Flight Ch. 07

And probably pissed that the crime scene was unavailable to them. Agent Penn sigh because he was sure it was only a matter of time before he butted heads with some fucking DEA team. Right now, Mr. Montenero was his problem.

And what a fucking problem he was. The man had had his chest cavity broken open and all of his organs removed. The ribs were pinned open like they were wings and symbol was carved into the cavity.

A fucking crown and feather.

Now he knew why he had been called here...that symbol was a known association with The Crown Empire.

"This wasn't an easy death." Special Agent Harli said snapping more pictures of the crime scene.

"It's also pretty flashy for the Crown Empire. He should have ended up flash frozen instead of on a goddamn crucifix."

"You think someone else did this?" Harli asked incredulously.

Penn stamped down his annoyance at his partner tone. Penn had just gotten back into the game after a pretty bad incident that had left him on paid suspension. Everyone was all worried about his mental health and shit.

"I can't say for sure until I've seen everything as a whole. I am saying that unless the Crown has someone else handling in house clean up, this is pretty...flamboyant."

"The Crown has the manpower to be flamboyant. This isn't the first time they executed zone lieutenants."

"That's true but something feels different about this. Have you found the crew Trey was rolling with?"

"We have two in custody and one is missing."

"Presumed dead?"

"Nah. Kent Breckenridge, Trey's right hand, said that he was a runner and he wanted out, so he got out."

"And they let him walk?" Special Penn asked the wheels in his mind turning.

"I think it was an amicable parting." Harli answered crossing his arms over his chest.

"The Crown doesn't do amicable. Put Kent into an interrogation room and find out why the runner left. I think it'll clarify this fucking sick masterpiece."

Harli gave him another look as if he wasn't sure he should ask what he was going to ask next,

"Penn are you sure you're okay with all this. I know you were on the Crown before you...left but now might not be the time to get back in with it, ya know."

Penn ignored the rush of anger and looked at his partner, "I'm fine."

Harli's face flushed slightly red, "I know that. I am just saying there's no harm in taking a longer break, you feel me? This shit is not going anywhere."

Penn looked at the decimated corpse of Trey Montenero and for a slight second considered Harli's words. But he had put too much work into putting pieces together when it came to Crown.

Those bastards had been using the country as a playing field for too long. He had gotten too close to them once and had been burned painfully.

He wouldn't make that mistake again.