Better When He's Brave

No one wanted to get involved with the Point. We were a lost cause down here in the gutter. All the warning bells that had been jangling that Roark’s motivations were more involved than showing Race and Nassir he didn’t appreciate them taking over Novak’s business started to ring loud and clear in my ears. “Don’t you have to be an American citizen to be in the marshals? Roark’s Irish.”

“His mom is Irish. Conner has dual citizenship.”

“What about his dad? What’s the story there?” I knew from firsthand experience with my brother just how important the influence of a father could be. It might be a good place to start digging.

“Not sure. He always said his old man was a soldier from Colorado that had a brief fling with his mom. The guy got Conner every summer, but who knows if it’s the truth or not. Turns out Conner is an exceptional liar. Now that we’ve done some digging, it looks like while he was a member of Border Patrol after he left the military he was helping Novak and several of his associates move guns and drugs across the border. Conner’s been dirty a really long time and I feel like a fool for personally assigning him to this case.”

I frowned and asked him if he could give me the man in Colorado’s name. The older man scribbled a quick note on a loose piece of paper on my desk and shoved it toward me. “Why would a decorated agent suddenly start helping a known criminal move illegal stuff across the border? Money? Did Novak threaten him?”

The older man shook his head. “I don’t know. We need to find Conner to ask him that.”

I wasn’t patient enough for that. I was missing something key, something that would possibly give me the upper hand in dealing with Roark and help me find him. I needed to figure out what it was.

“He burned down the Pit. He beat the crap out of one of the working girls that’s been around these parts a long time. On top of murder, he’s taking revenge on the people of the Point by hitting them where it hurts the most. Reeve figured out that he was involved with Hartman’s murder, and ran.”

“Why did she run to you? The evidence seems to point to her and Conner being awfully chummy. Just one more rule that bastard broke.”

I sighed. “I don’t know. She trusts me. She knows I’m not a dirty cop and that all I want to do is stop him before anyone else gets hurt. He killed a girl just to leave Reeve a message and he had another one shoot up a strip club last night. This guy is effectively bringing the Point to its knees and he’s doing it without being seen. He’s like a puff of smoke and just as toxic.”

“He’s good.” Begrudging respect colored the older man’s voice.

“Too good.” I ran my hands over my hair and looked at the empty coffee mug sitting on the edge of my desk. I needed to eat. I needed to sleep. I needed to get laid, and more than all of that I needed get my head on straight. “So why exactly are you here?”

“I’m here because Novak’s case is in the garbage. Everyone that had any information we could use is gone. Benny was on the verge of giving us the entire portfolio of suppliers and distributors if we promised him immunity and a brand-new life in sunny Orlando, but like I said, someone got to him before we could make that happen. We need to stop Roark. He’s dangerous, and not just because he’s skilled and unbalanced, but because he has the training to do serious damage. You already know that the folks keeping this place afloat are a target, but so are you and the girl. Conner isn’t going to take being double-crossed lightly.”

“Already figured that out for myself.” I pointed to the word on the door that said DETECTIVE. “Kind of my job.”

“Well, the girl’s deal is done. We don’t need her to testify anymore.”

“So what? You’re just planning on throwing her to the wolves and letting her try and fight Roark on her own?”

“No. I think you and I probably have the same idea in mind, son. You know Conner is going to come after her and so do we. We thought we could find him, save the department some embarrassment; turns out he’s using our own tricks against us. We want the same thing here, you and I, King. We want Conner brought in.”

I grunted. “That was the plan, I’m just not sure how to do it and keep the girl alive in the process. I’m not as eager to dangle her out there like meat and just hope I’m faster on the trigger than Roark is. There has to be a better plan.”

“You know you can’t afford to lose when it’s time to face off with him, and as an incentive you might want to remember that if the girl isn’t any use to us, her plea bargain goes away and she’s looking at murder-for-hire charges not to mention being an accessory to the abduction for the Pryce girl. We want him brought in; dead or alive is up to you.”

I swore and pushed away from my desk. The other man rose to his feet as well, but I still towered over him.

“You left her for dead, and now you would toss her in prison if she’s not willing to risk her neck for you? Fuck that.”

“She broke the law.”

“I understand that, but she agreed to testify against Novak’s crew, and when she realized what Roark was up to, she brought that information and that evidence forward. She should still be considered a protected witness.”

“She is. As long as she’s useful. Make her useful, Detective. Do what I’m assuming you already have been doing—flaunt her, and show her off. Get Conner to show his hand. You won’t be out there alone anymore. We’ll put eyes on you and the girl so if he makes a move you have backup. Here’s my card. I want to be apprised of any developments in the Roark case. If I was twenty years younger and hadn’t been riding a desk for longer than I care to admit, I would handle the fieldwork on this case myself. You remind me a lot of myself, King. I know you will do what needs to be done to take care of business. Like I said, we want the same thing.”