Return To LA

Chapter 5

          An hour later James had found Walter's address. He sat outside in the car for a few minutes thinking. He didn't want to involve his old friend in his mess now, but he needed his help, and connections.

He finally knocked on his door. Col Walter Jackson answered. His surprise at seeing James was evident .

Two hours later after the pleasantries were long over, James had told the Col. his problem. He needed outside help he could trust. The mob had spies in the FBI, local precinct, and probably in the state police, for all he knew. Walter agreed with him. He had a big problem. But he wasn't sure what he could do. James told him he needed another set of eyes, and guns, and a way to investigate the mob without them finding out. Walter said he knew some folks back in the Marines, and army that could do some looking without questions. As for firepower, he went to the bedroom closest came back in with his issue Colt 1911, the same gun, James was carrying.

"Where do we start?"

An hour later they were in the office at the bar, James, Walter, and Robert, and Brenda. James made introductions all the way around. While Brenda made food, they three men sat and drank beer. No one was in a mood to get drunk. Once the first beer was gone, the coffee came back and by than the food was ready. They are in silence. Each busy with their own thoughts on how to get the mob boss who'd kidnapped Robert earlier. What was his connection to anda Reed? and what were the files that he bought from the crooked FI agent? These were among the questions that needed answers. Robert reported that the background check on Steve didn't tun up any dirt, so apparently he just turned dirty, or he has friends in very high places. Walter said he'd have a friend of his in Army Intelligence look at both Steve and the Mob Boss. Robert added looking closer at Wanda wouldn't hurt either, Walter agreed. After several more hours of planning their next moves. Robert and Walter headed to their respective places. James thought it would be wise not to show up at his apartment right away. So he elected to spend another night sleeping on the couch in the office at the bar. Brenda finished closing up when the bar closed. Before she left James took a careful look around, the made sure there weren't any surprises. After carefully checking outside the back of the bar, He let Brenda head home. Back inside he made sure everything was locked up tight. He had kept the shotgun, bringing it in with him. Considering the violence level these people were capable of having the shotgun didn't seem like overkill.

The night went by quietly. No dreams. James woke up early and got himself cleaned up, and made some breakfast. It was morning when Walter showed up. James let him in the back door. Offered him some breakfast. Walter had coffee, and sat waited until was finished with his food.

"Jim, I got the information. Turns out Army Intelligence has been looking at our guy too. It seems he's been suspected of running the local black market during the war, and even spying. They are hot to get him. As for Wanda, she also lit up the wire. Interpol had her on a watch list for most of the war. She dropped out of sight just before the war ended. They weren't to clear what their interest in her was. But suspect it was for more than just a couple of murders. Possibly even espionage . Real nice bunch of characters you attract." Walter joked.

"Yeah so I see. What about Steve?"

"Still waiting on him. Regular channels didn't have anything, But I got some friends poking around him. They got so interested in our Mob Boss, they actually put a tail on him. By the way your phones no longer bugged, I had a friend go check your lines. He rewired the phone line to your house and took out the bug, And you're still being watched. He spotted at least two cars sitting on the street. There were obviously watching for you. "

James thanked him for his friends help, and the information. Suddenly Walt got quiet. Stood up and carefully went to the front of the bar. He pulled his Colt. Careful to keep out of sight of the windows, He worked his way to a position to see the street window. James realizing something was wrong, grabbed the shotgun, and took a position near the back door. He didn't have to ask Walt what he'd seen. He know from experience Walter could see things most people missed. It have saved their lives a number of times back in the war. The lock on the front door jiggled. Walt raised his gun to firing position, Waited. Then the glass in the window next to the door exploded inward. A brick came flying in. Followed immediately by several men with shotguns. Walter fired. The first round hit the the first man through the window the noise of the gun going off surprised them. As the first man fell, landing and rolling into upturned chairs and tables. The second man got the second round, just as the echo of the first shot started to die. At the same they were crashing through the front door and window, James was waiting for the back door to be assaulted. Sure enough, they came. Shotgun blast blew the knob off the door. Violently shoving it in, at least two men tried to push through the door. The first blast from the shotgun, caught the first man in the chest. At close range the pattern was still tight. Thus he hit the floor with a bright red patch of blood oozing from his shirt. James quickly pulled the pump back and forth, chambering another round. The second blast from his shotgun landed in the face of the second man trying to get in the door,as he tripped over the first guy. By then Walter had shot at least two of the men in the front of the bar. The slide locked back on his .45, He yelled to James he was out of ammo. James tossed him another magazine. Walt dropped the empty magazine, and inserted the fresh magazine into the grip of his gun, pushing the slide lock button down he let the slide come back forward, chambering another round. Just in time two more men appeared in the broken window,each carrying shotguns. Walt ducked down behind the bar, just as a blast from one of their shotgun tore through the bar, The slug hit the bar, while pellets smashed bottles and glasses. barely missing walter. Walter slid down to the end of the bar, .Sliding out the corner, just far enough to see and shoot, he fired twice more both rounds hitting the guy who shot the shotgun. Realizing they were up against more than they expected, The remaining two men made a retreat back to the street. Walter and James watched stumble out into the street. They noted the car and plate number. as they took off. The battle had only lasted a few minutes, but the damage was enormous. James and Walter had each killed two of the intruders James said the few extra seconds they had because Walt had seen a shadow where there shouldn't have been one, was enough to get them time to get set. James called Robert. He arrived in short order along with a crime scene team. They collected statements from Walter and James. The bar was a mess. Glass everywhere, broken chairs and tables, and the mirror behind the bar was gone, The wood behind the mirror peppered with holes from shotgun blast. Several of the chairs were broken. At least one table had bullet holes going through it. The back room where James had stopped the two men with his shotgun was a equal mess. The bullet damage extended into the kitchen. Several hanging pots had bullet holes through them, There were a number of holes in the wall on the far side of the kitchen. Once the crime scene people cleared out, The four of them sat in the office, which in spite of all the gunfire, had managed not to get shot up. The beers were out now. James, and Robert, and Walter, and Brenda all sat around drinking a beer. Brenda was terrified that something had happened to James, as soon as she got the call from Robert. Robert had called her a soon as he got the call, even before coming over. The whole incident raised a lot more questions. Such as who hired them, and how did they find the bar? The bar was closed down for the foreseeable future. The mood was somber as the four friends sat and pondered their future.

"You sure you're alright Jm?" Brenda asked for the dozenth time.

"I'm fine, Hon, I've been through worse scrapes than this in the war. Thanks to Walt, we were ready for them. If they had managed to catch up completely off guard, It would've been a different story. Any fight you walk away from is a good one." He reached over and hugged Brenda again. "I'm sorry about the bar."

"I don't care about the damn bar. As long as you're alright. 'She hugged him back. They sat together like that for a few minutes. Suddenly he started shaking. His mind seemed to fill with images from the war. he saw enemy soldiers, and his friends both dying in horrible ways. For a second he wasn't there. Then he seemed to snap out of it. Brenda felt him shaking in her arms, It scared her. The other three saw James shaking and came to help him. The was a blank faraway look in his eyes. As if he wasn't there. Than just as quickly as it had started , it was gone. James seemed to stare off into the distance for several seconds. He shook his head, and for a very brief second, he looked at Brenda blankly, than a spark of recognition came back, and he was his old self again. The look on her face told him, he done it again. He flashback to the war again. it didn't happen very often, But every once in awhile. He be back in the war. for a few seconds , When he snapped out of it, he was sweating and shaking. like he was now. Brenda hugged him tight knowing there was nothing she could do to drive his demons away. Brenda helped James get up and get a drink. The shaking seemed to stop. Walter had seen this in men before after battle. He know what James was going through, He had dealt with his own personal demons. For now, he had beat his demons, at least he hoped so after today. They went back out into the bar. The smell of gunpowder still hung in the air. Picking their way through the mess. Eventually they found the front door. or what was left of it. Walt tossed James the keys to his place. "I'll stay here and watch the place until we can get the place closed in.

.