Page 12 of Bazooka

Making Up is Hard to Do

Bazooka

Spending the night in the car and listening to Adam Markland’s snoring wasn’t on my agenda, but it was what happened.

The entire Mendoza setup was a bust. The guy disappeared before we reached the airport because he was as slippery as an eel.

Shortly after, he resurfaced at the nearby gas station, so we followed him there, but we were too late.

Chief Bibb pulled a few strings, and we got air support.

The helicopter followed Mendoza’s car until it reached the tunnel.

When the car didn’t show up on the other side, we went there, only to find the car abandoned.

After we checked the map and all the surrounding roads, we concluded he probably headed west. Adam and I drove toward the only exit on the west side, hoping we would get lucky.

We parked in the nearby woods, and after a while, Adam fell asleep, while I kept my eyes on the road.

Mendoza never showed up, so in the morning we returned to the station, where we had a meeting with the team.

I thought my day couldn’t get any worse, but I was wrong, and I realized it as soon as I left the station.

I headed toward my car, wondering how Luz was doing.

I would have sent someone to check in on him, but the entire station was on high alert because of Mendoza.

I was opening the car door when someone called my name.

“Detective Bradley?”

I turned around only to see a man dressed in uniform approaching me. A general, based on the four-star insignia he wore. He was a man in his sixties with gray hair and steely blue eyes that missed nothing.

“Yes?” I said, wondering who he was because I’d never seen him before in my life.

“I would like a word with you, Detective Bradley,” he said in a way that told me he was used to giving orders. “In private.”

His brusque tone bothered me, and he didn’t introduce himself. On purpose—I was sure of it.

“What about?” I said in the same tone of voice. “And why should I?”

“It’s a matter of urgency,” he replied, only to add in a softer voice. “Please.”

Please was more acceptable than his earlier approach, so I agreed. I was also exhausted because I didn’t get any sleep last night, and I wanted to get this thing over with.

We sat down on the terrace of a nearby cafe and ordered coffee, which I desperately needed. Finally, he introduced himself.

“My name is General James Jakub Zablonsky,” he said, stirring the sugar in his coffee. “And I’m very grateful that you agreed to talk to me.”

His last name sounded familiar.

“I would also like to thank you for taking care of Mikolaj,” he continued.

I glanced at him, only to do a double-take.

Fuck.

No way.

“My son,” he added.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

“You probably know him as Luz, but he was born as Mikolaj Lucius Zablonsky.”

No wonder the general’s last name sounded familiar when he said it.

I was almost ashamed I hadn’t picked up on it earlier, although, in my defense, I barely got any sleep in the last seventy-two hours.

Fucking hell! Luz was a general’s son. If you told me he was Jason Vorhees’ son, I would sooner believe it.

“My son and I are estranged, Detective Bradley. Through no fault of his own… I’m the one to blame.

Mikolaj left home years ago, but before that, he’d lived with us on the military base.

He has two brothers who are very different from him.

They don’t get along with Mikolaj because… well, you know how he is.”

The dots magically connected in my head.

“I don’t see anything wrong with him,” I said coolly, when I wanted to say something much, much ruder.

“Me neither,” General Zablonsky said, clearing his throat.

“I mean, not anymore, or at least not as I used to. The thing is… I’m a Catholic and an army man, Detective.

The way Mikolaj turned out… I couldn’t accept it for the longest time.

No one in the family could. I made mistakes, and Luz doesn’t want to forgive me because…

well, he’s not the forgiving type. But his mother misses him, and I swore to her that—”

“I don’t understand,” I interrupted him. “Why are you telling me all this?”

“I’m aware of what happened to Mikolaj,” General Zablonsky replied. “The attack on him and everything else that followed. I have connections in the police force and health system… city government, too. I had people watching him, but they lost track of him months ago.”

So, that was why Luz didn’t want to go to the hospital.

“Hold up,” I said, just to make sure I got it right. “You had him followed?”

“It was for his protection, see?” General Zablonsky said, looking uncomfortable.

“I tried to reach out to him and explain everything, but he wouldn’t talk to me.

Then he disappeared, and my men couldn’t find him until recently.

See, Mikolaj is very smart. Resourceful.

He would have been a great soldier if he weren’t so… disobedient.”

“I still don’t understand how this is any of my business,” I said, rubbing my forehead. I really had the patience of a saint.

“I know he’s living with you at the moment,” General Zablonsky said. “I also know that you’re a good influence on him.”

I blinked. “Sorry, can you explain this last part?”

“As I said, I have connections. Since Mikolaj met you, he stopped running wild. He stopped clubbing, drinking, and partying. He matured, and my sources tell me he changed because of you. That’s why I have a favor to ask of you.”

I cocked my eyebrows instead of saying “what”.

“It would mean a great deal to me if you would let Mikolaj stay with you for the time being, Detective Bradley. Not for long, but at least until I figure out how to approach him and—”

I stopped him right there.

“I’m not a babysitter, General.”

“I know that, but I will make it worth your while. I’ll give you whatever you want. Money, promotion, power. Just tell me your price and I’ll pay it.”

I stood up and reached into my pocket, then threw the bill on the table.

“I may be stationed in the Loser’s Division, General, but I can’t be bought. The next time you try to bribe me, I will pull a gun on you. By the way, if you’d asked me to look after your son because I care about him, I would have said yes. But you didn’t, so… have a nice day.”

When I got into my car, I slammed my fist against the steering wheel because… what the fuck? Why was this happening to me? A disaster after a disaster after a disaster. Couldn’t everyone just leave me be in fucking peace?

I was still seething when I got home and faced the tornado called Luz. Again, I didn’t see it coming because I was fucking exhausted .

“Where the hell were you?”

I closed the door behind me, only to see Luz standing in the middle of the room, red in the face. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Was he crying? And why was he holding his sneakers in his hands?

“What do you mean?” I grumbled. “I was at work.”

He threw a sneaker at me, but I dodged it, and it hit the wall.

“You could have let me know!” Luz bellowed. “You could have called. You could have texted. You could have sent a fucking email or a courier fucking pigeon. Anything but leave me here wondering if you’re okay…. if you’re alive or dead, you fucking monster!”

“What’s the matter with you?” I exclaimed, shocked. “I don’t have time to chat with you while I’m at work. I was chasing a gun smuggler all over town, and you’re pissed because I didn’t text you?”

His eyes flashed dangerously. “I’m pissed because I was worried. I’m pissed because you disappeared for a fucking day and night. I’m pissed because you’re an insensitive ass who thinks only of himself.”

I laughed bitterly. “Oh, that’s rich. Who has been taking care of you all this time, huh? Holy Ghost?”

“You did it because you had to!” Luz shouted. “You don’t care about me. You hate me. You only did it because Chief Bibb ordered you to. Say it isn’t so.”

“You’re delusional,” I said, turning my back to him. “And I’m done talking about this. I need to sleep.”

I kept going because the sofa looked like the Holy Grail to me at that point, when a sneaker hit me on the back.

I slowly turned, barely stopping myself from wringing his neck.

“Do this one more time,” I said, raising my finger in warning. “One more time, Luz…”

“And what will you do?” He mocked me. “Beat me up? Been there, done that, boss.”

“What has gotten into you?” I said, looking at him incredulously. “You’re not exactly a normal person, but when I left you, you seemed like a semi-reasonable human being. Now you’re acting like a fucking maniac.”

“Was she with you?”

I frowned in confusion. “Who?”

“That blonde slut. Was she with you?”

I had no clue what he was talking about. “What blonde slut?”

“Patricia,” Luz replied, mimicking her voice. “Hey, Levi… how are you, Levi… you’re so funny, Levi. She made me sick. And you… you were pathetic. Laughing at her jokes as if she were Ricky Gervais. And she’s not even funny!”

I blinked in disbelief. “You’ve finally lost your damn mind, haven’t you?”

“Was she with you last night?”

“You need a psychiatrist, Luz.”

“Answer the damn question!” Luz exclaimed. “Was she with you or not?”

I saw red.

“You know what?” I said through my teeth. “Get the fuck out of my apartment. Take your things and get out! I won’t tolerate your yelling at me in my own home.”

“It’s not your home. It’s a rental!” Luz screamed. “And I wouldn’t stay here if I were dying.”

He marched past me and slammed the front door shut behind him, while I shook my head in frustration.

I wasn’t happy with how I handled things, but I was sleep-deprived and still pissed off because of that bribe thing.

Not to mention that Luz’s ability to rile me up was unprecedented.

No one ever made me lose it like this, but he…

he was just fucking insane. And barefoot.

And it was raining outside. Oh, fuck it!