Plan B

Jimmy slowly snaked his way through the westside of the port city making sure Roco and Sledge were still tailing him. Windy made her way to Jerricho Beach without following the other two cars finding a place out of sight to wait.

Windy nestled her car at the entrance of the Belmont Trail across from the beach. Well hidden from traffic coming down Marine Drive and dark enough to stay out of sight from the beach she waited in silence with her cellphone ready.

Jimmy wouldn't call because he did not have this plan figured out quite yet. With each turn he drew nearer to the beach. Well Dumbass, if there were ever a time for a plan, this would be it! Forty-First Avenue, getting close now.

Jimmy took a right at the corner and made the engine work pulling away from Roco and Sledge momentarily but their car was more than up to the task, catching the leader of this little cat and mouse game.

Roco looked to Sledge with an angry scowl. "He's been tooling with us for twenty minutes. When we get to that curvy section ~ run him off the road."

"Got it, Roco." Sledge smiled. "Be my pleasure!"

Both men have been employed by the Fortune family for the past twenty years. Roco, a street kid at the time, scrapped for every meal while Sledge trained in a boxing club on the downtown Eastside.

Many were gainfully employed by the Fortune, feeding their families and owning homes in an affluent area of the city not far from where they drove tonight. Jimmy Carrick knew all about the money laundering, the racketeering, and the importing of cocaine to the shores of British Columbia, Canada.

With all those revenue lines reduced Jimmy believed his work cleaning up the port city of Vancouver was well underway. Little did he know the family had many other streams of cash flow stemming with even more sinister roots ~ Human Trafficking.

"We want him alive ~ for a bit." Roco cautioned his partner. "We still don't know where Joey and Johnny are."

"Old man Fortune is fucking pissed." Sledge shook his head but never yielded sight of the darkening road. "He thinks Carrick is onto Bobby's plan."

"He couldn't possibly know about the boat coming in silent." Roco disagreed. "Hell, they just let us know."

"Carrick could screw the whole thing up, Roco!" The former boxer expressed with his hand as much as his voice.

"Carrick will be dead before the night is over anyway." Roco checked the clip of his glock before screwing on the silencer. "He will not get the jump on us this time." He readied his weapon.

"Fuck Roco, point that thing another way!" Sledge pushed the loaded weapon away from him.

Up ahead Jimmy entered the serpentine-like stretch of Marine Drive. His familiarity with this road went back to his university days. He thrust the accelerator to the floor, skillfully mastering each bend, sending a wrench into Roco's plan. There would be no catching Jimmy here.

"Faster Sledge! The fucking plan!" Leaning forward Roco screamed. "We need to get him off the road! Faster!"

Every now and then Jimmy checked his rearview mirror but with every curve the headlights would disappear only to flicker again on the next curve. One more es curve to the right and down the hill to the beach.

Jimmy felt almost giddy as an insane thought floated through his mind. I hope you two are wearing seatbelts. He made the last curve and the Dodge Challenger made speeds not meant in the city catching Windy's attention.

"Jimmy?" She rolled her eyes. "Of course it's Jimmy, it's a dumbass move." Windy looked to her left again and the second car appeared to be going even faster. "Suicide boys!"

Jimmy noticed the boys gaining on him. Just about....time. With the slightest twitch to the right of the steering wheel the car's friction with the road reduced. Then he yanked the steering wheel to the left and pulled the emergency brake.

The tires screeched, and threw smoke as the Dodge completed the one hundred and eighty degree turn in front of Roco and Sledge.

Sledge had no idea what to do as Jimmy straightened out and headed directly towards them.

Roco began screaming. "Hit the bastard! Hit him, hit him, hit him!" He reached over with his left hand as Sledge hit the brakes.

"Jimmy! You crazy bastard!" Windy watched intently as she screamed at her long time friend.

When Sledge hammered the brakes he forgot to press the clutch in sending the transmission into fits. "Fuckkkkk meeee!" The car began to vibrate shutting the engine down sending the car sideways. Jimmy's car narrowly escaped being struck by the out of control car.

"That can't be good." Windy winced and just as she predicted the chase car skid and began to flip several times. "I hope you guys were wearing seatbelts ~ for your sake."

Jimmy slowed, waiting for Roco and Sledge's ride come to a stop. He turned his Challenger around and slowly drove towards the accident site. The Camaro came to rest on its tires but the vehicle would never be driven again.

Windy watched Jimmy drive back towards the other car and she stepped out of her car catching her friend's eye. He pulled over. She leaned into the passenger window to yell at her friend. "What the hell was that?!"

"Plan b?" Jimmy shrugged. "What did you want me to do?"

"Well, now what, Einstein?"

"I'll go and check on the guys." Jimmy looked to his friend that has always had his back. "No need for anyone to see you. But stick around ~ out of sight." He raised his eyebrows. "You know what I mean."

"Just be careful. You only have about ninety seconds before city cops get here." Windy reminded Jimmy of the obvious. "Some of the Blue are on the Fortune payroll." Of course, by Blue, she meant city police officers.

As Windy stepped back from the Challenger an orange glow began to flicker. Roco and Sledge's car began to burn. "Jimmy?" Her voice filled with apprehension.

"I'll be quick!" Jimmy cautiously drove towards the car that began to look more like a charred marshmallow over a campfire.

Roco forced the passenger door open and staggered from the car, now fully engulfed in flames. I guess he wore his seatbelt. He had to wipe blood from his eyes and looked up Marine Drive at Jimmy's car approaching. "Carrick you bastard!" His glock dangling from his broken right arm.

Jimmy stopped his car. "Don't do it, Roco." He was prepared to run the man down but lights filled the his rearview mirror.

Jimmy pulled to the right allowing the patrol cars to rush past and braking quickly at the sight of Roco with a gun. Three city police cars blocked Marine Drive all six officers drew weapons ~ two with shotguns.

The yelling began. "Sir, drop the weapon! Drop it now!"

"Fuck you!" Roco scoffed again wiping blood from his eyes.

Two city police officers looked at each other, partners for the last year, recognizing Roco held the gun. "Benny, it's Joey's muscle."

"I know, Frank." The younger partner nervously answered as he used the patrol car door as a shield. "What do we do?"

Now overlapping voices ordered Roco to comply filled the air. "Drop it. Drop it now!"

Benny checked with Frank again. "Frank?"

Frank spoke in a hushed voice. "Don't say a fucking word, Kid." He shrugged before offering a piece of deadly advice. "Kill him if you think he recognizes us."

Frank and Benny were on the Fortune payroll along with about a dozen other cops at various levels within the force. All great at keeping their mouths shut while offering inside information to the family when the law came calling for the Fortunes.

Being patrol cops, the two did not want to risk association with the Fortune family after the black eye Joey left with his racketeering conviction. Cops on the take felt the consequences on both sides if exposed. They faced being silenced by other cops or the family muscle.

Windy called Jimmy. "Get out of here, Jimmy!"

"You go first. No lights, Win." Jimmy suggested protecting his friend. "Go, Win!"

Jimmy watched Windy make her exit before he focused on the the commotion unfolding in front of him.

Roco appeared delirious spouting off what he had on his mind. "You're protecting that fucking Carrick, you bastards! Why are you fucking with me?!"

This could prove to be interesting. Jimmy continued to listen to Roco spewing toxic information about his involvement. The muscle staggered as he spoke making the city police edgy. "He fucking knows where my boss is. All I want to know is where's Joey! But...You...Won't...Let...Me!"

Frank looked to his younger partner. "Carrick must be in the car behind us." He motioned with his head. "Check it out."

At that precise time Roco found an ally among the officers. Not actually a face but a patrol car number, A97. "Frank, is that you?"

Frank hesitated before angrily replying. "Who wants to know?"

"You bastard!" Roco raised the gun in his left hand as he walked towards Frank. "You..."

Several of the officers open fire on Roco as he appeared to be aggressive and actively intended to harm a member. They did not hear the lone shot Roco managed to squeeze off as his body fell without struggle by the bullets inflicting mortal damage.

Frank did not fire his sidearm. If he had been found to have shot a Fortune family muscle the penalty would be his own life or the life of his family.

The cop on the take, now able to focus on Jimmy, turned to see Benny laying facedown on the asphalt. Frank looked to Jimmy's car and raised the alarm. "Officer down! Officer down."

Fuck me! Seriously?

Frank took the lead as he and two more officers closed in on Jimmy's car.