Search and Rescue
'Dispatch for car six-eleven-seven.' came out of the police radio in Adalet's car.
She put away the beef and lettuce sandwich she had barely taken a bite out of and picked up the microphone. 'Six-eleven-seven, Adalet here. What's up dispatch?'
'Can you assist Frazella with a drug bust? There's a couple of junkies that need to be taken in for questioning.'
Adalet sighed at the prospect of delaying her mid-shift meal. She was glad for Dormin's cooking though, it kept her going all night if she had no time to eat something in between, but she preferred not to come home to him all hungry again. At least not for food. 'All right dispatch, on my way. Send me the address.' She started the car and drove off to where the navigation led her.
Adalet stopped in one of the poor neighbourhoods at a run down bar with its sign hanging askew. The streets were virtually empty because few people wanted to go out on these badly lit streets. The windows of the bar were replaced by panels and the same dull brown paint used for the building, and were mostly covered by graffiti. She recognised Frazella's old grey sedan parked in front of her. It seemed about as old as its owner and probably had one or two dents more than last time she had seen it. She went to the boarded up door of the bar, stepped inside and took a moment to scan the situation. It seemed everyone had left apart from the old barkeeper who lugged a crate to the back and Frazella with his suspect.
Frazella leaned back against the bar making notes. The forty-six year old man had just as much dents in his blue jacket and brown pants as his car. There were two young women and one guy sitting in the booth in front of him.
Frazella looked up from his notes to her. 'Adalet, good to see you. I need to take these jokers to the station to have a chat about who's delivering the stuff since their old supplier died in a shooting last month.'
Adalet gave him a nod. 'Still cleaning up the streets, eh?' She walked up to the junkies who sat quietly in handcuffs. The two women sat very close and Adalet suspected they were a couple.
'A never ending job.' Frazella said and moved next to her. 'But it'll keep me occupied and prevent me from going berserk on my own.' He gestured at the women. 'I think the ladies would feel more comfortable riding with you.'
Adalet watched the women holding their hands together while they looked down at the table in front of them. 'All right then. Let's go.' The women glanced at her and shuffled from their seat. 'This way.' she said and walked ahead of them to the door. The moment she laid her hand on the door knob a shot rang behind her.
She turned in time to see Frazella double up from the close up shot taken by the guy with a pistol. Despite moving away and drawing her own gun she was too late. The guy took a shot at her fast and the impact of the bullet hit her hard in the chest. She clenched her teeth against the pain in her ribs and fired back, twice.
The guy dropped on the floor and was dead in two breaths.
The two women had jumped aside in a corner and whimpered while holding each other tight. Adalet kept her gun aimed at the guy and stood up with some difficulty, stepped closer and kicked the gun he had used to the end of the bar. Still keeping the gun aimed at the guy's head she checked for a pulse. Satisfied there was none she moved to Frazella. He groaned while he pressed against his bloody stomach wound. She called dispatch and was glad for her habit of wearing her armoured vest.
***
Dormin scanned the hotel suite when he entered it. Standard setup, main living room, bedroom to one side, a kitchen. Just a bit more luxurious with the finish and size than what he could afford. If he ever booked one of these things.
He gestured to his client that it was safe to come in. The businessman had asked for a bodyguard after rumours popped up he was targeted for an unfriendly takeover of his transportation business by an unknown party. As long as the investigation was active, legal recommended him to get some protection. It was also deductible according to finance.
The man, Larry Procane, sixty-four years old but still looking ten years younger, wasn't too pleased with it but accepted the temporary inconvenience. He hoped it was temporary in any case because it all looked to be just a rumour and not a serious threat. None of his competitors would use anything but a large check for a weapon to threaten with. He took off his coat and went for the mini bar to get a drink and returned to one of the chairs in the centre of the room with a glass of whiskey. 'You can relax now, I'm safe and sound in here. You being here is just a formality.'
Dormin nodded. 'Looks that way.' He fetched a glass of water for himself and stared out the window to the busy street ten storeys below. Lights from trendy clubs and restaurants and passing cars lit the street. The noise was a background murmur behind the insulated windows. Even if he didn't suffer from insomnia, he doubted he'd sleep long in such a part of the city without proper soundproofing.
A knock on the door was followed by a woman calling out room service. He went to the door and opened it far enough to take a look while his hand rested on his gun. The young blonde woman in light blue skirt uniform gestured at the trolley in front of her. 'The tapas you ordered.'
Dormin nodded and opened the door letting her in, taking a quick look at the trolley's lower trays. His client was fond of eating tapas in the afternoon because he usually ate late, and had ordered some as soon as they had checked in. The young woman swayed her hips while she pushed the trolley to the middle of the room. 'Would you like these at the dining table, or at the seating?'
Larry gestured to the table in front of him. 'Over here, please.' He leaned back and watched closely with a little smile while she bent and turned each time she put a small plate with sliced meat or vegetables on the table. Dormin watched as well, but only to make sure nothing happened.
She handed the receipt to Larry, who added a big tip by the looks on his face, before she took out a bottle of matching red wine. She pat her pockets and sighed. 'Oh dear. Forgot the corkscrew.' She looked at Dormin who stood close to the mini bar. 'Could you hand me the one from the bar, please?'
'Of course.' he said and opened the cupboard door where the corkscrew would hang inside. He heard a gasp and a click, then the loud bangs delivering two hard hits to the side of his back.
The next two he hardly heard from the pain numbing his senses while he fell to the floor. His training kicked in and he pulled his pistol, aimed where the woman would stand while he hit the floor, and fired twice through the back of the couch the moment he lay still.
After a thud silence returned.
Ignoring the pain and probably cracked rib, he crawled to the side to see the woman lie face down on the floor. Her hand was empty and he checked for her pistol. He found it in Larry's dead lap as he stood up with difficulty. Blood staining her uniform made it clear his shots had been fatal. A strip of duct tape underneath the trolley's lowest tray revealed where the gun had been hidden.
He went over to the cupboard in the corner with the hotel phone and sat against it while dialling reception to get an ambulance and police.
***
Terry hurried inside the police station towards the canine officer at the front desk. 'Adalet and Dormin! Where are they!? Are they okay!? Were their shots serious!?' She looked left and right quickly before staring at the officer again.
The officer held up his hands and backed away from the fox leaning close with her ears flat and her tail wagging nervously. 'Relax. They're not hurt badly apart from some bruised ribs. They're professionals and wore their vests.' He gestured at the office to his right. 'They're at her desk.'
Terry had hurried away before he finished the last word.
'Adalet! Dormin!' They both looked back at Terry as she came up to them. 'I'm so glad you're okay!' She cupped Dormin's cheeks and gave him a big kiss while Adalet saw a few of her colleagues snigger softly as they glanced at the lively fox.
Dormin took Terry's hands in his. 'Don't worry, it's not my first time and we'll be fine in a few weeks with enough rest. Just no hugging until then.'
Terry nodded and took Adalet's hand. How are you doing?'
