Dragonet

Chapter One

Blanca Martinez stared sullenly at the length of black rubber hose laying before her while standing across from her was the woman who’d just finished using it on her. Parts of the dark skinned women’s body ached, some screamed, as she had. It was all an act of course, though a painful one. Taking a deep breath she leaned back, giving her aches time to become dull throbs. “Glad that’s over” she whispered. “You hit hard Lieutenant.”

“Husband was SAS” her taller interrogator admitted, her voce a honey soft sound tinged with concern. “Before he went and died. Didn’t hurt you too bad did I?”

“A little” Blanca admitted. “I say anything?”

“You don’t remember?” the rooms third occupant asked, stunned surprise spiced his voice. Detective Arnold Whitman glanced at the notes in front of him, somewhat green faced. “Name, rank, serial number” he admitted. “Or what it comes to, nothing more.”

“Thanks Sam. Faded out there at the last, when she started getting...” She coughed softly, spitting out blood. “Imaginative. Think they’ll buy it?”

“I would” Lieutenant Mary Williams admitted. “Your tough, I’ll give you that. So what do you have for us?”

“Got in with the Professor” Blanca answered. “Coca?” She waited until the older, more attractive woman fetched a waiting mug filled with hot coca, drinking it down greedily. “Can’t seem to get enough of this stuff lately” she sighed. “Prof’s doing business with Dabber, Stoned Man and Mad Mage to name three. Bunch of others, maybe ten, twelve more.”

“Big time” Whitman whispered. “What we’ve been looking for.”

“Nother thing. Prof’s got two inside men. Narcotics. Thompson and Bellows.”

“WHO?” William’s asked, her voice louder than it needed to be. “Your sure?”

“Gave Bellows tha cash myself last month. Thompson was siting in their car waitin. Should have heard what he called me, bad cop, worse. More coca?”

“That explains our leaks” Whitman agreed, “Makes sense. Bellows I can understand, he’s always had a problem with gambling. Thompson... Maybe. Since his wife died he’s been odd. Might explain things. What about Dabber and the rest?”

Blanca swallowed her coca slowly this time, obviously savoring its thick taste. “Dabber’s the right honorable Reverend Lucas Lo Lee. He deals through his confessional. Mad Mage is somewhere in town, keeps himself low profile. Word is he’s got some big shot’s daughter as a play toy. Not much on Stoned Man yet. Other than both Professor and Dabber consider him insane and way too dangerous to deal with directly.”

“Reverend Lucas Lo Lee” Lt. Williams laughed, “Now there’s a joke. Old fire and brimstone himself. Anti-this, anti-that. Can’t think of anything he’s for except spouting hate. I sure never would have expected him. I’ll have a team on him long enough after your free to let suspicion off you. Thompson and Bellows though, they have to go.”

“Better pick one to ‘let off light” Blanca warned. “Prof already knows he’s got a leak. Let him think one of them’s it, he’s just arrogant enough to believe it. Given a choice I’d say Thompson. I like him. Liked his wife too. She was awfully nice to me when you were setting me up. Wouldn’t believe I was bad, kept wanting me to fight it. Her husband even gave me money just before I ‘lost it.’ She was good people, thought he was too.”

“One of the few” Williams agreed. “Look, you’ve been on this what? A year now? It’s time to bring you in so Why not after we get this Professor? You need rest and I’ll be honest, pounding on you made me sick.”

“Your not the only one” Whitman agreed. “Remember, Theresa and I go way back, all the way to fifth grade.”

“Blanca... Sam, until I’m out of this no slips, it’s my life. Okay. I know he’s got an important party lined up tomorrow night. I’ll leave a message givin yah tha details, where we’re at an stuff, soon’s I’ve got our stuff. After that... After that I’m out. He’s been slipping me stuff. Not drugs, something else. I get rashes, odd feeling inside me like things are moving around. No more narcotics for me, better a meter maid than any more of this. ”

“Then we pull you out now” Williams decided. “I don’t like the sound of this. Not knowing your exact location is bad enough, it was pure luck you got caught up in that sweep.”

“Not luck” Blanca admitted with a weak grin. “No... not until we have him. I want his books, there someplace in that basement but the only time we go down there is when he plays Frankenstein.”

“Frankenstein? What? How.” Whitman asked.

“Prof got the name Professor because he was an United States medical researcher. Sometimes he talks about genetics, how little things can change our whole bodies. He’s been working with all kind of animals not just drugs for the market. Something else. Somthin really sick. I want him on more than just drug charges.”

Williams walked over, setting another mug of hot coca in front of her undercover officer. Kneeling beside her she reached out, touching a thin hand. “If that’s true your in dangerous territory. Mind altering drugs are one thing. If he’s playing with genetics, you could end up dead, real dead. Or worse, unable to have normal kids.”

“Its only a week most Mam” Blanca argued. “Can’t do much to me in a week, not since he needs me for his business. I’m his trusted numbers girl, payoff runner, Jill of all trades. He can’t afford to lose me now.” She tried to laugh, ended up coughing. “Sides Doc says I’m okay. Bit malnourished but okay. Least I’m not hooked on some drug yet and he does still like to touch me. After the party, I’ll call that number. Give you the word.”

Detective Arnold Whitman looked down at the undernourished woman sitting in front of him. “That’s it then, you’ll be on the street with the rest of them by morning.”

William’s sighed as she picked up the black hose. “One more, then...” She swung, the impact knocking Blanca to the rooms floor. Opening a door behind her Williams looked out. “Officer, we’re through with this one. Throw her back in her cell.”

‘Blanca Martinez’ stumbled to her hands & knees as the cells door slammed behind her. A dozen hands turned her on her back, examined her, then helped her to one of the cells beds. “Worked you over didn’t they?” an older women’s voice asked.

“Yeah. Got nothin. Get nothin” she whispered back. Her ribs hurt where Williams had used the rubber hose. Her face worse from the last strike. It’d bruise badly, still if the Professor, her ‘boyfriend’, needed proof... A simple examination of her body would give him all he needed. A few bruises were nothing compared to what would happen to her if someone broke her cover. “Heal. Word?”

“Words we get out inna morn. No hard charges, nothin more than suspect. Damn, they hit you there?”

Blanca tried to laugh, ended up coughing. “Made a pass at tha black woman. She’s cute.” She coughed again, doubling up more as an act than in real pain. “She’s straight.”

“Hell” a younger voice laughed. “I couldah tod you that. Mean too. Where you going when they let us out?”

“Home” Blanca whispered, exhaustion beginning to take over.

“Not back to him. God woman, he’s killin yah.”

“I know” were her last words before she fell into a fitful slumber.