Page 51 of Cold Fury
“Yeah! You?”
“Yep. We got ‘em dealt with.”
More footsteps and shouts come from the front porch. A bunch of cops in tactical vests come rushing in with guns drawn, Johnny Carlton in the front. “Shit, stand down!” I shout. “It’s all taken care of.”
Johnny lowers his gun a hair. “You sure?”
“You got two Talons in the basement, locked in the bomb shelter with the drugs. They’re armed, so be careful. Black and Mack got the rest of ‘em. Shit, you took your damn time. You sure you weren’t hopin’ the Talon and us would just take each other out?”
Johnny’s mouth twitches. “No comment.”
Fifteen minutes later, all four of the Talon members are handcuffed and on the ground in the living room.
Johnny Carlton looks triumphant as he holds one of the baggies of crystal down at their eye level. “Breaking and entering, first-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell,” he lists in a singsong voice. “I’m guessing you boys have at least one prior felony drug conviction. That’s a minimum mandatory sentence of four years. Could be up to thirty.” Carlton shakes his head. “And we got another unit currently raiding the Talon clubhouse. You fucking stepped in it, my friends. You’re done.”
Quad is face down on the pavement, his hands cuffed behind his back. He struggles against the bonds as I approach him until my boots are inches away from his head.
“You’re shorter than I remembered,” I quip, staring down at him in satisfaction.
“Fuck you,” Quad spits. “Cop lover.”
Next to me, Mack tsks. “Language. Very unbecoming. But they’ll teach you better manners at County Finishing School.”
“You’ll pay for this, Fury, you motherfucker.” Quad retorts, cheek against the concrete.
I let out a loud burst of laughter. “Not sure you’re in any position to be makin’ threats, son.”
Quad turns his head as far as it will go, until he’s able to make eye contact with me. His lips curl into an angry leer.
“Good luck finding Kat,” he rasps. “She knows you’re to blame for what’s gonna happen to her.”
My mouth goes dry. “The fuck are you talking about?” I demand.
But Quad just twists his face away from me and lays it back down on the pavement.
“You motherf—” I rasp, pulling back my boot to kick him in the fucking gut. But Johnny yanks me back.
“NO,” he shouts. “You need to leave, Fury. You’re already too close to this. You touch him and you’ll end up getting charged.” He turns to the other cops. “Get him out of here.”
“Tell me where the fuck she is!” I yell as the cops lead me out of the house. Mack and Black are waiting outside. “What the fuck, brother?” Mack asks, looking alarmed.
“Quad said —” I begin, then shake my head.He just said that to get to you. He’s lying.
I grab my phone, punch in Kat’s number.
No answer.
I hang up and call Franco. He doesn’t pick up either. And he knows better. If he was there to take the call, he’d answer it for sure, no matter what.
My blood turns to ice.
By now, the cops are leading Quad and the others of the house. Storming toward them, I reach out and grab him by the hair, yanking his head up. “Where the fuck is she?” I roar. “Answer me!”
Carlton grabs me and hauls me back. “Fury, you stupid son of a bitch, stop!” he hisses. “We got an audience.” He jerks his head raises his brows. I scan the area and see that a few people have come out of their houses to stare. “And there’s gonna be cams on us. We can’t have witnesses to you beating on a suspect in custody.”
“Fuck!” I hiss, as the cops drag Quad into a squad car. Mack grabs me by the shoulder.
“Hooch,” he says. “She’s gotta be with Hooch. Let’s go get her.”