CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

 

There was potential Li would reveal he knew Jack’s real name but he thought it would’ve been done as soon as he entered the shop.

He drew himself up to full height, hoping his bulk would intimidate Li, but the smaller man didn’t back down.

"I saw the tail you put on me last week.” Jack huffed. “If those shits for brains had done their job correctly, you would know I haven't been a cop for four years. When I lost my family, any support the department had promised blew out the window. My brothers in blue," he spat, "called themselves family, but in the end, they abandoned me when I needed them the most."

"You lie," Li said.

In a way, Jack had felt let down by the department, but it was nowhere near the scale he now told Li. He hoped Haniford and the others understood this was part of the act. "When I was a cop, I made some connections with the Triple Sixes—Prez, Lobo, Doc, and others.” He jerked his head at the group behind him. “When I needed help, they were there for me. Now they're my family. They have my back in ways the cops never did."

"Isn't this what every cop promises . . . to protect each other?"

"You'd think, right? That everyone wearing the same uniform belongs to the fraternity and you can trust they'll have your six no matter what? It's all bullshit. For most cops, the badge just means superiority and nothing more. Look at the news, man, and you'll see cops abusing that power every day." Jack handed the saddlebag full of cash to Haniford, turned halfway then thumbed over his shoulder, indicating the patch on the back of his cut. "This means something. They mean something. Except for marrying my wife and my daughter's birth, the day I was patched in was the proudest day of my life. I've sworn my life and my blood to every one of my fellow Sixers." He turned back to face the drug lord. He lowered his voice and said, "The loyalty you have from your gang comes from fear. You wouldn't die for any of them and they know it. You're all about how much money you have and keeping your thugs so scared of you they'll do anything you ask just to stay alive. And if they fail you . . . disappeared. So what? There’s always someone else to take their place, right?" They all knew Li killed anyone who got in his way. Prosecuting him for it was another story.

"Yes," Li hissed. "If they fear me, they won't steal from me."

"But where is the loyalty? And respect." Jack jerked his head to the thugs surrounding them. "You don’t have even fearful respect. Just fear. For us, it's not about the money. What we make is shared equally within the family. And we take care of the families left behind when one of our own lays down his or her life for us. Can you say the same?"

His heart pounded so hard he felt the blood pulsing through his body, but he refused to break eye contact with Li, even as Haniford stepped up beside him and said, "Starting to smell hinky if you ask me, brother."

When Li remained quiet for too long, Jack said, "Shit or get off the pot. If we're going to do business, let's stop comparing cock size and get down to it. If not, there's always someone else who'll do business with us."

As one, the group took a step forward to stand with Jack. Chin moved out from behind Jack and clutched his arm again.

A long moment later, Li finally stepped away and ordered his men to stand down. "Such dedication to your family. I admire this. We will negotiate, and if it pleases me, you may be useful to me in the future."

Li moved to the opposite side of the table with Kenny and Kai in their usual flanking positions—Kenny to Li’s left and Kai to his right. The others maintained their positions around the Sixers but had holstered their weapons. Li nodded to Kenny to open the briefcase. He did and spun it toward Jack.

"What's this all about, Li?" Jack demanded, still buzzing from the confrontation. The briefcase contained four tightly wrapped packages of equal size.

"You were correct. Logan has been developing a new product for me."

Li indicated with a thin finger to Kenny who produced a small clear pouch from his pocket. He opened it and scattered the contents onto the gray weighing scale tray.

“Candy?” Jack growled.

"Armstrong calls these Little Dragons." Li palmed a small, glistening green tablet to show Jack the dragon imprinted on the surface. “Appropriate, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, real cute.”

Haniford stepped closer to look at the tablets. “What’s this shit, Hardcase?”

"This, Mister President,” Li said, “is unlike anything else you will find anywhere in the world."

"What the hell's in it that makes it special? Look how small it is.” Haniford’s chuckle was echoed by the Sixers.

"Yǒu shí, zuìxiǎo de biānpào huì fāchū zuì xiǎngliàng de bàozhà shēng."

The men turned to Chin for the translation of Li’s statement.

"Sometimes the smallest firecracker makes the loudest bang," Chin said.

"Correct." Li sounded surprised at Chin’s accurate translation. "Anyone who takes just one of these will feel its effects within a few minutes and will last through the night."

"You’re living in a fantasy world, Li," Haniford said. "Nothing lasts that long."

Li held the tablet closer to Haniford. "You try, then you tell me if I lie. This one tablet will give you everything you desire—euphoria without hallucinations, infinite energy, increased alertness, lower inhibitions but without losing free will. And more.” Jack nearly laughed, thinking Li sounded like an old-world snake oil salesman, but he held it together. “Just one of these reveals your true self and allows you to fulfill your desires." He nodded toward Chin then looked at Jack. "You want to fuck this one all night? You can do it. Orgasm make you cry."

"Wǒ huì ràng nǐ zài wǒ de jiǎoxià kūqì, lǎotóu." Chin stomped her foot, but Li only chuckled.

"You are too bold for such a small woman, but you come to my bed, and I will make you cry until you beg for mercy."

Jack spluttered at the thought. “What makes you think I can’t do that already?” Why was he baiting the man?

Li held the tablet toward Jack. “Ride the dragon and see.”

“Nah, I don’t shit where I eat.” Li tossed the tablet back on the scale and shrugged. "Whoever called me said you wanted fifty K but didn't say it was for this. I know it won't pay for the quantities of narcotics I asked for, so are we now talking about fifty for the pills or a down payment on the shit I ordered?"

"You are direct. I like that." Li grinned, folding his hands in front of him.

Jack glanced at Haniford who said, "Let's get this over with. We came to make a deal, so let's do it. It's getting late and my old lady is waiting for me at home."

"I hate chewing on bones, Li, so let's get to the meat. If we're talking about the pills, what are we looking at . . . weight and cost?"

The pills had a much better likelihood of getting Li more prison time over common street drugs, but of course, amounts mattered. Since the Little Dragons were a new drug, it’s likely they hadn’t been tested beyond a couple of Li's volunteers. Haniford would want to get them into the lab as soon as he could to determine the compound and if they had the potential to kill anyone.

Hadn't Armstrong told him previous incarnations of the drug had made people sick?

"So, you wish to negotiate on this product. Does it mean you will no longer require the other items you requested?" Li asked.

Jack glanced again at Haniford who nodded quickly. "Yeah, we still want the other shit, but if this is as good as you say it is, we definitely want in on this too."

Li looked between Jack and Haniford before saying, "Very well. Let us make a deal. We will go to my office."

"We're good right here," Haniford said. "Unless you have a problem with that. The product is here, scales are here, and Doc with his test kits."

"Very well. I had thought we could negotiate as gentlemen in the comfort of my office over a cup of Longjing tea—our ancestral Dragon tea—to celebrate our collaboration."

"Do we look like we drink tea, puta," Ray blurted, his tone full of attitude. Jack lifted an eyebrow in his friend's direction. Ray had been silent until now but his outburst made their group chuckle.

"Lobo." Haniford's low voice warned Ray to keep himself in check.

Li jerked his head at Kenny who pulled out each of the four tightly wrapped packages from the briefcase and put them on the scales one at a time. Jack silently calculated as each package was weighed—two kilos in all . . . two point two pounds.

Cutter then stepped forward and extracted several single use reagent test kits. Each kit tested for different drugs. Everyone watched as he added a tablet from each package and crushed it into the liquid in the small pouches. Each changed colors in turn.

Several minutes later, Cutter said, "I've got X, meth, LSD, and trace methaqualone."

“Quaaludes?” Jack asked, using one of the street names for methaqualone, also known as just ludes.

Cutter nodded. “I haven’t seen disco biscuits in years. I thought they dropped out when the hippies did.” He glanced from Jack to Li. “We need to talk with your chemist and see if he’s making his own quaaludes or if he’s a buyer.”

“Good idea, Doc,” Haniford said, “but I’m sure this product has been tested. It’s safe, right?” he asked, glaring up at Li.

“Of course,” Li replied.

Cutter held up the last kit. "Something else is testing positive but I don't know what it is. Bring in the chemist and he can put our minds at ease."

Jack put up a hand. “We know where to find Li if this shit is hinky. For now, let’s concentrate on what’s in front of us.”

Cutter nodded and stepped back from the table.

They had enough here to take down Li. The lab would eventually confirm the last drug. Even if the two kilos of pills had just been X or meth, the prosecutors would be very happy to take Li to trial.

"There are one thousand pills in each package. This is why you have brought me fifty thousand dollars." Li nodded to the saddlebags still draped over Haniford's shoulder.

"What about the other gear I ordered?"

Li rattled off another amount for the weights of coke, heroin, and meth totaling the fifty thousand. "If you would prefer to use your money on that, I am happy to have my men bring the drugs here and take away the pills. It is your choice."

“What if we want both?” Jack asked.

Li grinned crookedly through his scar. “What is the saying? Show me the money.”

Looking at Haniford, he flicked a glance toward the crates of weapons they'd passed. The LT nodded.

Jack took the saddlebags from Haniford and emptied the bundles of money out onto the table. "Fifty grand for the pills now. When you have the gear I ordered, we'll come back with money for that."

"Agreed."

Li motioned to Kenny who quickly transferred the pills into the saddlebags and the cash into the briefcase, then closed both before handing the briefcase to one of the thugs behind him. He exited through a door at the back of the warehouse. At the same time, Jack handed the saddlebags to Haniford who passed them back to Waters.

Money and product had exchanged hands. The deal was made, and now Li was done. He just didn't know it yet. But Jack wanted to be sure Li went down for a very long time.

"Let's talk about those." Jack thumbed over his shoulder to the crates.

Li slowly looked up at Jack. "Please explain."

"You're not just dealing drugs, man," Jack said enthusiastically. He quickly went to the crate with the loose lid and slid it off. He'd been correct the first time. Inside the pine crate were ten AK-47 assault rifles in a five over/five under nesting configuration. One end of the crate was filled with magazines and at the other end were boxes of 39mm rounds.

Jack grinned as he lifted out a rifle from the rack plate inside the crate. He turned the weapon back and forth in his hands, inspecting it. He jerked his head at Ray. "Lobo. Check these out."

Li's men became agitated when Ray rushed to Jack’s side, but Li motioned for them to hold back. From the corner of his eye, Jack saw several hands move to the handguns tucked in waistbands and holstered under jackets, but Li’s thugs remained in place.

Li said, "These weapons are promised to another buyer. I would be happy to negotiate with you if we happen to come across these items again."

"That's not gonna work for us. We want these weapons. We don't want to wait, and we have the cash. You can find more AKs for your other buyer."

"I cannot do that, Jack."

"What's it gonna take to sell us these guns?" Haniford asked, moving over beside Jack and lifting an AK from its rack plate to inspect.

"You don't understand,” Li said. “These weapons have already been purchased. I cannot sell you something which has already been sold.”

Haniford said, "We'll match whatever they paid and add ten percent. Call it a getting to know you bonus."

Li was quiet for a long moment before saying, "I will contact my supplier and ask for what you want."

"These are what we want," Jack insisted, taking another weapon out of the crate. "You can either give us a price for these crates, or we'll just take them.”

In his peripheral vision, Jack saw Ray and Haniford quietly loading rounds into the magazines and carefully placing them into the AKs. Ray flicked him a glance, telling Jack to swap weapons with him. He loaded a magazine into that weapon as well.

Ray lifted his weapon from the crate and aimed it toward the ceiling and various points around the room. "These are real sweet, ese."

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Kenny and Kai flipped the table on its side and pushed Li down behind it. Moments later, the thugs spread out from opposite sides of the table and drew their nine mils as they moved toward Jack and the others.

Jack swung his AK around and aimed it at the approaching men, but the threat of the AK didn’t stop their advance.

Kai was the first to fire. The bullet shattered the corner of a nearby crate. The splinters felt like a dozen wasps stinging Jack’s cheek and neck. Fuck! His heart thudded hard and his breath caught. That was too close for comfort. Jack and Haniford’s team dove behind the crates for protection.

Between the crates, Jack saw Kenny split off from Kai, both men now firing in Jack’s direction. Everywhere the bullets hit sent sharp slivers of timber arcing over them.

Thugs from around the warehouse came out of hiding, firing too as they rushed forward.

Aiming the AK around the crate, Jack randomly fired off a few rounds as Ray pulled out more boxes of bullets from the crates and helped Haniford and the rest arm themselves.

Jack’s AK clicked, telling him he was out of bullets. Ray thrust a freshly loaded weapon into his hands and refilled the empty magazine before carefully rising over the crate to see where Li’s men were.

Haniford whispered loudly down the ranks. “Try not to kill anyone. Just hold them back. SWAT’ll be here any minute if they heard the gunfire.”

Jack fired a few more rounds then quickly looked down the row of crates. Everyone was armed except Amy Chin. She crouched on the floor like a frightened child, with her hands over her ears.

Jesus, Jack swore to himself. He didn’t need to babysit her at a time like this. Thank God she remained where she was at Cutter’s side.

Cutter.

His peace-loving friend had done a one-eighty and looked every bit the pissed off biker as he let go several rounds with a growl.

Jack turned his head and peered between the crates again. Kenny and Kai had rushed back to Li behind the tipped over table and crouched behind it.

Jack took a deep breath and rose. He spun the AK around and carefully fired a single round into the ceiling just above Li. Debris rained down over the three.

"What’s this all about, Li?” Jack shouted above the sound of whistling bullets. “I thought we were just talking.”

“This is not talking,” Li shouted from behind the table. His men stopped shooting but kept their guns trained in Jack’s direction.

“Your man fired first. There was no call for that. We’re still negotiating.” When Li remained silent, Jack added, “To show good faith, we’ll put down the AKs. Tell your boys to back off so we can complete our business with you.”

A moment later, Li’s men back-stepped toward the shadows.

As promised, Jack laid his weapon on top of the closest crate and slowly stepped out from behind the pine boxes, elbows bent at his waist, hands raised to show he was weaponless. Ray and Haniford remained where they were, weapons at the ready.

“Isn’t this much better?” Jack asked. He heard Li grunt from behind the table. “Show yourself and let’s talk like men. We want the AKs and I kinda think you want the money."

"You don't understand. If I let you take these weapons, a man more powerful than you or I will become very angry."

"Not my problem," Jack said. "Tell us what you want for these. We're taking them with us, one way or another."

Li was silent for a moment before calling out to his men in Chinese. As Jack waited for the drug lord’s decision, Chin rushed up to the edge of the crates and whispered, “Jack, he’s giving his men orders to surround us and take us out. Take cover. All hell is about to break loose.”

Jack and Haniford exchanged a quick glance as Li’s thugs started moving in opposite directions around the warehouse. Jack rushed back behind the crates just as bullets started flying again.

Haniford fired his weapon toward the ceiling; the rapid burst of bullets ricocheting off the timber beams and sending chunks fanning out across the warehouse. Li’s men dove for cover.

“Your nine mils aren’t a match for the AKs. Back off now and we’ll let you walk out of here,” Jack shouted.

Li roared from behind the table. “You come into my house and disrespect me like this?”

“Your man fired first, Li. If you want to play hardball, we’re ready. Remember what I said. My family is prepared to die for me,” Jack said. “Can you say the same?”

Li shouted again in Chinese. Jack turned to Chin, who interpreted. “He asks what they’re waiting for. He gave them orders to kill us.”

For a moment, the warehouse was filled with silence. Were Li’s thugs thinking about what Jack had said about loyalty?

Suddenly, Kai rushed out from behind his cover. Screaming in Chinese, he lifted his weapon and started firing as he ran toward Jack. Bullets flew in erratic trajectories, but Jack and the others were tucked safely behind the crates.

From behind a nearby crate, Harry quickly rose, aimed her AK and let off one single shot. Kai jerked back, his feet momentarily off the ground before his lifeless body landed hard, back first, onto the filthy concrete. Blood quickly flowed from the wound in his head.

“Who’s next?” Jack asked.

Jack saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see a dark shadow move out from behind a steel rack full of cardboard boxes marked with Chinese characters. The shadow drew up his weapon on an extended arm and aimed it in Jack’s direction. Jack quickly reached for the AK on the crate beside him and felt someone punch him in the back, throwing him against Chin. He lost his balance and fell to the floor where Chin screamed as she held him.

Ray fired into the shadows. A yell was followed by a thump. “Got him,” Ray growled.

Just then, the door on the Grant Avenue side of the building banged open.

"FBI. Everybody, drop your weapons. Get on the ground, face down!" shouted an agent. Jack heard the group rushing around the warehouse and weapons hitting the hard concrete floor.

Almost immediately after the FBI’s entry from the rear of the warehouse, another team entered through the shop door. Officers swept their Heckler and Koch MP5s along the backs of the crates. Jack’s team had already tossed down the AKs and had their hands over their heads.

“On the floor . . . on the floor now!” several officers shouted as they fanned out around Jack and the others. Everyone else did as they were told, but Chin kept holding him tightly.

He turned his head and watched SWAT officers move in quickly to strap flexicuffs onto Haniford and the team’s wrists and perform standard pat downs before hauling them, one by one, to their feet and frog marching them out of the warehouse through the shop door.

An officer towered over Jack with his weapon aimed at him. “I said on the floor. Now.”

Jack’s head swam as adrenaline coursed through him. What else did this guy want from him? He was already on the floor.

Chin’s voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere behind him. “He needs help. He’s bleeding.”

Another officer appeared from around the crate and pulled Jack off Chin and tossed him to the floor, face down. Instantly, he was gasping for air. He struggled to breathe as the officer knelt onto him and performed his pat down.

Chin rushed toward him but was pulled off by the officer who had been patting him down. Jack saw him lift her off the ground like a child as he hauled her against the crates, forced her arms behind her and cuffed her before carrying her kicking and screaming from the warehouse.

He realized then how much his back hurt where the officer had knelt onto him. His vision swam with the pain.

Jack slowly turned to face the other direction and saw a pool of blood beside him.

“Get that board in here. Now!” shouted the officer standing over him.

Jack closed his eyes against the pain, felt himself pulling away from consciousness.

He was jostled back to awareness as he was lifted, then he was rocked back and forth and jolted like he was on some crazy amusement park ride. Only he wasn’t laughing.

Loud voices drew nearer and suddenly he was in the middle of the cacophony. Cold air washed over him. He briefly snapped open his eyes as a mask was positioned over his mouth and nose, forcing clean oxygen into his lungs, but he still couldn’t breathe. He tried lifting a hand to remove the mask, but his arm was heavy. His body was heavy. Even his eyelids as they obliterated his vision again.

Whatever he was lying on was jostled again, then it landed roughly on a hard surface. He groaned. White lights screamed behind his eyelids. He tried opening them again but couldn’t. Where was he? He felt himself floating.

He was thrown to one side and his skin prickled from repeated poking. He attempted to brush whatever it was away, but his arm and hand refused to move.

His mind was dark. He felt himself pulling away from the heaviness, from the pain. The fight went out of him and his body relaxed.

Somewhere around him came a long, shrill sound.

“We’re losing him!” someone shouted.

The last thoughts in Jack’s mind were those happy times when he’d come home after work to find his family waiting for him in the kitchen. His heart swelled with love and the expectation of being reunited with them at last.

He heard himself whisper, “Is this what it’s like to die?" just as he slipped away.