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

I’m hoping that now is the time you wise up,’ Reed stood right next to Bortado who cowered away, head down.

‘What the fuck is this? What’s going on, man? What do you want?’ he whimpered.

‘We know everything Tyrone. We need to talk to Pinsky. And before you start bullshitting with a “who?” or “I don’t know anyone called that” we know all about it. So, like I said, wise up. This is only going one way, and that’s my way. So learn fast.’

Bortado whimpered but said nothing, looking at John for help but saw no comfort there, just a cold stare in return.

Reed slapped him round the face and twisted his head so he was looking right at the soldier.

‘Ok, ok. So, wow you’re a tough guy, right? That’s what everyone at the precinct seems to think anyways. Now, I wouldn’t have never believed it, seeing as how John here handed you your ass in a cup without him breaking a sweat, but that’s where we are. It don’t matter. But you are in it now. Believe it.’

Reed looked over at John, who nodded, then picked up the axe and walked over, and spoke slowly and clearly.

‘You see Tyrone, we aren’t here. Nobody knows about us. We can do what we like, and I know what Tom can do, I’ve seen it for myself, and you will too soon enough. Forget the cops we followed here, they don’t know us. They are just doing their jobs. They don’t care, they get paid the same as normal. Nobody gives a shit. To be frank Tyrone, you’re fucked.’ John laboured the last word.

‘Fucked,’ Reed agreed. ‘And what’s one more body buried in this desert anyway? Place is full of them.’

Still Bortado said nothing, just sat with his head lowered, blood dripping from his nose.

Reed tutted loudly then picked up the shovel.

‘Ok, well, we gave you a chance. Like I care, let’s make a start. You better get digging. You ain’t going back to the precinct. Or the city, even.’

He pulled Bortado out of the chair, who squealed and tried hopelessly to resist then threw him down next to where the land began to rise up at the edge of the basin.

Bortado rolled onto his back and then sat up looking at the two men, scared and confused. Reed handed him the shovel, then removed the Ruger from the back of his trousers.

‘It’s simple. Dig,’ he said.

Bortado stared up at him, disbelieving, tears forming in his eyes. He shook his head.

Reed racked a round into the chamber.

‘You’re a gangster, right? A hard man. Tough guy. You know how this works, you know what’s gonna happen. Like John said, we ain’t here, and you sure as hell ain’t either. So, get on with it, I don’t wanna waste all day.’

Bortado looked around helplessly.

‘No, no, I can’t be doing this. No, this ain’t right, I don’t know nothing.’

‘You wanna talk to me about right? Fuck that. I knew Kyle Warner. Dig.’

Defeated, Bortado sobbed loudly then shook his head violently.

‘Ok, ok! Fuck! Yeah, yeah, I know Leo Pinsky,’ he mumbled.

John moved closer, but let Reed do his stuff, laying the axe on the floor next to the big man, obviously, so Bortado saw it.

‘Yeah, we know. You ain’t telling me nothing. Dig,’ Reed poked him with the Ruger.

‘Wait! Just, wait. Jesus. ok, I’ll answer, but I don’t wanna die out here man. It can’t go like this man, please. You can’t, they got my record, I was at the precinct man, my attorney was with me.’

‘I wouldn’t give that any more thought. You were never at the precinct. PD were looking for you sure, but you hid your candy ass away. And your attorney won’t be back, that’s dealt with.’ Reed lied.

Bortado just carried on staring up at Reed.

‘Fuck,’ he started weeping, unable to help himself.

‘I’m not asking again. Dig. Or I’ll take some fingers off, maybe a foot, to start with. Axes are perfect; quick and quiet. Apart from the screaming, that is.’ Reed picked up the axe and rested the head on the dusty ground, leaning forward on the handle.

‘What do you want to know! I told you, I know him! Jesus!’ Bortado was really tearful now.

Reed sighed and bent forward.

‘Ok, so talk. Where is he?’

‘LA, he went to LA. Yesterday, he was in a hurry, listen I don’t know him real well, I just get him some shit sometimes, that’s it, you know how it is.’

‘Not really. You got our friend killed.’

‘No! No way. He called me yesterday, he was pissed. I don’t know why. It was in the morning. He never fucking calls in the morning. He needed somebody to take care of some people, that’s all he said. Offered me ten grand to find a guy, man. I was like, yeah, ok, I can do that. And that fucking chickenshit Ryan owes me, so I thought of him. All I did was get them together, I didn’t know nothing about what it was and I didn’t fucking ask, I swear. But like, I hooked them up, and then he says it was four people man. I didn’t know nothing about it and I didn’t fucking ask. But Leo didn’t have all the shit he needed or something and he was pissed about it. He rang me again, said he needed some guys to set up a tail. That’s all I fucking know. So I made a call, it didn’t sound like no thing, and told Leo to get in contact. Then he rang later and he was pissed, real pissed, he hadn’t heard nothing. He couldn’t reach my guy, and I couldn’t fucking get him neither.’

‘Yeah, we met Lucky. He needs to change his name,’ Reed told him.

‘Where the fuck is he? We never heard nothing from him.’

‘He’s considering a career change.’

‘What’s in LA?’ John asked.

‘Jesus, I don’t fucking know. You gotta listen to me, Leo, he comes and goes, sometimes I don’t see that motherfucker for months. But he’s been