Chapter 20
CHAPTER
TWENTY
“I’m fuckin’ sick of this shit!” Wolf roared.
The rest of the Knights gathered around some hastily set-up card tables at the machine shop.
Specs and Stalemate were at the strip club for security until this church meeting ended.
The Attic was hopping tonight, full of men with loose wallets drinking up a storm.
Money needed to flow, but the club needed privacy for this particular meeting.
The odd addition was Denny, a policeman who happened to be friends with the Knights. Denny followed the law, but he also realized that sometimes justice didn’t follow the rules.
Wolf continued to shout. “How the fuck did he get away?”
Ratchet scratched his short dark hair. “I don’t know, but I’m sure I winged him. He fell off the back of the shed, out of sight.”
Denny tapped his pen on the table’s surface. “We got there pretty damn quick. We didn’t see a body, but we found a bloodstain on the wall where the fucker slid down.” He lifted his head to regard Ratchet. “Nice shot, by the way.”
“Thanks.”
“Can you match his DNA to some fancy database?” Wolf inquired in a calmer tone.
Denny shook his head. “Only if he’s in the system already, but it’s not like Hollywood where you have to solve the crime in an hour-long episode. It takes weeks or even months to get answers back on shit like this.”
The folding metal chair creaked as Wolf leaned back into it. “So you’re saying we’re fucked?”
Denny gave a long sigh. “We have the hospitals on alert for GSWs, but there were a number of legit ones that came in from your rally. No telling if one of them was the shooter who simply told the docs he was there as an innocent bystander.”
“They have to give names when they check in right? We can take a look at who came in with gunshot wounds and—what?”
Denny’s headshake drew everyone’s attention. “HIPAA, my friend. We have to have probable cause to get a records warrant. That’s gonna be a hard sell to a judge.”
“What the fuck can we do about this shit, then?”
“We got our tech guys going through all the videos people posted. We’ll piece together what we can and see if we can identify this guy. Chances are, it’s part of that duo that’s been terrorizing the area.”
“Well, it’s taking too fucking long!”
Denny’s face grew dark. “Look, man, I’m just as frustrated as you are.
I’m sick of getting calls to look at another blown-up business or a dead body who used to be a friend and neighbor.
Only reason I’m here is to figure this shit out and put a stop to it.
If my chief found out I was talking to you bunch, I’d be fired. ”
Wolf backed down somewhat, but his gold eyes still burned with fire. “Imma do something I never thought I’d do. I’m gonna ask my woman to do a deep dive on the dark net, and yinz already know how I feel about that.”
A few of the members squirmed uneasily, and it wasn’t because of the uncomfortable chairs.
Every one of them remembered how Jazz put herself at risk by hacking into a massive criminal network and nearly lost her life for it.
Nowadays, she stuck with her programming app to help protect people from internet scammers.
Asking her to go back in was not something Wolf would ever consider unless the situation was desperate.
Denny’s grim expression matched the Knights’ president’s, but they were running out of options. “I get it. I’ll back your play as much as I can. How’s Cam, by the way?”
“Home. He’s got his girl and some high-octane pain pills,” Melter informed the group. “I offered him some oxys, but he’s got a scrip for percs.” He shrugged.
“How the hell do you always have pills?” Crossman asked.
Melter shrugged again. “I have my ways.”
Wolf leaned forward. “Please tell me you’re not doing pills as well as pot.”
Melter let out an affronted scoff. “’Course not! I keep them for other people who might need them. I like my weed. It’s natural and organic.”
Denny let out a long sigh. “I can’t listen to this conversation as I’m not really here, yeah?
Just watch yourself, ’cause if you get caught, I’ll be the first one to put you in cuffs and throw the book at you.
” His gaze traveled around the table. “That goes for all of you. I realize that sometimes Lady Justice has her limits, but don’t fuck up what yinz forged. ”