Ally's Revenge (Part 1 complete, Part 2 in progress)

Chapter 9

Ally has been talking to the officer for about two minutes when the third car arrives in the driveway, obviously finished checking the neighboring blocks. He does not even have time to get out of the car when the officer that was talking to Ally points across the street. At this point they all turn towards me and I can hear parts of the conversation.

"...movement around the back of that house..."

"...man or teenager in dark clothes?...."

The officer pulls back out the driveway and heads toward the aforementioned house. Part of me is praying they will catch the small man I just encountered, but part of me hopes he will get away. If he breaks under questioning, he is bound to mention our little quarrel and even though I have no record, and therefore no mug shot, he would still be able to pick me out of a line up. And I most certainly do not have time for that.

I dare not push my luck any more than I have: I slowly creep along the brick wall and make my way to my car. There is not too much more I can do, and I can't do any surveillance now that there will be cops in the neighborhood.

Time to make a little visit to Luke and see what exactly this job or contract is....

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Over the years of tracking and hunting people, I have found that the best time to catch someone off guard is when they are sleeping. It does not matter how much of a badass you think you are, we all have to sleep. Even Luke has to sleep off a cocaine binge. Yeah, he may be able to stay up for three to four days at a time, but he will eventually crash. And since I saw him on Wednesday and Thursday nights, he's bound to have crashed by now.

I pull into the pay by day, or hour, Gator Motel at 5:57 am. The sun is beginning its day and, apparently, the hookers are, too. I almost have to run over two scantily dressed ladies just to pull into the parking lot. A third is literally running after my car, waving her arms. I stop in the middle of the lot and tell them I am an undercover officer and that the van will be coming shortly to give them all a free ride downtown. My comment sends them running, as expected.

The Gator Motel has an office in the middle of a U shaped complex. It's easy to spot the room Luke has rented since our van is parked out front of the last room on the right side of the building. There is an empty pool in the middle of the lot and half-dead palm trees surrounding the pool area. A skeleton of a lounge chair is the only thing remaining poolside. This may have once been kind of a nice place.

Since I believe knocking is highly overrated, I use my universal magnetic hotel room key-card to enter Luke's room, a little souvenir from my time with the CIA. The small TV is showing an early morning infomercial about a vacuum cleaner and its amazing pick-up power. There is an air conditioner window unit running on high, its humming making a nice background noise.

Luke is alone, thankfully, and passed out, completely naked, in the middle of the dirty queen size bed. His shoes and pants are twisted together beside the bed, his gun on the nightstand. I pick up the Smith and Wesson .38 Special revolver and stick it in my waistband. Knowing there is no other weapon he could have on, or near his naked body, I feel comfortable with proceeding.

Over in the small kitchenette area there is a miniature coffee pot, a toaster, and a mini fridge. Instead of a coffee pot on the maker, there is a single, dirty coffee cup. I open the lid to see the last pot that was brewed was made with a piece of newspaper in place of a coffee filter. There is a small tray, covered with cocaine residue, and another tray with marijuana stems and seeds, sitting on the counter between the coffee pot and the toaster.

This is one classy joint! Right up Luke's alley!

Forgetting my idea of making coffee, and waking my friend up in a nice way, I walk over to the bed and begin grabbing the corners. Luke is beyond passed out, and does not wake up as I gather the sheet. I pull the sheet, and him, off the bed and drag him into the bathroom. I lift his legs, then his torso, into the tub and turn the cold water on full blast from the overhead shower nozzle. I expected this to wake him up, but it does not.