Backwater

by Carolina Mac

  “Don’t fuck around, kids,” said Farrell. “This ain’t a game.”

  Then Carlos walked past Farrell with cuffs in his hand.

  Teddy went for the knife on his belt and Farrell fired. He shot Garza above the wrist and the knife flew out of his hand.

  “You motherfucker. Why’d you do that?” Teddy clutched his bleeding arm and howled as Farrell pointed his SW and lined the Angels up along the wall.

  Carlos removed the weapons from the six kids.

  “Y’all sit down against the wall and wait for y’all’s ride,” hollered Farrell. “Don’t bullshit me when I’m pissed, or I’ll fucking shoot you in the goddam eye.”

  “I need a doc,” hollered Teddy. His shot arm along with his other hand and his shirt were covered in blood.

  “You’ll get one as soon as we get to DPS.”

  “I ain’t going to cowboy jail. That’s bad bidness.”

  “Tell me about the guy who gave you the K,” said Farrell.

  “How you know this shit, man?”

  “I find out what I need to know. That’s how. You fuck with me and I fuck you back. Simple.”

  Five minutes later Rocky arrived with a partner and a bus for the prisoners. “Hey, Farrell, what’s going on?”

  “Not much, Rock. These kids are coming with us. Take them all and take Mr. Garza to the infirmary. Jesse can talk to him there.”

  “Charges?”

  “Book them all on suspicion of murder in the State Hospital shooting. Two counts.” Farrell grinned. “Seven more for death row in Huntsville.”

  “Lucky seven,” said Rocky and he laughed.

  BLAINE tapped on the door of the Governor’s office and Penny Warburton, Cat’s personal assistant—a huge woman, but extremely efficient—opened the door a crack, recognized him, then let him in. “Is Gene here yet?”

  “He’s here,” said Mrs. Warburton, her face like a death mask.

  “Jesse should be along soon,” said Blaine.

  “I’ll wait for Ranger Quantrall in the outer office,” said Mrs. Warburton. “I have work to do.”

  Blaine crossed the room and sat down beside the Governor. She was sitting in one of the wing chairs in the seating area by the windows. He hugged her and noted how cold she felt. This was taking a toll on her. “Do you have a sweater?”

  She managed a smile.

  “You feel cold to me.”

  “I’ve been shivering for no reason.”

  Fear.

  Blaine strode over to the desk and took a couple of pictures of the note lying on the otherwise clutter-free surface.

  THIS WILL SOON BE MY OFFICE

  “Same plain paper and caps like the last note,” said Blaine and Gene nodded.

  A knock on the door announced the arrival of Sue and her team from the lab. Blaine pointed to the note on the desk and Sue raised a dark eyebrow. “We’ll be thorough.”

  “Thanks,” said Blaine. To Cat: “Let’s vacate and let Sue do her thing. Can you work down the hall?”

  Cat nodded, and Gene said, “I’ll be in the office with the Governor, and I’ll also put someone outside the door in the hall.”

  While the Governor was in the process of moving, Jesse arrived. He popped into the office to see the note then joined Blaine in the hallway. “Farrell brought in some suspects, and I’m going to start the interviews.”

  “I’ll follow you over,” said Blaine. “I have to talk to the Chief.”

  LUKE AND FLETCHER settled in behind the Central Library and expected a long wait. “What if he doesn’t come back from his ranch for like… two or three days?” asked Fletcher.

  “Then we wait. That’s what surveillance is all about. Waiting. You put in the time and you get the information.”

  “Sometimes,” said Fletch.

  “Yeah, only sometimes,” said Luke. “But, hey, we have coffee and a bag of donuts and our fridge is full. We’re good for a few hours.”

  La Grange.

  ANNIE had new orders and she waited on the porch with Casey and Neil for Travis to pick her up. “You guys got enough to keep you busy while I’m in the city?”

  “Sure, Mom. We’ve got stalls to clean and then I’m taking Casey on his first ride through the pine woods.”

  “Okay, good. There’s Travis at the gate.” She hugged them both and ran to jump in the truck.

  “Bye, Mom,” hollered Neil.

  “Bye, Mom,” echoed Casey. “That’s the first time I ever said that.”

  Neil gave him a fist bump.

  “We up for something?” asked Travis as Annie got into the truck.

  “Recon. We need to rent a condo.”

  “For you and me, baby?”

  Annie winked. “You got it, soldier. Our own secret love nest.”

  Austin.

  AT HEADQUARTERS, Blaine stepped down from the side step of his truck and media people swarmed him. They fired questions at him so rapidly it made his head spin.

  “The arrests Ranger Donovan made this morning, were they the gangers who killed the people at the State hospital?”

  “Y’all know I can’t comment on that yet. The suspects all have to be processed and interviewed. This ain’t instant pudding.”

  “Will you have something for us later, Ranger B?”

  “Let me talk to the Chief and I’ll see if there’s something I can give you.”

  “Why would a gang do a drive-by at a State hospital?” hollered a female reporter. “I don’t understand.”

  “A lot of things gangs do, make sense only to them,” said Blaine. “Many of their actions are irrational because their leaders are irrational—that’s about as close as I can come to an explanation.”

  The woman nodded her head. “Will Mary Polito have anything for us on the arrests?”

  “I’m meeting her inside in a few minutes. We’re working on something for y’all.”

  “What about Senator Royce?” hollered one guy.

  “What about him?”

  “When does he go to court on the assault charges?”

  Never. I hope.

  “I don’t know,” said Blaine, “but y’all can check on that for yourselves on the court docket.”

  “He was arrested at the mansion,” said another reporter, “That means he did something to Governor Campbell. How did he hurt the Governor?”

  “Sorry, I can’t talk about it.”

  JESSE met Farrell downstairs in booking as they were finishing up the last of Garza’s club members.

  “Hey, boss,” said Farrell, “Teddy Garza is in the infirmary waiting on you. He pulled a knife on me and I nicked his arm. After that we’ve got a six-pack in holding waiting for you to make them spill it.”

  “Thanks, I can see I won’t be out of here for a few hours.”

  Jesse strode to the end of the hall and tapped on the door of the infirmary. The nurse on duty showed him where Teddy Garza was reclining, his right arm bandaged wrist to elbow, his left wrist cuffed to the bed rail.

  Jesse stood by the bed and Garza turned his head to stare. “Another fuckin cowboy? This be my worst nightmare.”

  Jesse turned on the recorder, set it on the stand by the bed and leaned on the bedrail. “I’d like you to tell me about the man who hired you for the drive-by, Mr. Garza.”

  “You assholes are stuck on that, ain’t y’all? What if you got it wrong and it wasn’t us?”

  “Then tell me who it was,” said Jesse. “We can trade information.”

  Teddy’s eyes widened. “I don’t trade information, baseball cards or nothing else with the police. One of my rules.”

  “Ever thought of revising your rules for your own good?”

  “Nope. Never have.”

  “You have an arraignment tomorrow,” said Jesse. “Get some rest.”

  “All I can do is rest, cowboy.” He held up his bandaged arm. “Look what that motherfucker did, boss. That Dead-Eye up and shot me.”

  “You pulled a knife and resisted arrest,” said Jesse
. “Ranger Donovan was only doing his job.”

  “Don’t b’lieve those words for a second. That wild dude love—love—loves to shoot people. Heard it on the street and didn’t pay it no mind. But I know better now. Saw the ice in his eyes this morning when he pulled the trigger.”

  Jesse smiled. “You have a good day, Teddy.”

  FLETCHER sat with the headphones on munching on his third powdered donut. He set half the donut down, wiped his hands and put the sound on speaker. “We got lift-off, partner.”

  Luke opened his eyes and listened.

  “The plan was cut and dried. Am I working with idiots? Why am I paying you? To be stupid?”

  No response.

  “All you had to do was pick off Blackmore when he came to the scene. What was so hard about that?”

  “Brendan couldn’t get a clean shot. Blackmore stayed behind his truck like he knew we were gunning for him. Brendan said it was weird.”

  “How could the kid know?”

  “Don’t know, boss. No idea.”

  “What about our other little project? How’s that coming along?”

  “Slow, but it’s coming.”

  “What are you planning now for the Super cop?”

  “I’m working on it. I’ll have something by tonight.”

  TRAVIS drove around the block downtown where the executive high-rise condos were located. Annie gazed out the window at each one they passed.

  “Which one do you like, sugar?”

  “They all look the same from the outside.”

  “That one is directly across the street.” Annie pointed. “Let’s go in and see if they have any vacancies.”

  “You got it, Annie-girl.” Travis wheeled into visitors’ parking and killed the engine.

  Annie glanced at her jeans as she got out of the truck. “Should have dressed up. Didn’t think about it.”

  “You always look gorgeous to me, girl.” Travis slipped an arm around her waist as they headed for the glassed-in front entrance.

  The lobby was the size of a basketball court according to Travis. He pointed out where the hoops should be, and Annie giggled.

  She approached the uniformed concierge and asked, “Do you have any units available?”

  “You have to speak to the building management office about that, ma’am.” He pointed to the hallway opening off the lobby. “End of the hall on your right. Mrs. Hopkins will help you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Annie jogged down the long hallway to the end and walked through the open door marked Property Management. A well-dressed woman in her late forties greeted them with a smile.

  “Good morning, folks. What can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if you had any units available for immediate occupancy?” asked Annie.

  “Yes, we have several vacant at the moment. Were you looking to rent or purchase?”

  “Umm… a rental if possible would work best for me,” said Annie.

  “Let me see what we have.” Mrs. Hopkins spent several minutes tapping keys on her keyboard before she spoke. “We have a unit for rent on sixteen, a larger unit for sale on twenty, two for rent on twenty-four and the penthouse is for sale by the owner, but I doubt…” she trailed off.

  Annie smiled. Mrs. Hopkins thought Annie couldn’t possibly afford the penthouse. Must be her jeans and t-shirt. Her usual outfit. Blaine came by the way he dressed honestly.

  “Could we look at the two units on twenty-four?”

  “Certainly. Let me get the keys.” Mrs. Hopkins walked over to a rack on the wall and chose the keys she needed.

  “Bring the keys to the penthouse too. We might as well look at it while we’re up near the top.”

  Travis grinned.

  The elevator dinged, and they stepped out on the twenty-fourth floor. Mrs. Hopkins showed them both units. The first took only a few minutes because it faced north and had no view of the building across the street. The second unit on that floor faced the right way and Annie considered it.

  She and Travis stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows peering across the street for several minutes while Mrs. Hopkins talked non-stop about the amenities the building offered.

  “Do you think this is high enough?” asked Annie in a whisper.

  Travis shrugged. “Could be, I guess.”

  “Could I go out onto the balcony?” asked Annie.

  “Of course.” Mrs. Hopkins opened the garden doors and raved about the view of the city.

  “I do like this one,” said Annie, “but I’d like to see the penthouse too.”

  “You haven’t looked at the gourmet kitchen or the bedrooms in this one,” said Mrs. Hopkins. “It’s beautifully decorated and furnished.”

  “Yes, it is.” Annie followed her on the rest of the tour. “How much does this unit rent for?”

  “Five thousand a month plus utilities and maintenance fees.”

  Travis rolled his eyes.

  Back in the elevator they rose to the top of the building. The doors opened to reveal a gorgeous foyer and an elegant double-door entrance into the penthouse itself.

  “This is lovely,” said Annie.

  Mrs. Hopkins unlocked the door and showed them in. The airy living area was flooded with unobstructed light and the view of Austin from the wall of glass was breathtaking.

  Annie stood at the window and she was looking straight across the street at the balcony of Royce’s penthouse. “I like this, but I’m not sure I want to buy it.”

  “The owners have decided to live in France and are asking nine million,” said Mrs. Hopkins.

  “I’d like to rent it for a month to see if I like it here,” said Annie. “A trial run. They can charge me whatever they like… within reason.”

  “I’ll contact them and see what they say.”

  Annie gave Mrs. Hopkins her contact information and they left the building.

  BLAINE came out of Chief Calhoun’s office as Jesse was going into interrogation room three to start interviewing the gang members Farrell had brought in. His cell rang on his belt and he checked the screen. DPS-highway patrol. “What have y’all got for me?”

  “Ranger B, we got eyes on a dark red Chevy pickup matching y’all’s BOLO.”

  “Great, I need that truck.”

  “Seems to be abandoned.”

  “Where’s the locate?”

  “Home Depot parking lot in Robstown.”

  That’s not a hundred miles from where they started. Why haven’t they crossed the border?

  “Great, thanks. I’ll have it towed as soon as I can.”

  Farrell caught up and asked who Blaine was talking to. “They should have been long gone to Mexico by now.”

  “Yep, something’s up,” said Blaine. “Hang on for a sec.” He tore down the hall and stuck his head in Jamie Parnell’s office.

  “Hey, Blaine. Haven’t seen you for a while.”

  “Hi, Jamie, I’m happy you’re back with us.”

  “Yeah, me too. Things are going well for me and Jesse.”

  “I want him to be happy,” said Blaine.

  “Did you need something?” she asked.

  “I need any vehicles stolen in or around the Home Depot in Robstown. If you find something, get a want out on it.”

  “Sure, you got guys running wild down near the gulf?”

  Blaine chuckled. “A couple of them.”

  “I’m on it.”

  JESSE started the interviews of Garza’s gang in room two with a kid named Lebron Wallace. “Hey, Lebron, can I get you a soda?”

  “I don’t take favors from no cops.”

  Jesse shrugged. “Whatever.”

  “How old are you, Lebron?”

  “That ain’t your bidness, Mr. cowboy cop.”

  “It is my business if you happen to be a juvenile, kiddo. Whole new ballgame.”

  “I’m old enough.”

  “Old enough for what?”

  “To do whatever the hell I want. Nobody tells Lebron wh
at to do anymore. Never will again.” He jerked on the cuff and it rattled against the ring.

  “Except for boss Garza. He tells you what to do, doesn’t he?”

  “He can tell me what to do cause he look out for me. Know what I’m say’n?”

  “He protects you when you need it,” said Jesse.

  “Yeah, like that.”

  “Did you shoot the patients at the hospital, Lebron?”

  “Hell no. I don’t shoot sick folks.”

  “Do you know who did?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t rat out brothers. Never happen.”

  “So… it was one of your brothers did the shooting?”

  “I never said that,” he hollered. “You making shit up.”

  “Were you in the vehicle when the shooting went down?”

  “Nope. Home watching TV.”

  “I’ll check your alibi, Lebron. As soon as we’re done here, I’m heading right over to your parent’s house and I’m gonna ask them a whole bunch of questions about their son, Lebron.”

  “Don’t. Don’t do that. My mom is sick, and I don’t want you going there and making her cry. Hear me?”

  “Your mom doesn’t know you’re in a gang?” asked Jesse.

  “Ain’t a gang. It’s a club.”

  “Wrong. It’s a gang.”

  Lebron stared at his hands and appeared to be thinking. “Can I have one of them free lawyers?”

  “Sure, you can, Lebron. You have the right to an attorney.”

  “Okay, good. I’ll take me one of those free guys. I ain’t done nothing and I want out of here.”

  “If you haven’t done anything, you’ve got nothing to worry about, do you?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’ll have someone take you back to your cell and call a public defender for you.” Jesse had his hand on the door when Lebron said, “If y’all are going to my house like you said, check on my mom. I take care of her.”

  “I’ll do that.” Jesse strolled down the hall to Jamie’s office before starting his next interview.

  She looked up and greeted him with a big smile. “Hey, super stud,” she whispered.

  Jesse shook his head. “I need something done before I forget.”

  “What?” Jamie pulled out a notepad.