Only two occupied the interrogation room, which had not too long ago held Lieutenant Lusain and Det. Spiffy and other brothers of the protector and servers. Dasco, breathing as if a man that hadn't done anything, let alone had almost killed an officer a few hours ago, as a uniformed officer stood upon the wall directly in front of the table Dasco sat behind, eyes planted firmly upon Dasco's bowed head. Spiffy entered the room hastily, causing the only sounds the mute room held. Slowly, and halfway raising his head as he heard the door open and feeling the presence of another body enter the room, Dasco gazed at Spiffy as he closed the door with a sarcastic smirk, as Spiffy's stony stare met his.

"What's happening blood? What y'all think y'all bringing me in for?" Dasco said nonchalantly. Spiffy glanced at the holding officer standing on the wall, nodded and said, "Sergeant Lucas, thanks. You may return to your duties if you will."

The sergeant raised from the wall, nodded to Spiffy and managed a "Yes sir." As sergeant Lucas opened the door, officer Lusain was entering. "O! Excuse me Lu!" Sergeant Lucas said, as Lusain replied, "No excuse me," as he stepped aside for Lucas to exit, before entering and closing the door behind him, as Spiffy stepped over to the left corner of the room. Still holding his head up slightly, sarcastic smirk upon his lips tightly, Dasco's eyes followed Spiffy's movements closely, while noticing Lusain as he pressed his back against the door, the flourescent light overhead shining brightly on them all.

Lusain looked weather beaten and tired, his street clothes a little wrinkled from the recent activities at the Pecan Branch and the alley behind it; his breathing unlike Dasco's, a little strained and struggle sounding to anyone close enough to hear.

"What's happenin' again blood!" Dasco sounded, "Long time no see. You also here for me?"

"Cut out the damn foolishness Dasco!" Det. Spiffy said sternly, "You're looking at conspiracy charges, along with attempted murder of an officer!" Dasco leaned upright then, leaning his chair on it's hind legs, head leaned back, face facing the ceiling, which expressed expressions of hysterics.

"Aww man! Come on black, get off it! I only fired in the air twice to scare my main man off my heels, who's now the biggest square of 'em all!" Lusain jumped from his position on the door towards the table,

"You're a damn lie! You shot right at me punk!" Spiffy held up a hand, that Lusain vividly noticed, only byway of his peripheral, moving back to his place on the door. Spiffy had an uncanny way of communicating with silent gestures, which those whom they were meant for always somehow felt or noticed immediately.

"O wow, looka here! Now that's the Lu I remember, ready to tangle and dismantle, rip off and strangle! Now I can say it plainly, where you been blood, glad to see you again!" Dasco's voice now a cold sarcastic and defensive strategy against what he knew the cops wanted. Spiffy rested his raised hand back to his side, as Dasco and Lusain squared off with their eyes, only.

"Where is she Dasco?" Spiffy asked coolly, as a light wit shined upon Dasco's eyes with the slick reply, "Whoever you mean, in her skin, when she jumps out you jump in!" Dasco laughed lightly clasping both his hands together, still staring at Lusain. "Red Dawn" Spiffy said, this time causing a troubling expression to reduce Dasco's current ridiculing smile and smart laughter; many looking at him under the high yet shaded light bulb would've sworn his golden brown skin tone had turned into a white washed grey.

"Hey man! what's you motherfucka's angle?" Holding up a hand, Spiffy interrupted anything else Dasco might've said with an "Uh-Uh. We know your angle jack and that's why you're here. Where is she?"

Nervously but coolly, Dasco began, "Man I don't know what's going on or what y'all thank y'all got on me. Only a fool would try to tie up with that woman. Plus ain't she married?" Dasco asked almost innocently. Spiffy's laughter erupted then, coldly, chilling the air and the bright light of the room, causing Lusain, and Dasco as well, to look at him confusingly, for this was a rare occassion to witness the known-to-be always serious man to laugh, especially during an investigation that obviously was serious to him. "You're good!" Spiffy declared to Dasco, shutting off his laughter immediately as if he'd never laughed at all before responding to Dasco's retort. Dasco began to speak again as he sat straight up in his chair, yet Spiffy held up a hand again, seeming to control all the activity now, with this gesture.

Spiffy continued, "Now we have a man putting you two in cahoots with what has become of her husband and everybody knows your M.O. around these parts, Dasco the freak of Frisco!" Strained laughter exploded from Dasco as he leaned back in his chair again, face towards the ceiling, laughing uncontrollably before placing both hands on the table and leaning forward with an under eyed expression coming from his tilted head.

"Man you're something else. Whoever dug that tale is a fool, and the fool who said it is dog shit. I'ont play around wit the treacherous especially ones who may double back on our deal. And how you fellows even think you good enough to know my business. Just because you been to New York City Spiffy, don't make you the smartest mofo 'round these parts despite what the old fossils may thank."

"We're the fucking investigators and it's always our business to know what's going on," Spiffy replied, still standing in the left corner of the room in front of the table Dasco sat behind, yet with the tone of someone about to blow the head off their home's intruder. "Now if you wanna go home or get lesser charges pinned on your smart ass, I suggest you give me the run-down of what I just asked or I'll tell your numbers man we brought you in on a deal we caught you setting up with the boys in Stoneyard to knock off the houses your route consists of, along with pulling his main woman away from him," Spiffy stated coolly.

The usually cool and nonchalant Dasco now was frightened into believing what Spiffy said, witnessing now by first-hand the cruelness of the police he'd only heard of and merely seen, as his mouth hung open slightly, yet his mind wondering how Spiffy knew he ran numbers, other than the young girls who were intrigued by his mature charm and style.

"It's your life" Spiffy said calmly, the only one now, in the room, wearing the smirk Dasco had previously worn like a golden crown.

"Look'a here chief, I still don't know what you guys want, I was minding my own business and in come this chump eye-balling me," Dasco said, as Spiffy glanced quickly at Lusain before Dasco even noticed his eyes seeming to x-ray him. "Then why'd you run if the man was only looking at you if you didn't have a reason to?" Spiffy asked.

"Everybody knows if a pig sets eyes on you he's looking to meddle, so I was just getting out his way!" Dasco replied, breathing a little harder now, as Lusain's had calmed in the recent minutes. Spiffy caught Lusain's eye at this moment, tilting his head in a quick motion towards Dasco, which Lusain knew exactly what to follow it up with. Lusain suddenly stormed towards the table, reaching across and grabbing Dasco by the collar with his left hand, lifting his firm solid slim frame from the chair it occupied, and in one motion with his right hand, pulled his department issued pistol from his holster, shoving it under Dasco's nose. Dasco's devious eyes took on an air of shrilled surprise for only a few seconds before returning to their natural size and expression, remembering to 'stay cool', for this wasn't the first time he'd faced the barrel of a gun. He allowed his muscles to relax, though the force and firmness of Lusain's grip still surprised him, his mind not sure what'd happen next, his mouth baring his teeth and gums, his thighs pressed tightly against the table causing sheer uncomfort as he managed to say, "Say what's you muthafucka's M.O. here man?!?!"

Satisfied at the maneuver he'd recently taught Lusain, a small smile gave a joyous glow to Spiffy's cold eyes, as he realized Lusain was a natural; Spiffy began to speak calmly, "It's cold as hell and we're out here running after shiftless insecure assholes like ya'self. Now if you don't give me what I want, I'ma tell Lusain to blow your nose into your damn brains like you're a one dollar hoe in a Louisiana swamp ain't hip to the voodoo!" Dasco's smirk returned for a moment as he refused to blow his cool, even under the tight strain and seriousness that'd taken over the previously closed and quiet room, as he began "Ain't it funny folks say that, ain't hell's supposed to be the hottest place ever!"

Lusain looked at Spiffy then, as Spiffy returned the glance with a confident nod, Lusain's gun made a clicking sound suddenly, as Dasco continued, "You cats cain't be serious! Blowing me away in a police station?" "We're pigs remember?" Spiffy stated coldly.

"Listen here chief" Dasco argued, "I don't give names, I only come across thangs. Now everybody know Dawn and she comes up and asks me a few questions about a car she could use and perhaps a bag of Mexican Gold. I gives her a name only and that's the first and only time I done ever said two words to the lady!"

"You're lying" Spiffy replied coldly.

"No I'm not chief!" Dasco contested, "Swears on my great-grandmama's grave! Dawn's too far ahead of me and no matter how pretty a bitch is, nothing come free. She had to give me fifteen dollars for that answer. We were at a house party and nobody in there even knew who she was. A slow jam was on, only a blue light was shining, and after she slid up to me and began talking did I realize who she was. I stepped outside with her and gave her the info and she got in a T-Bird with some turkey who was driving, now that's it!" Dasco finished this testimoy with all the cool he could muster, reluctance obvious in his voice.

Lusain looked back at Spiffy again, holding Dasco's collar even tighter, gun still under Dasco's nose, as Spiffy pushed a button on the wall, saying into the speaker,

"Tell Sergeant Lucas to return and take this piece of crap down to a cell." At that finishing statement, Dasco went biserk, slapping the gazing unexpecting Lusain on side of his head, sending him off balance for a slight second, as his grip loosed Dasco's collar. Spiffy responded with a quick kick to Dasco's stomach, sending him to the floor, as Lusain fell ontop of him, before putting him in a wrestling type move and making him sit back in his previously occupied chair, as Dasco sweared and screamed excitedly. Sergeant Lucas was now the fourth one in the room.

"Be careful Luke, he's a fighter. I'd suggest handcuffing him as you take him down," Spiffy warned. Lucas' broad brown face revealed a quick and haunting smile as he handcuffed Dasco, pushing the yelling, screaming teenager into the hallway, closing the door behind him. Lusain rubbed the left side of his head, sitting in a chair facing the one Dasco had been lifted from, as Spiffy sat casually upon the table top, adjacent to Lusain's seat...

TO BE CONTINUED