Payback

“What happened to Molly?” I asked, almost afraid to find out.

“She died.”

“How?”

Darian shrugged. “She just wasn’t strong.”

I wasn’t leaving in a bag. And I wasn’t being sold.

I climbed onto the rickety cot that wasn’t taken and curled up, huddling for warmth. “My friend will come,” I said, needing to believe it. “And he’ll save all of us. We just have to stay alive until he does.”

Darian snorted as if I were blowing smoke and the scared girl just huddled more tightly in a tiny ball as if trying to disappear.

A week ago I was living a relatively normal life.

And now?

I was about to die or be sold.

I’m not sure which option was worse.

But I was about to find out.

Jameson

Frankie wasn’t at his place.

And he wasn’t answering his cell.

A bad feeling joined with my other bad feeling and they were dancing a salsa together in my gut.

We didn’t have a choice, we had to call in the situation.

I let Hank take care of those details.

My brain wasn’t cooperating. All I could think about was Ivy and how much danger she was in.

But I needed to focus.

I decided to go to the one place I knew Terano felt most comfortable, his most arrogant.

“I’m going to Chester’s,” I told Hank but Hank stopped me with a frown.

“It’s not open. You’re going to waste time heading over to the place when it’s not even open. They don’t open until six tonight.”

“Exactly. That’s where he thinks he’s most secure. I guarantee someone is there. And when I find that someone, I’m going to squeeze the information out of them until they puke up what I want to hear.”

But Hank wasn’t having it. “Look, I’m not going to let you run off half-cocked and get yourself shot in the ass for your stupidity. Let’s go return to the precinct and go over the case notes from the past two years and see if there’s something we missed.”

“Fuck that. You do that if you want. I’m going to Chester’s.”

Hank swore under his breath but finally relented. “Like hell. You ain’t going alone and you know it. I’ll ride with you.”

But I didn’t want Hank riding with me. “We’ll take separate cars.”

And I left it at that. I didn’t trust anyone at this point.

Not even Hank.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Hank said, irritated. “Are you losing your damn mind? We’re partners.”

“We’re wasting time. Meet you at Chester’s.” I wasn’t going to argue the merit of my decision when I was already committed to the course. I had to find out the weak link and I wasn’t going to do that arguing with Hank.

Besides, if by some unlucky chance, Hank was the mole…I needed some distance so I could put a bullet in the fucker’s head — or at the very least Tase the shit out of him.

I drove to Chester’s and parked. True to my hunch, a lone car in the parking lot told me someone was inside.

I pulled my weapon and went around the back. I caught the sound of muffled voices and odd thumping.

Then, a groan.

Someone was getting the shit kicked out of them.

I radioed my location to the dispatch and then quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

I followed the sounds and voices and ducked back behind the corner wall.

Frankie, tied to a chair backstage, was bleeding from his nose and mouth. His eye was swollen and bloody drool slipped from his damaged mouth. He was breathing heavily through his mouth, which told me his nose was likely broken.

No telling how long they’d been working Frankie over.

A man I’d never seen before was wiping his knuckles on a white handkerchief. “Frankie…why you messing with a good thing? I thought we were solid. But then you had to go and get friendly with the cops and suddenly I didn’t feel so safe anymore. Can you explain why you’d go and do such a thing?”

“I swear, I’m not—“

Frankie’s earnest denial was cut short when the man buried his fist in his gut. Frankie gasped like a fish out of water.

“Frankie, lies do not become us,” the man tsked. “I just want to know why you turned on your family? We were your boys. We looked out for you, kept you out of trouble, and then you repay our generosity but getting in bed with cops? Bad form, Frankie-boy. Bad-fucking-form.”

Frankie tried to shake his head but it seemed more of a rattle than a definitive shake. He was close to blacking out.

A quick look revealed three men in addition to the man doling out the beating. I needed Hank for back-up.

I sent a hasty text to Hank.

Four men total. Frankie getting beat.

Hank knew better than to text back. But when the little indicator showed that Hank had read the message, I refocused on my plan.

I could take out two of the men. As long as Hank provided a distraction. But until then, I was going to listen. Maybe someone would say something that would lead me to Ivy.

“You see Frankie, you didn't have big enough dreams. You’re small time. And that's why you'll always be on the bottom. You think it's all about the drugs. The drugs are a very small part of what makes this operation run. But I will say, I was happily surprised to see how hot your sister was. I never saw that coming. Where have you been hiding that little girl?" He chuckled as if they were just a couple of guys shooting the shit.

I didn't like anyone talking about Ivy that way. But I had to hold my anger in check. I had to think smart not emotionally.

“Here's how I see it. Your little sister Ivy will get a fair price for that pretty face and smoking body. And you will end up in a ditch somewhere. All problems solved. I only need one thing answered. When did Jameson Reed figure out that he been made? Another day and we would’ve been free of that problem as well.”

All Frankie could do was moan. The man patted Frankie on his matted head. “I understand, Frankie. It's been a rough day for you. But you can go to your grave knowing that your sister will never have to worry her pretty little head about such mundane things as bills and working a 9-to-5 job. All she needs to focus on is pleasuring her new Master. And if she's good at it she might even earn herself some nice perks.”

Frankie whimpered. I was willing to bet that was all he could manage. I tightened the grip on my gun. I was going to enjoy killing that motherfucker.

Just when I thought I couldn't wait any longer, Hank kicked in the front door and two men went running to investigate. That left me with the talker and one of his goons.

I took advantage of the moment and quickly took a shot at the guard and then managed to shoot the man talking to Frankie.

I did a quick perimeter search and then returned, crouching next to the guy who was staring up at me with a maniacal, bloody grin. “Fucking cop,” he gurgled, blood spurting from his mouth.

I grabbed him by the collar of the shirt just as Hank returned. “Where the fuck is Ivy?”

The man just laughed. “Someone got a soft spot for the good girl?” He taunted, his eyes turning glassy. “By the time you figure it out, it'll be too late. A girl like her sells easy.”

The man began to jerk as he suffocated on his own blood. I dropped him like trash.

I returned to Frankie and untied him. He was in bad shape. But I had to see if he knew anything. “Frankie, I need you to tell me if you know where they took Ivy.”

Frankie tried to open his eyes but they were nearly swollen shut. He made desperate gargle noises and I worried that he might be choking on his own blood as well.

“This man needs a hospital,” Hank said, worried. “They really worked him over.

“That's nothing compared to what I'll do to him if Ivy dies.”

If I were thinking rationally, I would've realize that it wasn't Frankie's fault that Ivy was in danger but the fact that she was had obliterated all sense of reason.

I gripped Frankie's lapel. “Do you hear me? Where is Ivy?”

Frankie’s voice was a mere whisper as he struggled to make the words. ”McDougall warehouse."

I looked to Hank. McDougall…“That's in the industrial area. Call it in. We're going to need back-up.”

“Are you sure about this? You're taking the word of a POS like Frankie Callan? If we're wrong, it’s our asses in a sling. The McDougall warehouse has been abandoned for decades.”

“But if we’re right…we might save an innocent life.”

I was going to say something about finally closing the case and finding justice but, fuck all that shit, I just wanted Ivy safe.

Too his credit, if Hank felt differently, he kept it to himself.

After the ambulance came and bundled Frankie away, I couldn't wait a moment longer.

“Let’s go,” I said to Hank tersely. I would leave with him or without him and Hank knew it. I was operating on a one-track mind and there was no deviating from the track once started.