It took AJ only a short time to get downtown. He was amazed at how easily some of those instincts he’d honed as a kid now came back to him. Just a certain way of walking. A way of watching the people around him, assessing who to watch out for and who was harmless. Trying to pay attention to see if he was followed. All of it came so naturally that he didn’t even have to put conscious thought into it.
Downtown LA was never quiet and never empty, so it was easy to lose himself in the crowd. To the passerby he most likely looked like the average guy. His jeans, boots, and jacket were all unremarkable. The hat over his bandana wasn’t abnormal and really did help him blend in instead of sticking out.
There were others who walked the streets, their gang signs or colors out there for everyone to see. They didn’t bother to hide who or what they were. AJ had deliberately headed to the Hispanic part of town, knowing he would not only fit in better here but he would be able to gather more information. The white or the black gangs weren’t likely to talk to a spic, as they would put it.
Names like that never bothered AJ anymore. He’d heard plenty enough of them over the years to become almost immune to it. But there was no need to court trouble. Talk to the wrong gang, ask the wrong questions, and you’d get worse than being called a spic or a wet-back. You’d end up dead or beaten until you wished you were.
But here, on this side of town, he was among people like him. Oh, they’d still kill or beat someone who asked the wrong question to the wrong person, but it wouldn’t be simply because of his race.
Turning a corner, AJ snuck a glance behind him. He had to resist smiling. The three guys who had been tailing him were still there. If he didn’t miss his guess, then there were two more waiting ahead. He’d let them herd him this way, unconcerned with it. He recognized their gang symbol and knew this was as good a place as any to start talking.
Sure enough, once he got around the corner, two guys were leaning against the wall of an abandoned building. The streets here were empty, but only a block away AJ could hear the sounds of people. He didn’t pause or slow down, just walked toward the two. When he was close enough to hear, one of them called out “Hey, hombre, you look lost.”
They stepped out in front of him, all slimy smiles. The three behind him caught up, making a neat little circle. The biggest guy, dressed in torn apart jeans that sagged below his ass and a baggy shirt and jacket, stepped forward. He must be the top ranking guy of the five. “You wandered off your turf, hombre.”
AJ hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets and let his face be bored. “Since when did la familia start letting idiotas in?” He taunted them.
The hisses around him told him he’d succeeded in pissing them off. The big guy took another step forward. “You, hombre, just made your last mistake.”
AJ let his grip spread sharp and lethal. “Bring it on.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Breathing harshly, Brian sat up in bed, his hands clenched in the sheets. The nightmare still held him in its grips, making his breath wheeze in and out of him and his body tremble. God! He wiped a hand over his face, wiping away the sweat. He’d dreamed of the bullet going past his face again. But more, so much more. He’d dreamed that Jeff had been there, laughing at him, holding a gun of his own. That AJ had been hurt and Brian hadn’t been able to get to him. That someone had come after him and he’d been able to do nothing.
As the chill of it settled down into his bones, Brian lay down and reached for the one person who could give him comfort. Surprise made him freeze when he realized that the other side of the bed was empty. AJ? First thought was that maybe AJ had gone to the bathroom. But a quick look showed him that the bathroom light was off.
A sick feeling settled in Brian’s stomach. He tried to shove it down as he rose from the bed and grabbed a pair of sweats. He pulled them on even as he walked toward the bedroom door. Halfway there he caught sight of something that made his blood run cold. No, oh no. He couldn’t have. The denial sprang quick, but even as he prayed it wasn’t true, he knew it was.
AJ’s gear was gone.
That sick feeling grew, spread its way up his throat. Before he realized it he was dashing from the room and down the hall to where Rex was sleeping.
He flung the bedroom door open so hard it bounced off the wall. Rex was up in an instant, a gun in his hands, pointed directly at Brian’s chest. Brian didn’t even flinch. “AJ’s gone.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been almost too easy. Even easier than he’d remembered. AJ looked down at the person lying on the ground, staring up at him. The gun in AJ’s hand was steady. “I think we should start this over, don’t you?” AJ said conversationally. He smirked at the big man who had started this all with him.
The others lay against the wall, piled up out of his way, all of them out cold. Two had fought well and taken a bit to bring down, but bring them down he had. He hadn’t seriously injured a one of them, but he had knocked each and every one unconscious. That left the big guy, their little leader.
Tipping his head to the side, AJ let his smirk grow. “Now, let’s start easy. What’s your name?”
The big guy brought a hand up, wiping it across his mouth. “Julio.” He finally spat out.
“Bueno! Now, Julio, I have some questions, and you’re going to give me answers. ¿Entiendes?”
It only took a second before the man nodded at him. AJ squatted down to put them more at eye level, but he kept his distance back a little ways. “Ángeles de la muerte.” Was all he said, but he saw the fear leap into Julio’s eyes. “Ah, you’ve heard of them, si? Where do I find them?”
“No one finds them, hombre. They find people and take them or kill them.” Julio wiped at his mouth again. “You go near them right now, you die. They’re on high alert. Some big mierda.”
That caught AJ’s attention like a little flag. “Big shit? Like what?”
Julio seemed to come back to himself a little. He sneered at AJ and lifted his chin. “You get nothing from me, not even on those hijos de putas.” He snapped out. But his eyes did seem to stay focused on the gun. That meant that he was afraid, but not afraid enough to tell about a gang that he obviously didn’t like. Sighing, AJ did the one thing he’d really hoped he wouldn’t have to. He took off his skull cap to show his bandana. Then he held out his arm, showing the hidden snake tattoo mixed in with his others.
“Piton.” Julio breathed out. It was the Spanish word for Python. “Vato why didn’t you say so? Let me up, we’ll talk. You must be new here, si? Yours and mine, we’re amigos.”
Not quite trusting, AJ still put the safety on and holstered his gun. Julio climbed to his feet, wearing a wide grin. “No wonder you kick our ass, eh? You fight good, vato. Now, what do you want with Ángeles de la muerte? They’re bad news around here.”
“They messed with the wrong person. Trashed his home. Shot at his family.”
A string of Spanish curses fell from Julio’s lips. When he looked back at AJ, his eyes were fire. Even though he knew how it worked it still amazed him. All that he’d had to do was show this guy his gang proof, the tattoo would have been what did it, and since their gangs were friendly, he was family. Family was treated well. Insult one, you insulted them all.
“I heard about that. He is un amigo?”
Here AJ was going to take a gamble, but he felt it was right. He would get more information this way. “Soy yo.” Putting on his deadliest face, AJ glared at him. “Now, where do I find them?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Furious and scared, Brian paced back and forth in the dining room. It had been an hour, one long hour, since he’d woken up to find AJ gone. Since then he had alternated between being terrified and wanting to kill him. Rex had gone, ran a perimeter around the house before coming in to check it top to bottom. They were in the dining room now, with Rex trying to convince Brian to stay.
“You won’t do any good going after him, Bri.” Rex said in a low voice. He cradled a cup of coffee in his hands. “You wouldn’t find him. Most likely you’d get yourself some place where you’d be hurt. That’s the last thing we need to happen.”
“Well I can’t just sit here and wait for him to get home!” Brian shouted. He hated this feeling. Hated not knowing where AJ was or what was going on. “What the hell is he thinking?”
He didn’t really expect an answer to that, but Rex gave him one anyways. “Honestly, Bri? He’s probably doing what I thought of doing myself. Gathering information. Getting the lay of the land and how things are boiling in the streets. Talk to the right people, listen at the right places, you can gather a lot of information. We’ll function better on trying to fix this if we know what we’re up against.”
The logic of that didn’t really help make Brian feel any better. “Did he have to go out alone? Couldn’t he have told us he was going?”
“Would you have let him?”
Silence was all the answer that was needed for that. “That doesn’t make it ok to sneak out.” Brian finally said. But some of the starch had been taken out of him. He moved to look out the dining room window, arms wrapped around his waist. The rest of it he would worry about later. Right then he couldn’t focus on anything else but wanting AJ to come home.
Rex’s hand touched his arm, meant to be supportive. Still Brian stared outside. “He’ll be fine, Brian. He’s tough. He’s armed, and he knows what he’s doing and how to use those weapons. He’ll be ok.”
A knot in Brian’s throat made it hard for him to speak. He tried to shove it down. “Come home, Alex.” He whispered to the darkness. It was all that mattered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dawn was just tinting the sky when AJ started back up the yard to his house. He was a little tired, but mostly he was exhilarated. God, he’d forgotten what that kind of a night could feel like! The sights and sounds of the streets. For so long he’d convinced himself that it was all bad. His memories had been tainted by anger and hatred and shame. But there had been good things about the street life. Things he’d loved and, though he hadn’t realized it until this night, things that he missed.
It wasn’t all bad out there. The gangs, yes, they did things they shouldn’t. Things that were bad. People got hurt, or killed, or lost in the drug life. All of that was horrible. But he’d forgotten completely the ties that could be in a group like that. The sense of family.
How easy Julio had spoken with him once he’d realized what gang AJ was affiliated with. That easy brotherhood was a sensation that AJ had to admit he sorely missed. But at the same time, he knew that the friendships he had now were wonderful and he wouldn’t trade them for the world. They were built on years of love and trust.
Still, using that ‘brotherhood’, AJ had gathered enough information to find what he wanted. Then he’d gone on to spy. Which, really, hadn’t been that hard. Oh, he’d had to be careful and had squeezed himself out of a tight spot or two. But he’d gleaned some information and got a general idea of what might be coming their way. That was worth anything.
Looking up at the house, AJ found his good mood dwindling a little. Well, hell. The living room light was on, as was the front porch light. Both had been off when he left. Only Brian would think to turn the porch light on for him to come home to. That meant that Brian was awake and had realized he was gone. Fuck.
This wasn’t going to be pretty. “You, Mclean, are a dead man.” He told himself as he reached his front step.
With a deep breath, AJ opened his front door and stepped into the lion’s den.