Undercover (9 page)

A heavy sigh scurried across the line. "Welcome back, Cordero. Yes. They or someone broke through the window and took her."

"Jesus, Steve, please tell me you’ve got something," she begged.

"We’ve got all kinds of something’s. Get your ass in here first thing in the morning." There was a pause. "She did the smart thing, Erica, but she paid a heavy price."

****

Erica felt more herself, more in control, when she walked into the police department the following morning. She learned that the police had collected fingers prints along with blood and hair samples from the bed and the broken window. LeAnn had fought her attacker, evident from the skin and blood they scrapped from beneath her fingernails. If Ricky did this, robbed her from her bed, from her home and of her life, then he would pay.

Erica paced the police station halls when the team left to raid the school and remained out of sight as they paraded the six members of The Hell Boys down the hall and into holding cells. Ricky Sanchez was shown into the interrogation room adjacent to the viewing area where Erica waited. Shock warred with pleasure and regret at what she saw. Deep, raw fingernail marks ran down one side of his face and his right eye was bruised and swollen.

Steve joined her as the detective entered the interrogation room with Sanchez.

"Every single one of them was carrying. We've got them no matter what comes of this."

"Not good enough. We've got to pin LeAnn's murder on him," Erica stated.

"We all want that and we will, if we can."

An hour passed. Sanchez gave them nothing useful and denied any knowledge of LeAnn's death. Erica wanted to go through the one-way window when he referred to LeAnn as his bitch.

Then Sanchez asked for the time.

"Five-thirty. Why?" The interrogator asked.

A knowing sneer lifted Sanchez's lips. "Mercy, mercy, payback from Hell. Hear da rumble, man?"

His meaning took a moment to sink in. "Oh God, they’re planning a hit on the Mercenaries," Erica said, heading out the door with Steve right behind her.

"How do you know?"

"A rumble is a fight between rival gangs. What else could he mean?"

"Where are you going, Cordero? You need to stay out of this. We'll send someone over to keep an eye on the Hell Boys."

But she didn't stop. She couldn't leave the Mercenaries vulnerable to an attack. After all, it was her fault they were even involved. The web of deceit she’d spun to eradicate drugs from the school had snared them all in this vicious cycle of events. She had to warn them and make sure Joey was out of harm’s way.

She called his cell phone, but got no answer. She left a message. "Joey, meet me at your house as soon as you get this message. I need to talk to you." But she had no intentions of going to his house. She pointed her car toward The Hufferman house.

She called Derrick at the repair shop. He answered on the third ring with a rushed "hello".

"Derrick, its Erica. Have you seen Joey? Do you know where he is?"

"No, I don't. Wasn't he at school?"

"I’m not sure. I didn't go. I tried his cell phone but he's not answering. Can you try to get a hold of him? If he's at Huff's house, you need to get him to leave."

"Why? What's going on, Erica."

She heard the panic in his voice. "Please just get a hold of him, and get him to go home."

"Damn it, Erica. Talk to me, where are you?"

She hung up.

The neighborhood was quiet when she pulled up outside the Hufferman house. A number of the members hung out on the front porch while a few of the women sat on blankets in the lawn with their young children. Huff stood off to one side of the house with a group of his friends.

Erica didn't see Joey as she stepped from her car and relief washed over her. She tucked her gun in the back waistband of her jeans and headed up the mild slope of lawn to where Henarez sat on the steps of the porch. He smiled at her approach, but tensed as she placed her foot on the bottom step and leaned in on her knee.

She focused on a spot just past his ear. "Please hear me out before you react. Your brother took a stand for me against a member of the Hell Boys, for that, I'm indebted to him. I'm sure you are aware of what happened. I hope you will trust me, do what I ask and keep some of what I say between you and me." She took a deep breath. "The Hell Boys are on their way here to retaliate. Please get everyone inside, away from doors and windows. Don't give them an easy target."

Henarez turned his head, studied her face. "And this is because my brother stood up for you?"

"They believe I'm hooked up with Huff. They also blame me for turning LeAnn against Ricky. And now Ricky and his runners are down at the station for questioning."

"You know this, how?"

She turned her head to look him in the eye. "This would be the part I hope you keep between us. I'm a police officer."

"Fuck dat," he whispered and shook his head.

"No one but the Hell Boys is gunning for you. I promise you the police have got no beef here. Please. Get everyone inside. I’m not sure how much time we have."

He stood and Erica stepped back. There was nothing more she could do.

"A rumble’s brewing." Henarez’s voice boomed, stopping all conversation. "Everyone inside, now." And they listened. Gathering blankets and kids, the women were the first to go inside. The men waited for further direction from their leader. Henarez gave her one last look, debating, she assumed, whether to arm themselves and fight back when the Hell Boys showed up. "Everyone," he said to the men.

As Huff headed past her, she touched his arm, stopping him. "Thank you for what you did Friday, having my back."

"No problem. Sucks it turned out the way it did for LeAnn."

"Yeah.” She nodded her head. “Have you seen Joey?"

"No... Well, actually here he comes now." He gestured with a nod.

Erica turned. As if in slow motion, she saw everything happening at once. Joey strolled across the lawn toward them. A blue van barreled down the road from one direction. From the other, Derrick's car pulled to the curb.

"Huff, hurry, get inside," she said as she started toward Joey. The door on the blue van slid open and Erica began to run, pulling her .38 from her waistband. "Get down, Joey." she yelled.

The first crack of gunfire split the air as she reached him and together they hit the ground. Erica landed half on top and half in front of him. She managed to get her gun positioned, aimed and fired three rounds before the door slid shut and the van sped away.

Erica rolled to her knees, facing Joey. "Are you all right? Are you hit?" She shoved the gun again into her waistband.

"I'm fine." He lay there, breathing heavy. "What the hell just happened?"

Before she could answer, Derrick ran up to them. Panic edged his voice. "Are you okay?" He looked at Erica and then Joey.

"I'm fine. Make sure Joey is okay." Erica pushed to her feet and rushed to where Henarez stood a few feet from his porch steps. "Is Huff all right?"

"Worried ‘bout me huh?" Huff said coming out the screen door, a cocky grin playing across his face. "Nice piece of shooting."

She smiled with relief until she brought her eyes back to Henarez. Derrick and Joey joined them.

"Thank you for what you did today but you realize this ain't over,” Henarez said. “It doesn't end here. We won't hide the next time."

"Yes. I realize that."

"I will honor your request for silence under one condition. You don't ever come back here."

“What are you talking about?" Joey stepped forward.

Huff bounded down the steps prepared to defend her.

"No, he's right.” She looked at Joey and then back at Henarez. “Thank you." Erica turned and started down to her car.

"I don't understand." She heard Joey say and then he was beside her, grabbing her arm, turning her to face him. “You saved my life. If he won't let you come back here then I won't come back either."

"Ah, Joey, you are so sweet, the best friend a girl could ever have." She felt the tears assemble, preparing for the painful goodbye. God, how she would miss him. She let her eyes wonder just over Joey’s shoulder to where Derrick stood. Confusion and concern etched across his face but he made no effort to approach. He was probably putting it all together in his head, she thought. "I never belonged here anyway," she said focusing her attention back on Joey.

"I’ll see you again, right?"

On some level, he knew, even if he didn’t realize it yet. She brushed at an errant tear and backed away, memorizing his face like she’d already done with Derrick’s. "I'll see ya." She turned, making her escape before the tears began to fall in earnest.

****

Derrick had it figured out, or so he thought. Erica wasn't what or whom any of them believed her to be.

He felt duped, foolish, as if she had played him all along. Not as if, he corrected, she had played him. He just didn’t understand why.

He was both hurt and disappointed, and it pissed him off to be either. When had he started hoping for something more with her? He told himself all along there was no possible way they could be together. But deep in his heart, he’d been thinking maybe, maybe, maybe…

Two weeks had passed since the shooting at the Hufferman house and Erica hadn't returned to school. Joey seemed to fluctuate between anger and sadness, not much different from Derrick's own feelings. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"What?" Joey asked from across the living room where he sat on the couch, his books spread open in front of him.

"We need to talk."

"Have you heard from Erica?"

The hope in Joey’s voice pained Derrick. He’d tried so hard to keep loss from touching Joey's life. Maybe it had been a mistake sheltering him from the realities of the world. Loss happened. People came and went. It would be better if Joey learned those lessons now.

"No. I know you're worried about her, but I think you and I both realize she isn't who she pretended to be. I don't think she was seventeen."

"You think she’s the heat?" Joey asked.

"That would be my guess and if she is a cop, it would explain a lot of things. I for one kept forgetting her age."

Joey chuckled. "You had the hots for her, didn't you? That must have been a bitch thinking she was jail bait."

God, how he loved this kid, Derrick smiled, appreciating Joey's humor and perceptiveness. "Anyway, she asked me once if I knew what you were going to study when you went to college. I couldn't answer her." He leaned forward in his chair. "Do you even want to go to college?"

Joey's eyes fell to his books.

"You can tell me. I'm not going to get mad," Derrick said seeing the mix of relief and regret when Joey lifted his eyes.

"No, I don't want to go to college. I want to work on cars. I want to work in the repair shop with you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to disappoint you. I know how bad you wanted college and how much you gave up so I could. I didn't want you to regret that. I didn't want you to decide I wasn't worth the sacrifice."

"Joey, I would never feel that way. You mean the world to me and I want you to be happy."

"Has it ever occurred to you that I want the same for you?"

Derrick gave a humorless laugh. "No. I guess I've been selfish and only thinking of what I want for you."

 They had a good talk, one Derrick now realized had been long overdue. Erica had seen in a few short weeks, what he had failed to see for years when it came to Joey’s happiness. Wasn’t that the way of things, the closest ones were usually the last to know. 

But Erica’s insight didn’t make him feel any better about her. A powerful mix of emotions brewed inside him. The possibility that she was old enough to be with him fed a hope that warred with mistrust and anger due to the lies and combined with the frustration that he may never know the truth. She’d disappeared and he’d been unable to find anything on Erica Salinas, giving him every reason to believe she had lied about her name, too.

Derrick didn’t tell Joey any of this. He also didn’t tell him that he planned to attend Ricky Sanchez’s hearing the following morning or what he thought he might find when he did.

****

Erica sat at the back of the courtroom and listened to the charges brought against Ricky Sanchez. He was held on possession of drugs with intent to sell to minors, child endangering, contributing to the delinquency of minors, breaking and entering, unlawful entry, kidnapping and murder. The long list of charges allowed the judge to deny bail. Ricky would go to trial and if justice existed in this world, he would pay for the murder of LeAnn Rivera.

A small fish in a big pond, but well worth the time it took to catch.

Erica stepped out of the Courthouse into the crisp fall air. If not for the sun, it would be downright cold. She didn’t care. She felt the glow of what was a major victory for her. Ricky Sanchez would not get away with murder.