LITMIR.BIZ

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was vibrating from the stage, and she looked up at the young stripper.

      Red yelled, “Hey, little girl! Why don’t you take off and come back when you can grow some tits!”

      A few laughs from the crowd didn’t drown out the girl’s response. “Fuck you! I don’t see you standin’ up here!”

      Red paused until she had the crowd’s attention before pulling her black singlet T-shirt up over her head to expose her bare chest to the crowd. “Because if I did get up there, cupcake, I’d put you out of a job!”

      Red soaked up the applause for a moment, then replaced her T-shirt and strutted to the rear of the tavern. She casually looked around before sitting at a table with Jack.

      “It took you long enough,” said Jack.

      “Yeah. Sorry, Eddy. I got your page but had some business to take care of. Took me a little longer than I thought. So, are ya lookin’?”

      “As a matter of fact, I am. Business has been going good. So good, I’m lookin’ for half a pound.”

      Red let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot! When? Right now?”

      “Not now. Tomorrow afternoon or the next day at the latest.”

      “I don’t usually handle that much.”

      Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Too bad. I’m done fuckin’ around with this small shit. Maybe I’ll have to find someone else.”

      “I can check with my man. Maybe he’ll front me four ounces at a time. Do it in a couple of deals.”

      “Naw, as I said, I don’t want to be fuckin’ around. Two deals means twice the risk. Tell you what, put me in touch with your man and I’ll make it worth your while.”

      “How much worth my while?”

      “Enough. Depends how smooth things go and what I gotta pay for it.”

      Red thought for a moment, then said, “Wait here, I’ll make a call.”

      Red went to the lobby and then sprinted upstairs and knocked on a door.

      “Who is it?” asked a gruff voice.

      “Wizard! It’s me, Red,” she whispered.

      Seconds later, Red was inside the room. Wizard, with his goatee and muscled arms covered in large tattoos, towered over her. Rolly was lying on the bed. In the corner of the room sat a third biker. A light behind him cast shadows down over his face. His forehead had a large circular scar from an incident years earlier when someone had caught his attention with the broken end of a wine bottle.

      “Well?” asked Wizard.

      “Yeah, he’s here right now,” said Red.

      “Did he hit you up?”

      “Oh yeah! Wants half a pound. I told him I’d make a call.” She looked at her watch. “And that was, like, not even five minutes ago.”

      “Good,” replied Wizard.

      “I think maybe I’ll cut his balls off instead of his tongue,” said Rolly. “We were too easy on Lenny!”

      “Shut your trap!” hissed Wizard.

      There was a brief silence in the room before Wizard continued, “So what’s he wearin’?”

      “You can’t miss ’im,” replied Red. “Jeans and a red sweatshirt with a big white band around the chest and arms.”

      “Okay, you know what to do,” said Wizard. “Give us twenty minutes to set up.” He flashed her a roll of money and said, “When you’re done, go home. I’ll drop over after.”

      “Thanks, Wizard,” replied Red, casting one more quick glance at the man sitting in the corner. He hadn’t spoken a word the whole time. Then she turned toward the door.

      “Red! One more thing. Make sure you keep your yap shut about this!”

      “About what?” replied Red, smiling as she left the room.

      When she was gone, Wizard turned to the biker in the corner and said, “Lance, you get the car and cruise the block until you see Red, then hit the alley.”

      Minutes later, Red joined Jack back in the bar.

      “You’re in luck,” she said. “My guy is a little nervous, but he said he’s willin’ to meet you, just to check you out.”

      “Good. He’s got nothing to be nervous about. When can we meet?”

      “In about twenty minutes. He wants to talk to me out front first. Give me about five minutes just to reassure him, then I’ll get him to drive me around back and you can meet us in the alley.”

      A few minutes later, Jack gave Danny a subtle nod and they met in the men’s room. Jack explained what was happening, and Danny said, “Just in case they want to take you for a little drive, I’ll get the car and stand by.”

      “Good idea.”

      “Think it will be Halibut?”

      “Maybe. Or some other striker. We’ll soon find out.” Jack returned to the table. Red left on time and headed out the front door. Jack looked at his watch and waited five minutes.

      Danny sat in his car and watched from the parking garage. He eventually saw Red walk out the front door of the bar and approach a green Volvo parked nearby. The Volvo drove to the end of the block and turned into the alley. He caught the plate number and noticed Red walk back toward the bar.

      Danny drove in the opposite direction and parked on the street at the end of the block to cover off the other end of the alley. If the Volvo did take Jack for a ride, this was the direction it would drive out. He radioed in the plate number. The name that came back wasn’t one he recognized.

      An arc of light briefly cut into the back alley when Jack opened the rear door to the alley. He stood in the doorway for a moment before stepping out. His red sweatshirt blended into the darkness, but the white stripe stood out like a beacon. He saw a car drive slowly down the alley toward him, then stop a short distance away. He walked toward it, using his hand to shield his eyes from the headlights.

      As Jack approached a Dumpster, Rolly silently moved in behind him, unsnapping a leather thong and removing his hunting knife from its scabbard while quickening his pace.

      Rolly was in striking distance when Wizard stepped out from the Dumpster and said, “Hey! Eddy!”

      Jack felt the adrenaline rush to his limbs as his brain told him to run. He tried to act calm and said, “Yeah? Do I know you?”

      “Pest control!” Rolly snickered when Jack spun around to look.

      Rolly brandished the knife at throat height and gave an evil grin when the lights from the car reflected off the knife and into Jack’s eyes. Wizard stepped forward and pointed a .22-calibre pistol at the back of Jack’s head. The headlights cast dark shadows on Wizard’s face as Jack turned and found the barrel of the pistol entering his nostril.

      “Goodbye, rat!” hissed Wizard, as his finger slowly squeezed the trigger.

      Jack chopped the inside of Wizard’s wrist with the edge of his hand, flinging the gun from Wizard’s grasp. It bounced off the side of the Dumpster with a loud clang. Rolly immediately plunged the knife toward the back of Jack’s neck, but Jack ducked while shoving two fingers into Wizard’s eye, and the knife glanced off his shoulder blade instead. Jack darted past Wizard toward the car.

      “Get him!” yelled Wizard, scrambling to pick up his gun. Rolly ran after him while Wizard wiped his eye with one hand before raising his gun with the other hand. Then he hesitated, fearing he might hit Rolly.

      Lance lurched the car forward, smashing the passenger side fender into the alley wall. The interior light went on as he stepped out of the car, blocking the alley. The snarl

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