Authors: Derek Blass
“
Shaver had a gun hidden under the sheets of his bed. If you want to be so critical, go kill these bastards on your own.”
“
Really?” the Chief said, moving around his desk toward Tyler. “You really think you can come into my office, my lair, and fucking talk to me like that?”
“
You're a step too close to me,” Tyler said. Just as he did, the Chief let a telescoping baton fall from his side and he swung it at Tyler's left shin. The baton connected with a hollow thud and sent Tyler reeling onto the ground. He pulled his gun out from its holster and fixed it on the Chief.
“
You asshole! What the hell do you think you're doing?”
“
Put that gun away, son.”
“
Fuck that—I'm about to splatter your teeth.”
The Chief emitted a hearty laugh. “You can't kill me! I'm your dealer Tyler. I'm your pimp. The second you betray me is the last time you get to shoot up. Think about that and then put your gun down.” Tyler grimaced. “See, you can feel the truth. Imagine your life without me. You'll be tossing salads in jail so soon that you won't be able to tell anything else ever existed.” The Chief smiled as Tyler slowly lowered his gun.
“
You're going to track Shaver down and kill him this time. But, time is of the essence, my dearest Tyler,” the Chief said as he sat down on the edge of his desk. “The true prize we're chasing here is that fuck Martinez. We can silence voices, but that video is infinitely reproducible.”
“
Shaver should be easy, I'll just go back to the hospital.”
“
I think your anger has clouded your judgment, Tyler. First, there's no chance in hell that you would be able to get back into that hospital anytime soon. Second, it's a moot point because Shaver isn't at the hospital anymore.”
Even in his anger Tyler had to acknowledge the scope of what the Chief knew. “Where is he then?”
“
Like I said, you need to track him down.”
Tyler gathered himself and rose up, using the chair as support. He gingerly tested weight on his left leg. “There's one thing I haven't had the chance to tell you. When I went to Martinez's house, I saw two people leaving.”
“
Did you recognize them?” the Chief asked.
“
No, but I got their car's license plate number.”
“
Okay, give it to me and I'll follow up on them. You focus on finishing off Shaver. If you can't track him down and kill him in the next twenty-four hours, I want you to back off and find Martinez instead. I don't know what he intends to do with that video but...” A phone rang in the Chief's breast pocket.
Tyler watched as the Chief listened intently to the caller. When the murmur from the phone stopped, the Chief slowly closed the phone and looked at Tyler.
“
Change of plans.”
T W E N T Y-O N E
__________________________________________________
A
ll right Diego, we just got to the hospital. Will call you if we find anything,” Cruz said, ending the phone conversation. Cruz and Sandra were still in their car. Dusk had drawn down on the city. Cruz watched exhaust fumes rising behind the car and looked down at his watch—four days since the incident. Fall was in full bloom all around them. The trees varied in colors from maple brown to pumpkin orange to bright gold. He felt a bit of disappointment because he had missed the start of his favorite season.
“
How do you suggest we go about finding Martinez?” Sandra asked.
“
Well, you're the hotshot so I think you'll have a better chance at getting information than me.”
Sandra blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I've got a few journalist tricks up my sleeve.”
“
Sounds good—let's go then.”
They stepped out of the car and walked toward the hospital's main entrance. It was a medium-sized hospital teeming with people. Doctors and nurses passed each other. The ones leaving were grim from a hard day's battle, while those entering carried a renewed sense of hope. Patients in gowns stood outside smoking cigarettes. Others were pushed around in wheelchairs, taking in the last remnants of another nearly forgotten summer. Sandra and Cruz passed through the front entrance and walked to a reception desk. The line must have stretched forty people long and Cruz looked at Sandra in dismay.
“
Don't worry,” Sandra told him. “I've got some tricks—remember?” Cruz took a place in the line while Sandra moved up to the front. Each person she passed flashed her a contemptuous look.
“
Hey!” someone screamed. “What the hell you think you're doing? We've been waiting here for over an hour. Get to the back!” The people in the line murmured their assent. As if on stage, Sandra wheeled around with a flashy reporter smile already affixed to her face. Her eyes twinkled with a freshness as if they had never been opened before.
“
Everyone, I understand your frustration. My name is Sandy Gutierrez and I'm with 9 News.” Cruz heard a woman shriek behind him and whisper, “Oh my God! I watch her every night.” Sandra continued, “I know you've all heard about the murder of those two policemen and we're here to investigate it. We need to get some information before the cops get here though, so I'd appreciate it if you let me talk to the station attendant here first.”
“
You mean the double killing connected to the murder of that old Hispanic man?” asked the same man who had just yelled at Sandra.
“
We aren't sure they're connected yet, but that's why I'm here,” she responded.
“
You must have some sense of it,” a woman behind Cruz said. Cruz smiled. Sandra played to these people's nature, and curiosity overrode any sense of injustice.
“
Off the record?” Sandra said with a smile. “Off the record, I think something is going on.” Everyone in the line started chattering amongst themselves. “I knew it!” someone said from behind Cruz. In the distracted moment, the line's occupants forgot they were even waiting around. Cruz saw Sandra talking to the attendant, who pointed to a corridor to his right. Sandra waived Cruz up.
“
Off the record?” Cruz asked with a questioning but playful look on his face.
“
Told you I had some tricks.”
Cruz laughed, “More like abuse of power!” They walked down the hospital's corridor in tandem. “Where we going?” Cruz asked.
“
Down to the end, turn right and then third room on the right.”
“
The attendant just told you where he was?”
“
Yep,” she said lightheartedly, naïve to the effect she had on people.
“
I'm pretty interested to see what Martinez is like,” Cruz thought out loud. They turned the corner and stopped in front of Martinez's room.
“
Geez...” Sandra said. Martinez was sprawled out on his back. His leg was elevated and an IV bag hung next to his bed. They crept into Martinez's room and when Martinez stirred, Sandra clutched Cruz's arm and started to turn around.
“
Who the fuck are you two?” Martinez growled without opening his eyes. His hands stirred beneath the sheets. Both of them stopped in their tracks, caught and without an answer.
“
I'm really sorry—we thought this was...” Sandra started.
Cruz picked up the slack, “My name is Cruz Marquez and I'm here with my friend Sandra.” Martinez slowly opened his eyes, which were encrusted with dirt and stuck together as he tried to peel them open.
“
Fuck off.”
“
Hold on, we've been investigating the Rodriguez killing,” Cruz said. “We saw a part of a video taken by a cameraman...”
“
Max.”
“
Yeah, Max.”
“
How's he?” Martinez asked.
“
Uhm, he's dead,” Sandra answered. “Shaver killed him.”
Martinez's head sunk. “It'll come back 'round to him sometime.”
“
Almost did, we think ...” Cruz said while glancing at Sandra.
“
What do you mean?” Martinez inquired, his interest rising.
“
Well, our guess was that you and Shaver got into a pretty intense chase, is that right?” Cruz asked.
Martinez had become more alert and looked at Cruz and Sandra warily. “Timeout—I just told you all to fuck off. Why the hell should I trust you?”
“
There's really no reason, I guess. I'm a lawyer activist in the Latino community. Sandra is a reporter with 9 News.”
Martinez laughed. “Okay...that doesn't help.”
Cruz frowned and said, “I can't get you to trust us this fast I guess. But, what happened that day is…it's of extreme importance to the community.” Cruz said.
“
So what do you need me for, activist lawyer? I'm just a little cop.”
“
We need to see if you know where the original video is.” Martinez visibly tensed.
“
What do you mean original?”
“
Well, we got our hands on a copy but something was wrong with the file.”
Martinez managed to pull himself up and leaned on his pillows with a sigh. “What are you planning to do with the video?” he asked. Sandra and Cruz looked at each other. In the midst of chasing the video, they hadn't really thought about what they would do with it if they got it. Martinez sensed their hesitation and added, “I mean, a lawyer and a reporter. You two are here to make a quick fucking buck.”
“
No, no, no!” Cruz said quickly. “I guess we hesitated because we just haven't talked about it yet, but...”
“
But what we want to do is use the video to show the kind of injustice that exists,” Sandra finished. Martinez smiled inside as he heard her words and thought about what Williams asked of him before dying. Just as Martinez stopped to think about what they were saying, a male nurse came into the room. He went over to the IV bag hanging next to Martinez's bed and switched it out for a new one.
“
Is everything okay in here, sir?” the nurse asked. Martinez looked at the male nurse suspiciously.
“
What happened to the nurse that was just in here an hour ago?” Martinez asked.
“
Shift change,” the male nurse answered as he walked out of the room. That's when Martinez noticed the nurse was wearing heavy work boots. Mud had fallen off of the boots and was on the floor.
Martinez looked at Sandra and Cruz and yelled, “Get down!” They looked at him in surprise and stood stupefied instead of dropping. He repeated his command and they hit the ground and covered their heads with their hands. Martinez flung the bed sheet off and aimed his gun at the door. Cruz saw the male nurse come back into the room at the same time, his uniform gone and brandishing two guns of his own. When the nurse saw Martinez's gun, he dove down toward Sandra while firing shots in Martinez's direction. Martinez returned fire and Cruz struggled to move to Sandra. He looked up and saw a gun aimed between his eyes.
“
Let her go!” Cruz screamed. Plaster and dust rained down on them. The pungent smell of spent casings burnt his nose. The four of them sat in a triangle of pistols. One gun pointed at Cruz and the other at Martinez by the nurse. Martinez locked onto the nurse. The nurse was gauntly built, deathly looking. His eyes were the ominous dark gray of storm clouds.
“
Now, you're going to lower your gun,” the nurse said while looking at Martinez.
“
Let her fucking go!!” Cruz screamed again. Spit flew out of his mouth and landed on the nurse's forehead who gave him a look of disgust.
“
Why would I do that?” Martinez asked the nurse coolly.
“
I'm going to blow both of these bitches away if you don't.”
“
What makes you think I give a shit? I just met them.” Cruz's body was shaking as fear and rage engulfed him. Sandra was sobbing with her head in her hands. The nurse had her in a choke hold.
“
If you want the blood of these two maggots on your hands, then go ahead and try to shoot me. Otherwise I'd suggest that you lower that
fucking
gun!”
“
Let the girl go first,” Martinez said.
“
No chance in hell,” the nurse said. “She's coming with me for security. Or, you can hand over the drive and I'll leave everyone here as they were.”
Martinez hesitated before responding, “What drive?”
“
Don't fuck with me Martinez,” the nurse said.
“
You have the drive here?” Cruz asked, surprised.
“
Just who the hell are you to know my name and where I was?” Martinez asked the nurse.
“
All in good time Martinez. Now decide. I get this bitch or the drive.”
“
Fuck you asshole!” Cruz screamed.
“
I don't have the drive,” Martinez said slowly, “so it looks like you're gonna have to take her.”
“
No, please no...” Sandra cried.
“
Martinez, you can't let him do this!”
“
Do what? I've got nothing here! You want me to pull this drive out of my ass? Ain't gonna happen.”
“
Okay then,” the nurse said as he stood up while pulling Sandra with him. “No struggle now, sweetheart. I've got a really twitchy finger,” he said with a sinister laugh. “I'll keep her until you come to your senses and give me that drive. Get your cell phone charged up because I'll be calling you with your deadline to decide.” With that the nurse started backing out of the room, using Sandra as a shield. Cruz watched as he pulled her into the hallway and then pushed her in front of him. The nurse jabbed his gun into Sandra's back. Cruz instinctively lunged forward but stopped when the nurse whispered, “One more motion toward me and your little girlfriend is dead.” They moved away as Cruz fell to the ground, exhausted and distraught.