| Powder Monkey March 2010 |
Short Story 6
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| Dealing by Tony Rivari |
“Glad you came.” Ward extended his hand.
“You knew I would. I owe you a couple of favors.” The plain clothes police
officer accepted the hand shake. “What brings you out on a piss poor night like
this?” He looked around. It was hard to see more than twenty feet away in the
dark, misty, cold night.
“Give me some info I want and you won’t owe me anything.”
“Ah, hell. How many laws do you want me to break?” The cop stepped
back and stared at Ward.
“None, I just want some info. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Look. You’re not going to take care - ”
“Shelly’s cousin died earlier today from an overdose of coke. I want to
know who her dealer was.”
“There ain’t no way of knowing that.” The cop and mage looked at each
other for a moment. “Honestly. There’s so many dealers, there’s no way of
knowing unless there was something in her stuff.”
“I found nothing. Why are there so many dealers? I thought the Mayor as
suppose to be cleaning the streets?”
“That creep? Hell, we think he may be the head of the biggest gang in
town. Either that or he’s been bought. Any time we arrest any of the dealers on
Fifth he arranges for them to be let go. Damn there’s a lot of loop holes in the
law. Wish we could shoot lawyers.”
“That last part is a latter for another time. Fifth you say.” Ward started to
leave.
“Hold it.” The cop grabbed Ward’s arm. “You ain’t going down there right
now.” He returned Ward’s look. “Glare all you want. But I’m not letting you go
wipe them out.”
“Do you honestly think you can stop me?”
“Probably not. But I’ve got too many friends down there.”
“Friends?”
“Undercover cops. Guys I’ve worked with. Some I’ve known since high
school. Might not be able to keep the jerks in jail for long, but we’re at least
trying to do our job.”
“Okay, good answer. Tell them not to be down there tomorrow night.”
“You serious?” The cop seemed startled. “You want me to go tell the
Chief that tomorrow night he’s to pull all the undercover agents off Fifth and the
only reason is this strange guy told me to do it? Are you nuts? No one will take
me seriously. Hell, they might make me go take a piss test. The Chief is going
to want a reason and you ain’t a reason. Ward, I know you, but he doesn’t. Ain’t
going to happen.”
“Get them out of there.” Ward again started off.
“Look,” The cop moved to block Ward’s departure. “I’ve gotten to know a
little bit about you. I don’t know for sure what type of powers you got, but you
ain’t normal.”
“That could be taken as an insult.” Ward chuckled as he spoke.
“Not funny. Those are my friends, fellow cops. I don’t want them to get
hurt. I’ll go with you. Tell you which ones to wax and which are the good guys.”
Wide eyed the cop looked Ward in his eyes.
“You would reveal undercover agents?”
“I’m not worried about you turning them over to the gangs. In a strange
way you’re on our side. I am worried about them getting in the line of fire. Do
what you want with the bad guys. Frankly I’ll be glad to see something
permanently done with them.”
Ward took a few moments to think. “I want those creeps. I’ve never seen
Shelly so upset.”
“They’re yours.”
“Come on.”
“Now?”
“You won’t be able to ID your friends?”
“Lets go.”
*
Intersection of Fifth and Main, one end of the section of Fifth where the
dealers hung out. Where anything was for sale. Ward and the cop are in the
mage’s car about to cruise down the strip.
“Ah, nice car.” The cop could not believe how the car was equipped. He
was scared to touch anything. “Did Q design this for you?”
“Cute. Now stop looking around in here and look out there where your
friends are. I think they might appreciate it.”
“Ah, right. There, the long red headed bum. Leave Fred alone.”
“No problem.”
“How are you doing that?” In disbelief the cop watched several dealers
put a bunch of small packages into their mouths.
“Old joke. If I told you I’d just have to kill you.” Ward chuckled as he
spoke. After a first shook over the comment the cop also chuckled. “Now where’
s your next friend?”
As they slowly passed the men standing on the street corner, many
signaling for them to stop, the officer pointed out his friends. Then he enjoyed
Ward’s new tactics, the dealers began fighting each other. Soon the gutter was
red. Something that did not seem to disturb either man.
“I’m tired.’ Ward remarked. “Let’s go get some coffee and donuts.”
The cop started to say something, then shook his head and remarked, “I
know a great place.”
“You knew I would. I owe you a couple of favors.” The plain clothes police
officer accepted the hand shake. “What brings you out on a piss poor night like
this?” He looked around. It was hard to see more than twenty feet away in the
dark, misty, cold night.
“Give me some info I want and you won’t owe me anything.”
“Ah, hell. How many laws do you want me to break?” The cop stepped
back and stared at Ward.
“None, I just want some info. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Look. You’re not going to take care - ”
“Shelly’s cousin died earlier today from an overdose of coke. I want to
know who her dealer was.”
“There ain’t no way of knowing that.” The cop and mage looked at each
other for a moment. “Honestly. There’s so many dealers, there’s no way of
knowing unless there was something in her stuff.”
“I found nothing. Why are there so many dealers? I thought the Mayor as
suppose to be cleaning the streets?”
“That creep? Hell, we think he may be the head of the biggest gang in
town. Either that or he’s been bought. Any time we arrest any of the dealers on
Fifth he arranges for them to be let go. Damn there’s a lot of loop holes in the
law. Wish we could shoot lawyers.”
“That last part is a latter for another time. Fifth you say.” Ward started to
leave.
“Hold it.” The cop grabbed Ward’s arm. “You ain’t going down there right
now.” He returned Ward’s look. “Glare all you want. But I’m not letting you go
wipe them out.”
“Do you honestly think you can stop me?”
“Probably not. But I’ve got too many friends down there.”
“Friends?”
“Undercover cops. Guys I’ve worked with. Some I’ve known since high
school. Might not be able to keep the jerks in jail for long, but we’re at least
trying to do our job.”
“Okay, good answer. Tell them not to be down there tomorrow night.”
“You serious?” The cop seemed startled. “You want me to go tell the
Chief that tomorrow night he’s to pull all the undercover agents off Fifth and the
only reason is this strange guy told me to do it? Are you nuts? No one will take
me seriously. Hell, they might make me go take a piss test. The Chief is going
to want a reason and you ain’t a reason. Ward, I know you, but he doesn’t. Ain’t
going to happen.”
“Get them out of there.” Ward again started off.
“Look,” The cop moved to block Ward’s departure. “I’ve gotten to know a
little bit about you. I don’t know for sure what type of powers you got, but you
ain’t normal.”
“That could be taken as an insult.” Ward chuckled as he spoke.
“Not funny. Those are my friends, fellow cops. I don’t want them to get
hurt. I’ll go with you. Tell you which ones to wax and which are the good guys.”
Wide eyed the cop looked Ward in his eyes.
“You would reveal undercover agents?”
“I’m not worried about you turning them over to the gangs. In a strange
way you’re on our side. I am worried about them getting in the line of fire. Do
what you want with the bad guys. Frankly I’ll be glad to see something
permanently done with them.”
Ward took a few moments to think. “I want those creeps. I’ve never seen
Shelly so upset.”
“They’re yours.”
“Come on.”
“Now?”
“You won’t be able to ID your friends?”
“Lets go.”
*
Intersection of Fifth and Main, one end of the section of Fifth where the
dealers hung out. Where anything was for sale. Ward and the cop are in the
mage’s car about to cruise down the strip.
“Ah, nice car.” The cop could not believe how the car was equipped. He
was scared to touch anything. “Did Q design this for you?”
“Cute. Now stop looking around in here and look out there where your
friends are. I think they might appreciate it.”
“Ah, right. There, the long red headed bum. Leave Fred alone.”
“No problem.”
“How are you doing that?” In disbelief the cop watched several dealers
put a bunch of small packages into their mouths.
“Old joke. If I told you I’d just have to kill you.” Ward chuckled as he
spoke. After a first shook over the comment the cop also chuckled. “Now where’
s your next friend?”
As they slowly passed the men standing on the street corner, many
signaling for them to stop, the officer pointed out his friends. Then he enjoyed
Ward’s new tactics, the dealers began fighting each other. Soon the gutter was
red. Something that did not seem to disturb either man.
“I’m tired.’ Ward remarked. “Let’s go get some coffee and donuts.”
The cop started to say something, then shook his head and remarked, “I
know a great place.”