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He was leaning over Skunk, grabbing hold of his collar--and he pulled out a knife.
"One wrong move and the dog dies!" the man yelled.As he opened his mouth to speak, she noticed the gaping void where his teeth should have been.
Skunk went to lunge back and attack the man, but Morgan knew if he did that, he'd be dead.
"Skunk, freeze!" Morgan shouted.
Skunk obeyed her command, freezing underneath the man--and his knife--although he still snarled. The man increased his grip on Skunk's collar and gave him a slight yank. Skunk barked, and panic flitted through Morgan.
"Skunk, calm," Morgan said again. Although the Pitbull could clearly sense the danger, he trusted Morgan's leadership and calmed down. "Let my dog go," Morgan demanded, her grip tightening on her gun as she pointed it at the man. "Right now."
"Lower your weapon, and nobody has to get hurt," the man rasped. He seemed unfazed by Skunk's attempts to bite him. "You're the one who broke into my crib, lady."
Morgan hesitated, weighing her options. She didn't trust this man, but she also couldn't risk Skunk getting hurt. It was clear she'd have to play along for now. This man looked nothing like Amos Lorenzo, as Morgan had seen in the files--he looked like a crack addict, but maybe this was just what time and drugs had done to Lorenzo.
"Let the dog go," Morgan warned. "I'm not looking for any trouble. I just want to know where Amos Lorenzo is."
"Then put your damn gun away," the man said, "or the dog here is gonna get a slice through the neck."
Morgan held up her hands, then tucked her gun back into her belt. "There. Look. No weapons, no one has to get hurt, okay? Let the dog go."
The man let out a low chuckle, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You think I'm stupid enough to fall for that, lady? Nice try, but I ain't buying it."
Morgan gritted her teeth, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plan. She couldn't let this guy get away, but she also couldn't risk Skunk's safety. She needed to find a way to distract him, to give her a chance to disarm him.
"Please," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "Just let the dog go. I won't hurt you, I swear."
The man sneered at her, his grip on Skunk's collar tightening. "Yeah, right. I know who you are, lady. You're a fed. I heard you. You think you can just waltz in here like you own the place? Think again."
Morgan's heart sank as she realized there was no reasoning with this man. She was going to have to fight for Skunk's freedom--and for her own life. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves as she watched the man warily.
"I don't care what you're doing in here," Morgan insisted. "I just want you to let my dog go. I won't shoot. I promise. I have enough issues to deal with--shooting a civilian wasn't on my agenda today, and I intend to keep it that way."
The man hesitated, eyeing Morgan and Skunk before finally releasing his grip on the dog's collar. Skunk bolted toward Morgan, his tail between his legs. Morgan reached down to stroke his fur, her eyes still trained on the man.
"Now, who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her tone calm and collected. "And what are you doing here?"
The man smirked, revealing a row of rotted teeth. "Me? I'm just a guy trying to make a living," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And as for what I'm doing here...well, that's none of your damn business, is it?"
Morgan glared at him, her hand still on Skunk's head. "It is my business if it has anything to do with Amos Lorenzo or Mary Jenkins," she said firmly.
"This is about the old man?" he said.
"You know Amos Lorenzo?" she pressed, watching him closely for any hint of a reaction.
"Yeah, I know where that crazy old guy is staying. I can take you to him." He paused, glancing at the gun still in Morgan's belt. "In exchange, you don't tell anyone where I’m crashing.”
Morgan hesitated, weighing her options. She couldn't trust this man, but she needed to find Amos Lorenzo. Biting back her anger at his treatment of Skunk, she nodded her agreement.
"Fine. Take me to him," she said, keeping her tone level.
"Your dog'll be okay," the man muttered, casting an uneasy glance at Skunk. "I didn't hurt him or nothin'."
"Good. Because if you had, we'd be having a very different conversation right now," Morgan replied icily, her eyes never leaving the man's back as they moved through the dilapidated building.
The building was a maze of broken walls, piles of debris, and flickering fluorescent lights. Morgan followed the man's lead, her gun still at the ready in case of trouble. Skunk stayed close to her side, his ears perked up and his tail low.
As they walked, Morgan couldn't help but wonder how this man had ended up here. Was he involved in the murder of Mary Jenkins? Or was he just a low-level criminal trying to survive in a harsh world? She didn't know, but she intended to find out. If he could lead her to Lorenzo, then great--but that didn't mean he was off the hook.
