The Narrows - Michael Connelly [96]
I went down to my hands and knees and was gathering myself and getting up when one of them put his boot on my hip and shoved me down again. I tried to get up again and this time they let me.
“I said, what’s up, Doc? You got business here?”
“I was just asking questions and I was willing to pay for the answers. I didn’t think that was a problem.”
“Well, pal, that is a problem.”
They were advancing on me, the big man first. He was so big I couldn’t even see his little brother behind him. I was taking a step backward for every one they took forward. And I had a bad feeling that that was what they wanted. They were backing me toward something, maybe a hole in the ground out there in the sand and rock.
“Who are you, boy?”
“I’m a private detective from L.A. I’m just looking for a missing man, that’s all.”
“Yeah, well, people who come here don’t want to be looked for.”
“I understand that now. I’ll just clear out of here and you won’t —”
“Excuse me.”
We all stopped. It was Rachel’s voice. The bigger man turned back toward the trailer and his shoulder lowered a few inches. I could see Rachel coming out the back door of the trailer. Her hands were at her sides.
“What’s this, you bring your mother?” Big Steroid said.
“Something like that.”
While he was looking at Rachel I clasped my hands together and swung a sledgehammer into the back of his neck. He went forward and into his partner. But the blow was nothing more than a surprise attack. He didn’t go down. He wheeled on me and started coming at me, balling his fists into twin sledgehammers. I saw Rachel move her arm under her blazer and flip it back to get to her gun. But her hand caught momentarily in the material and she was late getting to her weapon.
“Hold it!” she yelled.
But the Steroid boys didn’t stop. I ducked under the bigger man’s first punch but when I came up behind him I was right in front of little brother. He grabbed me in a bear hug and lifted me off the ground. For some reason at this point I noticed that there were women watching from the three back windows of the rear trailer. I had drawn an audience to my own destruction.
My arms were trapped inside of my attacker’s embrace and I was feeling severe pressure building on my spine at the same time the air was crushed out of my lungs. Just then Rachel finally freed her weapon and fired two shots into the air.
I was dropped to the ground and I watched as Rachel crab-walked away from the trailer to make sure no one could get up behind her.
“FBI,” she shouted. “On the ground. Both of you on the ground.”
The big men complied. As soon as I got some air back into my lungs I got back up. I tried to dust some of the dirt off my clothes but all that did was spread it around. I looked at Rachel and nodded. She kept her distance from the men on the ground and signaled me over with her finger.
“What happened?”
“I was interviewing one of the women and asked her to bring in another. But then these guys showed up and dragged me out here. Thanks for the warning.”
“I did try to warn you. I honked.”
“I know, Rachel. Take it easy. That’s what I’m thanking you for. I just misread it.”
“So what do we do?”
“I don’t care about these guys. Cut ’em loose. But there are two women inside, Tammy and Mecca, we need to take them. One knows Shandy and the other I think can ID one of the missing men as being a customer.”
Rachel computed this and slowly nodded.
“Good. Is Shandy a customer?”
“No, he’s some sort of driver. We need to get over to the sports bar and ask around there.”
“Then we can’t just cut these two loose. They might just come meet us again over there. Besides there were four bikes out front. Where are the other two?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hey, come on!” Big Steroid yelled. “We’re breathing sand over here.”
Rachel approached the two men on the ground.
“Okay, get