C34 Chapter 34
“How much cash is in there?” Loman asked.
“Five million,” Jerry replied. “Don’t you just love these old Cadillacs? That’s why they’re so awesome. So much boot space to carry so much money or happy pills.”
Commissioner Loman smiled.
“Well, what do you want? What kinds of drugs do you want?”
“Coke and Marijuana.”
Commissioner Loman considered for a moment. “Okay, let’s deal.”
He turned to Aaron. “You heard Jerry. You know what he wants. Get it and bring it. Let’s start getting the cash unpacked so we can get it counted.”
“Roger that boss,” Aaron replied. He turned and shouted to some of the men. “Help get the cash unpacked and bring the goods.”
The men hurried off to comply with their orders.
They unloaded the cash and set it on tables that were brought and set down in front of the Cadillac. They brought counting machines and soon they were busy counting the money while two of Jerry’s men watched.
Drugs were wheeled from containers in the back of the warehouse. They looked like large, black plastic bricks. The trolleys were parked beside the desk where the money was being counted.
“I want to test the goods,” Jerry said.
“Sure,” Aaron replied. He pulled the black plastic off and revealed smaller, transparent bags filled with powder. He stabbed one of the bags and pulled some powder out on the tip of the knife. He handed it to Jerry who tasted it.
“Good. Test another bag.”
Aaron looked at Jerry as if he wanted to object but Loman nodded. “Sure.”
“One of the bags in the middle of the pile,” Jerry said. “Do you mind if my men choose a bag?”
“Go ahead, knock yourself out,” Aaron replied stepping back to let one of Jerry’s men pull out a bag from somewhere in the center of the pile. They brought the bag to Aaron who stabbed his knife into it and extracted it with some powder on it. Jerry tasted it again and nodded.
“All good.”
“Of course,” Aaron said with irritation in his voice.
“What about the weed?”
“You want to test that too?” Aaron asked in disbelief. “You want to get high here and now?”
“Why don’t you roll one and we can pass it around? Kind of a celebratory smoke on closing the deal. I’m buying anyway ain’t I? Besides, how else do you test the goods?”
Aaron hesitated but again Commissioner Loman nodded. “Okay, let’s smoke.”
Aaron opened a bag of marijuana and ordered one of the men to bring some newspapers. They tore off a suitable piece, opened the bag, and rolled a smoke. Then Aaron’s man handed it to Jerry who pulled out his lighter and lit it. He took a deep drag and blew out a thick cloud of smoke.
“Good stuff,” he smiled and offered the smoke around.
They passed the smoke around until thick clouds of aromatic smoke hung in the air.
Then Jerry said, “Would you mind if we started packing the car? We’re just waiting for you to finish counting the money. We would help but I don’t think you’d want us too right?”
Aaron looked at Jerry, irritation clear on his face. “Of course we don’t need your help.”
Commissioner Loman stepped in. “He’s joking Aaron. Smoke some more weed and chill.”
Aaron’s face turned red at being admonished by Commissioner Loman but he bit his tongue and lit up a cigarette.
The men started packing the drugs in the trunk of the Cadillac and finished before the money was finished being counted. They all waited patiently for the final count of money.
Finally, they were finished counting. The men tallied the numbers and confirmed that there was five million dollars.
“All there,” Commissioner Loman said.
“Great,” smiled Jerry. “A nice clean deal for the first time. Don’t see that often do you? At least not in the movies.
Thank heaven this ain’t Hollywood,” he joked.
Everyone laughed nervously.
“Now if you’ll be so kind as to open the door we’ll be leaving.”
Aaron looked at Commissioner Loman for guidance. Loman nodded.
“Open the doors,” shouted Aaron. Two men began pulling the doors open. The morning sunlight streamed in and everyone narrowed their eyes or blinked against the sudden onslaught of the bright light.
At that moment men poured through the doors with guns and a loudhailer from outside squealed to life.
“This is the police. Everyone drop your weapons and get on the ground now. You are all under arrest!”
In that instant time seemed to stand still. Jerry looked from his colleagues to the men seated at the table behind the piles of cash, then at Aaron and Commissioner Loman. His colleagues did the same thing an instant before they finally pulled the car doors open and, using them for cover, fled behind the Cadillac. They crouched back to back as the shooting
started. They looked for any members of Aaron’s team off to the left or right who were visible from behind the Cadillac.
They opened fire forcing them to run or take cover. They saw a few men fall as gunfire continued all around the warehouse.
In the next instant, Jerry cried out. He seemed to do a jig and a dance as he shouted, “Grenade! Run!” He tried to kick the grenade away. His foot had connected with it but not properly, causing it to spin away only a short distance. The men with him stood and ran as fast they could diving behind the warehouse doors on the outside just in time.
Jerry realized he was not going to make it and instead jumped into the open trunk of the Cadillac as the grenade exploded.
Shrapnel tore through the car from below but the drugs absorbed the shrapnel and prevented it from hitting Jerry.
After the explosion, Jerry was dazed and rolled off the trunk to the floor as the car burst into flames.
Zane broke protocol and charged forward with Johnson to save Jerry. They each grabbed him by an arm and dragged him to safety outside the warehouse.
The shooting continued and the fire in the car spread until the whole car was a raging furnace. Thick clouds of smoke from the burning marijuana were blown into the warehouse.
More men were called to enter the warehouse and finally, ill-equipped to deal with the pleasant fumes from the marijuana, as well as realizing that they were outnumbered and that their leadership was gone, the men surrendered and the shooting ceased.
The police went through the building systematically searching for criminals that were hiding out in the warehouse in the hope that they might escape after everyone had left. The fire department was on scene to save what was left of the evidence in the car’s trunk. Even so, there were more drugs in the warehouse which had not been burned. It would be used
as evidence too. Some of the money had caught fire and been burned too. No matter it was insured anyway.
Zane walked around the warehouse and found Commissioner Loman. He lay on the ground face down. Zane bent down and rolled him over.
He was still breathing. “Commissioner!” Zane said surprised.
“Not anymore,” Loman smiled. “I’m sorry Zane. Forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven Commissioner,” Zane replied. “Take it easy. We’ll have an ambulance here soon.”
“I don’t need one,” Loman whispered. “Attend to the others first. I won’t be leaving here alive.”
“Don’t say that,” Zane replied but he could see it was the truth. “I’m sorry. I always respected you. You’re a good man.”
“Am I?” Loman whispered.
“We all do what we do. If you haven’t intervened, where would I be now?”
Loman smiled in acknowledgment. “Thank you.”
“Thank you, Commissioner,” Zane replied.
Loman took his last few breaths and passed from life to death without another word. Zane closed his eyes and laid him down gently on the floor.
Zane stood and looked around. He saw Brian and Terry being led away by police. He ran over and stopped them.
“I guess you’re off the force now,” he smiled.
They looked back at him with hatred in their eyes.
“It doesn’t end here Zane. Someone’s going to get you and that slut of yours,” Terry replied.
Zane punched Terry and heard the bone crack as he broke his nose and blood started to flow freely. Terry screamed in pain.
“That’s police brutality! He broke my nose!”
Zane smiled. “Aren’t you forgetting something? I’m not the force anymore asshole.”
“Arrest him for assault,” Terry cried.
“Shut up and quit your squealing or I’ll head-butt you,” Brian growled.
Zane smiled and stepped back. “Have a nice time doing some time.”
Terry looked back angrily and tripped hitting his nose on the concrete ground. He screamed in agony again as Zane and Brian both laughed at him.
Zane turned then his thoughts on Hope. He hadn’t seen her since the gang had surrendered. He asked some of the police if they had seen her and maybe taken her away already. They told him they hadn’t. He headed inside followed by Johnson. They walked around searching for places where she might be and began to get worried. Had she been kept somewhere
else? Was she a prisoner somewhere else with her daughter in danger of dying if they were left alone?
Zane turned around and ran outside to the cruiser where Brian and Terry were being held.
“Where’s Sunflower?” he asked.
“She was in there with all of us,” Brian answered sourly.
Zane found Sanchez and told him it looked like Hope was missing. Sanchez quickly organized a team of men who combed the warehouse from top to bottom and front to back. She was nowhere to be found. Zane shook his head in disbelief.
He was sure she could have been given a pardon if she had stuck around. But only she would know why she had thought it better to take off. He looked at the soaked money and the ashes of the burned money. He had a sneaking suspicion that quite a substantial amount of it was missing and that it hadn’t been burned.
