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

all she had been able to think about was getting out to Santa Monica.

His picture was etched in her brain, she would be able to spot him she knew it.

She just needed luck to be on her side.

Since she had her fair share of it in the past, surely it wouldn’t let her down now.

***

The flight from Vegas to LAX took a little over an hour, which was nothing, although it had to be a lot more for Reed who was squashed into an economy seat. John gave him the aisle but it was still way too small, although he didn’t complain. There was no other seating available on the flight, which was the first they could get out the city.

They had wiped down the Ruger and the SIG Sauer carefully, then dismantled them and deposited the parts in wastebins all around the strip before they had left for the airport.

Reed had spent most of the time waiting to board talking on the phone, and now as they hustled out of the airport with only carry-on luggage they got straight into an olive green sedan being driven by Louisa Gonzalez.

‘So how was Vegas?’ she asked, as she moved her way into the typical LA traffic.

‘Not so great, since you ask,’ Reed replied, looking sideways at her from the passenger seat.

‘Ok, well, I’ve done everything you asked. So, we headed for Santa Monica?’

‘Yeah, I guess so, that all good John?’

‘Yeah. I need my mobile, there’s an urgent call I need to make.’

The journey was short, but took a while, stop/start pretty much all the way, but finally Louisa pulled into the car park in front of the Ocean Vista hotel.

They all got out the car and John went straight up to his room with the other two following. He checked his mobile. Seventeen missed calls.

One from Judy.

Sixteen from Ron Keane.

He showed it to Reed who shook his head.

‘That motherfucker,’ he rumbled.

John pressed a button and held the phone to his ear. Keane answered immediately. John told him they were back and Keane said he would head over as soon as he could.

John hung up and looked at Reed.

‘Ok.’

They went back down to the ground and John took position, sitting on the low wall that ran between the car park and the pool. Reed and Louisa crossed to the opposite side and sat down against the side of the building that contained the bar and the Chinese restaurant, hidden from view when anyone pulled in. John sat patiently waiting, a slither of blue sea visible between the buildings on the other side of the wide street.

Twenty minutes passed, and then a pale blue Ford pulled into the car park, moving slowly. Two men inside, a heavy white man driving and a young Hispanic man in the passenger seat. They were looking all around, scanning the area and then settled on John, both men fixed on him.

They stopped the car about twenty feet away.

John didn’t move. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Reed moving fast around the other side of the car park and Louisa standing up.

The Hispanic man opened his door, and climbed out of the car, still looking at John.

The white man was talking on a mobile phone, and then he also got out of the car.

John sat still. Watching.

The white man made a decision. He glanced around and took out a gun from his pocket, a battered CZ 75, and held it loosely, then both men started walking forward.

John stood up.

The men stopped for a second, then continued moving toward him.

John stepped forward.

The white man raised the gun.

‘Now ….’

And that was all he said. Reed grabbed him from behind, lifted him in the air by his shirt and threw him hard down on the ground. John went for the Hispanic man who was so startled he froze, then turned to run but John was on him and wrestled him backwards against the car.

The Hispanic man was wiry and strong, he grabbed hold of John’s hand and started to twist but John pushed back as hard as he could and then kneed the other man hard in the groin, making him exhale loudly and double over, releasing John’s hand.

John stepped back and kicked him solidly in the face, then grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head down onto the ground, finally stamping down on the fingers of both hands, crushing the bones.

He stepped back and looked over at Reed who was standing over the other man prone at his feet. Louisa appeared and shook her head.

Reed shrugged.

Together they bundled the men into the car and Louisa parked it at the back and then joined Reed who had walked over to where he had originally been.

John retook his position sitting on the wall.

Keane arrived twenty minutes later. He was on his own, and spotted John but drove right around the car park first. John could see his head twisting from one side to the other as he circled. Eventually he parked and slowly walked across. He fixed on a rueful smile as he approached John.

‘Man, I heard about Kyle. What the fuck?’

‘Yeah,’ John looked back steadily, noticing Keane’s eyes constantly flicking all around as he wandered slowly toward him, clearly looking for something. Or someone. Most likely two men.

When he stopped walking Keane wouldn’t meet his eye.

‘I was calling you John, couldn’t raise you.’

‘I know, I left my mobile here.’

Keane frowned and looked up at the hotel. Behind him Reed and Louisa were approaching fast.

‘Where’s Judy and Tom Reed?’ he asked.

‘Judy’s still in Vegas. Tom’s …. behind you!’

Reed grabbed hold of Keane and wrenched his right arm high up behind his back and pulled him around. Keane starting protesting and was staring wildly around; looking for help that was not there. John pulled his gun from the holster on his belt then Louisa rolled up next to them in the car and Keane was bundled onto the back seat. John climbed in next to him and Reed