Chapter 6: The United Nations (continued)

Gaining ground on the hospital and reminiscing about the past few days gives little comfort to Albert.  The events that lead him back to his addiction run through his head with out letting up.  A theatre of cruelty set to auto-play in his mind.  The girl Walter took away and slaughtered, Tony and his girlfriend… what else could motivate Albert to do the right thing?  Was he doing the right thing?  More important to Albert then any of these things to consider is…

Will I get away with this?

Albert’s mind takes him back and answers that question for him.  The turning point of whether or not he would succeed replayed in his head without him even knowing about it.

Albert was still stuck in the Commissioners office.  After walking into the police station of his own will, Albert, was beginning to feel like he was trapped on an island with a talkative 80-year-old librarian.  Without a care for the bored expressions on Albert’s face the Commissioner opened the next file and continued.

“The second gunman’s name is Tala.  Tala is a butcher.  His weapon of choice appropriately is a two-and-a-half-foot machete that dangles by his left arm under his heavy black leather trench coat.  Like Joe, however, he also carries a 48 AL auto/pump Shotgun.  Has a broad and strong build and stands just a half-foot shorter than you.  Probably the sickest and oldest man in Mel’s service.  He is an animal.  Before you came along, someone sent someone else to the back room of a restaurant.  That restaurant was a front for the Japanese triads.  This person killed everybody in there.  We believe that person was Tala.  Witnesses only heard a symphony of screams, shotguns blasts and a machete cleaving flesh.  One person said they saw Tala emerge from the poker room with his shotgun, machete and entire body covered in blood.  There was even blood in his long black hair… braided, out of tradition… I guess.  Native American, year-round-tan, about 5-7, and dark eyes.  That witness by the way… gone!  Despite his menacing appearance matching the equally messy crime scenes he leaves in his wake, it seems Tala actually has quite the sense of humor.  The few time we’ve heard his voice during our interceptions he manages to make the other voice laugh.  Tala has the worst phone name going.  Why do you guys call him “Wolf?”

“He said it was a translation of his name,” Albert replies, “I think he’s just putting us on.”

The Commissioner let out an audible nod and opened the last file.  Albert knew that if this file was not about Walter then the Police really did not know why he was there.

“Then there’s Reid.”  The moment the Commissioner said his name Albert knew he would have to offer a little knowledge about the fat sick man to the fat policeman.

“Reid is an African American man whose time in America has not shaken his heavy accent.  His first weapon of choice was not a choice at all.  For Mel’s employment we gather that it is Reid whom uses a laser sighted assault rifle to pick off Mel’s enemies from a mile away.  Reid is the sharp shooter we’ve been looking for isn’t he?”

Another rhetorical question, the Commissioner continues.

“Reid wishes he wasn’t a criminal.  Seems like if there were another one on your crew that would side with you Albert it’s him.  We did some digging.  Reid doesn’t even like guns.  Unfortunately, for him the first AK-47 assault rifle that he ever held was given to him by the cold dead hands of his own brother.  A story therein that Reid, I’m sure, does not like to tell.  But that’s a story all too familiar to anyone who comes out of Sierra Leone alive.  Mel took the illegal immigrant in and in exchange Reid’s skills as a marksman are at Mel’s disposal.  When we suspected Reid to be an accomplice of Mel’s we tried to have him deported.  But that never got past immigration.  It seems that Mel has friends there too cause Reid is now 100% citizen of this… (ahem) fine country.  A fact we’re certain he is not aware of.  Reid uses the laser-sighted rifle, but also always carries the same shotgun as Joe and Tala.  Because of his keen eyesight and skills as a sharpshooter, Reid has been identified as  “Raptor” true?”

Albert nods.  Oops.

The files are all read.  Like the outbox of a happy accountant during tax season the Commissioner leaned forward as if to ask, did I leave anything out?

Albert wondered…

“What do we know about you?”  The commissioner answered an unasked question.

The Commissioner can read minds.

“Nothing to write home about,” he said seemingly at ease.  “The phone calls never referred to you.  Oh, we knew you were involved but unlike your classmates you never got busted for something stupid like slapping your girlfriend.  You are the last puzzle piece we need to fit.  At all the crime scenes someone has made it impossible to identify for certain who has been killed and by who.  Imagine!  Being a police detective and walking into a bloodied room where it is quite clear a murder has taken place.  But there is no body.  Forensics shows up and it is impossible for them to use any of the gallons of blood strewn about the place to identify a victim cause the blood has been tainted chemically.  Fingerprints can be taken but without a murder weapon or a body to match it, all the fingerprints one could need, become useless in a court of law.  This tells us that your work for Mel was and has been given to you directly, in person.  Which means that whatever he has had you doing he did not trust to tell you over the phone, not even in code.  If this is true then it makes you the most legit, valueable, eye-witness a D.A. could ask for.  All we got on you is your nickname… we think…  A silenced witness once mentioned a guy known as “Jawbreaker.”