Dying For LA by Ian Jones (best adventure books to read TXT) 📗

this real quiet, but we would like to speak to this guy.’

Billy looked at it and shook his head, then slid it across the table to Tattoos, who picked it up.

‘No idea, don’t know him,’ Billy told them adamantly.

But Tattoos was looking closely at the photo.

‘I seen this guy, maybe a couple of times. Place called Miss Sin, in Hollywood. I got a girl that works there, he’s been in. I’m in there a lot I guess. But I don’t know him, never spoke to him. Sits on his own. Quiet. But I’d say it’s this guy, for sure.’

The man in the suit thumped the desk and pointlessly shot him a warning glance.

‘When was the last time you saw him?’ John asked, ignoring it.

‘I ain’t sure. It’s been a while since I seen him, ask the girls, they may be able to tell you something, they’re paid to be friendly.’

‘OK. Thanks, that’s helpful,’ Keane said. ‘You see Billy, being an asshole isn’t ingrained in everybody.’

Billy shrugged again.

‘One more thing Billy, I need a gun. For my man here. No trace.’

‘Come on Mr Keane don’t try this shit,’ Billy pleaded.

‘I’m not trying anything, but John here isn’t official. I can’t arm him myself and things are going to get ugly at some point so I got to look out for him.’

‘Mr Keane you gonna fit me up, I can’t …’

‘Fucking hell Billy, you ain’t listening. This is not about popping a cap in some asshole and you taking the blame. It’s bigger than that shit. Much bigger.’

‘Jesus Mr Keane,’ Billy whined.

‘Listen to me. Your pal here just helped, which I’m very grateful for. Now it’s your turn. I don’t care what shit you got down here.’

He turned and pulled on one of the boxes stacked against the wall. It fell off the pile and burst open. Porn DVDs scattered all over the floor.

‘Now, if you play nice it will mean I’m gonna ignore these. One good turn deserves another, but I ain’t a patient man Billy, you know that.’

Billy looked up at John helplessly, and then with a deep sigh and muttering to himself, stood up and went over to the door in the corner.

‘Make it a nine-mil please Billy, keep it straightforward,’ Keane asked, pleasantly.

Billy grunted and nodded then unlocked and went inside, closing the door behind him, but John still saw a small room full of stuff. Billy returned a few minutes later with two cloth-wrapped bundles, which he laid on the desk, then stepped back. John moved forward and unwrapped them. There was a Browning Hi-Power and a SIG Sauer P226. Both guns were used but looked in good condition. He picked up the SIG, it was a gun he liked.

‘Good choice,’ Tattoos said, and Keane nodded.

John checked the clip and the chamber, which were both empty, then looked hard at Billy, who rolled his eyes.

‘Fuck.’

He picked up the Browning and started wrapping it up again.

‘I think we’ll take that too Billy,’ Keane told him holding out his hand.

‘Fuck,’ Billy said again and pursed his lips, then threw it back on the desk. Keane picked it up with a smile and put it in his jacket pocket.

‘Ammo?’ John asked, patiently, enjoying the game.

Billy threw his arms up, then disappeared behind the door, then came back and dropped two cartons on the desk. John picked one of them up. Good quality IMI rounds, twenty in a box.

‘Thank you,’ he said, and meticulously loaded the clip, snapped it back into the gun then racked it so there was a round in the chamber, dropped out the clip again and thumbed in an additional bullet, then clicked it back together and pushed it down the back of his trousers.

‘Look Mr Keane, about the guns. You never got these fucking things from me OK? You never did, I don’t know nothing about them OK? Billy said, still worried.

‘I’m not interested in chasing down your homies Billy. Don’t panic, I was never here. And you’ll get them back,’ Keane said with a smile.

‘Yeah, yeah. Until your buddy here blows his own head off or gets it done for him.’

‘I’m not too worried about that Billy. John here has proved he’s more than a match for these scumbags.’

Keane bent down and picked up a DVD, which showed a naked woman tightly tied up while two men stood at either side of her. The title on the box was Real Rapes.

‘I got the feeling a lot of people would be unhappy with these Billy, and I mean a lot. I guess if I got a team down here and went right through these I’d find a lot of things that would make me real sick and cause a lot of anger in certain places. What do you think?’

He produced his mobile phone and held it up.

‘One call, they can be here in less than fifteen.’

‘You got it wrong Mr Keane. These ain’t mine.’ Billy blustered.

Keane held up a hand.

‘Just make sure you don’t never say a word about our visit.’ He looked keenly at Tattoos. ‘Both of you. If I find someone is expecting us, I’m coming back here, and I won’t be in such a good mood, am I clear?’

‘Crystal,’ Tattoos said.

‘Good. Let’s go John. I fancy a cold beer, get rid of this shitty taste in my mouth.’

Chapter Nine

Voorhees hadn’t left his office all day apart from to receive a pizza that was delivered. He didn’t offer to share it, just disappeared again. Rico and Sal eventually took a walk around just to get some air. It was common not to see a great deal of Voorhees during the day but normally they would have had an instruction however vague, whether it would be some kind of reconnaissance somewhere, getting information, shooting practice or an exercise of some sort. Since they first set up in LA they had spent time in the library researching LAPD response times and their options, and been sent all over the state collecting various items; guns, clothing, rucksacks,