Chaos (18 page)

“Okay, listen up,” the officer in charge of the attempt to
prevent the latest robbery spoke to the men assigned to the task. “Our source
has been very accurate so far so, hopefully he’s right about this one. We need
to wait until we actually see something before we move. Please keep in mind how
trigger-happy this group is. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you to wear your
vests. I’d like to do this tonight without any bloodshed but we all know they
won’t hesitate to shoot. If you must return fire, I urge you to use caution. Do
not shoot if there is any chance of missing. I don’t want any innocent victims
this time. I’d rather have you back off and let them go than have them clip
some poor shmuck out walking his dog again. If we don’t get them this time, we
will next time. They’re obviously not going anywhere but neither are we. It’s
only a matter of time so please, safety first. We need to keep the public with
us on this. If they feel that we are doing all we can to protect them while we
hammer away at these guys they might be more willing to provide information in
the future. Remember, even though this group is responsible for plenty of armed
robberies, muggings and drugs, if we shoot one, all the community sees is that
we killed another unfortunate kid who ended up on the streets. Any questions?
Good, let’s go.”

Shane had a bad feeling. Something was wrong. The target was
different from the ones they had gone for in the past. Tonight, the Kid
insisted that they were going to rob an insignificant bicycle shop. It was not
a place where they were likely to get much. Shane hoped he was wrong but feared
that this one was personal. They could be using the robbery as an excuse to go
after the shop owner. He had checked the records for the past several months
and hadn’t found any trouble reported at that location. Sometimes they had
calls from business owners who wanted the police to help them chase the gang
away from their shops but there hadn’t been a single complaint in this
instance.

Shane waited in the position he was assigned. So far, it had
been quiet in the area. He was in the back though. They could easily approach
from the other direction without him seeing a thing. He decided that was the
case when he heard the first shouts. Wishing he knew what was going on, he
resisted the urge to leave the alley. He had to stay there in case any of them
tried to escape in his direction. He heard footsteps running toward him and
drew his gun. Stepping away from the doorway he had crouched in, he came face
to face with the Kid.

“Drop your weapon,” Shane called, leveling his gun as he
knew he had to but hating the need for it. He had noticed instantly that the
Kid had a gun of his own this time.

The Kid froze, his gun pointed at Shane. They seemed
suspended in time as they stared at each other. “Shit, man, why are you back
here?” The Kid glared at him.

“Drop it, Kid,” Shane repeated, dreading the obvious.
Tonight’s robbery must have been planned for the Kid’s initiation. Had he
already shot the shop owner?

“Damn, I wish you weren’t here. Don’t you get it? They
figured out that you’re always around. I’m supposed to take you out.”

“Don’t do it, Kid. Drop the gun and we’ll work something
out. I can help you.”

“Can you? Did you mean it when you said you’d get me out of
this? If you did, I’m ready. No way can I shoot you, or anybody else. But
they’ll kill me if I screw up.” The Kid was shaking and Shane could see the
tears in his eyes. Suddenly he looked very young and hopeless.

“I meant every word of it. Give me the gun and I’ll take you
away from this.” Before he could continue, Shane saw a movement on the other
side of the alley. There was an older gang member there, pointing a gun at
them. As if in slow motion, Shane heard the shots. He felt the pain in his leg
and caught the Kid when he crumpled in front of him. Ignoring his wound, he
quickly discovered that the Kid had been hit twice in the back.

“Son of a bitch, that hurt.” The Kid was still with him.

“Hang on, Kid. Someone will be here to help soon,” Shane
reassured him. “Don’t move.”

“Did they get you too? Aw fuck, I’m sorry, man. It’s all my
fault. I should have walked before. Alyssa’s gonna be pissed if you die because
of me.”

“Neither one of us is going to die. She’ll be mad enough
that we got shot but she’d never forgive either of us after we both promised to
stay alive. It’s not your fault. You didn’t do this so shut up about that.”

“If I don’t die, will you really take me away from here? Are
you really coming with me?”

“Hell, yes. I gave you my word and I will keep it.” Not
really thinking about what he was doing, Shane pulled out his phone. “Trust me,
Kid. Jesse, it’s Shane. I need help.” He quickly told Jesse what had occurred.
“Holy shit!” he exclaimed after hearing Jesse’s response. “Okay, I’ll see you
there.”

“Who was that?” The Kid was suspicious.

“A friend. I promise everything is going to be fine. How you
doing? My leg hurts like a son of a bitch!”

“Me too. You’re not gonna let them get me?”

“No way. What’s your name?”

“Flynn. Flynn Roberts. You can’t send me back, now that you
know. I won’t stay…”

“Calm down, Flynn. You’re not going anywhere without me. You
just have to trust me.” He continued to hold onto the boy as he made another
call. “Dad, I need your help.” Again, Shane briefly explained the situation,
concluding by asking his parents to come to the hospital. He knew they would
anyway but he asked them to come for the Kid. “Thanks, Dad. Drive slowly. I’m
fine, really.”

“What the hell was that about?” The Kid tried to squirm away
from him.

“My parents. I called them because I know they’ll help keep
you safe while I tie up loose ends here. When I do, we’ll figure out where we
go next,” Shane wondered what was taking the ambulance so long.

“No way. Forget it!” Flynn looked panicked.

“Trust me, Flynn. Not all people are like your family.
Campini told me what you said about yours and mine is not like that. They’re like
me. I promise it will be okay. I would trust them with her life.”

Shane knew he had said the right thing when Flynn slumped
against him. “Okay. You’d better be straight with me or I’m outa there.”

“Deal,” Shane was relieved when he saw the paramedics. “Over
here. Two victims. One, aged?”

“Eleven,” Flynn supplied.

Shane frowned. He was even younger than he thought. “Aged
eleven, two bullet wounds in the lower back, one exit wound on the right side.
Victim two is me. Bullet wound in the left thigh. I think it hit bone.”

* * * * *

Three hours later, Shane was in a room, fighting the effects
of the anesthesia. When he woke up in the recovery room all they would tell him
was that Flynn was still in surgery. He hated not knowing more. Was Flynn going
to make it? Had his parents arrived? What was Jesse doing?

“McKade,” his captain said as he came through the door.

“Hey, Captain. How’s the Kid?”

“In surgery. Mind explaining what happened? And why the Feds
are here.”

“Feds?”

“Yes. They showed up an hour ago and took custody of the
Kid. Any idea why?”

“Damn! The Kid means a lot to me. I know, don’t say it. I’m
well aware that it’s wrong to get personally involved with an informant. But
he’s different, special. I’ve been encouraging him to walk away from the gang.
I promised that I would keep him safe if he asked me for help.”

“Christ, McKade, what were you thinking? Is this that
photographer’s influence?”

“It started out that way. He called me because of her at
first. But as we talked, we got to know each other. He became more than an
informant. We’re connected somehow and I have to help him.”

“But the Feds? How can you justify sticking him in the
witness protection program? He should be sent home. I’m sure he has a home
somewhere.”

“Not a suitable one. And he’s not going in the program, he’s
staying with me.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind? You can’t just yank a kid
out of a gang and take him home with you.”

“But I have to. I promised.”

“Have you given any thought whatsoever about how this is
going to affect your job?”

“Yes. You’ll be getting my resignation as soon as I’m out of
here.”

“What the hell are you saying? McKade, think about this. You
can’t throw away your whole life for some kid. Especially not one like that.”

“I’m not throwing away anything. I’m making some changes.
You know how frustrated I’ve been lately. I’ve been ready to resign for months.
I don’t belong here anymore. And that kid really is different.”

“You can’t do this! I won’t let you.”

“I’m sorry, Captain, but I don’t have any other choice. I
swore we’d get out of the city and we’re going to.”

“I think you’re making a mistake, a huge mistake. Give it
some more thought, McKade. Lots of serious thought. For now, I’m going to
forget that we even had this conversation. We’ll talk again later. Take the
next few weeks while you recover and reconsider this. I’ll arrange a transfer
for you. You just need to redirect your focus. You’re one of the good ones and
I don’t want to lose you.”

Shane agreed even though he knew he wouldn’t change his
mind. His life as a city police detective was over. He was now responsible for
an eleven-year-old former gang member from a rotten home. And he had no idea
what they were going to do next but they’d figure it out together.

* * * * *

“Hi honey,” Rose McKade greeted her son as soon as they were
permitted to see him.

“Hey Mom, Dad. Thanks for coming.”

“As if we wouldn’t!” His mother let her worry out as anger
and was about to yell at him.

“Rose, don’t pick on the boy now,” Danny McKade cut her off.
“He didn’t jump in front of that bullet just to vex you. They’ve already
assured us that he is going to be as good as new in no time.”

“With pins in his leg!” she interrupted.

“Yes, with pins in his leg but as good as new anyway. Can I
suggest you postpone your lecture for now? I think we have more important
things to discuss.”

“Fine,” she capitulated. “If you’re sure you’re all right?”

“I’ll be fine, Mom. If it hadn’t been for Flynn I would have
told you not to come.”

“Not now, son,” his father warned. “Tell us about Flynn.”

Shane told them everything he could, starting with Alyssa’s
photographic involvement, ending with the conversation they had while they
waited in the alley.

“Shane, not that I doubt you but I need to ask this anyway,
as a mother who wants to protect her son from getting hurt. Are you positive
you should do this? How do you know he won’t take what he can get from you and
disappear?”

“I just know, Mom. He’s not going to do that. He just needs
a chance, one that I can give him. I have to do this. It’s just right.”

“All right, Shane. That’s good enough for us,” Danny
replied. “We were with Brett in the hall. He said Jesse will be here as soon as
he has everything arranged.”

“Did he say anything about Flynn? The nurse could only tell
me that he was still in surgery.”

“That’s what Brett said too. We’ll be staying with him if we
need to stay in the city. I also called Kiley.”

“Mom, why? I’ll be fine.”

“Because your brother would never forgive us if we didn’t
and you know it. Kiley isn’t going to interrupt his show but I’m sure they’ll
be here in the morning.”

“Hi, can we come in?” Brett and Jesse paused in the doorway.

“Please do.” Danny waved them in.

“How’s Flynn?” Shane asked.

“Officially,” Jesse stated, “he didn’t make it through
surgery. Unofficially, he just went into recovery. The doctor told us that he
was extremely lucky and should have a complete recovery.”

“They’re going to say he’s dead?” Shane knew they had to but
wished there were some other way.

“It’s the only way,” Jesse replied. “If we didn’t, they’d
come after him.”

“When can you get him out of here?”

“Possibly as early as Thursday, if all goes well. He’ll be
transferred to the hospital near your home,” he spoke to Rose and Danny. “After
that, it depends on how it goes. Shane, for the last time, is this what you
want? I’m sorry but I have to be certain that you’re not going to change your
mind in a month. If you take him on, you don’t get the option of walking away
later.”

“I understand, Jesse. Yes, I want this. I can’t desert him
now that I know him. I know we’ll have problems, probably some big ones but
he’s worth it. I don’t know why I’m so certain but I am.”

“Okay, I’ll take care of it. Someone will be in contact with
his father but, from what you said, I don’t think you’ll get any resistance.”

“Shane, what if he wants his son back?” Rose asked gently,
knowing they were all thinking that.

“I’ll fight for him if Flynn wants me to. If he honestly
wants to go to his dad then I’ll step aside but I believe what he told me. Wait
until you meet him, Mom. You’ll understand. He’s quite a kid.”

“He must be for you to change your whole life for him. I’ll
let you know what the father says as soon as I hear anything. So, how are you?”

“Fine for now. I’m sure it’s going to be throbbing soon
enough but I’ll live.”

“You damn well better,” Brett exclaimed, causing them all to
laugh.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Brett.”

“Honey, I’m sure you’re tired. Why don’t you rest until
Flynn wakes up?”

“Can you get me in to see him, Jesse? I’d like to introduce
him to Mom and Dad and let him know that I’m still here.”

“I’ll see what I can do. I’m sure you have an hour at least.
Take your mom’s advice. I’ll be back.” Jesse left to find Shane’s doctor.

“We’ll be just outside, son. Have the nurse get us if you
need anything.” His father tugged on his wife’s hand after she hugged her son.