Bad Lionel
Bad Lionel backhanded Root to the floor. He bent down and tangled his hand in her lustrous hair, pulled her to her feet, and punched her in the mouth. She fell down again and he kicked her twice in the ribs, rather disappointed that he didn't hear any break.
"What the hell are you doing?" said Good Lionel in a horrified voice.
"Bitch looks just like Root" he grunted "Bet she gives you the information you need now though"
"For God's sake, she's just a kid! We just need to know where the number is"
Bad Lionel sneered "Don't be such a pussy. Don't tell me you haven't thought about slapping Root around – she treats you like crap. Freak'd probably like it too"
"If you hurt Root or Shaw, I won't like it" said Good Lionel in a flat voice.
"Don't worry, Root's too skinny for me – it'd be like banging a bag of bones. I kinda like Shaw though, she's got the same attitude as me. Bet she's a good lay too" Bad Lionel said dismissively "Heads up, it's boy-scout Reese"
"You ok, Fusco?" said Reese, looking askance at the bloodied woman on the ground.
"Yeah. She called us a name" explained Fusco "Me. She called me a name" he added hurriedly, shaking his head as if to dislodge something.
"OK" said Reese slowly, concerned that Fusco was acting out of character – had been for a couple of weeks. He'd seen guys go crazy when he was in the army and was worried. He gently questioned the woman who quickly told them where their quarry was, all the while looking at Fusco with terrified eyes.
They drove to the address she gave and sat in the car to watch the house.
"For Chrissake, let's just go in and snuff the guy" urged Bad Lionel "You know he's already killed his wife"
"We don't work that way" said Good Lionel loftily "We hand him over to the forces of law and order and let justice prevail"
"Jesus Christ!" scoffed Bad Lionel "You and the others are such wusses. Get some stones, why don'tcha? You weren't like this when we worked for HR – remember that Chinese guy?"
Good Lionel shuddered "Don't remind me. Just shut the hell up. Why are you here anyway? You haven't shown up since well before Carter died"
"Yeah, that went well for you guys didn't it? Finch had to spring freakin' Root from his own freakin' jail to get Quinn and the rest. How is the old maid anyway - still mooning over that Grace broad? He needs to get laid" he sniffed "I show up when you need me, you know that"
"Here's the cavalry" he added with a sneer as a police black-and-white and an unmarked car pulled up. Several men from Fusco's precinct entered the house and emerged with their number in handcuffs.
"See, that's how we do it: no mess, no fuss" said Good Lionel. Bad Lionel said nothing and remained quiet, probably sulking, on the way back to the subway.
oooooooooo
When Reese and Fusco entered the subway Bear stood up, his hair bristling and his ears laid back, and, unusually, gave a low growl as Fusco approached.
"Bastard knows I'm here" snarled Bad Lionel "I think I'll shoot him". He turned and half pulled his gun from its holster, fixing Bear with a hard look. Bear backed away with a whimper and urinated on the floor as Bad Lionel snickered in triumph, his good mood restored. He gleefully slapped Shaw on the rump "Hey doll-face, did you miss me? Where's your freak friend?"
"Cut it out, Fusco" warned Shaw "What's got into you lately anyhow?"
"Nuthin babe, just pleased to see you. Ah, here's my other favourite weirdo"
"Hello Lionel" said Root cautiously, unsure of which mood Fusco was in. He seemed very mercurial of late and she found herself in the uncomfortable position of feeling nervous around a man that she'd previously barely noticed. Even the Machine seemed perplexed at his antics, no longer able to predict his actions with any confidence.
"You know, sweet-cheeks, you really should consider implants. You're never going to get a guy with those fried eggs stuck to your chest. Get Shaw's measurements – hers are real nice. They'd look good on you"
Root's jaw dropped and Shaw opened her mouth to protest when Good Lionel spoke up apologetically "Jeez, I'm sorry Root. I don't know what came over me. There's nothing wrong with small boobs – some guys like'em"
"I like them too" said Shaw with narrowed eyes "So watch your mouth, fatso"
"Man, are those two making out?" leered Bad Lionel "We definitely need to set up some sort of camera. There're web-sites that will pay top dollar for that kinda stuff"
"You're disgusting" said Good Lionel despairingly "Don't you have somewhere, anywhere, else to be?"
"Nah, I like making your life miserable. Any numbers to check out? I could use some exercise, know what I mean? That broad this morning didn't last long" he grinned evilly and clenched his fists.
oooooooooo
The next morning Fusco sat in his car while Bad Lionel fantasized about what Root and Shaw got up to when they were alone together and whether he could get involved somehow. An urgent call from Finch interrupted the thoughts of both of them.
"Detective, Mr. Reese and Miss Shaw have encountered some problems dealing with a number. Can you assist them?"
Fusco eagerly assented – anything to distract him from his unwelcome visitor – and Finch gave the details. Bad Lionel reluctantly put his perverted dreams aside and they drove to an address in Queens. The Machine directed them to an alley where they found Reese slumped against a wall with two gunshots in him, neither life threatening. "Where's Shaw?" said Fusco "Finch said you were both in trouble"
"They've got her, Fusco" muttered Reese "You need to get her back"
"You left her behind, guy?" asked Bad Lionel in a deceptively mild voice
"No!" responded Reese "We were… making a tactical withdrawal and we took some shots. I looked back and she was on the floor surrounded by the bad guys"
Bad Lionel snorted but refrained from any comments while Fusco moved to the alley's mouth and looked at the house opposite. Finch relayed information from the Machine about Shaw's whereabouts in the house, location and size of opposing forces, and other useful knowledge. The house was the headquarters of Delboy, a rising power in the local underworld. He returned to Reese
"Can you drive, Reese?" he asked "We may need to leave in a hurry"
"Sure, it's moving about that may be a problem"
Fusco got him into the car and they positioned it for a quick pick-up in front of the house and a quicker getaway. Fusco decided on a direct approach, tossed his NYPD badge into the car, and strolled across the street to where 2 guards stood on the steps up to the house. "Let me do the talking" said Bad Lionel "I'll put it over better"
"Yo, wassup mah nigga, how's it swinging?" he said to the larger of the 2 men "Hey, don't I know you? Didja work for Dominic a while back?"
The man regarded him suspiciously, taken aback by his casual manner and mention of Dominic's name "Who the f**k are you, motherf**ker? You lost?"
"Nah, I got some business with my man Delboy. Be a pal and let me through willya, homey? Tell him it's Lionel"
The man spoke briefly on his mobile phone, shooting curious looks at Fusco, before letting him into the house. The house had seen better days and Fusco guessed that Delboy used all of it. He was escorted up a couple of flights of stairs and, at the top, was frisked and relieved of his gun. Luckily they didn't find the switchblade in his pocket, mixed up with coins, keys, and sweet wrappers. His escort knocked on a door and Fusco entered.
oooooooooo
Bad Lionel surveyed the room, his eyes flickering over the 5 people in it: assessing capabilities and deciding in which order to kill them – if that became necessary, which he hoped would be the case.
"What can I do for you… Lionel?" said Delboy from his seat. He was a bit older than the usual punk you might find in a place like this.
"Thanks for seeing me, I know you're a busy man with all that pimping and dealing you do. You got something that some people want back and they've asked me to represent 'em"
"Is this something a short, dark haired person?" asked Delboy, amused at Bad Lionel's brash manner.
"That's the one" he agreed "She's a regular pain in the ass mosta the time and, if it was up to me, I'd let you keep her" He looked at one of the men, who had the beginning of an impressive black eye "I see your guy has met her already"
Delboy chuckled "Yeah, Boycie got a bit over friendly. What do you think, Rodney?" he asked the taller, younger man beside him "We don't know this guy Del, he could be a cop" he answered in a worried voice.
"Cops usually travel in packs, bruv" said Delboy thoughtfully.
"You're a smart guy, Rodney" said Bad Lionel. Rodney looked pleased "I am a cop" Rodney looked worried again "But I'm also a businessman, like Delboy"
Delboy smiled – dealing with a corrupt cop was familiar to him and a situation that could be resolved, usually by the transfer of money from one party to another. "Bring our guest out" he ordered. One of Delboy's goons opened a door and spoke to someone and Shaw was dragged in looking pretty beat up. She looked at Fusco in surprise but Bad Lionel was looking at the woman who had brought Shaw in.
"Hello Floyd" he said "I ain't seen you since you chained me to that radiator. Thought you were in the Tombs with the rest of Dominic's crew"
She looked at Delboy "You know he's a cop, Delboy?" she queried
"Sure, he's come to negotiate for the broad"
"Delboy, he was there! I mean when Dominic and Elias got whacked. I know he had something to do with it"
"That's in the past, Floyd. Dominic's unfortunate death opened up various vacancies that we've all benefitted from, including you"