Chief Vincent looked down at the photos her detectives had taken following a trail of gang shoot outs. Demonio graffitied in purple paint with the Purple Dragons signature. "They're looking for someone. But who?" she wondered aloud hoping Leonardo would have something to add.
The eldest turtle pulled the photo he'd borrowed from Lila and Jess's apartment. He frowned looking down at their smiling faces obviously from their college days. He set the photo on the mahogany desk and pushed it towards Vincent.
"Who is this?" she asked, picking up the photograph. "This is Lila?" She looked at Leo with brows furrowed in confusion not understanding what Lila had to do with this.
Leo's jaw worked as he considered the situation. "Jess, the other girl in the picture, she's Demonio. She's the daughter of Hun. She's the blood rite."
Chief Vincent took a seat mulling over the new information holding the photo in her hands. "How did you come to this conclusion?" She set the photo down and pushed it back towards Leo.
"My brother's and I ran into her when she was attacked by a couple gang members. From what I understand, she wants nothing to do with the gang."
Vincent raised a brow a bit surprised at that crossing her fingers under her chin in thought. "If she doesn't accept then the Dragons may get desperate. How close are her ties to them?"
"I'm not sure," he lied not wanting to give Rebecca the impression that he knew more about Jess than an alley chat offered. "I know she lives with Lila."
Rebecca's face hardened, "Why wouldn't Lila bring this to my attention?"
Leo shrugged looking as unsure as she was, "Maybe she didn't know." However, that was a lie and he knew it. Lila knew Jess's past and could've brought this to Chief Vincent's knowledge even before she was transferred. It was her job to do just that. He'd have to talk to her to get their stories straight.
"What do you think she did to deserve the name Demon?" Rebecca wondered looking at the photo still sitting on the desk. It was hard to imagine such a happy girl in a cheer leading uniform doing anything worth that name.
Leo looked down at the photo as well and remembered the night he met her. Her vacant stare as she shot that man. He'd seen Demonio and had overheard Jess telling Raph how she'd gotten that name. He could only imagine 14-year-old Jess shooting her way out.
"I'm sure she got it for a reason."
Rebecca wasn't sure what to expect when she entered the interrogation room. The photo Leonardo had was old, so she expected Jess to look more like she belonged to the gang life. She didn't expect her to look so. . .normal.
"Jessica, I hope my officers treated you well." Rebecca smiled politely taking a seat in the vacant chair across from the woman.
"It's Jess."
"Right, sorry. You can call me Rebecca."
"You wanna tell me why I'm here, Rebecca?"
Rebecca smiled tightly picking up that Jess wasn't one to beat around the bush. "I'll be very frank with you, Jess. I am very concerned about the well being of the city. Too many innocent people have lost their lives to gang violence." She paused only to take the photos of graffiti out and lay them in front of the Latina woman. "And it seems you're at the center of it, Demonio."
Jess frowned, sour at the accusation. "I'm at the center of nothing. That was a name given to me. I never claimed it. I want nothing to do with this war."
"Like it or not you do." Vincent pushed a photo of bullet riddled bodies closer to Jess. "They're blood was spilled in your name," she pointed to the graffiti in the background. "We don't get to choose our wars; only our battles."
Jess looked down at the photo pushed towards her wondering if Rebecca was right. But she wasn't ready to admit that.
Chief Vincent leaned forward on the cool metal table when Jess didn't respond. "This is a warning, Jessica. These weren't opposing gang members these were regular people going about their day. Shot dead in cold blood during broad daylight. If Hun was—"
"My father was Hunter Finick," Jess interrupted. "Not exactly the name you'd think for a gang leader."
Rebecca nodded in agreement waiting for Jess to continue.
"He wasn't exactly a family man either. My mom took me to live in upstate New York in a small town." Jess shifted in her seat struggling with the memory of her mother. "All Hun wanted with me was to be his blood rite. He forced me to do things. . .to complete the initiation process."
"Is that how you got the name Demonio?" Vincent asked quietly.
Jess studied the woman before her reminding herself not to get too comfortable. After all, she was still a cop. "No. Hun killed my mother when I was 14 because I wouldn't do what he wanted me to do." Jess pushed the photo back towards Vincent eyes narrowed. "I will never join the Purple Dragons."
Vincent picked up the photo and set it off to the side. "I'm not asking you to, but you can't ignore the fact that violence is rising and it's just going to get worse. You know that. So, let's help each other?"
"Fine," Jess agreed hoping she wouldn't regret it.
"This war had been rising since Hun died years ago. We've been able to hold it off, but as time passes the Dragons are having trouble keeping their territory. The other gangs see this and try to move in. That's why the Purple Dragons are looking for you."
"I've tried to tell them I'm the wrong person for the job," Jess muttered.
"That doesn't matter to them. You're a figure head that would provide stability. I'm sure they would expect you to fall into your roll or be killed by someone more capable. Fact of the matter is: they won't stop till one of those two things happen."
"Then I hope you have a plan."
Rebecca smiled, "Lucky for you, I do. I suspect that soon your life will be in danger." She pulled out a new photo taken that morning. Jess's name scrawled in the same purple paint on the side of a building.
Jess felt her stomach drop and her hands go clammy.
"Do you have a safe place you can stay for the time being?"
It took a Jess a moment to gather her emotions and get color back in her face. "I can figure something out."
"If not, we can put you in Witness Pro—"
"Absolutely not," Jess cut off. "The Purple Dragons have cops bought here along with every other gang. I know how bad this will get. I'm safer on my own."
"Fine. I'll be in contact with you soon, Jessica." Chief Vincent collected her photos and escorted Jess out of the building and into a Taxi.
Jess paced her living room hands shaking trying to calm down enough to call Raph or maybe Leo. Maybe she could go stay with Lila's grandmother or go somewhere else period. Worries ran rampant through her head flinching at sudden loud voices that didn't actually exist. She stopped pacing and forced herself to take several deep breaths in an attempt to fight off a panic attack.
She steadied herself and finished stuffing clothes into a bag. Her heart sputtered when there was a knock at the front door and someone jiggling the knob. Getting stuff for everyone would have to wait. Jess opened the trunk at the end of their bed grabbing a pistol, two extra clips, and a knife just in case. She snuck to Nikki's room putting on the duffel and climbing through the window.
Someone kicked their door in just as she started climbing the ladder to the roof. She pulled her phone out and called Leo looking over the edge of the roof.
"Jess? Are you alright? You're late for our training secession."
"Sorry, I'm a little distracted by the gang members breaking into my apartment," she hissed trying to keep her voice down.
"Where are you?" his voice suddenly serious.
Jess jumped when she heard clatter on the fire escape and shouting. "The roof. I had nowhere else to go. Hurry." Before she could say more, she shoved the phone in her back pocket and dove behind the A/C unit drawing her pistol.
"I don't see'er, boss."
"She's here."
Jess recognized the voice as Laker. She always got a sense of comfort in holding a pistol. Something about its cool metal steadied her. She counted four guys including Laker all armed. He had nerve she had to admit that.
"Yer buddies ain't here to save ya, Dem. Come out."
Jess shot at them hoping it'd be enough to scare them off.
Laker narrowed his eyes at the A/C unit raising his hand to stop the onslaught of bullets from his men. "I know you're a better shot than that, Dem."
"You don't what to know how good a shot I am!" Jess called trying to form a plan. "You can't kill me, and do you really want to piss me off?"
Laker sneered pointing his own pistol at the unit. "Stop hiding, Demonio!" His gun ripped from his hand with a spray of blood splattering the man beside him. "Fuck!" Laker screamed holding his bloodied hand, black spotting in vision.
Jess rushed the remaining three knowing that getting up close would be her best chance. It also gave her the chance to use some of the new moves Leo had taught her. She grabbed the man splattered with Laker's blood using him like a shield to catch the spray of bullets from the other two. Jess shot one in the head. She dropped the guy she was using as protection when he became dead weight.
The last remaining guy pulled his trigger but only got clicks in response. Realizing that he was defenseless he dropped to his knees with arms raised. "Pl-Please don't kill me!"
"I'm not going to kill you," Jess said bending down to be eye level with the quivering man. "But you are going to take Laker here to the hospital and deliver a message for me."
The man nodded glancing down at Laker now passed out. "Anything."
"Tell the Purple Dragons that I will never be their leader. If they come after me again, they will regret it," she hissed. The man nodded pulling his phone out to call 911.
Jess, feeling numb, picked up her duffel and went back down the fire escape to her ransacked apartment. She was surprised to see Leo there, nearly running into him.
"Are you alright?" he asked grabbing a paper towel to wipe the blood from her face.
Jess pulled away confused, "I told you I was on the roof."
"I just got here, I saw you going back down after. . .and I thought I'd just catch you here instead." Leo searched her for any sign of a wound.
She pushed his hands away. "It's not mine and we should get out of here before the cops show up."
Leo nodded following the brunette out the back entrance of the building. They went down the first manhole relaxing at the safety the sewers provided.
"Are you ok?" Leo asked quietly after some time of walking the tunnels.
Jess shrugged wondering if she would ever be ok. "I will be."
Leo nodded knowing that was the best anyone could ask for. He did feel guilty about not being there quick enough to help, though.
"Lila's mother lives up north. We can stay there for a while."
"I would rather you stay with us."
"That's nice of you, Leo, but it the lair is too small for four more people."
"We'll figure something out but staying out of the city isn't a good option."
Jess looked up at Leo meeting his dark blue eyes though it was hard to see the color in the dark tunnels. "I don't want to put anyone in danger," she muttered quietly looking away.
"Everyone will be safest with us," Leo promised pulled the fake pipe that opened the false wall.
Lila, Andrea, and Nikki were already there. Jess quickly excused herself to the showers avoiding they're stares and leaving Leo to explain everything.
Raph and Jess circled each other fists raised waiting for the other to make a move. Jess did so first layering punches with kicks. Raph had trouble dodging her advances and jumped away.
"I guess ya are learnin' with Leo," he smirked.
Jess shrugged going into for another attack, "I guess he knows what he's talking about."
The red banded turtle was more than happy to indulge Jess's need to release some emotion. He could tell she was pretty shaken by what had happened earlier. Her punches were sloppy but effective. At least this time she wasn't covered in bruises.
"I just don't understand what the Dragons would want with a leader who want's nothing to do with them. I feel like that defeats the purpose of being a leader."
Raph took a seat next Jess after a well-deserved break. "The Dragons a pretty serious 'bout their code. You're der rightful leader. Somebody prolly planin' ta kill ya and den take on bein' leader."
Jess sipped her water bottle knowing that Raph was probably right. "Gangs are so stupid," she muttered taking off her wraps.
"You good?" Raph asked half expecting another round.
Jess sighed, "No."
The two were startled by a crash from the living room and went to investigate.
Nikki had Levi pinned to the floor with a foot on the black-haired teens back.
Jess leaned towards Raph with her fist out, "I guess the training's going good."
Raph smirked and bumped her fist. "I taught'em dat one."
Ya'll are getting spoiled this week. Next chapter is posted because it's short. Thank's for reading! Let me know what you think.