Chapter 23
*~* Cannon *~*
Monday morning always comes around too fast. I suppose that’s true for most people.
Barbara is back at work, much to her relief.
They had a training session on Sunday morning, and she was partnered with Pattie this time.
Pattie did not hold back when they were sparring, and I’m sure some of it was payback for when Barbara hit Pattie's head onto a table. That’s not the sort of thing you forget.
Barbara took it all in her stride but was more than a little fatigued by the time they’d finished the session.
Pattie, however, looked like she’d been on a Sunday afternoon picnic.
Whack held Church yesterday, too, and it was decided that as we have had no issues, it was deemed safe for her to go back.
A prospect will be present at the practice each day as a precaution.
More of a warning system than a defense system, though.
He’s also graciously allowed us to vacate the clubhouse and move into Barbara’s house. I’m looking forward to that.
High on the agenda was still my missing truck.
Ghost confirmed that it was with Stephan Haroldson’s collection at his ranch, so I’m all for the guns blazing approach and taking it back, plus whatever else takes my fancy as compensation.
Pres, quite rightly, pointed out that getting payback for Mateo had now taken priority.
I’m still in favor of the guns blazing approach for that mission as well.
We also now have the issue of this Carlos character at the college to take care of. That’s down for one of today's chores. I get to go on that mission shortly.
Pres told everyone in Church about Mella and Bandit.
He also insisted that for the foreseeable future, we would all be undergoing monthly drug testing by Jamie.
Anyone who had an issue with that should speak to Pres on a confidential one-to-one basis before the first tests were administered.
He also pressed home the fact that we should be looking out for each other and that he expected Bandit to be the one and only time anything like this slipped through the net.
Fury put forward that the bar was ready to open, and he wanted it for Monday evening, but the general consensus was that it would be a flop at such an early part of the week.
A compromise was agreed that it would open on Thursday.
Late enough in the week to catch the start of the weekend business, but also early enough that it probably wouldn’t be flooded with hardened drinkers and troublemakers.
With Hellion, Bear, and Rage on security and plenty of brothers in attendance, we didn’t think it was likely that anything or anyone would kick off.
Fury asked if Mateo could attend the opening as he was the Assistant Manager and had been involved from day one, but Pres told him he would have to be the one to broach that subject with Spirit, because he definitely wasn’t going to.
Fury made the call to Spirit, and after a thirty-minute wait, she called him back. Mateo could go to the opening ceremony, have a quick drink to celebrate, and then she was taking him home. Fury was happy with that, and I suppose Mateo must have been, too.
Partnering up with Vortex yet again, my chaperone from earlier, we take an SUV and head for the college.
Having only a rough description of Carlos, we thought he might be hard to find, but I’m sure we’ll manage.
Griller and Rage have teamed up to man one of the club’s vans, should we need them.
A good pair to have as backup in any scenario.
Arriving at the college, we find a spot away from the busiest area at the front of the college and watch.
It doesn’t take long to spot Carlos. He’s standing by an almost new Cadillac Escalade.
In this area, he looks like a fish out of water.
He couldn’t be less inconspicuous if he walked around with an arrow pointing to him saying, ‘Get your drugs here.’
Leaving our cuts in the SUV, we separate and head his way. It’s almost time for the college’s first classes to start, so we guess that he’ll leave as soon as the kids have thinned out and his trade has gone. We want to be there before he disappears.
We’re discreetly closing in on him when the SUV door opens and a familiar face appears. If it isn’t my old friend, Big Ugly. He must have been demoted from riding around with Santos if he’s looking after a dealer now.
As I approach, Big Ugly looks directly at me.
It takes him far too long to register who I am, as by the time he does, Vortex is already behind him.
Vortex does something to him, I don’t see what, and as he crumples to the ground Vortex catches him and bundles him back inside the Cadillac.
Carlos looks panicked and about to run, but I’m close enough that I grab him and push him against the hood.
“Get off me. You don’t know who you’re messing with. You’ll be sorry.” He babbles as though his words were his weapons.
“That bullshit might work on kids, but you’re not dealing with kids right now.
We know all about Stephan and his operation.
You need to find a new line of work in a different town.
Preferably something legit but certainly a long, long, long way from here.
I have some friends who have a few questions for you before you go, though. ”
Raising an arm tells Griller and Rage they have a collection to make.
The van rolls up, the side door opens, and Carlos disappears inside.
Checking the Cadillac reveals some small plastic bags with a white powder in them.
These we drop on the ground and grind them into the asphalt with our heels.
Going through Big Ugly’s pockets, we find what we assume is the day's takings.
A sizeable amount that I pocket to give to Bank when we get back.
I’m just about to shut the SUV door when a voice stops me. “Put your hands on the roof of the vehicle and spread your legs.”
Calmly doing as I’m told, I glance behind me and see an officer of the law, hand near his holstered weapon, watching me very closely. “Good day, officer. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Don’t get smart with me. I’ve been waiting to catch you guys dealing drugs. Looks like today's my lucky day.” He takes a step closer, and Vortex appears behind him. He clamps one hand over the officer's weapon and an arm around the officer's neck.
“Officer, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just preventing you from making a grave error in judgement. I’m going to release you in a second, and then we’re going to explain that we are not the ones you need to arrest. We are on your side here. We are not the criminals in this. Okay?”
Watching the officer's face closely, I don’t think he’s going to react well when he’s released.
Judging by the resigned look on Vortex’s face, he doesn’t either.
As he releases him, he slips the weapon from the holster in one fluid movement.
Sure enough, the officer’s hand immediately drops to his weapon only to find an empty holster.
Looking at Vortex, he sees his weapon hanging limply from Vortex’s finger and thumb.
“Let us explain what’s going on here, and you can have your weapon back as soon as we know that you’re calm and not going to overreact and shoot someone,” I say in a resigned tone.
“This could all go sideways in an instant, and that’s not what we want.
Believe me, we want these assholes off the street every bit as much as you do. ”
“You have a funny way of showing it. Taking my weapon was a mistake.” He is angry, frustrated, and embarrassed.
“Look on the ground and you’ll see that we have destroyed their drugs.
There may be more in the vehicle somewhere, we don’t know.
One of them is unconscious on the driver’s side rear seat.
The other one is answering some questions right now in a van at the back of the lot.
You’re welcome to him when they return him.
If we’d known you were around, we would have spoken to you first.” Like hell we would.
We would have waited for another time and place, but he doesn’t need to know that right now.
“Give the officer his weapon, so we can all be adults about this.”
Vortex holds his arm out, still dangling the weapon from his finger and thumb. The officer takes his weapon, checks it, and slowly puts it into his holster.
“You’ve destroyed evidence that I could have used against the two of them.” I’m beginning to seriously dislike this asshole and his attitude.
“No. We stopped that shit from getting into the systems of a lot of kids who should know better. Like I said, we both want the same thing. We’ve just become aware of Carlos and his friend here, so we came to see for ourselves.
” I’m getting tired of explaining myself, and my patience is being tested, almost to its limit.
“There are issues like this popping up all over town wherever kids congregate. They are getting less and less conspicuous and bolder by the day. It’s getting to be a serious epidemic in a very short time.
I took two dealers in last week and a lawyer had them out in less time than it took to book them in.
I haven’t seen either of them since, but it just seems that as fast as you arrest one, there’s a replacement the same day.
” I hear the frustration in his voice, and I can sympathize with how that must feel.
“Look, Officer?” I ask his name even though it says Williams on his shirt.
“Call me Bill.” He looks like I’m supposed to say something to that, but Vortex understands before I make the connection.
“Your name is William Williams?” Vortex asks him.