Chapter 18: Holding Horses For Jackasses

The Attison District, Temple City (3040).....

Just about every ache and pain imaginable had been going through the body of one pissed-off detective Ian Baddwulf as he found himself rousing outside the blazing building known formerly as The Dope Diamond Club in Attison District. He had had a hell of a day as it was with the trek to The Bowery and dealing with whatever idiot that passed for a gangster trying to make a name for themselves by bumping off the rich schmuck whose wife was two-timing him with his best friend. Then he had gotten the old lawyer to grease his palms and rain black pennies into his lap only for him to venture to The Dope Diamond and have more of Blackie Clay's idiot goons make a spectacle of themselves by shooting up the place and setting it a blaze. The word tired had not even begun to describe what Baddwulf felt as he climbed to his feet dusting off the debris, soot, and broken glass that lined his now dirty suit and dusty dress shoes.

Baddwulf had done what he could to get the girls and the patrons out and now he was beaten down and plenty sore for his efforts. He pulled the leftover cigarette from his walk with Jake from his pocket and put it to his lips as he watched the blaze that had once been his favorite after-hours spot. The smoke had been thick and black as it lit up the sky fanning fumes all over the place and blanketing the district as the building had turned to rubble and ash.

"So much for finally having a good night," said Baddwulf as he winced from having a shard of large glass stuck into his side and causing him to bleed all over his suit and the concrete sidewalk below him.

He moved to make his way back toward his apartment complex when a very angry and very big Slim "Croc" McDaniels came his way with a bunch of his ever-infamous Rhino goons. He had been looking for someone to blame for the incident that would cost him quite a pretty black penny to rebuild in addition to the lost revenue from not having his club opened.

"There he is!" shouted one of the Rhino bodyguards dressed in the usual bouncer get-up. A plain tight black t-shirt and black slacks with the tail cut out back. "That's the guy that saved the girls."

Slim had still been pissed the redness of his eyes and the look of utter rage filed across his crocodilian face had not been easily forgotten. He was dressed in a flashy red suit with white trimmings and with snappy white gators on his feet. Baddwulf had not understood why Slim liked wearing attire that had come from his own kind's mutilated bodies so to speak, but he didn't seem to care and it sent the kind of message that he wouldn't even tolerate his "own" getting in the way of good business.

"YOU THERE!" shouted Slim still barely concealing his rage. "HOT SHOT!, HOLD YOUR HORSES!"

Baddwulf had not been in the mood to take on a pack of rhinos and a croc but he would throw down if need be given how he felt about his favorite night spot going up in smoke and the idiots who had made it all possible.

"Well if it isn't Baddwulf himself," said Slim getting a closer look at the man responsible for saving the bulk of his merchandise.

"Nice evening ain't it Slim?" replied Baddwulf puffing on his cigarette as he looked rather sideways at the enormous humanoid gator and his rhino henchmen.

"Only you would call my place going up and smoke and bullets flying about the place nice," said Slim in a gruff tone he was clearly still angry but not at Baddwulf at least not at that present moment. "Seeing as you saved the dames, I'm gonna let that one slide."

Baddwulf nodded as he puffed his cigarette once more before blowing out the smoke.

"What can I do for ya Mack?" asked Baddwulf holding his cigarette between his lips at the corner of his mouth.

"You're supposed to be a big shot detective and all that right?" asked Slim with narrowed eyes. "I want you to find me the sons of bitches that shot up and torched my place, there's a nice hefty sum of black pennies in it for you if you do."

"And when I find those responsible?" asked Baddwulf with an arched brow curious despite already knowing what Silm had planned for them.

"I'm gonna ensure the boys here make 'em wish they'd have never been born," replied Slim with the intent behind his dark eyes.

Baddwulf thought as much but wanted to hear it for himself. He had no love loss for the fools that torched The Dope Diamond either but he had not wanted to stick around to see what Slim and the Rhino boys would do to the fools that dared cross him and torch his joint.

"Before the shots rang out, they muttered something about a Blackie Clay," said Baddwulf taking another drag from his cigarette. "Been running into goons from that hoods camp for a while now, didn't think they had the balls to branch out to other targets as of late."

Slim seemed to smirk at the mention of Blackie Clay. From the looks of him, he had not been worried but he turned his attention to his boys and gave them instructions before turning back to Baddwulf.

"Track down that son of a bitch for me Baddwulf, if you're as good as everyone claims you are, then there's a bonus in it for you once you've done the leg work," said Slim seemingly more calm than initially, he'd been when he first approached. "And thanks again for saving the girls, once the place is opened maybe you'd get a dance on the house."

Baddwulf nodded in agreement to taking the humanoid Croc's case and turned his attention toward heading back to his place to rest up and heal.

It seemed like he was in one skirmish after another ever since awakening that morning following his two-night stint in the sack with Amanda Smalls and he was tired of holding his horses for jackasses.