“So do we. As a result of the Mekong Palace we had the narcs do a UC and try to buy coke from him. No luck. Since Xuân got busted Giang is even more paranoid, and if you think Xuân is bad, Giang is even scarier. Wild mood swings. He’ll be laughing one second and then go into a rage and slash your throat the next. You know what he did to your CI. He’s not the type you can just approach on your own. Our guys had a snitch do an intro and he still wouldn’t deal with them.”

“Then I’ll get him to approach me,” said Jack. “Do you know what Giang drives?”

“A new Pontiac GTO sports car. Red. Why?”

“Let’s take a drive and see if we can find him,” said Jack.

“You got the money on you to buy a kilo of coke?” asked Pasquali. “Giang doesn’t deal in the small stuff.”

Jack shook his head and said, “Our boss doesn’t want us to work on him so we don’t have any budget.”

“Our department can’t afford this. Sorry. How the hell can you even approach him?”

“As I said, I’ll get him to approach me,” replied Jack. He looked at Laura and asked, “Do you mind giving our narcs a call? See if any operators are working tonight that could spare half an hour to help me?”

“You need an operator?” asked Laura. “What am I? Chopped liver?”

“Far from it,” replied Jack. “If this works, you’ll be needed in Act Three.”

Jack explained his plan as they drove over to Billiard Bill’s. The red GTO was not around so they drove back to Vancouver and headed past The Asian Touch and arrived at Lucky Lucy’s Bar and Grill farther down the street. They saw the red GTO parked nearby.

Laura learned that a trained undercover operative from Drug Section by the name of Sammy was available.

“Jack, don’t do this,” pleaded Pasquali. “They’re violent. Knives guaranteed and someone is always packing a piece. They’ll slice and dice your ass and feed your body to the rats. I mean that.”

“I’ll be in and out before you know it,” said Jack, while taking off his gun and holster and passing it to Laura. He next gave her his police identification.

“Think about this!” snapped Pasquali. “Nailing a pair of Russians for bringing in hookers isn’t worth the risk. We’d be lucky if they each got two years in jail.”

“I just met one of the hookers,” said Jack. “It’s worth it to me.”

Jack carried a small backpack in one hand as he shoved the door open into Lucky Lucy’s. He dropped the backpack on the floor and stumbled as he picked it up before gawking around as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room.

Giang, along with about twenty of his cronies, sat at tables near the only pool table. There were no other customers and everyone except Jack was Asian. The only woman in the place worked behind the bar.

The silence that descended and the glares he received would normally have caused any sober man to turn around and head back out the door.

“Hooray!” yelled Jack, looking at them. “Men! Not lying, forgetful broads who don’t remember to treat a guy like how he should be treated!”

Jack turned to the barmaid and yelled, “It’s my birthday today! I’m buying a drink for every man in this place! Make mine a gin martini.” He paused to regain his balance and said, “Aw, okay sweetie. You’re doing the work ... you can have a drink, too.”

Jack tossed a wad of cash on the bar and said, “If it ain’t enough, let me know. If it’s too much, keep the change.”

He turned to the group of men and shouted, “Sorry guys, I’m not cheap, but I can only stay for one.” He paused and said, “What the hell, I bet you guys don’t even speak English.” He made a motion to drink and said, “Birthday!” and gestured with his thumb at his chest.

By a few of the amused looks and a couple of smiles from the men, Jack knew that he was at least temporarily welcome. He sat in a chair at a table that was one table away from where Giang sat and placed the backpack at his feet.

Act One, successfully completed, mused Jack.

Giang’s suspicions were aroused seconds later when he heard Jack use his cellphone.

“Sammy! I’m at a place called Lucky Lucy’s. Twelve-hundred block on Kingsway. You have twenty minutes or I’m gone. No more jerking around. Now or never!”

Giang studied Jack carefully. He only appeared to be drunk when he came in. He forgot to sound drunk when he made the call.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Giang whisper to a couple of the men. Their smiles disappeared and one of them reached inside his jacket, but Giang shook his head and whispered to him again.

Twenty minutes went by and Giang watched as the newcomer slurred his voice and carried on a one-sided friendly banter with those who were enjoying their free drinks. Then the next newcomer strode in.

“Hey, Sammy, over here!” commanded Jack.

To Giang, it was obvious that the man playing the drunken fool was not drunk. Perhaps a fool, though?

Sammy approached and stood squinting down at Jack as his eyes focused. “You got it?” he asked.

Jack picked up the backpack from off the floor and it landed with a thud as he dropped it on the table in front of him. “You seen it before. It’s all here. Now where’s the stuff?”

Sammy gave a pertinent little grin and unzipped his jacket.

“You’re looking a little thin these days,” said Jack. “I’d say you’re down about a kilo from what you should be.”

“You got that right,” snarled Sammy, pulling his jacket back slightly to expose the handle of a pistol shoved in his belt. “Hand it over and keep your hands where I can see ’em!”

The reaction from the men sitting at the tables was instant. Several reached inside their own jackets and in other men’s hands, knife blades appeared and were held ready under the tables.

“Sammy, take a look around,” said Jack coolly. “Have you met my friends?”

Sammy glanced at the men sitting around Jack, as if seeing them for the first time.

“Jesus!” Sammy yelled before bolting out the exit.

Jack was already on his cellphone. “Laura! It ain’t snowin’ tonight. Sammy was gonna rip me. I told you he was no good! See ya back at the apartment.”

Jack grabbed his backpack and was two steps away from the table when Giang shouted a command in Vietnamese.

Several men immediately grabbed Jack by the arms and shoved him back into his chair.

“You’re not going anywhere,” said Giang.

“Oh shit,” said Jack. “You do speak English!” He paused as he felt the sharp edge of a knife prodding his Adam’s apple toward the back of his throat.

Jack looked up at the circle of men standing around him. “Okay guys, take it easy,” he said, realizing that the nervousness in his voice was real. “Stupid thing for me to do. Let me go. I’ll just walk out of here and leave the backpack behind.”

Giang bent over so his face was close enough for Jack to smell the fish sauce on his breath. Giang sneered and said, “Maybe you will walk out—first, let me see what present you have decided to give me.”

Giang picked up the backpack and smiled as he opened the zipper. He looked inside and his smile vaporized. His jaw clenched and the tendons rippled on his neck as he reached inside.

The man holding the knife jerked slightly and Jack felt the abrasion on his throat as Giang slammed the phone book down on the table.

chapter seventeen

“I don’t like it,” said Pasquali, staring at his watch. “Two minutes and counting.”

“Nobody has come flying out through a window,” said Laura. “That’s a good sign.”

“Laura, you copy?” asked Sammy.

Laura thumbed the mike and said, “Go ahead.”

“No activity out back. Quiet as a tomb.”

Great choice of words, Sammy ... you jerk. “It’s quiet out front, too,” radioed Laura. “Just keep the alley covered. We’ll give him another three minutes. If I haven’t heard from him by then, I’ll go in for a look.”