Chapter 3
“I keep running and running to catch a clue”
I walked Manehattan’s streets for a while. My mind was more focused on this case than it was in a long time. Vegas’ confession narrowed down the list of suspects. I knew if I wanted to find out answers for my mother’s death I was going to need to track down this drug circuit.
Celestia’s sun was just starting to rise on the horizon when I arrived at the meeting spot. I saw her playing her cello under a gazebo in Central Park. Her violet eyes were closed in concentration as she played her piece. I walked to her and spoke ,“This time it’s Clopin, I believe.”
“You’re getting better,” Octavia said, as she stopped playing her cello and looked at me. “It’s good to see you again, Private.”
“I wish it was under better circumstances, Octavia,” I said simply.
She put her cello back in its case. “I trust you need my help with something. Your call was rather urgent.”
“I need you to help me track down a drug dealer,” I explained.
“You know I don’t deal in drugs,” she said, looking at me. “It’s a messy business and too many ponies get hurt.”
“I know, but you are the only pony I know who can get in the inner circles of gangs,” I said firmly. “I need your help, Octavia.”
“Who do you need to find?” She said, after closing her case.
“Griffon by the name of Talonbreak,” I answered. “He’s supposed to have ties to the Disciples of Discord.”
“I know of him,” she turned her ashen grey head to me. “He was scum even before he arrived here after the Griffon Wars. The only one who would know where he is would be Grimwing.”
“How would Grimwing know where he is?” I asked.
“Talonbreak used to work for him.”
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“So, yer sayin Talonbreak’s got somethin tah do with your mama’s death?” Grimwing asked as he sat opposite me. Octavia and I managed to track him down at the Prancing Dragon. Never thought I’d be here again after the whole Fashion Week Fiasco. The Griffon mob boss closed his yellow eyes. “I warned him not tah get involved with some crazy cult.”
“What can you tell me about Talonbreak?” I asked, pulling out my trusty notebook.
“Bout fifteen years ago he was a Soldato one of mah boys recruited off the streets. Smooth talker, real slick, and a tough fighter. Never much one fer brains though, he ran some rackets in Fillydelphia before he caught wind about mageth,” Grimwing shook his head. “He heard that some cult was willin tah buy the stuff for a hell of a lot of bits.”
“How’d he get his supply?” Octavia asked. “It’s not like you can just go to the store and buy the stuff.”
“He heard that the army was getting rid of the stuff after the Griffon Wars,” Grimwing said knowingly. “Mostly it was the kind doctors would use to keep patients from going nuts during surgery.”
Based on some of the stories I’ve heard about the Griffon wars I can imagine why many would turn to the stuff. The Griffon Kingdoms were filled with mountains and dense forests filled with all manner of evil creatures. You were lucky if you got out with just a leg lost.
“So one of mah boys hears that the army was planning on dumping the stuff on some island and burning it all,” Grimwing said. “That way nopony would know about the drugs and come looking for it. It was a good plan; sadly, it didn’t work out too well.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Talonbreak got together with his cult buddies and they knocked out everypony on board. They took the mageth and all manner of other drugs. Twelve out of the fifteen ships had their cargo taken. Two made it to their destination and presumed the other ships lost at sea. Only one made it back home…”
“The Love of Luna,” I said knowingly.
“How did ya guess?” Grimwing asked.
“That was the ship where Big Wig and those officers got their drugs. The officers were all army buddies and thought they could make a quick buck with the mageth. I stopped their little scheme though, three years ago.”
“Good thing ya did,” Grimwing said, with a nod of his black head. “If there’s one business ya don’t wanna get into its drugs. Too many problems with junkies and complications to worry about, as well as detectives hunting ya down to stop yer fix.”
“So, do you know what happened to the mageth?” Octavia asked.
“Talonbreak made quite a buck off it. He runs some joints downtown as a front for his business. He quit the family shortly after making it big. I think I know where to start looking fer the bastard.”
“Grimwing, you don’t need to come with,” I said simply. “You don’t owe me anymore.”
“Maybe I don’t owe ya,” Grimwing said, pointing his claw at me, “but after this, you will owe me. It’s always good to have favors, Private, on both sides of the law”
“Just know,” I said firmly, “this doesn’t change the fact I will bring you in someday.”
He smirked, “I look forward to the day when ya try.”
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Talonbreak, a rather large griffon with a white head and brown wings, was yelling at his men. “Be careful with the merchandise!” His shout echoed in the warehouse. “That stuff is worth more than all of you put together.”
The other griffons groaned at this. They’ve had to put up with this jerk telling them what to do all week; but they were getting paid so it didn’t matter to them.
That’s when the warehouse door opened and Grimwing, Octavia, me and two other griffons walked in fully armed. Talonbreak saw us and ordered his men to open fire. The griffons started shooting at us and we ducked behind crates for cover.
I shouted at Grimwing, “You get your griffons to the scaffolding and rain hell down below! I’ll cover you!”
“Don’t need tah tell me twice” Grimwing said as he flapped his enormous wings while carrying an assault rifle in his claws. He turned to his two griffons “Graf! Clawmons! Ya two go up topside!”
The two griffons that were beside Grimwing nodded and flew up to the scaffolding. They began raining bullets on the enemy griffons. Two got shot in the wings and fell down like rocks. Grimwing swopped down and grabbed one of the griffons with his claws and slammed the screeching griffon into a wall.
The Griffon tried to head-butt the mob boss but missed and got himself stabbed in the skull with Grimwing’s metal beak tip. As I hid behind cover I shuddered as I recalled how gruesome Grimwing can be. I’d have to think about that when I do have to face him one day. Right now I should focus on the straggler griffon. I aimed Blackbird at the other fallen griffon and shot him in his other wing. That should keep him grounded.
Octavia looked up as a griffon swooped down on her. She dodged his claws and reached into her black suit jacket and pulled out her bow. She shook it and it folded inversely into a blade. She clashed it with the griffon’s claws and gave it a swift buck to it’s beak. The griffon screeched in pain before being cut across the chest by another slash of Octavia’s blade.
Octavia then hit the griffon upside the head with the flat of her blade. My straggler tried to pull out a pistol and shoot her but received a shot in the claw by yours truly. I smiled at the ashen mare “Pretty chivalrous huh?”
She smirked as she knocked out my straggler with a swift buck to the face “It’s not dead; it’s just gotten better at hiding”
I saw Talonbreak attempting to escape in the chaos. I aimed Blackbird and shot the griffon in the wing. Talonbreak screeched and crashed into a nearby wall. The last of the griffons were shot down by Grimwing’s men. I used my magic to pin the drug dealer down as Grimwing advanced on Talonbreak.
Grimwing grabbed the other griffon in his claws and lifted him up several feet off the ground. Grimwing’s yellow eyes glared at Talonbreak “Ya’ve gotten careless in yer success Talonbreak. It’s sickening tah see slime like you runnin around like ya own the place.”
“Look we can talk this out, Grimwing!” Talonbreak pleaded. “I can give you a cut! Any amount you say, I’ll get you!”
“Ya really think me that disgusting?” Grimwing asked with a small smirk. “Ya certainly aren’t one fer brains.”
“What do you want then?” Talonbreak asked trying to sound braver then he probably was.
“Answers,” I said, while walking towards the griffon. “I want to know about a certain cult you work with.”
“You know about that,” Talonbreak asked as Grimwing let him go. Both of Grimwing’s men kept their guns trained on Talonbreak should he try to make a break for it.
“You would need somewhere to sell the drugs once you hid them,” I said knowingly. “Where were you selling them?”
“I ain’t telling you shi-“
Grimwing cut him off by clawing the griffon on the wing. The mob boss kept his yellow glare on him “Ya better start singin before I decide I want tah use yer wings as a scratchin post” His claws drew blood on Talonbreak to drive home the point.
Talonbreak shrieked again and finally caved to the pain “All right! I got a joint runnin in the local prostitution rings. The
girls sometimes need a little incentive to give themselves up fer a night”
Octavia made a noticeable glare at Talonbreak for his comment. I ignored it and spoke, “Who’s the one selling your drugs?”
“The gal who owns the place, she’s about as old as mah mama and not nearly as friendly”
“Do you remember her name?” I asked.
“Doll by the name of Corset, I believe. I met her back when she was small time. Now she runs a cat house down in some alley in Midtown. It's called Plot of Heaven.”
I nodded and looked at Grimwing. “Tie him up and send an anonymous tip to Shinebadge. The drugs here are enough for Vice to get him”
“Yer doin this so I don’t get busted, huh?” Grimwing smiled a little. “Yer alright, detective. Yer alright.”
Octavia looked over at me as Grimwing and his men went to work. “I know where the place is. Not exactly a place I’d want to go to, but I can give you the address.” We began to walk out side by side. “Detective, you better be careful in there.”
“I’m well aware, Octavia,” I said solemnly, “but now that I know where the drugs were being sold, maybe I can find out how they connect to mom,”
“By your tone you don’t sound as convicted about this as you want.”
“Who’s the detective here?” I asked, looking over at her.
“I have other business to attend to” Octavia explained “Good luck on your quest” She wrote down the address on a small sheet of paper. She looked at me. “The password to enter on there as well.”
I nodded and slipped the piece of paper into my trench coat. “Dare I ask how you know about this place?”
Octavia closed her violet eyes and just walked out, picking up her bow sword along the way. “Let’s just say my mother used to do a lot more than sing.”
I just watch her leave for about a minute. I wonder, if her mother never died in that alley would she have been the same mare…?
If your mother never died, what could have been?
What could have been…?
I walked the streets of Manehattan as my thoughts turned elsewhere…
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10 years ago…
“And in nine months a foal is born” My father said as I sat in front of him. We were in the lounge of our mansion having one of the strangest conversations I’ve ever had. This teaches me to ask dad what Raiden was talking about when Mom was discovered to have been pregnant.
I looked down awkwardly, my fourteen year old mind trying to comprehend all of this. “It sounds so…messy.”
My father let out a breath of relief at having that conversation over with. “Now you know where your baby brother is coming from.”
“Mom’s going to get hurt a lot when she has him?” I asked, looking up at Dad.
He met his blue eyes with my grey ones. “Son, your mother is one of the strongest women I know.”
I saw Mom enter the room She motioned for me to be quiet, as she began quietly sneaking up on dad. So engrossed was my father in his praise of my mother he didn’t notice her sneaking around behind the couch.
“She’s had to deal with taking care of all of her brothers and sisters. She’s had to face being poor and a Pegasus back when both were looked down upon here in Manehattan. Yet she did it all with a strong and brave heart. She handled having you; she can face having your brother”.
“Well, aren’t you just the sweetest stallion?” my mother said from behind my father.
Dad almost leapt out of his skin, and fell out of the seat he was in. Both mom and I laughed as dad got up and dusted himself off. My mother smiled warmly, “Now we know where Preventus gets his jumpiness from,”
“Funny,” Dad said, looking at his wife. “We can also see where he gets his habit of sneaking around everywhere.”
“Oh, you love it when I surprise you and you know it,” Mom teased.
“That I do,” Dad said, smiling. He then looked at me. “Preventus could you excuse us for a few minutes?”
I was about to leave but then I looked at mom. Her blue body had a swell on her belly. It was only few months ago since this whole baby talk started. I was going to be a big brother, and all they ever talked about was that little brother coming along.
My mom blinked her grey eyes then walked to me; they were showing concern “Preventus, are you alright?”
I sat on my haunches and sighed. “It’s just; I know you guys are going to talk about the new foal.”
My mother looked over at my father and he showed equal concern. My dad looked down at me, “Preventus, I know it seems like we aren’t paying as much attention to you, but we still love you as much as this new child.”
My mother nuzzled me on the head. “You’re going to be a big brother, Preventus. The little one will look up to you. All three of us will raise this foal together.”
My father bent down and nuzzled me as well. “We won’t forget about you, Preventus, count on that…”
“You guys are right,” I said looking up at them. “I’ll give you guys some time.”
I began to walk out of the room “Oh Dad!” I said, turning back quickly. “You’ll come in for family appreciation day next month, right?”
“Don’t worry, son, I’ll be there,” my dad assured me. “I’ve already cleared my schedule for that day.”
“Great!” I exclaimed, as I walked out. I closed the door behind me, but I heard my parents talking inside.
“Sparrow, are you okay?” my dad asked, concern evident in his voice. I put my ear to the key hole to listen.
“I’m fine, Irenius,” My mom reassured him. “It’s just this city air; I had to fly home through all the smoke coming out of the factories in the industrial district.”
“I think it’s time you took the idea of maternity leave seriously,” my father said.
“I’m not used to not working, I guess,” my mother admitted. “I had to work at a bridal shop almost 60 hours a week before I met you.”
“You don’t think it harmed the baby, do you?” my father asked worriedly.
“Irenius…” my mother hesitated. “Maybe we need a change in scenery.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Manehattan is our home, but I was thinking maybe it’s not the place to raise a newborn foal, with all this industrial development.”
“You’re suggesting we move?” my father asked.
“Not permanently,” my mother replied. “Just a temporary respite from all of the madness of the city.”
“Where did you have in mind?” my father asked, thoughtfully.
“I was thinking about that little town your brother Slant bought that wonderful zap apple jam from.”
“You’re suggesting Hicksville?” my father asked, dumbfounded.
“It’s a nice little town,” my mother explained. “Our baby will come in the summer and we can get away there for a while”
“Maybe you’re right,” my father agreed. “Ponyville could be a nice country town for Preventus and his new brother to vacation at. I heard that it’s grown quite a bit in the last few years.”
"Thank you," my mother said softly.
"Anything for you my love," dad replied. I heard him walk up to my mother and then I heard them kissing. Ew!
I crept quietly away. Ponyville, huh…?
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Odd…
Had Mom had her baby on time…
I would’ve gone to Ponyville…