Page 152
“That’s everything I need,” he says.
Candy is holding on to my arm.
“Don’t go. Don’t leave me again.”
“That’s the whole point. I’m doing this so I don’t have to leave. I’ll see you soon.”
I lean over and kiss her on the cheek and whisper, “No matter what happens, I’m killing this guy. But I have to take this chance first.”
She loosens her grip for just a second.
I grab Howard and we’re gone.
WE’RE ON THE street by the converted industrial building where Vidocq lives.
“What now?” I say.
Howard looks up and down the street.
“We’re going to need a car. I hear you have a knack for stealing them.”
I walk past a few until I find an older-model Mercedes convertible. Jam the black blade into the door handle. It opens without setting off the alarm. I slip the blade into the ignition and it starts without a hiccup.
I sit in the driver’s seat for a minute as the street tilts one way and then the other.
“Maybe I should drive,” says Howard.
“Maybe you should.”
I have to use the cane to get out and walk around to the passenger side.
When we’re both in I say, “Put the top down. I want to feel the wind.”
“I didn’t think you’d be feeling much of anything at this point,” he says.
“I’m just being optimistic.”
He looks at me.
“I suppose if I’m driving, you can’t slit my throat or kick me out. All right.”
He plays around with the dashboard buttons until he finds one that retracts the roof.
“Seat belt, please,” says Howard, slipping into his. I do the same. Actually, it feels better this way. Strapped in like this, I’m less likely to slide onto the floor. I’m feeling weak right now. Even with the cane, I’m not sure I could stand.
I say, “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. It’s not far. Depending on traffic, we should be there in thirty minutes.”
Even belted in, I slide down some in the seat. I did a piss-poor job with the duct tape. My stomach is still bleeding. I hope whoever details this car knows how to get blood out of leather.
Howard steers us to the 405. It’s all I can do to keep my eyes open.
My vision is going funny again. The city is one big blur.
This isn’t the first time I’ve come this close to death. A little over a year ago, when High Plains Drifters were all over the city, one of the bastards bit me. I started dying then too, on my way to being a full-blown flesh-eating zombie piece of shit. The funny thing that happened was that as my mortal half died, my angel half started taking over. And it was a real bastard. Half cold-blooded killer and half Dudley Do-Right. Running around doing good deeds. Ruining my reputation. But he’s not here now. I was hoping he’d show up. He was strong and might be able to keep us going or, at least, think things through in ways I can’t. I should have known he wasn’t going to this time. As my body dies, so does he. I wish I could feel him now. It’s kind of lonely here. No angel. No Candy. No friends. No smokes or whiskey or donuts. Just me and a clown I’m only counting on to keep his word to prove he’s stronger and smarter than me. It’s okay. I’ll take whatever I can at this point.
I’m glad I made Howard put the top down. I can feel a little bit of the breeze and smell the freeway exhaust fumes. It’s very soothing. L.A. aromatherapy.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152 (Reading here)
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182