Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“I don’t think that’s possible with you.”
“What isn’t?”
“The ability to keep your mouth shut.”
“You’re wrong. The key is knowing when to shut it and when to keep it open. If I had kept my mouth shut, you’d be gone and would never come back. Because I didn’t, you’ll be back next week. You’ll also call me when you need to talk.”
“You’re so damn confident I’ll do that.”
“You’re right, I am. And the reason I am is because I know you, Bradley Lennox. I know you because I used to be you.”
He’d done some research. By pulling up the news articles and skimming through them. By searching for any mentions of the Pittsburgh officer named Mark.
He looked at pictures and watched videos of the march-turned-riot.
He had no idea if Aaliyah kept her late husband’s last name since she said she had a second child. She could have married again. In reality, she still could be married to the father of her youngest child.
Then he found it on a fallen officers’ page. Pittsburgh PD Officer Mark Alan James was on the list. At his end of watch, he only had five years on the job.
Using his name, Nox dug deeper to find James arrived on scene after a 911 call. Since the so-called march wasn’t planned and didn’t have a permit, he hadn’t gone prepared by wearing any riot gear. His only protection was most likely his Kevlar vest and the weapons found on his duty belt.
He arrived thinking it was only a group of white supremacists marching without the city’s permission or planning. Once on scene, he quickly discovered they were using spray paint to tag buildings with hate symbols, like swastikas, the iron cross, SS bolts and the number 88.
The group was not only gathering illegally, but they were also destroying property and intimidating citizens.
When Mark James tried to stop a member of the group from breaking out the windows of a business, he was struck in the back of the head with a flagpole. As he lay stunned on the sidewalk, another group member walked up and shot the man while he was down.
Aaliyah James’s husband bled out before anyone could get to him.
Even though the photo in one article was blurred on purpose, it was easy to see just how large the pool of blood was that surrounded a lifeless Officer James.
How many of those photos had Aaliyah seen?
Did she stand in a courtroom and face his attackers while giving a heartfelt victim impact statement? Possibly while still pregnant with her late husband’s child? Or by then had she been holding that baby in her arms?
Did she wish her husband’s attackers to die the same violent death?
Nox wouldn’t blame her if she did.
It was only natural to wish “an eye for an eye.”
Nox grabbed a beer from the fridge, skirted around the counter and headed over to where Roland North, Mike Miller and Crew were playing poker at the card table. Smoke spiraled toward the ceiling from their lit cigars and classic rock filled the first floor of The Plant, the Blue Avengers’ church.
“You want in on the next hand?” Crew asked around the cigar jammed between his teeth.
Nox shook his head. “Too rich for my blood.”
Crew coughed out what sounded like, “Bullshit.”
“Like you don’t have spare cash lying around,” North huffed. “You sold your damn house, moved upstairs and pay dick for rent.”
“Spent money to fix up the second floor.”
“And you did all the labor yourself. Sit the fuck down and we’ll deal your ass in for the next hand, cheapo.”
He wasn’t there to play poker, he was there for some answers. He pulled out one of the card table chairs, flipped it around and settled into it backwards. “You guys remember the neo-Nazi riot in the Burgh about sixteen years ago?”
Crew frowned. “I do. It was ugly as fuck.”
“I don’t,” Miller answered, “but then I wasn’t with the PD sixteen years ago. I mean, it’s hard to avoid hearing about it by simply being a Pittsburgh officer. It’s talked about to this day, but I don’t remember the actual event. I’m just a baby.”
North snorted loudly. “A baby making babies. You need to get the ol’ snip-snip before you populate the Earth all by yourself, my man.”
Miller shrugged. “My ol’ lady loves being pregnant. And it’s fun making her pregnant.” He grinned.
“You have to be able to afford all those kids, asshole,” Crew said. “If you weren’t aware, you can still have the fun part without knocking her up. Did you miss that class in Sex Ed?”
“I think he’s got a breeding kink,” North announced.
“That makes sense,” Crew said on a laugh. “That’s one fucking expensive kink.”
“Anyway,” North continued, “unlike Mr. Young and Horny over there, I’m not only old enough to remember it, I was there. Mullins was, too, but he was a rookie when it happened.”