The response from the Little Rock FBI office came quickly. While the Arkansas tattoo database didn't have a match, a gang specialist identified it as the symbol of the "7th Street Vipers," a small-time Latino gang based in Memphis, Tennessee. Occasionally, this gang was known to operate in parts of Arkansas.
Memphis, situated at the tri-state junction of Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi, is a historically significant city. It was once the largest hub for cotton and slave trading in the 19th century. Today, it boasts the busiest cargo airport in the U.S. and is home to FedEx's headquarters. It's also the birthplace of blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll, revered by music lovers as a pilgrimage site. Elvis Presley's Graceland is there, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.
Unfortunately, it's also infamous for its controversial Memphis Zoo, which has drawn criticism over the years.
Thanks to the tattoo identified by the diner waitress, it was confirmed that the two suspects belonged to the "7th Street Vipers." Despite being overshadowed by larger, predominantly African American gangs in Memphis, the Vipers were a small, struggling group within the city's gang ecosystem.
Alice quickly dug up more information. "Luis Treviño—leader of the 7th Street Vipers. He was convicted of extortion last month."
"This doesn't make sense," Jubal said, frowning. "We went through all the case files from the prosecutor's office yesterday. Did anyone see Luis Treviño's name?"
The group shook their heads. Aubrey answered, "Not a trace. I didn't even hear of the '7th Street Vipers.'"
"That's because it's a federal case," Alice clarified, pulling up a recent news report. "The announcement came last Thursday." She read from her tablet, "Federal authorities thanked the St. Francis County District Attorney's Office for their support in the investigation…"
"Sounds like a pretty solid motive to me," Aubrey said, raising an eyebrow.
JJ nodded in agreement. "So, the three prosecutor's assistants must have played a key role in Treviño's conviction. That press conference probably tipped off the gang, letting them know exactly who was responsible."
Alice scrolled through more information on her screen. "The problem is, Luis Treviño is currently being held at the federal detention center here in Forrest. He's been there ever since his arrest, waiting for his appeal."
"Maybe he ordered the hit from inside," Hannah suggested. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"But how?" Clive questioned. "Visits are usually restricted until the final judgment. And all phone calls are monitored."
Jubal shook his head knowingly. "Except calls with his lawyer. Those are protected under attorney-client privilege. It's not uncommon for gang leaders to run operations through their attorneys."
"I'll file a request for a search warrant. Who wants to head to the detention center?" Jubal asked.
Aubrey and Clive volunteered. They both needed more field experience, and this was a good opportunity.
The warrant was approved quickly, given the severity of the case. Within two hours, Aubrey and Clive returned to the makeshift office at the pool bar with a USB drive.
Aubrey was energized. "This drive contains recordings of all Treviño's calls since he's been in custody. The last call with his lawyer was the morning of the murders."
"Let's start there," Alice said, plugging the drive into her laptop. She opened the folder and clicked on the first audio file.
A voice with a faint Latino accent spoke, "Why is my appeal taking so long?"
Another voice, with a Southern drawl, responded, "You kidding me? I already told you—I'm not filing anything else until I get my payment. I don't work for free, Luis."
"Fine, fine. Put my brother-in-law on the phone," Luis replied lazily.
The audio revealed a clear loophole: the lawyer was passing the phone to someone else, exploiting attorney-client confidentiality.
"Looks like they've done this before," Clive muttered, gaining a new understanding of how inmates could secretly communicate with the outside world. Of course, lawyers who facilitated this faced severe consequences if caught, including disbarment.
The next part of the call was in Spanish. Since most of the team could understand basic Spanish, they didn't need a translator.
"Hey, hermano!"
"Listen, Javier. My lawyer wants money."
"Yeah, right."
"No, we should pay him—more than what he's asking. He's earned it."
The conversation lasted less than 20 seconds. Hannah looked puzzled. "Earned it? Didn't the lawyer lose his case?"
Jubal explained, "It's code. Treviño wasn't telling Javier to pay the lawyer. He was ordering him to kill him."
"So, if that's how they communicated, the order to kill the prosecutors could've been sent the same way," Clive speculated.
Alice sighed. "Possibly. But there are still over a hundred recordings to analyze. I'll need some time to go through them all."
"No rush. Can you identify this 'Javier'?" Jack asked.
Alice nodded and opened the visitor records from the detention center. "Javier Pérez. He lives in Madison, not far from Memphis."
Jack tapped his holster. "Grab your gear. Let's go have a chat with Mr. Pérez."
"Treviño's lawyer is named Scott Thomas. He's a partner in a small law firm. He's 45 and has a reputation for defending gang members. I contacted his firm—no one's seen him since yesterday afternoon. Also, I didn't find any recordings directly tying Treviño to the murder of the prosecutors," Alice reported over the phone.
"Thanks, Alice," Jubal said, ending the call and turning to the group.
They were parked near a modest house in Madison, Tennessee. According to the Little Rock office, Javier Pérez was Treviño's second-in-command and most trusted enforcer.
"I thought gang lieutenants lived in run-down neighborhoods full of lookouts," Clive scoffed, eyeing the plain house.
"They're not a wealthy drug cartel," Hannah replied, tightening JJ's bulletproof vest. "Their income comes from low-level crimes like extortion, robbery, and selling counterfeit goods."
Jack added, "Don't forget moonshining. These guys prefer discreet assassinations to flashy drive-bys. It's easier to avoid attention that way."
"You think the Vipers aren't the real culprits?" JJ asked as she checked her SIG Sauer P320-XTen.
"Hard to say. But following the lead is all we can do for now. At least they have a motive." Jack glanced at the setting sun and quickly assigned roles.
"Clive and Jubal, take the side entrance. Aubrey and Hannah, cover the back. JJ and I will make noise at the front to flush him out."
They weren't dealing with a fortified gang headquarters, so there was no need for a full SWAT-style assault. Soft armor, sidearms, and a plan to capture the suspect alive were all they needed.
(End of Chapter)
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