Chapter 21

“You mean we did all of that for nothing,” Cal complained as he looked down at the big metal door. He then asked the same question that he had several times before, even if he rephrased it, “now you are sure this is the right place?”

Norm put down the bag in his hand and kicked it to the side as he pulled out his weapon. He gave Cal an eat shit look. How many times did you have to tell Calvin “YES” before he would accept it. Cal took out his own weapon and said, “cause we’re in the back of a day care center Norm.” Then Cal went right back to bitching, “had to brave Bob’s house and then, I paid for that cement with my own money and…”

“And you ain’t married,” Norm said poking him. “I’m going to be in deep shit when Darcy gets the statement in the mail. Now are we going to keep complaining about this or…”

Cal got ready to go in the door but, once more, he stopped and said, “can we at least set off the breeching charge? I never seen one.”

“Shut the fuck up,” was the last statement Norm intended to make on the subject. He was glad he didn’t have to blow a door in two. He knew this was the place but, had no idea that the back door was this thick. He was wondering if that little charge, that he got from Bob’s place, designed to blow out locks, would even make a dent.

They swept in to the dark room behind the busted door. After checking every corner and shadow, Norm lowered his weapon and then nodded to Calvin. With a heavy sigh, Cal relaxed a little and then holstered his weapon. He then pointed to the bodies on the bare concrete floor, “is one of them… you know?”

“No,” Norm told the guy as he knelt down next to the bodies. He took a nose and tilted the head around so he could see it, “I know this guy. He’s one of Pierre’s.”

Cal prodded at the other body with his foot and said, “and him?”

“Probably the same,” Norm said. Then he saw the light from a slowly opening, interior door. It was not of the artificial variety. It seemed to be coming from a window in the other room. Norm saw the hand at the bottom of it. It was pushing the door and then just fell flat.

He signaled to Calvin and they took up positions on each side of the door. With a nod from Norm, Cal pulled the door back and Norm moved in the room and swept it clear. He had to step over the body in the doorway to do it. This room looked to be exactly what the sign outside said this place was. It was a place where kids ran around and played. They were closed today for the holiday and that was why Norm had figured that Pierre would use this place. Norm knew that the guy owned the building and rented it out to the Nursery. Norm also knew that trucks came and went from this place, in the dark, and a lot.

With Feu Rouge closed down by the Germans, if Pierre was making some kind of deal, this was about the safest place he could do it. As Norm knelt down next to the body, he realized that the place had not been safe enough. Norm reached over and did what Calvin had already done, he checked for a pulse. Norm looked up and said, “he’s still alive.”

“I don’t get it,” Calving replied. “Why would the German’s just leave them here?”

“Who said it was the Wehrmacht?” Norm asked. He reached down and slapped Pierre one good time on the face. The guy had a nasty shoulder wound and had left a good bit of blood on the floor for the kiddies to play with tomorrow. Norm was not sure how much the club owner had actually lost but, when the guy coughed, some nasty looking fluid was coming up, Norm suspected too much bleeding on the inside and out.

The Frenchman squinted as he tried to make out the face in front of him. Then, in his colonial French accent he said, “Sergeant Scoggins.” The guy broke down into a coughing fit. It sounded almost as if Pierre wanted to laugh but could not, “I should have known. I’ve had a bad spot of luck today.”

Norm figured he did not have much time. He went right to the point, “Who did this too you Pierre?”

The Frenchman groaned in pain and then huffed, “an American.” Just before Norm was going to ask another question, the club owner coughed out, “two Americans.”

“Look Pierre,” Norm told him getting down low so he could see his eyes, “you into all kinds of stuff. Why did the German’s burn you? The word they’re putting out is you didn’t pay. Is that true?”

Despite his agonizing pain he managed, “no. Ha.. Hosh…”

Cal squinted, “Horst?”

“Shut up Cal,” Norm snapped again, “Pierre, what did the American’s take? What did they want?”

Suddenly Pierre’s arm shot up and he grabbed Norm’s jacket sleeve and held on for all he was worth. He spit out with a lump of blood and mucus, “assassin.”

The Frenchman gurgled some after that but, said nothing else.

When they walked back to their car, Cal was deep in thought. He looked back to the open door and said, “should we call the city?”

“No,” Norm said very resolutely as he opened his trunk and tossed his bag in. He then looked down and wondered if he should dump the bricks and cement. He just shrugged and figured he might could find some uses for them around the house.

When Norm shut the trunk he found himself looking at Calvin who just said, “you know we are cops, I mean, I guess we are. We need to report this.”

“No,” was all Norm said again. He slid into the drivers seat and Cal got in on the passenger side. When Cal wanted to protest, Norm told him, “there’s a hit going down Cal. Pierre might have mainly dealt in drugs but he did a little bit of everything including guns.”

“Yeah but you said that…” Cal replied.

Norm cut him off, “I know what I said but, things have changed. When’s the last time you ever heard the Germans putting out anything, even unofficially, about their little side business?”

“Never,” Cal replied as he started to think.

“So if they say it has something to do with drugs then you can about bet your ass it doesn’t,” Norm told him. Then he went on by pointing out, “Hochstetter is Abwer. I know he don’t give a shit about putting some retail drug outlet out of business. Something’s going on here Cal. If we call the city and let them know about those bodies we’re going to tip our hand. Might even get us in hot water.”

Cal was all ears, “point taken.” Then he thought about it and said, “you think the American’s are trying to kill Horst?”

“I don’t know,” Norm said as he started the engine. “I think we had best find out.”

Cal sat back in his seat and sighed in resignation, “and I don’t even know where to start.”

“What did I tell you about thinking Cal,” Norm replied. “When we’re hunting bad guys, you leave that part to me.” As Norm drove back onto the street he listened to the silence for a minute. Then, in a more conciliatory tone, Norm told Calvin, “let’s hope your theory is wrong.”

“Huh,” Cal had already forgotten about it. He had to back track his thoughts before he realized what Norman was talking about. Then he became confused and asked, “why?”

“Because if you’re right,” Norm told him, “and the American’s are trying to knock off the commanding officer, of an active IFOR mission, that’s going to start a war.”

Cal just shrugged it off, obviously unimpressed, “so? Won’t be a first.”

“Except this time,” Norm pointed down at the ground, “this is going to be ground zero Cal. The Germans got enough firepower here to wreck this entire planet and, if one of their colonels gets knocked off, they might just be in the mood to do it.”

Calvin gulped.