The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 42: Awakening a Few Senses]

Santa Monica, 3rd Street parking lot.

A black Ford Mondeo parked not far from the west entrance as Hawke picked up his "Midnight Entertainment" correspondent badge, hanging it around his neck and doing a final check on his handheld camera. Once he made sure everything was in working order, he waited patiently.

A few minutes later, his backup phone rang, and Cole's voice came through: "Are you there? Please hold on, we're about to make the deal; it shouldn't take more than five minutes. My car is a champagne-colored Cadillac."

Hawke played along, pretending to be part of another group: "The risk is too high right now. The amount you want is too much; the LAPD and DEA are frequently conducting sting operations. I need to see Downey and have him come over alone to finalize the deal."

Inside the moving Cadillac, the heavyset Cole looked helplessly at Downey: "They're being rude; they don't understand the rules..."

Downey heard the voice on the phone and only wanted those goods -- nothing else mattered. He waved his hand dismissively, "It's a simple thing. It's not like I haven't done this myself before."

Cole then said into the phone, "No problem."

After hanging up, Downey rummaged through the glove compartment for a black bag. High from a recent hit, he felt no hesitation, only excitement as he lifted the bag filled with cash, proclaiming, "Don't you think this is exhilarating? I'm sure I'll play roles like this in the future. This is living in advance!"

Upon arriving at the parking lot, Cole turned the steering wheel, and the Cadillac made its way in.

After a brief wait, Hawke drove into the parking lot. Having scouted the area beforehand, he picked another parallel route, keeping a safe distance behind the Cadillac.

When the Cadillac pulled into a spot, Hawke observed and found a suitable location to park his car as well. He slightly lowered his window and aimed the camera at the front side.

From the Cadillac, Robert Downey Jr. opened the passenger door and was about to step out when Cole called out to him, "They insisted on you going alone. I'm worried it could be dangerous."

"They want the cash," Downey replied nonchalantly. "Don't forget who I am; I'm the famous Robert Downey Jr. Do you think they'd dare mess with me?"

Cole, acting the part of the driver, donned a pair of white gloves, retrieved a Glock 26 from the glove compartment, and handed it to Downey. "Take this -- just in case."

Downey received it and stuffed it into the pocket of his short coat as he headed across the road towards an SUV.

Having just partaken earlier, he walked a bit unsteadily.

...

On the other side, a Mexican man wearing sunglasses exited the SUV and, seeing Downey approach, felt relieved yet puzzled: "Why did this guy come for the deal himself?"

However, now that Downey was there, he couldn't back out of such a substantial transaction.

Hawke's camera followed Downey closely as he reached the other side.

Downey handed the bag to the Mexican, who opened it to inspect some of its contents under the sunlight, affirming that everything looked good.

The Mexican then retrieved another bag from his vehicle and handed it to Downey.

Downey opened the bag, counted the items, picked some out, sniffed them, and nodded in approval.

The Mexican said, "Call if you need anything else."

Downey waved dismissively and staggered back.

The Mexican spat on the ground, muttering under his breath, "These junkies, why do they get to enjoy such a good life?!"

"Get in the car, let's go," called another Mexican from the driver's seat. "It's our turn to enjoy life now."

...

Inside the Cadillac, Cole felt let down that Downey had returned safely without any incidents. The dealers hadn't even checked if he had a weapon.

Downey climbed into the passenger seat, casually tossing the black bag onto the center console. "Let's go, time to get high at home!"

Cole licked his lips and decided to follow that guy's plan: "Aren't you going to try some of the new stuff first?"

Upon hearing this, Downey became more excited than if he'd just received a $10 million paycheck. "Good idea."

Cole retrieved some of the goods.

Downey invited, "Let's share."

Cole, enticed by the potential profit, held back, "I still have to drive you."

Downey nodded, not pushing further.

Cole intentionally waited a while before pulling away.

On the other side, Hawke's camera switched focus to the rear license plate of the Cadillac.

The protagonist of the videos he shot is one and only Robert Downey Jr.

Even when faced with an established fact, the photographer can still easily control what is produced.

After all, every picture or line in the news was meticulously crafted, starting from a preset perspective.

Suddenly, loud banging sounds erupted from the Cadillac, as Robert Downey Jr. seemed like a wild horse set free, banging his head against the seatrest.

He flailed about, shouting, "That bitch Debra! I'm going to kill her! I have to kill her!"

Cole quickly tried to soothe him. "Calm down; she can't take your money. We'll figure out how to handle her."

Downey burst into tears, alternating between laughter and sobs, acting completely insane while shouting, "I'll kill that bitch! I'm going to kill that bitch!"

Cole started the car, leaving the parking lot and turning onto Santa Monica Boulevard, heading east.

...

Hawke temporarily shut off the camera, which was fixed on a makeshift mount in the passenger seat, while he drove after the Cadillac.

Once out of the parking lot, he pulled out his phone and dialed Edward's number: "Call the police now. A champagne-colored Cadillac is carrying a large amount of drugs; the driver is high, located on Santa Monica Boulevard..."

After finishing the call and driving a bit further, Hawke swapped out the camera battery, turning it back on to chase after the rear of the Cadillac.

...

On the Santa Monica Boulevard, at a nondescript public phone booth, Edward hung up his phone, picked up the receiver, and dialed 911, saying through a scratched throat, "I need to report a vehicle carrying a large amount of drugs, and the driver is high. The location is Santa Monica Boulevard..."

Once the call was processed, Edward hung up and quickly moved away from the area.

...

Employees in the processing center followed procedure to check the vehicle through the license plate, discovering that the owner, Robert Downey Jr., had previously been arrested for drug possession and concealment, immediately notifying the patrol officers.

Two LAPD patrol cars sped over to find the relevant vehicle.

The Cadillac had already parked on the curb near a McDonald's, and Cole unbuckled his seatbelt, telling Downey in the passenger seat, "I'm going to grab your favorite burger. Wait here; it might take a bit longer."

Robert Downey Jr. nodded absentmindedly, lost in his thoughts, imagining a dark cloud of Debra looming over him, all there to take his inheritance.

He continuously muttered, "I'm going to kill that bitch! I'm going to kill that bitch..."

Cole ran towards McDonald's, entered through the front, then quickly exited through the back, getting into a prepped vehicle to speed back to Brentwood and make a clean getaway.

...

Hawke parked his car a dozen feet behind the Cadillac, picked up the camera, and continued filming.

Flashing police lights approached as an LAPD patrol car arrived and stopped in front of the Mondeo. A male and a female officer got out of the car one after the other.

The brown-haired male officer walked up towards the driver's seat.

The young and tall female officer trailed slightly behind, stepping onto the sidewalk towards the passenger side.

Hawke quickly exited his car, camera in hand, trailing from a distance.

The male officer walked by the rear of the Cadillac, with one hand on his gun and the other touching the taillight, loudly stating, "LAPD! Please step out for inspection."

He then noticed there was no one in the driver's seat, while a middle-aged man in the passenger seat was knocking his head against the headrest, mumbling something.

On the console sat the black bag with white powder scattered nearby.

Such a situation wasn't uncommon; it clearly appeared as if a drug addict was having a meltdown, which could be very dangerous. The male officer immediately drew his weapon and shouted, "LAPD! Sir, show me your hands! Get out of the car immediately! Please step out for inspection!"

The female officer was also vigilant, drawing her black Glock, letting it hang by her long legs, safety off, her sharp gaze fixated on the passenger door.

Downey heard the commotion, and with the last bit of sanity he had left, he raised his hands and pushed open the passenger door, staggering out.

The female officer then warned, "LAPD! Raise your hands and lie down on the car!"

That sharp voice pierced through Downey's frenzy; as he looked up, he found Deborah, holding a gun across from him.

After a day of being high multiple times, his mind was a fog, the supposed "stimulation" from Deborah completely clouded his already shattered reasoning.

His mumblings grew louder as he screamed at the female officer, "I'm going to kill you, you bitch! I'm going to kill you, you bitch..."

His swaying body led to the short coat flapping, and the weightiest pocket collided against his hand.

A strange jarring sensation triggered; in his frantic state, Downey pulled out a Glock 26 while still shouting, "I'm going to kill you, you bitch!"

"Put the gun down!" the female officer warned, aiming the Glock at Downey, her finger poised on the trigger.

"I'm going to kill you, you bitch!" The junkie had lost all semblance of reason, raising the gun.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The gunfire rang out, echoing continuously.

Trained for such confrontations, the female officer squeezed the trigger, emptying the magazine.

Downey, having awakened a few senses, collapsed to the ground.

*****

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