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

it, but I sure ain’t the only one who didn’t like the guy.’

‘Still, I wish I’d taken more notice. A lot of the stuff that has happened would have been avoided.’

‘Hindsight John. Wonderful thing right?’ Brady replied with a smile, patting him on the shoulder. ‘I got to say I’m sorry that Captain Truman gave you a hard time John. He’s new to the job, his predecessor was there a long time, and had a lot of respect. Big shoes to fill, but that’s no excuse, I guess he was kind of an asshole. He couldn’t understand who you are.’

John shrugged. Life was too short to worry about what people thought.

‘Yeah, well. So Chief, are you up to speed with everything? Have you heard about Pinsky, and the rail yard?’

‘Yes and that’s why I came down here, I got to meet Major Turner now. We got SWAT mobilised, just waiting on the go ahead then we’re going to be getting over there.’

‘I am too, along with Captain Reed and another couple of MPs from here.’

Brady looked at him shrewdly.

‘Not thinking about getting involved?’ he asked.

‘No, no,’ John replied hastily. ‘Just want to see what is happening, Pinsky has a lot to answer for.’

Brady passed him a business card.

‘Right, well here’s my cell number, stay in contact and I will let you know how it’s progressing, is that ok with you?’

‘Yes, thanks Chief. We’ll stay out of the way.’

‘No problem. I’ll see you there I’m sure.’

John introduced him to Tom Reed, and then they walked upstairs to take him to Turner’s office. Once he was inside they went back down and walked out of the building. The two squad cars were gone, Keane was no longer the army’s problem thankfully. The corporal and Louisa were standing waiting next to the Humvees and they headed across to make sure everything was completely clear.

‘Ok. Let’s go,’ Reed said.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

In the bar Rico was deliberately doing all he could to delay finishing his drink, all the others had downed theirs long before but he managed to keep a fifth in his glass and would occasionally sip without actually consuming anything. He was desperate to keep Leo in the bar; all the time they were not in the yard they were not in any real danger. The problem was that the glasses were small, there wasn’t a size option. Rico had been in bars in New York and Boston where pints were just standard, he had been told that was all there was in Europe, and he could really do with that now.

In fact, Leo did not seem to be in any hurry. Since the call he had been telling them all about Las Vegas, and the fact that others had fucked up there, then fallen almost silent, constantly checking the display on his phone but it stayed resolutely inactive.

Sal was aware of Rico’s plans and was always talking, telling stories and asking Rolf and Greg questions, but it was becoming strained. The elderly barman appeared and collected the empty glasses.

Rico winced.

‘Shall I get some more beers Leo?’ Sal asked brightly.

Pinsky checked his phone and looked sharply at him, and then around the bar, which had not changed. He sighed and tapped his fingers on the table.

‘Yes. Why not?’

Sal jumped up, and as he moved around the table Pinsky’s mobile beeped. He grabbed it and looked closely at the screen.

Rico stared at Sal and gestured toward the bar with his head.

Sal nodded and practically ran over.

Leo walked away again, talking fast but quietly into his phone.

The barman brought the drinks over and set them on the table, and they all took a drink just as Pinsky sat down again.

‘Ok. Have a drink. We need to be moving soon. And we have to make security good. There is changes.’

***

Louisa seemed to know the city a lot better than Reed, and they followed her bright yellow Honda along several highways and freeways, moving fast until eventually she slowed and exited, and almost immediately they saw the yard down on their left as they passed a basic looking hotel and a short line of shops, the golden arches visible from a long way away.

They drove past the yard without obviously looking at it and turned into the car park of a bulk carpet wholesaler further down the road, well out of sight of the yard.

‘Nice driving,’ Reed commented to Louisa as they gathered to talk.

Louisa looked baffled and gestured at her car.

‘Er … satnav? Sir?’

Reed chuckled.

‘Ok. I got to get me one of those things.’

John had walked back to the road and then joined them.

‘Right. So there’s a tyre place just down there, and next to it looks like a closed down restaurant maybe, and some sort of industrial unit but there’s a couple of cars parked all around there. It’s not busy but I don’t think we would stand out there, and it’s probably better if we stay in the cars right now, it won’t be obvious we’re there from the distance if we get spotted but we’ll have a good line of sight to the gates, maybe partly into the yard.

‘You want us to stay together?’ the corporal asked.

‘No, opposite the hotel there are a couple of small warehouses, they look a bit rundown but I’d say they are in use. I spotted them as we drove past. They are set back from the road but again, a car parked there won’t stand out. Remember the police and SWAT are due here pretty soon so anonymity will be a thing of the past anyway.’

They made the decision quickly; John and Reed would wait next to the tyre place and Louisa and the corporal further down the road close to the warehouses. They got into position and settled down to wait.

From where they were parked John could see through the gates, and across the yard to some huge warehouses on the far side. He watched several trains crisscrossing behind them so he knew that was where the