Chapter 11

                                    

                                          
Dally's POV 
                          
I opened my eyes and sat up.  I was in my bed, but what the hell happened last night.  The pounding headache and queasiness was a for sure sign that I had gotten wasted last night.
                          
I pulled out a beer and popped the top.  "Hair of the dog, Winston?"
                          
I noticed Shepard sitting at the bar, "whaddya want Shepard?"
                          
"Next time," he jabbed his finger in my chest, "you call a council...I ain't runnin' it cause you was drunk!"
                          
I took another drink, "what was decided?" I ignored his comment altogether.  He woulda been the same way if it was one of his gang.
                          
"Can't do nothing til Baby Curtis wakes up?"  Tim grabbed a beer too, "Miller knows somethin' though."
                          
"I got that feelin' too."  I slammed the rest of beer, "I'm heading back to the hospital."  Tim shook my hand and I headed out the door.
                          
I got a block away from Buck's when a cop car pulled up beside, "Officer Schroeder, what do I owe the pleasure?"
                          
"We're takin' you down for questioning."
                          
Normally, I'd go with em, waste their time an' leave, but I had places to be, "not today," I lit a smoke, "got places to be."
                          
"Winston, don't fuck around.  We know you know something about the attack on the Curtis girl."  Schroeder pulled out his handcuffs, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way."
                          
"How could I know somethin' bout that?!"  I paused, "she awake?"
                          
"What's it to ya? Goin' back to finish what your low life punks couldn't."
                          
The other officer step forward, "she's awake.  You know anyone by the name Ryan?"
                          
I just about shit right there, but instead, I shook my head, "never heard of him.  Now if you boys excuse me, I gotta little girl to go see."
                          
Schroeder tried to grab me, but the other officer stopped him.  I bolted down the street and ran the entire way to the hospital.  
                          
Phaedra was leaning against Ponyboy when I ran in, "the police just tried to pick me up! What did you tell them?"
                          
"I told them what happened."  She whispered.
                          
"What the fuck happened? They wanted to haul me in."  I was furious and I wanted answers.
                          
"I...I'm sorry Dal.  The guys that beat me up wanted you.  I told em I didn't know you, but they saw you go into the house.   I never told them I knew you.  The one guy cut my face and said to tell you that Ryan Wallace is lookin' for ya."  Phaedra started crying.  
                          
Some nurse came in, "alright, she's had enough upset for today! Her vitals are concerning the docs!"  She put some medication in Phae's IV.  It didn't take long for Phae to drift off.
                          
Soda's POV 
                          
Dallas was obviously shook up when Phae said the name 'Ryan Wallace' but he covered it quickly, "Who is that Dally?" I asked softly.  It was better if I talked to him because Darry looked like he was about to explode and the last thing we needed was those two stubborn hot heads going at it.
                          
"I'm goin' for a smoke," he looked at me,  "you comin' Sodapop."
                          
Pony was trying to get out of the hospital bed to come with us, but Phaedra was basically dead weight.  Darry and I gently sat her up, she whimpered slightly, but rolled on her side once we laid her back down.
                          
We walked into the courtyard.  I had a brief flashback to Steve kissing me, but I couldn't think about that now.  Darry leaned against the side of the building, "start talkin' Winston."  Dare was doing anything he could to not lose it.
                          
"Back in New York there were four main gangs...I ran with the Pythons.  The others were the Rattlesnakes, the Vipers and the Red Devils.  Ryan Wallace ran the Devils.  He was dangerous.  Manipulative, he was real good at gettin' others to do his dirty work."  He lit up a cigarette.
                          
"Wallace was always on a power trip.  There a couple rival gangs that he wanted to control...ya know just cause he could." He took a long drag, "I bet one of the other guys with him is Alec Kingsley.  He was always shady.  He was with the Rattlesnakes, 2nd in command, always thought he should be #1.  If Alec is with him, then Nathan Bartlet is here too.  He was one of the lower guys with the Vipers."
                          
"What the fuck does all this have to do with Phaedra?" Pony yelled in Dal face.  For a second, I thought Pony was gonna swing on him.
                          
I grabbed him, "Pone, calm down."
                          
"He wants me!" Dally screamed back, but he's a goddamm pussy so he tried to intimidate a girl!  Hell, he probably wants all of us.
                          
"This doesn't make sense." Darry  stepped forward, "what would he want with gangs in Tulsa?"
                          
"Middlemen.  Drug runners.  I bet he's got connections in Chicago, New Orleans, Miami, Memphis.  Hell he's probably got people all the way to California."  Dally must have noticed our faces, "heroine, cocaine, LSD, Molly's....ya know how much dough you can bring in?"
                          
"It would be more money than any of us could make in a month," I spoke up, "doing one or two runs."
                          
"One of you finally gets it," he seemed relieved, yet frustrated cause we didn't get it right away, "but in order for him to have total control, he's gonna want me, Shepard, Jenson, you.  Shepard thinks he already has Miller in his pocket."  Dal lit another cigarette, "he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants."