Nothing by Barry Crowther Read Free Book Online

Sunset and Wilshire, closer still to Beverley Hills. Inside the winding green streets I feel light years from the rotting urban decay of the suburbs. Here was clear streets, manicured hedge rows, renta-cops and high-end cars. Most of the houses seem modest in size and stature but then a humongous monument to bad taste gets thrown into the mix. This is Beverley Hills.
    I laugh.
    I approach the gates to Yama's place. It's ten after. I'm late. I don't think Largo will mind unless they have his balls in a vice. I push the intercom and announce my presence. The gates slowly drift apart. I chamber a round in the 9mm and place it beneath my seat.
    The driveway curves between box shrubs, tall palms and low lateral Japanese bowing trees into the imposing entrance. The black Escalade is pulled out front. Dallas and 2 other Mercs stand beside it, waiting. Legs slightly apart, rooted, hand over hand clasped in front of they abdomens. Real military.
    Dallas holds up his palm. One of the Mercs wears shades. Wraparound. I stop. He moves to my door and unclips it. I push the car into park and turn off the engine. Shades says.
    Leave the keys.
    I get out. Dallas flicks his fingers in a come-towards-me gesture. I walk over. Keeping eye contact. Shades climbs into the car and starts patting the panels inside. Opens the glove box, slams it shut. Reaches beneath the seat. He gets out holding the 9mm. He makes it safe. Dallas tuts and thrusts my arms outward. He pats me down. He even feels my balls and cock.
    Dallas speaks.
    Don't be shy. I'm not.
    I think that's pretty obvious.
    He smiles and says.
    He's clear. Follow me.
    I follow him into the house. The 2 Mercs stay outside. I see the one with out the shades get into the rental and drive it slowly down the driveway keeping the car out of sight. This is not a good sign.
    We enter another room I hadn't even noticed before. Men, Japanese men, are seated, talking in an animated way. Animated Japanese. They pay Dallas and me no attention. Whatever they are discussing is more important. We pass through into another room. This is room is beautiful. Perfectly furnished, virtually all white with a bright red patent leather couch on a heavy white rug in the center. We keep moving until we arrive at what appeared to be a dead end. It was a gloomy concrete corridor, almost a janitors store room. A strip light sputtered and farted it's neon above us. I notice a door about ten feet to my right with a tiny porthole at head height. This room impressed me. It was ideal for torture. I say.
    Where's Largo?
    Oh, he'll be here.
    Dallas looks me in the eye. I look back.
    The handle on the door with the porthole clicks and fumbles as if someone is trying to get in from the other side. I feel tension in my abdomen. If Largo is here half-dead then I'm next. I consider options. Angles. If I'm going all the way out, then some fucker is coming with me. The door swings open spilling bright white sunlight into the concrete box. I squint. Largo falls through the doorway. He is wet and wearing a blue and white bathing suit to match the enormous smile on his face. His grey hair had black streaks from water. His grey chest hairs spiked, he holds a multi-colored striped beach ball. He was laughing. I wasn't. He saw me. Stopped and placed the beach ball onto the concrete floor. 2 small bikini's with tanned flesh rear-end him due to the sudden stop. They were giggling. I was not. I say to Largo.
    These 2 chasing you?
    Yeah.
    So, you stole their beach ball?
    Er ... yeah. This is Candi, and this is Trudi.
    Trudi or Candi speaks. To me they are the same and interchangeable. Generic. They would probably suck a thousand cocks to get onto a reality TV show.
    OMG, is this your boss?
    I ask.
    What does OMG mean?
    Largo ushers them back out of the porthole door. He tells me.
    I'll explain later.
    They both do a finger-ripple wave goodbye, one of them blows me a kiss. They frolic away to some heaven that contains lots of chlorine.
    Largo