C14 Chapter 14

Zane looked at Sanchez as he pondered what to say and where to begin. He had always considered Sanchez as one of his best friends. They had gone to the academy together, graduated together, and started together learning their trade on the streets of Chicago.

Zane had always seen Sanchez as his equal in their careers even though they were best friends as well.

He knew though that what he had to say would potentially put him below Sanchez from a legal standpoint. Even so, he knew he could trust Sanchez if anyone. Besides Sanchez was in the FBI, separate from the police force. He was safe discussing what he had to discuss with Sanchez.

“I think I’m in a spot of trouble. Or maybe more than just a spot.”

Sanchez sat forward. He was all ears. “I’m here buddy. What’s troubling you?”

Zane hesitated then made his decision and plowed on. He told Sanchez how they had received a tip-off about a drug-running operation in Hurstville. They had run a very good operation and arrested everyone in the warehouse. He told Sanchez how he had been surprised to find a queenpin so close to the frontline and then how she had escaped.

He pulled out the file he had copied and handed it to Sanchez.

“This is the woman,” he said. “She’s had multiple arrests and every time she’s been bailed out or escaped. She never sticks around once she’s been bailed out or escaped. The thing is, it seems highly improbable to me, that she could escape that many times. Something tells me she has help. She told me she has help. I’ll get to that in a minute though.”

“What are you saying?” Sanchez asked.

“She told me she has no choice doing what she does. She’s known by the name ‘Flamingo’ on the street because she says she helps poor kids with the profits from her drugs. She buys clothes, pays school fees and things like that. My argument with her is that she’s corrupting the very kids that she wants to help by putting drugs on the street and making them pack the stuff. She doesn’t agree. She says not one of the kids that work for her, has turned to drugs.”

“Sounds like you have had some long philosophical conversations with her,” Sanchez remarked as he studied the file.

“And then some,” Zane remarked. “Thing is, she’s told me she doesn’t have a choice but that she has to do what she’s doing for the people she’s doing it for. She said she originally started on her own but quickly ran afoul of the law. She told me that corrupt police are involved and that they have assured her that setting up the drug distribution in Hurstville is her last job. It’s the last town they need to open their highway across the country and I’m stuck in the middle. In more ways than one,” Zane finished with a sigh.

Sanchez looked up from the file.

“Why don’t you talk to Internal Affairs?”

“And give them what? I got no evidence except what a queenpin who has since escaped told me. Besides, experience has shown they’ll just go on a witch hunt and everyone will just batten down the hatches till the shitstorm passes.”

“So why do you need to talk to me? You know this is out of my jurisdiction.”

“I know. But we go back a long way and I count you as a friend. I need your advice and I need to ask you if you got any friends over my way in the bureau that could help.”

Sanchez paused, thinking. “What else?”

Zane sighed. “I’ve crossed the line. I didn’t mean to but I can’t help it. When she escaped, she tied me up in my office and kissed me. Then when I got home she was waiting for me in my home. We ended up in the sack together. I tracked her down yesterday again and she tied me up at gunpoint and then shagged me again. After that, she untied me and I participated willingly. It doesn’t matter how you dress it up, I’ve failed in my job. I expect that I’ll be discharged down the line or demoted at least. It’s just that I’ve found it very hard to separate my attraction to her from my job. It’s getting in the way. That having been said, the youngsters we caught on the day we caught her?”

Sanchez nodded, “What about them?”

“All bailed out after hours.”

Sanchez arched his eyebrows. “After hours? By who? Who posted bail?”

“I asked the Judge. Judge Borth. He’s usually friendly. We’ve even been fishing but when I went to see him and asked him he was less than approachable and even downright unhelpful.”

“So now, what about you and the girl? Are you still seeing her?”

“I haven’t been seeing her,” Zane said feeling sensitive.

“Fucking her then,” Sanchez pressed.

Zane sighed. He knew Sanchez was making a point. “We’ve traded numbers but I haven’t seen her since the last time. I want to but I’d rather not. I’m hoping there’s still a way I can get through this without any damage to my badge and all. Thing is, she’s alluded to there being corrupt cops in the places where she’s been arrested before. I don’t know who to trust or who to call. She told me she doesn’t know of any corrupt cops on my team but she’s already escaped once when I wasn’t in the room. Whether that was pure luck or if she had help, I can’t tell at this stage. I’d like to believe that there aren’t any corrupt cops on my team. Hell, the only other guy in the room, when she escaped, was Brian, my partner. And she gave him a good blow to the head with his gun.”

Sanchez was quiet for a while as he considered everything Zane had told him.

Finally, he spoke. “You want my suggestion?”

“That’s why I’m here. But more than that friend. If you can help me with a resource for the FBI in my jurisdiction, I’ll be grateful. I mean you guys must have some interest in this considering the scale.”

“Yeah. I just need to be careful we don’t step on any toes. If the bureau’s had wind of this, I’m sure they have a task force allocated. And from what you’re saying, I’m guessing that we might very well have caught wind of this.”

“It’s more than that too,” Zane said. “I don’t want to look like I’ve become paranoid, but if there are corrupt cops involved, I’d prefer to know who to avoid. If I’m talking to a cop who’s in on this I’ll be giving away every bit of information I don’t want them to know. Not a great recipe for achieving the result I would like. Nor for that matter the bureau if they’re

working on something.”

“Noted. That makes sense.”

“Speaking of which, on the flight up here I got an idea on how to catch her. I’m not sure it’ll work but it’s worth a try.”

“Well, go for it then. You know what you have to do.”

Zane wasn’t particularly encouraged by Zane’s words considering he was wondering if he could trust the police on his team in Hurstville.

Sanchez continued, “Look, I’ll do some asking around and get back to you. In the meantime, here’s what I suggest. Don’t trust anyone. Trust no-one in your office unless you’re positive you can. Whatever you do, keep a lid on it. Keep it in a tight circle. Let me know who you tell about what information you have or get. As far as possible, try to

keep everything to yourself though. Even the ones you trust should be on a need to know basis. If you see her again, lead her on. You can always say you were conducting an investigation. I wouldn’t think what you’ve done so far is too bad. It can be explained so don’t beat yourself up.”

“Thanks,” Zane said wiping the sweat from his forehead. “I appreciate your advice and willingness to help. Anything you can do will be a Godsend.”

“Yeah, I wish our bosses would see it that way sometimes. Especially when it comes to salary increases and promotions,” Sanchez joked.

Zane thanked Sanchez again and picked up the tab for their meal. It was the least he could do. They made some more small talk before finally ending their reunion.

Zane told Sanchez he would take a cab.

“No worries,” Sanchez said then added, “One last word of advice ...”

“What’s that?” Zane asked.

“From here on out, keep your dick in your pants.”