"Paradise Gift Shop."
"Alex," Ernesto spoke with more enthusiasm than he liked. "How are you at math problems?"
Alex thought about their current situation. Three assailants, one hand on his wound, and seven and a half feet between each of them. They realized the tactical advantage of their weapons, making it improbable for him to fight... even without Rita at gunpoint. She looked hopefully at the phone Ulan had on speaker. Alex winked at her. "Need help with an IQ test or somethin'?"
Ernesto chuckled. "No, just a fact check. We're looking over evidence of a drug bust last month."
Alex eyed the duffels cluttering his counter. Stolen contraband... So why doesn't he come out and say that?
It was all too big a coincidence. Benjie, the tall guy, was going tense, while Darna shifted her weight behind Rita. Alex needed to make this short. "Forty pounds of ketamine, huh?"
"And a few side cases of methadone."
Alex barely had to think about it. "Pretty small scale. If it's a local favorite, the dealer could exploit the price."
That's what they wanted him for, to configure the street value. And the minute I give it, we're dead.
"Ballpark, man?" Ernesto pressed... as did Ulan's gun on Alex's neck. "The more details attached to the file, the more determined a judge will be to keep it off the streets."
That got ironic grins all around. With an uptick to his heartrate, Alex wanted to break all three smug jaws. He held off any concrete answer, until Darna tapped her gun against Rita's temple. The little girl had been watching him, waiting. If he said run, she would. He needed to make sure she got that chance.
Doesn't mean I have to like it.Alex seethed. "Half a million, worst case scenario."
Ernesto whistled. "Thanks, Alex. How about a beer later?"
Alex breathed a laugh out. "Naw, doctor's orders. Only salads and-"
Ulan nudged his graze; Alex grabbed it. "Son of a-"
"Alex?"
Ulan glared at him, hard. He couldn't of known; yet, he did. Alex eased up, breathing through his teeth. "These hangers... Ernesto, I'll call you when my inventory's behaving itself."
Alex clicked off, leaning an elbow on the counter. Ulan zipped one duffel up. "Nice try."
"Try nothing." Alex willed the pain to ease. "They're onto you."
"They're just getting started." Darna traced a nail on a snow globe. "While we already have a buy set up."
They had set it up without a price? These kids were way over their head.
"So quit wasting time here." Alex shoved his way from behind the counter. Rita nodded. "My mother is expecting me. She will come looking."
Ulan shrugged at this, gun rising to Alex's forehead. "You've been a big help, DEA."
"Help yourself." Alex stared down the gun, feeling the quiver in his hands and arms. Going on three years and the sight of Carpenter's sight kept coming back. It couldn't. "Right now, they're just lookin' for thieves."
"With who's help?" Benjie cocked a brow. Ulan's grin grew. "He didn't mention the any break-in because he's not allowed to. Any cop is only as effective as their search-"
"But when they have to worry about it not looking like a search," Darna concluded, finally letting go of Rita. "Things get overlooked."
Alex squinted between them, wondering what they were hinting at. He beckoned Rita over. "Murder won't be one of them-"
A sudden banging on the door cut him off, jolting all guns toward the rattling knob.
}{}{}{}{
"A lot of these names left Ulan behind for college." Kai hung up the phone from her fourth call.
"Smart." Ernesto was polite with his assessment. Kai wasn't being so discrete. Four years catering after Ocampo-
She stopped her inner rage long enough to knock on the door of the little house across from Ocampo's sister-in-law. Killing several birds with a stone, the calls had been made enroute in- supposedly- Ulan's childhood friend. Ocampo had assured them that his sister-in-law knew nothing and would phone if Ulan showed up. Kai didn't see that happening... Ulan's digital footprint had all but vanished two weeks ago.
"Hard to stomach how smart this kid might actually be." Ernesto sighed as the door swung open. They both brandished their badges. "Nimuel Dimaisip?"
The young man, clean-shaven and trying too hard with a goatee, nodded. However, said nothing. Kai held up the picture. "When's the last time you spoke with your bestie, Ulan Ocampo?"
Nimuel sniffed, as though from a bad odor. "Ulan's only friends if they can serve him in some way. I take it he slipped up?"
THAT sounded telling." Kai shrugged in synch with Ernesto. "Big time."
"It's not like he wasn't warned." Ernesto added in. Nimuel leaned an arm on the door frame. "Yeah, his mom and showcase uncle never get off his back. But this..."
He hesitated, eyes narrowing at the Ocampo house behind them. He was weighing his loyalties; Kai had seen it cross a thousand criminal faces. How much were they willing to risk? She often found herself surprised at the depth of illegal blood.
Not this time.
"Ulan wouldn't tell me anything." Nimuel straightened, hands in his pockets. "But he was getting cozy with a Benjie Obillo and some hot biker mama..."
He grinned, eyes on Kai. Nothing in her demeanor changed, waiting. Nimuel went on. "He's being Ulan; so whatever it is, it'll be to make people notice."
"Has he always been like that?" Ernesto asked. Nimuel scratched the back of his head. "He'd always boast about what he had coming to him. Most of us just wanted him to shut up."
They thanked him for his time and retreated back toward Kai's car. She shook her head. "Narcotics, lots of heat, and a loudmouth. Never a good combination."
"Is anything in this line of work?" Ernesto guessed.