Run and Go Die

By Ramsey Austin-Spencer

A trail of bodies follows Jeff as he investigates Darrin Carver, a thug that ran most of the prostitutes, guns and drugs on the Denver streets. Anyone who talked ended up dead, so when Jeff got a lead on a witness who had everything he needed to put Darrin away, he knew he needed to move quickly.
Buster knows everything about Darrin, but unfortunately for Jeff, getting that information out of the one-time thief that helped run Darrin’s organization proves nearly impossible. Between Buster refusing to cooperate, fighting off assassination attempts and dealing with an Internal Affairs investigation, Jeff realizes he might be in too deep.
No longer knowing who to trust, Jeff puts all his faith in the ex-thief who refuses to turn over evidence that will bury Darrin and comes to believe that in order to save both their lives, the two of them must run; or die. With everyone looking for them, they may end up doing both.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ramsey Austin-Spencer
• Release date: Jan 10, 2021

Ramsey Austin-Spencer

Ramsey was born in Salt Lake City, UT, raised in Salt Lake City, UT, married and had a family in Salt Lake City, UT and will more than likely die there as well. Don't feel too bad; Ramsey also enjoys traveling to places other than Salt Lake City, UT. In a motor home with a Jeep towing behind it she tours the United States just for fun. An accounting technician by profession (odd, I know), she does payroll for one of the municipal entities in (you guessed it), the Salt Lake City, UT area. Writing is the passion that has driven her since she could pick up a pencil. Receiving her Associate's Degree from Salt Lake Community College, and her Bachelor's Degree from WGU, she continues to work on perfecting her trade by continuing to take classes. Always looking for new educational experiences, she is a certified diver, studied sign language and French, has been in local plays and even went through a Citizen's Police Academy. Two sons and a wonderful husband are the reason you have a chance to read the work Ramsey has written. They encourage, irritate and force her to do better. Hope you enjoy.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Off in the distance she waited for him. Standing out in front of the only building around, she appeared to be alone. The structure, which sat in the middle of the rest stop, was fabricated out of dull red brick and contained the bathrooms. Jeff watched as she intermittently looked down at her feet and then out to the surrounding parking lot, not seeming to realize he arrived. Everything she did made it obvious that she waited for someone, but he figured she always appeared that way. She was a prostitute and it showed. Not in her clothes, but even from this distance her face showed the abuse she submitted herself to during her life. She looked as used and run down as the building she stood in front of.

Jeff agreed to meet her here at four o’clock, but both the place and the time didn’t rank up there as his first choice. From the moment she agreed to tell him what he wanted to know about the illegal activities of Darrin Carver, he wanted to bring her in to the police station and try and protect her, but Bonnie countered all of his other suggestions and insisted the rest stop twenty five miles out of town would be the best place to meet and that four o’clock would be the only time she’d be able to get out of the city. It seemed an unusual place to finalize the agreement he wanted to make with her in regards to her giving him evidence to use against Darrin and he wondered why she picked it, but he was willing to go wherever she wanted and do whatever it took in order to get her to provide him the information he needed. He’d been chasing Darrin for a long time; almost as long as he’d been a cop and this moment came as close as he ever got to gathering any real evidence against the elusive man.

Waiting until four o’clock to finally tie this thing up ended up being more brutal than he anticipated and he spent the day continually looking at his watch trying to find things to occupy him until it came time to leave and come out here, but forty minutes ago he left the office and now finally pulled into the parking lot, grateful to see that Bonnie made it and didn’t change her mind. He left a little sooner than he needed to thinking he’d be early and theorizing it would provide him an opportunity to spend some time to ensure the security of the area, but now he didn’t have to wait any longer to get what he came for. The aging prostitute would hopefully provide him with information to help him officially link Darrin Carver to several cases he spent the last three years working on as a detective. Of course he didn’t work on them exclusively, but sometimes he believed he might as well have. Everything he did appeared to wind back to Darrin and if he managed to build a solid case against him, him he would be accomplishing something important in his life. If he could do that he’d save a lot of other innocent people, even if he couldn’t save the lives Darrin already destroyed.

Every time Jeff saw Bonnie she seemed a little more haggard than the last time and today she gave him the impression of her being one step closer to death. Her hair appeared uncombed and her near skeletal frame held almost no meat on it. She fidgeted absently with the tattered sweater draped over one arm and her pale thin dress looked barely adequate to protect her as the breeze blew it around her legs. From here she almost looked like an abandoned housewife someone dumped on the side of the road and forgot. Only the sallow eyes from years of drug abuse made him think otherwise. When she saw him she offered him a nervous crooked smile which he saw from the short distance from his car to where she stood. She didn’t move forward to meet him half way and he absently wondered if she held the strength to do anything except stand there.

Climbing out of his Jeep, Jeff quickly took in the only other car in the rest area. It contained two people sitting inside looking at a map. Starting toward her he pulled out a small pad of paper from his back pocket and began going over all the questions he needed to ask her. A semi-truck hauling a trailer with a food company logo emblazed on the side pulled in as he began walking and he turned to take in what information he could on that before turning his attention back to Bonnie.

He reached the poorly aged woman at the same moment he heard the report from the distant rifle shot. The bullet plunged into her back causing her to pitch forward into him. Jeff dropped his notepad and caught her body as she collapsed into him. Trying to go for his gun while at the same time dragging her into the relative safety of the restroom, he waited for the sensation of the next bullet striking him. Several more shots chipped away at the bricks above his head, but thankfully none of them found him; or Bonnie for that matter. Quickly giving up the thought of getting to his gun he shoved his way through the door marked ‘Women’ bringing the limp prostitute with him.

He wasn’t able to be as gentle as he needed to be and he literally dropped Bonnie on the floor before he finally managed to yank his gun out of the holster under his arm in order to prepare for whatever would come next. Crouching down in the crack of the partially open door he scanned the area for a target, but nothing presented him with an opportunity. Without exposing himself he remained too limited to be effective, plus he recognized the shots as being fired from a high powered rifle, which would have put the shooter well out of his range.

Where are you, you son-of-a-bitch? he growled to no one, but the gun fire had stopped leaving nothing for Jeff to aim at. His hand wrapped tight around his weapon and his body tensed as he prepared himself in case the gunman decided to come into the restroom and make sure he finished the job.

Jeff didn’t like being in here and not just because of the stench of the rarely cleaned stalls or the overfilled septic system. Being in here trapped him and worse; Bonnie sacrificed herself to get him here, even if she didn’t mean to. They must have been waiting for an opportunity like this and Bonnie gave it to them. He allowed himself to get carried away with the prospects of finally getting Darrin, but now realized he set himself, and Bonnie, up by allowing her to direct everything that happened with regards to their meeting. Now he waited for someone to come bursting through the door with a weapon to make sure they were both dead and it irritated him that he allowed this to happen.

Turning some of his attention back to Bonnie he sucked in another angry breath. She wouldn’t survive until an ambulance arrived. Jeff peered out one more time to see if anyone happened to be running this way with a gun, but everything appeared quiet. Getting up, Jeff pulled the towel rack off the wall, unraveled the white cloth out of it and used his pocket knife to cut it into strips. He applied pressure to the wound hoping to stem the bleeding until help arrived. Help wasn’t even on the way yet, so the effort amounted to being futile. Still, he refused to give up on her. He was the reason she came here and the guilt already started to well up in his chest. She tried to help him and it ended up killing her.

Weakly she motioned for him to stop trying to save her life. She understood the hopelessness of his efforts as much as he did, but he was having trouble admitting the inevitable. Not only did Bonnie amount to his only lead, but he gave her his word he’d protect her and he hated breaking his promise. Regardless of what she did or who she was, no one deserved to die like this in a rest stop bathroom.

Holding onto her thin shaking form he leaned back against the gray painted cinder block wall, which tried to make the inside of the building look cleaner, but only succeeded in doing the exact opposite. Sitting on the floor of the unsanitary room he stared up at the bug infested yellow lights above him and he couldn’t stop the anger swelling in his chest. He failed. He gripped his service pistol tensely; oblivious to the fact his blood soaked fingers covered the dark steel with the sticky red fluid.

The entire assault only lasted five seconds, but it took care of what it was meant to do. Jeff cursed and strained to get another look outside, but holding onto Bonnie made it difficult to maneuver around sufficiently to see beyond the small opening where the door didn’t completely shut. It didn’t matter. The hit man did his job and would be long gone. Bonnie would never be able to testify against Darrin or even tell Jeff what he needed to know in order to make a case against the man who lived every day on the wrong side of the law. With a sigh and still holding onto his weapon, Jeff let his head hang down in defeat.

Bonnie was so thin he barely noticed her emaciated frame resting across his lap as he listened intently for anyone approaching the small building. He left his radio and cell phone in the Jeep because he didn’t want anything interrupting his time with Bonnie, but unfortunately he now needed someone to call for help because he didn’t dare leave her here alone to go call. It didn’t seem right.

He didn't bother to give her any assurances. He wouldn’t have known what to say if he tried, so silence seemed like the only option. She obviously understood the gravity of her situation; she wasn’t going to leave here alive. A small trickle of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth onto the blue jean of his pant leg as she shook with a new spasm.

Jeff tightened his jaw until it twitched with his anger over not seeing the attack coming. He had no one to blame for Bonnie’s death but himself. For years he worked to build a case against Darrin Carver, which provided him insight into what Darrin was capable of, but for some reason he thought he could sneak this one in under the radar. Everyone who even thought about stepping forward to offer up information ended up dead or missing. Jeff allowed his pride to lead him into believing he thought of every angle this time. He worked for almost a month on getting Bonnie to provide him information. Promises were made and he assured her no one would ever find out she planned to roll over on Darrin. He told her all the right things to ease her fears and agreed to meet her in places like this to avoid anyone seeing them together. Meeting at the rest stop wasn’t a failsafe plan, but he allowed her to name the place this time because he thought she would feel more secure. Of course it didn’t matter where they went. Darrin must have found out about her attempt to reveal whatever dirty little secrets she held on him and nothing was going to save her. Darrin would have killed her in the middle of the police station if necessary to keep her from talking.

Darrin's employees maintained a fierce kind of loyalty to him, mostly because they feared him. Jeff used that fear along with a promise of protection to get Bonnie's cooperation, but he underestimated Darrin. He should have realized the brutal man would have been watching and waiting for the moment when Bonnie would lose her nerve. If Jeff sensed her weakness, Darrin would have as well. The man kept very close tabs on his property and business ventures. The problem with catching him is that he filtered things through various channels handled by a few select employees in order to keep himself protected. It worked.

Once again he looked down at the woman who seemed a lot older than her thirty-six years. He brushed her stringy hair out of her face seeing the gratitude in her eyes. She struggled to get up, but he motioned her to be still and rested his hand on her boney shoulder to keep her down. What a shitty way to die, he told himself; gunned down in the middle of nowhere to die in a rest stop bathroom. He shook his head trying to get the thought from his mind. This scenario probably wasn't far from the way he’d die if he kept pursuing Darrin. He was actually lucky the shooter selected Bonnie first or he’d be dead as well.

Find Buster, she choked out.

Buster? he asked lifting the gaunt form a little higher to try and hear her better. Who's Buster? he questioned hoping she held onto enough strength to finish telling him. This might be all he would get and even though it seemed unfeeling and harsh, he needed her to give him whatever she could before she died.

Her body began shaking with renewed fervor and he waited several seconds before the attack subsided enough to where she managed to reopen her eyes. A smile pressed into her thin pale lips. Thank you. It’s been a long time since anyone worried about me.

I’m sorry, he offered, feeling both guilt-ridden and anxious to get the information she was trying to get out before he ran out of time. Still he thought he understood that her life had been hard and having someone care was a gift to her; even if this ended up being the very last thing she would ever receive from another human being. She patted his hand that cupped her shoulder to keep her in his lap.

Buster is Darrin’s Achilles heel, she said, once again closing her eyes, but the smile still remained. I wanted to help. I wanted to see that bastard burn, but I really didn’t know much. Buster is the one who knows all his secrets, she whispered. She choked out a spittle of blood as her lungs constricted, purging the foreign fluid. I hate him, she gasped. Darrin ruined my life. If I ruin him then my death won’t be meaningless. Find Buster. Buster is the only one who can destroy Darrin. That will make everything right. She trembled one last time then the shaking stopped. The smile faded away and Bonnie was gone.

The door to the restroom opened and Jeff leveled his gun at the intruder; finger tight on the trigger. The big man in his early thirties stood frozen in fear and shock as he looked into the barrel of Jeff's gun. Jeff recognized him as the man who drove the semi-truck into the parking lot when all this came down. It seemed odd to think that only a minute or so passed since this first started to happen.

The man’s eyes darted down to Jeff's lap where Bonnie's head lay limply over his leg. Blood pooled up on the dirty cement floor around them and on Jeff's clothes forever marking them with the memory of this day. Taking a step backwards the man held up his hand as though surrendering.

Jeff tucked his gun back into the holster under his arm and gently laid Bonnie on the floor so he could stand up. The man unconsciously took another step back as Jeff advanced on him. Pulling out his badge he flashed it at the man who visibly relaxed.

I need your help, he told the truck driver. I want you to stay outside the door here and make sure no one comes in. I'm going to call for some back up.

The man nodded his agreement and stood guard outside the restroom door, glancing in again to see the limp dead body of the woman inside before Jeff left. Most people never had to see such a gruesome scene and even though Jeff wanted to yell at him to leave her alone and not gawk at her, he understood the desire to see the horror. People couldn’t seem to resist the morbid even though Jeff believed the man would be haunted by what he witnessed for the rest of his life and would regret taking the chance to look in.

Soon the rest stop lit up with flashing lights and uniformed people taking measurements, pictures and samples and looking for the needle in the haystack that would give them a clue as to who was responsible for the shooting. The two other people unlucky enough to be at the rest stop when the shooting took place were held and questioned. They ended up being a retired couple from Rapid City, South Dakota heading to Colorado Springs to see their grandson. They didn’t have any information to give. No one saw anything, including Jeff. The weapon had been a long range rifle and they wouldn’t find out where the shot originated from until they took all the measurements and data in to be analyzed. There was nothing to see here except a dead informant.

How are you doing? Wayne Briggs asked sitting down next to Jeff on the chipped and faded green bench outside the restrooms.

Before Jeff answered Carl Stanley stepped up to the pair. We're letting the witnesses go, he informed them. We have their names and addresses in case we need to contact them again, but is there anything else you want before we cut them loose?

Wayne shook his head and Carl shuffled back off to the older couple and truck driver to send them on their way to start wrapping up the investigation here. All three kept glancing at the small dirty building as they drove away even though the coroner removed body nearly a half an hour ago.

Wayne sighed and leaned forward onto his knees, his head rotating one hundred and eighty degrees to take in the full view of the crime scene. The Captain was a burly man, balding on top with thick black patches of hair around the sides which he kept well-trimmed. He looked out of place in his pressed dark blue suit and black tie which carried a dark blue design woven through the center. It almost seemed to be strangling the thick necked man under the collar of the white shirt.

Jeff had known Wayne for years and understood the suit and the pristine grooming came from his wife. Wayne would more than likely show up to work looking worse than Jeff did right now if she would have allowed it, but he rose to the level of being a Captain and that also probably had a lot to do with his wife.

Hell of a thing, Wayne said with a sigh.

I should have forced her to come into the station, Jeff said letting the guilt still ride through him. He doubted he would be able to come to grips with his failure on this.

Don’t do this, Wayne told him in a fatherly tone. Doesn’t do you any good; trust me.

Of course Wayne was right. He understood that, but he still hated what happened to Bonnie. He still seethed that Darrin won and took another life as a trophy. He needed to stop this now.

She mentioned a name before she died, Jeff said absently. Every word Bonnie uttered went through his mind repeatedly since the moment this happened, but he still didn’t believe himself any closer to solving the problem. He hoped Wayne would be able to help. Buster. Do you know who he is? Have you ever heard that name before?

Wayne looked up to the stars beginning to form in the darkening sky as though his mind thumbed through his mental Rolodex. After a few seconds he shook his head. Doesn't mean anything to me. I’ve never come across that name. I’m assuming it’s new to you. What information did she give you on this Buster?

Just that I should find him, but I've never heard of him before and I thought I knew everyone associated with Darrin. I don’t know if he was tight with Darrin or if he was his competition or exactly how he’s connected, but I’m hoping maybe he has some information.

I'll keep my ears open, Wayne said and patted Jeff once on the knee. With a sigh he stood up and stretched his arms. In the meantime I want you to go home and get some rest. You've been working non-stop for a month on this.

I have to earn those brownie points, he taunted his old mentor and friend.

That's bullshit, Wayne countered. If you wanted brownie points you’d go in and take the exam and get promoted, Wayne said.

You know a desk isn't for me, he said seriously, but Wayne offered a valid point. There came a time you moved up or you moved out. After today he began to think maybe that time might be coming up on him faster than he thought. At least not yet, he added with a sly smile.

Go home Jeff. Get some sleep.

Jeff knew Wayne gave him an order. He also knew better than to protest, so he slung his jacket over his shoulder and climbed into his old brown Jeep CJ7 to make his way back into Denver. He didn't want to go home and he didn't want to go to sleep. The feel of the dried blood against his skin would linger no matter how many times he showered and the slow fading look in Bonnie’s eyes would haunt him tonight and beyond, so trying to rest would be pointless. You never got used to watching people die. He wondered how Darrin lived with it.

CHAPTER TWO

Darrin, the familiar voice slithered through the phone into Darrin's ear making his face crease up into a scowl. He needed to focus on handling his side of the business at the moment and resented being forced to deal with those who considered themselves to be more important than anyone else in the organization. They needed to let him do his job rather than interrupting him. Turning away from his men who stood waiting for him in the filthy living room of his apartment, he ducked into the equally disgusting bedroom and shut the door.

I’m in the middle of something here, he growled into the receiver.

You should be at the end of something, his boss told him with a sharp tone that inserted like a knife into Darrin’s skull. The situation with Bonnie is unacceptable and potentially damaging. It makes me wonder if you’re capable of handling issues like this.

Look, I’m trying to find out what went wrong. Obviously this wasn't the plan, Darrin snapped back. Do you think I'm some kind of fucking idiot? My guy was supposed to take of care of the bitch before she got that far. He just had a little bit of trouble finding her, but he got the job done. She’s taken care of and she won’t be talking, so everything is good.

What you wanted to happen and what happened are two different things, aren't they?

Yeah, Darrin snarled, hating that his position in the scheme of things required him to be careful about how he reacted. I guess they are.

You’re getting sloppy. The reprimand made Darrin's teeth grit painfully together. I don't like sloppy. I won’t tolerate sloppy. Do you understand me?

It's under control, just like always. I've never let anything happen to our operation and I'm not about to start, so just relax. You just worry about your end and I'll keep up mine and everything will be fine unless you start to panic and mess it all up.

Silence greeted Darrin’s retort making him squirm, which made him seethe with an anger that he could barely contain. The arrogance annoyed him because Darrin believed he did all of the work and yet they continued to treat him like some kind of stupid kid. Of course Darrin didn’t have the ability to make any of those above him in the organization pay for their lack of faith because of the threat they kept hanging out there creating fear; just like the fear he used with his own people.

Of course Darrin understood he gained a lot over the years by watching and emulating those in power; it was actually almost brilliant. He learned to harness and use that fear against others, but he still hated it when those same tactics were employed on him. Darrin always wondered if the fear might somehow be false, that maybe there didn’t exist any real danger of retaliation from the men he worked for. What if he didn’t do exactly what they wanted? However, he wasn’t prepared to test that theory just yet because he understood the fear he threatened others with came from reality. He would kill anyone who stood in his way.

You make sure you take care of things. The cold admonishment told Darrin he came close to crossing a line with his insolent attitude, but he also sensed they didn’t appear ready to take steps to change anything regarding their business relationship either, so the response didn’t come out as harsh as he assumed they wanted. That was good because Darrin believed there would come a time when they would want to replace him and he vowed to be ready for that. They obviously didn’t want to make that move now so he didn’t want to waste his energy worrying about it, but he began preparing himself for the moment they would try and stab him in the back. I don’t want to have to clean up your mess again.

Don't threaten me, Darrin said in a low menacing voice, willing to push things just a little in his belief that they needed him more than the other way around. I take care of things around here. Without me, you've got nothing. Don't forget that.

No. The deep threatening tone actually made Darrin suck in a quick breath. I take care of you. Without me your petty little operation is reduced to nothing and you spend the rest of your wretched little life behind bars. Don't you ever forget that.

Well it looks like we need each other then, doesn't it? Darrin retorted trying to get back the feeling of empowerment he possessed scant moments ago, but he came across sounding a little quieter than he did before. I guess we're back to square one.

Silence hung on the line and once again Darrin shifted uncomfortably, hating how the powerful man always got what he wanted. He began caving into his fear and as much as he resented his reaction, he understood it to be a survival skill that kept him alive and in charge of his piece of the organization for a long time, so he didn’t try to analyze it too much and just let his anger fade away.

Look, I got things I've got to take care of, Darrin said not liking the silence. He pushed as far as he could and he needed to back off. The men he worked with were dangerous and he didn’t want to risk irritating them any further. I got to go take care of our latest situation. I’ll handle it. You know I will. I always do.

Without further comment the phone went dead and Darrin dropped it onto the bed. His anger bubbled up inside him again, but he kept it under control. He always stayed in control he told himself, but even as the thought flitted through his mind he knew that it wasn’t true. He often acted on impulse; sometimes to his detriment. One day his rashness would get him into real trouble, but for now it continued to work for him. With half of his mouth curled up in a cruel smile he stood up and scratched himself. Going into the other room he prepared to show the guys there how in control he was.

In the end, the people Darrin worked for would know who they were dealing with. They may still see him as the punk kid they brought in years ago, but he smiled at the idea of how surprised they’d be when they realized Darrin always ran this operation. Those that believed they held power would find out with their last breath what Darrin could do because he saw himself as the most important person in this organization and one day he’d take it over because the men with money acted scared and that made them weak. They feared losing what they amassed and Darrin didn’t fear anything. With that thought giving him a lift he slid casually into the other room. The small incompetent sensation the phone conversation gave him disappeared. Not completely, but he’d take care of that.

The one bedroom apartment smelled musty and the lighting in the living room came from a yellowish single bulb lamp standing watch by the side of the filthy green couch. Darrin made a ton of money, but he didn’t worry about trivial things like a nice apartment. From here he could keep a close eye on everything going on in his kingdom. He liked keeping a low profile; it’s what made him so successful. He spread his money around where it would do him the most good. He bought drugs and protection and, of course, loyalty.

Darrin tossed a pair of dirty pants aside and sat down heavily on the thick stained upholstery leaning forward and lighting a cigarette. After taking one long drag he tossed it into the ashtray in front of him.

Tell me about it Shawn, Darrin commanded the pale young man who waited quietly in the room for the last half hour for Darrin to get to him.

I plugged her good, he said with a nervous kind of laughter.

You must be proud, Darrin drawled out shaking his head.

Darrin stood up and moved methodically around the coffee table to stand in front of the greasy blond haired man. Darrin's hand shot out, gripping the thin razor stubble covered throat, creating gasping and choking sounds from the shocked man. Darrin liked that and leaned in a little bit more to hear it better. Now he was in complete control.

You were supposed to kill her at her apartment, Darrin growled at him, his foul liquored breath saturating Shawn's face. Not in front of a cop.

She already left, Shawn choked out trying to pull Darrin’s hand away without success. His eyes glanced back at the two men who stood unaffected against the opposite wall. Hoping for them to intervene wasted his energy because they remained completely loyal to Darrin. I was lucky to find her at all. His voice came out barely audible, but Darrin didn’t release his grip.

Well, your luck has just run out, Darrin told him, his voice still low and angry. He used both hands now knowing his strength was actually minimal, but his adrenaline and anger made up for his lack of physical ability. He usually carried a weapon to use to kill people because he didn’t work on his muscle tone and his drug use kept him from gaining any real physical capability. His power came from fear and it worked on Shawn. He surprised him and now he would kill him. He constricted both hands around the neck until the windpipe collapsed and the man's head lulled over to one side with his eyes bulging as though frightened out of his skull. It fascinated Darrin every time he killed someone, but the thrill never lasted. It always ended up being a quick a high that turned into a deep disappointment. Darrin dropped the limp body to the floor and kicked at him like a pile of garbage.

Tony, he called to one of the two men who stood silently watching the scene from the thick shadows of the room. I want you to clean up this mess and I want you to find out what Detective Harris knows.

He won't tell me nothing.

Of course not, Darrin snarled at him, sitting back down on the couch. I want you to tail him, watch what he does and where he goes. If Bonnie told him anything I want to know it. You watch him and he'll take you to whatever lead Bonnie might have given him. Trust me. I've worked with cops before. They’re incompetent and they’re predictable. He’ll go after whatever she gave him like a mongrel on a bitch in heat.

Tony motioned to the other man next to him and the two of them pulled the body out of