“Holding out on me?” said Danny light-heartedly, trying to be funny.
“It’s Damien,” whispered Jack.
“Christ! How did he get your number?” “I gave it to him.”
Danny was taken aback. “You’re not meeting him alone. It could be a trap.”
“It’s not a trap. But you’ll keep your trap shut and do as I say.”
Danny’s heart quickened and the blood vessels in his face revealed his anger. “We’re partners. You think you’re being macho meeting him alone? Think he’ll respect you more? That’s not the way to —”
“It has nothing to do with that. It’s a personal matter. One I hope to resolve soon. Maybe you should just stay in the office.”
Danny paused and then said, “Personal matter?”
Jack didn’t respond.
“Damn it, okay. I’ll wait in the car. At least I’ll be closer if you need help.”
It was late in the afternoon when Jack met Damien and they went for a stroll around the small park that faced the Burrard Inlet.
Jack was blunt and to the point. “What the fuck is going on? I knock off a few of your labs and someone tries to kill me!”
Damien let out a snort and said, “Why do so many of you cops feel you have to lard on the tough talk?”
Jack pointed an accusing finger at Damien and said, “I know who was getting rich from those labs!”
Damien smiled briefly and then said, “I understand your thought process. It’s logical. There may even be a certain degree of verisimilitude to what you say, but I assure you that I had nothing to do with trying to kill you and don’t know who did. You owe me a favour, remember?”
Jack eyed him suspiciously and said, “I haven’t forgotten. I’ve still got your get-out-of-jail-free card tucked in my wallet.”
“Good. Then think about it. I can’t collect if you’re dead.”
Jack nodded. “Okay. I just wanted to hear it from you.”
“Now you have,” replied Damien.
“Speaking of favours, Bishop’s body was identified.”
“Really? I hear that swimming pools can be dangerous. Are you warm?”
“A little heat. Probably just routine. I think I’m okay now. Made sure I was clean before meeting you.”
Damien snorted, then said, “Good. Glad you got a taste of it. I deal with that all the time. Bugging too.”
“Don’t think I have to worry about that. They would need grounds. But contacting you is a concern.”
“The BlackBerry I’m using now is safe,” replied Damien. “Doesn’t hurt to be cautious, though.”
“If you know nothing about whoever tried to kill me, I guess there is no reason for me to contact you.” Jack eyed Damien carefully and said, “Unless I catch you doing something illegal and can rid my wallet of your card.”
Damien smiled and said, “Good luck. Nailing me isn’t going to happen. As far as some of the bros go, think about this. Speed labs are easy to replace — that’s if we were in that business. Whacking you isn’t a consideration.”
Jack received another message on his BlackBerry. It was the code name for Lance, followed by 911. Lance had never used the code before. Someone’s life is in danger! Someone worth saving...
chapter seven
Jack and Danny drove into an underground parking garage and Lance scrambled into the back seat.
“You got a high-level rat!” said Lance, panting as he spoke.
“Tell us something we don’t know,” replied Danny. “Someone tipped off a couple of those speed labs.”
“Not the narc! High level. This one has access to your intelligence reports.”
Jack felt the back of his neck tingle. “Details,” he asked. “Who? How did you find out?”
“Remember I told you that Whiskey Jake and I had to meet Damien this morning after he met with Leitch?”
Jack nodded.
“Damien showed us a secret RCMP Intelligence report. It was dated yesterday! It was all about the Indos. Laid everything out.”
“The Indos?” said Danny.
“What if it had been about the club? I’d be dead right now!”
“Lance, you’re forgetting something,” said Jack quietly.
“What’s that?”
“I said I would always protect you. Bishop wasn’t the first guy your club corrupted. He won’t be the last. Any reports I write are designed to protect you. I write them as if Damien is already reading them. I don’t trust our judicial system not to order them released to some defence lawyer. Trust me on this. Besides, the team working on the Indos has nothing to do with us. At least, not at the moment.”
Lance let out a deep breath and sat quietly.
“You okay now?” asked Jack.
“Yeah ... I’m okay.”
“What can you tell us about the report?”
“Lots of names, addresses, and stuff. Some in boxes with lines going to circles. Damien refers to the leak as The Mole. I think it came via Leitch because he just got it. I read it a couple of hours ago but was with Whiskey Jake and I couldn’t call you until now.”
“Where is the report now?” asked Jack.
“Damien kept it, but I think he might hand it off to Pussy Paul for safekeeping. That’s not all the meeting was about. Damien is setting up our corporate guidelines. He laid it all out. I suggest you make notes or you won’t remember.”
Jack glanced at Danny and gave a slight nod of his head. Danny removed his notebook and pen.
1) Lance and Whiskey Jake to be project leaders responsible for overall day-to-day operations.
2) Union control, especially at the ports and airport, to be handled by Brutus.
3) Elite mobile hit squad for Western Canada to be formed and run by Rellik, who also has president status. They will be their own chapter unto themselves with no official clubhouse.
“Rellik?” asked Jack.
“Yeah,” replied Lance. “Got that nickname because he’s dyslexic.”
Lance continued and Danny kept writing.
4) Surveillance and wiretap to be done/overseen by Sparks. Top priority is the Vietnamese.
“The Vietnamese,” said Danny. “I thought Damien was interested in the Indos!”
“You guys are doing a pretty good job on the Indos for us. If we go to war and the Indos form an alliance with the Vietnamese, then Damien wants to be prepared.”
5) Strikers to recruit mules in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan — U.S. border may be easier for smuggling there.
6) Pussy Paul to continue handling strip clubs and prostitution and is in charge of intelligence. Actively recruits people with no records to get jobs with the police, judiciary, Motor Vehicle Branch, telephone companies, etc. Handling of police and judiciary sources will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Important ones will always have a go-between so they won’t be caught dealing