Betrayal

I fucked her with my hand, nibbling on her nipple and then kissing her. I wanted her to cum while we were kissing.

"Oh... Max..." she managed to say as we were kissing.

I put in a third finger. Her pussy was stretched open. Her legs started to quiver. Her head fell back against the wall.

"Oh fuck... oh fuck" she said over and over, rocking her head back and forth.

I fucked her until her breath gave out and she sagged against the wall.

I felt alive again.

* * *

I decided that Brianna was going to stay with me until I could straighten things out with Jimmy. Every night she would have me hold her when she would shoot up and then fall asleep in my arms. I was just getting over my addiction and had no idea if she wanted to kick hers.

She looked so innocent when she was asleep. I knew I felt affection for her and was fighting against stronger feelings. I wanted to save her. It was ingrained in my DNA.

I felt well enough the next day to find Jimmy. I left early, and told Brianna to stay in the room until I got back. I wasn't on duty yet so I went in my civvies. I left my gun in my room in a locked case. I started at the convenience store, but it was too early for any action. There was a coffee shop where I had seen him before. I saw him on the sidewalk outside the shop drinking coffee and joking with a much larger man who was wearing a heavy gold chain.

I went right to Jimmy and got in his grill.

"Hey asshole, what did I tell you about leaving the girls alone?"

Jimmy was taken aback by my frontal assault. The man he was talking to started to go for something inside his jacket. I knew what it was and sent my elbow into his jaw, making him stagger. I pulled a chrome plated gun out of the inside of his jacket and held it next to Jimmy's head. I'm sure he still had a bump on his head from when I thumped him with his own gun. The big guy rubbed his jaw and took a seat on the weed choked sidewalk. He didn't look like he wanted a piece of me.

Jimmy held his hands up in a vain attempt to protect himself, spilling his hot coffee on his fancy clothes. I hit him hard in the gut instead with my fist.

I knocked the wind out of him. His paper coffee cup rolled on the sidewalk. He fought to catch his breath, wheezing while doubled over.

"Fuck Max, why'd you do that?" he asked, looking up at me.

"Brianna."

"Yeah... what about that bitch?"

I popped him again with the butt of the gun, this time in the same place on the head I hit him last time.

"Owww!"

"Stay away from her." His large companion started to get back on his feet. I kneed him in the groin and he dropped to his knees. "And keep Junior away from her as well."

I took the bullets out of the gun and pocketed them, wiped the gun with my shirt and threw it at Jimmy, watching it skitter on the pavement. "Good talking to you Jimmy."

* * *

I got back to the motel room and saw that Brianna wasn't there. I was pissed. I told her to stay put. I was washing my hands when Brianna came in, holding a bag of Doritos Cool Ranch and a liter of Diet Coke.

"Breakfast," she said. She popped open the bag and munched on a chip. "So how'd it go?"

"Jimmy's not going to be a problem for you."

"Why?"

"Let's just say that I have gut feeling about it."

"OK... if you say so."

She was jumpy. I knew what was next. Her hands were trembling when she zipped open her kit bag. She reached in and dropped a couple balloons of heroin in the floor. She quickly scooped them up.

"Stocking up?" I asked her.

"Just to get me through, Max, just to get me through."

I fucking hated it when she did it. The needle. The glassy eyes. The faraway look. It was like her soul left her and her body was an empty vessel.

"Thanks Max for taking care of Jimmy." She pumped the needle in her vein. "Now hold me."

* * *

Chapter Four

Where's My Snitch?

It was my first day back. I went in the ready room to see who was there. Lanny was there of course along with Ryan and Peterson from another squad car covering the West End. Lanny bless his heart had a cup of coffee made from my custom bean selection. The guys in the other squad car were ready to give me a hard time.

"You look great Max. The time in Hawaii did you a world of good," quipped Ryan.

I did look good and felt better than I had in years. "The place I was at started with an 'H' and it wasn't Hawaii," I shot back.

Peterson was the younger and shorter of the two. "I understand Lanny has a future in nursing."

"Fuck you guys." I flipped them the finger.

It was good to be back.

* * *

I spent most of the morning on paperwork. Being out of the office for a couple weeks put me sorely behind. I was completing another overdue report when Lanny came by my cubicle.

"Lunch at Nicky's?" he asked.

I looked at my phone. It was already 1 p.m. I lost the whole morning to bullshit.

"Sure."

We made the ten minute drive to the tougher side of town and arrived at Nicky's at the tail end of the lunch rush. She spotted us when we were sitting down and came over.

"Almost didn't recognize you Max. You look great."

"Thanks to your good cooking and an assist from my partner here." Lanny beamed at my compliment. Even though I didn't say it enough, he knew I appreciated his support.

"Got your favorite -- meatball sandwich. You want one too Lanny?" she asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Yes ma'am."

"Be back in a jiffy."

I put the menus back in the table mounted holder. "So Lanny, what's the latest on Jumbo?"

"Operation is still hush-hush. I know there's something brewing."

"What about Lester? Did you ever find him?"

"Word's still out, but no one's seen him."

"He might be sleeping with the fishes."

"I'm afraid that might be true," Lanny replied.

We caught up on the latest station gossip over our meatball sandwiches. When we finished, I told my partner we'd spend the afternoon making one last push to find Lester. I remembered that his mother lived in one of the suburbs, and it wouldn't hurt to pay her a visit.

* * *

We drove to Mariemont, an upscale suburb east of town. I didn't venture too often to where the rich folk lived. GPS took us to a stately home overlooking the Little Miami river.

Lanny gave a low whistle. "Lester's family ain't hurting."

He drove the squad car onto the circular driveway and parked near the front door. A well-dressed woman, probably in her fifties, opened the door. She was attractive, a slender build and long legs.

"May I help you?" she asked. Her tone of voice told us we weren't welcome.

"We're looking for your son Lester."

She stepped out onto the porch. It was clear she wasn't going to invite us in.

Her arms were folded and her eyes were shooting daggers. "You're the second team that's been looking for him. Don't you work together on these things?"

Lanny and I looked at each other. Someone else in the department was trying to find my snitch. Why? And who? Our files on our CI's were confidential.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Marsden. I don't know who else is working on this."

"Oh... he left a card." She handed to me.

It was one of our cards, and had a name I recognized. "Rance Morgan -- Office of Government Affairs."

I knew Rance when he was a detective on the murder squad. Now he was in police politics. Too bad. I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole. Why would he be interested in Lester?

I handed the card back to her. Before I could ask, she answered. "Now, as I told Mr. Morgan, I haven't seen Lester in six months."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm quite sure. It was my birthday and he came by to visit." Then her eyes rolled to the side, "And to ask me for money."

"Well thank you Mrs. Marsden." I handed my card to her. "Now if you hear from Lester, call me first."

Lanny followed me back to the car. "You gave up pretty easy," he said, getting behind the wheel.

"She's lying," I told him.

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw Lester a little over a month ago. He mentioned to me that he was going to see his mother the next week."

"Maybe he didn't make it." Lanny was the optimist.

"Maybe he did and she's lying," I said, the experienced voice of the pessimist.

* * *

My next stop was to the file room. There was a secure room where the files on confidential informants were kept. No electronic files. The room was locked, and access was limited. I've known the clerk for years. Ramos. I think I've known him for at least ten years, but I only know him as Ramos. I don't think he's ever mentioned his first name and I've never bothered to ask.

"Max," he said, greeting me with a smile. Ramos was probably sixty, and walked with a pronounced limp, thanks to a stray bullet that put him behind a desk. "Looking good," he said, eyeing my breasts and then the rest of me.

"Ramos, you old horndog. I bet you hump your desk after you see me."

He laughed. "Glad you're back."

Everybody in the fucking place knew my problems. "Yeah right."

"So to what do I owe this honor?"

"You keep a log of the people who have accessed the secure room, right?"

"Right you are Max. So what did you want to know?"

"Could I see the sign in sheet for the last month?"

"Sure... sure... let me see..." He tapped a few keys on his keyboard and then turned his screen around so I could see it.

"Here you are... last thirty days."

I scanned the screen. Halfway down I saw what I was looking for. Rance Morgan.

* * *

What the fuck did Rance Morgan want with Lester? The snitch was feeding me fairly low level information. Maybe he knew something about Rachel's murder. Maybe Rance was working for Alan Parsons.

I thought I'd pay the weasel a visit. Turn on the lights and see where the cockroaches run.

I went to City Hall. Seventh floor. The executive suite. It was becoming my second home. The reception area was in the center. Alan's office was to the right.

The receptionist made eye contact with me. Different one than the last time. Cute thing. Probably just out of college. "May I help you?" she asked with her fresh scrubbed face.

I flashed my badge. "Here to see Mr. Parsons. Official business."

She looked at her computer monitor. "I believe Mr. Parsons is in a meeting that's just finishing up. I'll let him know you're here."

Then she made eye contact again. "Is there anything I can get for you while you're waiting?... a cup of coffee?" she asked sweetly.

I had darker thoughts about her, but pushed them aside. There was work to do. "I'll pass. But I'd love to use the restroom." She pointed to the left, down the hallway. I walked down the hall, looking at the nameplates on the doors. I spotted his name on the corner office -- Rance Morgan. Now there was just one more thing I had to do to confirm my suspicions.

I used the restroom and then returned to the waiting area. Alan made me wait thirty minutes before he came to retrieve me. I'm sure he did it just to fuck with me.

He came into the waiting room, giving me his pasted on fake smile. "The meeting ran over. So sorry to keep you waiting Officer Pemberton." We both knew his meeting ended twenty-five minutes ago. It was his way of telling me who was more important. "Shall we go to my office?"

I followed him. We stopped so he could enter his PIN to unlock the door to the Mayor's suite of offices. "Did Katie offer you a cup of coffee?"

Asshole. The way he said her name told me that he was fucking her.

"Ah yes. Thank you. I told her I was good."

He extended his hand into his office, showing me the way. "Now how can I help you?"

He sat behind his massive mahogany desk and interlaced his fingers as he placed his hands on his desk. His body language said "Fuck off."

I soldiered on. "I was hoping to enlist the Mayor's office assistance. Now what I'm going to tell you is confidential."

"As you already know, I have the highest level of security clearance." He said it in an imperial voice. Little man complex.

"Of course. I have a confidential informant, Lester Marsden. I've been told he's in federal custody. A Senior Special Agent Banks. I think his first name is Carl. I've heard they're running some sort of sting operation. Snagged Lester for reasons they're not willing to share with me."

It was all untrue. I didn't know where the fuck Lester was. But that wasn't the point of this conversation.

"So how do I come in?" Alan asked, displaying unusual interest.

"I understand the Mayor's office has some sway with the Bureau. I just need to ask Lester a few questions about Jumbo Williams. We're trying to penetrate his organization as well and I think Lester may have some useful information to share with us."

The second part of my statement was true, but the part about the FBI and the Mayor's office was a guess. Alan didn't know that the FBI had no interest in Lester. Carl was an old friend of mine, and I told him what I was up to. He agreed to play along.

"No promises, but I'll see what I can do." He got up to tell me the meeting was over.

* * *

I got back to the station late in the afternoon. Lanny was at his desk filling out some reports. "What's up Sarge? How was your trip to City Hall?"

"Baited the hook. Let's see if he bites."

"I'm just finishing up here. Want to call it a day and hit Nicky's?"

I did. I was starving. It was Wednesday. Meat loaf night. Nicky made meatloaf like my Mom's.

"Let's go."

It was still early, and Nicky's was pretty much empty. There was a couple drinking coffee in a booth in the corner, and other than that, nada. Nicky was in the kitchen and came out to greet us.

"Alphonse and Gaston as I live and breathe," she said, referring to a turn of the century bumbling cartoon pair, one short and one tall.

"Keep your day job Nicky. Your jokes are as old as dinosaur shit," I told her.

"Meat loaf for both of you?" she asked. She put down waters for both of us.

"You didn't need to ask," Lanny told her. We took seats in the booth nearest to the kitchen. "And bring a large order of mashed potatoes."

Nicky returned to the kitchen.

"So what's next Max?" Lanny asked, rearranging the silverware in front of him. "It seems like we're no closer to finding out what happened to Rachel."

"I have a few ideas. First I want to see what's going to happen after my meeting with that snake Alan Parsons. See if we can flush the rats out of the cellar."

Lanny stated the obvious. "There's a leak in the department."

"And I'm going to find it," I assured him. Or die trying.

A few minutes later Nicky came out with two orders of the meat loaf and a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes with a side of beef gravy. Things got quiet as we both ate, enjoying the food and each other's company. After Lanny finished his second large helping of the potatoes, he wiped his mouth and got up.

"Hot date?" I asked him, partly in jest.

"As a matter of fact I do."

"Who's the victim this time?"

"Chelsea."

"In H.R.?"

"The very same."

I was surprised. Most of the males at the station were after Chelsea. She was a few years out of UC, with a criminal justice degree, and was biding her time in H.R. until there was an opening as a detective. She was a vivacious blonde with a very curvy body.

"She must have lowered her standards," I quipped.

"Fuck you Max. I'm out of here." He went for his wallet.

"Put it away," I told him. "You played nursemaid to me and got me out of my funk. It's the least I could do."

Lanny put his wallet back in his pocket. "Thanks Max. You know, you're really not the asshole everybody else thinks you are."

"Fuck you back, Lanny. And have fun with Chelsea. Don't forget she's in H.R. and can get your ass fired."

"Noted boss." He got up and left. I still had half my dinner on my plate and more than half a bowl of mashed potatoes to finish. I started eating alone when the door to the diner opened and Brianna came in. I hadn't seen Brianna in a few weeks, and she looked like death warmed over. She was wearing her usual tight fitting top and hot pants and boots, but there was no life in her step.

"Brianna," I called out.

She looked at me with dull eyes, before a sparkle returned. "Max!"

"Come over here and get something to eat."

She looked like she hadn't eaten in days. She looked gaunt and strung out and had a bruise around her right eye. She took Lanny's seat. I pushed my plate over in front of her.

"Eat."

"Max, it's your dinner."

"I'm done. The rest is yours."

Brianna was ravenous, and polished off the meat loaf and the mashed potatoes. Nicky came back to check on me.

"Looks like Lanny had a sex change operation," she said, looking at Brianna.

"Wouldn't hurt," I told her.

Nicky touched Brianna's cheek, just below her shiner. "You don't look so good honey. Do you have enough to eat?"

Brianna looked at Nicky with hollow eyes. "I'm fine ma'am."

"I don't think so. Let me get you something else."

I watched Brianna scrape her plate clean. I pointed to her black eye. "Back with Jimmy?"

She nodded.

"Beat the shit out of you?"

"It wasn't so bad... he just knocked me around a bit." She raised her eyes from her plate. "You still staying at the motel?"

"Yep." I knew what was coming next.

"Do you think I might stay with you? It'll only be for a couple days."

I was still a soft touch. "Sure."

"Thanks Max."

Nicky came back with a takeaway box full of cold fried chicken. "Left over from yesterday. On the house."

"Thanks Nicky," she said gratefully.

"Take care of yourself honey." Nicky looked at me. "You too Max."

I handed Nicky money to cover the meal and a very generous tip.

"You're the best Nicky."

* * *

Chapter Five

Trying Not to Fall in Love

We went back to my motel room. Brianna was shaking. I knew what that meant.

"Do you want me to go into the bathroom?" she asked me. My heart sank.

"No... you can do it in here."

"Hold me Max?"

Now my heart was breaking.

I watched her prepare her fix, cooking the mixture in a bent spoon and then drawing the bubbling solution into a hypodermic needle. She pulled a length of rubber hose tight around her arm and searched for a decent place to stick herself. I sat on the bed with my back against the headboard and she sat in front of me so I could put my arms around her. She injected herself and then fell back into me, her eyes hazy.

"I love you Max," she said dreamily.

"Sure Brianna."

She moved my hands over her breasts. "Love me?"

She let her head drop back, nuzzling my neck. My heart melted. I kissed her neck and slipped my hand inside her top. She wasn't wearing a bra. I pinched her nipple lightly.

"Ohh Max... I missed you."

My poor little wayward girl. She was so beautiful, and so lost. I wanted to help her in the worst way, but I was struggling with my own demons and had no idea or capacity to deal with hers. It was for her to find her way, just as I did. Stone cold sober for a month, and no desire for another drink. I found that it had to come from within. No amount of begging from someone else was going to break the cycle of addiction.

I fondled the soft flesh of her breasts, still so youthful and tender, despite the poison she was putting into her body. She murmured approval as I helped pull her top over her head. Gravity had not yet gotten to her breasts, and they were firm with not a hint of sag. My tits were those of an older woman, larger, more rounded, and needing the support of a good bra. It was heaven to touch her.

There was a smile on her face when she turned around. We kissed, and the hunger for affection made us both insatiable. Nibbles on the ear, and soft kisses on the neck were a main course unto itself, with there being no urgency for more. But more came anyway, as Brianna kissed her way down to my breasts, nuzzling the baby soft skin, capturing the hardened nipples in her mouth, and swirling her tongue around them and making me dizzy with desire.