Blood Of Angels (12 page)

The person he'd been looking for was Brad.

Brad kissed Karen on the neck. 'Back in a second, babe,' he said. 'Got to go talk to Lee.'

She hopped off and he got up and headed over through the crowd of people. His leg had gone to sleep from having Karen on it and he limped slightly as he made his way around the pool.

'Hey,' he said, when he got there. 'Good party, huh?'

'How fucked up are you?'

Brad blinked. So much for the small talk. 'I'm cool,' he said. 'Couple beers.'

Lee nodded. 'Good. Need you to come with me.'

'You got it. You going for burgers?'

'No. Are Pete and Steve here?'

'Steve, no. He's… I don't know where he is. But Sleepy's around somewhere. I saw him earlier. I think.'

'I'll go around the side, you head through the house. See if you can find them. Meet me at the car. And splash some water over your face.'

'What's up?'

'We have to go do something.'

'Yeah, I'm getting that, but — what?'

'Brad, just get moving.'

Lee peeled away and moved off through the dancing people. Brad shook his head to clear it a little and found he felt largely okay. He headed up around the top of the pool, keeping half an eye out for Pete and a quarter of an eye out for Steve, who he was pretty sure wasn't actually at the party at all. He glanced towards where Karen had been, too, hoping to indicate he was going off for a while, but she wasn't there any more.

The house was pretty much empty for now, quieter than it would be in a few hours when it had cooled down and people were in the mood for being more horizontal. No sign of Pete or Steve. He found his way out the front with only one wrong turn. Forgot about the splashing thing but he felt fine.

The driveway was full of cars, including Karen's new sharp blue BMW, and there were a couple of small groups of people hanging out. Brad located Lee's car and stood by it. He waited a few minutes and then took out a cigarette. Found he'd left his lighter out by the pool. Shit. How annoying was that?

'Looking for this?'

He turned to see that Karen was suddenly there. She was holding out a flame.

He grinned, took it. 'My angel of mercy. Or of fire. Definitely an angel, anyway.'

'You say the nicest things. So, what's up? Doing research for a career in valet parking?'

'Just waiting for Lee.'

On cue, there was the sound of feet on gravel and he turned to see Hudek approaching.

'On his way,' he said, to Brad. 'Hey, Karen. Great party.'

'Why, thank you.' Karen stretched. 'We do our best. So where are you young blades headed?'

'Just out for a ride,' Lee said. 'Pick up some eats.'

'There's stuff out. Enough guacamole to hide a baby in.'

'I know. I had some already. But I got a specific hunger. By the way, there's people over there waving to you?'

Karen turned and saw a red Porsche idling at the front door. Two figures stood by it with the air of people who didn't want to leave without saying goodbye but who really had to go, kind of
now.
Karen squinted to make them out.

'Right, Sara and Randy. They got to split early. Okay, so, duty calls. Drive carefully,' she said.

'Always do,' Lee said. 'You know that.'

Karen smiled quickly, looking a little uncomfortable. She leaned forward and pecked Brad on the cheek.

'Later,' she said, then ran back towards the house, arms already wide to hug people goodbye.

They waited for a couple of minutes and then Sleepy Pete appeared. He looked quite stoned, but less than you might expect, though he was munching diligently from a sizable bag of Doritos.

'So, what's up, guys?'

'Bit of work. You coming along?'

'Absolutely, dude. I'm all about the work ethic. You know that.'

'My man.' Hudek pressed the blipper and the car let out a quiet squawk. The doors unlocked. 'Brad, come in front with me.'

Lee hit the radio and turned it up loud. Drove out through the gates and then along the winding road through the ranch, past all the other big private gates, to the bigger main gate of the Faircroft Ranch community. Security guys there flipped them a wave without even looking. Point of gated communities is to stop people coming in, not going out, and not a single person in Lee's car was even slightly black.

Hudek stuck to the main drag through Santa Barbara, driving responsibly and well. After ten minutes he switched to 192 bearing north. Brad watched the lights as they passed, headlights and streetlights and signage. Some song came on the radio that he recognized but he didn't know what it was. His head was mainly full of wondering what the 'drive carefully/you know that' exchange between Karen and Lee had meant. If anything. And also, why were they going north?

'Hey — turn it up,' Pete said. 'This
rocks
.'

Hudek jacked the volume in the back speakers but pulled it down in front.

'Lee, what's up?' Brad said, finally. 'Where are we going?'

'Hernandez called,' Lee said, quietly. 'He has a last-minute thing. His people are unavailable. He needs a couple of guys to stand behind him.'

And that would be us? You're fucking kidding? Lee — last time I saw that fucker he cold-cocked me with a gun.'

Lee nodded, his eyes on the rear-view mirror. 'I hear what you're saying. But this is a good sign, Brad. This is important.'

'Since when are we the hired hands? Jump, do this, whatever?'

'We can't bail first time we're asked a favour. So we're going to do this thing, then we're going to get some serious-sized burgers, go back to the party and do some heavy chilling. You on that?'

Pete was singing along in back, oblivious. Brad shook his head, but not in denial. He took out a cigarette and lit it.

'Dude…'

'Lee, fuck you. The lid's off and we're driving. I want a fucking cigarette, I'm going to have one.'

Hudek smiled. 'That's fine, man. Go nuts. What I wanted was a yes or no.'

'Well, fuck, yes. I guess. Though, you know, I don't know.'

Hudek winked at him and then suddenly swerved over to the kerb. This freaked Brad out until he realized Hernandez was standing on the street corner, a bag over his shoulder.

'Whoa,' Pete said, through a mouth full of potato chips. 'What's
he
doing here?'

Hernandez walked up to the car, looked down into the back seat. 'Where's the other guy?'

Hudek took his time about answering. It felt good to be in control. If he decided to, he could just pull away. Leave the asshole standing there.

He killed the music. 'This is short notice, don't you think?'

'Notice for what?' Pete asked. 'And seriously, why are we mixing with this shithead?'

'We're going to help him out,' Lee said. 'Give him a ride somewhere he needs to be. Okay?'

'Yeah, whatever,' Pete said, dubiously. 'I guess.'

'Great.' Hudek looked back up at Hernandez, and smiled. 'You getting in the car, or what?'

===OO=OOO=OO===

Under Hernandez's direction Lee drove up into the hills. Golf courses, more ranch communities. It wasn't an area he knew well. You could make a case for it not being an area at all, except in real estate terms. They drove a little further into the Santa Ynez and then on some more.

'Are we going all the way to Nevada?' Pete asked at one point. Otherwise he and Brad were quiet in the back.

Eventually Hernandez indicated a turning on the left. It didn't seem to be signed for anywhere. Lee drove up it for a couple of miles, into scrubby semi-forest. After a time they crested one of the hills and started a slow descent. By now the road was pretty basic, and after another eight hundred yards it ran out altogether. As it did so it widened into a big gravel-and-dust parking lot surrounded with trees that blended into the inky twilight. It appeared empty.

'This it?'

Hernandez nodded.

'What time are they due? And who are these people?'

'They're just like you,' the man said. 'Nothing to worry about.'

'So how come you need us here holding your hand?'

But then a set of headlights came on at the other end of the lot. Brad felt his heart give a heavy double-thud. Lee just felt good to be in the car with the drugs. People bringing bags of money to
you:
that was a step in the right direction, for sure.

'That them?'

'Yes.' Hernandez opened his door. 'You, Pete, whatever your name is, you wait in the car.'

'No way.'

Lee looked at Hernandez. 'What's the problem?' It felt weird talking to this guy as something like an equal. Weird, but good.

'You and the other kid I saw stand firm in the parking lot. This loser I just remember with duct tape around his mouth.'

'There were three of you and two of us,' Pete said. He sounded angry, which was rare. 'You want to go one on one, right now?'

Jesus but you're dumb, Pete,
Brad was thinking. Three figures were now silhouetted in the lights of the distant car.
Staying in the car sounds plenty good to me.

'No, thank you so much,' Hernandez said. He turned to Pete and smiled one of his bad smiles. 'Big guy like you, what chance would I have?'

Pete shut up.

'Get behind the wheel,' Lee said. 'Just in case.' He was pleased to see Hernandez nod. The older guy unzipped his bag and pulled out a gun. He handed it to Hudek.

Brad shook his head. 'How come we need that, if this is going to be so…'

'Brad, shut up.'

Lee slipped the gun in the back of his pants. He saw Hernandez reach behind and touch his own lower back, as if to check the position of a weapon there. Okay, so they were good to go.

The three of them got out of the car. Pete climbed over and into the driver's seat. 'Be careful,' he said.

Hernandez led the way. Lee walked a little behind and to the right, Brad to the left.

One of the guys at the other car called out. 'Hey, Emilio. Who's with you?'

'Friends,' Hernandez said. 'It's cool.'

Brad looked back and forth between the shadowed faces. One of the guys was probably Brad's age, and probably from a similar background. The other two looked older. One had a shaved head. There was something hinky about them. What was with the standing back, for example? There was a way of doing these things. You walked over, they walked over, you met halfway and swapped bags, maybe had a quick cigarette or shared a line in some ridiculous pretence of conviviality, then split.

Why weren't they coming forward?

Lee was thinking the same thing, but maybe these people thought they were proving something making them do the extra work. Some kind of petty power play, to make themselves look big. Lee didn't think that was going to happen, and he was right. Hernandez stopped walking forward. He and Brad stopped too.

'Okay guys,' Hernandez said. 'You stuck there, or what?'

None of them said anything, and something suddenly dropped into Lee's head like a hammer.

None of the three men was holding a bag.

'Hernandez…' he said.

Then they started shooting.

No warning, nothing said. Just arms suddenly out front, caps going off. Clack clack clack.

Lee stumbled backward, reaching for the gun in the back of his pants. Hernandez was much faster. He had his gun out and was firing shots towards the other car, scooting quickly out towards the right, heading for the trees.

Lee saw Brad frozen for a moment, and remembered the guy had no gun. He saw him try to work out what the fuck to do and then break into a run towards the left-hand side of the lot.

Lee yanked at his gun. It was stuck. Yanked it again — got it out and started firing.

Two of the guys had leapt into the back of the car. The other was hurrying around the back. He fired in Hernandez's direction, but missed.

Lee shot at him, once, twice. Missed both times.

Then the guy swivelled and let one off at Brad, who was going nowhere dangerous to them and didn't even have a gun and was only here because Lee had told him to be.

Lee saw Brad shudder and trip and fall. Saw him clatter into a tree and wallop over to hit the ground full length.

Then the car was rocketing past him, spraying him with flint. A final shot and Lee swore he felt it move the air above his head.

Forty-five seconds, at most. And it was over.

Lee stood a moment, feeling like the whole world had flipped, as if the universe had punched to negative. 'Oh, shit, Brad…'

He ran to the edge of the lot where Brad was face down, and was amazed to see his friend was still moving and that he was not covered in blood. He rolled over and his eyes were on Lee's. There was a lot to read in his face but it was not a story about pain.

Lee stared, grabbed him. 'Fuck, man — I thought they got you. I thought you were fucking nailed.'

Brad sat up, shook his head. 'Me too. Just tripped, though. Big rock. Just tripped.'

'It probably saved your life, man. Jesus.'

'Yeah. I got a lucky rock.'

They looked at each other, eyes wide, and laughed. It was a shaky laugh. It wasn't really a laugh.

Hernandez shouted from thirty yards. 'Is he shot?'

'No!' Lee shouted back. Adrenalin was still pumping through him like a jolt of uncut cocaine. 'But what the
fuck
just happened here?'

'I don't know,' Hernandez muttered. 'But we're leaving. Now.' He walked quickly towards Lee's car. 'We got to make some calls.'

Lee stuck a hand out and Brad grabbed it. Allowed himself to be pulled upright. Brad's brain really hadn't caught up with recent events. Most of it still lived in the world of sixty seconds ago. Evidently bad stuff had happened in between, but he felt like he'd missed most of it. He was somewhat amazed still to be around.

'Come on,' Lee said. 'Let's get out of here.'

Lee knew what they'd just experienced was something very significant. Hernandez was going to want to fuck those guys up bad. And Lee Hudek was going to be there with him. As of tonight he was not just one of the kids who turned up with the money.

He grabbed Brad's shoulder and helped him move faster.

Brad was limping heavily, but equally keen to be somewhere else. He did his best and hurried over towards the car. He was thinking that he wished the A would cut out for a moment, just so he could get his head together, when he noticed Hernandez had stopped a few yards short of Lee's car.