Ruby Dawn

by Raquel Byrnes

  Lopez walked to the corner to talk on his two-way radio.

  “What’s happening, Agent Sagebrush?” My gaze slid to Lopez where he stood with the radio pressed to his face, his other hand balled into a fist.

  “Uh, Dorris.” She pushed glasses up on her nose and smiled.

  I remembered where I’d seen her before, the picture on Tom’s mantle. He’d had his arm around her in front of a lake.

  “Dorris, then,” I offered. “I didn’t expect things to move so quickly.”

  “Tom called last night. He said that the owner of Flow, Jason, was burning up his phone, trying to find out if Tom was ready to move on the product immediately.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “Tom said Jason told him he wanted to move on the order as soon as possible.” Her face was tight, her smile forced.

  “That was fast. Tom just started to put pressure on him to move didn’t he?”

  “When Jason’s supplier lost the clinic as a way to mask shipments, they likely upped his price. Jason must know that things are falling apart. If he wants to stay in business, he’ll want to move the product quickly to get cash back in his hands. Jason needs to buy as much pharmaceuticals as he can to keep him going until he finds another supplier.”

  “OK,” I said, worried. “What about Antonio?”

  “We found him. He’s holed up in his cousin’s house, nursing that gunshot wound from the fire-fight at the Sports Medicine Wing. We have a team sitting on the house, and we’ll get him as soon as we bust Jason. He won’t be a problem.”

  That news made me feel better.

  I tried to loosen the knots in my neck. “Is this, uh, is this normal?” I suddenly had too much spit in my mouth. “I mean, do operations turn on a dime like this?”

  “It’s a rollercoaster ride. That’s part of the job.”

  “Where is Tom right now?”

  “He’s all set to meet up with Jason, he’ll arrive at Flow in a few minutes, I expect.”

  I wiped the sweat on my slacks as something hard and cold settled in my gut. “Did you talk to him? Is he OK?”

  “Oh you know Tom. He could sell you your own coat. He’s fine.” Dorris’s laugh made me feel worse.

  “Listen, I’m two inches from the edge here. I need information or I’m going to lose it.”

  She moved me towards the back room and pointed out the window. “You see that flower van out there? It is full of surveillance guys. They’re tapped into cameras positioned around the outside of Flow, in the building across the street, a great view. Two agents are sitting out in the lobby, and we’ve got a couple of cars parked down the block. Tom is covered.”

  “The fact that you look nervous is what’s scaring me, Dorris.”

  She sighed and then nodded imperceptibly before speaking. “If Jason thinks things are falling apart he may get desperate to cover his tracks. Fear makes people unpredictable. But if we can arrest him for selling drugs to Tom, then we can probably flip him against his supplier. That’s who we really want.”

  “I know, but Tom…”

  “We have eyes outside of Flow. Tom is supposed to go there and make a buy from Jason. That’s it. If, for any reason they leave Flow then we have Air-Wing overhead, that’s a surveillance helicopter, tracking Tom’s SUV. I know this seems hectic right now, Ruby, but we do this all the time. It’ll be OK.”

  Lopez called to us from the corner. “It’s on, Dorris. Tom’s at the meet spot. I’ll be in the van.” He looked at me. “Just stay in here, OK?”

  “OK.”

  Lopez’s radio burped, a string of expletives erupted from it, and he stared at it with wide eyes. “Say again, Morris. Say again.”

  The tinny voice shrilled out from the radio. “I said we have a problem. Tom drove to the front of Flow and two guys got into the SUV and dragged him out.”

  Heart tumbling painfully in my tightening chest, I rushed over to Lopez, straining to hear the radio he now held to his ear.

  “What’s happening?” I gasped.

  He leaned away from me, plugging his other ear with an index finger. “Get inside that club, now! Move everyone!”

  Morris’s voice faded.

  I heard shouts in the background.

  “Go, go, go!”

  Lopez ran for the exit with Dorris on his heels. He slammed through the back door, towards the surveillance van.

  Fear squeezed the breath out of me.

  Tom was in trouble.

  I ran after them. I caught up with Lopez, who shouted into the radio while running, “What’s your status? Do you see him?”

  I ran next to him, trying to listen over the pounding of my heart.

  The radio static interrupted with Morris’s answer. “That’s a negative. Tom is not here. I repeat; UC is not here.”

  Panic sent my heart racing. “Where is he?”

  Ignoring me, Lopez pulled open the rear doors of the van, scrambled inside, and barked questions at the guys monitoring the surveillance feed in the van. “Do we know who took him? Was it Jason?”

  Scott, dressed in a white flower shop uniform, sat at one of the monitors on the van’s inside shelf. “We didn’t get a look at them, they had masks. They got in on either side of Tom, and yanked him towards the alley behind the club. We don’t know if they went inside.”

  “What about the guys guarding the back?” Lopez rubbed a palm across his forehead.

  “They’re down. Ambulance is on its way.” He looked at Lopez, sweat popping out on his lip and nose. “When the street team got inside, they got Jason and Mia, but didn’t see Tom. We don’t know what happened.”

  I pushed past Dorris, elbowing my way into the back of the van, panting. Cramming into the space behind the driver’s seat, I stared up at Lopez’s anxious face.

  “What do you mean we don’t know what happened? Where’s Air-Wing? They should be feeding us something.” Lopez grabbed a headset off Scott and pulled it onto his own head. He shouted into the mouthpiece. “Air-Wing-Seven, Air-Wing-Seven, what is your location? Do you have eyes on the building?”

  I waited, not breathing, for the response. Watching Lopez, I tried to read his expression as he listened on the headset.

  His face registered shock and then he pointed to me. “Get her out of here.”

  Scott pulled from behind the seat and pushed me towards the open doors.

  “What?” I grabbed Lopez’s shirt on my way past. “What did they say?”

  “Then who has Tom?” Lopez shouted.

  “Please, tell me what they said. Do they see Tom?” I pled.

  He peeled my hands away and shoved me towards Dorris’s arms. “They said three identical white SUV’s left the club’s garage right before our team got inside. The Air-Wing pilot picked one and followed.”

  Dorris wrapped her arms around me, pulling me out of the van.

  The look on Lopez’s face made my breath catch in my throat.

  “Lopez,” I begged. “What happened?”

  He leaned forward, his face a mask of worry. “They picked the wrong SUV. Tom wasn’t in it when they pulled it over.”

  Dorris half threw me towards the sidewalk, her face crinkled with fright. She scrambled back into the van. They slammed the doors shut and drove off, leaving me bleary eyed and trembling in the middle of the street.

  Dazed and in shock, I wandered back to the salon on wobbly legs, my pulse pounding in my ears. Shuffling into the examination area, I stood motionless at the small desk in back, staring at the wall mounted clock over the bulletin board. The red second hand swirled over the face, metering out the time in silent circles.

  Behind me, someone cleared their throat. I turned, a scream ripping from my lips as I faced a grinning Antonio.

  “Hey, Doc.” He lifted his hand, and pointed a Taser gun at my chest. “We gotta talk.”

  I turned to run, but a piercing fire surged, slamming me to the ground. My body convulsed on the floor, and I smelled something familiar. Antonio’s face flo
ated in front of my eyes.

  Everything went black.

  40

  Dresden Heights Detention Center

  Ten Years Ago

  The teacher, old Mrs. Hardwick, stopped mid-sentence when everyone’s head whipped left to the open windows of the Biology class.

  “Griffin!” Tom’s angry scream ripped the air.

  I scrambled out of my desk and ran to see outside.

  My movement spurred the rest of the class, and everyone rushed to the windows. They jostled and pushed while I struggled to see down into the grassy field. Someone knocked off the purple bandana wrapped around my ruined hair.

  Panic shot through me as I watched Tom run towards Griffin, his fist cocked back. I banged on the window. “Tom, no!”

  Too late, Griffin spun, meeting Tom with a tackle. They flew sideways onto the grass, twisting and hitting each other in a vicious, squirming knot.

  The students around me shouted and hollered in unison. “Fight, fight, fight!”

  I ran for the door of the classroom, but Mrs. Hardwick blocked my path. She shook her head, face flushed.

  “Stay here, Ruby,” she said and yelped a little when I ducked and ran out of the room.

  I raced down the hall, terrified for Tom. Griffin, a foot taller and twenty pounds heavier, wouldn’t stop hitting until someone pulled him off of Tom. I’d seen him pummel a boy last month over a brownie. The kid transferred to a medical facility to recover. I heard more shouting from outside as I pushed through the swinging doors. A crowd of kids encircled Tom and Griffin, chanting Tom’s name over and over again.

  Confused, I writhed in between two yelling girls.

  Tom bobbed around the inside of the circle, his arms up like a boxer. He pulled Griffin around with him like they were magnetized. The bigger boy swung and missed as Tom ducked and came up with an uppercut to Griffin’s chin, then bounced out of reach again. Griffin pulled his mouth into a bloody grimace and swung. He missed again.

  “Is this why you pick on girls, Griffin?” Tom shouted.

  He reached out and slapped Griffin on the cheek, the loud smack resounding through the throng of onlookers. The students, some still chanting Tom’s name, started laughing and pointing. Griffin’s gaze slid over them, his face growing crimson. He swung at Tom and missed again.

  Tom’s gaze wandered to my exposed hair and I brought my hands up, embarrassed. Distracted, he didn’t move in time to dodge Griffin. A crushing blow threw Tom down onto the grass. He scrambled to his feet, anger flashing across his features. His fist sprang back, ready to punch, no longer playing. Blood trickled down from a gash near his eye.

  My stomach lurched. “Stop this,” I screamed. “Just stop!”

  Griffin, panting and sweating, grabbed at Tom’s shirt. Tom twisted, ramming an elbow into Griffin’s face as he yanked away. Griffin stumbled to his knees, the crowd of kids screamed louder, shouting for Tom to kick him.

  Tom looked down at Griffin, wiped the blood from his eyes, and looked at his hand. He seemed surprised to see that he was bleeding.

  Beau dove into the crowd. The enormous security guard batted the teenagers aside like they were nothing, his eyes on Tom.

  “Watch out,” I shouted, but I was too late.

  Beau launched himself at Tom, taking him to the grass in a beige streak of uniform and pasty skin. The crowd scattered, including Griffin. I stood on the field, my stomach twisting as Beau flipped Tom onto his stomach and pulled his arms back, cuffing him with plastic ties. Another guard chased after Griffin.

  “Is this about you?” Beau growled at me.

  I shook my head and wrung my hands together, unable to speak through the lump in my throat.

  “Leave her alone,” Tom grunted, his face obscured by the soft dirt and tattered grass. “Look at her hair. Griffin did that!”

  Conscious of the stares swinging my way, I smoothed the bandana over my forehead. My fingers brushed my scar and I felt my face burn with embarrassment.

  “She couldn’t prove it,” Beau shot back and pulled Tom to his feet. “You have no right to take this into your own hands, boy.”

  “Oh yeah, who else woulda done something about it?” Tom shouted back, his pale eyes furious. “Who cares what happens to the throw-aways, right?”

  I stood frozen in the grass, cold despite the sun beating down. I watched Beau lead Tom away, my heart squeezing with fear. Tom’s attack on Griffin would only make things worse. I knew in my bones that this wasn’t over.

  ****

  The frothy blanket of unconsciousness melted away, leaving me with a throbbing headache. Something scratched my face. I opened my eyes and saw burgundy carpet. Laying in the rear foot well of a large car, I lifted my head slightly. A wave of nausea roiled through my stomach. I moaned away the lights flashing in my head.

  Antonio looked down from the front seat “I thought you were dead, Doc.”

  “I have epilepsy, you moron. You almost did kill me.”

  He pointed the Taser at me and sneered. “I still might do that, Doc.”

  I blinked against the dizziness and glared. “Why didn’t you just use your gun?”

  “I didn’t have time to argue with you,” he said and yawned. “Besides, you’re quieter when you’re passed out.”

  I tried to lift up, but still weak from the shock, it was impossible.

  “Stay down, Doc. I don’t want to see you sizzle again.”

  I collapsed back down on the carpet and let out a hitching sigh. “What do you want from me?” I whispered. “Haven’t you taken enough? You completely wiped me from the neighborhood, Antonio. What more do you need?”

  “You know, Doc, you’re about to find out what more I need.” He glared and the hairs on my arms stood on end.

  A horn blew outside, pulling his attention from me. He stared out the window, squinting. “There they are, Doc,” he said and pushed his way out of the driver’s side door.

  Antonio yanked open the door and pulled me out. He shoved the cold point of his gun barrel into my ribs, and I winced. Shipping containers and crates lined the concrete dock. We were by the water, near the harbor. Surprised to see the sun so low in the sky, I gaped at the darkening horizon.

  “How long was I out?”

  Antonio ignored me and propelled me towards the edge, his gun boring into my back.

  “Wh-Where are we going?” My legs, weak and wobbly, barely held me up.

  Up ahead, a fishing boat pulled up to the edge of the dock. The sun canopy, low over the passengers, hid them from view. Antonio walked behind me. We approached the boat, fear crawling up my throat. Voices, angry and urgent, sounded from under the canopy covering the back half of the vessel. Antonio walked me to the water’s edge.

  Two figures stepped out from under the canopy’s cover. Heart in my throat, I looked into Tom’s pale eyes. Face bruised and bloody, he stood with hands balled at his sides. My boss, Blaine, stood next to him, a gun in his hand.

  “Hello, Ruby,” Blaine said through clenched teeth.

  Shocked, I stared at my boss from the ER. “Blaine?” Tremors of betrayal rocked my stomach. “How could you be a part of this?”

  Blaine bared his teeth. “How could you ruin this? All you had to do was give in to Antonio and back out of the Sports Wing affiliation! Why couldn’t you just do what you were told?” Shaking with anger, his gun hand wavered near Tom’s head.

  I remembered the two men who rushed Tom in his SUV right outside of Flow. Antonio and Blaine. They took Tom from under the DEA’s nose in broad daylight. When they’d driven off, Lopez didn’t know who it was. Stomach flopping, I realized they probably had no idea where we were.

  “Get in the boat,” Antonio snarled.

  Eyes locked on Tom’s, I flinched when Antonio shoved me towards the boat’s steps. Still dizzy, I lost my footing on my first step, and went sprawling to the floor next to Blaine’s feet.

  Antonio laughed. “That’s one way to do it.”

  Tom rushed to my side,
his face strained, and worry in his eyes. As he helped me to my feet he whispered, “Do what I say.”

  I nodded, fear squeezing the air out of me.

  Blaine nodded behind Antonio. “What about your buyer, where’s Jason?”

  “They got him, man. Him and his sister got scooped up in the raid over at Flow.”

  “What? I told them to get out of town.” Blaine’s hand went to his head, infuriated. “How did it happen?”

  Shrugging, Antonio jumped down into the boat. “He had this whole thing with SUV’s going in all different directions. He lost it, dude.”

  “SUV’s?” Blaine looked confused.

  “He called it the…the cup and ball trick.” Antonio shrugged. “Where you got these three cups and hide a ball under one—”

  “I know what it is,” Blaine interrupted aggravated. “What was the point?”

  “He rigged them to blow; said he did some time in the military and worked ordinance,” Antonio said casually. He swirled his finger at his temple. “Dude’s loco.”

  “He blew up cops?” Blaine asked, a look of horror on his face.

  “Yeah, you missed the biggest show,” Antonio said laughing. “Just…BOOM!” He made a gesture with his hands, palms blowing apart from each other. “Cops flew everywhere!”

  Nausea whirling in my stomach, I held onto the rail. Tom’s eyes darkened, his lips pressed together.

  “Well, what about the money?” Blaine asked. “Did he have it with him?”

  “I don’t know, man,” Antonio shouted. “I told you, the guy went off the chain when he found out this guy was DEA.” He nodded towards Tom. “He started screaming about betrayal and family…he said he was gonna light everyone up.”

  “What an idiot.” Blaine’s face contorted with rage. “Do you think they took him alive?”

  “I saw his sister, Mia. Didn’t stick around to see if they walked or carried Jason out of the club.”

  “If he’s alive, he’ll flip on us.”

  “What about the deal in Chicago,” Antonio asked. “If we get another clinic up, we can make the delivery.”

  They’d only discuss deals in front of us if they knew we wouldn’t be around to repeat anything.