Chapter Eight
Monday, June 9 th .
Riverside District. Austin.
When I finally opened my eyes and checked my messages, there was one from Blacky. Not that I didn’t expect it.
“Ten o’clock work for you?”
“I’ll be there.”
I glanced at the time on my phone, and it was already ten after nine. Not enough sleep, but apparently I wasn’t going back to bed.
A glance at my knife and I was pissed at myself for not cleaning it as soon as I got home the night before.
That’s Perez’s blood crusted on there.
I got right at it and had the blade gleaming and back in the case in no time flat.
Shower was next and I was short on time. Couldn’t wait for coffee to brew at my place. I had to grab caffeine and breakfast on the way to the Agency.
Blacky made no allowances for lateness. He wasn’t the kind of boss who listened to excuses and in the business of violent crime, I understood that better than most. You did what you had to do because if you didn’t, you would wind up dead.
I wasn’t sure what Blacky would say about the way I handled the near riot, but I didn’t see a quicker or more peaceful way to end it.
Perez wasn’t collateral damage. He was half of the problem, no matter how you sliced at it.
The Blackmore Agency. Austin.
Blacky opened the side door and let me in. His two big dogs ran towards me barking and wagging their tails. Nice dogs and I stopped to pet both of them.
“Morning, Lukas. Come in and pour yourself a coffee.”
“Thanks, boss.”
Blacky renovated an old Victorian, and his kitchen was huge and high end. His mother-in-law, Carmelita, loved to cook, and he catered to her likes when they did the kitchen over. It was amazing. Big as my entire apartment.
I filled a mug at the coffee station and followed Blacky to his office.
We sat in the lounge area of his huge space, so it wasn’t as formal as me sitting in front of his desk like I was called into the principal’s office.
“Let’s talk about the Tango,” was the way he started off.
“Sure.”
“You give me a verbal report that’s probably going no further than me, and then we’ll discuss what we could’ve or should’ve done better. All in all, I think we got off damned lucky, Lukas. Go ahead.”
“After I called and woke you up, I drove to the park and sat in the parking lot waiting to see how many of the Tango were going to show up. None of the Bandidos passed me, so I figured they were already in the park.”
Blacky nodded.
I told him the rest of the story exactly how it happened, and I didn’t leave anything out. He wasn’t the kind of person you could lie to. He was too fuckin’ smart for that.
He didn’t make notes or anything because all of our undercover stuff was strictly between him and me and off the record.
“When it was right down to the wire and we were waiting for that first shot, I figured the only way to damp it down was to do what I did. Take out Perez and the Blast would fold on the fuckin’ spot.”
“Yep. You figured right. Probably saved a lot of lives, Lukas.” He laughed. “Could’ve gone a whole nother way if the Blast had gone nuts and rushed the barricade, but they didn’t. They were fuckin’ gob struck and lost all of their momentum.”
“After I did Perez, I held my breath for a few minutes as I ran to my truck. It was dark and the crowd was thick.”
“You did good work, Lukas. You caught the rumor, and we saved a lot of trouble for a lot of people. Totally worth it. A gunfight in a public park would’ve cost the city millions of dollars and no telling how many innocents would’ve lost their lives. You kept that from happening.”
“Thanks, boss.”
“How’s your arm coming along?”
“Haven’t taken the bandage off since the second set of stitches went in. Hope it’s healing. The pain is a lot less.”
“Good,” said Blaine. “I’m not sure what the demise of Perez will do to the Blast. Next up will be Leo Castro and I’m not too familiar with him. I’ll have Kamps put together a profile of the new leader and we’ll see what we can expect from him.”
“Good idea, boss. Know their habits and stuff.”
“Exactly. The more we know about the top three, the easier it is to keep them under control or catch them at their weakest moment.”
“Copy.”
Blacky was happy with the way I’d handled the near riot, and I was glad he wasn’t pissed at me. My good mood lasted all the way out Blacky’s driveway until I hit the street.
Regan’s car was parked at the curb, and I didn’t want to deal with her following me. No way I’d allow her to get in my face like this.
Now she was in my work space. Couldn’t allow it.
I parked on the street in front of the Agency fence and walked back to Regan’s car.
I leaned in her open window and tried to hold onto what cool I had left, “Why are you at my workplace?”
“I wanted to see if anything you told me was the truth.”
“As you can see, I do work for the Blackmore Agency—Violent Crime for the State of Texas.”
“Am I supposed to be impressed?”
“I don’t care what you are, Regan. I want you to stop following me and get out of my life.”
She laughed. “And if I don’t feel like doing that?”
“Then the solution is simple. I’ll have you arrested for stalking a police officer and your ass will be carted off to jail.”
She laughed at me again as I walked away.
My fault for lusting after you, bitch.
Cherrywood. Austin.
On the way to my Aunt Gail’s house, I stopped at Walgreens and bought what I figured I might need to make a bandage like the clinic put on my arm.
Gauze and tape and antiseptic cream. I bought lots of everything because before my arm was completely healed, I might need two or three more clean bandages.
When I got home—to my real home—I plopped the drug store bag on the kitchen table and my laundry bag on the floor next to the laundry room door.
I let out a long, tired breath and sat down for a coffee with my aunt.
She peeked in the bag and nodded. “We can change the bandage after we have our coffee. You look tired, sweetheart.”
“Late night.”
“I heard on the news there was trouble at Festival Beach. Were you there?”
“Yeah. I didn’t get home until late, but the good part was, nobody got shot.”
She smiled. “That is good news and even better news—it wasn’t you.”
“You got that right. My arm hurts bad enough. I don’t need a bullet wound to deal with.”
“There were two squares left after our company yesterday and I saved them for you.”
I laughed. “I love those. About a million calories in each one, I bet.”
She laughed. “A lot of brown sugar and butter. Maybe even some maple syrup too. I’ll make more later in the week.”
After our coffee, Aunt Gail carefully removed the layers of gauze and when she got down to the stiches it got a bit sticky.
My arm was a sickening mess to look at, but it didn’t faze her. She’d been a nurse before she retired and hadn’t lost her skills or her gentle touch.
“I’m going to dampen the gauze with warm water and kind of soak it off, so it doesn’t pull the new skin, dear. It may take a little longer, but you have healed a little and I don’t want to undo that.”
I sat with my arm on the table and let my aunt take all the time she needed. I was in no hurry to go anywhere and this was home. One place I could relax.
“There you go. That should be good for a couple of days, dear. Come back when we need to change it again.”
“I will.”
Montana House. Chestnut Area. Austin.
I left Aunt Gail’s feeling not too bad and drove a few blocks to drop by Montana House to see how Cindy was doing.
She was slow to open the door to a stranger and I realized I should have called to tell her I was coming so she would be expecting me.
Big smile when she saw it was me. “Lukas, come in. I didn’t know who was at the door.”
“I’ll call first next time so you won’t be scared. How’s it going so far? This is a nice apartment.”
“Great. I love it here. Everything is new and everything works—like the taps and the toilet—like that.”
“Do you need anything?”
“Neil asked me to make a list as I settled in, and he’d try to help me out. He said people donate things to his shelter and he’d grab a stroller for me so I could take Flint out for a walk.”
“That’s the only thing you have on your list?”
“Yep.” She laughed. “Isn’t it amazing? I don’t need one other thing.”
“That is amazing.”
“Neil is so nice. Did you know he played baseball on the Ranger’s team up in Dallas?”
“Uh huh. I knew that. Neil is my cousin.”
“I forgot that. That’s how you knew about the shelter, isn’t it?”
“Yep, it is.”
I headed for the door. “You have my number if you need me for anything.”
“I’ll be fine, Lukas. The girls in the other units are nice and they said we would all be friends in this building.”
“That’s great.”
As I left, I made a mental note to ask Mick about security. I put a baby stroller on the same list.
Riverside Bar and Grille. Riverside. Austin.
Bad news when I walked into my regular hang. Brandy and Crissy were both sitting in my booth.
That can’t be good.
“Hey, girls.”
“We shouldn’t even talk to you, Lukas. You’ve been so fuckin’ mean to us.”
“So the two of you are ganging up on me? That’s what’s happening here?”
“You owe us,” said Crissy. “That’s what we were thinking.”
“I don’t see it that way, girls. I don’t owe anybody anything.”
Bailey brought me a pitcher and a glass and set it on the table. I thanked her and squeezed in next to Brandy. I picked up the pitcher and filled the glass.
“The least you owe us is a drink,” said Crissy.
“I’m gonna buy you girls one drink each but you have to sit in your own booth to drink it. I’ve got work to do.”
Brandy laughed. “That’s a bullshit joke, Lukas. You don’t work.”
“Everybody works, Brandy. That’s how we make a living.”
“Did you hear about the guy who got stabbed in Festival Park?”
“Nope,” I said. “Who was it?”
“I heard it was the pres of the Tango,” said Crissy. “Some of the boys who hang here are feeling pretty bad about it.”
“Javier Perez,” said Brandy. “I might’ve done him a couple of times in the men’s room.” She made a face.
“I never did him,” said Crissy.
“He liked me better than you,” said Brandy, but he couldn’t have been much if I can’t even remember how big he was.”
I chuckled. “You’d better go to his funeral and pay your respects.”
“Funny guy, Lukas. I heard the boys talking about having a big ride for him.”
“I believe that” I said. “Those huge rides are something to see. A lot of beautiful paint jobs on the bikes.”
“Wonder if the cops caught the guy who killed him?” asked Crissy. “The club members will be out looking for the killer too.”
“Don’t doubt that for a minute, Crissy. The club will find the guy quicker than the cops,” I said. “Bet most of the club are out looking for him right now.”
“That guy is walking dead when Leo finds him,” said Brandy. “He’d better find a good place to hide.”
“I’ve got to go, girls. I’ll order you a round on my way out.”
“Thanks, Lukas. You’re the best.”
Guess they’re not mad at me anymore.
I sat in my truck for a minute before leaving. All I’d found out was about the upcoming ride for Perez. Wouldn’t be for a couple more days, but I texted the advance warning to Blacky.
“Gonna be a ride for Perez. Probably the day of his funeral, boss.”
“Copy, Lukas.”
Dry as a Bone. MLK. Austin.
Thinking I’d do better at the Bone, I drove out the MLK Parkway and tried my luck.
The Mex Mafia boys were laughing and hollering at their reserved table at the back of the barroom. I had to sit at the bar where I couldn’t hear much of anything. Sparky would have to be my ears.
“Anything happening with the Mex boys?”
Sparky shook his head. “All the talk today is about the pres of the Blast going down. According to the rumor, most of the Blast crew are beating the bushes for Perez’s killer.”
“Do they know who it was?”
“I don’t think so. If they did, the guy would be dead by now and the search would be over.”
“True enough.”
I finished my pitcher and headed for the men’s room to get rid of a half-gallon. When I stepped out of the can into the hallway, Lucia was leaning on the wall waiting for me.
“Hey, girl. You should stay away from me. Vega catches you and you’ll get both of us killed dead.”
She giggled. “He would never hurt me.”
“That’s what his last girlfriend said.”
“You are so funny, Lukas. I think that’s why I’m so fuckin’ hot for you.”
“Believe me when I say, I’m the wrong choice for you, Lucia. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
I couldn’t be seen with Lucia following me like a lost puppy, so I went out the back door and called it a night.
Not a productive night, but some nights were like that. You had to roll with it.
Riverside District. Austin.
Dead beat from a long day, I went straight to bed. Couldn’t remember falling asleep, but I sure as hell remembered waking up.
Splintering sound nearly shattered my eardrums as my front door flew off its hinges and crashed right into my apartment.
Before I could grab my gun or my knife, three muscular guys were hauling my ass off my bed. They tossed me onto the floor with a thud and that’s when the fun began in earnest.
Took me a few seconds too many to get fully awake and defend myself. When I came to my senses, I used the training moves Max Slaten had taught me and my brother Tommy.
That made it a fair fight.
Three against one.
They were beating on me pretty damned good in the first few minutes and I took on a lot of new damage, but as soon as I was able to break the one guy’s wrist and get the knife out of his hand, I showed those Mex Mafia boys how to use a blade.
Killed two of them and the third guy didn’t stick around to see who the big winner was. He beat it out my wide-open door and ran down the steps to his ride.
Exhausted from the fight, I sat on the side of my bed and gazed at the dead bodies on my floor.
Warm feeling coming from my left arm and that was my worst nightmare. Blood had started oozing through the fresh bandage.
Bodies on the floor meant I had to call Blacky, and I barely had the strength or the wind to do it. I pressed his contact and waited.
“Lukas.”
“Three guys tried to kill me in my apartment.”
“How many dead?”
“Two.”
“How bad are you?”
“I’m okay.”
“Be right there. Sit tight.”
“Copy that.”
I didn’t remember falling asleep, but the troops tramping into my apartment woke me up.
I sat up and a pain shot through me like a fuckin’ bullet.
Rib.
Shit. Ribs took too fuckin’ long to heal.
“Aw, Jesus, look at you,” said Blacky. “Who were they?”
“Mex Mafia.”
“You recognize them?”
“Enforcer and two other guys.”
“Serrano,” said Blacky. “He one of the corpses?”
“No idea. It was dark. Take a look and give me the news.”
Blacky knelt down and rolled the bodies over one at a time. “You’re a winner, Lukas. You killed the enforcer for the Mexican Mafia.”
“Just bury me now.”
To be continued…