Fall of the Assassins: James Williams, #2

By V. Owen Ramsay

Fall of the Assassins picks up the story where Rude Boy Cop ended and follows Detective James Williams as he continues to rid his town of criminal elements. His past actions now present him with serious consequences, as he has now become a target for revenge. Detective Williams also has to deal with women from his past. Both the criminals and the women will test his resolve in ways that he never expected. How he manoeuvers around these elements, will be a test of his character. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: V. Owen Ramsay
• Release date: Apr 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9780978350543

Book preview

Fall of the Assassins  

Disclaimer

The characters, events and places depicted in this book are fictitious. While some names of people, places or events might seem to be factual, they are in fact fictitious. Any similarities to real person, living or dead are coincidental and not intended by the author.

Acknowledgement

This book is dedicated to the memory of my late parents, Alan and Thelma Ramsay, late brother, Fitzroy, my sisters, Brenda, Jean, Sheila and Sharon, my wife, Pauline and our son, Bruce

I wish to thank those whose encouragements have culminated in the completion of this work. Special thanks to my wife, Pauline, our son, Bruce and my sister, Sharon for their continued support. I could never have done this without your unwavering support.

All rights reserved.

Copyright @ 2021

ISBN: 978-0-9783505-4-3

Cover design and art work by Bruce Ramsay

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1/It has been eleven months since Policeman James, Jimmy Williams and his partner, Shane White, with five bullets, sent Lucas Wise, aka, Snake to the other world. His organization was completely destroyed with his remaining gang members running for their lives now that they had no leader. Sarah and Chili, they too were carted off to jail to serve their sentences for their involvement with Snake. Everyone else who remained, were afraid of Snake’s former bosses in Central America. By now, they had lost a considerably amount of cash, drugs and access to the local drug trade, and someone had to pay. They began to track everyone who had any and all connections to Snake; they couldn’t leave any loose ends. They had an empire to protect, and Snake’s death had created a nightmare for them here and back in their homeland. The respective governments were beginning to watch them and their activities. That’s something that they couldn’t afford to happen.

James sat the sergeant’s exam four months ago, and while he was successful, he was not quite ready for a desk job. So, here he was, continuing to drive down the familiar streets, looking at the same familiar faces. He seemed to enjoy observing people, and the numerous happenings occurring along the main strip; that seemed to be where all the action was. This night was no different; he was cruising near where once stood the club Elves, now burnt to the ground. Coming abreast of the rubbles, he chuckled.

I wonder just how it all happened.

The cause of the fire was never confirmed. While the Fire Marshall official report noted that it was due to an electrical shortage, somehow James did not believe that; he knew differently but just couldn’t prove it. Even though the case was now closed, he was interested in looking into it further. He was once again patrolling by himself; Shane was still his partner however, he had to be away for some personal reasons. Travelling along Bay View, he noticed a group of men gathered in huddle, and so he pulled up next to them, wound down his car window, and called out to them.

Hey guys, what are you up to there?

Shuffling to their feet, the men turned, and looked at James then returned to what they were doing as if he wasn’t there. Getting out of the car, with his right hand resting on his firearm, he began to walk towards the group. Suddenly, one of the men turned around, and rushed towards him.

What the hell do you want with us down here, copper? the man said.

In the stranger’s hand was a switchblade knife, and he was fast approaching. Before James could draw his gun, the man was closing in and almost on top of him before he noticed it. With his left hand in the air to protect him, James felt a piercing pain on his arm. With no time to look at the wound, he drew his firearm, and fired once at the assailant. Watching their friend fall to the ground, the other men all dispersed, not knowing the fate of him or the policeman.

Walking back to his squad car, James called for assistance and the paramedics. He then turned around, and looked at the wounded man. He saw that he was breathing heavily, and was losing a lot of blood. He then tried to stop the bleeding by placing his handkerchief on the wound.

Stay with me boy, help is on the way, James said while holding the man in an upright position.

Another squad car and the paramedics soon arrived, and both men were examined. James’ wound was determined to be not too serious, however the other man was not so lucky; the bullet had shattered a bone in his shoulder. He was taken away to the hospital under Police guard.

Det. Williams, you do need to have that looked at by a doctor. I can take you if you wish, said a junior officer.

Thanks, but I will be fine. I will be able to go on my own; no worries but thank you for the offer anyway.

Sitting in his car, James considered if he should call his wife, Bev. He knew that she would be very concerned, and would want to be with him at the hospital. He also thought that Candy might be working, and he wasn’t prepared to have them both meet anytime soon. Not only that, he understood that if he didn’t tell Bev now, she would be very upset if she was to find out later. Picking up his phone; he placed a call to his home.

Hello my love, I’m sorry to be calling you this late.  

Are you ok? You don’t sound like yourself. Is everything well with you? she asked, not allowing him to finish his sentence.

Yes, I am fine; I just had a bit of a mishap, nothing to worry about. I will be heading over to the hospital to have it checked out. I will call you when I get there.

Jimmy, are you playing games with me, what happened to you tonight? Is that nurse going to be there? If you are hiding something, I’ll be coming down there with you, Bev said, sounding worried yet somewhat irritated, and more determined to get a straight answer.

Listen, sweetheart, I thought we were beyond that issue, I don’t know who will be at the hospital at this time, but if you feel the need to see for yourself, sure meet me there. I should be there in twenty minutes or so.

I will see you there, she said.

Gathering her coat, she checked on the children, and walked out the door. As she drove towards the hospital, her mind was filled with many thoughts; some wondering as to why James sounded so evasive. At other times, Candy also crossed her mind, and she wondered if he was seeing her. She could not help but remember the first time when she asked him about her, how he reacted and this made her become suspicious.  It didn’t take her very long before she arrived at the hospital. Rushing through the doors, she saw him being attended to while sitting on a chair. She became frightened when she noticed the nurse bandaging his arm, and as she rushed to his side, she looked at the nurse in attendance. She didn’t know Candy so her face became rigid until she saw the name on the nurse’s outfit; it wasn’t her. Once she saw the name, she relaxed, smiled, and turned to face James, held onto his arm, and with tears in her eyes, pulled him close.

What happened to you, were you in some sort of fight, were you shot? Why didn’t you tell me that you were hurt? You got me so worried that I was beginning to think the worse.

Slightly pulling away from the nurse, he held onto the wounded arm and turned towards her.

It’s just a flesh wound, nothing to worry about my love. I was stabbed while investigating a group of guys, and I didn’t want to frighten you, but here you are. Why don’t you go on home, I will be home in a little while as I have to go down to the station, and complete my report?

After looking in the nurse’s face, she said, Nurse, how badly hurt is he?

Placing a hand on her shoulder, June smiled and said, Like your husband said, it’s not too bad, had it been deeper, and then he might have had a more serious issue. He will be fine after a few stitches, don’t worry too much.

With that, June stepped away and left them alone for a few minutes.

Jimmy, I must tell you that coming down here, I was upset, thinking about you and that nurse that kept calling you. I even wondered if this was a ploy for you to come here to see her. I am sorry for second guessing you.

My dear, you don’t need to apologize, I do understand how you feel. Trust me, and there isn’t anything for you to worry about. I will see you at home later, he replied as he began to walk her through the hospital doors.

After returning to have his arm stitched up, he noticed how Nurse June began to softly rub it down. After a few strokes, he held onto her hand, and looked at her and smiled; they didn’t need to say a word; they both understood. She couldn’t help herself; she had heard a lot about him through Candy, and thought that he was an exciting person to be with. It was her intention to start flirting with him however before she could, his wife had walked into the room. While she felt disappointed, she couldn’t afford for Bev to know that; she saw the way she looked at her when she walked into the room.

Just my bad timing to have her come by and watching over her husband, she thought.

Nurse June was a young widow; her late husband was killed in a car accident, and while she vowed never to remarry, she still had the urge to be with someone. She was only thirty nine years old, and like Candy; she was childless and lived alone. She was also very particular as to the kind of person who she was attracted to; he had to be tall, attractive, and was a man who looked like he was always in control. From the stories told by Candy, James was her kind of man but she also knew that she would be competing with others; especially Candy who was her superior. She would have to think this through very carefully.

Once he was cleared to leave, James threw his coat over one shoulder, and soon walked towards the exit doors. As he passed by the nurses’ center, he could feel the eyes of all the ladies there, following him and he smiled. Outside, the night felt cool on his wounded arm, and pulling his damaged coat around him, he looked to the sky and gave a sigh of relief.

I was lucky tonight, he thought.

As he drove back to the precinct, once again James thought about the dangers of working the streets. Yet he remained conflicted, if he was to accept a sergeant’s position, it would be much safer, but he also enjoyed the streets. He knew that he had a decision to make, and he had to do that very soon as Bev would not allow him to forget.

At the station, several officers gathered around him as he told his story to Sgt. Harris. Many of them appeared shocked knowing that he got hurt. He was known as the one who was always a step ahead of the criminals. He could anticipate their actions, and outsmart them. Some of the officers were beginning to think that, maybe he was getting slow. They were just not brave enough to say that to his face; but not Sgt. Harris.

Behind closed doors, Sgt. Harris took one look at him, and cleared his throat.

Don’t you think it’s time for you to consider accepting the sergeant’s role? Maybe you have been too long on the streets, and you are losing your.

Before he could finish the sentence, James shook his head and looked at him in a very stern way.

Hell no, I am not, you know better than that. There were several guys there, and I must have been focused on the wrong guy. Tell you what? I will make a decision about it within the next month or so. How is that, is that fair? Furthermore, Bev surely will be on my case about it too.

Ok, take a few days off until the arm feels better then we will talk again. Is that good enough?

That’s fair, I will complete the report and leave it on your desk later, he replied as he walked out the door.

For a moment, Paul stood and watched him as he slid behind his desk. I have known you for a long time, and would be sad to see anything bad become of you. We both know that your sister-in-law would never let me forget.

Looking around the room, James saw the faces of the young officers, and he had a flask-back to the day he first joined the force. He was just finding himself, and wanted to be somebody rather than just bumming around like some of his old friends. Back then, he had so many questions about life and the job. Fortunately for him, there was one officer that took him under his wings; Officer Mike Jackson. In him, Mike saw the eagerness and the motivation. He encouraged him to be the best that he could be as a Police Officer. Many times after work ended, they could be seen in long conversations, and others wondered what they could be talking about. Unlike others, Mike was happy to share his experience with him and anyone else. Over the years, they shared a special bond that was more like a father and son relationship.

James chuckled as he recalled a time when Mike had taken him to bar, and a drunkard wanted to have a drink with them. When they refused, the man tried to pick a fight with them. As James stepped in front of man; willing to take him on, Mike wouldn’t have any of that. Instead, he stood his ground and faced the man. When the drunkard rushed him, he simply stepped aside, and watched him fall. Picking him up by the ear, Mike then led him out of the bar, and with a swift kick to the rear, sent him flying.

Turning around, he said to James; There are many ways to deal with people; often times, you just let them beat themselves up. You don’t have to take on everyone who might want to test you.

That was just one of the many lessons that Mike taught him during their time together. During their many chats, he learnt what it meant to be responsible, and so he came to appreciate him even more. Their relationship remained strong until one fateful night. Mike had gone undercover in an attempt to arrest a known criminal involved in smuggling drugs and underage children. On that night, he was supposed to have three other officers as backup but regrettably, at the last minute, two of them were unable to make it. With no other available officers, they decided to go ahead with the take-down as planned. At the agreed meeting place, Mike met with the head of the gang with plans to purchase drugs. As they were about to exchange the goods for cash, a car appeared with several men with guns blazing. Mike was caught in the cross-fire, and he and the gang leader were both killed. It was later determined that the shooting was a result of the turf war between the two gangs, and Mike became a casualty of it.

The news of Mike’s death was devastating to everyone especially James as he felt that he had not only lost a comrade, but also, a father figure. It took him several months to get over it, and eventually he came to accept that he was gone. He then became determined to follow in his foot-steps, if for no other reason than to avenge his murder. For the next while, he buried himself in his job, and often walked the streets in the hope of learning something about Mike’s killing. He just could not find the right person to give him any lead. All of them were unable to give him what he desperately needed. While at times he became frustrated, he wasn’t willing to give up; Mike meant too much to him for him to stop searching. He would arrest one criminal after another for various crimes, while hoping that they would provide some information about Mike. Whenever he questioned them about any knowledge of past shooting, each person would play dumb and deaf. While at times, it appeared as if he was hitting his head against a brick wall, he was determined to get some answers.

Five months after Mike’s passing, he was walking the beat down on Denver Road late one evening. There he came upon a homeless man sitting over a vent on the sidewalk. Going over to him, he offered him a cup of coffee and a snack which he gladly accepted. For the next few minutes both men talked as if they were old friends with James trying to understand why he was living on the streets and how he was coping.

So tell me something, how do you survive on the streets? Aren’t you afraid of being assaulted? How is that you came to living like this? By the way, what’s your name?

The man looked at him and with a soft voice said, I am Gary and no, I don’t mind being on the street. Ah, I tell you, I found myself here as I could no longer find a place that I could pay for. With the cost of rent and food, there was no way that I could afford those things since I was not working. I do see a lot of things but I have leaned to mind my own business.

Gary, what kind of things have you seen down here, care to tell me?

Officer, there is always some sort of fighting between groups of guys down here but like I said, I just stay out of the way.

Ok, have you ever heard about a past shooting involving a Policeman, and would you tell me if you did?

Sure, you have been kind to me. You are one of the few people who have taken the time to stop, and give me something to eat much less talk with me. As of now, I haven’t heard anything of that sort. If I hear anything, I would be happy to let you know. Was this man a friend of yours?

He was much more than that; anyway do let me know if you hear anything. I will be back down here in two days and I will check in on you, he said as he turned to walk away.

As James walked away, a shady figure emerged from the dark ally, and began to stroll towards Gary. With a cap pulled down on his face, he approached him from behind with a knife in his right hand and called out to him.

Old man, why were you chatting with that copper, were you snitching on us down here? asked the stranger.

No way, he just saw me lying here, and decided to get me a coffee and something to eat. He just wanted to know why I was homeless, nothing else, I swear to you. I was just minding my own business, nothing more.

Ok, make sure that you keep your mouth shut otherwise I will be back. Just remember, you can’t hide from us as we are all around you, said the man as he brandished the knife.

Believing that he had scared the homeless man; the hoodlum briskly disappeared back down the dark alley. Gary, with fear in his eyes, gathered his belongings, and began to walk in the opposite direction. Soon he caught up with James who had stopped along his beat to speak with other people on the street.

Just then James turned and saw him hurrying towards him.

Gary, what happened, why do you seem so frightened?

Officer, just after you left, a guy came over to me with a knife, and threatened me for talking with you. He said if I talk with you, he would be back and furthermore, there others around who are watching me too. He got me real scared so I had to move from that spot.

Take a deep breath, and tell me what this person looks like, and if you remember how he was dressed. I will have him picked up in no time.

He soon settled down, and was able to provide a reasonable good description of this strange person. James called it in and a squad car was dispatched in the hope of picking up the man.

Gary, why don’t let me take you to the shelter, this is no place for you to be staying; it’s not safe for you.

Thanks you, but that’s not a safe place for me either. I have been robbed several times while staying there and I just can’t go back there, he said.

Ok, I will put you in a motel for the night then you will have to consider trying the something else.

With that in mind, both of them went to the nearest motel where James paid for a night’s stay. Once Gary was settled in, he left with the intention of following up on finding the hoodlum.

Two days later, the Police picked up the man, and brought him to the station for questioning. Unbeknownst to James, he was about to come face to face with a man that would once again change his life. During the interview, the suspect said something that caused him to pause, and try to think before he responded.

I once knew an officer named Mike Jackson, did you by any chance know him? asked the man.

While trying to hide his anger, James turned, and looked directly at him.

Where did you hear that name, and what do you know about him? Do you care to tell exactly what you know about this officer? If you are you playing games with me I can promise that I will make your life very uncomfortable from now on.

Well, I know that he was killed some time ago, and there is some talk on the street about it. I can’t say what it’s about though, unless we can make a deal, replied the man.

Were you there when the shooting occurred? If I find out that you were part of it, I will make your life a living hell. Is that why you were trying to frighten the homeless man on the street a few nights ago?

No way man, ok I did speak with him as I saw him    chatting with you, and we don’t like to see these guys talking with the fuzz. I didn’t mean anything; I only wanted to scare him, nothing else.

"Well, let me tell you, you did get to him, and because of that, here you are about to be charged with threatening.