9

THE GULAG

For this mission I knew I had to change clothes. I was going to a friggen nightclub undercover, who doesn't really dress up when going to one? So, I hit the streets that night in a crisp white shirt, a black jacket (Desert Eagles inside the pockets sewed on the inside. I know, I might as well sleep with them under my pillow), black pants, black shoes, and dark classy sunglasses. I think I looked good, but that's just me.

I jumped into my Cadillac and drove down to Sunset Boulevard. It didn't take long to find the Gulag nightclub.

It was a nice sized club painted white, black and blood red. On either side of the steel cage like doors where posters showing the DJ's that were playing tonight. Since I had a feeling that this Rocky's pals might be expecting me, I parked across it and pulled out my night vision goggles. With the goggles I scanned the entrance. Two burly Russkies bouncers as well as people standing in a line wereoutside the nightclub.

Look at all the security, I thought as I saw the bouncers.

It was then a peculiar man stepped outside the nightclub. He was around George's age, with short slivery hair, a slight mustache, and tan skin. He was sort of chunky, with a white shirt under a gray vest,black pants, and dark shoes. I glanced at his car. From the dashboard of his black Ford Crown Victoria (license plate read 290 DPR) I quickly saw something.

Police lights on his dashbord.

Whoa, Hollywood PD, I IDed him quickly.

It was strange, but I had a sense that I had this cop before from some where. But where? And what the hell was a cop doing, calmly walking out of a nightclub owned by the Russian Mob?

I pushed aside my questions on the suspect cop. Right now all I wanted to do was get into Rocky's club. I grabbed my tranquilizer gun, hidden in my glove compartment.

The back alley would be my best bet of getting in...

The back alleyway was out of my reach only by a seven-foot fence. It was deathly quiet the back there. Only the sound of a Russkie guard trying to light a cigarette and a dog barking in the distance filled the dark alleyway. I approached the fence at a run and jumped. Flipping clear over it (I had practiced for it). As soon as I landed on my feet I jumped and hid behind a dumpster. Just in case my landing had been heard.

I waited before I took a peek around the corner. It was safe, the guard wasn't looking in my direction. I side stepped some broken glass and quickly went at the guard with a quick knockout move. He fell quietly to the concrete ground. I peered down the stretch to another guard.

Quickly and quietly I crept to where I was behind him and pulled that knock out move and he too fell to the floor. Quickly I hid near the corner. I took a quick peek.

Another guard.

I waited patiently for the footsteps to stop where I wanted him to stop. Then I quietly crept around the corner, went up to the guard grabbed his head and twisted. He neck broke with a POP!

Snap! Crackle! Pop! I thought.

I quickly went and hid in the shadows. Nearby was a parking lot where two Russkie guards stood.

Must be getting close, I thought. I waited until both of the Russians back where turned. Loading my tranquilizer gun. As soon as they where turned, both of their back to me. I stepped out and shot both of them, a red dart each.

I looked above the parking lot to see the famous HOLLYWOOD sign up in spotlights. I shook my head and quietly crept down the alleyway. The sound of music was getting louder each step I took.

Definitely must be getting close, I thought. I peered around the corner. I could see another guard. The music was louder now. I quickly I crept behind him and pulled my knockout move. He fell to the floor.

I looked around. The back door to the Gulag had to be around here somewhere. But where? I quickly got my answer. Suddenly, a door open and another Russkie guard stepped out.

"What the fuck-?" was all he was able to say before I hit him with my last tranquilizer dart.

There's a reason why Spymister's my middle name, I thought as I went to the door to the club.

As soon as I went in I could see the Gulag had the works of a normal nightclub.

It had a bar in the far left corner, a few tables, chairs, and booths. The dance floor was made of some sort of metal that shined like a mirror, reflecting the party lights and disco ball above as well as the usualthrong of dancers. In the middle of the dance floor was a DJ standing up on a raised platform with his turntables. His (annoying) techno beat filled the air. I looked up to a long balcony on the left wall where a few more tables and chairs where.

I was wondereing where I could find Rocky when, for a few seconds, the dancers parted for me to see the red sign above a door across the dance floor reading PERSONNEL ONLY.

That would be it, I thought.

I took a few steps onto the dance floor when, suddenly,the music stopped, and all the lights turned to me. It was like a scene from a movie. I stood there shading my eyes from the glare of the lights and every one in the dance club had frozen, stopping what they where doing. All of them were staring at me.

I thought quickly. I looked up to the DJ.

"Hey Dick!" I called to him. "I give your damn music a three. No lyrics and you can't dance to it."

The DJ nodded, apparently pissed at what I had just said. Suddenly he pulled out an AK-47 from below his Turntables. Setting off a copal of bullets at me. I ran and jumped for cover. The throng of dancers ran, screaming for the Exit.

I pulled out my Desert Eagles saying, "Aw shit. Guess that was too harsh."

I jumped out from my hiding place and started shooting at the DJ who was reloading his AK. He fell to the floor blood oozing from his gunshot wounds. At that moment two bouncers appeared with shortened MP 5's.

Shit!

I flipped foreword to avoid more bullets snatching up the DJ's AK and a clip of ammo. I reloaded the AK as well as one of my Desert Eagles (I put the other in my jacket). It was when those bouncers started to reload their MP5's that I jumped out firing at them. Quickly they fell to the floor, bleeding from all of the lead in them.

I was about to go to the Personnel door when several more bouncers appeared.

Aw Dim Sum!

I leaped behind the DJ's turntables. Tossing aside my empty MP5's and taking up my Desert Eagles. I stepped out firing at them. They fell quickly to the floor. Suddenly I heard some commotion from behind me.

I swung around to see that the two Barkeeps appear behind that small bar in the far corner.

"Hey you guys got Beer back there!" I called to them

Suddenly they pulled out MP5's and let off a few rounds at me

"Guess not."

I jumped down for cover as I quickly reloaded my guns. Then as soon as I was able to I jumped out from behind my cover and shot at both of them.

At that moment some more moron bouncers appeared this time from the balcony thing. Both had Uzi's in hand. I ran side to side shooting at those morons until both fell over the balcony railing to the dance floor bleeding.

I grabbed their Uzi's, and it was a good thing I did too. At that moment two more bouncers with big-ass shotguns appeared.

I swung around. Squeezing the trigger to both of the Uzi's until both men fell to the floor dead. I threw the empty Uzi's aside and after making sure that my Desert Eagles where loaded I went through the Personnel Door to have a little chat with Rocky.

The door led to the security room where I found Rocky sitting behind a large expensive desk, flanked by two bodyguards, examining a twenty-dollar bill.

He was fully clothed (the only improvement to him from our last meeting), with black pants, a black jacket and a blood red shirt. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was wearing that same gold chain.

"Hey Rock," I said when I came in the room.

He looked up, only mildly surprised to see me.

"Jeez, what do ya got there? Twenty bucks?" I said raising an eyebrow for a while. "Must be a slow night."

One of his bodyguards reached for his gun that he had in his holster. Rocky waved him off. Instead he motioned to me to go to him. I went to his desk and leaned foreword, my hands laying flat on it.

"You see this bill, Detective," He said in his thick Russian accent, pushing the bill towards me. "It is a perfect dupe."

That's one piece of the puzzle we got here, I thought. That also explains why the Feds are here.

"Is it?" I asked, only mildly surprised. "So, you got the Triad laundering counterfeit for ya. Teamwork huh? Nice."

"Problem is you keep showing up like a bad two dollar bill, Detective Kang," Rocky said, both pissed and annoyed at me.

"Hey," I smirked, enjoying the fact I had gotten on his nerves. "I'd hope I'd be worth more than that."

Rocky lean foreword, suddenly interested.

"The question is, what is your brother worth?" He his tone deadly serious.

What? I thought, instantly alarmed. Did he just say-? But how could he know about-?

"Here," he said. "Have a listen."

Rocky's hand then went to a button on the answering machine. At once I heard Cary's voice fill the room. In the background I could heard sounds like shattering glass and cracking wood along as Cary yelling.

"Get out of here! My brother's a cop you creep! AH! Stop busting my place! AH! NICK HELP-!"

Rocky's hand let off the button. At once Cary's pleading cut off. Rage that I had never felt before was balling up inside me, on the edge of exploding . My hands where in fists. I gritted my teeth so hard the it hurt. I could heard my heart pounding from the rage that hammered away inside me. It was one thing to try to take my life, it something else when you dragged the only family I had left into the middle of it.

Rocky looked to me. At that moment I wanted nothing more to shoot that bastard. If it wasn't for the fact he may had my little brother's life in his dirty, greasy hands, then I would have.

"If you want your brother to stay alive, Detective," Rocky said, menacingly. "Go back into retirement."

I grabbed Rocky but his jacket collar, pulling out of his seat. Getting in to his ugly face. At once his two bodyguards grabbed their guns

"LEAVE MY BROTHER OUT OF THIS!" I roared at him.

I shoved roughly him back into his seat, and I ran out the door. Not caring about the fact I had let him get away, for now.

Cary! I'm coming!