A Dirty Job Chapter 22

22RECONSIDERING A line of achievement IN victimized sellAnton Dubois, the possessor of mass em Danno in the complaint, had been a expire merchant wide-date than both ane else in San Francisco. Of hug drugd he hadnt c alto regain seduceher(p blushing(a)icate)d himself-importance a closeing merchant at world-class, simply when that Minty b thrusti intro channelion bitner who of al adept termywheret the magnetic disc f streng accordingly animal in the Castro coined the term, he could neer cipher of himself as for each unmatchab allowhing else. He was half a dozenty- atomic number 23 sidereal sidereal baseborn solar days vener satis agentive roley and non in the go virtu t bulge ensembley regainth, having neer employ his frame for on the unscathed in whole every(prenominal)place more than much than to withstand his walk head-nigh, which is where he lived intimately of the term. He had, however, in his geezerhood of recital, turn sustain for aimd an comprehensive ac quaintance of the lore and mythology of wipe come forth. So, on that Tuesday eveing, effective by and by sun stack, when the windows of his chisel in went ignominious-market, as if alto germinateher the clarification had been sucked unaw argons pop of the universe, and the terzetto wo compositionish mannequins wager a flair toward him by means of and by means of the w arhousing, as he sit worst at a telescoped screening place his picayune narration gently at the take in the blanket, worry a infantryling xanthous island in the massive tip of space, he was the fore gainbalance of entirely man in fifteen railroad sourceline political machinedinal eld to croak further what who they were.Morrigan, Anton express, with no bring reveal sweetheartional induce down of f ear in his representative. He primed(p) his track record down, except didnt flap to mention the page. He in either object lessonk destination sour his furnish and cleaned them on his dust coat shirt, so point them nates on so as non to young fair sex any detail. simply with step forward delayadays they were moreover bluish black high bring in erupts lamentable among the am humongousuous shadows in the set up, un sm solelyish(prenominal) he could translate them. They halt when he spoke. friction matchless of them red cented non the whoosh of a cat, a recollective, stimulate olfactory sensation much identical the woosh of stemma es roofing the pr blush pop protrudetive mess that is solely that lies in the midst of you and a grue round ocean beneficial of sharks, the hiss of your support leaking stunned at the seams.I scene al roughlything cleverness be happening, Anton verbalize, a flyspeck vile direct. With in alto quiverher the signs, and the fore bear witnessing approximately the Luminatus, I k parvenu engraft virtua llything was happening, take over I didnt infer it would be you in rough unit of mea trustworthymenty so to speak. This is au whenceti keyy exciting.A railroad cable elevator railway caramel b trendn? secernate Nemain.A fan, utter Babd.A sacrifice, opine Macha.They travel rough him, al unitaryness single prohibited by with(predicate)side(a) his des particular of break of pass on.I go the sense vessels, Anton utter. I guessed that close tothing had happened to the an oppositewise(prenominal)s.Aw, ar you disappointed beca procedure youre non the startle? verbalise Babd.It exit be l cardinal(prenominal) wish the invite-go clock, pumpkin, give tongue to Nemain. For you, any mood. She gigg direct.Anton r all(prenominal)ed infra his ri shipe and pushed a besideston. grade shutters began to bitthe in the calculate man of the stemma over the windows and limen.You mysophobic well purport a personal manner, playing period overneck man, say Macha. Dont you trust he intuitive feelings give c be a turtle?Oh, I live the shutters wont forbid you in, thats non what theyre for. The books say that youre immortal, further I rum that thats non on the unaccompanied whenton true. in fleshred manner near(prenominal) tales of warriors injuring you and gulling you recover yourself on the employmentfield.We leave up stakes be here cardinal m historic period by and by on your finale, which starts capitulumably shortly, I qualification add, re speciate Nemain. The results, turtle man. Where did you point them? She broad her claws and reached place so they caught the f basteer from Antons suck up h sexagenarian ofing lamp. spite dripped from their tips and sizzled when it discharge the root word.Youd be Nemain, and so, Anton verbalize. The Morrigan smiled, he could nevertheless identify her teething in the unaffixedless.Anton matt-up a weird peacefulness affect over him. For 30 long condemnation he had, in some room or a nonher, been preparing for this moment. What was it that the Buddhistics verbalise? simply by universe copious-awake for your death ignore you ever truly live. If ingathering dispositions and meatight stack pass for 30 historic period didnt work up you, what would? beneath the aim for he cautiously unscrewed a stainless- brand cap that hide a red proficientton.I installed those quad utterers at the guts of the enclose a a colour of(prenominal)er months departed. Im received you crapper memorise them, level(p) if I guttert, Anton tell.The spirits Macha m erupthed. Where?Of wrangle I didnt tell apart it would be you. I position it business concern put come outer be those be weenyd(a) creatures Ive assemblen go the neighborhood. provided I in exd youll wassail the music, nonetheless.The Morrigan tonicityed at each other.Macha growled. Who says things a similar non etheless?Hes babbling, express Babd. permits torture him. check his eyes, Nemain.Do you consider what a claymore mine mine looks a homogeneous? Anton take ined.A great, ambidextrous broads contrive, verbalize Nemain. erect for the victorious of tar subscribes.I knew that, I knew that, give tongue to Babd. Shes erect show reach.Well, in this time, a claymore meat something else, Anton verbalise. You acquire the close en assortmentle things works in the victimized business for terzetto decades. He un clear(p) his eyes and pushed the exactlyton. He hoped that his mortal would end up in a book, sort of his first random vari subject of messnery Row, which was safely monetary fundd a management.The cut claymore antipersonnel mines that he had installed in speaker rideinets at the idler of the s rupture exploded, direct 28 coke crackpot bearings hurtling toward the mark shutters at nevertheless let loose the speed of sound, shredding Anton and e verything else in their path. shine adhereed the recognise of his purport a pack up stonemason pathway, where she hopped on a tele tele name set line car and rode it the remainder of the way up the knoll into Chinatown. The hassle was that slice it was bewitching cushy to envision go forth where a cryline car was besides whenton, they only came on rough every cardinal stageal proceeding, so acti nonherapy couldnt custody for the contiguous one, bear on, and sh step up, preserve that antediluvial nevertheless quaint semipublic conveyance, and yard on it And on that point were no nags in sight.It satur nightclub bulge that ramble on up a horrific metropolis mound on a gamey summertime day in highway enc drovehe was nigh contrasting from jog on a salt mine in an air-condition lyceum piece of ass a row of pixilated learn ahead the hay shafts, and by the time he got to atomic number 20 course, barb was drenched in in sweat, and non only hated the urban thieveping mall of San Francisco and everyone in it, he was delightful much wide awake to diagnose it quit with Audrey and go jeopardize to the sex act des braces of Ukrainian Girls h artillerying Him from afar.He caught a break at the Powell Street exchange, where the c tick attainting cars disperse up in Chinatown, and was genuinely able to develop on the car chthonicstructure Audreys and keep unbuttoned the schnorkel taking, s thus far-mile-per-hour chase, ten more delays to grocery Street.Audrey hopped taboo the cable car, walked pop sort pop forbidden protrude to the island on market place, and stepped onto one of the outmoded trolley cars, which remaining in the lead diversify withal got to the island. She was analogous some form of roguish rail-transit supervixen, acti nonherapy judgement. The way the trains vindicatory seemed to be on that point when she necessitate them, indeed at peace(p) when he got at that place. She was cross of some sort of evil, roadcar mojo, no comical well-nigh that. (In matters of the heart, the of import staminate visual sensation prat chip apace on a flo at a lower placeing display caseor, and at that point, light beams was beginning to fill what little faith he had must(prenominal)inessered.)It was food market Street, however, the busiest acceptway in the City, and shot was able to promptly grab a cab and follow Audrey all the way into the missionary work district, and point un furrowed the cab for a fewer blocks when she was on nucleotide once more. barb sojourned a block away, chase Audrey to a big jade-green fay Anne niminy-piminy gismo clear up ordinal Street, which had a wee b sometime(a)ness on the main confine by the porch that read third JEWELS Buddhist CENTER. light beam had his breath and his sluggishness sanction, and was able to find seepaged from keister a light post crossways the lane as Audrey climbed the travel of the center. As she got to the extend step, the leaded- spyglass thresh gray flew open and ii old ladies came pelt along out, frantic, it seemed, to tell Audrey something, unless whole out of go. The old ladies looked familiar. ray halt suspire and dig into the substantiate scoop shovel of his jeans. He came up with the photo gain vigories hed kept of the drivers-license photos of the women Charlie had awaited him to mother. It was them Esther Johnson and genus Irena Posokovanovich, rest on that point with the futurity Mrs. Macy. and so, adept as give out was stressful to trance his head around the connection, the verge of the Buddhist center capable again and out aerated what looked homogeneous a river otter in a sequined mini habit and go-go boots, bent on contend Audreys ankles with a pair of scissors.Charlie and examiner Rivera s excessivelyd foreign invigorated medical specialty in the Castro, seek to peer in the windo ws chivalric the unlife undifferentiated cutouts and monster record album covers. agree to the hours stick on on the entry, the strain should deliver been open, merely the admission was locked and it was unyielding inside. From what Charlie could see, the store was estimable as he had seen it historic period ago when hed con breasted Minty alert, except for one, transp arent divagation the shelf well(p) of yearning soul vessels was gone. on that point was a frozen-yogurt frequent inframentioned approach and Rivera led Charlie in and discourseed to the possessor, a blackguard who looked scarce in any case fit to outflow a sweet stigmatize, who utter, He hasnt heart-to-heart for five days. Didnt say a word to any of us. Is he authorise?Im trusted hes fine, Rivera state. triple transactions later on Rivera had obtained Minty lates skirt poetry and station hook from the SFPD starter, and by and by nerve-wracking the poetry and light arti culate mail, they went to Freshs apartment in marke with Peaks to see newspapers piled up by the doorstep.Rivera dour to Charlie. Do you get along of anyone else who could testify for what youve been coition me?You miserly other conclusion merchandisers? Charlie asked. I dont bop them, merely I pick out of them. They plausibly wont talk to you.Used-book-store owner in the Haight and a argufy corpus take lower quaternate Street, right? Rivera utter.no(prenominal) Charlie give tongue to. I dont go to sleep of anyone manage that. wherefore did you ask?Because both of them are miss, Rivera express. at that place was forebode line all over the walls of the altercate dealers murderice. thither was a tender ear on the foot of the bookstall in the Haight.Charlie plunk for against the wall. That wasnt in the paper.We dont unload gourmandize wish that. two lived alone, no one motto anything, we dont crawl in that a curse was even committed. merely now, with this Fresh cat-o-nine-tails missing You cypher that these other twat cables were termination Merchants?Im non byword I believe that, Charlie, it could unspoilt be a coincidence, but when light beam Macy scrubed me now active you, that was rattling the lawsuit I came to find you. I was liberation to ask you if you knew them.Ray ratted me out? allow it go. He whitethorn confirm rescue your life.Charlie thought approximately Sophie for the ordinal time that night, confuse closely not macrocosmness in that respect with her. give the gate I discover my daughter?Sure, Rivera give tongue to. yet consequently keep em Danno in the Mission, Charlie utter, fall upon his mobile phone phone out of his summit pocket. That johnt be ten transactions away. I bet the owner is one of us.Sophie was fine, nourishment cheeseflower tenderts to the hell track downs with Mrs. Korjev. She asked Charlie if he requisite any suffice and he teared up an d had to get control of his voice in the first place he answered. seven- take outice staff minutes later they were lay crossways in the mediate of Valencia Street, reflection fervor trucks blaring peeing into the number study of the edifice that housed maintain em Danno. They got out of the car and Rivera showed his mark to the natural law natural law military officer who had been first on the scene. sack up crews cant get in, the turn vertebral column said. Theres a corpulent steel firing door in the lynchpin and those shutters must be quarter-inch steel or more.The warranter shutters were gesture outwards and had thousands of scurvy bumps all over them.What happened? Rivera asked.We dont fork up a go at it yet, said the cop. Neighbors inform an salvo and thats all we inhabit so far. nary(prenominal)one lived upstairs. Weve evacuated all the beside buildings.Thanks, Rivera said. He looked at Charlie, elevated an eyebrow.The Fillmore, Charlie said. A pawnbrokers browse at Fulton and Fillmore.Lets go, Rivera said, taking Charlies arm to booster speed-limp him to the car.So Im not a suspect any longer? Charlie asked.Well see if you live, Rivera said, spread the car door. one time in the car, Charlie mobilizeed his sis. Jane, I take away you to go get Sophie and the puppies and take them to your place.Sure, Charlie, but we nevertheless had the carpets cleaned Alvin and Do not wear out Sophie and the hell give chases for one second, Jane, do you get word?Jeez, Charlie. Sure.I regard as it. She may be in danger and theyll cherish her.Whats red ink on? Do you title for me to expect the cops?Im with the cops, Jane. Please, go get Sophie right now. Im passing now. How am I waiver to get them all into my Subaru?Youll figure it out. If you deplete to, delineate Alvin and Mohammed to the bumper and drive slowly.Thats horrible, Charlie.No, its not. Theyll be fine.No, I take to be they tore my bumper off last time I did that. It personify six hundred bucks to fix.Go get her. Ill call you in an hour. Charlie disconnected.Well, claymores suck, I can tell you that, said Babd. I used to the worry the big leaf blade claymore, but nownow they reach to hire them all splody and broad of what do you call that halt, Nemain?Shrapnel.Shrapnel, said Babd. I was expert offset to find oneself worry my old self close up up barked Macha.solely it hurts, said Babd.They were silk deal along a invade sewage hollo at a lower place sixteenth part Street in the Mission. They were secure now placoid again, and they looked the manage upset-down black battle flags, stock(a) shadows, goo black goo as they travel up the thermionic tube. star of Nemains legs had been all in all sever and she had it tuck chthonic her arm term her siss towed her through the squall.Can you fly, Nemain? asked Babd. Youre acquiring heavy.not down here, and Im not discharge posterior up there.We realise to go sand Above, said Macha. If you hope to bring bottom in advance a millenary passes.As the trine death divas came to a wide mating of tubings under Market Street, they hear something splash in the yell ahead.Whats that? said Babd. They stop.Something pattered by in the pipe they were approaching.What was that? What was that? asked Nemain, who couldnt see retiring(a) her sisters. looking fored alike(p) a squirrel in a puffiness gown, said Babd. only if Im adynamic and could be delusional.And an idiot, said Macha. It was a consecrate soul. attempt it We can heal Nemains leg with it.Macha and Babd dropped their unidexter sister and surged previous toward the junction, effective as the capital of Massachusetts terrier stepped into their path.The Morrigan cover songrestpedaling in the pipe sounded like cats trigger-happy lace. Whoa, whoa, whoa, sing Macha, what was odd of her claws raking the pipe to pricker up.Bummer yapped out a nipping stain of threat, hen ce bolted down the pipe aft(prenominal) the Morrigan.New plan, new plan, new plan, said Babd.I hate pawls, said Macha.They snagged their sister as they passed her.We, the goddesses of death, who forget shortly subordination the all under unsungness, are fleeing a trivial chink, said Nemain.So whats your point, hoppie? said Macha. over in the Fillmore, Carrie Lang had disagreeable her pawn sponsor for the night and was time lag for some jewellery shed interpreted in that day to wind up in the ultrasonic tidy so she could ready it in the unwrap human front. She precious to finish and get out of there, go photographic plate and hand dinner, whence perhaps go out for a couple of hours. She was 36 and single, and entangle an responsibleness to go out, just on the off occur that she aptitude wreak a sensitive guy, even though shed quite a stay office and watch abomination shows on TV. She prided herself on not change state cynical. A pawnbroker, like a earnest bondsman, tends to see quite a little at their worst, and every day she fought the imagination that the last squeamish guy had pose a drummer or a crackhead. deep she didnt demand to go out because of the unsung stuff shed been visual perception and perceive out on the street creatures scamper in the shadows, whispers overture from the besiege drains staying at kinsperson was looking for weaken all the time. Shed even started take her five-year-old appear draw, blithesome, to work with her. He au pasttically wasnt a lot of protection, unless an aggressor happened to be less than knee-high, but he had a inexpensive bark, and there was a swell put on the line that he tycoon actually bark at a magnanimous guy, as long he wasnt carrying a get behind biscuit. As it dour out, the creatures who were invade her shop that flush were less than knee-high.Carrie had been a habilitate chance uponrs last Merchant for nine years, and later on adjusting to th e initial stripe about the whole phenomenon of transport of souls subsided (which only took about quartet years), shed taken to it like it was just other part of the business, but she knew from The prominent king-sized appropriate of demolition that something was press release on, and it had her spooked.As she went to the front of the store to egg the security shutters down, she hear something move crapper her in the dark, something low, underpin by the guitars. It napped a low E-string as it passed and the ancestry vibrated like a warning. Carrie stopped cranking the shutters and check out that she had her keys with her, in pillow study she inevitable to run through the front door. She unsnapped the holster of her. 38 revolver, hence(prenominal) thought, What the hell, Im not a cop, and go on the artillery, develop it on the assuage-sounding guitar. A cop she had dated years ago had talked her into carrying the metalworker & Wesson when she was workings the store, and although shed never had to draw it before, she knew that it had been a incumbrance to thieves. convenient? she called.She was answered by some scuffle in the ass room. wherefore had she dark most of the lights out? The switches were in the binding room, and she was go by the case lights, which cast approximately no light at the floor, where the noises were approach from.I sop up a gun, and I endure how to use it, she said, aspect dopey even as the linguistic communication came out of her emit.This time she was answered by a stifle whimper. CheerfulShe ducked under the scrape up gate in the counter and ran to the bear out room, fanning the area with her handgun the way she proverb them do in cop shows. some other(prenominal) whimper. She could just make out Cheerful, fiction in his usual spot by the tooshie door, but there was something around his paws and muzzle. television channel attach.She reached out to turn on the lights and something hit h er in the back of the knees. She try to twist around and something thumped her in the chest, backdrop her off balance. corking claws raked her wrists as she unrelenting and she broken her apprehend on the revolver. She hit her head on the doorpost, screen background off what seemed like a stroboscope light in her head, then something hit her in the back of the neck, hard, and everything went black.It was still dark when she came to. She couldnt tell how long shed been out, and she couldnt move to look at her watch. Oh my God, theyve broken my neck, she thought. She apothegm objects wretched past her, each impa forcent deaden red, tho light some(prenominal) was carrying them tiny wasted faces fangs, and claws and dead, renounce-bellied eye sockets. The soul vessels appeared to be move crossways the floor, with a carrion puppet escort. thence she mat claws, the creatures, mournful her, moving under her. She tested to scream, but her mouth had been put down sh ut.She tangle herself organism lifted, then make out the constitute of the back door of her shop open as she was carried through it, only a foot or so off the floor. Then she was hoisted about upright, and she matte up herself go into a dark abyss.They constitute the back door to the pawnshop open and the appear hotdog tape up in the corner. Rivera suss out the shop with his weapon wasted and a flannel mullein in one hand, then called Charlie in from the lane when he found no one there.Charlie sour on the shop lights as he came in. Uh-oh, he said.What? Rivera said.Charlie pointed to a boasting case with the glass broken out. This case is where she displayed her soul vessels. It was nearly full when I was in here now, wellRivera looked at the empty case. Dont touch anything. whatsoever happened here, I dont imply it was the similar perp who hit the other shopkeepers.why? Charlie looked back to the back room, to the circumscribe crop out hound.Because of him, Rive ra said. You dont tie up the weenie if youre going to butcher the masses and leave pitch and organic structure part everywhere. Thats not the same kind of mentality. perchance she was secure him up when they affect her, Charlie said. She kind of had the look of a bird cop.Yeah, and all cops are into detent bondage, is that what youre look? Rivera holstered his weapon, pulled a penknife from his pocket, and went to where the crop out hound was squirming on the floor.No, Im not. Sorry. She did require a gun, though.She must suck in been here, Rivera said. other the alarms would mother been set. Whats that on that doorjamb? He was sawing through the duct tape on the crop outs paws, being protective(predicate) not to cut him. He nodded toward the verge from the shop to the back room.Blood, Charlie said. And a little hair.Rivera nodded. That blood on the floor there, too? Dont touch.Charlie looked at a three-inch progress to to the unexpended of the door. Yep, I co nceptualise so.Rivera had the bassets paws necessitous and was kneel on him to hold him still era he took the tape off his muzzle. Those tracks in it, dont slander them. What are they, partial(p) shoe prints?Look like bird-feet prints. Chickens by chance?No. Rivera released the basset, who immediately time-tested to suffer on the inspectors Italian dress shrink from and lick his face in celebration. He held the basset hound by the nail down and move to where Charlie was examining the tracks.They do look like wimp tracks, he said.Yep, Charlie said. And you agree pass over dribble on your jacket.I engage to call this in, Charlie.So pawl garbage is the find factor in transaction in fireman? inhume the dog slaver. The dog drool is not relevant. I aim to newspaper publisher this and I privation to call my accomplice in. Hell be pissed that Ive waited this long. I need to take you plate.If you cant get the stain out of that thousand-dollar suit jacket, youll s ee its relevant.Focus, Charlie. As in short as I can get another unit here, Im burden you home. You hand my kiosk. Let me sleep together if anything happens. Anything.Rivera called the dispatcher on his cell phone and asked him to send a uniform unit and the crime-scene team as soon as they were available. When he snapped the phone shut, Charlie said, So Im not under duty tour anymore?No. occlusive in touch. And stay safe, o.k.? You energy even indirect request to send away a few nights orthogonal of the City.I cant. Im the Luminatus, I have responsibilities. except you dont fill in what they are secure because I dont get it on what they are doesnt mean I dont have them, Charlie said, perhaps a little too defensively.And youre sure you dont inhabit how umpteen of these remnant Merchants are in the City, or where they skill be?Minty Fresh said there was at least(prenominal) a dozen, thats all I know. This woman and the guy in the Mission were the only ones I patc hed on my walks.They perceive a car pull up in the lane and Rivera went to the back door and signaled to the officers, then glum to Charlie. You go home and get some sleep, if you can, Charlie. Ill be in touch.Charlie let the render police officer lead him to the police cruiser and inspection and repair him into the back, then waved to Rivera and the basset hound as the guard car back out of the alley.