Fishing in Scrambled Waters

Ethan watched the way everyone looked at each other with little enthusiasm, and a smile appeared on his lips.— What's up? —Brock asked as he leaned back in his chair, yawning.Seeing his sullen gaze, Siobhan quickly approached him, gently strangled him by the neck with his hands, and clenched his teeth:— Did someone speak?Ethan quickly slapped him on the arm and pleaded for mercy. Brock had the cup of coffee and, with a smile.—Don't let go, strangle him a little more he seems to like it.Siobhan, noticing that they were both laughing, blushed and released Ethan quickly. Ethan shook his neck helplessly and stood up.—Let's go to the office, we have things to talk about.They all walked to the Sheriff's Office. Upon entering, they saw Hood sitting comfortably with his legs on the table, drinking coffee. Seeing them enter Hood turned the computer screen towards them.Ethan stepped forward to see what Hood had found. The screen reflected information about the man Juliet had mentioned, and his criminal record was not something to be for. —Matt Sharp —muttered Ethan, touching the computer screen.The image showed a white man, with a shaved head and two lightning tattoos on his throat. Those symbols were unmistakable, the insignia of the SS used by the German army. For a white man with these tattoos, it was clear what kind of person he was, a white supremacist.Emmett ran his hands over his face, his expression dark. Brock slapped him on the shoulder before sitting on the couch. — I've arrested this guy before, he's a damn white supremacist, he's on multiple counts of assault, drug possession, and aggravated assault, he's been in prison several times .— How do you relate to Proctor? —Siobhan asked.—According to information provided by our new informant, Matt Sharp is in charge of transporting Proctor's pills to Philadelphia from Banshee — added Ethan — If we catch him, we could get the location of the laboratory where Proctor manufactures his merchandise.Hearing this, Brock and the others seemed relieved, visibly relaxing.—Well we already have a clue, and tonight was not in vain — Brock said.Hood asked Brock:—You caught Sharp earlier, do you know where we can find him?—Of course —Brock agreed — He and some of his friends work at an abandoned car demolition plant on the outskirts of town.—Well, it's all for today go home, good job today. —Hood said, getting up and hitting the table hard — We will go for it tomorrow.—No —Siobhan — quickly intervened. We have to wait a few days.— Why? —Hood was puzzled. I wanted to go immediately and arrest him.—Listen —Siobhan said firmly — If we go after Sharp tomorrow, Proctor will discover it instantly. You will know that the information came from one of the girls and that will put them at risk. If that happens, no one in town will ever trust us again. We have to wait a few days.Hood withdrew his hand, uncomfortable, and sat down again.—Siobhan is right —Ethan said, nodding — We must act with a cool head, it is risky to expose our cards so quickly.Brock scratched his head and added wisely:—Facing Proctor is not something we can solve in a day or two. Today we have accomplished something important, we cannot be impatient and ruin it. Let's go step by step.—So how about this. —Ethan said, outlining a slight smile — You have to shake the waters a little more. We will attack your other operations, little by little. If we push him hard enough, Proctor will make a mistake sooner or later ... and when he does, we'll be ready to catch him —he concluded, his sharp gaze showing that he already had a strategy in mind. — When he's out of balance , it will be time to go after Sharp.Hood agreed to postpone the search for Sharp for a few days. After returning home, Ethan played with the keys in his hand, his expression relaxed. Job, sitting on the hood of his yellow convertible, looked at him with a frown.—The next time you visit me in New York, you'll have everything you want, Ethan. Exclusive places, without spending a penny. Ethan looked at him, knowing that Job always had something up his sleeve.—Now, on that photo —Job — continued, is it really worth saving? Think of all those girls and how unhappy they will be without you.—Deal done —Ethan replied, throwing the phone at him before entering the house.During the following days, the slaughterhouse, butchery, and Proctor's club were repeatedly raided by the Banshee Police. After what happened on the first day, Proctor had rushed to solve the violations in his business by the Police, his lawyers filed several lawsuits against the city, but he could not fully recover.I knew this was Hood's retaliation for the death of Kate Moody. Losses were inevitable, and he could only accept them by clenching his teeth. A few days later, the actions of the Police Department began to subside, and Proctor had a break.While driving down Oak Street, Ethan saw a sign on the side of the road and decided to stop the car. He entered Old Sam's hunting and fishing shop, ringing the door bell as he entered.—Welcome Ethan, what can I do for you. —greeted the owner with a white beard and a cowboy hat.Ethan approached the counter.—I need some bullets —asked.—Of course, no problem. What caliber do you need or are you looking for something special? What are you going to hunt? I have some news —Sam replied, relaxed when noticing Ethan's dark blue uniform.Ethan took a piece of paper out of his pocket, a list of the ammunition gauges and how much he would need. Seeing that it was a considerable request, Sam asked him to wait while preparing them.—Take your time, I'm going to take a look around the store —Ethan said, before turning around and starting to inspect the place calmly.Giving a pat on the counter, he went deeper into the store. He found all kinds of fishing equipment, ordered fishing rods on the shelves, and more specialized equipment.In a secluded corner, Ethan discovered two boxes covered in a light layer of dust. When cleaned by hand, it revealed its contents: new fishing rods 7.2 meters long, perfectly straight and with a shiny finish that reflected light. Made of light but resistant materials, the reeds had a modern design, with carbon fiber details.Seeing that the reeds looked good, he decided to take the two reeds and returned to the counter.—Sam, can you put me the accessories and a couple of hooks that I can use in this area?Old Sam got up, holding his cowboy hat.—Yes of course. I will give you a good price together that you think—Deal done.When it was time to pay, Ethan was surprised by the high cost of the two fishing rods and accessories; They turned out to be much more expensive than bullets. After paying, he came out with everything he had bought and put it in the trunk of the police car.Just then, the radio rang.—Ethan, where are you? Time to have a chat with our friend Sharp.When Ethan returned to the police station, Hood and the others were ready to leave.—Parked the car, opened the trunk, and threw all the small items into space. Then, he walked to the side, opened the back door of the Crown Victoria, and entered. In order not to attract Proctor's attention, he, Hood, Emmett and Brock shared a car with the scrap processing plant.The back seat of a police car is extremely narrow. If a normal-sized person sits there, their knees will hit the back of the front seat. There was no problem with Ethan's body shape, but Brock could only sit on his side with an expression of disgust on his face.After more than twenty minutes of driving, they reached their destination.There were abandoned vehicles everywhere, stacked in layers, and all the valuable parts had been removed. The rough chirp of an angular grinder was heard later, and Hood took the lead. All four walked forward along the remains of cars piled up on both sides.After walking more than a hundred meters, they arrived at a work shed.Inside, behind a lifting platform, a man in a white vest cut a red car with a grinder that rose into the air. Two white men were standing by a work table. One was wearing a white T-shirt and had thick black hair. The other was wearing a black vest, bald and extraordinarily tall. Both had visible tattoos on their bodies, with especially notable swastikas.Hood and Brock exchanged a look. They were in the right place. The three men noticed the presence of the police and stopped what they were doing. The scene was silent, only the steps were heard approaching the gravel.Ethan moved on without haste. The others dispersed, forming a semicircle that surrounded the work shed. A few meters away, they stopped.Hood took two steps forward, raised his arm, and greeted.—Good afternoon, gentlemen —said —. I am looking for Matt Sharp. Do any of you know where it is?The two men by the work table advanced, looking at the officers with hostility, especially when they saw Emmett. His eyes were filled with contempt. The man with the grinder put the tool aside with indifference. He removed the protective mask, revealing his bald head and two lightning bolts tattooed on his neck.—I'm Matt Sharp —said as he took off his gloves and looked at the badge on Hood's chest.Hood crossed his arms.—I have something I want to talk to you about. Can you join us?—I'm a little busy, Sheriff —Sharp replied, getting out from under the car with his head down and a serious tone —. I don't know if you've read the newspaper, but the economy has been a little tight lately, with a nine percent unemployment rate I can't quit my job now.Sharp leaned on the hanging tire.—I don't think you want to delay the work of people who strive to support their families, do you?Mixing her intimidating appearance with those words made Ethan smile slightly. He asked the bald man in the black vest in front of him:—Wow if you're funny, is it always that fun to talk to you?The man, who was a head taller than Ethan, looked down on him, deeply inhaling the cigarette he was holding.Hood joined the tease.—Of course I wouldn't, I would never mess with an honest man. As for people like you ... that's another story.Sharp's face darkened, his eyes wandered, looking for some way out.—Listen —Brock said, trying to soften the situation — We just came to ask you a few questions. After that, we will leave.One of the men by the work table grabbed a large key and tapped it lightly against his palm, looking at Emmett maliciously.—I suggest you leave that key on the table right now —Emmett said, stepping forward, looking at it fearlessly.The man tightened the key with more force, his swastika tattoos moving slightly with tension. He snorted.—Hey black, how does it feel to sit in the front seat of a patrol?The other man, in the black vest, also advanced, throwing his cigarette at Emmett's feet, but he looked at them without flinching, straightened his posture, showing no emotion.—Emmett —Brock told him when he noticed his partner's trembling hands.—Don't worry, I'm calm —Emmett replied, letting go of his fists.—You don't need to calm down —Hood said with a smile —. You can do whatever you want.—Verbal teasing is not consistent with self-defense protocol, Sheriff —Emmett commented, with an ironic tone — It can only be used when they endanger the life of an officer. And these little pieces of white trash are not a threat to me.The atmosphere was charged with tension, waiting for a spark to explode. White supremacists hoped to provoke Emmett, but their control and patience thwarted their attempts. It only remained to wait for them to make the first mistake.When Emmett said they were all white trash, the strong man in the black vest in front of him clenched his fists.—You cannot act when you are insulted, is this still stipulated in the self-defense agreement? —Hood asked, scratching his chin as he walked from side to side.—That's right —he replied himself, smiling as he raised his head and looked at the white supremacists.—Ah, I forgot to tell you, Emmett's wife is white. Aren't they a perfect match?The three white supremacists stared at Emmett. If his eyes were arrows, he would have been pierced by thousands of them. Ethan frowned, Hood shouldn't have said that. Although everyone wanted to infuriate those subjects, mentioning it that way would put Emmett and his family in danger, they could retaliate against them later, this time it has gone too far.At that moment, Emmett raised his hands and arched his eyebrows towards the man in front of him. The guy in the black vest clenched his jaw like a raging bull, reached out his arm and punched Emmett directly in the face.The blow was strong, but Emmett barely flinched, turning his head to the beat of his fist. Then he smiled, showing his teeth stained with blood.—Now this is self defense.— Fuck you, nigga! —yelled the man in the vest, cursing as he threw another punch.Emmett bent down, dodging it quickly, and hooked a left hook straight into his ribs.Seeing the fight, the guy in the white T-shirt took a big wrench and ran to Emmett, but Brock intercepted him, throwing himself at him and knocking him down. Both fell next to an abandoned car. Meanwhile, Sharp took advantage of the chaos to run away.— Shit! —cursed Hood, starting to chase him.Emmett and the man in the vest, who were almost the same size, exchanged blows like two angry bulls. The fists rose and fell hard.Brock, meanwhile, had the guy in the white shirt on the floor and hit him with excitement, but his sturdy figure and belly made it difficult for him to stay in control. The man below him dodged the blow and, in a quick movement, reversed the positions, now hitting Brock in the face.— Ah! —Brock shouted, trying to protect himself, but saw the man's fist descend again.— Ethan, help! —screamed desperately.There was a fort "coup", and Brock opened his eyes. The man who attacked him had disappeared, and Ethan was astride him.Ethan, who had started following Hood, stopped when he saw Brock on the ground. When he heard his call for help, he kicked the guy in the white shirt, sending him to fly to an abandoned car. The blow was so strong that the man held his head, moaning in pain.Meanwhile, Emmett managed to connect a strong hook to the man's chin in the vest, wobbling him. Taking advantage of his advantage, Emmett pushed him against a car with such force that he left a dent in the chassis. The man fell to the ground, writhing.— Are you okay, Emmett? —Ethan asked.—I've never been better —Emmett replied, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with a satisfied smile.For him, a black man, even as a police officer, it was common to face discrimination, both large and small. Being able to get even with those white supremacists who openly displayed their hatred was deeply gratifying to him.Ethan approached the man in the black vest, who was lying on the floor with a large boot print on his pants. With disdain, he kicked him several more, erasing the marks on his boots.Meanwhile, Hood had followed Sharp to a parking lot full of abandoned vehicles. Sharp was running desperately, but when he turned a corner, he found himself in front of Hood's gun, who was waiting for him with the Glock in hand.— Why don't you keep running? —Hood asked with a cynical smile, clicking with the gun.Sharp raised his hands, backing down.— What do you want? —Sharp asked, breathing hard.—Well, I'm glad you want to cup. Tell me where the Proctor pill lab is —Hood said.Sharp, his head sweaty and bald, shook his head, smiling nervously.—I don't know what you're talking about —he replied, taking two steps forward until he rests his forehead on the barrel of the gun — If you want you can shoot me.Hood lowered the gun.—Okay —he said quietly.Sharp gave a sigh of relief, but within a second, Hood kicked him between the legs with a brutal kick.— F * ck you! —Sharp screamed, falling to his knees.—Let me remind you of something —Hood said, leaning over him — We know that you are the one who transports Proctor's drugs from Banshee Town and takes her to Philadelphia, right?Hood picked up Sharp and punched him again. Blood splattered on the ground.Sharp, reeling, spat bloody saliva.— That now you don't know anything? —asked Hood, mounted on him.—F * ck you, just arrest me, I'd rather go to prison than die. Do you think I will betray Proctor for you? —Sharp yelled.Hood, frustrated by Sharp's resistance, kept the Glock in its holster.—No, you won't do it for me —he said while looking at him fiercely —Sharp, now pale, began to sweat even more when he saw Hood's expression.— Shit! What are you going to do?Sharp suddenly stiffened and looked at him in disbelief.Hood grabbed him by the neck with both hands. Observing Sharp's decomposed face, he clenched his teeth and slowly increased pressure. The blood vessels in Sharp's forehead were marked and his face began to redden.After a few seconds of retention, Sharp's saliva began to bubble:— Shet, let me go!— Are you going to speak or not? —Hood used five fingers to squeeze hard.Sharp hit his head on the ground. The intense pain made him unable to bear it any longer and he roared:— I will ... I will!—Tell me everything you know —Hood replied, loosening his hands.—I'm just a driver. I usually work at night —said Sharp, taking a deep breath before continuing —.They tell me when to carry a shipment. I only take care of the transport, by the time I arrive, Proctor's men have already loaded the merchandise. Hood held his neck firmly with the other hand and stared at Sharp.— And then what?—The people at the factory give me an address, usually in some public parking. I park the car in the designated space, leave the keys inside and leave.— Who collects the merchandise? —gasped Sharp.—I don't know. If I stay in the car longer than I should, they'll kill me without hesitation. You understand? —Sharp spoke fast —. There are strict procedures throughout the transfer process. Everyone only knows their share of the work, no one ever sees anyone.Hood, cold-faced, asked:— Is it Proctor who informs you and gives you the address?Sharp shook his head in a hurry.—No, it's someone else. I've never seen Proctor in person.—Don't even think about lying to me —Hood clenched his teeth and grasped hard again.Sharp screamed excitedly:— I swear to God! I have told you everything I know.Seeing that his expression didn't seem to be lying, Hood asked the last question:— Where's the factory?Sharp hesitated, but Hood grabbed him tightly again, causing Sharp to shed tears of pain.— At the brick factory on the outskirts of town!Hood released his hand and, satisfied, twice stroked Sharp's blushing face.After Ethan removed the prints from Emmett's shoes, Brock also approached, holding his stomach.Emmett, touching the swollen corner of his mouth, asked Brock:— Do we need to handcuff them both?—No —Brock said, still sore from the man in the shirt hit —He kicked the man in the black vest lying on the floor, turned around, and walked in the direction Sharp escaped. Hood was getting up from Sharp when the three men arrived at the parking lot. Realizing his appearance, Hood turned around, walked over, and nodded at them.Emmett looked at Sharp, who was struggling to stand up, and said:— Is there really no need to arrest them? What happens if they inform Proctor?—They won't —Hood slapped Emmett — Those two guys don't know why we were looking for Sharp, and Sharp won't dare tell Proctor unless he wants a shot in the head.—I think he was more afraid that we would mention his name in front of Proctor.After speaking, Hood turned and smiled at Sharp. He shuddered and unconsciously covered the space between his legs. Upon leaving, Emmett was the last to walk. He looked at Sharp and found that he was watching him with a look of resentment, Emmett shook his head, smiled, and left quickly.Back in the police car, the three of them looked at Hood.—Let's go to the brick factory, just do a little reconnaissance.Emmett nodded, and started the vehicle. The police car raised a cloud of dust as it left the car treatment plant. More than 20 minutes later, the police car stopped near the factory. In order not to attract attention, a few meters before arriving they got off the patrol and went on foot. They quickly reached a remote corner, surrounded by piles of red bricks stacked high.Ethan knelt down and looked inside. The factory was surrounded by barbed wire. It didn't seem to be too big, with four or five small interconnected buildings. Judging from the stained exterior of the building, it had been in operation for many years.The sound of the machines running was heard from within, and from time to time someone was driving a forklift carrying red bricks.Hood leaned over the barbed wire fence, scanning every corner of the factory, a grimace of contempt on his face.Emmett looked at the passing vehicles and said, doubtful:—It doesn't seem like they make pills here, isn't it too sloppy? I hardly see security.—That's what Proctor wants you to believe. — Hood replied, looking back and pointing in — Look at those corners, there are security cameras everywhere.Hearing, Brock wanted to get closer to the barbed wire to see it better, but Hood warned:—The fence is electrified, don't touch it. Hood quickly warned, Brock withdrew his hand, scratched his head, and took two steps back.—There are many security measures throughout the area. Sharp did not lie. This must be the place where Proctor manufactures his drugs. A brick factory would not have as high security as this. - Hood finally pointed to the side door of one of the factories.Emmett leaned in to look at the points Hood had pointed out and nodded, convinced.— So what do we do now?Hood took a few steps back and left.—We still have to ask for a search warrant, and that will take some time. Let's go back and find out who's from this factory.The next day; the Sheriff's Office were pure men. Siobhan was on rest, and the office was almost empty.—The real estate registry lists the brick factory and the land as the property of a company called Boogie Flowers —Emmett — said As we suspect there is nothing linking Proctor to the factory or the company.Sighing, Emmett left the documents on the Sheriff's desk, walked over and sat down. Hood took the document and reviewed the information with his pursed lips.Ethan, taking a sip of coffee, commented:—It is only a shell company. It won't do us any good.—If you want to catch Proctor, you must arrest him with dirty hands — Hood replied.