Hot in the City <<closed for Powerdog>>

Eva Mendez was tough. She had to be! Being a woman in a macho man's world was challenge, being successful in that world was damn near impossible, especially when she still looked like a woman. Being small and curvy, with pretty features added an additional challenge, as most guys in the department had hit on her at some point. Most laughed off her firm refusal to date, but some were more spiteful, enquiring if she was actually a lesbian. Dating a colleague would be the death knell of her career. Not that the department forbid it - it was allowed providing the couple were not in the same chain of command, but cops gossiped more than old women, and even one slip up would make her the talk of the department. She had to do everything twice as well, to be thought half as good as her male counterparts, but, eleven years of single-minded determination had paid off and she was now a senior detective in the serious crime unit.

She'd worked Drug and Vice previously, and that had stood her in good stead for serious crime, and she found she was still coming across the usual suspects and her network of informants. She was a thorn in the side of the underworld, and she revelled in bringing down the various criminal organisations, one by one.

She opened her suit jacket, and tugged at the collar of her shirt, persiration sticking it to her skin. The air-con in the car provided by the city was on the blink again, and she tuned in to her partner, Jack, as he bitched in colourful language about the city's recent cut backs. He too was sweating, and although he had shed his suit jacket earlier, as was his habit when driving, his shirt was becoming stained with perspiration, as the sun beat down on them.

"At least the fucking traffic's light" Jack said, "anyone who can is staying out of the city in this heat!" "Mmm Yeah! You got that right" Eva replied, only half paying attention, looking out the window watching everyone and everything. The radio crackled and she answered, and listened to dispatch, and replied that their car was close and they were now responding. "Third district, corner of 6th and Central" and with that, Jack flipped on the claxton and swerved out into the traffic, while Eva held on tight, bringing them to a stop on the path some four minutes later.

They both jumped out, drawing their weapons. There was chaos. Two hookers lay in a heap on the sidewalk, having taken a pretty severe hiding, and Eva quickly checked their lifesigns, confirming both were alive, and calling for an ambulance. The men that had been scuffling had taken off when the cops arrived, and Jack had given persuit. Eva ran quickly after them, scaling fences and jumping walls, darting down alleys, until she heard a gun shot. Not pausing to call it in she ran toward the sound, screeching to a halt when she recognised the man face down and bleeding. "Jack! Fuck! Are you okay?" she asked as she reached him, instantly realising he was dead, the side of his head missing. She reached for her radio, when she saw movement by the dumpster "Freeze!" she called, fumbling for her gun, and realings she had dropped it when she had gone to Jack.........

Logan Creed would be considered by those on the street as PLC... Pimp Logan Creed. He had been sitting on the corner opposite of where his girls worked watching customers come in pay their fees, take the girls into the alley and then come back a bit later. He had a pretty sweet deal going for himself earning 50% of his girls take in exchange for protection from all the real creeps out there.

He watched a local man, Paulie something or other stagger down the street towards the ladies. Candy and Ann stood there waiting on a customer when Paulie approached them asking for a fuck... Everyone in the neighborhood new this asshole spent all his money on booze anyways so they told him to fuck off.

Of course this did not go over well at the time and Paulie reached up and grabbed Candy by the arm and barked, "Let's go bitch! I need a fuck!"

"Time to go to work..." PLC said as he walked across the darkened street and approached his girls, "Hey Paulie! How about you leave the ladies alone huh? You know you can't afford them!"

Paulie, to PLC's surprise, spun around with a pair of brass knuckles on his fist! He took a swing and missed by a great deal! The booze had a HUGE part to play with that. PLC quickly went to town on this whino and started beating him into the ground!

When the po po arrived, PLC realized he needed to scat quick! He dashed away into an alley... knowing there was a door in the alley that he left open for quick escapes. He dashed past the dumpster knowing a cop was chasing him down and gaining ground!

Then there was the gunshot! It came out of know where! He yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK!!!! and dove into the dumpster!!! Cops ain't supposed to shoot at people!

"Jack! Fuck! Are you okay?" He heard a woman say as he peeked up out of the nasty ass dumpster! She spun around and went for her gun, yelling freeze... only to find herself without her weapon!

He leapt from the dumpster and started to dash away when he found her gun... smoking as if just found! He reached down with his gloved hand and picked it up... This was the gun was just fired ... and the cop was down because of it.

"HEY!!!" He heard the woman say and he spun around, weapon level and aimed at her!

He barked, "Back up! Back the fuck up! I don't want to shoot you so back the fuck up!!!"

"Back up! Back the fuck up! I don't want to shoot you so back the fuck up!!!" He was clearly panicking, and needed to be calmed.


Eva backed up, her hands raised in the air. "Ok! dont shoot! I am unarmed!" She took several steps back, consciously moderating her voice to project a calm, controlled demeanor. She knew she had called for back up .. or had she? Now that she thought on it, she had reached for her radio, to call for back up, and then the movement in the dumpster had distracted her...... she hadn't called. How could she have dropped her guard so - all that ingrained training, forgotten in a crisis. Jack was dead, his head partially blown away. She had dropped her weapon, and missed calling for back up!

She fought down the tears that rose in her as she thought of Jack, so full of life, so flamboyant, now, so dead.

Returning her full concentration on the situation on hand, she knew she needed to diffuse things immediately. "Sir!, drop that weapon! You haven't done anything so far, dont do it now!" That wasn't strictly true, she was pretty sure he had just murdered her partner. "Take a deep breath, and give me the gun! Give it to me right now!" she stepped toward him, moving slowly, non threatening, maintaining eye contact, and watching the gun closely.

PLC laughed at her and said, "Why! So you can shoot me too! I don't think so cunt!" That was when another whisp of smoke lifted from the tip of the gun...

He could see her eyes look at the gun... then make the stark realization it was her weapon that had shot him. He walked slowly towards Jack on the ground, keeping his eyes firmly on her as she began to tremble! She had killed Jack because of a fuck up...

He reached down and took Jack's weapon from the holster and kicked it further down the alley. He wasn't stupid enough to get caught with another cops gun... at least a dead one. He said, "You the one who killed this po po! You are the murderer here... not me. Hell... I be doing the citizens of this neighborhood a personal favor by killing a murderer... huh?"

He began to realize that he was in a rather unusual situation and he was beginning to like it...
He said, "Get on your kne

"Get on your knees!"

Eva needed to take control of this situation, and fast. She looked at him, schooling her breathing, and then she said, as she knelt. "Dont shoot! Killing a cop carries the death penalty! You do not want to spend the last ten years of your life on death row, do you!"

She maintained eye contact "Calm down! Take a deep breath, and put the gun down. I have called for back up, and cops are gonna be here in no time! You'll be in serious trouble if you dont do as I say!"

She spoke so quietly she knew he would need to concentrate to hear her, she watched with trepidation as he approached. "Look, dont kill me! That s not necessary!!"

"Kill you? I ain't gunna kill you! You ain't worth going to jail for murderer!" PLC glanced down the alley and said, "You don't have any idea what I am going to do to you bitch!"

He noted a barrell whic had fire coming out of it that some whino had prepared for the evening cold. Obviously the gunshot scared him away. He turned the weapon towards the corpse on the ground and put two rounds into his chest and one round into the back of Jack's head.

He watched the lady cop jerk and swung the pistol back around and then said, "Hmm... let's see..." He eased to the fire barrell and began to pull off his coat that had gun powder residue on it and tossed it into the flames. "Officer... I saw the whole thing. She had him at gunpoint... yeah officer... she shot him twice in the head... and twice in the chest..." He switched hands with the gun and reached down with his teeth and tore off his right glove which was covered in gunpowder residue and tossed it into the flame as well...

He then did something that surprised both of them.... he put the gun on the ground slowly... looked at her and kicked it back to her.... He also quickly tore off his last glove and tossed it into the fire as well.. getting rid of all the evidence that he had shot the fresh dead three more times.

Eva eyed the gun, and instinctively went for it. Holding it firmly between her hands, she adjusted her stance and turned the gun on him, and began" you are under arrest! You have the right to remain silent, anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law" Why was he grinning, looking so triumphant? Quickly, she allowed her eyes to dart around the alley, confirming her belief that, with the exception of the two of them, it was desserted. No one was sneaking up behind her, why then was he looking like he had a trump card.

She replayed his words: "Officer... I saw the whole thing. She had him at gunpoint... yeah officer... she shot him twice in the head... and twice in the chest..." Oh Jesus!!

"No one is going to take the work of a punk over the word of a respected detective!" she laughed, it sounded hollow, even to her own ears. Then she thought, over the past three months she had made two requests seeking another partner - Jack was a great guy and all, and he ALWAYS had her back, but .......... she had suspected that his hands were not as clean as they should be. Of course, she could not prove his involvement in criminality, it was mearly circumstantial and her gut feeling. She had asked for the assignment of another partner, as working with Jack had become difficult for "personal reasons" the personal reason actually being her fear that if he was dirty, he'd ruin her career. Of course, to falsely accuse a fellow officer, would make her a pariah, and she'd be writing speeding tickets in the boondocks if she was lucky!!

She had staked him out a few times, trying to confirm or deny her suspicions, but had given it up, when a couple of other cops had seen her and alluded to a sexual relationship between them!!! Jack had recently started seeing someone, and it might look like she, fueled by thwarted hopes, and unrequited love, had staked him out, followed him about, and ultimately killed him!!!! Her prints were on the gun ........ had she fired a warning shot tonight? she couldn't remember now!! She had certainly discharged her weapon earlier at the range, and they had left quickly - she might have gunpower residue on her still ...... This was starting to look bad, very bad.

"Okay! What do you want?" she asked as realisation hit her, that she might be on very thin ice here. Perhaps she could come to a compromise, a way to guarantee his silence.

PLC smiled, putting his hands down after she lowered her pistol. He walked to her, put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Give me the gun now. Drop it in my pocket... Do it."

He watched her study the weapon for several seconds... then reach over and drop it into his pocket. He then whispered into her ear, "You have a mess to clean up right now. Tomorrow night, 6PM, you will come back to this alley and go through that door. Once you are inside that door, lock it and to the third door on the right. Go inside and sit down. You will wait for me there and I will discuss my terms for keeping me silent..."

He glanced down the alley at the sound of the ambulance arriving. Apparently she had at least called in a bus. He said, "I have the gun with the proof that you killed your partner now. Combine that with my testimony and well... I suspect you will get to spend quite a few years in the same prison as a number of others you have busted. Imagine how they will love playing with the very cop that busted them? Wow... gives me goosebumps..."

He watched her eyes shift to him and he said, "That's right... oh you know what I mean. So... here is what I am going to do... Giving you a weak defense..."

Without a word to add... he reached back and punched her in the side of the head hard, sending her flailing into the ground. He knelt down, reached to her slack's pocket and pulled her badge out. He smiled and said, "I think I will keep this... Talk to you tomorrow."

He turned and strolled down the alley, ducking into the door from earlier and locking it. He figured she would attempt to claim that she was jumped and had the gun taken from her. Though if he turned over the evidence, it would prove otherwise....

"I suspect you will get to spend quite a few years in the same prison as a number of others you have busted. Imagine how they will love playing with the very cop that busted them?"

The picture he painted was grim indeed, and she knew that she would not last in a prison - she had put away too many over the years, and they would be seeking retribution.

She glanced up at him, sizing him up, wondering just how big a player he was. Was he a serious contender or just some opportunistic thug out to get what he could for himself? She wasnt sure. She didn't recognise him, and did nt recall seeing his mug shot, so that meant he was below the radar - which meant he was either very small time or the opposite, so big that he avoided the radar all together. She made a judgement call, and decided on the former.

"Tomorrow night, 6PM, you will come back to this alley and go through that door. Once you are inside that door, lock it and to the third door on the right. Go inside and sit down. You will wait for me there and I will discuss my terms for keeping me silent..."

She looked at him, wondering what he had planned. She did not want to be compromised in any way, and yet, what option did she have? She nodded her agreement, but privately decided she would think it through over night, work out possible ramifications of each decision, and then make her judgement call.

PLC watched as eventually the ambulance showed up, then the cops, then the other detectives, and eventually even the Commissioner of the Police. He knew the man well... Charles Branson.... err... Commissioner Charles Branson. The Commish was a frequent customer of his ladies... as was half the police squad in the area.

He remembered sending people to follow Charlie home one night shortly after he took his new post and then opted to take the sweet approach into the Commish. He sent 3 of his hookers to his house, expecting him to reject them and send them away. So you can imagine his surprise when he glanced around and then let them in.

Of course they quickly realized that he was a closet submissive and the ladies took control of him sexually and in the process snapped hundreds of blackmail photos of him. Eventually, PLC came to workable terms with the Commissioner. He kept the heat off his territories and in exchange, he would keep a constant supply of hookers at his door AND... the photos would remain hidden indefinitely.

Of course the tricked worked on dozens of beat cops, including Jack himself. He held damning evidence on lots of cops. He even got a few to run some of his other businesses for him, including running coke through the territory, meth, a few kidnap victims, etc. Most of the cops on the beat had taken cash of some kind from him and they were all as crooked as question marks...

All except Eva. She was the hard nose bitch who had never accepted any gifts from any of his friends. Never listened to the other cops on the beat who tried to help her out and line her pockets. She was one of the altruists who did a good job for the sake of doing a good job. He hated people like that.

He left the scene when the body was picked up and carried away and Eva eventually left after being questioned by 10 different people. He knew she was stressed to the max. If she was smart, she would simply say someone took her gun from her, killed her partner and nearly killed her. There would be questions in her story but all in all it should hold up... particularly after he contacted the Commissioner and told him to go easy on her for now.

Eva had an exhausting evening. Several hours of questioning down at the station, report filling, colleagues coming and talking with her commisserating with her, the dreadful talk with Jack's brother, and his ex wife, telling them that he was no more.

Finally, it was almsot midnight when she parked her car outside her modest condo. She let herself in, and reset the alarm, and then poured herself a generous glass of Scotch, and threw it back neat. She poured another, and sat in front of the tv flicking through the channels, seeing if there was something that would take away the image of Jack, with half his head gone. She really wished she had taken one of the many offers of a relationship, that she had blythly dismissed. Now she was alone. she had no one to comfort her, no one to turn to for advice, nothing.

She eventually went into a distrubed sleep, dreaming and waking repeatedly, and by the time she got up next day, it was after 2pm. She was off duty for the moment, pending an initial investigation into Jack's death. She showered, and decided to forgo her normal run, and sat drinking coffee mulling over what had happened and what to do.

Finally, at 6 pm, she found herself making her way toward the laneway, and into the room she had been intstructed to go to. Her heart beat hard, and she decided that she would hear what he had to say, no more. She could not come to any kind of decision, and needed to know more.

PLC watched Eva come to the alleyway via the cameras he had discretly set up all around his building. This place was one of his many properties that he used to hide his undergoings. The front side of it was a legitimate massage parlor and hair stylist shop. Even PLC had an official office inside the place so the feds would see he had a legitimate income. He had places like this all over the city.

As she walked into the alleyway, he said, "Girl's got guts... Give her that much." He turned to Rock and said, "Why don't you go meet out guest?"

Rock was a big guy 6'8" 350 pounds and build that a mac truck with a keg on the radiator. He carried a silenced 9M beretta, wore a fedora, mirrored sunglasses hanging off his tropical shirt, black slacks and matching black shoes. He was once a professional fighter till he was caught taking bribes to throw fights... ironically from the very man he now worked for.

He was particularly interested in this task PLC gave him because she had personal arrested him at least three seperate times... including the bust that got him kicked out of professional boxing. He smiled showing off his gold grill and turned and headed to the room where she stood.

He opened the door and looked at her... "Hello there... detective..."

Eva's heart sank when she recognised Rock. What, she wondered was he doing here? And what part had he in the entire thing.

"Rock!" she said in acknowledgement of him, and she walk right toward him, purposefully, forcing him to step aside. She did not want to walk ahead of him, giving him her back, but nor did she want to appear nervous.

She began to climb the stairs, and glanced over her shoulder at him "I must say, I am not especially surprised to see you mixed up in this. You are aware that by consorting with other criminals you are violating the terms of your parole!! I could arrest you in an instant!"

She entered the room, quickly sizing it up for potential threats and noting the exits, marking her escape routes, should she need one. She stood to one side, and Rock entered the room behind her. "Well, where is he?" she said looking around. "Lets get this farce over and done with!"

"Farce?" A voice came from the darkness. It was PLC... his voice was undeniable. He walked towards the light and was dressed in an entirely different outfit... something similar to black and burgandy suit of silk... essentric, way over the top, and tasteless to an extent... He said, "Let me tell you something about a farce."

He walked towards her and said, "The farce is... that you killed your partner. You were an idiot, dropping your weapon, causing it to discharge and killing your partner. And then... for safe measure... you had the audacity to put for more rounds into him. Don't you lie to me... you know you did it..."

He put his hand on her shoulder and let his fingers cross her skin. He said, "You are the farce my dear and that is the very reason you have been up most of the night trying to figure out if you should actually come here to see me or not. The fact that you are here at all tells me you that you know I have your proverbial balls in my hand sweetheart."

He turned and faced her and said, "So you tell me... what is the real farce here? The fact that you fucked up without a shadow of a doubt... or the fact that you know I know you did? Hmmm?"

Eva had analysed this situation very quickly, realising that she and PLC were like two dogs facing one another down - if she showed any weakness, he would go for the throat.

She began to laugh, and then looked at him, her face the picture of amusement. "you really do believe your own bullshit dont you Logan? " she asked, her tone incredulous. "I know all about Logan Creed, aka PLC. You really are a legend in your own mind aren't you!! Pity your street cred is not so strong, word is youre nothing but a small time hustler, but, hey, what do I know. Up until just now, I didn't realise you got such a kick from having a hand full of someone elses balls!! Do you prefer a mouthful?? Is that why you and Rock are such good pals?!?!"
Eva knew she was walking a dangerous line here, taunting him so, but she could not let him believe he scared her. And perhaps it was a foolhardy move, but she could no more capitulate, and allow him to believe he held the upper hand.

All night she had played and replayed their interaction, wondering how she could have been so stupid as to drop her guard, when she saw Jack was down - all her training, years of field experience was for nothing, and now she was doubting her abilities as a cop. Her partner was dead, and she had not had his back as she was supposed to.

Weary now, she looked up at PLC whose face was a mask of ill contained fury - "cut the crap punk, its obviously your intention to try to blackmail me somehow, with your flimsy and contrived 'evidence'. What the fuck do you want from me? Let lay cards on the table here, and do bear in mind that it is within my remit to come down on you so hard that you become a mere shadow on the pavement. I can harass you and you two bit enterprise, arrest your girls, shut down your supply lines, finish you, and then you'll be just another poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks taking it up the ass from the big boys in the State Pen. but hey, maybe you'll enjoy that too, who knows!" She just couldnt resist the taunts, and was gratified to see his face redden, and hear his teeth grind.

PLC looked at Rock a moment and then shifted his eyes back to Eva. Rock moved instantly and hooked her arms, pinning them behind her tightly. He made no further actions towards her.

PLC ignored her curses and swears as he walked up to her and said, "Okay... your cards are on the table now so let me tell you mine." He put his hands on her shoulders, and began to pat her down, not hesitating in the least to feel her breasts, inbetween her thighs, knees, and legs. Rock kept her pinned tightly as she tried to fight back. PlC paused as he reached her waistband and slid his arms around her, removing her back-up 9MM which she had tucked under her jacket.

He unloaded the weapon and put it on his desk. He then turned and said, "I am bigger than you can possibly realize. Sure... you can arrest my girls if you want. Not a one of them out there has not spent time in jail... they know the risks. You could harass me if you want to... but remember that gun has your prints on it sweetheart. Even if they learn the truth about your stupidity when you dropped your weapon, for cops, that is a unforgiveable sin. You are looking 5-7 years in prison and I promise you, you put enough of my people away that I swear you won't make it six months before you become someones little bitch."

He moved his hands back to her waist and began patting her down a bit more and smiled when he found something else. A miniature digital tape recorder was taped to her between her breasts... He unbuttoned her blouse to the point where her cleavage was revealed far more so than she was comfortable with. He reached between her breasts and pulled the device out... looking at it and then shutting it off. He dropped it onto the ground and crushed it under the heel of his shoe. He then returned to her blouse... and buttoned it back up.

He said, "I can make you go away far quicker than you can make me go away so if you want to hook horns sweetheart," He slapped her face lightly a couple of times, "bare in mind what is at stake. You can let her go Rock." He did as he was told as PLC turned and sat on the corner of the desk. He said, "You are going to go into the precinct and pull up the records of an Anita Higgins and a Samatha Fueler. Both are my girls on the street. They are looking at 2 years in the pen for their acts... and looking to go to trial next week. I paid their bail so they could go back to work for me. You are going to pull those files and make them go away. Simple huh? That is well within your power to do. no one will notice with two no bodies disappear from the system."

He eyed her as she rubbed her shoulders and said, "Well... you going to do this... or not?"

Eva desired nothing more in that instant, than to spit in his smug face. She had restrained herself from headbutting Rock, if nothing else, she could have broken his nose, perhaps incapacitated him more, if she was lucky. But as much as she wanted to do each of those things, and as able as she was to carry through, she knew that ultimately it was futile, she could not physically take them both down, and certainly not unarmed. To spit at PLC, would soothe her bruised ego, but it would accomplish nothing.

She did not want to do what he asked. She had always been squeeky clean, above reproach, but what wre her options. If the issue of her smoking gun, so to speak, were to come to light, she could reasonably say that she had lost her weapon, while giving chase, and that Jack had been shot afterward, it would be a reasonable doubt, and she was pretty confident that she would not be convicted, however, if she was, PLC was right, she would be targeted in prison and would not last three months there. Additionally, even if she avoided prison altogether, the very best case scenario was that her career would be ruined. Everything she had worked for, gone.

by contrast, the price of his silence was very small. She could easily remove those files, and at worst, if it was discovered, she could say they were informants, and that there was a reason for her action. Overall it seemed doable. But she was crossing a line, going somewhere, from which she could never return. This would always be like the sword of Damocles, dangling over her, waiting to drop. She mentally did a quick SWOT analysis of her options, looking at all the Strengths and Weaknesses of the position she would be in with either choice,and the Opportunities and Threats she would face, and she made her decision.

"I can do that, but understand this, this is a one time only deal. I pull the files, and you return the gun - deal or no deal!"

PLC smiled widely... his gold tooth shining into her eyes... He walked over to her, put his arm around her shoulder and hand gripped her upper arm slightly. He turned with her and headed down the corridor with her in tow. He said, "Tell you what baby... Let's just see how this plays out. I can say this... I won't hurt your chances of recovering the gun."

As they walked along, Rock behind them a few paces, he said, "By the way, what cover story did you give in regards to Jack, hmmmmm? Who did you say killed him? Me? some thug? I should know in case we need our stories to mesh, baby..."

He turned and looked into her eyes... his smile so big it would make Cheshire Cat envious!

While she wanted to shrug his arm off, she didn't, knowing it would be impolitic to do so at that particular moment. She could not however endure his commentry. "Listen, bud, dont 'Baby' me! You may address me as ' Det. Mendez' or even 'Ms Mendez' or at an absolute push you may call me 'Eva' but I am most definitely not you 'baby', 'honey' or 'sweetheart! ' Are we clear on that!????"

He was as smarmy as a snake, and just as slithery, she suspected, and she would need to be very careful here, to protect herself as best she could.

PLC laughed as she knocked away his hand. He had her where he wanted her, but she was not under his thumb yet. Not yet... He needed to get her on his side willingly... rather than by force. He said, "Okay... okay... Ms. Mendez... I hear you... Relax. I am not your enemy here, whether you want to think it or not."

He watched her walk to the door leading her to the exit and her said, "Oh... answer me something ... Ms. Mendez ... if you are such a good cop. All noble and filled with integrity, then why did you come here to begin with? You could just turn yourself in. Hell, I will even turn the gun into the authorities if you did to help."

She opened the door and paused one more time as he said, "Remember, I am forcing you to do anything... detective... You have a choice...!"

The door slammed shut and he turned and headed back to his office. Rock said, "She going to do it?"

PLC paused only a moment, thought about it and said, "Yeah... I think she will. She has too much to lose otherwise."

Rock nodded as his boss heade back to work...

When Eva left, she drove straight to her local bar, and went it, sitting on a high stool at the bar.

She ordered up a double Gin and Tonic, and knocked back two thirds straight off the top, before signalling for another. She sipped the remainder.

She was a frequent enough customer here, and she knew many of the clientele, and all the bar staff. She took a few deep breaths, and comtemplated buying cigarettes, a habit she had kicked a little over a year ago, and one which today , was riding her hard.

She was more than half way through her second double, when the stool next to her was taken. She never pulled guys at the bar frequented by everyone on the staff, it was too small a world for that, and she would not like the reprecussion, but, like everyone, she had certain needs, and when it got too much, she came here. He turned toward her "Hi, Im Bob!" Eva smiled, and leaned in saying "I'm Samantha"

Two drinks later, Eva was on her way to Bob's place. She knew nothing about him, and wanted to keep it that way. She never brought anyone to her condo - she didn't want anyone to know her name or where she lived, and also, she didn't want to be stuck with some strange guy the following morning, and have to deal with all the awkardness.

Four hours laters, she felt a whole lot better, her pressure value having been released. She got out of the cab, and at 5am entered her condo, her dicision made, she would take the files.

The following morning she went to the archives room, to acquire the hard copies of the files for Anita Higgins and a Samatha Fueler. As she had suspected the clerks were under pressure and harried, and she winked and waved the list of files she wanted and offered to get them herself. The girl smiled gratefully, and Eva gathered up the twelve files, including the two she came for. Going to the desk she carefully scanned out the bar codes for each of the ten files on her list, the others going unnoticed,and she left.. Later, she returned the ten, and scanned them back in. Then, during break, she went to Martinez' desk. He invaribly left his PC on, with out logging off, and she quickly utilised his computer to acccess the files, and change enough of the pertinant information to make them useless. Should IT ever check, she had not gone near those files.

Slipping the hard files on each girl into her briefcase, she smiled. She was shocked at so many things - that she had crossed the line, that she had found it so easy, from a moral perspective, and that physically it had been so simple. She left that evening with a spring in her step, mission accomplished!!

PLC had left the office that he had met Eva at a few hours after she left and returned to his high level condo on the West Side of the Island. He literellly owned the half of the entire top floor of the condos. He had thought about the detective for a long time after she left and even heading up to his home.

She had called him small time. She had called him a petty crook. He laughed at the thought. That is exactly what he wanted people to think. If anyone knew who he really was... well, that would put a whole new twist on things. He was an up and coming Ganglord in the sector looking to take over as the 'Original' aka the Gangland Leader.

He had realized a long time ago the value of subterfuge and misleading information which is why he was often seen on the streets, doing what would be considered middleman work. To the best of his knowledge and most thanks to the many contacts he had in the force, he had kept his record clean for the most part.

He heard a ring at the door of his condo and he looked to Rock, who was still on duty. His friend turned and went to the door and then opened it. "Detective..."

PLC turned to see the long legged high heeled round ass tight skirted Police Captain Susan Carter walking through the door down the steps towards him. PLC smiled and said, "Hello dear... How was work?"

"It was fine ... just fine... husband." She smiled and held his hand tightly, kissed his lips and kicked off her heels... she was home...

Eva made a show of saying "goodbye" to all the detectives still on the floor that evening as she prepared to leave. She picked up her briefcase, and made her way to the door. She could feel the heat creeping up her neck, and she was sure she looked conspicuous and guilt ridden as she made her way to the door.

At any moment, she expected a hand to settle on her shoulder, and her perfidy would be discovered. The elevator had never seemed so far away, and it seemed to stretch in the distance, as she approached in slow motion! She stood at the elevator, her pulse pounding, and waited, what seemed like an interminable length of time for the elevator to arrive, then, finally she stood inside, watching the doors close, with excrutiating sluggishness.

Despite her worst fears, she made it outside, and sat into her car, euphoric. Adrenalin pumped through her blood, and her heart hammered, and she fought a desire to whoop her success. She was home before her heard returned to normal. She locked the files in her safe, and jpaced the house, still buzzing and jittery.

She knew what she needed, and walked to the nearby bar, renown for the number of men and women on the prowl, looking to hook up. Forty minutes later she was on her way to a motel with a guy, whose tanlined finger, belied his ascertation that he was single. She didn't care, she wanted him, for nothing more than that for which he sought out her!

PLC had returned to his nice little massage Parlor back office when he got the call that his two ladies were off the hook from their crimes. He smiled and said, "Looks like that little cunt dun good... huh Rock?"

"Yes sir. Done very well." Rock said as he looked over at Sam and Anita. Both were getting ready to go to work.

Anita said, "Thank you sir! I mean it... Anything you want, you let me know..."

"I get that anyways. This help did not come cheap. You two both owe me another 5K each... which I figure is about a year of hard labor for you two." PLC said firmly and then said, "Now get the fuck out of here and sell your bitch asses...."

He watched them leave and then found another person coming to his door knocking. It was SteveO, a wirey hispanic man of about 20 years of age. He wore a baseball cap turned backwards, Torn jeans, T-Shirt, and jacket. He was one of his corner dealers that he had personally brought into his operation. PLC said, "What can I do for you?"

"Yo! Like... it is White wolves man! They trying to steal our thunder dog!" SteveO said.

"What do you mean?" PLC said.

"On the corner of Mark and 15th Man! They got their boys out there pushing the goods... stealing sales from us homes!" The wirey man said.

"Hmm... I will take care of it. Tell your boys to hold their ground. Don't fight unless they start it. Now go..." PLC said with a nod.

Once he left, Rock said, "You want me to do this?"

"Nah... I have someone else in mind for this." He picked up the phone and made a phonecall to his favorite new detective... 'requesting' her apprearance...

Eva hadn't long returned home, feeling sated, and mellow.

She had come in and thrown her keys on the counter, made a coffee, and thrown herself on the couch, feet up, flicking aimlessly through the channels, and finally settling on Criminal Minds. It was an episode she had seen before, but she left it on anyway.

She felt a lot of the tension she had been carrying around dissipate, following her brief anonymous, liaison. The next few days would be tough, with Jack's funeral the day after tomorrow. At least when that is over, she could begin to move on, although there was a palpable tension in the department as was always the case when one of their own was killed.

She had just gotten up to get herself a much needed drink of Bacardi, when her phone rang. She looked around for the hand set, which was not on the base where it should be, and finally found it behind a cushion on the couch. She hit the switch, and answered, "Mendez , hello!" She was obviously still in work mode answering her phone - "Mom! Hi!" Of course it would be her mother, no one else rang. Next would come the "have you met any nice men" speech.......So, Eva was utterly surprised when she heard the hard male vocie on the other end of the line.