“Nobody move,” he said through the truck’s loud speaker, “or I’ll run my vehicle straight into those pretty little bikes.” He stepped on the gas pedal and raced across the street, heading straight for the parking lot and the line of multi-colored street bikes.
As he gunned the engine, the two holding Sawyer let go, their hands reaching over their heads. Troy screeched to a halt, jumped out of his truck, and had his gun aimed at the three of them as he called for backup on his radio. By the time he had the three men cuffed and their Miranda rights read, two cruisers and an ambulance arrived.
“Take these three to the Tumbleboat station,” Troy said, pushing one of them towards a cruiser.
“Tumbleboat?” the officer questioned. “That’s not exactly protocol.”
“I don’t’ want them in Key West with the rest of their friends,” Troy whispered to the officer. “Having them in the Key West jail might spark their friends to get a little over-zealous. With Spring Break, we don’t need any trouble.”
The officer nodded. “Good thinking, Captain. Anything else?”
“I want the three of them separated and booked on assault and battery charges. I’ll question them myself when I get there.” Stepping closer to the deputy, he mumbled that any phone calls to be made by the three were to be delayed. Not waiting for a response, he looked over at Agent Sawyer, who had been strapped to a gurney and was being placed in the back of the ambulance.
Troy eyed a paramedic and nodded in his direction. “How is he?”
“A few broken ribs. Bruised and cut, but he’ll live.”
Troy walked over to the medic and whispered in his ear. “He’s a government agent. I want him taken to the Naval hospital.”
The medic, his eyes wide, looked at Sawyer before his gaze landed back on Troy. He nodded, stepped into the back of the ambulance, and closed the doors.
Seconds later, the siren sounded, and the ambulance tore out of the lot.
Back in his truck, headed for the Tumbleboat precinct, Troy used the down time to call Sin. He filled her in on what happened, and she told him she would meet him at the station.
19
Sin was surprised by the events Troy described as she ended the call. Sitting on her bike outside of the kava joint, she made one more call before heading to meet Troy.
“This is Dr. O’Rourke.”
“So formal.”
“Sin?”
“Yeah, sorry for the call, but I need your help.”
“Are you hurt? That seems to be the only time I hear from you.”
“You can fill me with guilt later and no. I’m not hurt.”
“That’s good news. How can I help?”
“An ambulance is on its way. A Secret Service agent by the name of Sawyer. I need you to take his case.”
“Not exactly hospital protocol. I’m not sure if he’ll even be admitted.”
“I know a little about the agent’s background,” Sin said. “He’s ex-marine. Use that information if needed.” Sin knew Deb played by the rules, but she pushed her luck anyway. “His injuries are minor, but I need you to hold him until I can get there.”
Sin heard a sigh and footsteps.
“I’ll do what I can,” Deb said.
“Thank you.”
“See you soon. And Sin—”
“Yeah.”
“Stay safe.”
“Always. Thanks, Deb.”
Sin pulled up to the Tumbleboat precinct, parked beside Troy’s truck, and stepped inside. She could tell by the hush and the stares of the deputies that they knew she was coming. She showed her creds to the lieutenant in charge, introducing herself. In turn, he told her Captain Stubbs was expecting her and led her to the interrogation rooms where Troy was waiting. He stood, staring through the one-way glass at one of the three assailants.
“Have you spoken to him yet?” she said, standing next to him.
“No, I’m just sizing up the three, trying to figure out the weak link.”
Sin eyed the man in the interrogation room a little longer. “See the way he’s twitching, trying to scratch his arm on the table?”
“Yeah. When I cuffed him back at the club, I noticed the tracks on his arm.”
“Heroin?”
Troy shrugged. “Possible. No matter what it is, I’d say our boy needs a fix.”
Sin let those words percolate for a while. When she did speak, it was as if Troy hadn’t even mentioned it. “Where are the other two?”
“Interrogation rooms two and three. I’ve already done the same to those two. Care to take a gander?”
She studied the man in the room for a few minutes and collated some mental observations before she nodded. “Lead the way.” After studying suspects two and three, she and Troy spoke the man in interrogation room three.
Sin saw him shaking as they entered the room. He looks like he’s still a teenager, she thought. “We have a few questions for you, Mical.
“I swear, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he mewled. “I just thought it would be cool to ride with those guys for a few days.”
“You’re not a member of the Black 6?
Mical glanced at Sin before dropping his head toward the floor. “I swear.”
Troy stood. Mical jerked his head up as he heard the scrape of the metal chair against the tile floor. “Please don’t hurt me,” he mouthed.
“Relax,” Troy said. “No one’s is going to hurt you.” Troy stepped behind Mical and pulled his shirt away from his shoulders. “No tattoo,” he said.
“I told you, I’m not a member of the Black 6”
“Look at me, Mical,” Troy said. The teen looked up, his lips quivering. “Do you have a family?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where?”
“Tavernier.”
“Is the bike yours or does it belong to someone else?”
“It’s mine, I swear.”
Troy eyed
