“How much worth my while?”

“Enough. Depends how smooth things go and what I gotta pay for it.”

Red thought for a moment, then said, “Wait here, I’ll make a call.”

Red went to the lobby and then sprinted upstairs and knocked on a door.

“Who is it?” asked a gruff voice.

“Wizard! It’s me, Red,” she whispered.

Seconds later, Red was inside the room. Wizard, with his goatee and muscled arms covered in large tattoos, towered over her. Rolly was lying on the bed. In the corner of the room sat a third biker. A light behind him cast shadows down over his face. His forehead had a large circular scar from an incident years earlier when someone had caught his attention with the broken end of a wine bottle.

“Well?” asked Wizard.

“Yeah, he’s here right now,” said Red.

“Did he hit you up?”

“Oh yeah! Wants half a pound. I told him I’d make a call.” She looked at her watch. “And that was, like, not even five minutes ago.”

“Good,” replied Wizard.

“I think maybe I’ll cut his balls off instead of his tongue,” said Rolly. “We were too easy on Lenny!”

“Shut your trap!” hissed Wizard.

There was a brief silence in the room before Wizard continued, “So what’s he wearin’?”

“You can’t miss ’im,” replied Red. “Jeans and a red sweatshirt with a big white band around the chest and arms.”

“Okay, you know what to do,” said Wizard. “Give us twenty minutes to set up.” He flashed her a roll of money and said, “When you’re done, go home. I’ll drop over after.”

“Thanks, Wizard,” replied Red, casting one more quick glance at the man sitting in the corner. He hadn’t spoken a word the whole time. Then she turned toward the door.

“Red! One more thing. Make sure you keep your yap shut about this!”

“About what?” replied Red, smiling as she left the room.

When she was gone, Wizard turned to the biker in the corner and said, “Lance, you get the car and cruise the block until you see Red, then hit the alley.”

Minutes later, Red joined Jack back in the bar.

“You’re in luck,” she said. “My guy is a little nervous, but he said he’s willin’ to meet you, just to check you out.”

“Good. He’s got nothing to be nervous about. When can we meet?”

“In about twenty minutes. He wants to talk to me out front first. Give me about five minutes just to reassure him, then I’ll get him to drive me around back and you can meet us in the alley.”

A few minutes later, Jack gave Danny a subtle nod and they met in the men’s room. Jack explained what was happening, and Danny said, “Just in case they want to take you for a little drive, I’ll get the car and stand by.”

“Good idea.”

“Think it will be Halibut?”

“Maybe. Or some other striker. We’ll soon find out.” Jack returned to the table. Red left on time and headed out the front door. Jack looked at his watch and waited five minutes.

Danny sat in his car and watched from the parking garage. He eventually saw Red walk out the front door of the bar and approach a green Volvo parked nearby. The Volvo drove to the end of the block and turned into the alley. He caught the plate number and noticed Red walk back toward the bar.

Danny drove in the opposite direction and parked on the street at the end of the block to cover off the other end of the alley. If the Volvo did take Jack for a ride, this was the direction it would drive out. He radioed in the plate number. The name that came back wasn’t one he recognized.

An arc of light briefly cut into the back alley when Jack opened the rear door to the alley. He stood in the doorway for a moment before stepping out. His red sweatshirt blended into the darkness, but the white stripe stood out like a beacon. He saw a car drive slowly down the alley toward him, then stop a short distance away. He walked toward it, using his hand to shield his eyes from the headlights.

As Jack approached a Dumpster, Rolly silently moved in behind him, unsnapping a leather thong and removing his hunting knife from its scabbard while quickening his pace.

Rolly was in striking distance when Wizard stepped out from the Dumpster and said, “Hey! Eddy!”

Jack felt the adrenaline rush to his limbs as his brain told him to run. He tried to act calm and said, “Yeah? Do I know you?”

“Pest control!” Rolly snickered when Jack spun around to look.

Rolly brandished the knife at throat height and gave an evil grin when the lights from the car reflected off the knife and into Jack’s eyes. Wizard stepped forward and pointed a .22-calibre pistol at the back of Jack’s head. The headlights cast dark shadows on Wizard’s face as Jack turned and found the barrel of the pistol entering his nostril.

“Goodbye, rat!” hissed Wizard, as his finger slowly squeezed the trigger.

Jack chopped the inside of Wizard’s wrist with the edge of his hand, flinging the gun from Wizard’s grasp. It bounced off the side of the Dumpster with a loud clang. Rolly immediately plunged the knife toward the back of Jack’s neck, but Jack ducked while shoving two fingers into Wizard’s eye, and the knife glanced off his shoulder blade instead. Jack darted past Wizard toward the car.

“Get him!” yelled Wizard, scrambling to pick up his gun. Rolly ran after him while Wizard wiped his eye with one hand before raising his gun with the other hand. Then he hesitated, fearing he might hit Rolly.

Lance lurched the car forward, smashing the passenger side fender into the alley wall. The interior light went on as he stepped out of the car, blocking the alley. The snarl on his face further accented the scar on his forehead as he moved around in front of the driver’s door. His face didn’t look any prettier when his mouth gaped open as Jack ran up over the hood of the car.

A bullet ricocheted off the car’s windshield as Jack dove over the roof and continued running.

“Out of my fucking way!” yelled Wizard, running up to the car. He fired four more shots at the crouched figure zigzagging down the alley. His target ran faster.

Wizard held the gun with both hands and rested his arms on the roof of the car, aiming toward the end of the alley. Briefly, his target was silhouetted in the light at the end of the alley. Wizard fired one more shot and watched as the body crumpled and fell.

“Got ’im! Quick! Get in the car!” he ordered, grabbing Rolly by the arm and shoving him inside. He looked at Lance and said, “Back down the alley fast! Drive right over the rat-fucker! Make sure he’s dead!”

Lance stepped on the throttle, and the tires squealed as the car hurtled backwards down the alley. Sparks flew off the side of the car as it briefly scraped along the side of a brick building, knocking the mirror off the passenger side door.

Wizard and Rolly grabbed the dash as they tensed, waiting for the crunch of broken bones and the thump of a mangled body as the car bounced out of the alley.

As Danny waited, he saw Red walk across the intersection. Why isn’t she meeting with Jack?

His question was answered by the sound of gunshots from the alley. Adrenaline slammed through his body like a tidal wave. His car leaped out of his parking space, but the traffic was heavy and he had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. He fumbled under his seat to retrieve the red light to toss on the dash. He cursed as the cord for the light became entangled in the seat springs. Seconds later, he yanked it free and plugged it into the cigarette lighter. He reached for the hidden switch to turn on the siren.