Chapter 4 - Knucklebones

While Jack waited at the bar, James went straight to the men’s bathroom. A couple of stragglers were alarmed by his entrance; a couple shuffled past trying not to twitch as nerves (and cocaine) overcame them. Out of all the men in soft pastel suits, James was still the most intimidating however.

He heard mutterings from one of the stalls which suddenly fell silent. Suspicious, he withdrew his gun and stepped carefully on the piss-soaked tiles. A patron, looking foolish in his drunken stupor, looked over at him while making a mess at the urinal.

“Shhh’up copper? Never seen someone piss in an Action film, eh?” He slurred, his light blue eyes disappearing under a dirty fringe which gave way to gravity. James raised his eyebrows but before he could respond the toilet door burst open. A short, yet wiry man had his revolver raised with a look of cold hatred.

“Hey puta. Drop the gun, si?” He said, his voice on edge. James looked to the slicked back hair and the pencil moustache. This was the lead; but he expected someone more imposing rather than some typical gringo. “Told you’d be coming down. Gonna shut you up”.

But before he could pull the trigger, James grabbed his right arm and hurled him over his shoulder into free urinal opposite. Despite his head whacking off the porcelain surface, he rose up ready to fire. James had better ideas though; he pulled his fist back and hit him so hard, the dealer’s tooth flew out of his mouth. As he clasped his mouth in pain, he dropped his weapon and James shoved him up against the wall and pressed his own gun to the back of his head.

“Now I have your attention, tell me who organized the deal at the pier?” He said, enunciating the last words as he pressed the gun closer to the dealer’s face. His eyes strained to look at the silver barrel.

“E-eat s**t, puta madre” he spat, his voice quivering.

“Big mistake.” Said James, pulling back his gun and shooting him in the leg. The dealer howled in pain as he clutched his now bloodstained leg. He ain’t going to be playing any baseball anytime soon.

“I’m gonna ask you again” Began James, his voice returning to calm.

“F-fine” said the dealer. “B-but this w-won’t mean mierda. He’ll kill you... you lela. He’ll kill you”.

James cocked his pistol.

“S-Saucedo! It was Saucedo. But he’s gonna kill you, puta.. he’ll kill me too”.

Fernando Saucedo. The big don of drug deals who eluded arrest for over twenty years. Both James and Jack had been chasing this guy for years and both came up short thanks to bullshit lawyers, witnesses going missing and unusable evidence. But if Saucedo got wind of Jack busting his deal, he knew he was going to make him pay. They had to decide on what to do next.

The dealer’s breath began to turn laboured as he went to shock. James didn’t take his eyes off him however; the shot was only a flesh wound.

“I’m getting too old for this s**t...” James began, surveying the dealers wound. He looked to the drunkard who was still standing at the urinal in shock. “Hey buddy, can you get the barman to call the police for this a*****e?” The drunkard nodded dumbly as James left the bathroom in a hurry.

 

Jack was waiting at the bar with a beer in hand as James approached him. Before Jack could ask, James began to fill him in on what happened with the lead. When he finished, Jack merely smiled.

“I’ve always been popular with the drug dealers. Makes sense they want to pay a little more attention to me” Jack laughed, winking at a rather attractive barmaid who responded with a smile. “I say bring ‘em on”.

James however didn’t laugh. “If Saucedo finds out you busted his deal, he’s gonna raise Hell. You gotta start watching your back! There was a reason we had cops stake it out.”

“But we have evidence of his links with crime. We still have those briefcases from the bust! And the counterfeit weapons from last month’s bust!”

“And how do you know any of that will be effective in court? You caused way too much damage for us to even recognize any of it!”.

James was correct; Jack’s bust at the counterfeit weapons bust ended up with thirty dead and a warehouse in ashes. Not bad for a guy armed with several handguns, five grenades and a swiss army knife.

Before they could argue, the club began to swell with attendance. A local band had begun to take the stage and it was impossible to talk over the din. Four men with outrageously teased hair took the stage to general applause as the lead singer swiped for the microphone.

“Hello, we’re Poison and this is our first number ‘Cry Tough’”.

Jack and James however, had pushed their way outside. In the haze of bright neon and car fumes, it became very difficult to find Jack’s car.

“Oh f**k... now where did I park?” Said Jack to himself, as James scoured the sidewalk. The sound of thumping drums and screeching guitars had leaked out into the street. James turned slightly and began to smile.

“Lorelei loves this damn band. Bit too poppy for my taste though” He said, gesturing at the club they just left.

Jack looked again out onto the packed street for his car. “How is she? I forgot to ask” He stepped out into the road as far as he could. “How far along is she?” He added as an afterthought.

“She’s coming along just fine man. Four months gone. Still looks beautiful though” He allowed his eyes to widen comically. “Aha! There’s your car”. He pointed past a large, black van that was absent when they parked beforehand.

Feeling relieved, they stepped forwards past the converging line not noticing the tall, dark man in the building on the other side of the road.

“Hey James, do you mind driving us back? I had a couple of beers and I know Spindle’s on the beat” He said, throwing his key which James caught in a flash.

But as James pulled the driver’s side door open, three shots rang out. James collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest as civilians began to scream and run frantically. Jack snapped into action and jumped across the bonnet, while pulling his partner into his 4x4 to save him from harm.

“Oh G-God..” sputtered James who was shocked by the amount of blood gushing from his chest. “Jesus f*****g Christ..”

Jack looked round frantically and found the sniper. He was reloading with haste so Jack did not waste any time. Pulling a knife from a small holster on his leg, he threw it with all his might. He watched the silver blade hit the sniper right of the centre of his chest.

“Bulls eye” said Jack without humour.

At that moment, an ambulance burst onto the scene no doubt for the girl in the club. But as the medics left the vehicle, he waved them over frantically.

“For the love of God, save his damn life or you’ll need someone to save yours!”. His voice wasn’t angry however, it was panic.

The medics carefully placed James in a gurney obviously flustered by Jack’s proclamation. But before Jack could clamber into the ambulance with them, another shot rang out just chipping his 4x4’s bonnet. Jack held his gun up high and ran across the road which was now curiously empty. It was time to kick some a*s and now... it was personal.

Author's Note

Yep, I added a couple more cliches. Even got a Lethal Weapon quote in there! Rest assured, next chapter is going to add to the body count.

I have some awesome action scenes planned... but that's for later in the story.

Playlist:

Holy Diver by Dio
I Want Action by Poison
Night Prowler by AC/DC
Sanctuary by Autograph
Knucklebones by David Lee Roth
Miracle Man by Ozzy Osbourne

Reviews

[Red & Blue]

Damn it to Hell!! James was just starting to grow on me :'(
I hope he doesn't die, and Jack better go and kill that m**********r soon!
I'm sorry, I get carried away with good stories that should be published. ^.^
You've clearly conveyed your imagery again, the club scene was great xD
Ehhhh hurry up the next chapter, I'm dying to see it
-Jade