Page 36 of For Life
“Why should we trust you?” One of the Kiselov men scoffed. “Cops can’t be trust–”
“Because Kot Felix trusts him,” Maksim cut the smaller man off, “and that should be enough for you, Oleg.”
Oleg looked chagrined and nodded without a word. We heard yelling in Russian and I signaled for us to move out.
“Entering the warehouse, a suspected kidnapping and organized crime location,” I narrated in a whisper as I entered first in my police gear, with a vest to protect me and camera going to get Matlock on video. We didn’t have to worry much about noise, with raised voices coming from the top floor where we’d spotted the rainbow flag. The first floor had been portioned into rooms, the second floor was barren, but we captured one man there. He was shouldering tarps and easily stopped without incident “Suspect of kidnapping in custody.”
Making sure my body didn’t face the Kiselov men, because they were helping out and I was trying to help Felix’s men stay out of trouble, I made my way up the last set of stairs.
“Why do you get to kill it?”
Matlock’s words caught me off guard. I was at the top landing, and I could hear my partner and Ivanna clearly, but couldn’t see anyone yet. Thinking back to after the shooting, what Matlock said to Ant, I couldn’t hold back any longer.
Two men were facing a cage, where Ivanna and Matlock both held guns while they argued about who got to kill their prisoner. Ant, for their part, looked annoyed. There were bruises across their cheeks, but Ant was standing and whole.
Felix had relayed that he had owned the building, but it had been bought by the Italian man he’d met with. Greco had given them permission to go inside, and that was all I’d needed. I waited until one of the men spotted me, and Jefferson to join me, before I called out.
“Police! Put your guns down and hands up!”
The two guys off to the side immediately put their hands up, not having guns on them. I still wanted them searched and nodded Jefferson their way. Ivanna kept the gun in her hand as she held both hands up. I could tell she was assessing—I was a cop, but so was Matlock— the situation but I didn't take my gun off Matlock. He smirked at me.
“Well, which is it, rookie, guns down or hands up?”
Matlock had taught me the line, explaining that it threw a suspect off and gave you a moment to think. It made me sick to think I had used it on him. He hadn’t done either, gun pointed right back at me. We were at a standoff, and I had to resist the urge to look at Ant again. Instead, I would narrate for the camera.
“Paul Matlock, you were part of the shooting that killed Giuseppe Russo, and the kidnapping of Anthony Costa. You are under arrest. Drop the weapon, now.”
“You don’t have a warrant or any evidence,” Matlock hedged as I heard Felix’s men gather behind me, “I’m undercover. And look, I found the main witness and a prime suspect.”
“How dare you,” Ivanna screeched and aimed her gun at Matlock, “I should have known you would turn on me after all I’ve paid you. No loyalty!”
A gun shot blasted, whether accidentally or on purpose, hitting Matlock in the thigh. Chaos ensued, with mafia guys running in to grab the two guys and bolting. Matlock turned to run and I followed him while Jefferson pounced on Ivanna.
“Matlock, stop!” I called out and he faced me with his weapon drawn.
I was always a faster shot than him. Aiming for the shoulder of his gun arm, I hit my mark before he could get a shot off into the ceiling. Tackling him down, I ignored his complaints and pulled out both sets of handcuffs. Bigger guys always took two. The sound of Matlock’s grumbling in pain and bitching about my knee on his back was joined by sirens from a distance.
I turned off my camera. I knew it would still record for a minute, but I didn’t care.
“You deserve this and so much more. Wait until you’re in prison and they find out you're a cop.”
My words had Matlock bucking under me like a fish, but he wasn’t going anywhere. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Felix, Maksim, and their men rushing down the stairs with the three Kiselov men who had betrayed them. We’d found Ant, and Felix knew my recording would put Ivanna away. If not, I had no doubt they’d take care of her. I couldn’t muster any worry about what would be done with Ant’s kidnappers.
After Matlock was secured and checked for weapons, I moved to let him out, Jefferson tossing me the keys he must have pulled from one of the men. Ant fell into my arms with a goan, and I whispered nonsense words of comfort while I petted their tangled hair. When I heard boots on the stairs and I stepped back from the one person I didn’t want to let go of. Oakland PD was entering with guns drawn, and I holstered mine to show I wasn’t a threat.
“Maxx!”
Ant called out to me when I walked away, but I had to clear things up first. All I wanted was to comfort Ant and take them home, but I knew that wasn’t happening anytime soon. I was pulled aside by an Oakland Police Captain and berated about jurisdiction and officer involved shootings. Knowing what I needed to do—to avoid all the BS red tape—I nodded along. I also agreed to turn over my gun for evidence and report straight to my own precinct.
In all the noise and bodies pressing into the humid loft, I lost track of Ant. I would find them, but there was something I had to do first.
Chapter twenty-four
ANT
IKNEWMAXXWOULDrescue me, or at least I’d hoped. The bleach blonde and the dirty cop were arguing over who would kill me and while it was scary to think they’d eventually do it, I also found it annoying. I was about to tell them they could both shoot me if they made it quick so I didn’t have to listen to the narcissistic bickering one more minute, when Maxx showed up.
Seeing him burst into the room, gun drawn and in full uniform, I almost cried out to him then. His determined eyes were scanning the room as Jefferson appeared behind him, and I clamped my jaw shut to not alert the baddies early. Maxx announced himself and all hell broke loose. My kidnappers got tackled and restrained, and I was too shocked by the gunshots to cheer over Matlock being hit. My thoughts were solely on Maxx, Jefferson, and the others who streamed in, unable to be calm down until I knew that no one was hurt over me.