Chapter Ten
Groups of youngteens congregated on the street corner, several of them staring at Army as he waited for the red light to change. Scattered around the area were rundown houses with weeds and dirt in front as landscaping, plenty of liquor stores with iron grates over their windows, colorful tagging on storefront walls, and garbage strewn all over the street filling the gutters and sidewalks.
Still stuck at the light, Army glanced to the left then right, checking for any badges hiding in the shadows, waiting to pounce. Some of the teen boys pointed at him and a couple yelled out, but with the windows up, he couldn’t hear what they were saying.
He looked in the rear view mirror and saw a car approaching from behind. Suddenly it accelerated, changed lanes, and blasted through the red light. Army watched the car race down the street, and from the corner of his eye he saw two teenagers coming up to the car.Fuck this.He put his foot on the accelerator and zipped through the light, as the two boys yelled and waved their fists at him until the darkness swallowed them up. Army didn’t have time to deal with the fucking punks. He was looking for Lil’ Donnie and had a strong hunch he’d be right in the thick of things on Buena Vista Avenue, where the hookers and junkies hung out.
Passing a slew of liquor, convenience, and gun stores, he knew he was in the hub of illegal activity for the neighborhood. Women in cheap, tight-fitting clothes that revealed too much, hung around in the shadows of graffitied buildings, venturing out only when a car slowed down. In the darkened corners, Army saw quick drug deals, and he turned around and circled back looking for the black fedora Lil’ Donnie usually wore.
Army had planned to find the dealer the following day because he was certain he’d be spending the night with Mia, but she’d told him no. That alone was a surprise, but the thing that fucking floored him was he wanted to see her again. Normally, he’d have moved on at this point, deeming the chick too much trouble for a fuck and gone on to the next one. He rarely had to do that because more times than not, the women wanted to have some fun with him.
He slowed down and stared at an alley where two guys stood outside by the streetlamp. A woman with Daisy Dukes, thigh-high fishnets, and a red sequined bikini top teetered over to him in high-heeled boots. Army smiled, thinking of how sexy Mia had looked that night in her stilettos and snug jeans.
A knock on the window refocused him, and he rolled it down.
“You looking for something?” the blonde asked, batting her fake eyelashes.
“I’m looking for someone.”
“You found her. You’re a good-looking man.”
“Have you seen Lil’ Donnie around here tonight?”
The woman averted her gaze. “You a cop?”
Army laughed. “Fuck no. Just need to do some business with him.”
The blonde stared at him and smiled, then rubbed her tongue across two chipped front teeth. She leaned over the window to display her more than ample cleavage. “What’s in it for me?”
“I got you covered.” He opened the armrest console and pulled out a fifty. “That’s when you tell me, and you get another if you’re not bullshitting me.”
Her eyes widened. “He’s in the alley off Vance Street. Just do a U-ie and go two streets down. That’s Vance. Turn left and you’ll find him in the first alley to your right.”
“If you’re fuckin’ with me, your ass better not be here when I come back.” Army put the car in gear, and the working girl backed away as he took off, hanging a U-turn as she’d instructed.
Vance Street was dark as hell because all the streetlight bulbs were broken. Army turned off the lights in the car and slowed way down as he looked out for the alley. He pulled over, then reached out and grabbed his Glock from the glove compartment along with a thin-bladed knife, slipping it into his pocket. He killed the ignition and went to look for the snitch.
As he approached the alley he heard low voices and hung back, then keeping himself plastered against the wall, he slowly inched toward the entrance.
“I’ll cover you this time, man, but you already owe me ten bucks. If you don’t got all the dough next time, there’ll be fuckin’ trouble. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah, I will. I just need something to take away the tension, you know?” The desperation in the voice was that of a person who’d gone over the edge and the drug owned every bit of him.
“Next time I won’t be so nice. And if youse take your business somewheres else, I’ll find you and beat yo ass.”
“I got it. I’ll make good, dude. Thanks.”
Army saw a skinny man stumble over the broken sidewalk as he walked away. Army slipped into the alley and watched Lil’ Donnie using the phone’s flashlight to count a wad of dough.
“Business good?” Army asked.
The drug dealer jumped and dropped his phone. “Fuck! Shit! Why the goddamn hell are youse sneaking up on me?” He bent over and picked up his phone.
“Here’s the money the club owes you. You’ll get the rest when this all goes down.” Army took out a thick roll of bills and handed it to the informant.
“I’ll let youse know,” he panted, his fist clenching over the money. “Next time, don’t give me no fucking heart attack. Fuck, man.”
Army walked away sideways, his eyes darting between Lil’ Donnie and the alley entrance. He unlocked the car and slid inside then headed back to Buena Vista Avenue to give blondie the other fifty.