Dying For LA by Ian Jones (top fiction books of all time .txt) 📕

this is breakfast then?’ he asked looking around.

‘Yep. Same as the last place for us. Not much choice round here, there’s a family restaurant just along the street but they don’t open till eleven. Always McDonald’s man, always. I’d kill for a Denny’s, anything different,’ Sal replied.

‘KFC. Jack in the Box,’ Rico offered.

‘Applebee’s. Or Taco Bell,’ Greg decided.

The three men looked at each other and grinned comfortably.

‘How did you get out?’ asked Sal. ‘We locked up.’

‘Leo gave us some keys, last night. I didn’t really think about it, but I’m glad he did. We were hungry.’

Rico checked his watch.

‘It’s early, you guys didn’t sleep too good then?’

Greg looked around again, then leaned forward.

‘Nah, Leo was like, pacing around. All night it seemed. That guy’s weird, something going on there,’ he said quietly.

‘Yeah, he does seem a bit … intense,’ Sal agreed.

‘What’s Yann like?’ Greg asked.

‘He ain’t easy. Better now than he was, but he’s all keyed up too. At least he tells us what’s going on now, he never used to. Must be some kind of history between him and Leo,’ Sal answered.

Rolf appeared, and placed a tray down on the table. He had purchased two extra coffees, which both Rico and Sal believed to be a good sign.

‘Thanks a lot Rolf,’ Rico said.

‘No sweat, we’re the workers, right? Got to stick together.’

Exactly what I was thinking thought Rico.

***

They sat in the canteen for nearly an hour, before the now decidedly unsmiling lieutenant appeared, and very reluctantly ushered them upstairs to the captain’s office.

It was a big room in a corner, lots of windows and light. Judy was already inside sitting on a sofa, still clearly upset.

John stood in front of the desk with Reed behind him. The captain was on the phone, then he hung up.

‘Ok, so we have been taking a good look. I’m sure you understand I got to know what I’m dealing with. Mr Reed is a serving member of our armed forces, rank of captain, and his superior officers appear to hold him in high regard. You on the other hand Mr Smith, are more of an unknown although it does seem you got a lot of support from the FBI.’

He leaned back in his chair and looked up at them with strangely staring eyes. He did this for a while, unspeaking. John believed it would work wonders when he was interviewing someone, it was like he could see right through them.

In the end, he smiled briefly and leaned forward.

‘Right. You get Mr Bortado for two hours. Nobody at this precinct is going to show any interest on why you are doing this or what you plan to do. That is my courtesy to the FBI, and the CIA I guess, hopefully one day I’ll get my reward. The conditions for this are real simple; one; he comes back here again alive, two; he remains in handcuffs, three; two officers travel with you. They will be in a separate vehicle and take no active part in whatever proceedings you instigate. And no, none of this negotiable.’

He looked up.

‘Am I understood?’

‘Perfectly,’ John told him. ‘Thank you.’

The captain stood.

‘Well ok. I need to do some work with the custody sergeants, this ain’t something I ever did before. None of us have. Let’s meet in the yard in fifteen minutes. I’ve got you a car.’

He walked out, and they followed him. John stopped Judy.

‘Stay here Judy.’

‘What? No way. I need to be involved John, you can’t …’

He interrupted her gently.

‘Look, nobody is going to get killed. ok? But we need the answers. It’s best you aren’t there. Sometimes dirty is the only way, and I am sure that is not how you want to do things. So stay here, and try to pretend none of this happening. That way, you knew nothing about it, you are not involved at all and there’s no reason for any more problems for you. Please Judy, stay here.’

She looked at him, and then Reed, who put his arm around her.

‘John’s right Judy, you know it. We’re way off the programme now. This is his world. I’m just here helping is all.’

The captain was waiting in the stairwell.

Judy looked at him and then at John, then she sat down without saying anything.

They went down to the basement level, and the captain entered the custody area. There was a small office to one side, which John guessed was used by lawyers when they needed to discuss whatever level of hopelessness their current client faced, and they were shown into it.

Both men sat down on either side of a table, which was opposite a rack filled with pamphlets issued by the Vegas PD, all of which basically said don’t break the law.

The office smelt of sweat and lost causes.

A young cop, big but not in direct comparison to Reed spotted them and walked over.

‘I got what you need,’ he told Reed, who nodded.

‘Thanks.’

‘No sweat, I’m on the detail, you follow us, we know a perfect place.’

‘Cool, thank you.’

He walked off, John looked at Reed, who smiled briefly.

‘I think I know how you want to play this John. I got a good idea what’s on your mind.’

The captain appeared, and showed them out a side door into a big yard, which served the custody area. It was secure behind a solid pair of steel gates, there was a PD cruiser and a dark Chrysler sedan waiting there. The young cop was standing next to the sedan, and Reed went over. Beyond the yard was a raised car park, with police vehicles dotted around.

The door opened again, and Bortado was led out, still grinning, hands cuffed behind his back. The two officers holding his arms shoved him roughly toward the cruiser, but the young cop intercepted them and they put him in the back of the sedan, slamming the door closed. John walked across.

‘Over to you, ok?’ the young cop said, and set off for the cruiser.

‘Don’t say anything to him ok? Nothing at all,’ John advised