Chapter 05: She Bangs

“Jesus fucking Christ! A hit?” Curt shouted once Alexa had finished going over what she and Gavin uncovered at the Gala. “Are you sure?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Alexa answered. “Michael West is a fall guy. I’m betting that if we look into his finances or those of his closest relatives, we’ll find the payoff.”

“Fuck!” He continued pacing, burning holes in his hundred-dollar Rockports. “Why? Who would want the Commissioner dead?”

“Well,” Alexa glanced over at Gavin, seeking permission before she continued. He nodded and she released a deep breath. “The information was in a folder sitting in the Governor’s office.”

Curt stopped pacing instantly and turned toward the two. Gavin gauged his reaction, seeing the same emotions run over his face that he’d also experienced at the realization. “What are you saying here? The Governor had a hand in killing his own Commissioner?”

“It’s…possible,” Gavin replied reluctantly. “Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him. Thinking back to the way he handled the whole Hannah/Alexa situation and how he was so ready to throw her under the bus for his own transgressions. Yeah. It’s not exactly a leap to murder.”

“I’m sure there’s a plausible explanation for why he was in possession of this information. One thing I’ve learned from doing what I did, you can never take anything at face value,” Alexa countered.

“This—this is too much. It’s not at all where I thought this case was headed. Everything is getting complicated. And we still don’t know how La Hermandad plays into any of this or why they killed my partner and are coming after me,” Curt sighed as he dropped onto the workbench behind him.

“No, but we’re getting close. I can feel it,” Alexa said.

“Daddy?” Willow called as she stepped around the corner of the garage. “Are we going soon?”

Gavin glanced up at the clock and nodded. “Five minutes. Do you have everything?”

“Yes! I’m ready. I can’t wait.” She jumped excitedly before trotting off back to the house.

“A whole day at an arcade with a bunch of screaming eight-year-olds. Should be a barrel of fun,” Gavin said with a grin. “Did you remember to pick up the cake?”

“I’m going right before we head out. I didn’t want to put it in the fridge and ruin her surprise or have it sitting in the back of the truck,” Alexa stated.

“So, we’re taking two cars?”

“I have her presents in mine and you have a few ‘screaming eight-year-olds’ to pick up.” A smile spread across her face as Gavin thought about the party. “Come on, we better get a move on before our little girl hotwires the truck.”

Twenty minutes later, the family arrived to the venue. Thanks to the manager’s assistance, the Domino Palace had been decorated for Willow’s party earlier that morning. Alexa, as promised, had rented the entire location to ensure the party went off without a hitch and the children had their run of whatever game they desired.

Streamers hung from the ceiling and balloons filled every available space between that and the floor. There was a section of customized balloons with the number eight and a banner with Willow’s name on it just above a large banquet table filled to the brim with cupcakes, finger sandwiches, fruit desserts, punch and candy.

It had been a pretty simple task to accomplish since Willow’s only request was to have a pizza party, theme was not required. Upon entering the lobby, Willow’s eyes opened wide with excitement. “Auntie Mel! You made it!”

“I sure did. Think I wanted to upset the birthday girl?” Melissa smiled as she leaned down for a hug.

“Hey, Mel,” Gavin greeted his little sister. “Where’s Dylan?”

“It’s finals week, so he couldn’t make it and sends his regrets.”

“Aww,” Willow pouted.

“But, he also sent along a very special gift for his most favorite niece ever!”

“I’m his only niece,” Willow replied. “Where is it?” she asked, clapping happily.

“I put it in the back with the others. You’ll see later,” she gave a wink and glanced up toward her sister-in-law. “Hi, Alexa. How are you?”

“Hey, Melissa. I’m good, thanks. How was the flight?”

“It was awesome. I spent most of it chatting up a very attractive doctor who flew in to perform some complicated surgery or something. Anyway, long story short, I left him wanting more and I just got a text from him asking me to dinner tomorrow night. Should be fun.”

“Leave it to you to make a date 30,000 feet in the sky.”

“Come on, let’s go play!” Willow cried, tugging on Melissa’s arm as she took off toward the back and the arcade room with her three closest friends, Sarah, Avery, and Emma while pulling her auntie along for the ride.

While they played, Alexa moved her presents inside along with the cake and arranged to have the pizza come out within the next thirty minutes. Meanwhile, Gavin busied himself in the front rooms playing laser tag with a few of the boys in attendance and Curt.

Once she finished, she joined Willow in the arcade. “MOM!” she yelled, seeing Alexa heading her way. “Want to play with us?”

Willow was currently engaged in a heated battle of Dance, Dance Revolution with Emma. “I don’t know,” Alexa said, watching the girls’ feet moving furiously over the simulated dance floor. “It looks a little dangerous.”

“MOM!” Willow exclaimed, laughing as the song came to an end. “Come on! It’s fun.”

“Fine. But if I break a hip, you’re carrying me to the car.”

“Deal!” Willow and Alexa danced through three games with Willow winning two and teasing her mother mercilessly.

“Ok, alright. You wait until today is over, Birthday Girl,” Alexa laughed at the defeated look on Willow’s face and made her way back to the front. Music exploded through the speakers loud enough to make Alexa’s skin tingle. The bass thumped in time with her heart the closer she moved toward the source. 

Over the roar of the melody, a distant chatter could be heard. Alexa stuck her head around the corner and watched as Gavin and Curt argued over who shot whom first. She couldn’t make out much of what they were saying but their mannerisms had her giggling.

A few of the other parents started gathering around the feuding duo also amused by their antics. Gavin fired off a few rounds at Curt’s sensor before walking off with a smile, seeming pleased with himself. “What was that all about?” Alexa asked once he’d joined her at the refreshments table. 

“Apparently the detective hates losing. I sniped him from the ramp near the stage and he called foul saying that his sensor wasn’t working properly. I shot him a few times point blank to show him that it was.”

“Wow. You beat Curt? You know he’s an excellent marksman, right?”

“Not today he wasn’t,” Gavin beamed.

“Well now that you’re here, wanna help get the area ready for lunch?”

“Point me to my station, Milady.” Gavin opened the cups and placed them around the punch bowl before helping Alexa arrange the pizza buffet. They had just laid out the cake and plates for pizza when the peacefulness was disrupted by a scream. A sound exploded near the middle of the building and Gavin casually looked up from his duties. “There goes another one.”

Gavin moved out behind her, looking for the source of the raucous and at the same time they heard Willow scream. It was a voice of pure terror that sounded wrong in her childish voice. The scream was an adrenaline shot straight to the carotid. It wasn’t just any scream; it was their daughter. Panic built up like an unstoppable snowball in the pit of Alexa’s stomach and she was running before her brain even registered why.

In the grip of silent panic, Alexa saw two gunmen enter through the front door. She stopped running, turning back to block their view of the back rooms. Gavin continued forward, making his way to Willow as fast as he could as her screams faded into ragged sobs.

The moment played out in slow motion. The gun followed the arc the man’s body swung, the sudden movement out the corner of her eye as a panicked Gavin threw himself between the danger and their frightened child. Alexa started toward him. The gunman on the right smiled as his finger pulled back on his trigger.

The sound was nearly swallowed by the music as a dampened thump. Terrified parents tossed hands over their heads and crouched impossibly lower to the floor clutching nearby children as the bullet, a lone 9mm round, struck through a neighboring arcade. There was a noise of two more shots, fired in rapid succession. Terrified screams erupted behind her and she did her best to tune them out with her heart racing a mile a minute.

Alexa moved fast. It was as if a bomb had exploded in her brain as her rapid firing synapses threw her body into action. She drove her weight behind the fist that connected to the man’s face. It hit his jaw with such force blood pooled in his mouth and some dribbled to the floor as his head spun. Pain erupted from the point of impact but she ignored it as she grasped his head in her hands and brought her knee up to his nose. There was a blunt crack. His nose twisted right and more blood poured from his face as he hit the ground in a thunderous crash. 

The second man turned his aim at Alexa and she instantly drew her leg up and slammed it into his stomach. It was like hitting a train head on. His insides smashed together, blood vessels burst and a spray of blood gushed from his opened mouth. Alexa drew her fist back and this time collided with his jaw, continuing this battering until he fell to the floor. His chest gently rose and sank with each shallow breath he took.

Curt scrambled out of the laser tag area and collected the fallen weapons as Gavin and the other parents checked the children for injuries. Using leftover string from the balloons, she and Curt tied up the men and waited for the authorities to arrive. “Esto no ha terminado!” One of the men yelled. (This isn’t over.)

“Son of a bitch!” Curt paced back as he glared at their captive. “They’re from the Brotherhood.”

“Here?” Gavin exclaimed. “They sent men here of all places? To my little girl’s birthday party?” He did little to hide his anger. Alexa approached him and leaned in close. 

“Get the children to the back. I don’t want them to see this. Keep them there until the police arrive, please.” He did as instructed and along with the other parents did his best to keep the partygoers occupied and distracted from what was happening at the front of the building. 

Meanwhile, Curt and Alexa spoke in hushed tones in the dining room, keeping a close eye on the two men tied up in the lobby. “We need to do something,” she said, watching an anxious Curt pace the length of the room. 

“Alexa, I never meant for this…” 

“I know.” 

“If anything would have happened to Wisp.” 

“That’s why we need to go on the offensive. We need a show of force to prove to these guys we’re not taking this sitting down. If I’m right, someone is pulling their strings and if we go after them, it could force their hands in showing us who they’re working with.” 

“So, what do you suggest?” 

“We pay a visit to Puebla.” 

“No. Absolutely not. You can’t go down there. It’s their home turf. You’d be defenseless.”  

“I know. But I also know it’s the only way. We can’t keep waiting around for the next attack, Curt.” 

He squeezed his eyes shut, allowing her words to settle. He knew she was right. Up until this point, they had been the ones targeted and shot at several times. They couldn’t keep this up. Something had to give. “You can’t go alone. You’re gonna need help.”   

“This will be very dangerous, Curt. Once we cross that border, we’re alone. Completely.”  

“I know.”  

“The cartels are the law down there.”

“I understand, Alexa. We’re gonna have to tread carefully.”  

Moments later, the police arrived. The families and staff of the Domino Palace were questioned as the two shooters were taken into custody. Curt headed back to his hotel and Alexa and Gavin got Willow home and readied for bed. After she fell asleep, Alexa went out to the garage to try and figure out a plan of attack. If they were going to Mexico, they needed to know what to expect and be prepared. 

Gavin entered behind her, trying not to interrupt as he found Alexa hard at work but he needed answers about today’s events. “So,” he started, pausing a moment as he tried to form his thoughts. “Is this what it’s normally like for you?” 

“What? You mean bullets whizzing by your head while being shot at by two unknown assailants?” Alexa asked without looking up. “Not really. My business was infiltration. Basically, the bad guys never saw me coming. Days like these only happened after I refused to close your father’s contract.” 

A small feeling of guilt overcame him at her words and Gavin drew silent a moment as he watched her continue working. “I never knew the amount of danger you put yourself in just to save me and my family and I could never fully thank you for that.” 

“You already have, Gavin. She’s upstairs sound asleep,” she said, this time looking over at him. “And I’m gonna have to ask you to keep her safe. There’s something Curt and I have to do.” 

Gavin nodded and without hesitation replied, “I’ll be ready for whatever comes.”