The Cold Six Thousand - James Ellroy [146]
“I figured I’d trade you for a taste. I get to geez, you get to watch Ashtray french me.”
Wayne smiled. Wayne gulped a tad. Wayne unlocked his closet.
He prepped water. He prepped a spike. He prepped a spoon. He prepped horse. He cooked it. He siphoned it in.
Bongo laughed. Ashtray giggled. Wayne blocked their view. He siphoned in ammonia. He siphoned in rat poison. He siphoned in strychnine.
Bongo said, “You slow, you know that?”
Wayne turned around. Bongo looped a tourniquet. Bongo tied off a vein.
Wayne saw it. Wayne tapped it. Wayne jabbed it. Wayne pushed the plunger in sloooooow.
There now—how’s that?
Bongo lurched. Bongo jumped. Bongo sprayed piss and shit. Bongo fell down and spasmed and thrashed.
Wayne stepped back. Wayne watched. Ashtray stepped up close.
Bongo coughed foam. Bongo coughed blood. Bongo bit his tongue off. Wayne stepped up. Wayne stepped on his head. Wayne cracked his skull.
Ashtray held her nose. Ashtray crossed herself. Ashtray kicked Bongo in the balls. Wayne grabbed him. Wayne dragged him. Wayne dropped him down the air vent.
Ashtray said, “Bongo cheap Charlie. Bongo number ten.”
Wayne saw Leroy and Cur-ti. Wayne saw Wendell Durfee.
More cleanup—his and theirs.
Wayne cleaned the lab. Wayne watched the outside show. Marvs hosed monks. Marvs hosed walls. Marvs abridged graffiti.
The vent shook. Rats bopped through. Rats found Bongo. Rats ate him.
10:05 a.m.—flight time soon.
Theeeeere—
Voices and clumps now—two clicks downstairs. There—it’s coming—you knew it would.
Wayne walked down. Wayne stood on the landing. Wayne found a shadow patch.
There—ten Can Lao goons. Two five-man teams paired off. They’ve got flashlights and silencered magnums. They’ve got hoses/flamethrowers/sacks.
They dispersed. They walked the pallet rows. They shot faces in tight.
It went soft—silencers—head shots in light.
They flashed. They shot. They dumped shells and reloaded. Heads snapped inside halos. Heads cracked pallet slats.
Opium—hush now anesthesia—in slow and tight.
Wayne watched. Wayne saw faces alight. B-girls and Ashtray. Uncle Ho–types.
The goons finished up. The goons regrouped in the doorway. The goons stood way back.
A goon aimed a toaster. Said goon strafed low. Said goon cooked body rows tight.
Three sweeps out and back. Flame levels in tight.
The goon turned the toaster off. A goon strafed a hose. Said goon sprayed water down tight.
Flames sputtered. Bodies flared. Pallets cracked.
Wayne watched. The goons regrouped. The goons walked and dispersed.
They took their pants off. They kicked through hose water. They lugged gunnysacks. They poured out quicklime. They perfumed bodies. They flour-dipped flesh.
DOCUMENT INSERT: 2/8/65. Internal memorandum. Topic: OPERATION BLACK RABBIT. To: DIRECTOR. From: BLUE RABBIT. Marked: “Stage-1 Covert”/“Eyes Only”/“Read and Burn.”
Sir,
My first summary report on OBR.
1 - CRUSADER RABBIT met PINK RABBIT on two occasions in Washington, D.C. (1/6/65, 1/19/65) and forwarded his tapes to me. Per Stage-1 Covert guidelines, I personally transcribed the tapes and destroyed the live tape copies. Tape #1 and Tape #2 transcripts are included (Addendum #A) with this memorandum. Per guidelines, please read and burn.
2 - Although there were numerous moments of poor sound quality, I feel confident in my assessment of the tapes. It is obvious that the effeminate and witty PINK RABBIT is much taken with the wit, beautifully feigned sincerity and ardently expressed ideals of CRUSADER RABBIT. You were farsighted in your instinct to match them up. PINK RABBIT accepted CRUSADER RABBIT’s stated withdrawal of “pilfered” organized-crime monies with magnanimity and both men expressed a desire to “keep in touch.” That desire, expressed on Tape #1, was confirmed by the second meeting of PINK RABBIT and CRUSADER RABBIT, recorded on Tape #2.
3 - CRUSADER RABBIT deftly questioned PINK RABBIT on both tapes. (See transcripts.) To date, however, PINK RABBIT has revealed only information already revealed by our