The night street radiated the heat of the summer day, not bringing any relief to this city. AC units were cranked up, but not really creating a cool night. The cement sidewalk was still warm, and the lack of breeze left the smell of exhaust, garbage, and people. Now there was another smell.

There were a half a dozen blue street cops staring at the naked man who was hanging upside down from the light pole. He was seen in the reflections of the blue and red from the police cars whose bright headlights showed up the scene on the sidewalk.

The tape was around the three dead bodies of some rough-looking guys who had a lot of blood around their heads and other parts. They were dead, but the blond guy hanging above was alive and very angry.

The hanging man was screaming. "I can prove I am a detective on the police force as soon as you call my partner, Detective Reid. Just get me down."

It was at this moment that a large dark figure pushed through the crowd. The man showed a badge, and a blue lifted the tape to allow the broad-shouldered man to move over the bodies and approached the hanging naked man.

With his words calmer now, the hanging man spoke to the newest arrival. "Thank heavens you are here, Reid. Tell these idiots who I am and get me down."

One of the street cops approached the big detective who had gone down on one heel.

"Sir, do you know the guy up above?"

The big detective looked up from his lower position and shook his head. "Well, even though there is a lot to see, I am not sure if I have been exposed to him before."

The young man above thrashed and screamed. "Reid!"

The dark man stood up and laughed. "Okay, get him down. Sorry, guys, but the loudmouth is one of us. Now let's find out what this whole mess is all about."

While the good-looking blond was sitting on the back of the open ambulance, his partner was talking to the medical examiner. He was trying to stay out of the way of the light blue covered CSI team who were picking up small items and bagging ID's from the dead men's pockets.

At last the big detective ducked under the tape and went to the ambulance. He tilted his hat back as he watched the pretty female medic flirting with his partner, who was now dressed in light blue scrubs.

Detective Reid had seen a lot of people admire the young cop who worked so hard for this small suburb of Chicago. The kid was handsome, but what most overlooked, he was a good investigator. He was a tenacious Terrier dog who wouldn't give up his bone.

Detective Alex Char was five foot nine with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. As a detective he could wear his hair in any style and dress as he pleased, to go undercover. Usually, Alex's choice of clothes was leathers, as he rode a special BMW motorcycle. No fancy chrome, just a black power horse that suited his style.

Now it was time for the older detective to question the young man who had been hung naked upside down above several dead men. "So bring me up to speed."

Alex waved the medic off and sighed as he started to explain his embarrassing problem.

"I went to a bikers bar to pick up on some noise. I got a tip on a fight between the Reds and the Burns. Hey, my bike is still in a ditch. I need to get it."

"Sit down." Reid pushed the young man back down on the back of the ambulance. "So who got you up on the pole?"

"I was the distraction until the Burns got here. I let the Reds catch me as I pretended to be a Burn. You're going to find dead from both groups over there on the sidewalk. Reid, we have to get the leaders of these gangs out of our city." The young detective shook his head and got up one more time.

Now he moved sideways so that his partner, Detective J. Reid, wouldn't be able to push him into the ambulance.

Reid frowned. "Where do you think you are going?"