Chapter Twenty-Four #2
Emmy was correct, but I wasn’t about to pull the plug on the mission.
Not after what I’d seen. “Maybe both. But I have to finish what I started. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because I want your father’s death to be vindicated, as well as all the other people he hurt over the years. ”
“You’re a good person.”
I gave him a tired smile as my head began to throb. “I have someone who believes in me. That makes it easier.”
He squeezed my hand. “Always. I gotta go to work. I’ll be by later.”
“Okay.” I closed my eyes.
**
Over the next two weeks, I went into the city with various drug runners.
I saw more money than I could’ve ever imagined exchange hands, and truckloads of drugs taken out and split up among the gangs.
Cops were in the warehouses, acting as security and helping with the product.
I picked out several of the undercovers, who did a damn good job of blending in.
They all eyed me with suspicion, but I remained silent. I didn’t trust anyone.
Only Emmy. Every night he came by and loved me so hard, he managed to put all the ugliness I’d seen out of my mind. But there came a point after the days spent immersed in violence that I was beginning to worry I wouldn’t be able to separate myself.
“What if it doesn’t work?” I asked him one night as we lay in bed.
I rarely slept more than a few hours, and the toll on me was showing.
I’d lost weight, hadn’t been to the gym, and barely took a few bites of food at any meal.
“I don’t know how much more of this I can do.
The things I’ve seen…done. I hate it so much.
I’m afraid I’m beginning to lose myself in all this horror. ”
“It’s okay.” Emmy held me tight. “It’s gonna be all right. You’re still Dominic Starr. And you’re not lost. You’re here, with me. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
My smile was sad. “I don’t think you have that choice. But no matter what happens, I’m not going down without a fight.”
I hoped it wouldn’t kill me.
Two days passed without me hearing from Delvecchio, Nolan, or my father. I stayed in the house, away from the windows, and paced. I was worried I’d been compromised, but when I called McGill, he assured me they’d be in touch.
“But what if they made me?”
“You’d be dead,” he said with such quiet finality, I shivered.
“But they said they’d move product every day,” I complained to him. “They have a huge shipment, and they’re spreading it out during the week.”
“If they want you, they’ll call. Slow and steady, Dominic.”
“How did the videos of my buys come out?”
“Not bad. We heard plenty, including your initial beating. How’re you feeling?”
“Oh, great. It’s been like a fucking spa vacation.”
“Take it easy, and they’ll be in touch.”
“Yeah, sure.” I tossed my phone aside. The house closed in on me.
Emmy still had about three hours left on his tour.
I missed him, but even more, I missed my job and seeing the guys every day, talking their stupid shit about women, sports, and where the best happy-hour food was.
For more than two years I’d been part of this group, and while I may not have opened up and been best friends with them, I’d belonged to something for the first time.
Now? It was all gone. Not a single person had come by to see me, though Emmy said they knew what had happened. Most said I deserved it for being dirty. They weren’t wrong, if it had been the truth.
The doorbell rang, and I brushed at my eyes before dragging my ass to the door. I’d had a camera installed, and I rubbed my eyes again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.
“Lieutenant? C-come on in.” Simms followed me. “Can I get you something to drink, sir?”
“No. I came to see how you were doing. Not too well from the looks of you.” He frowned. “Care to tell me what happened?”
My bruises had mostly faded, but I knew I looked like shit. “I ran into someone who didn’t care for my sense of humor.”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Are you sure you want to continue to do this? You’re putting your life in danger.”
“I thought I did that every day when I put on the uniform.” I motioned for him to sit.
“Look, Loot, I appreciate it, but you know why I’m doing this.
My father is a scourge on the city and the department.
He needs to be stopped. If I have to take a few knocks to the head and do things I’d never dreamed of, I’ll deal with it. ”
“When this is over, there will be a commendation for you. The drug sales have been increasing along this corridor, and anything we can do to eliminate the people who enable this activity helps.”
“I’m not doing this for recognition. I want my father to pay for all the misery he’s caused.”
“I know. But you take care of yourself. It will all turn out okay, son.”
After he left, I took a nap and woke to the buzzing of my phone. Seeing Delvecchio’s number, I grabbed it.
“Yeah?”
“Day after tomorrow,” his gravelly voice said. “They’ll pick you up at three a.m.”
My pulse quickened. “We going to the same place?”
“Why? You wanna make dinner reservations in the ’hood?” His voice deepened. “I told you before, you don’t need to know nuthin’ ’cept to have your ass where it needs to be. Starr will have instructions for you.”
“Instruc—” The screen went black.
Two minutes later, McGill called. “We’ll be on your tail. Looks like they want you more involved than simply for drop-off.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’re hearing chatter that your father will introduce you to one of his distributor buddies from the city. He might want you involved in the transfer to them. We don’t know who yet. We’ll have some UCs in on this meet in case things go south.”
“And will that finally be enough to get him? I’m not sure how much more of this I can do.”
“We hope so. You’re not the only operation we have going on. With the information you gave us, we’ve planted other UCs. If everything goes as planned, we’ll have enough to take your father down. See you day after tomorrow.”
I lay on the couch until Emmy came home. He rushed to my side. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s happening. I got the call.”
“I don’t like this. What if they think you’re not worth the risk, and they kill you?”
I held him tight. “I’ll be okay. I have to be. I’m doing the right thing. I’ve come too far to stop now. And if I come back—”
“You fucking are. You’re coming home, and we’ll tell everyone what a hero you are.” He kissed me.
“I don’t care about that. I just want you and me. Together.”
“No matter what, that’s a given.”