“Call me what you will, but I choose not to live in the land of lollipops and rainbows.”
“But, I do like hanging around you, Devi. You’re a nice break from my happy go, lucky friends.”
“If your friends are like that, remind me to avoid them like the plague.”
She guffaws, slapping her thigh. “Will do, Devi,” she says, trying to catch her breath. So, where did you get that scar on your chest?”
“Compliments of a Serial killer known as the Aztec. Long story short, I went to arrest him, and he tried to cut out my heart with the intent to eat it.”
She gapes at me in horror. “Wow… that is some crazy shit. So how did you survive?”
“I took my switchblade and jabbed it through his neck, severing his jugular.”
“Wow, girl. That’s’ some boss ass shit!”
“You put me in a situation where it’s you or me, it’s going to be you, or I am going to drag you down to hell with me.”
“Damn! Not to be fucked with indeed.” She returns back to reading her Stephen King novel… thank God.
I begin nodding off at the pool until I hear my name. I open my eyes and see Agent Munroe glaring at me through her aviator sunglasses. “Detective, I need to speak with you.” She turns to Christa. “Ma’am, you need to vacate the area.” She flashes her badge.
“Um, okay. Talk to you later, Devi.” She gets up and heads back to the apartment.
“What do you want, Agent Munroe? There’s no case to steal anymore.”
A sardonic smile forms on her face. “Yeah, let’s talk about your big case. Better yet, let’s talk about how you solved it.”
Shit, I don’t like where this is going. I get the feeling she knows about the charlatan act I pulled.
“So big hero cop, who triumphed over evil. The city can sleep once again.” She stuffs her hands in her suit jacket and sighs. “Too bad, it’s all bullshit.”
I glower at her. “Excuse me!”
She scoffs and sits down in the lawn chair next to me and scoots closer to me. “Don’t play me, Lobos. What if I was to tell you, Drake is not dead, and I think you lied your ass off to cover for him? Obstruction of justice is serious.”
“I would tell you to go fuck yourself.”
“Fuck me? Lobos, we know you helped Drake, but what I am trying figure out is why? The psycho murdered your partner’s wife and kids, and you still cover for him.”
“Agent Munroe, I have no idea what you’re talking about. The case is closed.”
“Son of a bitch! She grits her teeth. “That man invaded American soil and murdered US Citizens. What about your partner’s wife and kids? You just gonna pretend the case is closed on them too? Come on, I read your file. You’re a better goddamn cop than this? I can tell when someone is got to. Join me, and we can make these assholes eat their own shit.”
“I can’t!”
“What’d they tell you? If you don’t play ball, you will end up in prison for treason and all that jazz? Well, guess what? They can’t do shit to you, and you know why? Because soon, MI5 will be investigating their special anti-terror unit.”
“Listen, I want my Lieutenant to hear this.”
She leans back, resting her arms on her knees. “I already talked to Sullivan this morning, and he’s on board. What about you?”
“What if I refuse to help you?”
She crosses her arms. “Then I will be forced to launch an investigation on you for accessory to multiple murders, and obstruction of justice. But I know I won’t have to do that because I know you want another shot at shutting these assholes down.”
“Why are you just now sharing this info?”
“Well, it’s like this, I didn’t know if I could trust you or your department yet. You have to understand Drake, and his people have put spies in the police force in the past. They have silenced honest cops like yourself.”
“How long have you been trying to nail Drake and his people?”
“Interpol and the FBI have been tracking Drake’s kills for the last two years across the globe. He is an international serial killer. He has evaded authorities in several countries. So are you on board to help me end these bastards, or would you rather continue working on your tan.”
“You mean to tell me, you assholes been trying to nail him for two years, and you’re just now telling me about it?”
“We didn’t know it was him till now. See, each country he goes to, he changes his MO, making him hard to zero in on.”
I let out an exhale, briefly looking away from her “Can you assure me I won’t face any legal blowback from helping you?”
“Lobos, as I said, they have no cards left to play.”
If I want justice for Jason and his family, this is the only way.
I shake my head. “Alright, fuck it, I’m in. Now, who else does Drake have aiding him, other than Agent Conroy and Colonel Barret?”
“He has friends in the CIA and one US Senator we’re investigating in DC.”
“Of course, it’s a US senator.” My voice turns grim.
“So, what’s to stop the senator from escaping justice?”
“The Senator will be a tough one, but if we can capture Drake alive or Conroy. It will be pretty damning to the Senator.”
“Capture Drake alive? Won’t happen, he will just make us kill him, and Conroy is in the wind. Do you have any leads on Drake’s whereabouts?”
“No, and when I called the military base, they never heard of David Drake or Agent Conroy. However, my gut is telling me they are putting him on the first flight back to London.”
I roll my
