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cheek.
    The blows came in slow, measured succession. They weren’t really trying to damage him, just make it hurt while having a bit of fun. Each hardguy took a turn, planting a kick in his ribs or a punch to his gut. The blows started to merge into one series of painful flashes when he heard one of his attackers scream out in pain. The beating ceased, the shuffle of feet replacing the sickening thuds of fists on flesh.
    “What the hell’s going on here?” yelled a female voice infused with a steel-edged air of authority. It took Bridge a moment to recover his senses enough to recognize the voice. Silence followed her initial question. “I asked you what’s going on here. Now am I going to get an answer or do I have to haul you all in?”
    Bridge opened his eyes and peered up at Gina Danton, CLED hardass. Danton stood about 6’, her blonde hair pulled into a tight bun underneath the CLED cap. She was a looker, though Bridge always thought she was the kind who didn’t know just how good she looked. She seemed more concerned with proving how big of a badass she could be. But unlike most of the assholes CLED had hired from the old LAPD ranks, Danton was fair. She wasn’t out to bust someone’s ass just because she could. He was also never happier to see her in his life.
    He spat a wad of bloody phlegm on the ground. “Officer Danton, you’re looking lovely tonight.”
    “That’s Patrolman Danton to you. Bridge, did I just interrupt a beatdown?” She offered a hand to the fallen man. “Stand up and stop staring at my ass.” He grabbed her hand. She pulled him up with surprising strength.
    “Me? A beatdown? Who would want to administer a beatdown to someone as charming and effervescent as me?” Bridge wobbled a bit but maintained his balance. “I merely slipped and fell into a pack of rabid alley rats, and these gentlemen were kind enough to chase them off of me. Rats are filthy bastards, you know, diseases and all.”
    man" co#000">“Uh huh,” Danton replied. “That what happened, Aristotle?” The black man shrugged and nodded sheepishly.
    “He’s a rather maladroit bumbler,” was all the bodyguard would say. Bridge huffed loudly, checking his body for significant damage. There appeared to be no breaks, but he was going to be bruised for a month.
    She scoffed sourly. “That’s how it’s gonna be, then? Do I look stupid to you? How about you, boys? I look that stupid to you?”
    Nicky put on his slimiest grin. “No, chere, you look like a lady deserves a fine meal and some sweet talkin’.” He oozed. Bridge grinned painfully to himself. Trying that approach with her was likely to get Nicky a smack.
    “Put it back in your pants, Casanova,” Danton shot back. “I ain’t one of your Barbie dolls. Why were your boys pounding on Bridge here?” Their silence infuriated her more. “Bridge, it doesn’t have to go down like this. You say the word, and I’ll haul ‘em in for assault and battery. Go through their pockets, look for illegal guns, drugs, whatever.”
    “No charges, Patrolman Danton. It’s all good.” She scowled again.
    Turning quickly on Sharver, her anger was a cool fist wrapped in iron. “Fine. You and your boys get the fuck out of here before I decide to search you just on GP. Do not let me see you around here again tonight.” She emphasized the point with sharp jabs of her billy club towards Nicky.
    “Nice ta meetcha, Patrolman Danton,” Nicky said with a shark-toothed grin. “Bridge, we’ll speak another time.” His boys formed a cordon surrounding him as they walked out of the alley.
    “What the fuck was that about, Bridge?” Danton spat as she whirled on Bridge. “I could have had him up on enough to give me a warrant on his place. And we both know that would have turned up a gold mine.”
    Bridge knew it all too well. He knew that she was too honest to trump up a reason to search Nicky’s place by planting evidence. And Bridge knew that if Nicky did get nicked