Mystery & Cops 5: Gangs Negotiation

The gangs are acting up as one of them shot by another rival gang over some dispute. Now war had erupted and the streets are lined with blood. It had been over four days now, and all the cops in the Precinct have been working with little rest. Frank, Dan and myself was one of those many, and it was hell for us. I got twelve bodies in the Morgue for Dan to looked at while Frank have got twenty five cars on the streets with my section; six cars out there with a dozen officers working full day.

I looked at the wall clock; it was near midnight and the cells are empty except for one detainee; Chavez Martinez. He is bad dog with the gang he runs with, long rap and longer non-stick charges. We caught Chavez by opportunity; he was drunk in the bar at seven this evening and we picked him up. He was in the cell by eight before we cleared the others out. Most of the boys called the night off after the arrest and so was myself.

"Jim, you hang on back. I want you here when the Fed take him." The Captain speaks you f******g listen. I nodded as the rest went off. Some pat me on the back but who cares; the old f*** holding the fort. My partner, Sam offered to stay me, as Marcy had left us for other works. She had registered for missionary works in the Southern Continent.

Frank was my pal, when he offered to stay with me.

"Jim, the Feds called. They are arriving early morning. By then Chavez out of our hand."

I laughed at the notice. If the Feds come before dawn then I am buying pizza tomorrow for Frank. I asked Frank who else was in the building. We occupied a rectangle unit with a large carpark on the left and a dump yard on the right. Its a double triple level building with a basement for the cells. One main double half glass half wooden doorway and the rear metal door. There are six front windows, eight on the sides and three on the rear of which one was sealed with a metal plate. That's the evidence room. The ground level includes the station front office, with Frank's counter, and three rooms on the left side for the duty office, two large room at the rear, the evidence room and armory. My section resides on the first level, and six rooms and one common area. The upper floor was the administration and records plus the discards of the precinct.

There six of us that night at the Precinct besides me and Frank. The others are at home or on the streets.

I called Jenny hoping to catch her awake.

"Huh?" That's the hello you get for being married for over twenty years. I told her I am not coming back that night.

"Uh.." That was followed by the click on the other end. I guess, she gotten used to me being late or not coming back. Well, that's one relief for her as no one would be nudging her in the bed tonight. It was after that, I saw Dan coming towards me. He brought over hot coffee and doughnuts.

"I attended to Bernice and thought I accompanied you till dawn." Dan' wife was bed ridden, and semi comatose now. Besides his normal work at the Coroner, he attends to her or drink with me. We sat down and chat till Frank came up the stairs. The clock had then read as two in the morning.

"Jim, we lost the phone connection. Our portables are also down." Frank told me. "I radioed the patrols to call in if necessary."

We been having these recently, and the telco companies to hang in there. The gang fights have vandalized some of the lines too. They are overworked like us. I offered Frank the doughnuts and coffee, and to chat with Dan. It was not long then, we heard some commotions downstairs. As Frank was going to go down and check, we saw the arrival of five gang members; Chavez mates armed with automatics and handguns.

Manuel 'M&M' Martinez; the younger brother of the one in the cell walked up to me. He looks like his brother, with the bandanna wrapped around his forehead, and garish looking shirt with jeans. He had tucked in a handgun in his waist band and carried the AK47 like a baby. The other four are similarly dressed with more guns and knives.

"Detective, I am coming to take my brother out." It was then Chavez walked up with his hand holding a gun.

"Manuel, we can't leave yet. The Slickers are here." The rival gang must had trailed them here. Both of them are not on terms since Chavez killed one of their lieutenants. "They got the place surrounded."

"F***! Call in the others." Manuel shouted, but his lieutenant told him they jammed the lines and cut the wired lines.

"Cabron!" Manuel cursed in his native tongue. "All of you downstairs."

We followed suit and there was the rest who had manned the Precinct. They all looked well and were herded to the cells except for me, Frank and Dan. The last was singled out as he was recognized as the doctor. They may need him if there was any wounded. I counted ten of them excluding Chavez and Manuel.

"Dirty Dozen, huh?" I taunted at Manuel. "Who would you be? Telly the bald guy?"

"Detective, the only reason you and the Sargeant are here because I want you to open the armory." The armory was protected by a metal door and the key was with the duty officer, which was myself.

"M&M, we can blow the door, and get the guns." A young punk holding the AK47 spoke up. The outburst earned the young punk a slap on the face.

"You fool! You blow the door and this place goes up like the atomic bomb/" Chavez spoke up. He was also the one who slapped the young punk. Then the older member walked to the front window. He moved from there to the side windows before he stepped back to cursed of the situation.

"I counted like twenty of them; all armed." Chavez spoke to Manuel. "What happened to the others of ours?"

"They are guarding the turf. Some are distracting the patrols." Manuel replied. "We saw the place was with a small team so we came in to rescue you."

"And nobody saw the Slickers? Fools,. All of you are fools." Chavez was in rage. "Now we are trapped."

"We have hostages..." Manuel spoke up again but Chavez interjected into his line.

"Hostages? Do you think those M***** F****r cared if you have hostages? They would shoot first and run away. You die here and the cops would hunt your family like dogs." Chavez shouted at his brother.

"Brother, we came here to save you. We are family." Manuel was getting emotional. Then was the time I stepped in.

"Boys, spare the emotions. I may have a way out for you." I stepped up to the two brothers. "Chavez, tell them to put down their guns. I would call in the patrols on the radio and soon you would see SWAT here."

"No! I am not surrendering to you." Manuel shouted out. "I came here to take my brother home. My mama needs to see him."

"No, detective. The Sancho' does not surrender. We fight to the death." That roared up the room with the others shouting their support. It was then one of them said he saw a white flag. It was the Slickers.

"Bah! Let me shoot the cabron.." The young punk walked to the door cradling his AK47, but Chavez stopped him.

"Let the Slickers in." Chavez ordered the one at the door. He then grabbed the AK47 from the young punk.

The Slickers are dressed in the same fashion but they have one a dark leather jacket with greased hair. The one who came in was their leader; Carlos Dino or better known as T-Rex.

"Hey, Chavez. We are here to equal the score. One of you. "T-Rex point to Chavez and Manuel. "And we all go home."

"I be f*****d!" Manuel raised up his automatic but the elder brother stopped him.

"T-Rex, your lieutenant drew on me. I had to shoot to defend myself." Chavez told the Slicker.

"No more grounds for appeal now, Chavez. We even or we get more of you."

I had seen enough, but it was Frank who walked up to the young punk. He pulled T-Rex by the leather lapels and spoke.

"Carlos, I busted your balls many times that I can count. I saw you grew up here. So don't get pushy with me. I can still break your balls one more time." Frank used to do the street beat and he walked the East Side. He then turned to Chavez. "Both of you too. I was there to call the ambulance for your sister, Maria. So don't pissed with me. Or you wished your mama had not given birth to you."

Manuel wanted to rush up but Chavez held him back. Frank let go of Carlos and asked them all to sit down in the Duty Officer's room. He then glared at the rest if they want to do anything foolish. None took up the offer from Frank.

In the room, Frank and myself stood facing the three gang members. Dan took to stand by the door watching the other boys.

"What Jim said earlier was true. He left out the part on the Feds. You hit the Feds, you go for a long time. You hit my boys, you end up here dead." Frank let his words sink in. Then he continued on.

"So we parlay now." Frank looked harder at Manuel who eventually nodded. "Chavez stays here. We hand him for trial. You boys go home. And leave my guns alone."

"No way, old man." Carlos replied. "He killed my member and he pays."

"He would pay but not with bullets. He would do time and when he comes out, he may be like me...an old man." Frank looked at Chavez. He wants the older one to think carefully of the options.

"No way Chavez goes to jail. I would kill anyone who tries that. Or even tries to kill him." Manuel was back on his own element as the gang member but this time Chavez slapped him.

"The Sargeant is right. I killed a man but it was in self defense. I can't prove it, but I am willing to do time." Chavez spoke to his brother. "I would be out in five or six years maybe, if I plea for reform."

"But...Mama..." Manuel tried to tell his brother but the elder one was firm on his decision. He also knew that would defer the fight here where they might lose and all of them died.

"Carlos, you tell your boys, I would be back and waiting. If they still want me. But not here, not today." Chavez spoke to the Slickers. "Ain't no good for us to spill the war to them? They don't know our rules."

Carlos looked at the Sancho leader. He nodded and stood up. Then he looked at Frank.

"Never threaten me again. Or I would....." But Frank ended the statement for him.

"End up on Dan' table with your innards removed and that includes your balls. So f*****d off and don't ever let me bust you again."

Carlos took his leave and Chavez went back to his cell. The Sanchos' saw the Slickers have left so they also packed up except for the young punk. He drew on his handgun and pointed it at Frank.

"Nobody makes us looked small. Nobody......" It was Manuel who grabbed the handgun and slapped the young punk with it.

"You are in if you listened to me. Or fish elsewhere." The young punk stormed out from the Precinct. Manuel took his boys out and soon the first patrol car came back for the shift change.

"What a night! We were running and chasing these members on their bikes and cars." Brian muttered out. "Anything interesting happened here? I ain't heard any radio calls for the last two hours."

"Like usual, we got some business but nothing we cannot handle." Frank replied as he cleared his desk.

The Feds came at six fifteen and I lost one pizza. I made my way home and creep into the bedroom. Jenny was still sleeping and I was in need of a shower. As I stripped down my clothes, I changed my mind. I climbed into the bed and cuddled up to her.

"Jimmy Barnes, get off my ass and get cleaned up in the shower. I got to get up for school in an hour." That was her cue for it won't be a quickie this morning.