himself. He knew Doc was a horny bastard. A ten month dry spell will do that to a man. Just then Wyatt's cell phone rang.
"This is Earp."
"Earp, its O'Brian. We got a bad homicide down here. Not something to be broadcast if you know what I mean."
"Okay. Where are you?"
"Downtown, Texas Avenue, other side of the ballpark. Get here quick as you can but no lights."
"See you in fifteen."
The line went dead. Wyatt grabbed his keys and walked out the building. He thought about calling Doc but decided not to. At least one of them should have a good night.
Chapter 5
"Earp, over here."
"What's so hush-hush O'Brian?"
"You're working the VL-45 cases right?"
"Yea."
"Yea, well now your boys are cop killers."
Wyatt and O'Brian walked over to where the bodies were laying. The coroner was there but no one was looking over the bodies. One officer was in uniform and the other was naked. The naked officer's uniform was on the ground next to her.
"What do you have Scotty," Wyatt asked the coroner.
"Officers John Wheelie and Denise Dunbar. We haven't touched the bodies yet. We were told to wait for you."
"Thanks Scotty." Wyatt stepped under the police tape and walked over to Denise. "Yup it's her," Wyatt said looking at her face. "Shit!"
"What is it," O'Brian asked.
"Nothing. Doc had a date with her tonight. Give me what you got so far."
"About 13:15 Wheelie radios in that they are pulling over a low rider car with California plates."
"They never called back in. A unit was sent to their location. The bikes were found but no sign of these two."
"We got a call about 19:30 from a homeless guy, sitting over there in the squad car. He sleeps there under the freeway and saw DeeDee's naked body."
"Scotty what do you think," Wyatt asked over his shoulder, looking the body over closely.
"She was beaten and raped. You can see bruises here and here on her hips. Whoever did this raped her from behind. This is where they held her down."
"I'd say there were at least three of them. Her arms were spread apart while one guy held each wrist."
"Scotty I need you to do me a favor," Wyatt said, stressing his words. "I need to get prints off of her body. I need you to do that first before moving her body."
"But..."
"No buts Scotty. This is the best bet we have of getting ID's on these guys. I want their clothes dusted as well."
Wyatt stood up and walked over to Wheelie's body. It was the same thing as Denise, one bullet in the back of the head. It was clear to see that they were shot with a forty-five. Wheelie was on his side so you could see his front and back. Denise was lying on her stomach.
There were three entrance wounds in his chest but no exit wound. Three shell casings were found at the scene of the bikes.
"Thanks for holding off O'Brian," Wyatt said as he stood up and pulled off his rubber gloves. "Get me everything you can on this. I've got to go break the news to Doc."
Chapter 6
Doc was sitting on his couch, drinking a beer and watching the basketball game. It's the playoffs, best of seven, and this was game four.
The food was sitting on the table getting cold. The candles had burned down to nothing. Denise was two hours late. Doc refused to call her on her cell phone. He was very upset and did not want to say something he would regret later.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Doc ignored the knock. He was not about to go running just because she finally decided to show up. Three more knocks on the door, harder and more forceful this time.
Doc finished his beer before getting up. He walked over to the door, anger on his face. He opened it quickly to find Wyatt standing there instead of Denise.
"Come on in Wyatt. She stood me up," Doc said as he walked away from the door. "If you're hungry help yourself."
"Doc we need to talk." Wyatt took a deep breath and let it out slow. "DeeDee didn't stand you up."
"She didn't show up. She didn't even call. That's standing me up in my book."
"Doc, sit down will ya. We got another homicide tonight."
"Jesus, another kid," Doc asked quickly, forgetting about his own anger.
"No," Wyatt answered coldly. "Cops. Motor cops."
"What!"
"DeeDee was one of them. She and her partner were killed execution style."
"VL-45?"
"Yea, but that's not all," Wyatt paused, swallowing the lump building in his throat. "DeeDee was beaten and raped before she was killed."
Doc sat there in silence. He was in shock. This was suppose to be an important date for them. A very important date for Doc.
"Talk to me Doc," Wyatt pleaded.
"How do they know it was the VL-45," Doc whispered, his head spinning with the news.
"They shot Wheelie three times at the traffic stop. Bullets went through the vest but they didn't kill him."
"They were found Downtown on Texas Avenue, on the other side of the freeway from the ballpark."
"Did they catch the fuckers?"
"Not yet. That's why I need you." Wyatt paused to let that request sink in. "The good news, we got prints. Scotty confirmed three different sets of prints. O'Brian is going to run them through the National system and Interpol."
"Okay. I want to be there when we bust these fuckers."
"You got it partner. I have one request." Wyatt took a deep breath, "I have to make the Duty calls."
"Let me clean myself up. Give me five minutes."
Doc got up and went to the bathroom. Wyatt could hear Doc brushing his teeth. Not a good idea to show up with beer breath when you tell someone their love one is dead.
Wyatt started watching the T.V. It was already in the fourth quarter. There was two minutes left in the game. Traffic was going to be hell with streets being blocked off due to the murders.
"Okay I'm ready," Doc said as he pulled his overcoat on. "Who we gonna see first?"
"I figured we'd go to Wheelie's house first. He's got two kids."
"That's got to be rough." Doc and Wyatt got into Wyatt's car and drove off. "You talk to the widow. I'll keep the kids busy."
Wyatt didn't answer. He was trying to figure out what he was going to say to Wheelie's widow.
Chapter 7
Karen Wheelie was what others would call a Trophy wife. Standing at five foot one, weighing one hundred fifteen pounds, with long flowing blonde hair, blue eyes, perfectly curved breast that made both men and women drool, and hips to match, she earned her title.
Karen loved her family, two beautiful children, Troy and Megan, twins. They are smart kids. Sometimes Karen thought they were too smart but still she wanted another. She had begged John that she wanted more kids and after six months John finally agreed, after all, how could he say no to his high school sweet heart?
Karen was in the kitchen washing the dishes. John was over two hours late so she put away their dinner into leftover Tupperware.
The kids were in the living room playing. The game was over and the home team lost. The kids were suppose to watch the game with their dad but now they just wanted to wait up for him. Since it was a Saturday night Karen didn't mind.
Karen had just turned off the water when she saw headlights pull into the driveway. Something deep down inside her turned cold and she froze in place. Then she saw two officers who were not in John's squad.
"Kids," Karen called from the kitchen as the two men got out of the car. "Go to your room!"
"But mom," they moaned in unison.
"Go to your room," Karen snapped. "NOW!"
The kids ran up the stairs quickly. When Karen yelled they jumped. She heard the door to their room slam shut. Slowly she walked to the front door. She opened the door with tears in her eyes. Deep down she knew why these officers were at her house.
Wyatt saw the tears in Karen's eyes. She knew. Somehow she knew.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Wheelie."
Karen could not hold back the tears. Her legs no longer capable of supporting her body anymore, Karen fell straight down to the floor. Wyatt quickly knelt down next to Karen, hugging her. He was going to let Karen cry on his shoulder as long as she needed.
Chapter 8
"Do you know what time it is!?"
"I'm sorry Mr. Collin. My name is Detective Earp," Wyatt held his badge toward the video camera. "I have an urgent matter to discuss with Mrs. Collin."
"Do you have a warrant?"
"Sir, I don't need a warrant..."
"Then you can discuss it with my lawyer in the morning."
CLICK.
"Sounds like a friendly guy," Wyatt said.
"He's an asshole," Doc answered with venom in his tone.
Wyatt hung up the phone. He picked up the receiver and dialed the house number again.
"You're tryin' my patience Detective."
"Sir there's been an incident with regards to Denise. We need to speak with Mrs. Collin face to face. This isn't something that should be done over the phone."
The phone went dead again. Wyatt hung up the receiver and was about to pick it up a third time. A buzzing sound was coming from the gate. It began to slide open.
Wyatt got back into the car. He drove up toward the front of the house. Doc was surprised to see how much money Denise's stepfather had.
Glenda Dunbar had remarried when Denise graduated from high school. Denise wasn't happy about her mother getting married again. She decided to use her stepfather to pay for her college.
As Wyatt pulled up to a stop the front door opened. The butler stood in the doorway waiting for the two Detectives. They were escorted to the parlor where Mr. and Mrs. Collin were waiting.
"Detectives, please skip to the point of your visit. What is wrong with my daughter?"
"Well Mam'," Wyatt answered, "she was shot in the line of duty."
Wyatt was expecting Mrs. Collin to start crying. To his surprise she kept calm.
"Did she die alone?"
"No Mam'. She was with her partner."
"At least she wasn't alone," Mrs. Collin said. "My first husband was a police officer. He was a patrolman, like Denise. He was shot in the line of duty when Denise was ten. He had died alone."
"I'm sorry Mam'," Wyatt answered softly. "I didn't know."
"Do you know who did this to my baby?"
"It's an open invest..."
"It was a gang calling themselves VL-45," Doc blurted out.
"Thank you Detective. I hope you catch her killer quickly. Her father's killer was never found. Now if you'll excuse me, Rupert will show you out."
Chapter 9
"Detective Earp, may I speak with you in private?"
Wyatt looked up from his computer to see Mrs. Collin.
"Mrs. Collin! Of course," Wyatt stood up and walked toward Mrs. Collin. "Right this way, please."
Wyatt took her to a waiting room where people usually sit and look at mug shot books. There were no two way mirrors so no one else could spy on them.
"What can I do for you Mrs. Collin?"
"Please call me Glenda. I would like to ask you about my daughter."
"I'm sorry Mrs. Collin, Glenda. You know I can't talk about an open investigation."
"Don't! Please don't. It's been three weeks since I buried my baby and you have no new leads."
"I'm covering all possible..."
"You have suspects but haven't brought anyone in for questioning. You failed to tell me my daughter was raped and tortured before she was murdered. Please don't hide the truth from me. I deserve to know everything."
"How did you know," Wyatt asked surprised.
"Mr. Holiday told me. You know, I do believe he was in love with my daughter."
"Mrs. Collin, for your own protection please let me handle this. This gang is not your ordinary street gang. This is a delicate situation."
"No Mr. Earp. There is nothing DELICATE about these vermin. They need to be dealt with. They need to be stopped."
"Now if you FEEL you can not stop them then I WILL. I have a lot of money and we both know that can go a long way to getting rid of someone."
"What are you saying Mrs. Collin?"
"You know, the REAL Wyatt Earp knew how to take out the trash. Maybe you should live up to your name Mr. Earp. If not, I will."
Mrs. Collin walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Wyatt sat there staring at the wall. Mrs. Collin was right. Deep down he knew she was right.
Chapter 10
Wyatt sat at his desk looking over the cases. Twelve shootings, nineteen bodies dead, eight of which were children. In all the ciaos three Vato Locos were killed also. There were two Vato Locos in county lock-up but after six weeks they still were not talking in their cell and no one ever came to visit them.
The only leads Wyatt had came from DeeDee's body. Scotty had managed to lift three sets of fingerprints from DeeDee. He ran those prints through the FBI's national database. They were able to get pictures of two of the men. Wyatt also had pictures of four other known members thanks to a Detective in Los Angeles.
Wyatt knew what to look for to find these guys. Due to a lack of evidence no judge would give Wyatt a warrant. Gang violence is hard to pin on just one man.
Wyatt found he could not sleep anymore. Every time he closed his eyes he was haunted with the faces in his files. They were crying out to him, especially the children.
"Wyatt, wanna grab some lunch?"
"No thanks."
Doc looked around to make sure no one was within ear shot.
"What is your problem Wyatt? You've been giving me the cold shoulder for two days now."
"Mrs. Collin came to see me the other day. She knew things about our cases. And she threatened me. Care to guess how she knew details about our cases?"
"Okay, yea I told her."
"What were you thinking?"
"She had a right to know."
"Bullshit! It's an open case. She said you told her cause you loved DeeDee."
"I did damn it!"
"What," Wyatt asked shocked.
"No one knew." Doc said with a sigh. It felt good to finally tell Wyatt his secret. "We've been dating secretly for three months. It was getting harder to keep it a secret so we pretended to have our first date."
"We were going to move in together. I think she could have been the one Wyatt. So yea, I shared with her mother."
"I told her how she could pay off one gang to take out another gang or how she could hire a Hitman to take these guys out."
"We both know that we won't bring them to justice. The system doesn't work. They'll live free while innocent children keep dying. Cops doing their job get stabbed or shot."
"They need to be stopped Wyatt. Someone needs to do something about this scum. I'm willing to do that something!"
"What are you planning to do," Wyatt asked, concerned for his partner's well being.
"Whatever it takes to get rid of these fuckers," Doc answered coldly. "Whatever it takes."
Chapter 11
The East side of town is not a very good neighborhood. The housing was poor but at least it was not trashy. Not much crime going on in the area but it was full of criminals and drug dealers. No one gang claimed the area. It was more of a place to hide out. The VL-45 felt it was the perfect place.
Six guys were sitting around in one of the three houses the VL-45 owned in the neighborhood. They were playing poker while smoking marijuana and drinking beers. Juan, the owner of the house had sent his girlfriend to go get more beer. It was just the boys.
"You in or out Hómes," Juan asked.
"Fuck this shit," José said, throwing his cards down.
The other men laughed.
"I call," another guy said smiling.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Flaco, go see who it is," Juan said, not taking his eyes off of the money sitting in the middle of the table.
"Why me," Flaco protested.
"Cause I told you to asshole," Juan shouted. "Now go see who it is."
Flaco got up from the table and walked to the front door. "Who is it," he shouted but there was no answer. He opened the door and it exploded. Pieces of Flaco flew in all directions. With the door wide open someone threw in two grenades.
One grenade was a smoke grenade and the other was a gas grenade. When they exploded the house was filled with smoke and tear gas. The other five Vato Locos came running out, guns drawn, but blinded from the smoke.
As they ran out of the house they were gunned down by a nine millimeter oozy. The attack lasted five minutes from knock to tires peeling out on the street. Six Vato Locos were now dead.
Chapter 12
"What a mess," Wyatt said looking at the house. "Looks like a war zone Doc."
"That's an understatement. There's O'Brian over on the porch."
Wyatt and Doc walked through the yard slowly. O'Brian had seen them pull up. He went to meet them halfway.
"Whatcha got O'Brian?"
"Looks like another gang retaliating. We found a red bandana. The yard is full of nine millimeter shell casings."
"Near as we can tell there was only one shooter. He stood about here." O'Brian walked over to a spot in the middle of the yard. There were footprints in the grass where the shooter stood. "He used an oozy. We found the first magazine he dropped."
"So he reloaded," Wyatt asked, looking around as he processed the entire scene in his mind.
"Yea. Shot up the house after gunning down the five on the porch."
"What happened to the front door," Doc asked, seeing it was completely gone.
"Claymore," O'Brian answered, pointing to the door. "It was attached to the door and tied to the handle. Whoever opened the door pulled the pin and boom. Then the shooter threw in a smoke and gas grenade. That's why those guys came running out without firing a shot."
"Let me through you pig! I live here, that's my house!"
The three men turned to see a crowd forming at the barricade. Two uniform officers were trying to keep the crowd back. The man who shouted was trying to push past them.
Wyatt watched as the situation went from bad to worse. The man pulled out a 1911 pistol from his waist. The crowd parted quickly.
Without a word or warning the man opened fire, shooting the officer that was holding him back. Four other officers drew their guns and returned fire, killing the man instantly in a hail of bullets.
"Jesus," Wyatt said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Just what we needed, another cop shot."
Chaos began to feel the air as officers rushed to their fallen comrade. The medics that had been on the scene began to fight to save the officer's life.
Wyatt began to fight back the urge to vomit. He knew if he lost his composure then others would too. The Detective all knew the officer would not make it.
"Doc, think you can help O'Brian clean up here? I need to bail."
"Sure thing Wyatt," Doc responded.
"Great. Meet you back at the station.
Chapter 13
I love my job. I can't believe I actually get paid to do this job. I'm good at it too. Damn good.
When I got THIS job I knew it would be different. I knew right away I was dealing with TRUE monsters. I knew I was going to have to deal with them differently.
This job, this job I would do for free. Seeing everything they've done makes me sick. They ALL need to be punished.
The police aren't going to stop me either. Look at them. They don't know what to do about the mess I made. They don't know where to start.
They're standing around scratching their asses, trying to look like they know what they're doing. They know only what I want them to know.
That's the way it's going to stay.
I'll strike when and where I please. The Vato Loco's won't know what hit them. I'll have them running scared. I want them to know what it feels like to be hunted.
There's no mistaking it, this IS a hunt. They are animals and they will die like animals. I see a VL-45 tattoo, I kill the man wearing it. God I love my job.
Chapter 14
"Where's my Whataburger," Doc asked as he walked up behind Wyatt.
"Sitting on your desk," Wyatt answered, having just walked in himself with lunch. "Hot and fresh."
Wyatt took a bite of his burger, the smell hitting his taste buds long before the burger. "So what did you find out?"
"Well," Doc answered as he sat down, "You want the good news or the bad news first?"
"Bad news."
"All the known Vato's we had ID's on are now dead. There are more out there but we don't have jack shit on them."
"Shit. Well what's the good news then?"
Doc took a bite of his burger. He chewed slowly, making Wyatt wait for his answer. He took a drink of his Coke.
"Good news is we caught the girlfriend of the shooter coming home. She was walking home from the store where she works nights. I got her holding in room two."
"What are we sitting around here for," Wyatt asked as he dropped his burger. "Let's go."
"Just hold on a second partner. I got a camera on her. She's sitting on something big, I can feel it," Doc said with excitement. "Let her stew while I enjoy my food."
Wyatt shook his head in disbelief. Doc had guts, no doubt about it.
"You eat. I'm done. I'm going to go watch her stew," Wyatt said as he threw the rest of his lunch away.
"Suit yourself," Doc called after Wyatt before taking another large bite of his burger.
Chapter 15
Sonia Hernandez kept pacing back and forth inside the interrogation room. She was very much afraid.
Sonia was not afraid of the police. She had no reason to fear them. She was, however, afraid of the Vato Loco's.
Wyatt watched Sonia closely through the two way mirror. Wyatt could see Sonia getting more agitated by the moment. Sonia was stewing in her fear.
"Damn that hit the spot," Doc said as he walked through the watch room door.
"You ready," Wyatt asked, not taking his eyes off of Sonia.
"Yea," Doc responded, slapping his stomach in satisfaction. "How do you want to approach this?"
"Well she speaks Spanglish," Wyatt said. "Let's see if we can get her to stick to English."
"Has she said anything yet?"
"She's said a lot actually. Going on and on about how they are going to kill her. If she talks she's dead."
"Sounds good to me," Doc said as he turned to head into the interrogation room. "Shall we go with spreading rumors?"
"Works for me," Wyatt said. "Let's do it."
Doc and Wyatt walked into the interrogation room. Sonia almost jumped out of her skin when the door opened. She looked like an animal that had been cornered by two hunters. Sonia felt trapped.
"Miss Hernandez," Wyatt said as he closed the door. "Please sit down."
"I want a lawyer," Sonia shouted.
"You only get one if you're under arrest. We're just talking here."
"No! I'm not saying anything," Sonia shouted before spitting on Wyatt.
Wyatt stood looking at Sonia with a cold deadly look, wiping his face in utter disgust. "Sit your ass down while I'm still in a good mood," Wyatt growled through clenched teeth.
Sonia stood in defiance looking at Wyatt. A cold chill ran through Sonia's body. Afraid Wyatt might do something rash Sonia sat down. She looked scared and angry at the same time.
"We need names Sonia," Doc said. "We need to know where to find all your Loco friends."
Sonia sat in silence.
"You look scared Sonia," Wyatt said, sitting down across from Sonia. "What are you afraid of?"
Again silence.
"What do you think she's scared of Doc?"
"Probably that her Loco brothers are going to kill her if she talks."
"Nah," Wyatt said, leaning back. "Pretty thing like her. They'll probably pass her around first. Let all the Loco's fuck her before killing her."
"You know," Doc said, "I bet you're right. Too bad we already spread the word that she told us everything."
"You didn't," Sonia responded, looking at Doc with horror. "You want to kill me?"
"If you want to live then talk to us," Wyatt said, looking at Sonia with the same cold stare. "Tell us something."
"Fuck you gringo!"
"Guess we have to let her go Doc."
"Alright. We'll drop her off back where we picked her up."
Coyotè!" Sonia shouted. "Coyotè!"
Chapter 16
Look at the media circus. This is the hottest story to break since that tractor trailer full of Mexicans was found in Southern Texas. All those men, women, and children, dead. All because of Coyotès smuggling humans into the United States.
I hate Coyotès almost as much as I hate people who kill children. This makes me sick. I hate being sick.
Last night someone had leaked to Fox News that the VL-45 was involved with Coyotès. I heard VL-45 so that's why I'm here.
I'm going to fish around and see what I can find out. I hear the FBI and INS are getting involved. I hear they have someone in custody who isn't talking. That'll change. I have ways of making people talk. When I'm done she'll be singing.
Looks like the circus is beginning. Here comes INS with the girl. Time for me to get to work.
Chapter 17
Doc sat at his desk across from Wyatt. He had been watching his partner for five minutes. Wyatt hadn't even noticed. Wyatt's eyes were locked on Lieutenant Michaels's office. The FBI and INS had sent agents to take over the VL-45 case. Wyatt was furious. This was his case, his investigation, his people who were killed.
Wyatt was so fixated on the Lieutenant's office that he did not hear the phone ringing. Doc reached over to answer it. "Earp's desk, can I take a message?"
"Doc, its Scotty. You two busy?"
"Nah Scotty. We've been put on the back burner since the Feds showed up."
"Yea I know," Scotty said in a low tone. "I was told to turn whatever I find over to them. Thing is you guys get first shot at what I got in my book. How soon can you get up here?"
"Lunch time traffic," Doc looked at the clock on the wall. "We can be there in twenty minutes."
"Okay, sounds good to... Shit! The Feds just walked in. Meet me for lunch at Rick's Place out here. One o'clock."
The line went dead. Doc hung up the phone and looked down at Wyatt who was still fixated on the Lieutenant's office. Wyatt had not heard a word of Doc's conversation. Doc could understand Wyatt's frustration but now they needed to get out of the office and onto the road. Whatever Scotty had was important if he was going to hide it from the FBI.
"Wyatt," Doc called, nudging Wyatt's left shoulder. "Wyatt, we have to go." Wyatt ignored Doc, not moving his eyes. Doc walked behind Wyatt and slapped the back of his head hard.
"Ouch," Wyatt spun around quickly. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"We gotta go, now! Scotty wants to meet us at Rick's Place up north. It's urgent."
"I don't have time for that place," Wyatt began to protest.
"It's about our case," Doc said, cutting Wyatt off. "He's giving us what he has before he has to give it to the feds."
"I'll drive," Wyatt said as he darted for the door.
Chapter 18
Rick's Place is one of the most popular strip clubs in the city. The North location is the largest of the three in town. It was dark, loud, and almost empty at lunch time.
Wyatt and Doc walked in. The sweet smell of perfume filled their noses. Tall beautiful women wearing see through underwear were everywhere.
Scotty was sitting at the bar waiting. O'Brian came walking toward them from the restroom area.
"Can I help you gentlemen," a beautiful young lady asked. She was not a stripper but she could easily pass for one in a business suite, this lady was the manager. She had seen the badges on Wyatt and Doc's belts and wanted to take care of them herself. Taking care of the police was always good for business.
"Yes," Wyatt answered, shaking her out stretched hand. "We need to use your VIP area. We're not here to bust anyone so long as we are not disturbed. Think you can manage that?"
"Certainly," she said. "Right this way."
The manager turned to walk away. The four men followed her as she led them to the back of the club. There were two VIP areas and they were heading toward the more private of the two.
"Take all the time you need gentlemen," the manager said. "Lunch is still going on if you are hungry. The buffet is open or I can send a waitress to the kitchen for you."
"No waitresses," Scotty said. "No dancers. This is a very private matter and any help you give us is appreciated."
"No problem," the manager said. "I understand. Help yourself to the buffet. It's on the house."
"Thank you," Wyatt said, handing the manager a twenty dollar tip.
The manager left the area. Once alone the four officers went to get food from the buffet. When they got back to their table there were four bottles of Coke sitting in a bucket of ice.
"Okay Scotty," Wyatt said. "Whatcha got for us?"
"I got Wheelie and DeeDee's killers," Scotty answered before stuffing a boneless hot wing in his mouth.
"You're shitting me," Doc blurted out, dropping his fork by accident.
"Nope." Scotty popped another hot wing in his mouth.
"So who was it," Wyatt asked.
"Those guys that got gunned down over on the East side," O'Brian answered.
"But nothing matched up when you IDed them at the scene," Doc said, still shocked over the news.
"That's because they had changed their names," O'Brian said. "That made the search take longer than expected. Especially the guy that got blown up."
"What do you mean," Wyatt asked. "There was hardly anything left of that guy."
"Yea but I'm good," Scotty said with pride.
"Come on Scotty," Doc cut in. "Cut the crap. What did you do?"
"Jesus Doc, you don't have to be so touchy," O'Brian defended. "We all want these shit bags caught."
Doc was about to protest but Wyatt placed a hand on his partner's arm, silently telling Doc to shut up.
"Continue Scotty," Wyatt said calmly. "How did you find out?"
"Well his hands were not damaged much. When I was collecting the rest of the perp that splattered in the kitchen I found a finger under the edge of the fridge. That was all I needed to find a match. It matches the ones pulled off of DeeDee."
"We had assumed the gun we found inside had belonged to one of the other guys that died on the porch," O'Brian said, picking up the explanation. "Ballistics matched his gun to the slugs we got from Wheelie and DeeDee. His prints were the ones on the gun."
Scotty swallowed the last of his food before continuing. "I did a DNA analysis of the seamen I got from DeeDee's body. We were right, all three shit bags had raped her. DNA matched three of the guys from the house. Guess that case is closed huh Wyatt?"
"Yea Scotty," Wyatt answered. "Mrs. Collin will be pleased to know DeeDee's killer was blown away."
"I got a feeling she already knows Wyatt," O'Brian said as he leaned back in his chair, looking at Doc.
"What the hell does that mean O'Brian," Doc shot back, holding back the anger that he felt building up.
"Look Doc, we all know you were in love with DeeDee and hearing all this can't be easy for you. But what I got to say aint about DeeDee, it's about her mother."
"I have a daughter myself. I'm sure if I was in her shoes I'd 'ave done the same thing."
"Done what," Wyatt asked, speaking before Doc could say something they would all regret.
"I looked into the gang retaliation theory. I asked my buddy in the Anti-Gang division to look at the bandanna for me. He says there's only two know gangs that wear that style bandanna."
"One is out of D.C. and the other is out of L.A. I figured since our boys are out of L.A. that was the gang to look at."
"The gangs are rivals. The Bloods thought they ran the Vatos out of L.A. Now with this talk of Coyotè, I'm not so sure. The thing that bothers me is the officer I talked to said someone was trying to hire the Bloods to come here and wipe out the Vatos."
"The Bloods didn't want the job. They just wanted the Vatos out of their territory. An old girlfriend of mine in the FBI told me why they are taking over the case."
"I thought it was a joint effort due to the Coyotè. Turns out someone put out the word they would pay twelve million dollars to take out the Vatos. That kind of money draws in the big time assassins. Guys like the Jackal and El Matador come in for that kind of cash. Both are good and crazy but both are very neat. It's a matter of pride. You would know it was them."
"Who ever took out the Vatos doesn't want us to know it's them. They tried to hide their tracks. I think it was a mercenary."
"Why a merc?" Wyatt asked calmly.
"Cause of the Claymore," O'Brian answered. "Street punks don't use those. That's military."
"More and more of these shit bags are joining the military and take what they learn back to the streets," Doc snapped back. "Hell the Vatos wiped the casings clean of prints before putting them in their guns. That's not something most street gangs do either."
"Yea but most gangs don't run Coyotè either," Scotty butted in.
"We can all agree we are not dealing with any typical gangs here," Wyatt said, trying to regain focus. "The question is where do we go from here?"
"All I'm saying is that that Claymore was high military grade," O'Brian said after taking a deep breath. "Whoever used it knew exactly what kind of damage it would do."
"Mrs. Collin has the motive, the money, and the nerve to do something like this. Right Wyatt?"
"Why you askin' Wyatt," Doc protested.
"Because O'Brian seen Mrs. Collin come talk to me two weeks before the attack on the Vato's," Wyatt answered. "She used some pretty strong threats. I told you what she said."
"Yea but to hire a hitman," Doc said. "Come on guys, get real."
"Only one way to find out," Wyatt said before taking a drink of his Coke. He stood up before continuing. "Thanks for keeping us in the loop Scotty. How long before you give this info to the feds?"
"I can hold them off for another day," Scotty answered, "two at the most. Anything else I find I will call you first."
"Thanks Scotty," Wyatt said. "I got a source I need to hit up. See what he knows about the Vatos."
"You're not talking about Rafe," Doc asked with a disgusted look.
"Yea," Wyatt answered, knowing everyone at the station hated Rafe. "Wanna come along?"
"Hell no," Doc answered with a shudder. "That guy gives me the creeps. I don't know how you can stand him."
"Cause his information is good and never wrong," Wyatt answered. "So what if he's weird."
"He sleeps with his own cousin Wyatt," Doc said, shuddering again at the thought of it. "That's not weird, that's sick."
"It's his third cousin. Three times removed don't count anymore," Wyatt shot back with a smile. "Besides she is smokin' hot."
"That's it," Doc said as he pushed back a gag. "O'Brian can you take me back?"
"Sure thing," O'Brian answered. "And Wyatt the guy is a sicko."
"Well he's my sicko," Wyatt said as he began to walk away. "See ya'll at poker tonight."
Chapter 19
Doc and O'Brian walked into an office that was buzzing with chaos. Everyone seemed to be in panic.
"Tim," Doc said, stopping the nearest Detective, "what's going on?"
"Doc, where the hell have you been? The Lieutenant is looking for you and Wyatt."
"Why? What's going on?"
"That girl we had in custody is missing."
"What," Doc shouted. "How?"
"No one knows," Tim answered. "The camera that was suppose to be filming her was turned off. There is no video of her at all."
"But Wyatt and I interviewed her yesterday."
"Hey there's not even any video of her being brought into the station. Lieutenant Michaels is pissed."
"I bet," Doc answered. "Thanks Tim."
Doc went over to his desk and sat down. Pulling up his personal email Doc decided to type a letter to Mrs. Collin asking her about the twelve million dollar contract on the Vatos. Doc was not sure what to say but he knew short and to the point would be best.
Mrs. Collin. I just found out that DeeDee's killer is dead. He was blown up last week in the shoot out in 5th Ward.
The FBI is looking into the case because there was a twelve million dollar contract put out on the VL-45. I have to tell you that you are the only suspect.
What did you do? Why didn't you include me in the decision? Please get back to me as soon as possible. I may be able to help with anything you are planning.
Doc looked the email over before sending it. He saw Lieutenant Michaels and Special Agent Rainey walking toward him. He sent the email quickly before they saw it.
"Doc, where have you been," Lieutenant Michaels shouted. "Where the hell is Wyatt?"
"He went to go see his informant," Doc answered, eager to shift the attention off of him.
"Rafe," Lieutenant Michaels asked with disgust.
"That's the one."
"Guy gives me the creeps," Lieutenant Michaels said shuddering.
"That's exactly what I said Sir."
"Tell Wyatt to get back here as soon as possible."
"Yes Sir," Doc called out as Lieutenant Michaels walked away.
Chapter 20
Rafe Drake is a unique individual to say the least. When someone sees Rafe for the first time they have to do a double take because Rafe is a self proclaimed vampire and dresses the part quite well.
Red contacts to change his eye color. He had his teeth filed so his fangs were sharp and stuck out. His fingernails are long and trimmed into pointed V tips. His skin is naturally pale white.
Rafe stands tall at six foot three inches, towering over most people he meets. Like most vampires Rafe took on another name. In the Gothic underground Rafe was very well known as Mickia. Wyatt, however, refused to call Rafe Mickia. Somehow it gave Wyatt an immunity from Rafe's power, or so Rafe keeps telling Wyatt.
Wyatt was very surprised that Rafe has such a large following. His followers are extremely loyal to Rafe, calling him Master. Rafe made it clear that he did not belong to any one mortal by sleeping with all his female followers, including his third cousin and his younger step sister.
Wyatt was not discussed by the infidelity as long as the information Rafe was providing continued to be good.
Pulling into the Night Shadow's parking lot Wyatt found a cardboard reserve sign with his name on it next to the front door. "Damn that son of a bitch is good."
The Night Shadow is a club for the Gothic and Vampire society. Open twenty four hours, there is something for everyone. The bar is open at regular club hours. On the second floor you can rent a bed if you can't drive home on your own. On the third floor you can rent a coffin, in case you are too sensitive to the sun. On the roof is a greenhouse that Rafe calls his Lair.
Wyatt parked and walked through the front door. Danny, a large muscular man stood at the entrance window where people pay to get into the club. Danny's skin was pale white, like most people who followed Rafe, which made his natural red hair scream out at anyone who saw him.
"Good afternoon Detective," Danny said, opening the door for Wyatt, "Master is waiting for you in his lair."
"Thanks Danny," Wyatt said as he walked past Danny. "Need to lay off the weights buddy. Soon you will be all muscle."
Danny ignored the comment and let the door close behind Wyatt. Wyatt had to admit he never wanted to run into an angry Danny. He doubted there was a bullet that could stop Danny if he was coming after someone.
Looking around Wyatt made his way to the elevator in the back. Reaching in his pocket Wyatt pulled out the key needed to go up to the roof. Wyatt had insisted on having his own key after seeing some of the things that went on in the club.
People dance and drink, same as any other club but it's what they are drinking. The Night Shadow has a BYOB policy: Bring Your Own Blood. Wyatt checked, there was nothing illegal about it since the club itself was not serving it and as long as no was being forced to give up the blood Wyatt could not do anything about it.
Inserting his key Wyatt pushed the third floor button. From there he would have to take the stairs up to the roof. Once on the roof Wyatt walked over to the only door into the green house. As hot as it was outside it was always cold inside Rafe's Lair.
"Please Detective," Rafe said from deep inside his lair, "come in quickly. Lauren is hunting and I do not wish her to escape."
"Jesus Rafe," Wyatt shouted as he walked through the door quickly. "You knew I was coming and let that big ass snake out."
"I never lock her away Detective," Rafe answered, touching his chest as if Wyatt wounded him in the heart. "Lauren will not harm anyone I do not tell her to harm."
"Well tell her to stay the hell away from me or else I will have a belt made out of her."
"Understood Detective," Rafe answered calmly, turning away from Wyatt. "Join me at my bar. Would you like anything to drink Detective?"
"Bottle water," Wyatt answered as he walked toward the private bar in the middle of the lair. "I will open it myself."
"Of course," Rafe responded with a laugh. Rafe reached under the bar and took a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to Wyatt. "How may I help you Detective?"
"Why do you ask if you can read my thoughts," Wyatt blurted out.
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