Reckoning - 39. Chapter 39

AJ drove Artie’s car. Adam rode shotgun. The siren screeched as cars pulled out of their way. Adam’s theory was a hunch, but after what happened to Artie, AJ could not ignore the possibility of Justin being the next victim.

Two police cruisers followed as AJ called it in to dispatch.

Adam kept calling Justin’s cell but got no response or voicemail, which worried him more.

They arrived, stopping in front of the now closed Gentlemen’s club. Adam jumped out of the car. AJ called for him to wait. He raced to the door off to the side leading to Justin’s apartment, finding a male with dreadlocks holding a cell phone Adam recognized right away. Without a word Adam snatched the phone from his hand.

“Hey, what are you doing?” he demanded.

“Where did you get this?” Adam returned.

“I’m not telling you shit,” he snapped.

AJ walked up, showing his detective badge. “Will this help?”

“Your cops?”

“What’s your name.”

“Ethan.”

“Where did you get the phone, Ethan?”

“It belongs to my boy—my friend, Justin Shi’s he lives upstairs.”

“Why do you have his phone?”

“I found it in the alley where I parked my bike, Justin must have dropped it when we came back here wasted last night; I tried to take it back up to him, but he’s not answering his buzzer.”

Adam looked at the phone with a cracked screen. “In the alley you said?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, listen, I just left him. I don’t understand why he’s not answering the buzzer.”

Adam tried the door, finding it locked. “Show me where in the alley you found this.” Adam said.

“Sure, this way,” Ethan led Adam and AJ to the alley when they heard a loud bang. Adam took off running. AJ ordered Ethan to stay behind and followed Adam.

Adam scanned the alley for Justin. He spotted him clinging for his life hanging onto a rail. “Justin,” he called, catching his assistant’s attention.

“Adam, help, I can’t hold on!” his plea broke apart as he fought to hold his grip.

Adam moved fast rushing to a dumpster pushing it under Justin. He closed the steel lids and climbed on top, looking up at his friend. “Justin let go, I’ll catch you,” Adam called.

Ethan came rushing up ignoring AJ’s orders and climbed up standing with Adam. “Come on, Justin. Let go, we got you.”

Justin eased his grip, terrified as he dropped. Adam and Ethan caught the injured Justin, who didn’t think when he reached and hugged Adam. Ethan stood shocked as he watched AJ helped Adam as he lowered Justin off the dumpster.

“Adam, the killer is in my apartment,” Justin cried, his leg covered in blood.

Adam looked up at Justin’s window, seeing no one. AJ called for an ambulance and for his men to search the surrounding area.

Ethan rushed to Justin’s side as Adam leaped for the ladder for the fire escape. He climbed and scaled the steps towards Justin’s window. Adam glanced inside, seeing no one. He kicked himself for not having his gun he locked in his glove compartment at the Valdez’s estate.

It doesn’t matter, he thought. I will get this son-of-a-bitch for attacking Justin.

He noticed Justin’s blood on the ledge as he climbed through the window, trying not to make too much noise. More blood was on the hardwood floor. Adam avoided stepping in it as he scanned the bedroom. His eyes landed on the opened closet. He looked for a weapon, finding a paddle the length of his arm leaning against the wall, the words BAD BOY inscribed on the flat surface. Adam shook the image from his head of the paddle being used on his assistant. He stepped to the closets and grabbed a chain for a ceiling light. He turned it on ready to fight if someone jumped out, but no movement occurred. The bedroom door opened, and the masked intruder entered. Time drifted for Adam, who evaded a jab from a knife to his face. The killer swung again, but Adam countered with his own swing, the paddle clipping the man’s head causing him to stagger. In a desperate attempt the killer raced back to the living room with Adam on his tail. Adam tackled him, grabbing his arms, and turning him over, but it was too late.

AJ stopped Justin’s bleeding leg, as Ethan kneeled beside him. “Adam, can you check for the EMTs?”

“He’s not here,” Ethan said.

AJ turned and found Ethan was right. He saw the ladder and looked up, seeing Adam advancing to the window.

“Damnit, Adam, what are you doing?”

One of AJ’s men came rushing over with the EMTs. “Stay with Justin Shi, even when he’s taken to the hospital, that’s an order.”

“Hey,” Ethan interjected. “Can I go with Justin?”

“Yes, and don’t leave until we get your statement.” AJ raced for the ladder and climbed up, following Adam who had already climbed through. When he reached the frame, AJ drew his gun and looked through. “Adam?”

“I’m here,” Adam called back.

AJ climbed in and left the bedroom with caution, moving down the hallway. He entered the living room, finding Adam standing over the killer’s body. A knife protruded from the side of his neck as blood pumped from the wound.

“What happened?”

“I tackled him and he must have fallen on the knife.”

“Must have?”

Adam looked at him and caught the doubt in his eyes. “AJ, I didn’t do this. He did it to himself.”

AJ stooped and viewed the blood soaking into the black clothes. He checked his pulse at first he felt a heartbeat, but it grew cold. “He’s dead.” AJ stood and called it in when Adam kneeled, holding a cloth in his hand. “Adam, what are you doing?”

Without answering, Adam yanked the mask from his face. Instead of Jay Marcel or Cain Rollins who stalked Patrick and killed Gavin Martin, it was someone neither he, nor AJ knew. His black hair was cut short, his face had a beard trim along his square jawline, his body was thin but built. He wasn’t much of a fighter. Other than the knife, he couldn’t stand toe to toe with Adam.

“Adam, you’re stepping out of your jurisdiction.”

“I needed to see his face.”

“Do you know him?”

“No.”

“You think Patrick knows him?”

“I doubt it.”

“Where is Patrick?”

“He’s with his family.”

“Good. Come on, let’s stop tampering with everything until forensic goes over the place.”

“Can you give me a lift to the hospital? I want to check on Justin.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

They left through the front door and headed downstairs to the car. AJ gave instructions to his men before leaving with Adam.