Walk the Line (Kings of Chaos 5)

I need space and calm. She acts like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. That came straight from B’s country ass. I miss my woman enough to admit I need to ask for a permanent transfer. Now that I have something soft and sweet to hold onto and spend myself in, I’m not keen to be leaving it for months at a time unless I have to. It’s been a long week and a half, and I get to see her tonight as soon as we close. Which is why I have Tinley restocking.

“Shit! We got two coming in hot and armed, Freeze,” the Prospect, Slick manning the surveillance cries.

“Tinley lock the room down, and don’t you dare come out,” I bark. I trust her to lock the door and remain behind the bullet proof glass as I remove the gun I have a conceal and carry license for. I knew this day would come. I run toward the front. Some stupid motherfucker is about to test us. A loud pow explodes in the space. They have a shotgun. The first set of doors is breached. I brace myself against the wall in their blind spot. There’s a reason why we have the hallway that leads in from the first doors.

I hope Motley, the Prospect at the door was wearing vest. I see the first man come into view and I aim for the head. A sound like a rotten melon hitting the ground fills the space and blood and gray matter splatter against the wall. His partner shoots off a shot and I throw myself away as the bullet takes a chunk out of the wall. I roll and regroup, shooting out a kneecap. He screams as he hits the floor. Slick rushes over, kicks him down and plants a boot on his chest. “Give me a reason to send you to hell with your friend over there.”

I stand, aim my gun at the ground and walk over to the man at the start of the hallway. It should be a given that he’s dead, but I’ve seen people Lazarus before. I kneel and check his neck for a pulse. Dead. I hurry outside to find Motley dissertated, bleeding from the head, bound and gagged.

“You okay, brother?” I tuck the gun back in my holster, kneel and untie him. I have him loose when the sound of sirens reach us, and the flashing blueberries and cherries light the block. It’s going to be a long ass night. The entire block is shut down as they pour in with an ambulance, a coroner, and CSI.

“Headshot?” the corner asks.

“He had body armor and a shotgun. Would you risk it? I had no way of knowing if they were packing slugs or birdshot.”

The man nods. “This is a good point.”

“I’m the owner of this shop. I need to get inside. Stone Mathers. Yeah, I got my ID, and once I show it to you, I want inside.”

A few moments later, he’s entering the room scanning the area.

“She’s fine. She was re-stocking when it happened. So she put the room into lock down mode. A detective is speaking with her in the office, but it’s pretty cut and dry, and it was all recorded.” I shrug. Even if they want to pin this on us, they can’t. It was self-defense.

He pats my shoulder. “You did good, brother.”

“Thanks, P.”

The detective steps out with tapes in hand. “Alright. It looks like we have all we need and then some. If you’ll stop by tomorrow to have your official statements taken, we’ll get this all wrapped up.”

I stick my hand out. “Thank you, Detective Russel.”

“I call it how I see it. It’s pretty clear what happened here. It’s not the first time folks have tried for fast cash and got more than they bargained, for.”

“Are you the owner?” he asks Stone.

“Yes, sir.”

“Let’s talk and walk. I have a lot of paperwork to do on this one.”

I peer outside and groan as the clunky white news van pulls up. I close my eyes and rub my temples. The long night is getting longer by the second.

“How long do you think this will take to fix?” I ask as midnight rolls around and the place is finally empty.

“With our money, I’ll have us back here in no more than three days tops.”

“Jagger?” I glance up stunned to see a ragged, Blanche hovering by the caution tape.

“Blanche, what are you doing here?”

“It was on the news, and you didn’t answer you phone. I was so worried. I had to do something.”

I glance at Stone.

“Go, all’s done that needs to be. I’m going to make sure Tinley arrives home okay.”

I bet you will.

“Alright. Thanks.”