The Killer Within by Jason Kahn Page A

ecstasy labs had stumbled across a drug that left the user completely susceptible to suggestion. A little slipped into a drink, a few simple instructions, and the poor sucker would unknowingly do whatever anyone told them, no matter how long it took for the instructions to be carried out.
    Naturally, Hector used it to create killers and knock off all the other crime families. The sleepers were picked at random, with nothing in common. It could be a neighbor, a friend, or some girl named Tracy Betts.
    “Seems like it,” Frank said. “It was an assistant manager, the manager said she’d been to the room several times without incident before she pulled a gun and whacked everybody.”
    “And you’re sniffing around the case because. .?” Page 3
    Frank scowled. “Goddamn task force is taking all the good cases,” he groused. “I’ve been on the job too long to be a meter maid.”
    Vera didn’t answer. Everyone in the squad knew that when the Inter-Agency Task Force on Crime in Metro City formed eight months ago, they had passed Frank over. A decorated cop with years investigating narcotics and homicides, Frank hadn’t taken it well.
    Vera changed the subject. “How are the kids, Frank?”A rare smile lit his face. “Good. Josh won his soccer game over the weekend and Kim can count all the way up to twenty now,” he said.
    “That’s great, when do you get them again?” The smile died. “Settlement says I get them on the weekends, she gets them during the week.” Frank never referred to his ex by name.
    “Any sleep-overs yet?”
    The scowl returned. “ She won’t let them. Doesn’t like the neighborhood I moved into. Like between my salary and the alimony I shell out I can afford anything better.” That brought Frank’s thoughts inevitably back to the subject that continued to gnaw at him.
    “If I could just clear one big case, then Judge Browers would have to put me on the task force,” he said. “Then maybe I could turn things around.” William Browers was the federal judge who put the task force together. He had the political clout to do it, bringing in feds, secret service, and select members of the MCPD. Since the task force had started cracking down, Judge Browers became the most hated man in the Metro City underworld.
    “You’re just going to piss more people off, Frank,” Vera said. She didn’t mention that one of those people was Lieutenant Burke, their boss, or that was the reason Frank had been passed over in the first place.
    He ignored the remark. “Something big’s coming, Vera,” he said. “This is the third sleeper hit in the past month. Hector’s wiping out the competition, he doesn’t want anybody else horning in on whatever he’s got planned.”

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    “And you know this how?”
    “My usual sources.” Over the years, Frank had developed an extensive informant network of snitches and low-level criminals.
    “And why haven’t you told me any of this?”
    “So you won’t get in trouble with Burke. Besides, I’m telling you now.”
    Vera pursed her lips. “Thanks for keeping me informed.”
    “Before we go back to the station, let’s head over to Gallant Street, by the Superstore.” Vera raised an eyebrow. The “Superstore” was a block where small-time dealers hung out, trawling for customers. “Why do you want to go there?” Frank smiled. “For information,” he said. “Just do it.” Vera shook her head, but she nonetheless turned east toward Gallant.
    Minutes passed in silence as they left the hotel district and entered the more run-down areas of Metro City, boarded up windows and burnt out cars up on blocks. “How’d it go last night, anyway?”
    “How’d what go?” Frank asked with a straight face. “Frank, don’t play coy, you’re not good at it,” Vera said. “How’d your date go with that leggy redhead from the secretary pool?”
    Frank coughed to hide his embarrassment. He’d tried to keep his first date since his divorce a secret,