Be Gay Do Crime

Working into the night, there were frustratingly few leads.  Brie’s little fuck buddy was on the investigation team and she had played up how concerned she was for her friend and he had all but melted in her hands.  He knew precious little, mostly because the man responsible for Lily’s death wasn’t even a US citizen, nor did he have a passport. 

There was something that Ashe felt they were missing, but after eight hours investigating, she had reached her wits end.  Crystal was blinking blearily, barely awake from her spot beside her where she had been dozing for the last half hour.  It was rather adorable, and she had to resist the urge to brush aside some of her hair that was getting in her face.  

Of course, the moment Ashe considered taking something so she could get a few hours of sleep, her phone rang.  Her burner phone that she used to contact Yessina.  The number was blocked, which raised more questions, but Ashe answered it all the same.

“Talk,” she growled. 

“Aww, someone’s tense,” Alejandro cood, “sounds like you need to get laid.” 

Crystal was now wide awake and sitting up, her full focus on the call.  Ashe hadn’t dealt with the man since she put a gun to his chin, which begged the question. 

“Cut the shit, Ripper,” she demanded. 

He tsked.  “Damn, you could at least play along.  I hated that name, for the record.  I just thought you might want some added information on that little kiddie killer you’re hunting, but if you’re just gonna PMS all over me…”  

“Wait,” Ashe said hastily, jumping off the couch.  “I’ll listen, just fucking chill for a goddess damned second.” 

She could almost hear his grin on the other end of the call.  “Sending you an address, meet me there in an hour if you want what I know.” 

He hung up as soon as he said it, and it took a moment for it to click that he had done exactly as she had asked.  Taking a shaky breath, Ashe pocketed the phone and began to gather her things. 

“You can’t be thinking of going,” Crystal said softly, placing a gentle hand on Ashe’s shoulder.  “You know how he is.” 

Ashe sighed, her hands still trembling.  “I have to go, especially if he has a lead.” 

Crystal smiled softly, then pulled Ashe into a crushing hug.  “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not letting you go alone.” 

 

---

 

Meeting Alejandro again wasn’t on Ashe’s short list of recreational activities, especially on a school night, not that she had any intention of attending given the present crisis.  The man was about as sane as two raccoons that spent a weekend in a potato sack fighting over some LSD laced cookies.  Entertaining in a fucked up way, especially from a distance, but nobody in their right mind would willingly reach into that sack to break them up. 

Yet, for everything else in the city, he was one of the few people that Ashe knew for certainty weren’t involved in any underhanded shit with the Patriots.  He was an ally of convenience, especially if Caralina’s insinuations about the Viuda proved true.  She needed allies regardless, and this was her hedging those bets.

Ashe had to wonder just how much the man knew about her plans to expand, and where his opinion on that might fall.  He seemed to like her, for what little interactions she had to draw on, but that didn’t change that she was playing with fire at the moment. 

It was inviting the sort of attention that got people killed. 

Ashe never expected to live to old age, few trans people ever did, but her actions would all but assure that she died young.  Stepping out of the beat up two seater that Crystal had acquired from a junker, she stood firm, gun visible at her side.  Her look hadn’t changed much since that first meeting, red bandana covering her hair and a black mask over her face.  It left her eyes exposed, but she needed them to be seen. 

Her leather jacket was a newer addition, fluttering in the evening breeze.  She’d kept to the theme, finding a black shirt with flame decal on it to wear under it.  In truth, she’d bought the flea market store out and the owner hadn’t asked questions when she paid double the asking price for all of them. 

Granted, she didn’t think they spoke enough English or Spanish to actually ask her questions.  Still, it allowed her to cut a rather distinctive image, and walking alongside Riptide in her own blue outfit, it was made quite clear that they were presenting a united front.  The meeting was being kept as discreet as possible, which admittedly wasn’t much given Alejandro’s reputation.  A small, abandoned, diner on the north-eastern edge of the city wasn’t the most glamorous of places, but it would serve the purpose. 

The crazy bastard had even gone all out, a generator was hooked up to the building, giving them light, and it appeared one of his men was even acting as a server for them.  Of course, Ashe hadn’t come alone either.  Both Jessica and Caralina were with her, both as witness and statement that she had her own support. 

She’d wished Keiko was available, but she was off chasing another lead that Mercedes had given her.  Hopefully one of their pursuits panned out, because everyone was bordering on exhaustion and had little to show for it.

The floor had been swept and mopped, but still showed all the signs of years of exposure to the elements.  Wallpaper was peeled and stripped from the walls and most of the pictures were sunbleached to the point of being unrecognizable.  It wasn’t a pleasant place, but it would serve the purpose of hosting the unfortunately less than clandestine meeting. 

The man in question hadn’t arrived yet, but a table had been arranged that made their expected seating clear.  Ashe took the center seat without hesitation, Crystal the right and that left Caralina and Jessica to decide who would take the last.  In retrospect, that might have been best decided beforehand. 

“Take it,” Jessica said softly.  “You know this shit better than I do.” 

“At least you recognize that,” Caralina said with a nod and accepted the last chair. 

Aside from the man standing beside the table, there was no sign of anyone else joining them.  It was an uncomfortable silence filled with tension.  The air was heavy with anticipation and dread, like she was on the verge of a life or death struggle.  Which, when one was dealing with Alejandro, was par for the course.

Ashe focused on the seat across from her, singular, for the man himself no doubt.  He was making them wait.  The man loved his petty power plays and she had already demonstrated that she wasn’t about to play his usual games.  The man acted insane, which brought him a presence when he entered a room and made people hesitate when dealing with him. 

Ashe had answered that insanity with a measure of her own.  Now, she had to see what he broke out next and figure out how she would respond.  It was almost five minutes of her thoughts running in circles before another vehicle pulled up, and stepping out of it, in an obnoxious purple long coat, was Alejandro. 

“Attention all bitches!” he declared, throwing his arms wide.  “I took a dozen viagra twenty minutes ago and am just throbbing with anticipation!” 

Ashe blinked, staring at the man through the broken window as he grinned and began to strut inside, his pants tight enough to confirm the effects of the medicine he claimed to have taken.  He was followed by a heavily armored fucker, and a tall bastard at that who was carrying a goddamn LMG.  She kept her face carefully neutral as he stepped inside, the table at just the right height to leave him on full display.  Naturally, Ashe wasn’t having it. 

“I hope you don’t think anyone here’s impressed by that,” Ashe said, looking directly at the offensive member.  “Hell, mine’s bigger.” 

His jovial swagger died in an instant, his visage dropping to regard her with a calculating eye.  It was a reminder that for all the man affronted, he was still one of the most feared men within Jericho’s city limits.  Regardless, she had her own persona to maintain, and a reputation to reinforce if she was going to join him as a major player in the city.

“Girl, no strap-on can compare to the real deal,” he said, grinning lecherously.  “I’d be happy to demonstrate if you doubt me.” 

“And I’d be happy to whip mine out and prove you wrong,” Ashe snapped back.  “So, ready to lose a dick measuring contest with a woman?” 

Everyone else in the room tensed at the declaration, but she wasn’t going to allow herself to be intimidated by the insanity act across from her.  She also knew she would be getting more than an earful from Crystal once this all played out.  That was all a secondary concern to the man across from her, who was once again regarding her with that calculating gaze.  It was disconcerting how easily he switched from intelligent to batshit, but she wasn’t going to roll over for him or anyone else. 

“Well damn,” Alejandro said, flopping down in the chair.  “Who shot your puppy this morning?” 

“You already know the answer to that,” Ashe said, looking at the man off to the side.  “I’m assuming that the cooler’s not for show, so how about something to drink?” 

The toadie jumped, almost stumbling to get into the cooler before he paused and remembered that she wasn’t his boss and instead looked up to Alejandro.  He was watching the whole thing and was decidedly unamused. 

“As funny as that was,” he said, his voice calm and cold.  “Never forget who pays for your shit.  Now, do as the ballsy woman said and get us some goddamn drinks!” 

The poor sod yelped, scrambling to do as ordered.  If the situation wasn’t so tense, Ashe just might have laughed about the whole thing.  Alejandro might be off his rocker, but that had been a pretty solid comeback that she could appreciate.  Not that she would ever tell him, of course, it would probably offend him if she actually acknowledged his own prowess at verbal sparring. 

Beers of questionable origin were quickly placed across the table, and a final one was handed to Jessica who looked at it for a moment before presenting the neck to the man.  He blinked for a moment, missing the obvious request. 

Ashe decided to fan the flames a bit more.  “Does she look like she can open the damn thing on her own?” 

Comprehension dawned on his face and this time he did look first to his boss.  Alejandro gave an amused smirk, then gestured for him to go ahead.  He was quick to pull out a bottle opener and pop the cap.  Then Crystal and Caraline both did the same.  Ashe kept her eyes forward, watching Alejandro intently.  Only once the others were done did she crack open her own bottle with a practiced motion. 

She had a bottled cola addiction, and for once it was paying off. 

Ashe took a swig of the beer, and had to fight down a grimace at how fucking bitter it was.  It was strong too, far too strong to be anything made for the average American.  Looking closer at the label, she realized it wasn’t even in English. 

“German imported?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Alejandro grinned, downing half his own bottle in one go.  “Fuck yes it is!  Stole a crate off some Nazi fucker two days ago.  Say what you want about those assfucks, they make some decent brew.” 

It was better than most beers she had tried before, Ashe could admit that much, but it was still far from her preferred drink.  She took another pull, emptying half the bottle to match him.  It was a good thing that she wasn’t going home, her parents thinking that she was asleep at Crystal’s in preparation for the coming school day which she would be skipping.

“I suppose it isn’t bad,” She agreed.  “So, any other frivolities, or shall we get down to business?” 

“Heard rumor you kicked the Nazis in the dick,” he said, draining his bottle and snapping for another.  His tone then turned somber.  “Guessing those two girls are part of that?” 

“They are,” she said, surprised at the shift in his tone.  “And so is the girl that was killed.” 

“Well fuck,” he said, taking another long drink.  “Good on you then, for getting them out.  Hate that sex trafficking is a thing.”

Ashe blinked, failing to keep her face perfectly schooled.  He’d completely dropped his character, and looked a decade older for it.  He looked at each of his boys and flicked his chin towards the door.  None of them hesitated in leaving, all save the one that continued to shadow him.  Once they were gone, he emptied the bottle and tossed it through the broken window.

The man looked down at his hand, fiddling with a ring he wore on his right hand.  “Not much of a secret with my most loyal, but I got into this line of work because my sister was grabbed ten years back.  Murdered my way through the bastards until I found her.  She was so broken…” 

Her mind almost lurched, she’d expected the bombastic entry, but a heartfelt admission?  Was he just fucking with her or was this a genuine emotional moment from the crazed gang leader?  She wasn’t sure, and there was no way for her to ask Crystal for her opinion, and Ashe sure as shit wasn’t about to present weakness to the man either. 

Alejandro snorted, a crooked smile on his face as he looked up.  “When I saw you that first night?  I recognized that fire in your eyes, it didn’t take me long to connect the dots, Ashe.”  

Her blood ran cold and it took everything she had to not reach for her gun.  The fucker knew who she was, he could easily ruin her life and now he was going to dictate terms to her, blackmail her into doing whatever he wanted.  She needed to kill him, do something before things went more wrong. 

“Even now, you’re thinking of ways to kill the perceived threat,” he added, his grin growing wider.  “Also, good to see you haven’t lost your edge, Riptide, but there will be no need for that.  I’m not going to fuck you over, not yet at least.” 

This time, Ashe did risk a glance aside.  Crystal very carefully set a palmed knife down on the table, and left her hand next to it.  Well, at least she’d tried.  She still couldn’t tell if the whole insanity thing was the act or if this calm and sharp witted man before them was the real deal.  Worse, she wasn’t sure which option scared her more. 

“What do you want from us,” Ashe finally said, her jaw tight. 

“You’re the one who wanted information,” he said, resting his chin in his palm as he leaned on the table.  “I assume that you’ve been looking into the people that tried to snatch you two months back, and the inferno that earned you a name was the culmination of that?” 

“Something like that,” Ashe said slowly.  “Not going to make a bigger deal out of my parents being cops?” 

“Why should I?” he said with a casual shrug.  “I don’t see you telling them about your after-hours pyrotechnics, and from what my guy on the inside told me, a certain sharpshooter is very upset she missed her chance to nail Riptide before you could.”

Ashe winced, recalling a similar rant that had happened at home.  She really didn’t like to think how close she and Crystal had come to dying that night.  Especially the fact that it had happened because her mom was behind the rifle scope. 

She needed to focus and not get side tracked.  The meeting was called for a reason and she needed to see if he was willing to help.  “The man who killed Lily, I’m assuming someone passed you the information we gathered?” 

“Yeah, something like that,” he said, pulling an envelope from his coat.  “That’s everything I could find on him, I lack the connections to get more.” 

He lacked the connections?  If that was the case, what did he expect them to do about it?  It wasn’t like Ashe had been around long enough to know people that he might not.  Especially those that might be connected to the sorts that would stalk a kid and kill a sex worker.  Her idle thoughts didn’t stop the man from continuing. 

“There’s some people in the city that might know more, if you knew someone who wouldn’t be shot on sight.”

Alejandro was playing with his necklace, a crucifix set in silver as he directed a soft smile their way.  Crystal sat up straighter, her eyes wide as she watched him. 

“Fuck,” she said, standing up.  The man with the LMG raised it in an instant, and Crystal froze.  “Sorry, just realized something.” 

“Careful,” Alejandro said coldly, gesturing for the gun to be lowered.  “That sort of fire is more fitting for your girlfriend here.”

Ashe blinked, then realized he was back to cracking jokes with them. 

“Alright, this throbbing cock isn’t gonna take care of itself and I ain’t stupid enough to ask either of the dry cunts there for a handie,” Alejandro said, getting to his feet.  “Lucky me I have a dozen bitches ready to get on their knees.” 

“Before we go,” Ashe said softly.  “One last thing.  We have a potential link between these traffickers and the Viuda that we are looking into.” 

“That isn’t something you say lightly,” Alejandro said, eyes narrowing dangerously. 

“And we don’t have much proof of it either,” Ashe admitted carefully, gently nudging Crystal’s foot as she did.  “Just some eyewitness accounts and the statement of a dead coward.” 

“You’re right, you don’t have a lot,” Alejandro said.  “Yet it obviously has you spooked enough to risk yourselves.” 

“It does,” Crystal admitted.  “Hanabi as well.  We aren’t sure they’re going to stay on going forward because of it.” 

“They always were the smart ones,” he said with a chuckle then once again all levity fled.  “I actually like you, so I’ll give you a bit of free advice.  You should consider following Headhunter’s example.” 

Blinking, Ashe was about to speak up when Alejandro raised his hand to silence her. 

“Stop.  If you pursue this, you will be dead before the month is up.  Take whatever money you got from the raid, sell me your drugs like Hanabi and Headhunter did, and go home.  Leave this to me and mine.” 

“Typical man,” Caraline spat. 

“And proud of it,” he answered, standing.  “This is a cutthroat life, and you’re too soft for it.  You’re in over your heads here, and I would hate to see a pretty girl like you end up face down in a gutter.” 

Caralina flipped him off, but all he did was laugh.

Ashe watched as the man exited the diner, waving a hand and all his men began to pack up with efficiency.  Within moments, the four girls were left alone in a darkened diner, with nothing but a cooler full of German beer left behind. 

“So,” Jessica said, breaking the silence.  “What now?” 

Ashe took a deep breath.  The threat was absolutely credible, and she couldn’t help but wonder how much he actually knew about what was going on.  One thing was for certain, they would be on their own no matter the course.  It would be easy to just give each girl twenty-five grand and send them off.  She’d still have enough money to take Crystal and make a new life somewhere safe. 

She turned to the woman she hoped would one day date her, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.  Could she risk everything, just to dig a bit deeper?  Maybe a change of tactics was in order, to let everyone think she was playing along while still pursuing the greater plot.  Lily’s killer was still out there, and Crystal seemed to know what needed to be done next.

Yet, why wasn’t she saying anything?

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