Part 12 (1/2)

Angelo shook his head. ”It's not that. It's the principle of the thing.”

”Your principles are not a survival trait, Dumb-tective.” Chee sneered.

Marlowe's cell phone rang. He dug into his pocket and flipped it out. ”Yes?... What? Slow down... My G.o.d!... Keep them out, I don't care what it takes!” He slammed the phone shut. ”Well Angelo, part of your plan worked anyway. They just served the search warrant at LABN.”

”Uh oh.” Chee said.

Marlowe was already on the phone to his lawyer. ”Ira! Yes I know what time it is. The police just served a search warrant at LABN. Get down there and stop them. I don't care how. I'm on my way. Yes, thank you, Good-bye.”

”It's all over.” Angelo said ”Give up now, and don't make this any worse on yourself than it has to be.”

A motor revved out on the high way. It was the only sound for miles.

Marlowe chuckled. ”Nice try.” He raised his head to speak to the two hit people. Headlights caught him in their high beam. Sirens on a police car blared. ”Hold it right there!” an amplified voice yelled.

The two a.s.sa.s.sins calmly surveyed the situation. There was only the noise from one car. These people had no back up. They calmly leveled their guns at the patrol car and started shooting.

Marlowe and Chee bolted for the SUV.

Angelo dove into the male a.s.sa.s.sin and began to wrestle with him. The dirt and gravel of the access road were surprisingly hard and cold. Sand poured into Angelo's collar as he fought the a.s.sa.s.sin.

The woman faded into the sage brush, placing careful shots into the police car. Wild gunfire returned from it. Angelo could hear a male voice screaming from inside the car.

The a.s.sa.s.sin got good leverage and pinned Angelo. Then he wrestled his gun half free. Angelo was forced to choose between dignity and life. He bit the a.s.sa.s.sin in the crotch as hard as he could.

”Eeeeee!” The man screamed in pain. His eyes bugged out. Angelo reversed the hold on the gun and shot him through the head. The a.s.sa.s.sin spasmed and died instantly.

Angelo scrambled out from under the dead body to see the SUV bouncing down the access road away from the scene of the gun fight. He retreated to the police car.

Mangar was in the bushes off the pa.s.senger side of the car. He was not shooting any more, and neither was the female a.s.sa.s.sin. Angelo crept around to the drivers side door. Only a single half shattered light shone from the top of the car. Angelo blanched at the accuracy of the shooting from a hand gun. Head lights, spot lights and pursuit flashers were all gone.

A single shot impacted not far from Angelo's head. He ducked further. Mangar winged a shot into the dark near the location of the shot.

”Who in the f.u.c.k is that?” Mangar hissed.

”Don't know.” Angelo said. He leaned into the car to check Souza. He was slumped down in the seat bleeding fiercely from a wound in his chest. Angelo knew that Souza was in trouble. ”We've got to get him out of here.”

”Right. You drive, I'll cover.” Mangar said.

Angelo unbuckled Souza's seat belt and pushed him over in the car. That earned another well placed shot the winds.h.i.+eld.

Mangar returned three shots. ”Got any more ammo?”

”No, check him.” Angelo slid into the driver's seat and turned the motor over. It rattled, but ran.

Mangar dug out Souza's clips. He sat in the pa.s.senger side and fired into the darkness in carefully timed increments. Angelo pulled the car back down the access road to the highway.

Angelo noticed that the driver's seat of the police car was soaked through with Souza's blood when it soaked through the seat of his pants. Angelo picked up the radio and began to call for help.