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Chapter Fifty-one
He waited for Ryan to come back to the work station and then started in on him. “You have a patient, name of Kroller, who was admitted earlier tonight.”
“Okay.”
“He was shot. I need his room number.”
“Are you asking in your official capacity?”
Sloan realized that Ryan hadn’t heard about him stepping down to take over the garage and so he nodded. “Of course. I just ran into one of his sidekicks in the restaurant and then I saw the news. He’s here. I need to check on him.”
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told the city cops. He’s not able to answer any questions, bro. The guy’s mortally wounded. We’re not sure he’ll last the night.”
“Who brought him in?”
“An ambulance was called to the scene right after the incident. Kroller’d just stepped out of the restaurant, him and his bodyguards. One is dead, another wounded and the other was waiting in the car. He’s fine. There was a man walking his dog. Dog’s fine. The dog-walker’s deceased. Crazy-assed shit, man. Here in Honolulu? Are you kidding me? It’s supposed to be the safest playground in the world. We can’t be having these kinds of incidents before people decide it’s not so great after all. Then where will we be with no tourism?”
“Calm down, bro. As long as we have the ocean, warm weather and friendly service, people will always come. Look, have the police set up a guard by his room?”
“Shit, man, yeah he’s got police protection, plus his own guy’s there too. I’d say he’s been looked after better than he deserves if the rumors he’s a trafficker is true.”
“Judge not, my friend.” Sloan patted Ryan’s arm.
“Fuck that, bro. I just hope they keep their gang wars outta this hospital.” A bell buzzed on the desk computer and Ryan rushed off.
While he was gone, Sloan bent over the screen and found the information he’d requested. Kroller was on this floor. He headed in the same direction that Ryan had disappeared to moments earlier. Very few staff were visible in the equipment-filled corridor, nor were visitors. The quiet was eerie.
When Sloan approached the room, an officer was slouched in a chair outside in the hall. He was half asleep.
“Hey, Pat. How’re you?” Sloan was glad he recognized the younger cop as someone he’d worked with before.
Pat stretched his lean form, sat further up in the chair and grinned his welcome. “Hey, Agent Sloan. What’s up?”
“Just found out about Kroller. It’s all over the news. Were you there at the scene?”
“My partner and I were the first responders. It was a bloodbath, man. Two people killed. One an innocent bystander. And Kroller’s barely holding on from what I overheard the doc tell the nurse just now when he gave him instructions. This guy’s been on our radar for a long time.”
“I know. He’s a bad one.”
“We’ve attributed more drugs brought to the island by him than the rest of the sources put together.” The cop leaned forward to clasp his hands between his knees and he glanced up. “Mind you, there’s another prick who’s making moves to take over, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this wasn’t a bid to do so. Kill the gang boss and move in on the territory.”
“No doubt. Have you heard the names Joey or Roger – no last names – being connected to the red Camaro that CNN reported was seen at the shooting?”
“No, sir.”
Suddenly, the door burst open and Tadeo rushed out, his face contorted with grief. He didn’t even see Sloan. Or the cop. He was in too big of a hurry.
Ryan followed behind him into the corridor, his hand raised as if to protest but he dropped it as soon as Tadeo turned the corner.
Sloan knew something was up, and he was right when Ryan signalled that Kroller had died by shaking his head.
“Dan, do you have a squad car here?”
“Yeah, sure. Why?”
“No time for questions. Either give me your keys, or let’s go. We have to follow Tadeo. He’s second-in-command to Kroller, and his boss’s just died. I believe he’s after retaliation for the assassination.”
Not too stupid, Pat kept up with Sloan as they rushed the elevators, pounding the lit button frustratingly. Sloan had his cell phone in his hand and was passing on his information to the FBI’s SWAT team’s leader on shift at the bureau. “There’s going to be trouble, Henry. I’m at the hospital and John Kroller just died. His long-time body guard, Tadeo Kealoha, just shot outta here with a look of revenge plastered over his ugly face.”
