The Artful (Shadows of the City) by Wilbert Stanton Read Free Book Online

where he is now.”
    “When’s the last time you brushed your teeth?” Dodger turned his head away in disgust.
    “Dodger!” I managed to yell. This wasn’t the time for his mouth to get us in trouble. I wanted to keep him in line, and I was the only one who could do it. But, at that moment, all I could muster was his name.
    “I’m waiting.” Just Stan wasn’t the least bit frazzled.
    “Sure, after your mom blows me,” said Dodger.
    My blood went cold. From the look of the other guards, they all seemed to share my sentiment.
Dodger just killed us all. That idiot!
    Just Stan laughed. “Are you insane?” To his men he added. “I want you to kill everyone, except Dodger.”
    “Now, hold on a second, Just Stan.” Dodger smiled, no longer any sign of fear in him. “You want the drugs so bad, you better listen up and listen good, because if you touch anyone I might start forgetting things.”
    “In the end, I don’t really need any of you, do I?” Just Stan said.
    “Smith went off with the stash.” Dodger looked more and more confident as he spoke. “You want to know why Smith was one of our best guys? Definitely not his sunny disposition. He’s a chameleon, he knows someone worth the knowing in every crew, he chats up girls in towers, he’s done favors for all the big boys. There ain’t no one don’t owe Smith a favor, no way in hell you’re gonna find him without my cooperation. And I tell you this much, if you do anything to any of my guys, my mouth seals up, like your mom’s legs.”
    “What about the girl? Can I hurt her?”
    “Oh, well her, she’s a―”
    “No!” I yelled. We couldn’t afford Dodger’s tendency to make the most serious of situations a game. “Leave us alone, or we’ll never tell you where Smith is.”
    “Actually,” Dodger added. “We aren’t telling you squat. The only way you’re gonna find him is if we find him. Gutter Punks have a way of doing things. When we get lost, we get lost, good and proper. You’d have to go through too many channels, and people who don’t care for any Tower Babies to find him. You can make a show of power all you want. But there’s no way you’ll ever find him without friends. So, if you want to stay friends, tell the tag team to back off and give us some space.”
    Just Stan waved at the guards, and they did just that―backed off near the entrance, the rifle man shouldering his piece and the other crossing his arms.
    He thought it over for a moment, and his face lit up in a delightful smile. Gia started to come to and sat up in a daze. Just Stan shushed her before she had a chance to open her mouth.
    “Fine,” he said, overly confident.
    “Fine?” Dodger echoed.
    “Yes, that’s an acceptable offer.”
    “Really?” I asked.
    “Why not?” He clapped his hands, then held his arms out wide and turned around as if taking in his whole surroundings. He snapped his fingers at the Suit who now covered the only exit that led to the stairwell. The Suit hurriedly ran over, towing a small black cooler behind him. “However, I have an amazing idea.”
    He nodded toward Dodger, and the nearest Suits grabbed him by both arms and forced him down to his knees. The other Suits once again trained their weapons on me and Gia. Just Stan shushed her before she attacked him with a barrage of curses. He opened the cooler. “See we aren’t as stupid as you think. I had no doubt in my mind that you wouldn’t help us unless prodded. I figured it would go two ways, either you had the stuff on you or would know where it is. Like I said, I believe it would be an excellent idea, sending you off to do our bidding. But we need insurance—something I have been dying to try out, and I figured what better opportunity than this? So I brought along a little present.” He pulled a medical syringe out, tapping the small plastic cylinder, which held a yellowish liquid. He experimentally squeezed the plunger until a spray of fluid squirted from the needle