The sun is slowly setting casting a narrow ray of light on the girl standing in the doorway. Her hair is a tangled mess. Her thin, sullen face is caked with layers of dirt. Her clothing is filthy and torn. There is a small brownish area just below the muck that appears to be dried blood.

Jimmy hears a loud kerplunk, he turns to find Sarah on the floor. He dashes to her side. "Sarah, Sarah, wake up, honey, wake up. " Carefully lifting her head off the cement he places it in his lap. "Sarah, Sarah honey, wake up," he repeats as he gently pats her face.

"What... What happened?" she asks, as she groggily glances around.

"You fainted honey."
Sarah recalls what had happened earlier that day. How she watched the terrified girl dart down the street. "Was that who you were running from?"

"Yes. They seem to be everywhere and I don't know what to do."

Sarah turns towards Jimmy. "How long will it take to get the paint job done?" 

"At least a couple of days. and then another to dry."

"I don't have that long.  I, I mean we have to get out of the city now." She grabs the frightened girl's hand.

"Seeing that you ladies are in such dire need of a vehicle, I'll tell you what I'm willing to do." Lou straightens his shirt before he continues. "See that car in the back of the lot?"

Sarah glances over to where he's pointing. "What about it?"

"She's a real beauty isn't she?"

"If you say so." Sarah halfheartedly agrees. The vehicle looks nice, but it really wasn't her style.

"I'll trade her straight across for your car."

Sarah glances at the young woman as she tries to figure out what she should do.

"I'm losing a lot of money here, but since you're Jimmy's relative I'm willing to take the loss."

"It would be a lot safer, I suppose."
 
"Everything in her is in tip-top condition, I checked it myself."

"What do you think, Mia?"

"I don't see that we have much of a choice."

"Well is it a deal or isn't it?"Lou impatiently asks.

Sarah recalls how she and Jimmy were shot at just a short while ago. She then remembers how she ran for her life. I can't wait three days, not after what happened today. Sarah tearfully thinks.

"So do you want to trade or not?" Sarah glances outside, then towards the frightened young woman beside her.

"It's a deal"

***
George is standing in front of his boss's desk trying to explain his theory. The captain is reclined in his brown leather chair, listening intently to his speculation. Working with him for numerous years, the captain knows that his sergeant's hunches are usually right.

"That's why I think something is going on, Captain," George finishes

"I can understand why you'd come to that conclusion. I'll see what I need to do to get the body exhumed."

"Thanks, captain. George and Larry turn to leave. 

"In the meantime." The duo spins back around. "I need for you guys to go out to the Macy Projects."

"The Macy Projects, sir?" Larry questions.

"Yes, evidently Mrs. Johnson killed four people in a drive-by."

"Four, sir?" Larry gasps.

"Two of her victims are a part of the big sting. I'm trying to get the DEA to give us what they have on their suspects but you know how they are with their files."

"Yeah," Larry agrees, remembering the last confrontation he had with them.

"I think the word you're looking for sir is anal-retentive."

"That's one way to put it," The captain laughs. "In the meantime, I'm going to keep looking into Katelyn's drive-by, see if I can find a connection." He picks up a small folder from his desk.

"Have you found anything yet?" Larry asks.

"No, according to the report no one supposedly saw or heard a thing, but that's the way it usually goes when it's a gang-related shooting. Everyone is too afraid of retaliation to say much."

"Why were the Johnsons in the area to begin with?"

"According to the report, Katelyn called and asked to be picked up."

"Why was Katelyn there?" Larry questions.

"Trying to score drugs, I imagine."

"I thought she was doing better, captain."

"Evidently not, the ME report shows several street drugs in her system."

"Assuming that is Katelyn's body," George adds. The Captain nods in agreement.

"So the dad went to rescue her from the bad neighborhood and they both end up dead?" Larry asks.

"That's what it looks like."

"There's no camera surveillance?"

"Not in that part of the neighborhood. The gangs made sure of that."

"Someone must have seen something."

"Good luck getting any of them to talk."

***

Sarah and Mia are slowly moving down 178th street trying to get out of town. With it being rush hour the entire city seems to be in gridlock. We'll be home free once we reach I95, Sarah thinks as Mia explains what happened to her today.

"I had to shoot him before he shot me and now the police and all of his buddies are after me." Mia sobs.

"So these goons are coming after you thinking that you're Katelyn?"

"Yes, I told them I wasn't but they didn't believe me. They said I look too much like her not to be. Why are they coming after me? Huh, why? Why are they coming after me?" Mia bawls.

"They're after me too."

"Why?" Mia blubbers.

"They want to be paid what Katelyn owes."

"Maybe if we put our money together we'll have enough to pay them."

"Do you have five thousand dollars to spare because I sure don't."

"Five thousand dollars?"

"That's what they claim Katelyn owes."

"What are we going to do?" Mia cries.

"There's only one thing we can do, and that's to stop them once and for all."

***

George and Larry see patrol has the entire area blocked off when they pull up to the scene. George sees a couple of young rookies struggling to keep the heated crowd behind the yellow tape. A few of the rowdier ones are being escorted to the cruiser.

"Cracker comes in packing, kills my bro and you throw me in the slammer? Ther's something F'd up about all that"

"Save your sob story for the judge." The rookie shoves him in the car.

"I don't miss those days one bit," Larry says as he walks across the lawn.

"Me either," his partner agrees."  

"What can you tell me?" George asks, stepping up beside his pal. 

"The witnesses said that a white lady in a cream-colored continental pulled up to the curb. I victim went to see what she wanted she pulls out a gun and shoots him and then everyone she sees."

"When was this?

"Around 4:45. Patrol tried to chase  her but lost her somewhere around Navy Street."

"Get an APB out on the car."

"It's already done, sir." 

"What can you tell me about the weapon?"

"It's a Glock, like the one she used at her house."

"You know who the shooter is?"

"Yes, sir, the plates, and the description of the car come back to Sarah Johnson and a couple of witnesses picked her out of a photo array."

"What do we know about the victims?

"Her primary target is Juan Hernandez. He's a known drug dealer with a rap sheet a mile long. He was a part of the DEA's take down a few months ago, paroled out to his mother yesterday."

"Get me a list of everyone arrested during the sting."

"Last I heard the DEA has the file locked up pretty tight."

"Get me anything you can find."

"I'll try, sir."

"I know you will." George pats him on the back.

"What can you tell me about the others?" Larry questions.

"They're all working girls. Each of them has priors for prostitution."

"Have they ever been arrested for drugs?" George asks.

"A few times, but it was all petty stuff."

"Where were the witnesses when the shooting occurred?"

"They said they were standing beside the victims. A shot rang out and they ran for cover."

"So maybe this wasn't a random shooting after all." 

"What are you thinking, George?" Larry questions.

"I think we have a couple of vigilantes on our hands."