Loose Ends. Don Easton

his face, and the junkie held his other wrist high up his back. He felt the sharp edge of the knife on his throat and froze.

      “You so much as whisper or blink a fuckin’ eyeball and I’ll slash yer fuckin’ throat!”

      For a strange moment, Danny didn’t feel fear or panic. A sorrowful calm seeped across his brain. There is nothing I can do. I am not in control of my life — he is. In a moment he’ll find my badge and then I’ll die. I’ll never see Susan or Tiffany again. It’s so sad….

      The door to the men’s room opened and he cocked his head and saw Jack. Both Danny and the junkie stared at Jack, who sauntered up to the urinal next to them. Danny heard him unzip and then softly whistle.

      The junkie kneed Danny between the shoulder blades, pinning his face harder into the bottom of the urinal. He felt the junkie’s hand slide his wallet from his pocket. Son of a bitch! He’s not going to help me! I’m going to die in here like this! Panic replaced sorrow.

      Jack eyed the situation. How do I help without blowing my cover? Then he spotted Danny’s ring. If the junkie wanted it, he’d have to release Danny’s arm.

      “Missed his wedding ring,” Jack said, trying to sound casual.

      Danny saw the blood and water trickling across his gold wedding ring.

      “Yeah. Gimme yer fuckin’ ring!”

      Danny raised his left hand above his head. The junkie released his grip on his wrist and reached for the ring. It was the chance Danny needed. He uttered a panicked squeal while grabbing the knife by the blade. The sharp steel cut through his flesh while he started bashing the junkie’s wrist against the ceramic side of the urinal. He drove a sharp elbow into the junkie’s ribs and the knife clattered into the bottom of the urinal.

      Both men were in a frenzied struggle for the knife. Danny’s brain didn’t register Jack yell, “Hey! You made me piss on my leg!” Nor was he aware that Jack then kicked the junkie in the head, knocking him off balance. Danny grabbed the knife as the junkie turned to scramble away. Within a heartbeat, Danny buried the knife into the junkie’s back — and then recoiled in horror.

      A different panic swept over him when he realized what he had done. The junkie staggered to his feet and tried to reach the knife protruding from under his shoulder blade.

      “Here, let me help you with that,” said Jack, while zipping up his pants. He pulled the knife out and added, “You better split, man, before this guy finishes you off!”

      The junkie flopped against the door, opened it, and hurried out.

      Danny sat on the floor, gawking at his bleeding hand while Jack rinsed the knife in the sink. Neither spoke as Jack cut off half of Danny’s shirtsleeve and tied the cloth around his hand. Jack handed him the knife.

      “Stabbing someone in the back. Is that what they’re teaching at the academy these days?”

      Danny’s mouth hung open as he stared at Jack in both shock and disbelief. “We’ve got to report this. That guy could die! We can’t just —”

      “Forget that! You’re a cop. You’d end up in jail. Only citizens are allowed to panic.”

      “But what if he dies? You can’t —”

      “He won’t die. A shoulder isn’t what you would call a vital organ. If you wanted to kill him, you should have gone for his carotid artery.”

      Danny looked down at the blood seeping through the cloth on his hand. “I need stitches.”

      “You’ll need a few. There’s a clinic about five blocks away. But not now.”

      “What do you mean, not now?” said Danny, as a combination of fear and anger crept back into his voice. “I’m bleeding.”

      “I need fifteen or twenty minutes. You can hold off that long. I obviously didn’t make myself clear when I told you to wait in the car, so let me explain it to you in your language.”

      “Huh?”

      “The gentleman I was sitting with is lining me up with an ounce of speed. He goes by the name of Spider. A tattooed lady of questionable character is involved. She has long red hair and goes by the name of Red. I want you to watch and see if you can figure out the action.”

      “Walk out like nothing happened?”

      “Yes. This place is not all that genteel. An extra set of eyes might help.”

      “So now you decide to follow policy?” said Danny harshly.

      “Forget about policy. You need to learn the rules … to be educated.”

      “What rules? What are you talking about? Educated about what?”

      “For tonight, two simple things. Lesson one, leave your attitude behind. You look like you think you’re better than everybody else.”

      “I am better than anyone in this dump!”

      “That attitude will get you killed. Besides, you’ve never walked in their shoes.”

      “This is nothing but a den of snakes! Scum! I can see that much!”

      “That’s the second lesson. If they don’t respect you, you’ll become a victim.”

      “I just did!”

      “I mean a dead victim. Everybody will know what happened. They’ll have a lot more respect for you if you stay and don’t act like a pansy. Wash up, then go out there and order a beer and drink it slow. Hold the beer in your cut hand. The cold will slow the bleeding. When I leave, don’t walk out with me. I’ll go out the back. Wait at least ten minutes then go out the front.”

      “Anything else?” asked Danny, sullenly.

      “Yes. Zip up!”

      Jack returned to the pool tables. The wounded junkie was gone. A few minutes later, Danny stumbled out of the men’s room. The noise level dropped as patrons saw his bandaged hand and the open knife held forth in his other hand. His anger and paranoia was evident as his eyes darted about. Everyone waited and stared. Danny then used his good hand to press the release button and his forearm to close the blade. He dropped the knife in his pocket and then growled at the waitress to bring him a beer. The noise level returned to normal.

      A few minutes later, Jack noticed a slim man with a shaved head and moustache walk casually through the bar. He was wearing a black leather vest that had silver medallions for buttons. He gave Red a subtle nod and walked back out the main entrance.

      Red went to the rear of the bar and stood by the fire escape door. The door could be opened only from inside the bar. She waited until she heard a rap on the door and then opened it. She was passed something and then pulled the door shut.

      Several men, all holding cues, slowly encircled Jack. Some held the cues by the wrong end, gripping them like a baseball bat. They stared into his eyes, defying him to make a move.

      The circle parted slightly as Red walked up to Jack. Without saying a word, she handed him a plastic baggie of brown powder. Seconds later, the transaction was completed. Jack pushed open the fire escape door and disappeared down the darkened alley.

      Danny showed up at the parking garage on schedule.

      Jack held up the plastic baggie of powder. “See anything after I left?”

      “Yeah. Red went to where Spider was sitting and gave him a couple of bills. Then she met a guy who just arrived. A minute later they both split for the lobby.”

      “Bald? Leather vest?”

      “You saw him?”

      “He cruised through the bar right before the deal went down. I’m sure Baldy is her connection. Bet he stashed the dope in the alley until he checked things out, then went and handed it to her through the back door.”

      “Recognize