Human meats by the loads
I stood by the car
on the street. I had radioed the Precinct that I would be very late; the steers
are not moving. They called them that in Texas. I seen share of cowboy shows
when young. I walked up to the uniformed and got the update. The truck was
loaded with them steers when it broke down. While the driver was fixing the
truck, some dumb fool unlocked the pen behind. Now we have twenty steers scared
by the noise had gone on a rampage.
"Why was
there a truck passing here on my streets?" Frank gets agitated when
someone dropped shit on it. I ignored him while I walked past the traffic
pileup. I have a 10-71 Shooting, to investigate across the river. I made it
past the mess and grabbed the nearest patrol car I could find. I took over the
wheel and drove to the other crime scene. I arrived late, but they had more
than a shootout.
"Detective,
we came here on a 10-71 and found this." The uniformed opened up the back
of the truck. It was parked on level five in the multi-level carpark. The truck
contained ten bodies; shot and left for dead. They looked like migrants from
across the southern border; long drive to be buried here.
"No
witnesses, only the reports of the shooting heard as far as one block. We are
running then plate checks but we reckon it would turned out blank." The
uniformed gave me the update. I looked at the uniformed.
"If you want
my job, get in line." I told the uniform. There are some of these smart
ones which tries to be too smart. I drove back to the Precinct when the
Forensics took over. I did not want to meet Dan when he sees those ten bodies.
He would go bazooka and it won't be for days he would grumbled on his workload.
I avoided the morgue for that reason while I searched the web, for leads. I
narrowed my search to who would drive those poor souls so far to execute them.
Or had them executed.
There was a new
operation in the city; forced labor in the shops. Shops that processed designer
drugs. It used to be garment shops but then they moved upmarket. I got a few
names; Adrian Drew and Gareth Drew, cousins or some claimed blood brothers with
the same father. They have a long list on the activities that was considered as
felonies but there were no convictions due to lack of evidence. I would like to
have them picked up, but there are rules. The Commissioner backed me up for a
stakeout on them. He had to when the Mayor came calling with harsher words. It
was the fifth day when I went down to see Dan.
"They were
shot with 9x19mm Parabellum, and based on the trajectory, I would said they
were shot with an automatic." Dan told me on his findings while I stood by
his desk. He did not offered me seat and neither did I asked.
"From the
trajectory and bullet counts, I would not exclude the Uzi. I found 30 bullets
on them. That's one while clip." Dan demonstrated the shooting with the
sub-machine gun. He then collated his thoughts and continued on his report.
"There was a
discarded Uzi in the scene. Ballistics are checking the prints but I am sure
its the Uzi. I found something interesting." Dan adjusted his reading
spectacles. "There was a note in one of the deads. It read as
'La Guardia. In
Spanish, it meant ...."
"The
Guard." I knew that word. I also knew that the name also applied to a
organization that deal in smuggling. They are the front for Adrian Drew. I
decided to check on the stake out on Adrian.
The results were
'nothing to report'. But there was something interesting that happened that
day. I got a call for a 415 ( Disturbance ) downtown. I don't know they called
for us as that was handed by the uniforms but the call later became a 187 (
Homicide ). I reached the place which was a scrap yard for metals.
I met Frank there.
It was him that called. The uniformed had trapped the shooter in the scrap yard
office.
"It was a
fight among the Drew' boys and these outsiders, they ran towards here, and we
arrived." Frank updated me. "We broke the fight but they got loose
with more outsiders coming in to rescue their friends. In the ruckus, there was
a shot."
Frank pointed to
the dead body that was hauled to the side of the patrol car.
"He's dead.
Head shot from the rear." Frank pointed to the rear side of his head.
"We all split to each other boundaries. The Drew boys bolted and so did
some of the outsiders but there are two of them in them. They armed; shot at us
three times so far."
I saw Frank
looking at the arrival of the SWAT team. The specialist came prepared; bullet
vest and high powered rifles. They took their positions and then we all waited.
Its the standard procedure to negotiate, then the shooting would start. Or in
this case resumed. We did that all the way; the SWAT had no choice, they had to
charged in. They came out with two bodies; double tap on the chest.
"Frank, we
can dropped the 415 and proceed to 187." I told Frank while making the
call for Dan.
"It was a
187, Jimmy. You are getting old." Darned, for Frank to tell me that was a
loud ring in my ears. I took off and checked on the Drew' stakeout. I got
better news; Adrian was seen rushing out of his house. They are tailing him but
lost him in the streets. I widen the search and then Dan called me up.
"Jimmy, I
screwed it. The gun was not a Uzi. It was a Beretta M9; military issue. They
shoot 9x19mm Parabellum. I should had not concluded until Ballistics came back.
There were four guns." Dan moaned out his misconception."I also found
two Beretta M9 at the last shooting. Ballistics are checking those guns."
I slammed the
phone down. I really want to kill those bastards; anyone would do. I was angry
when someone does a multi homicides on my turf. I went off to Di Angelo. I
drunk three coffees, and half a dog.
"Jimmy, you
getting worked on for nothing. Have you seen a doctor lately? He could do some
blood test for you."
That last statement
threw me up over the roof. If I had been friends with Di Angelo long, I would
had socked him then. I walked off and the portable rang. I got my wanted news;
Adrian Drew was seen with his boys. They had him staked out, and we got a
warrant for possible homicide involvement. I owed one to the Commissioner; he
twisted some judge for the warrant.
"Police!"
The SWAT member smashed the door with the ram, and then his mates all rushed in
with their rifles leveled for short bursts. Once I got the all clear, I walked
in with my bravado drawn on my face. I found Adrian and three more of his boys
cuffed to the back. The uniforms took them down, including some guns but no
Beretta M9. I was to released my anger on them in my special room when Dan
called me up.
"The earlier
results matched to the guns we collected from the scrap yard."
I was back in the
starting block.
I was back in the
Precinct to run a series of checks; from army deserters to who was in the
military in my city. I was searching wild and mad, with all kinds of
presumptions. I was getting mad with the task. Frank walked in on me and placed
the coffee with the scones.
"Di Angelo
said you needed detoxification; Too much rotten meat." I was to lash out
when I recalled the words. I punched in the names of our dead subjects from the
scrap yard. And also the one who got shot in the head. Their names came out and
one common factor; they all had a military stint together in Iraq. More to it,
they did a short stay in Argentina as gaucho' or cowboys.
There were five of
them.
The only surviving
ones were Timmy Gardens and Micheal Cain. These two were not locals but had
leased a warehouse at the industrial area. I went over there and found the
place locked. If I was younger, I would had scaled the walls but at that time,
I decided a cutter would suffice. I cut the lock and then went into the yard. I
had to clobbered the two dogs who had bad manners. They won't be chewing bones
for a while. I did not go inside the premises but looked in past the windows.
I had my reason
for entry.
I called in and
the Narcotics came with siren blazing. We found a drug factory but no workers.
The state was alerted to find them; for murder, narcotics and human
trafficking. It was not long when one turned up; Timmy was shot dead in street
shootout with the uniforms when he resisted arrest. Then there was only Micheal
Cain.
The call came in
and I was blaring on the streets with the siren. Micheal Cain was in Adrian
Drew' house. He had shot three guards and holding the owner hostage. We had the
house surrounded; the SWAT was getting edgy with the calls, but I told them to
backed off while I walked to the house. I went in by the front door, stepping
over the dead guard, before convening on Micheal Cain in the library with
Adrian Drew hogtied with razor blade wires to the armchair.
Micheal was
wounded; I saw the bleeding from his chest and right thigh, but the Beretta M9
was threatening. He also had a razor blade wire on his neck; and it was
constricting the air flow.
"Micheal, we
could negotiate." I made slow insteps towards the military personnel.
"We could also place the Adrian if you helped me."
"No,
Detective." Micheal waved the gun at me. "We take care of our own.
Just like when we were a squad."
I was running of
time. I cornered him on the things I needed to know.
"Tell me
about Argentina."
Micheal told me
everything. They went over to Argentina, did some sightseeing to clear their
head. They ended up in La Guardia. They were approached by the local drug cartel;
they claimed they would finance the operation from drugs to guns and also the
workers. All the boys needed was a place to work., preferably near the seaport
or airport. It was a simple arrangement.
The problem was
when Adrian Drew found out. He wanted in or they don't do. The boys were
smarter. They negotiated with Gareth Drew. They severed the Argentinian line,
and worked with Gareth on a new line. The issue was how to removed the workers
which was on the way up. It was like in Iraq, no one cared if they are not
known. They planned it like a bad deal that went down. The Uzi was to throw the
scent off. It did not worked. Adrian went for them at the scrap yard; their new
operation base with Gareth. Adrian still wanted to work with them, so it was a
no gun talk but the brawl took place, and the Police came. It was then one of
them pulled a gun and fired. Micheal and Timmy escaped during the fight. That
was when they went crazy on the whole deal.
Until then.
"Detective,
we do the works together." Micheal shot Adrian in the face while I shot
him on the chest. He went down with the last shot. The SWAT stormed in but they
held their fire.
Soon we picked up
Gareth but he was let off for lack of evidence. I hit the coffee again. It was
my preference to liquor. I tried to call Rose, but gave up before the phone
rang. I went back to Jenny. She was sleeping when I reached the bed. I wanted
to reached for her but held back. We have our marriage, but we had our love.
The next day, I
got the news.
Gareth Drew was
shot dead; on his body was the hot brand 'Gauchos'.
Justice was
served. Late but it was a matter of time.
Footnote:
It only take a few
minutes to understand it but it may take years for us to work out the issue.
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