Chapter 12 Drag Racing Party

"Damn it!" Luke resisted the urge to shoot the bastard.

Enemies cheat, but this guy cheats his own teammates. Luke decided it was time to change partners. But for now, he had no choice but to cover him.

David rushed into the house first, checked the left side. "Clear."

Luke followed, checking the right side. "Clear."

They advanced in a staggered formation through the small house. It had a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. The place was a mess, cluttered with trash and food waste, with a sour odor hanging in the air.

"Clear."

"Clear."

Luke carefully searched the house but found no one. He put away his gun and rubbed the dusty coffee table, noticing leftover pizza. The degree of decay indicated the house had been empty for at least a week.

"David, there's not even a mouse here. Where's the cry for help?"

David shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe I misheard. You know how it is."

"Sure, I know. You're reckless. If you don't drop this habit, you'll get us killed."

"And you're a lazy bastard. Instead of investigating a lead, you went to dinner first."

"At least I don't get my teammates sued. That time was used to get a search warrant."

"By the time you get a warrant, the suspect is in Mexico. Police can search a suspect's residence in an emergency. We're not breaking the law."

"With you, it's always an emergency."

The argument grew tense. After a moment of silence, David spread his hands. "Fine, my fault. I apologize. But since we're here, let's search thoroughly. We might find something valuable."

"David, this isn't over," Luke said as they resumed their search.

The living room and bedroom were a mess. Luke found a bag of white powder, a few hundred dollars, and some seasonal clothes in a cupboard. The suspect had clearly left in a hurry.

David finished his search and frowned at the window. "Hey, there's a guy hanging around our car. What's he up to..."

They stepped outside and saw a scruffy man peering through the car window, clutching the doorknob with a wire in his hand.

"Get your hands off my car!" David shouted, approaching menacingly.

The man stepped back, tossing the wire aside. "Relax, I was just joking."

"Your joke's not funny. You picked the wrong car." David flashed his badge.

"Oh no, I don't want trouble," the man said, backing away before turning to run.

Luke circled to block his escape. The man waved his fist, but Luke sidestepped and tripped him. He fell with a thud.

"LAPD. Trying to steal a police car takes guts."

The man didn't resist, looking up at Luke. "I was joking, I swear."

"The wire says otherwise." Luke cuffed him and lifted him up.

A woman with messy hair ran over. "What are you doing? Why are you arresting my friend?"

David showed his badge. "Are you his accomplice?"

The woman's mental state seemed shaky. "Are you a cop?" she asked, squinting.

David recognized her. "Lindsay, it's me, David."

The woman waved dismissively. "Let him go."

David approached slowly. "Lindsay, I've been looking for you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Stay away from me."

"I just want to help you, Lindsay."

"You want to help? Give me all the cash you have."

"What?"

"Or take me to a rehab center?"

"I don't need that. Just give me the money."

David sighed, looking helpless, and handed her a few bills. She grabbed the money and ran off. David watched her go, looking defeated.

Luke was confused, seeing a vulnerable side of David for the first time. "What happened?"

David's eyes were red as he punched the scruffy man in the abdomen. "Name?"

"Logan Salmu."

"David, enough. Someone's coming." Luke pulled the man aside, fearing David would lose control.

"Remember this lesson," David growled. "No next time."

Logan nodded, wincing in pain.

"What about this guy?" Luke asked.

"Let him go."

"Are you serious?"

"Just let him go."

Logan urged Luke. "He said let me go."

Luke released the cuffs, letting Logan leave. He sat in the car, frustrated. "What's going on?"

David looked down, voice heavy with helplessness. "That was my wife. I haven't seen her in almost half a year."

Luke was surprised. "Ex-wife?"

"No, we didn't divorce." David didn't want to involve her. The situation would make him a laughing stock at the station.

Luke had noticed she was on drugs. A cop's wife being an addict was hard to admit.

"You calm down. I'll ask around about Tony." Luke knocked on several neighbors' doors, but no one answered. It was unclear if the houses were empty or if people didn't want to answer.

"This damn place..." Luke felt a pang of homesickness.

Back in the car, David seemed calmer. "Find anything?"

"I didn't see anyone."

"These people come out at night." David started the car. "I'll take you to meet some friends. They'll know about Tony."

A few hundred meters away, they approached a bar with motorcycles parked outside. Men in leather jackets, some with skulls, gathered.

"These friends?" Luke asked.

"You know how to identify a motorcycle gang member?"

"The jackets tell the gang name, origin, and status. The gang's 'Motorcycle Die Hard Guys'. They stole my nickname."

"This neighborhood is their turf. They know about Tony."

"Got an informant?"

"No, but I will soon."

"What do you mean?"

"See the most dangerous ones?"

"Those with skulls?"

"No, the ones without. They need to commit a serious crime, like assaulting a cop, to join officially."

"You want them to assault you?"

...