I don't own anything.

Detective Ikari

Chapter Two: Bloody Knuckles

"We're here." Amber looked up as Spades' Chrysler pulled over onto the side of the road. "Maybe you should stay here."

"I'm coming in," Amber stated defiantly.

"You're the boss," Spades said as he climbed out of the car, the light rain pattering off the rim of his fedora. Amber climbed out as well and looked at the building they had parked in front of. It was a small Italian bistro; almost ridiculously stereotypical for the people they were meeting. "Do us both a favor and keep your mouth shut."

"I'm not that bad," Amber argued. Spades shrugged and opened the door, waiting expectantly for her to walk in. "And some say chivalry is dead."

"Do I have to ask you to wait in the car?" Amber frowned and stepped inside the rather cozy little restaurant. A man in a fancy suit immediately turned to face them.

"How can I help you?" he asked pleasantly.

"We're here to see Mister Giovanni," Spades replied. For a moment the waiter's smile faltered. He looked around nervously.

"I know he's here," Spades continued. "Go to his table and ask Johnny to come up here."

"Yes sir." The waiter disappeared quickly into the dining area of the bistro.

"Who's Johnny?" Amber asked.

"He's Mister Giovanni's main bodyguard," Spades explained. "When he asks for your weapon you give it to him, understand?"

"Yeah." The waiter returned with a large man in tow.

"Ah Spades," the man exclaimed as he seized Spades in a hug. "It's been a while."

"My boss doesn't like me conversing with the mob," Spades replied. The man chuckled. He turned and looked at Amber.

"And who is this lovely young lady?" he asked.

"This is my boss," Spades said. "Meet Amber Young."

"Ah," the man said brightly. "Finally I meet the woman who holds your leash." He chuckled as his joke. "You know the rules."

"Yeah," Spades answered. "You know the consequences for any harm befalling my snubbie." He tugged the bobbed and cut back Smith and Wesson from under his arm, lowering the hammer gently, and handed it to the man. Amber frowned and drew her Black Widow revolver from under her blouse.

"Good," the man exclaimed. "Now let's have some breakfast!"

(:ii:)

Spades followed the large Italian man through the restaurant and glanced back at Amber. She seemed rather intimidated by Johnny. That could be a problem. She tended to get hostile when intimidated. "Spades!"

"Hello Mister Giovanni." Spades watched as the large man stood and waddled around the table. He gripped Spades' arms tightly and kissed his cheeks. "It's good to see you."

"I can say the same for you," Spades replied politely. He glanced at the table. "Breakfast?"

"Yes," Giovanni replied. "Please join me." He glanced behind Spades. "But first, who is this vision of beauty?"

"This is my boss, Amber Young," Spades explained. "Amber, this is. . ."

"I know who he is," Amber cut in. Spades sighed.

"I apologize. . ."

"Think nothing of it," Giovanni interrupted as he returned to his seat. "I would expect the woman who commands you to have such fire." Spades nodded his thanks and reached down to pull out a chair for Amber. His hand hit another and he glanced down to see Johnny's. Both jerked their hands back. "My two gentlemen," Giovanni said jokingly. Amber just pulled out her own seat. Spades peeled off his trench coat and sat as well. He glanced at the other man's meal and frowned.

"Is that tofu?"

"Yes," Giovanni groaned in exasperation. "That quack doctor insists that my diet is killing my heart. Can you believe that? You're a doctor, aren't you?"

"My degree is in psychology," Spades replied quickly. He could almost see the cogs in Giovanni's head turning.

"Oh well," the man mumbled as he took a bite of what was on his plate. "What is it you need? Face it, you only come here when you need information."

"You shouldn't have any trouble with this," Spades commented soothingly. "I'm looking for a missing girl. She's nineteen years old of Mexican descent."

"Mm," Giovanni hummed. "Many girls go missing in this city. Have there been ransom demands?"

"No," Spades answered. "That points to some less then desirable possibilities."

"I haven't heard anything," Giovanni replied finally. "If I had to guess then I would say that you should try the DC Gang."

"DC gang?" Spades repeated.

"A group of sadistic children who want to be American gangsters," Giovanni explained. "They're nothing but common hoodlums and pushers who watched too much MTV 2. If you find them and they don't have the girl I'd appreciate you telling me where they are. They've done certain things to. . .annoy the family."

"I see," Spades said as he stood up. "Thank you. Come on Chief. It's time to go."

"Right." Spades was relieved that she had decided to keep her mouth shut.

(:ii:)

"That's right," Amber confirmed. "Their name is the DC gang."

"You know what that stands for?" Helen asked.

"Dead Corpses if we find out they have the girl," Spades commented smoothly as he tugged a pack of Gold and Milds from his pocket. He pulled one out and held it between his lips. He tugged out a match from his trench coat and lit it between the tips of his thumb and middle finger.

"No," Amber answered.

"I'll get the word out," Helen replied.

"Good." Amber flipped her phone shut and slipped it into her pocket.

"Turn on the radio," Spades said as he climbed into the car, the sweet smell of the pipe tobacco cigar following him. "Channel eight." Amber leaned down and twisted the dial on the old CB radio.

"Do you think these DC guys are really involved?" Amber asked quietly. Sometimes she just couldn't understand why humans were so horrible to each other.

"It's the only lead we have," Spades answered. "Of course Giovanni could just want to hassle the competition." Amber's jaw dropped.

"Would he really. . ."

"Yeah," Spades interrupted. "Don't let his nice guy act fool you. He's the head of the mob in all of California. He didn't get there by smiling and complimenting people."

"I see." Amber had actually been thrown off by the man's attitude.

"Never underestimate man's natural affinity for evil."

"You're just such an uplifting person," Amber grumbled. "Besides, aren't you a doctor? I didn't think doctors believed in good or evil."

"We believe in facts," Spades muttered quietly as he tugged out the ashtray and tapped his cigar on the edge. "The facts are just too plentiful to disapprove evil in my opinion."

"So what does the hotshot psychiatrist think is the answer to evil?" Amber asked teasingly. "You have a theory, right?"

"Of course I do," Spades answered. "We need to lobotomize every human on the planet." Amber hated situations like this. It was always impossible to tell if he was joking or not.

"Like I said," Amber commented dryly, "you're such an uplifting person."

(:ii:)

Spades pulled to a stop and stared at the hospital through the windshield of the Chrysler. "There he is."

"I see him," Amber replied. She rolled down the window. "Hey Pussy!" Spades stared at his boss. "What?"

"Please don't yell such things from my car," Spades managed through clenched teeth.

"Well he is a wimp," Amber said as she sat back down in her seat and rolled her window up. "You drive me around all the time and I've never had stress-related health issues." Spades sighed and opened his door. He stepped out and shut the door. His partner stopped on the other side. At least it had stopped raining.

"How you feel?"

"Like shit," Mark Anderson grumbled. "What the hell is Chief doing here?"

"Trying to convince me to go back to Japan for a high school reunion," Spades explained as he leaned on the roof of the car. "She thinks I'm repressing my emotions or something."

"An emotional guy like you?" Mark asked dryly. "That's just ridiculous Spades."

"That's what I say," Spades replied. "Our case is over so we're helping Al and Conrad with the missing girl."

"I can deal with that," Mark replied. "You have a lead?"

"Possible suspects calling themselves the DC gang," Spades answered. "Course Giovanni might just be using us as cheap hit men."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Mark grumbled as he opened the back door. "We really should start charging him."

"Yeah." Spades opened his own door and climbed in.

"Charging who for what?" Amber asked.

"Never you mind," Mark growled. "Anyone ever teach you not to listen in on other people?"

"Yeah," Amber replied. "Never helped."

"Why am I not surprised?" Spades deadpanned.

(:ii:)

"So you've heard of these guys?" Spades asked as he stared at the skinny man in front of him.

"That's right," Harry replied. "I know where their pushers hang out. What's it worth to you?" Spades sighed and glanced at Mark.

"Your turn to take care of the tweaker."

"Yeah," Mark replied as he popped his knuckles. In a flash he had grabbed the man by his collar and pinned him to the alley way wall behind him. "It's worth your few remaining teeth. How does that sound?"

"Good deal," Harry squeaked.

"He's getting better," Spades commented. "We didn't even have to pull out the pliers or pistol whip him this time."

"Yeah," Mark agreed. "So where are they?"

"Their pushers hang out around the old movie theatre in the slums," Harry answered quickly. Mark released him and brushed the dirt off the man's shoulders.

"Thanks Harry. It's always a pleasure doing business with you." Spades watched as the man ran off. "So you want to do the good cop bad cop thing when we find one of these guys?"

"We need to work on that," Spades replied. "I have a difficult time being the bad cop after you break somebody's fingers."

"No you don't," Mark argued.

"Well, if I try to be the bad cop after that people tend to pass out," Spades stated. "Can't get answers out of someone who can't respond."

"That I'll believe."

"Christ. You two are nothing more then thugs." Spades turned and saw Amber leaning against the wall.

"We told you to wait in the car."

"I didn't feel like it," Amber growled. "Is this what I pay you two to do?"

"Kick in some doors, scare the locals, get your damn knuckles bloody," Spades replied. "Your words Chief." Amber glared at him, obviously fuming with impotent rage. "You hire us to get answers. We get them. . .always."

-End

(:ii:)

-Author's notes. This story is actually kind of fun to right. I mean, it's always fun, but I get to use a lot of jokes that I have in my head. This chapter didn't really flush out any history, but it did introduce Spades' partner. Well. . .that's an accomplishment I guess. One less thing to do anyway.