The big Hispanic man leaned against the wall hidden in dark shadow. Dim beams of castoff from the main room ceiling light nearly reached him, but his 6’4” three-hundred-pound frame was hidden in darkness. 

Hugo Chavez was zoning in and out. His job was a bore, but each day that he agreed to stand guard for Paco, he got to have a free go with one of the working girls. Most of Paco’s sluts were run down, but he lived by the motto that beggars couldn’t be choosers and sloppy sex was better than no sex. 

He thought Paco was a slimy little slug. He had no respect for a man who was unable to take care of his problems with physical violence. The turd didn’t even like to fight. Still, Hugo couldn’t turn down all that free ass.  

Right now, Hugo was lazily reminiscing about Juanita Lopez. She was one of the cholas in his gang. He knew the other members had her at times, especially the brothers, but Hugo was getting a little sweet on the rough-and-tumble girl. 

If he claimed her as his main chola, and she agreed, then the other Pike Street Surenos would have to lay off her. Unless he allowed it. So he had made his play last week. 

When Hugo asked Jaunita to be his main girl, she had told him that he didn’t quite have what she needed. He had no idea what the hell she meant by that so he beat her up good. Still she refused him. 

It didn’t matter though. Juanita would eventually learn her place was at his side, or he would dish out more and more severe beatings until she learned.  

A movement to Hugo’s right disturbed his thoughts. He rested his hand on the trusty four-foot long 2X4 that leaned against the wall next to him and stared into the darkness, but could see nothing. He had busted too many noggins to count with the bloody board.  

THUNK! A hammer came out of the shadows striking Hugo on top of his head. He staggered back into the wall, dazed, then fell forward onto his knees. 

Two more blows followed Hugo to the floor, cracking him on the back of the skull, knocking him out. His assailant hauled off and kicked the unconscious man in the groin as hard as he could. 

Annoyed, Paco looked up from his desk when he heard a thud. “Hugo?” 

The pimp slowly rose from his seat and studied the shadows beyond his open door. He could barely make out his big bodyguard’s feet sticking out of the darkness. 

“Hugo?” Realizing something was amiss, even with the big man’s propensity to fall asleep at any time or place, Paco opened a desk drawer and pulled out a nickel-plated .38 Special. 

A man wearing a black sweatshirt and pants stepped over Hugo’s feet. When the intruder walked under the light, Paco could see he wore a black ski mask and was carrying a hammer dripping with blood. 

“Oh, that’s a big mistake, Motherfucker. You brought the wrong weapon to a gunfight.” Paco grinned and, flashing his three gold teeth, raised the .38, showing it to his would-be attacker who had closed the distance. “We gonna dance the lambada now, Asshole.”

The ski-masked figure flung the hammer as hard as he could. It struck the pimp square in the forehead, knocking the little man back into his chair. Paco sat there stunned, a tiny whimper escaping his lips. 

“I worked my way through college as a carpenter.” A gruff voiced hissed in his ear. “Let me show you.”  

A groggy Paco tried to rise but was forcefully shoved back into his seat. His larger attacker pinned Paco’s hand on the desk with his knee and before the pimp knew what was happening, the masked man hammered a nail through it pinning him to the desk.  

Ignoring Paco’s screams, the attacker grabbed the flailing man's free hand and drove a nail through it into the desk as well. This one took two strikes of the hammer. Now the pimp was stuck and completely at the mercy of his unknown assailant. 

“Now that you’re not going anywhere, let me explain something to you. “Kelly's mine. If you ever come near her again, I’ll come back and finish the job.”

“Fuck you, Puto.” Paco spit out raggedly.

“Oh? Still haven’t got the message? Perhaps we should talk about that semester I wanted to be a dentist.” The masked man pulled a pair of pliers from his back pocket. “Time to mine some gold.”

Paco’s screams bounced off the warehouse walls for the next twenty minutes. Then the building fell silent.  

Five minutes later, and just a few blocks away, the masked man put Paco’s .38 Special in the center console compartment of his car. After parking, he climbed out of the vehicle and pulled off the ski mask and tossed it into the East Waterway. That was followed by the bloody hammer and pliers. Finally, in went three blood-covered gold teeth. 

               *     *     *

Crackle. Crackle. Morgan’s radio came to life on the homicide department's designated channel. “Harper, copy?”

He reached in and grabbed his handheld radio. “Go ahead.” He had brought the radio along so he could scan the primary channels.

“Are you familiar with Paco Sanchez’s building down at the warehouse section of the wharf?”

“10-4. I’ve been there before.”

“Looks like there’s been some type of attack down there. Might have something to do with your dead prostitute case. Marked units are arriving now. Captain wants you to head that way.”  

“Good copy. I’m rolling.”  

“10-4. Hit me up if you need an address.” 

“Nope. I’m good.” Morgan nearly chuckled.  

There’s no rush. I think it best I arrive after the ambulances have taken the victims away. Morgan leaned against his red Charger and let out a long sigh, lighting one of his cheap cigars. He ran his hand through his sweaty blond hair.

I can’t believe that hammer hit him square in the forehead. Talk about lucky. Did he say ‘dance the lambada’? What the hell was that? Dumbass. I hate men who rape and beat women.

Character/Suspect List: 

Homicide Detective Morgan Harper - The heavily faulted main character who never recovered from the suicide of his wife.  

Kelly Pierson - a young, new to the game, prostitute who is frequented by Detective Morgan. 

Debra Harper - Morgan’s deceased wife who committed suicide.  

Tamra Burns- a crime scene technician who is Debra's identical twin.

Internal Affairs Officer Brian Anderson - Investigating Morgan Harper.

Homicide Detective Hutch Kelly - Morgan’s partner. 

Doctor Millison Parker - Morgan’s psychiatrist.

Paco Sanchez - A local pimp and street thug.

Hugo Chavez - Paco's thug/bodyguard.

Mac Yung- Aggressive reporter. 

Steve Vance - Vicki's husband.

Ted 'Teddy' Norton - Morgan's old academy training officer. 

Vicki Vance - An old friend of Morgan and Debra’s.

Jennifer Collins - The first victim prostitute. 

Amy Henderson - The second victim prostitute.