Ghosts by Matt Rogers (ap literature book list txt) 📕

Gates said. ‘My back’s to the goddamn wall. You’re all I can think of. You like money?’

King thought, Is this really going to fall into our laps?

He said, ‘Yeah, we like money.’

Across the kitchen, Slater raised an eyebrow.

‘I know you’ve got enough of it,’ Gates said. ‘But there’s always room for more. I can give you fifty k cash. For an hour’s work.’

‘Get to the point, Armando.’

Gates said, ‘That sheriff I’m in a war with … he’s got some internal conflict going on in his ranks. One of my software guys just picked up some weird shit on CCTV in Arden, southwest of Vegas. A junior officer — his name’s Alan Ward, my guy identified him by the plates — was in such a hurry to get out of Arden that he bumped three cars and blew two red lights. He’s completely blown his cover. He’s one of Ray’s boys, and he’s fucking wilding out. Like he was running away from something.’

King said, ‘Is this going where I think it’s going?’

‘It’s an open offer,’ Gates said. ‘Take it or leave it. You said you’re staying in Summerlin — that’s closer than I am, and I’ve got my head buried in the sand while I’m on “Keith Ray’s Most Wanted” list. I can feed you live intel that my software geek’s feeding me. If you’ve got guns, take them. But bring me that motherfucker.’

‘You want us to kidnap a cop?’

‘I don’t know how tough you two are,’ Gates said. ‘You’re a dog and I’m throwing you a bone. I’m at the end of the line here. Help me and there’s a whole lot in it for you.’

‘Didn’t you mention something about a DA?’ King said. ‘Call her. She has more resources than we do.’

‘You don’t think I have been?’ Gates said. ‘She’s gone radio silent. This is a nightmare.’

King almost smiled.

‘Let me get this straight,’ he said. ‘You want us to find him, ram him, grab him in broad daylight and bring him to you?’

‘He’s wilding,’ Gates hissed. ‘He’s scared for his life — my geek showed me the footage. You’ll be able to do it. I’m sure of it.’

No you’re not. You’re not sure of anything. You’re desperate, and you’ve been ringing your so-called “boys,” and most of them aren’t answering. Because they’re understandably scared of Keith Ray.

King said, ‘Seventy-five.’

‘What?’

‘You heard me.’

‘I can’t throw that kind of cash around.’

‘We don’t need the kind of cash you’re offering. Especially for a job like that.’

‘Sixty. That’s my max.’

‘Your max is whatever we want it to be,’ King said. ‘The alternative is you keep making calls to lesser and lesser folk until your options are completely exhausted and this ex-sheriff wipes out the rest of your boys and then breaks you.’

Gates said nothing.

King said, ‘You were right. We’re not who you thought we were. In fact we’re pretty damn good at jobs like the one you just proposed. So it’s seventy-five, and that’s a discount. And you’re going to give us as many of your girls as we want, free of charge, for the rest of our lives.’

Slater shot him a look like, What the hell are you doing?

King shot him a look back. This is a test. If we roll over too easily, he’ll get spooked.

Gates said, ‘Alright. Seventy-five. Alan Ward. Bring him to me.’

‘If he’s running, then Ray won’t want him. He’s useless to you.’

‘He has information. That’s what I really want. Then I’ll bury him.’

‘Right.’

‘How soon can you move?’

‘We’re already moving,’ King said. ‘Ring me as soon as you get an updated location.’

‘Okay. Thank you, brother. You know, I never asked. You and your friend. What are your names?’

‘That doesn’t matter,’ King said, and hung up.

Slater said, ‘Was that what I thought it was?’

‘Sometimes we get lucky,’ King said.

He gave Slater and Violetta a thirty-second synopsis of the details.

Violetta said, ‘Arden?’

‘Arden.’

‘That’s where Alexis will be. That’s where Blue Diamond Road goes.’

‘There’s a ton of establishments out there,’ Slater said. ‘We won’t be able to fluke it.’

‘So we get Ward,’ King said. ‘He’ll tell us.’

They both looked to Violetta.

She was the brains.

The ruthless analyser.

The detached observer.

She said, ‘Go. Snatch him. I’ll keep an eye on Kerr.’

They ran for the garage.

40

Alexis didn’t have a moment’s opportunity to try and escape.

She watched Ward sprint out the side door and vanish round the corner in seconds, gone as if he’d never been there. She thought about following, but one of Ray’s goons had a gun on her before she could blink.

She put her hands up. ‘Don’t shoot me. I’m not going anywhere.’

He was shaking with adrenaline, but he nodded his understanding.

She sat down in the dust and put her head in her hands. Men streamed past her, chasing after Ward, paying her no mind. Five of them went tearing out into the afternoon heat, hot on the cop’s heels. One man up the back of the warehouse barked, ‘That’s enough,’ and the rest of the thugs planning to join the pursuit held back. A sufficient army had been dispatched to chase down the traitor. The rest could stay.

Quiet enveloped everything.

Beside her, Keith Ray sat up.

He groaned as he undid his shirt buttons, lifting one flap aside to expose the bulletproof vest beneath. What Alexis had mistaken for musculature was actually Kevlar. He was still a big guy, but not as solid as she’d thought. He rubbed a finger on the bullet lodged in the vest and winced as it inadvertently prodded the swelling flesh underneath.

He looked over, met Alexis’ gaze, and smiled a sick smile. ‘Thank God for caution, huh?’

She was speechless.

He got shakily to his feet. One of his men came over to help him but he swatted the hand aside. He straightened up and stretched his shoulders back, complete with a bigger wince. He said, ‘Feels like I’ve cracked my chest.’

The helper checked him. Poked and prodded and came away satisfied. He said, ‘You’ll be fine.’

Ray’s mood blackened. ‘That boy’s a dead man walking.’

‘We’ll get him,’ the underling said. ‘You can