Dylan drummed his fingers aggravatingly on the steering wheel and glanced at his watch, he had been in the same spot for an hour staring at the group of three on the pavement opposite him. All dark skinned and dressed in various green attire, they were the same as every Seville that lined the street, but this small huddle caused Dylan the most interest. A tall guy, seemingly on the verge of adulthood, dressed in a green do' rag, topless with a bulging gut hanging over olive cargo pants, was happily talking with his comrades. Though the anxious glances over the shoulder, and casual but nervous darting looks at his watch made him stick out as a weak link. After spotting this pattern of suspicious behaviour, Dylan had sat in the stifling heat dressed in baggy jeans and an oversized hoody, hoping to try and pull off a desperate druggie act, not the most smoothest or intelligent plan but had a fair chance of working, especially on a young, nervous novice. Dylan sat straighter as the group dispersed leaving the young man on his own and restlessly waiting. Then it happened, the lightening quick interchange, which Dylan had seen so many times before. Another man approached him, bare chested with blue jeans. To an ordinary eye, it would appear that the two were just exchanging a handshake, but Dylan knew that a small bag had disappeared from the Seville's hand, and several scrunched 20 dollar bills thrusted back. As the buyer disappeared around the corner, Dylan shoved a baseball cap on and pulled his hood over his head, then hastily got out the car and walked across the road, towards the departing man.
'Hey,' said Dylan cautiously, the man seemed on the verge of running the hell away, but slowly turned to face Dylan. His brown eyes surveyed him with obvious suspicion, and Dylan quickly inspected him back with equal concern. No weapon, overweight… thought Dylan subconsciously, stepping closer to the man, and talking out the corner of his mouth.
'You got some… uhh…' Dylan coughed. 'White.' The man looked mildly surprised, stopping only for a moment.
'Nope,' he said simply. Dylan smiled slowly.
'How come I saw you with some a second ago then?' The Seville faltered, suddenly the previous nervousness flooded his body again.
'Well…I ran out didn't I?' he stuttered, not sure how to handle the sudden arrival. Dylan wiped the smile off his face, ran his hand through his black hair edgily and sniffed.
'Well you gotta tell me where you get it from don't you then…' he lowered his tone. 'Cos' I really…really need some,' said Dylan adding a twinge of desperation in his voice. The man suddenly regained his composure sensing Dylan's anguish.
'And why in the fuck would I tell you?'
'Well you see…' Dylan pulled his shirt up a little, revealing a black handle against white flesh. The guy seemed to cower slightly, and his eyes flickered from the gun to Dylan's serious face. He drew a deep breath and was about to yell, but Dylan expected this action from a man like him and instantly threw his hand to his throat. He spluttered, and tried to make some sort of alerting sound, but knew from Dylan's pincer-like grip that he meant business.
'O…k,' he gasped, Dylan released his grip instantly, he didn't enjoy this part. 'B-Dup…but that's all your getting…. you… you motherfucker…I swear your dead,' he wheezed through huge gulps of air, but Dylan was already on the other side of the road. Yeah, it was dirty, and he was damn lucky that the guy was so faint hearted and gutless, if he was the other brand, Dylan would probably be dead on the pavement at this very movement, but he had picked him out carefully, and taken the right steps.
'B-Dup yeah we've been suspecting that sonava bitch for a while now, well he lives down in Ganton, get down there, park by the blue apartments and we'll be down in about a half hour,' said Tenpenny angrily in one breath, instantly hanging up before Dylan could even begin to reply. He looked at his watch, it had just gone twelve. Ripping off the grey hoody he turned the key and headed north.
Ten minutes later, Dylan once again found himself sitting uncomfortably in his car, watching a set of blue apartments each bordered with a white picket fence. 5 minutes later, Dylan couldn't take anymore of the intense afternoon heat, he met the slightly cooler oven-like air, walking along the stone path that separated the set of apartments, it wouldn't hurt him poking about a bit. Kicking a dusty stone, he surveyed the blue buildings, it was quite a pretty place, he continued wondering how it could harbour a narcotics dealer. A voice sounded from behind him.
'Stay the fuck away punk!'
Instinctively, Dylan crouched and took cover behind a small bush, brushing away one of the branches, he could make out three figures. One was average height, wearing a green sweater and dark blue jeans, sporting some kind of bobble hat. He were standing behind a familiar face, Dylan instantly recognised the cornrow cut and dark shades. Carl Johnson.
'Hey, fuck you,' he yelled, looking as if he was about to take a swing at the tall man in front of them dressed in a big blue overcoat and was turning away back inside the building.
'Damn, this shits fucked up,' sighed the bobble hat, both turning away into the opposite direction. Dylan watched as Carl stopped abruptly, he seemed to be gazing curiously at Dylan's Oceanic.
'What the hell you doin' CJ? hurry the fuck up.'
'Yeah yeah, I'm comin, I'm comin''
The two disappeared from view and Dylan appeared from his hiding place to be greeted by the oncoming police car, he hurried over to where Tenpenny and Pulaski were slamming the car doors.
'Good afternoon Dylan,' said Tenpenny cheerily, Pulaski just nodded and sneered at Dylan's rugged appearance.
'I think it's this one,' said Dylan pointing to the brown peeling door, where the scene he had just encountered had taken place.
Tenpenny nodded automatically reaching for the handle, they disappeared through the doorway and entered a grotty hall, with equally grubby green doors lining the walls. They reached the end of the hall, with no consultation he knocked on the door.
'Who is it,' called a hoarse voice.
'It's us Mr. Wayne,' replied Tenpenny happily. There was an instant sound of footsteps, and the door opened, revealing the man Dylan had seen moments before, the huge overcoat had dissapered, well everything had dissapered, he was standing in a pair of black boxers, looking worried but mostly mildly irritated by Tenpenny's appearance. Pulaski sniggered and Tenpenny's mouth curved into a smile. Surprisingly B-Dup just stood aside and reluctantly let them through, a woman appeared behind him, clutching a sheet, unfazed by the uniformed men. Tenpenny put up a hand.
'Were going to need you to stay here Dylan, we don't want any visitors.' Dylan nodded as Pulaski passed him, lazily shooting him a smug look. Tenpenny swung the door behind them, but the hinges creaked, and the door slammed shut.
'Now then Mark.' Dylan heard Tenpenny say very quietly through the weak wooden door, maybe it was the fact that Tenpenny seemed to know this guy to well, or that his voice had dropped just beyond Dylan's hearing range, or even the lack of weapons or a pair of simple handcuffs, that made Dylan intent of eavesdropping. He pressed his ear lightly on the cold wood, the voices were muffled, but Dylan could hear bits of what they were saying, especially when the loud, not so slick Pulaski butted in.
'I thought we had an agreement on-' The rest of the sentence was lost through the wood, though a pleading voice could be heard over the slow footsteps.
'Yeah yeah officer I know but…' A distinct click sounded.
'Only selling it…Ballas…wondering,' the snide loud voice of Pulaski sounded through the wood, another voice, desperate and shaking.
'No…guys…'
A huge bang followed by an earsplitting scream , made Dylan jump back from the door, his ears ringing, he was pushed against the wall as the huge mass that was Pulaski tore past him.
'Ok kid were done here,' he said calmly. As Dylan was ushered out of the doorway he saw the crumpled form of Mark Wayne still in his boxers, clutching his leg that was spewing dark, red blood.
'What the…' whispered Dylan as he was shoved through the doorway. He heard Tenpenny's smooth voice in his ear.
'He got violent, he was unsafe.'
'Why the fuck aren't you arresting him!' cried Dylan, confused and feeling slightly dazed from the arrival of hot sun that was beating down intensely on the back of his neck.
'Not to day kid,' said Pulaski, veering him quickly from the apartments by his shoulder.
'Don't worry Dylan, we'll call you tomorrow morning, fill you in on the details,' said Tenpenny calmly, reassuringly, a casual tone that seemed to douse the moral battle in his head a little bit. Pulaski and Tenpenny turned to the police car, turning back only to say:
'Oh, by the way, good job Dylan, you put a little more justice into the streets,' smiled Tenpenny ducking into the black and white car. Dylan simply stared at them, all the way until they disappeared round the corner. He pulled and flipped his cell phone out, his fingers about to punch in 911, but an ambulance had already veered round the corner, he remembered the woman in the apartment, she must have got a surprise…
Dylan, rushed into his car as the ambulance drew near, his tyres screeched as he reversed out of the emergency vehicles path, turning the steering wheel almost 180 degrees, he swerved into the street, praying the medics in the ambulance hadn't spotted him.
