J. H. McCarthy shows off his new book, Detective for the Innocent

A former New York detective and a loving father is gunned down and killed by the Speed Killers Gang. While in the emergency room, the detective asks his son Jeff to finds who ever shot him and bring him to justice. In spite of his young age Jeff promises his father. Twenty three years later Jeff is now a detective, following in his father’s footsteps, and ready to avenge the unsolved murder of his father and bring the killer to justice.






Going against every police procedure, I went to the seventeenth street address alone. I left David with instructions to call the chief if I didn’t come back by morning. I had to go solo. What if there was an informant in the force? I couldn’t take the risk with Kerry’s life. Maybe Xavier would actually let her go. I parked my car a block from the old factory and walked through the dark alleyways. If the chief knew I was doing this, he would have a heart attack. Right now, it seemed like the best course of action. I adjusted my gun in the holster strapped on over my bullet proof vest and checked my supply of ammunition. I slipped a bit closer, using the shadows as concealment. I scanned the darkness searching for a lookout or a concealed sniper. I was betting on the fact Xavier thought I would bring the police force in with guns blazing to this location.

It took some time, but I snuck into the building through a side entrance. Surprisingly, there was still electricity in the building, but the hallways and many rooms were still dark. Footsteps and voices echoed from somewhere so I stayed in the shadows and listened. Cautiously, I peeked around the corner. Three men wearing ski-masks and carrying assault rifles were gathered in the shadows.

“When are the pigs showing up?” asked one of them.

Another guy replied, “Who knows...when they do, they’re in for a surprise!”

My suspicions of an ambush were confirmed beyond a doubt. The Speed Killers were just psychotic enough to take on the NYPD and the FBI. I had to find Kerry—my gut said she was here. I kept low to the ground and maneuvered through the halls avoiding the enemy. Along the way, I eluded more men, armed with semi-automatic weapons, grenades, and other explosive items. They were ready for a war.

I made my way up some back stairs and into the back office areas. Hiding behind some boxes, I peeked through a broken window in one of the abandoned offices. Kerry was tied with rope to an old office chair and her mouth duct taped. There was one man guarding her, but he was texting on his cell phone. Relief washed over me at the sight of her. I had to act quickly while I still had the element of surprise on my side.

“Freeze, asshole!” I stepped into the office door with my gun leveled at him. The man immediately dropped the cell phone and held his hands high. I ordered him to get on the ground, and he complied. I searched him, retrieved his gun, and handcuffed the guy. I took the roll of duct tape from the desk and secured his mouth. No points in letting the scum alert his friends. So far, so good.

There was a knife on the table near Kerry and I used it to cut her free. I gently pulled the tape off her mouth; though I was sure it still hurt her. Once she was free, she hugged me.

“It’s a trap.”

“I know. It's why I came alone. They were planning on the police force.”

“No, it was also a trap for you.”

Several explosions shook the building, making my ears ring painfully. Smoke filled the hallway and offices as more explosions detonated. With every explosion, pieces fell from the ceiling and walls collapsed. The old building would crumble under the assault if it continued. I needed to get Kerry out of there.

I gave the spare gun to Kerry.

“We can’t leave this guy here,” she said.

She was right. We couldn’t stoop to the level of the Speed Killers by leaving the man to die. I grabbed him, hauled him to his feet, and shoved him into the hallway.

The corridor was filled with smoke, and both ends were blocked with flames. More explosions ripped through the building and large chunks of the ceiling crashed downward. We retreated to the dubious safety of the office. I looked out the main window. More explosions rumbled in other parts of the building. The floor shook under my feet and bits of it fell away. Smoke curled into the office making it very hard to see. I coughed and my eyes burned. Using my gun, I shot out the main window. I yelled for Kerry to watch the floor and find a beam to stand on. A quick glance outside showed me an emergency ladder we could use. We needed to get out in a hurry as flames were licking at the wood of the door.

“Kerry, you go first,” I ordered and unlocked the cuffs from the criminal. “You go next, and if you want to live, no funny stuff!” I knew it was a big risk, but I had no choice.

No sooner had I freed the man than he bolted into the hallway.

“Death is better!” he shouted as he jumped through a hole in the floor.

He plummeted into the raging fire. I was shocked, but with the building collapsing, I had no time to spare for him. Kerry crawled over the window sill and climbed down the ladder. I followed her. The ladder shook violently, and I feared it would disconnect from the building at any moment.

I looked down, and saw that Kerry was already on the ground. “Jeff! Hurry! The building will collapse any moment!”

I moved as fast as I dared. Part of the roof caved in and another explosion at the other end of the factory sent flames skyward. It was getting harder to stay on the swaying ladder as it shook violently. I figured there was still seventeen feet before I reached the ground, so I just jumped.

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/coming-soon/march-2014/detective-for-the-innocent-detail