Chapter 23

What was almost a blockade of fire engines was a dead give away that they had arrived. Tony parked his car on the street rather than have to navigate the mess. He walked into the parking lot, with Garcia at his side, and then Tony quickly found his cousin who ran the Horn Street Fire Station that was only one block down from this bar.

“Any problems Luke?” Tony asked his Cousin.

The fireman held up his axe with one hand and said, “not any more. Seems the sports fans were a little confused when we showed up. They wanted to know where the fire was.”

Garcia was a bit confused as well. The bar looked in tact. He didn’t see any smoke. He did not see anything out of the ordinary so he asked the fireman, “what did you tell the Canadians?”

Luke laughed and said, “I told them we can always start one if they really want to see it.” Luke reached out and poked his cousin, “you owe me big for this one.”

Tony laughed, “how many is that already?”

Luke just rolled his eyes and walked off.

With a nod, Garcia followed Tony over to the back of one of the rescue trucks. Danni was sitting there with a blanket over her shoulders and a paramedic taking her blood pressure. Danni was complaining about it as well, “I already told you it’s sky high!” When she saw Tony standing there she snarled, “only you would call the fire department to handle a riot.”

Tony just shrugged it off, “ok Danni. Next time you’re in trouble I won’t pick up the phone. That better?”

Danni slung the blanket off and then tossed the thermometer, that the paramedic was trying to feed her, too the ground. She stood up and barked at the guy to get out of her way. He did and Danni stomped up to Toni, “why not? Everybody else ignored me. Barbara wouldn’t pick up, Jake, and even Norm, although,” she softened, “ok that one I understand.”

Garcia told the girl, “yeah we heard about that. Now what I want to hear is what compelled you to come down here, on Family Day, and pick a fight with a bunch of Mooseheads? During the game even? Are you that stupid Danni? You know how them people can get.”

Tony slapped his forehead and then commented to Garcia, “sure you don’t want to say that a little louder Gar? I think the people three blocks over didn’t hear you.” Tony let his eyes drift to the gang bangers who were all still collected on the other side of the parking lot and looking agitated.

“You know what I mean Tony,” Garcia replied with his own agitation. He looked back to Danni, “come on girl. This all sounds like some stupid shit Amy would do.”

Now Tony was the one becoming agitated, “Garcia, can you do me a favor and go wait by the car, please?”

“Whatever man,” Garcia said as he walked off.

That let Tony get a bit more serious, “now that’s he’s gone I can safely say the guy is right. What the hell Danni?”

“Somebody kidnapped my mother Tony,” Danni rattled off quickly. “Honest to god I am not making this up.”

“Mother?” Tony became confused. “The same mother that moved to another planet?”

Danni rattled off the story as quickly as she could. She left Tony even more confused. He raised a hand for her to cease what had become a circle of panicked babble. Danni proved to be somewhat in control of her senses since she complied rather quickly. She did say one final thing, “so you believe me?”

“Of course I believe you,” Tony replied. “I just don’t see how the guys that snatched her could be the same ones that tried to break into the station. That doesn’t make any sense,” Tony then looked back to the crowd in the red and white. Then he added, “and the only other people who traffic in that specific product are the very people that you say got in a fight with these guys.”

“Tony!” Danni became excited again, “who else would they be? They tried to kill Shannon! I mean it isn’t like they haven’t gone after our families already.”

“No,” Tony remained calm and tried to think this through, “they went after Shannon because she knows what they look like. Your mother just got here a few hours ago. They couldn’t even know who she is.”

Danni put her hands on her hips and leaned over to put her face in Tony’s, “then you explain it.”

“I don’t think we have to,” Tony replied.

Now Danni just tossed her arms in the air and trotted around in a circle, “oh thanks a lot Tony! Just go back to drinking and feeling sorry for yourself already!”

Tony stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder. She stopped moving and then he told her, “would you calm down. Right now it doesn’t matter why or who did this. Right now all we have to do is figure out where. We need to find her and the rest of that stuff can wait.”

Danni now looked up at Tony. She felt a tear come to her eye and, without even realizing what she was doing, she threw her arms around Tony and held on for dear life. “Thank you.”

Tony was not exactly sure how to react. He just did what came natural and returned the hug as he said, “well don’t thank me yet. We haven’t found her.”

Still in the hug Danni asked, “where do we start?”

The city municipal building was as quiet as Danni had ever seen it. The police station was on the main sub floor and the entrance was around back. As Danni sat on the hood of Tony’s car she started to realize that the one thing she was not seeing here at the police station was, the police. She had seen no cops and the parking lot, usually full, was devoid of their cars.

Danni said as much to Garcia who was leaning up against the grill. He commented, “the parade. Then they got that big thing down at the palace today. You know, Amy gets her medal.”

Danni winced at the absurdity of what Garcia had just said, “why would all the cops want to go to that? They hate us.”

Garcia laughed, “they will if the Governor tells them too.”

“From what I hear,” Danni said making it plain that she was unconvinced, “the Governor’s not all that fond of us ether. It’s another reason why I think this is a waste of time.”

Tony came skipping out the back door with a print out in hand. He also had a big, childish, grin on his face. He slapped the paper down on the hood of his car, next to Danni, and he said, “I think we may have something here.”

Danni only groaned, “I didn’t get an ID on the van. I didn’t even get a plate and it was probably stolen too.”

“Don’t need it,” Tony replied and remained quite smug.

“Ok hot shot,” Garcia replied, “you want to explain to me how I’m not wasting a paid holiday for nothing?”

Danni mumbled, “double negative.”

“Whatever,” Garcia slapped her on the arm.

Tony ignored the banter and pointed to his print out, “it’s not just one stolen van here. There’s a pattern of it over the past week. There’s been a lot of them. There were seven in just the past few days. All of them were the same types and models.”

Tony noticed his two associates staring at him with very strange expressions. Then Garcia reached over to Danni and told her, “give me my fucking money bitch. I want it now.”

“Shut up,” Danni told him and pushed his hand away. Then she pointed to Tony, “he hasn’t flunked yet.” In a more serious tone, Danni asked him, “what’s the big deal about that?”

Tony rolled his eyes as he wadded up the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. He then explained, “look, these guys are kidnappers and murderers but, they aren’t car thieves.”

Garcia shot back, “anybody can boost a car bro.”

“Yeah but if you need a lot of them real fast it’s just easier to buy them,” Tony went on. “That creates a market and the supply side will respond.”

Danni slid down off the hood as Tony was getting in the drivers door. She asked him, “so where does that leave us?”

From his car seat he told her through the open door, “we go talk to the supply side. Fortunately for us, it’s Family Day, and I happen to know right where he is.”