by JC Kane
As he twisted the wrench, three motorcycles pulled into the parking lot of The Firehouse. Bruce’s security guys stepped out to see who it was. It was pretty obvious from the jackets they were members of the Mad Miles Motorcycle Club. Mad Miles was a motorcycle club with chapters in most of the Western United States.
One of the security guys walked out to talk to them. They waited in the parking lot and the security guy came back into the garage as Bruce waited to find out who they were and why they were there.
“That guy in the middle says he wants to talk to you about Old Goat,” the security guy said. “He said he knows where Old Goat is.”
Bruce wiped his hands on a towel then threw it on a nearby workbench. “Search him. No guns. No knives. I’ll text you in about two minutes and you can send him upstairs. The other two guys can wait outside.” Bruce ran upstairs to clean up a bit.
Bruce cleaned his hands and cleared all the sensitive documents off of his desk. His Security Guy opened the door and let in the Mad Miles biker. “This is Sushi, Bruce,” the security guy said. “You want me to stay?”
“No, thanks. I’ll call you if I need anything.”
Bruce walked towards his guest and extended his hand. “Bruce Kennedy. Come on in and have a seat, Sushi.”
Bruce and Sushi shook hands. Bruce waved his hand in the direction of his couches and Sushi took a seat. “Can I get you anything to drink?” Bruce asked.
“You got any beer?”
Bruce laughed. He nodded and grabbed a beer from the nearby built-in refrigerator.
“So, what brings you here today?”
Sushi took a swig of the beer. “Well, I came to collect the twenty-five thousand dollars for Old Goat. I know where he is.”
“Okay, where is he?”
Sushi took another sip of beer. “Vegas.”
“Old Goat is in Las Vegas?”
“That’s right.”
Bruce looked closely at Sushi. He was looking for any signs of deceit. He was studying his body language. “Why do you think Old Goat is in Las Vegas?”
“Well,” Sushi said. “My Mad Miles brother is sitting on the house right now. He went out to Vegas to do some partying. We stopped by his cousin’s house and sure enough, Old Goat was right there at his cousin’s house. Apparently, he’s been there for a while.”
“How does your brother know it’s Old Goat?” Bruce asked. “Does he know Old Goat, personally? Because if he knows him, he may have spooked him and now he’s gone.”
Sushi looked up at the ceiling. “My guy knows Old Goat, but Old Goat don’t know him.”
“Okay, so what’s his current status? Where is Old Goat right now?”
“He’s at the cousin’s house. I don’t think he leaves. Ever. Seems like he’s hiding out there or something.”
“How do you know he’s still there?” Bruce asked.
“I told you my brother is watching his house. Ever since we saw Old Goat there at the house, somebody’s been sitting outside watching the place nonstop. We left this morning and drove all day. Came straight to your place to tell you where he was and to collect the money. I can call my guy and find out if anything’s changed right now if you want.”
“Good. Do that.”
Sushi stood up and walked over to the window. He looked out the window and took a sip of beer. He looked back at Bruce. “There’s still the matter of the money.”
Bruce got up and walked over towards Sushi. He put his hand on Sushi’s shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. “Money is not a problem. If your guy tells you Old Goat is still at this house in Vegas, and your guy stays on him until I get there, I will fly to Vegas right now. If he’s still there when I get there, you’ll have your money as soon as I get back. I give you my word.”
“Cash?”
Bruce nodded. “Yes, cold, hard, cash.”
Chapter 38
Bruce backed his Jeep Cherokee out of his garage. Suddenly, an Audi A8 flew into the parking lot and slammed on the brakes directly behind Bruce’s Jeep. Bruce hit a few buttons on his dash and opened the hidden trap in his dashboard. He grabbed the handgun stashed inside and jumped out of the car, pointing it towards the Audi.
Jesus stepped out of the car and walked quickly towards Bruce.
“We have a problem,” Jesus said.
Bruce lowered the gun. “Jesus Christ, that’s a good way to get shot. Do you have a death wish?”
Jesus hit the top of Bruce’s Jeep with his fist. He was furious. “Don’t pretend that you have no skin in the game. You may have retired but that doesn’t erase all the things you’ve already done. It doesn’t mean you don’t have some liability here.”
Bruce looked at his watch. “I don’t have time to talk about this now. I have to get to the airport really quick if I’m going to catch my flight.”
“You’re not going anywhere until you help me with the money situation.”
“I’m doing everything I can. I have an excellent lawyer working on Lee’s case. I’m tracking down all the evidence I can find. I have everyone looking for Old Goat. What else do you want from me?”
“I need money. You and Green moved all of our money and I need it. Lee and I need it. I have to make an eighteen million dollar payment tomorrow. Do you understand what I’m saying? This is fucking urgent.”
Bruce put the gun in his back pocket and walked slowly towards Jesus. Bruce wanted to crush his face, but he was much more in control of his temper these days. He didn’t want to push his luck with everything that was happening. There was too much to lose.
“Where is Lee’s money?” Jesus asked.
“What are you talking about? You’re not making any sense. What money?” Bruce looked Jesus up and down. He was looking for any signs that Jesus was wearing a wire. He never trusted Jesus, but now he was sure he couldn’t trust him. Eighteen million was a lot of money, a lot more than they usually worked with at one time. Bruce was concerned that Jesus was working with the police, trying to set him up. First Lee was busted, now Jesus shows up asking for eighteen million dollars. Something wasn’t right. Bruce wasn’t about to give Jesus, or the police, anything to work with.
“You know what the hell I’m talking about,” Jesus said. “What did you do with our money? I checked three different stash houses and they were all empty, so I’m guessing they’re all empty. I need to know where you put Lee’s money.” Jesus clenched his teeth. He was tired of Bruce’s condescending attitude.
Bruce grabbed Jesus’s shirt and lifted it up. He wanted to see with hi sown eyes if Jesus was wearing a wire.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Jesus tried to push Bruce away but Bruce slipped his hands and continued patting Jesus down. Jesus backed away and gave Bruce one last push.
“I don’t trust you,” Bruce said. “You come in here asking all these questions as if I know anything about your business with Lee. I’m Lee’s lawyer and I don’t know what he does unless he pays me to give him legal advice. That’s the extent of my relationship with Lee. For all I know you’re wearing a wire trying to set me up even though I have nothing to do with your business. I don’t know what you do with your money and I don’t know where it is right now. Where did you put it? Maybe it would help if you retrace your steps to the last time you saw it.”
Jesus shook his head. “You’re a real asshole. You think I’m wearing a wire? You really think I’m working with the police?”
“Hey, you’re the one asking a lot of very specific questions. I don’t know who’s talking to the cops, but someone is. That’s why Lee is in jail right now, and coincidentally, you’re not. If you don’t like it, you can turn around, get in your car, and get the hell out of here. I could care less.”
Jesus shook his head. “Unbelievable.” Jesus pulled his phone out of his back pocket and slammed it into Bruce’s hand. Jesus pulled up his shirt and spun around. “There. You satisfied?”
Bruce turned off Jesus’s phone and pointed at his pockets. “Do you have anyt
hing in your pockets?”
“No, I don’t have anything in my pockets.” Jesus put his hands in his pockets and moved them around for Bruce. “Nothing except my keys.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket. “They’re empty. I’m not wearing a wire. I’m not recording this. Now can you talk to me like a normal person?”
“We can talk, but I doubt if I can talk like a normal person.”
“So, where’s the money?” Jesus asked. “I need that money tonight. The business is on the line. My reputation is on the line. I need that money to pay for our product. Lee and I have a lot of product coming in and we have a new supplier and the man wants to be paid.”
“Someone is talking to the police about Lee’s business and we don’t know who it is.” Bruce still didn’t trust Jesus. Jesus told him his pockets were empty then pulled out his keys with a key fob. All Bruce could think about is that a key fob would be a perfect place to hide a listening device. Most people don’t give keys a second thought.
“Until I find out who’s talking to the police,” Bruce said, “I’m not taking any chances. I suggest you do the same thing. Don’t talk to anyone about anything. If you have any business deals in progress, I would put them on hold until we find out who the rat is.”
“You need to tell me where the money is because I need it tomorrow. We have a major deal to pay for and our money is gone. Half of that is Lee’s money. That’s not your money that you can take from him. So, tell me where Lee’s money is and I will use that. If not, we are going to have major problems.”
“I can’t do that because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jesus stared at Bruce. He hated him. He hated feeling so powerless. He knew that physical violence wouldn’t accomplish anything at this time. Bruce still wouldn’t tell him where the money was. Jesus just wanted the money and he needed it yesterday. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, I’m not kidding you.”
“Don’t fuck with me,” Jesus said. “Not now.”
“It’s not your money,” Bruce said. “If Lee has a problem, I will talk to him about it. Not you. You’re nothing more than hired help. This is none of your business.”
“Well, when I have to deliver eighteen million dollars, on Lee’s behalf, I think it is my business.”
“Talk to Lee about it. Not my problem.”
Jesus got in Bruce’s face. “I don’t have time to discuss this. I need eighteen million dollars and I need it now.”
“I don’t have time either. I need to get to the airport.”
“Either give me the money or tell me where I can get it. I know you have it.”
“I’ll see you later.” Bruce turned around to get in his Jeep.
Jesus grabbed Bruce’s arm and pulled. “Don’t walk away from me.”
Bruce spun around and swept Jesus’s leg. Jesus lost his balance but avoided a fall. As he regained his balance, Bruce threw a right cross and punched Jesus in the mouth. Jesus lunged forward and tried to tackle Bruce. Bruce kneed him in the face, grabbed his arm and twisted. Jesus went down to the ground and Bruce stomped his foot on Jesus’s back.
Three police vehicles, hauling ass, pulled into the parking lot of the Firehouse. The first two vehicles were filled with SWAT team members. The vehicles stopped directly behind Jesus’s car. The police officers jumped out of the vans and ran towards Bruce and Jesus.
Bruce looked back at the cops as he held Jesus down on the ground. He saw the police officers storming towards him with their weapons drawn. He let Jesus go and put his hands in the air. Bruce wasn’t sure why the police were there, but he didn’t want to get shot.
The police ordered them both down on the ground. They secured Bruce and Jesus, handcuffed them, and secured the scene.
“You want to tell me what’s going on here?” Bruce asked.
“We have a warrant for the arrest of Bruce Kennedy,” the officer said.
“For what?” Bruce asked.
“Conspiracy to distribute cocaine.”
Chapter 39
Lee and Detective Hatchett sat on the back patio at Lee’s estate, Castello del Re.
“Do you understand what I’m telling you?” Detective Hatchett asked.
Lee tugged at the ankle bracelet strapped to his left ankle. “Yeah, I get it. I can’t leave the house, or I go back to jail. Pretty simple.”
“That’s not the only thing,” Hatchett said. “You can’t disconnect that ankle bracelet. If you disconnect the ankle bracelet, it will send a signal to us. If you leave the house, it will send a signal to us.”
“Yeah, I get it. I can’t leave, I can’t do anything. I’m stuck in this house until the hearing.” Lee gave up on the ankle bracelet and dropped his hands in his lap.
“This electronic monitoring device will send signals to us, so we always know where you are at any given time. You have to charge it every day. Make sure you plug it in and charge it.”
Lee nodded. “Great.”
“If you don’t follow the rules, I have to send you back to jail. I still think this is a mistake. It’ll be easier to protect you in jail.”
“I might as well be in jail with this fucking home confinement bullshit. Not being able to leave the house is a little ridiculous.”
“Hey, you’re getting a pretty sweet deal here.” Hatchett looked at the amazing view of the Santa Clara Valley, the pool, the mansion, and every amenity any person could want. “I can’t believe the prosecutor went for it, to be honest. I would’ve left you in jail, put you in solitary for a few months.”
“Well, that’s why no one likes you.” Lee stood up and looked out over the city below. “What kind of person puts their star witness in solitary confinement?”
“You understand that this is all contingent upon your cooperation. If you don’t give us the evidence we need and the testimony to go along with it, this all goes away and you go back to jail.”
“You’ve made that very clear.”
“We’re going to keep two police officers on the property until we’re confident that you’re safe here. They can come and go as they please, inside or out. I better not hear any complaints from them concerning your behavior or your attitude.”
“It seems like a waste of resources to me.” Lee pointed towards the guard shack near the beginning of the long driveway. “I have my own guys at the front. I have two more on patrol, and I can get more if I need them.”
“The police officers are here for your protection. I would think you’d be happy about that unless you’re planning on doing something stupid, or illegal, or both.”
“Yeah, no it’s great,” Lee said. “Maybe they can stay on long-term after this blows over.”
“You need to think about what information you can share with us. We’re going to sit down with the prosecutor tomorrow and go over the details of everything you know about Bruce Kennedy and his operation. We want to get it all out and compare it with his statement and the evidence based on our search warrants and the evidence we collected.”
Lee was happy to be at home, but he wasn’t sure how he would deal with the current situation. He was hanging by a thread and he didn’t know how he was going to convince Hatchett and the prosecutor’s office that Bruce was his boss and the mastermind behind the entire drug operation, especially when he couldn’t leave the house. Not only did he have to figure out a way to frame Bruce and stay out of prison, but he owed the Sinaloa Cartel a lot of money, Severo Moreno wanted revenge, and Bruce wouldn’t be very happy when he found out Lee was responsible for his arrest.
“Did Bruce resist when you arrested him?” Lee asked.
“No. The funny thing is that he was in the middle of a fight with Jesus Acosta when the officers pulled up to the Firehouse. Right there in the parking lot. Looked like Bruce was about to rip Jesus’s arm off. I bet Jesus was happy we showed up.”
Lee was surprised. He wondered what they could’ve been fighting about. Bruce hadn’t told him about any problems and it wasn’t safe to
talk to Jesus in jail. “What were they fighting about?” Lee asked. “Did they say?”
Hatchett laughed. “Jesus was mad because his lover was recently arrested. At least that’s what Bruce Kennedy told the officers.”
Lee shook his head.
“Do you know anything about that?” Hatchett asked with a smile.
“Sounds like Bruce just being Bruce.” Lee took a deep breath. Time to move forward. “When are you going to talk to him?”
“They should be ready by now. I’m on my way down there now to see what they came up with.”
“Tell him I said hello.”
Chapter 40
Bruce sat in the interview room, waiting to see who would come through the door next. Although he had been in that very interview room several times before, it seemed much colder this time. Bruce’s brain was racing through different scenarios, trying to figure out how he messed up, why was he arrested, and what did they have on him?
Detective Wendell Hatchett came in and dropped a thick file on the table in front of him. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Not unless you have a bottle of whiskey you want to crack open.”
“Sorry, that I can’t do. You know why you’re here, right?”
“You need a good lawyer?” Bruce said.
“Not exactly. Want to guess again?”
“I don’t have to guess. I was already told that I was arrested on a warrant for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Anything else I should know?”
“Do you know the punishment that goes along with that?” Detective Hatchett asked.
“Are you trying to get legal advice from me? If that’s the case, I’m gonna have to bill you for this time. Do you have a watch? I don’t have one. Start the timer.”
“I’m trying to make you understand how serious this is. You have a lot to lose here.”
“You’re assuming I’m guilty of something, but I’m not. I am curious, however, what evidence could you possibly have that was strong enough for an arrest warrant?” Bruce asked.
