Man of Steel(21)

There was a bike shop where some of the guys were getting a business off the ground, a repair shop, a gaming hall and a few that needed to be kept under wraps from my former colleagues. I had no problem whatsoever with that shit, I’d seen first hand how much the system didn’t always work, and where the holes were that needed patching.

With that in mind I’d been the one to spearhead our little operation here when it came to security and our weapons cache. Everything was registered according to the law, well that’s my story anyway, what the fuck. I have a daughter to protect there’s no way I’m leaving that shit in anyone else’s hands. If the law doesn’t want their criminal element being taken out by vigilante justice then they should keep their asses off the streets among decent citizens. If they’re out here fucking up shit then they can deal with the consequences.

I’ve drawn the line at out and out murder, though I have no problem maiming a fucker and putting him out of commission for life. Sometimes I find that that’s even worst. This way they get to live with the error of their ways. For the sheer viciousness of Dwayne’s attack on Stephanie and the others that they’d found with his handiwork, I was willing to turn off my conscience. Evil like that needed eliminating there was no rehab for that kind of wicked.

“You guys got everything in order?” To a man they nodded their heads letting me know that they were ready. We all learn from experience and as time has gone by we’ve learned what to expect from the type of element we’re dealing with. There isn’t much a man won’t do to retain his freedom and Dwayne had proven that he was willing to go to any lengths to keep his. Too bad he had chosen to rape and try to murder a little girl in my backyard.

Now that that kid had survived having her throat slit and being left in a field like trash to draw her last breath, he and some of his misguided pals were seeking ways to finish her off before she could testify against him. The piece a shit hadn’t left much behind in the way of DNA or anything else that they could use in court, so this poor little mite was faced with the added horror of picking him out in a court of law.

“Any word on Sid and his nuts?” I gave Deke a look, which I knew wouldn’t do any good, to which he shrugged his shoulders and took a swig of his beer. “He’ll be fine, I thought we were here to talk strategy.”

Hardheaded little fuck, he was as cold as they came but somehow had a heart of gold when it came to kids, in fact I think he might be Holly’s favorite person, after her old man that is.

“Okay then, moving right along, we have twenty strong for Tuesday but we can easily double that number if there’s a need. Five inside and the others outside surrounding the place just in case this asshole carries through with his threats. I want someone on the roof across the way, that should be Nelson he’s got the best arm.”

“He’s already been tapped Blade, this isn’t our first time at the Rodeo.”

“I know that Stryder but we all know each situation is different and must be dealt with accordingly. We can’t leave any stone unturned.”

“By the way Cowboy is getting antsy, says looking at that fat fuck day in and day out without slitting his throat goes against his creed.”

“Tell your brother to cool his jets Deke.”

“Fine, but I don’t see why we can’t just off the fuck right now and be done with it.”

“Because Stephanie needs her day in court. She might not think so now but believe me one day in her future she’s going to be happy as fuck that she played a part in putting her tormentor in prison. The fact that he’s never gonna see another night after the case is over is neither here nor there, she needs this shit.”

We have a system where when dealing with some hardcore criminal we try to get one of our guys on the inside. Usually they’d get picked up on some minor bullshit that will bring nothing more than a slap on the wrist for a few months at the most. They take turns when it comes to that shit and luckily we don’t have to do it too often.

After the rumors of Dwayne’s long reach from behind bars got back to me I had come up with the idea of sending up Cowboy and I’ve been regretting that decision ever since. He’s not much better than his little brother and keeping the both of them leashed was damn near a fulltime job.

“Besides Cowboy isn’t going to do him and he knows it, we already had this talk remember?” He just gave me his cynical ass grin and kept his mouth shut. It was a hard thing to go from being a cop sworn to uphold the law to calling hits on men but I could live with that shit. Any man who could rape a baby girl and slit her fucking throat didn’t deserve to live end of story.