. A white finish on the table base adds a charming touch perfect for casual family. The last series of arrests had severed all connective tissue; there were no links to trace back to girlfriends, fellow Sinners, or the mother chapter. Were a bit of a mess here, but I should be able to pull it together in a few hours. Because Den Laurey and Lance Kaner are gonna ride their Harleys into LAX for a pickup. Smiles again: An Afghan shipping company slipped something through a few days prior on a license with a pre-2005 code. Hes without a helmet, but the others have them on. Not even the other nomads. Rich Mandrell, aka Richie Rich. Tims voice, beaten at by exhaustion, managed a modicum of animation. Twenty-six times as many CBP inspectors occupied this fence line as the one at the U.S.-Canada border. A glass-framed photo of Jennifer and a carefully constructed wreath decorated the lid of an off-white upright piano. Jim stared down at the tabletop. In the meantime Id recommend you watch yourself. In the two days since the media started screaming gang war, rearm sales are up thirty percent. Tim pivoted off the wall, meeting Kaners skull with the baton and dropping him at on his back. The guy in shades turned around to catch an airborne can of beer. Whos Dray? A car veered into their lane, and Tim swerved and honked. Then Tim said, Thank you. Dont thank me. He passed right before the windows and sat on his knees on the water-stained oorboards of the living room, facing away, stufng the clothes into a backpack. Tim. A curtain uttered, and a dark face peered out through glass and security bars. Maybeck, as the resident breacher, managed the less lethal weaponry under Millers supervision. They want us doing twice the work with the same resources, Jan said. 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My hands were tied. It was an accidental death, thats all. Bear said gently, Im afraid we cant A girl was killed last night, Tim said. Tims eyesight had recovered enough for him to make out a diminutive form scrambling across the room. Cynthia just had her sweet sixteen. He was talking too loud. And you think its somehow related? We dont know at this point. Right . Tim took off after the last bike, getting back on the radio. He heard the plinks against the tile, one after another. For the rst time, her voice trembled. Whose idea was that anyways? He handed her the iris, slid the tray onto his lap, and began his dinner. From the marshal? Tim tapped his knuckles to the Harleys craggy enginefaintly warm. The SWAT commander hustled Al-Malik along the walk as a helicopter swooped over the rooftops and touched down on the street. I lost them. No, Smiles said. Like I said, youre our Troubleshooter. I dont want to rely on hospital security anymore. After a fteenminute wait, during which they were forced to endure the receptionists too-loud phone recollections of a recent shopping expedition, they were escorted past a secretary and a dressed-for-success paralegal to the Inner Ofce. Despair overtook him, and for a moment he was certain he couldnt move. When the windshield gave, their bodies jiggled like marionettes. Ill try to source the embalming table. Bear halted, winded; his voice was high. The room, a garage conversion with milky plastic windows set high in the still-functional roll-up door, smelled of oil from the Harley and from the greasy tools occupying the brief run of kitchen counter. Ready to light up this pendejo? Guerrera whispered. He lit a match off his thumbnail, held his rst inhale, then shot a stream of smoke at the ceiling. 67 O ut on the street, news crews clamored at the barricades. They got us our Jennifer delivered right to the funeral home up here. But being hotheaded isnt going to get us the perpetrators. Not among bikers. Tim was about to express his skepticism when Thomas racked a phone and hopped up from his computer. If someones gotta ride along with us, wed prefer to deal with a eld operator. Gents, Goat Purdue. At this point Den was a cutout operative. He bobbed his head, resigned; hed been expecting the call as much as Tim had. Tim watched the knee rise, fall, rise. Malane, Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 193 technically still the FBI liaison to the task force, was conspicuously absent, probably plugged in to the Operation Cleansweep command center. They watched it through a few more times, Tim growing unsettled. Alma Benito. He advanced frame by frame until he picked up a darting movementblack on black, like a bat against the night sky. His head was wedged in the jaws of a vise, distorted by the pull of his body weight. The rag disappeared in the swirled sheets, Petes thick hand in the pouf of hair at the dogs hindquarters. Great fake, just two numerals reversed. His anger made him numb; it altered his depth perception so he saw Kaners features as juts and recesses. With the AT. Bear followed him only as far as the rear gate so he could keep an eye on Dens form moving in the living room. Theyre traveling alone but staying in the same vicinity. I just want them off the street. It took a moment for Tims brain to catch up to the words. A hair you can get anywhere. They spoke to a bald bartender wearing a dog collar, a woman walking her calico on a leash, two gas-station convenience-store clerks, and an exotic dancer who insisted on replacing her nipple tasselsto Bears evident discomfortwhile describing her on-the-side clientele. My area of expertise is muscle atrophy. The riverfront, where attractions include a food hall, a farmers market and museums focused on Arkansas history, is about two miles away. As soon as the operation dovetailed back with the AT investigation, theyd roll up their sleeves and plunge in. Bear started to ask something, but Tim stayed him with a gesture. Thirty-seven men were murdered. He didnt like the set of some of the faces looking back at him. The table features, 20th Anniversary - Kitchen & Dining Furniture Clearance Up to 50% Off Looking for a stylish centerpiece for your dining room ensemble? No ATM withdrawals? Tim asked. The badge boys are okay. They followed her in shifts, each pair of cars turning off after a few blocks to be replaced by another. The bike had none of Danny the Wands telltale markings. The lights transformed to a vivid orangethe same shade the sun turned the smog at dusk, making the lung-cancer risk seem worth it. Eyeliner tailed beyond her eyes; russet lipstick widened the lines of her mouth. You gonna let that stand, Task Force Leader? The press cant play the race card. When the other bikers moved, Tim jerked the gun to cover them, and they held up their hands casually, as if amused. Not surprisingly, no corporate, tax, or International Air Transport Association records had turned up for Good Morning Vacations, all imaginable variants on goodmorningvacations.com turned up no Web site, and Google drew a blank. A hefty safe for the product. Tim put his face to the fence, making out the AFI insignia on the transportation-unit van on the other side. Shes also my wife. In the mirror Tim watched Richs face alter. The cat looks okay, but its a wait-and-see. She stable? She is now. That was an asshole comment. Mind if we turn down the TV? Bear roared. Miller started toward the podium but caught himself. Between blinks the etched skull stared out from his glass eye. Tim watched the monoliths morph from lavender to emerald. The task at hand was not making him perspirehed operated as a mortician on a forged license for the better part of twenty years, and between oaters, decomps, and barbecues, little could turn his stomach. What gives on Goat? Malane, sitting calmly, said, Hes under hospitalization. Lets press him. Hed been willinghappy, even to inform, but that almost made it worse. Shaving whiskers. Any more and itll cost ya. Two translucent balloons lled with clear liquid sat on an electronic scale. Jim, youve got a hook at Border Patrol, right? Tim asked. She nished, and her glasses took ight, landing softly on the legal pad on her desk. Always within gunshot range. And when the Man doesnt want to be found, he doesnt get found. And do you know what lawyers bill for? Miller, thrice divorced, said, Everything. Including phone calls. Bear threw the sheaf on Tims desk, and Tim grabbed the top page eagerly. Its Jaws at Amity. He popped out his bottom lip with his tongue as if checking for stray bits of tobacco. A vicious barking exploded over Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 81 the PA system. She and Guerrera spoke for about twenty minutes, Tim and Bear straining to keep up with the Spanish, Guerrera pausing from time to time to ll in the blanks. Tim was just resigning himself to the new set of frustrations when Bear oated out of Millers ofce holding a sheaf of faxes aloft like a waiter bearing a steaming entre. The Mans an apparition. In order to browse our site, please turn on JavaScript in your browser settings or upgrade your browser version. He pulled into the underground lot. A few weak groans and coughs. That ride cost seventy-nine grand? Oh, yeah, Smiles said. No-mads. Her fearful expressionnot surprising given the late-night ring at the dooryielded to panic. American Airlines Flight 2453 into LAXno X-ray. Jan checked her monitor. Finally he said, I want a name for the prick with the eye patch. Bears voice cracked, and he cleared his throat and tried again. Doubt it. They couldve put the squeeze on one of the Cholos. Cant interrogate them now. Tim surveyed the steaming landscape, the wooden box of the cofn resting untarnished amid the destruction. . Tim reached Bear by Nextel; he and Guerrera had scooped up Babe Donovan and were headed back to Cell Block to book her. We really dont. Mr. Villarosas face stiffened, anguish pulling his skin taut. Were not making a case. the problem is, you were dicking around in an operation that threatensas the song goes this land that I love. Purpose quickening his step through the parking lot, the night sharp at the back of his throat. Sure. Smiless lips got tight. Hands up! His eyes icked to Dens discarded helmet, the tentacle of a wire mike oating below the visor to provide hands-free radio communication with the other bikers. Hi. The man was hogtied, arms and legs bound behind him with cloth. They are the distribution network, so they control the scene from the stash houses to the wholesalers to the street-level pushers. What are you doing back? A oater washed up 20 Gregg Hurwitz Get all the case les, see if you spot any inroads. Dray had taught him, slowly, painstakingly, how to open himself up to the world instead of trying to contain the world inside himself. Tim withdrew the CD from his jacket pocket, and Krindon slid it into a unit beneath the passenger seat. Lets be honest, who gives a shit about chubby chicanas from Chatsworth? I do, Tim said. Whelp. Outside, the commander inched to one side of the screen door. Ah, shit, he said softly. Why would they risk that? First, another accidental death of a Hispanic SoCal girl in Cabo would almost be more conspicuous. Atta boy, Peter North. With great effort he pulled himself to his feet and offered Tim his wrists. Is the funeral director talking? Not a word. Antique enamel farmhouse table, excellent condition $140 Pick up near Hazelridge. Dray hated it. Uncle Pete held a spotted rag poised over his abby arm. Still, the biker clutched a handguna little .32 Centennial from the looks of it. He and Janice, high-school sweethearts, would have been six years into their marriage when the photo was taken. A trickle of a less virile tint had dried behind his ear; hed spent the ride back to Roybal picking bits of windshield glass from his matted hair. I want you to always be happy. Same shock of black hair from the photos, same eshy ears, like cuts of meat, laid at to the skull. The stability of terrorists and the drug trade? Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 283 Malane sat with both hands run into his thin hair; it protruded in tufts from between his ngers. The Starsky & Hutch position was good solely for catching a closeup of an actors face in the same frame as the gun; in real life a startle reaction to a sudden threat would leave an ofcer momentarily deaf and blind, or with half his face blown off. He looked at them expectantly, then seemed to realize they were waiting for him to connect the dots. The Feebs denitely havent shared their toys on this one. Someone shouted something in the background, and Thomas said, Oh, yeah, we got your lm back from the lab. He crossed the open space, shoulder-slapping the far partition, now within feet of Goats position. An elderly neighbor reported that Babe used to park a yellow Volvo in her second space, the same make and model of the car left behind on the 10 freeway to clog trafc minutes before Den and Kaners break. Cmon. Mancone was a deputy as well, but given his retirement age and contentment in grousing about his narrow bailiwick, he had little interest in the ARTists aside from giving them the occasional lift. Staring out from the nomads right eye socket was the aming skull, etched onto an otherwise realistic glass eye. Maybe none of us do. So you think the ATs in the case on the bike? Guerrera asked. Limbs rustling among the bodies and machinery. Tim nodded at the grate through which the drugs had made their getaway. He inched the door open with the barrel of his .357. Hes a junkie. You can play that game until youve got nothing left to play with. When Tim didnt respond, the doctor took a little step back, angling toward the door. And besides, the evidence isnt with Uncle Pete. Discussion over. Dens sartorial experiment? The nomads security travel formation, as Tim had learned last night, was geared for precisely this contingency. The bomb dog sat beside the table, eyeing a pizza box on the kitchen counter with interest. Thats chickenshit. As they passed, the door slid open. Wait. Hell, well put you in the same cell as her. Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 273 To his credit, Uncle Pete didnt give up much. 68 T he sight of Drays empty bed struck him like a gut punch. Lite Companion Intragastric Balloon System. He pivoted, then indicated a side window barely in view above an empty, fenced-in dog run. Toe-Tag and Whelp crossed over again yesterday morning. You hold them? Tannino asked. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound. Talk to Bearhe saw it. The kid can shoot. The foyer window looked down four stories onto South Rodeo Drive. Prioritizing the locations proved less time-consuming. Whoa, whoa, whoa. A Cholo just got shot off his bike in Piru. Bear cocked back in his chair, catching Tims eye. Right away, sir. He handed back the Nextel and pressed his own phone to his ear. Just as Thomas had reported. Hell of a revenge for Nigger Steve. This isnt revenge, Tim said. Chief showed up for that party. The knowledge of how she felt and what was coming made his breathing quicken to match hers. A second door opened to the kitchen. Drays four brothers harassing doctors and ashing badges until the oldest collapsed into a chair, ham-size sts pressing into his sweaty face. Miller held a black Mag-Lite knuckles up, surveying the interior. Slowing us down where he needs to. Good luck there. They broke apart from their mini huddle as backup arrived. FBI? Bear said. Everyone worked diligently except for Jeff Malane, who stood in the corner speaking furtively into his cell phone as if conferring with a bookie. Then we go to Car Four for the tiebreaker. An FBI agent cut in on the primary channel. . I cant start popping cofn lids without some serious PC. Im getting probable cause as we speak. If Im gonna put my name out, I need it on my desk already. Then just hold all incoming caskets from Mexico. And your liaisonTanninos head snapped over to Malane did nothing in our meetings besides sneer and play hide-the-les. Flame leapt from his st. Our mystery deed just rang the cherries over at the Fillmore Station. I was too scared to see good. Not Mancone. Most of the bikers congregated on the throw of concrete alongside the shack or by the spotted oak that fronted the adjoining building, the pit stops greasy-spoon diner. . Their corpses would provide practice for the Sinners on the receiving end to learn how to navigate through excessive abdomen fat. A stone glinted on his pinkie ring. He stood before the mirror afterward, steam swirling around him, and gazed at his reection. This way. She led into a separate ofce and closed the door behind them. Measuring 78 long, this dining table sits with six people comfortably. She glared at Tim, her milky cheeks ushed a sunset shade of magenta. I heard about what happened. At Tims request, Aaronson had left Lashs apartment early to process the car. Be the first to receive exclusive offers and the latest news on our products and services directly in your inbox. He met Dens eyes deantly, his wrinkled face hardened into a grimace. Troubleshooter. So this case? I know. Uncuff him. Guerrera looked at Tim with concern and maybe a little excitement. Tim tried to take a positive from itthe tortures escalation could be read as a sign of Den and Kaners frustration after losing Chief, Goat, and Tom-Tom. . Tim heard Goats mag click into place. As you well know, that takes a lot of feet on the streets. Drays cheek tensedthe grind of her teeth. . Oh, shes pretty frisky. Kaners face shifted. in English and psychology from Harvard University and a masters degree from Trinity College, Oxford University. Im sorry. Any distinguishing marks? She closed her eyes, drifting back through the scene, then shuddered. He heard himself shouting, and then Bear threw him off and stormed away to regroup, his mighty chest heaving while Kaner laughed his ten-grit laugh. Listen, Im sorry I lost my cool at the clubhouse yesterday. You let Pete get to you a little, thats all. Never seen you get rattled like that. Tim laughed. Bear slid his jaw to one side, cracking it. Tim pointed to the other jacket featuring the Sinner aming skull. Evincing terroristage sensitivity, people waved ags, prayed silently, pressed their hands to their chests. A skinny biker with an eye patch hung at Petes side, Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 51 his posture indicating more-than-usual obeisance. He shored himself back up, adjusting his eye patch with a snap that had to sting. Bear leaned against the faux wall that partitioned off the phone banks from the command post, but the warning creak it emitted straightened him back up. We gotta build Rome in a day here, Rackley. Tannino shot his cuffs like an old-school gangster and squared his shoulders. Uncle Pete raised both hands over his head and jabbed the tip of the bowie blade into his thumb. They looked unnatural off their bikes, eroded into slouches acquired from too many hours leaning on handlebars. Mia Hamm pulled a hamstring. We were closing in, and he dropped into a ravine and disappeared. And second, the Sinners have no idea were onto the body-packing scheme. Im a defense attorney. And a quick study, Id imagine. These are baseless charges. We havent been able to get shit out of himhes too scrambled. A russet pool glittered on Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 135 the desktop. The blue panels of the sixth pay phone gleamed in the glare of Tims headlights. Original pocket doors separate the living room from a dining room with blue walls, white crown molding and an ornate hanging light fixture. We know about everything. Kaner couldnt keep the surprise from his face, but he covered quickly, a scowl tightening his features. Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 231 Rich checked out the dashboard clock. We Sinners may be badass motherfuckers, but we aint anti-Amurican. They arrived in the city shortly after noon. Bear pointed and mouthed, Allahs Tears? Bear gestured for Precious to safe the back door. Thats why they prefer swing-arm handlebars to ape hangers, tooeasier to navigate on the run. He entered the warehouse. Miller smirked. Pipe bombs. Wind whistled through the balcony rails, cutting into the silence. Screeching tires, faxed pages, wake-up calls. His own nerves had not yet calmed. Its gummy. Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 191 Sticker? Tim asked, jotting the number in his notepad. About fteen black ies crawled along the seams, eager to get in. And frankly, if you handle business and the rest of the Sinners wind up ten toes up like Chief, I dont think anyones gonna lose any sleep. This property is in the Bishop Arts District, which is often likened to Austin or Nashville, as it is filled with stores selling vintage clothing and housewares. His eyes, set deep in their sockets, sloped down at the outer edges. Bear said, Why would the mystery biker give a shit to avoid the 84 Gregg Hurwitz camera? The rst intragastric balloon reached its liter limit. Get out there and bag some crooks. Her skin felt hard and waxy and gave off the scent of antiseptic. You alerted Border Patrol to log them coming and going? Tim asked. Tim tilted the already stiffening body and tugged a wallet from the front pocket, freeing a few coins and sundry bits of pocket trash. Slumped over the intersection of his forearms, Jim caught some shuteye at a corner desk; light duty or not, he was in for the haul. Krindons reverse frame-by-frame quickly conrmed that the young woman was Kaners captive. Wheres your backup? He doesnt have the right to an You bet your ass he does, Dana said. He didnt give a shit if we saw him. And they wasted no time cleaning up the competition, as the marshal indicated earlier. Hows the product coming in? Tannino asked. They stopped about ten yards back from the others, where Tim couldnt effectively cover them. Mac shook his head. Rim seating, carpeted walls, embedded surveillance screens, wires protruding from the torn-apart dash. A few of his consonants were barely audible over the revving engines. Bear deep-grabbed the hair at the base of Goats skull and pulled back and down hard, forcing his chin up. You can pop out high on the 118, gets you on your way north keeping you out of L.A. County. Whats north? Tannino asked. 38 T hey stood back out on the street, breathing the dark air. You run, you die. His hands still held high, Den rubbed against the wall, like a grizzly scratching his back on a tree trunk. Some rumors had her as a pro on the side, but by most accounts she was merely a slut. A single bust wipes out the season for them. And it wipes out al-Faths burgeoning reputation in the international terrorism industry, Rich added. Now, this fucking guy, Bear started, Guerrera the ongoing person in question, this fucking guy, now, he says he thinks A-Rods got it on Bonds in batting. We can use them. Rich glanced around at the morose faces. Blownoff composite roof shingles peppered the lawn. Tim ashed on Kaners hulking gure facing him down on the Malibu road, the nomads sheer size impressing itself on him anew. Get it to my lawyer by the a.m. Were riding at noon. The woman awaited them in the hall and led them downstairs. Exemplary professionalism. Bear did a double take at Tim. The guys clearly got close ties to the club. Bear, contending with a burrito leak, took a moment to respond. Good stuff, Trouble. Someone called, Hey, Toe-Tag. Not right now. They have to outrun Johnny Law, and theyre not gonna get tangled up because they raked out the front wheel four feet. He was having a difcult time keeping his emotions in check; they came at him from Tr o u b l e s h o o t e r 145 hidden angles, each trailing a memory: Bears mud-caked boots the night he came to tell him and Dray that Ginny had been killed. A small rectangle, clearly not a tin of Skoal. It tugged uncomfortably. No way. . Lead-lined cofn, proof of grounds of burial or place for cremation, passport, two certied copies of the death certicate, a letter on funeral-home stationery describing the preparation and treatment of the remains signed by the embalmer 212 Gregg Hurwitz and notarized, a letter from the local health department verifying the absence of any contagion. And where are the caskets received on this end? A standard holding area.