Dying For LA

by Ian Jones

Turner and Reed shared a look, Reed chuckled and explained.

  ‘Well that’s another thing. Our guys spoke to the captain, the two lieutenants even the sergeants that worked under Major Hayter over in the stores. We got the story. He used to get yesterday’s sandwiches from the enlisted men’s mess. You can basically just take them away. He would eat them at his desk. He didn’t want to use the OC. We worked that out too. He was always borrowing cash. For Vegas I guess. That meant he didn’t want to go to the club because everyone would be looking for their money back. So he ate stale sandwiches at his desk just to keep out the goddamn way. Kept them in the briefcase; the sergeants told me they used to check it whenever he went to the can. See what crap he was having for lunch that day. It was obviously a big joke but there was nothing in it but his sandwiches. He must have thought he disguised it I guess. On that day, they were doing counts and he was in the uniform stores all day, then he went straight off with captain Bryant. There was no way he put anything of any interest in the case, he didn’t get out of there once until he left.’

  John nodded.

  ‘Well, we know they didn’t get what they were looking for anyway.’

  ‘I just can’t picture Major Hayter doing anything seriously bad. It doesn’t seem likely at all. He’s been here for years and years, got the dullest jacket in history. I suppose maybe he could be stealing to sell stuff on, settle his gambling debts but that isn’t what this is about at all. The stores all check out, we have done two audits. There is nothing of any value unaccounted for,’ Turner said.

  ‘I’m exactly the same. I didn’t know him, but he just had a day job here. He wasn’t really a soldier he worked in an office, Monday to Friday. He can’t have had any big military secrets, there’s no way,’ Reed announced.

  ‘Right, so where do we go from here?’ Turner asked, which was a good question.

  John’s mobile rang suddenly, loud and shrill. Most of the room turned to look. John apologised and answered it quickly. It was Judy.

  The trace had come back.

  John sat down again with Reed and Turner, struggling to keep the excitement from his voice.

  ‘We know where Pinsky is. Judy got the trace. He’s in some old goods yard, in a place called Hobart. Apparently it’s all abandoned now.’

  Turner jumped to his feet.

  ‘Let’s go.’

  Back in the MP headquarters Turner walked into the office in the lobby and sat down in front of a computer in a corner. Compared with the rest dotted around this one looked almost current. He logged on, and then opened up a maps page on the internet. He did some searching and they stood behind looking over his shoulder. The yard was there, not far from a freeway with a lot of railway lines running through to one side of it. Reed got the mouse and clicked a button and then there was a picture on the screen. He moved the mouse and it panned across so they could almost see the whole space. They spent a while looking and then Reed typed in the browser and read from the screen.

  ‘Ok, well the yard closed down nearly six years ago. Logistical improvements apparently, the transport authority got a new place further out. This has been sold, planned for development.’

  They sat down at a desk.

  ‘Nothing there but empty warehouses and only one entrance I can see,’ Reed said.

  ‘I say we get over there, take a look,’ John suggested.

  Reed looked at Turner who didn’t look at all happy.

  ‘This is a PD matter, you know that. We can’t start kicking in doors and shit. We need to call them and let them deal with this.’

  ‘Yeah, we do, but I think we should try and get the lie of the land. The police are going to want to get their SWAT guys there, and that doesn’t happen quickly. If we are there, we can start watching.’ John replied.

  ‘He’s right sir. We’re not going over there armed. We can just look.’ Reed told him gently.

  Turner stood.

  ‘Can I talk to you please captain? John, you wait here if you don’t mind.’

  Reed stood up and John watched them leave the room. Reed had to do as he was told, but John didn’t so as sorry as he would definitely be to be without Tom he would go on his own. Although he had no idea how he would get there.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The hotel bar wasn’t busy, it never was on weekday afternoons. Sal and Rico sat opposite Rolf and Greg while Leo headed up the table. He had pulled over a stool from the bar so he towered over them, and Rico decided he would probably feel the same even if Leo was just sitting in a normal chair.

  The bar was an optimistically big space for a small hotel, with booths all the way around the edges. It was gloomy inside, done out in dark red throughout and heavy curtains around small windows. The only other customers were a couple that were sitting at a table by the door, staring at a TV on the wall and not talking.

  The barman, an elderly black man with an elegant grey beard brought their drinks over on a tray.

  Beers all round, in frosted glasses. To the men, this was a welcome sight, they looked great. The barman carefully set them down around the table, collected the tray and withdrew with a polite nod.

  Greg grabbed his up immediately and took a long gulp, and Rolf followed. But both Rico and Sal were conscious of Leo watching their every move so waited until he had raised his glass and taken a drink. Both men had the same idea; make this beer last. Hopefully there would be a second and it was all time outside of that damned yard, Leo would surely not start anything in here.

  ‘So, who has a story to tell?’ Leo asked.

  The men all looked at each other and then Sal, who was always reliable in such matters recounted a tale where he was stopped by the police in New York. He had a couple of shotguns and a pile of coke in the boot, but managed to get away with it. Rico had heard it before, it was a good story, entertaining and Sal told it well.

  Leo smiled and looked surprised in the right places and Rico felt himself relaxing, if only for a short while.

  ***

  Major Turner opened his office door and ushered Reed in, then pulled it shut.

  The two big men stood in the centre of the room.

  Reed knew what would be said, but stood there stoically, knowing that he would not speak out. One thing that Tom Reed did was follow the chain of command.

  Turner looked at him closely.

  ‘Look Tom, I understand. But you do know, that we can’t take any civil action. We are Military Police, and that’s where we start and finish. We don’t get involved outside.’

  Reed nodded.

  ‘Yes sir. I do know that, of course. But I’m not suggesting we take any action. We just watch, and report anything we see.’

  ‘Tom, you are a good officer. You’ll be in my shoes and I think it could happen real soon, maybe not here at Indigo but you will be MP XO for sure. You got all the right qualities. This kind of shit could screw your career permanently and I don’t want to see that.’

  ‘Sir, I …’

  ‘Drop the sir Tom. This ain’t the army talking. It’s just me and you and I’m only trying to advise.’

  ‘Sir … Alex, you know if I don’t go, John will go on his own.’

  Turner sighed and leaned against his desk.

  ‘Yeah, I do know that. I can’t do nothing about that, he’s a civilian and can go where he damn well pleases. And I know you like the guy.’

  ‘It’s more than that sir. We’ve been through a lot. I’ve learned a whole bunch from him. He is a good man sir, one of the best I ever met.’

  ‘What is he going to do?’

  ‘I think he wants to see for himself. Look, he isn’t a guy to start a war. We know all about this Pinsky, he’s a Russian, some kind of military attaché but seems to spend all his time either here or in Vegas. John isn’t at all sure that he’s part of 1-Too, and that is troubling him. He can’t make the pieces fit. And we don’t have any real idea how many guys he has with him, but we know they haven’t got this document, plan or whatever it is and i
t looks like they will go to any lengths to get it. I don’t want nobody else to die sir, not if I could have prevented it.’

  ‘I understand Tom. I do. Look, I got to go up the ladder here, I can’t make this decision without authorisation, I’m sorry. We got you involved to make sure that the army was clean, Major Hayter getting shot dead in a bar and his new wife getting the same the day before does not look good. Lot of men above my head were worried. And you’ve done a great job, hell I never had to do anything like this. But I got to make a decision, or try to I guess, and for that I need the ok. So go back downstairs, and just wait.’

  ‘Yes sir.’

  John watched Tom Reed walk back into the office. He sat down at the computer and went back to studying the map screen, and printed a couple of copies out. He collected one from the printer and together they looked closely at it.

  ‘Not a lot around,’ Reed commented.

  ‘No, there’s some industrial buildings or whatever they are on the north, then to the south a hotel, and looks like a small parade of shops. But look, it’s all open in front of the gates. Nowhere to sit and wait there.’

  ‘Yeah, and a lot of buildings on the other side of the railroad tracks. Check it out, we got apartments, offices.’

  ‘That photo you got on the map, looks like some warehouses next to the tracks. So may not be much to see from outside anyway, they could well be holed up in one of them.’

  Reed nodded thoughtfully.

  ‘Yeah, and there’s another couple of other buildings across the yard, no way of knowing where they are going to be in there I guess.’

  John traced his finger along the roads.

  ‘Looks like a freeway runs right through, and above the rail tracks, then this other road comes down here, past the yard entrance and down to those shops and the hotel. Seems like that’s the only way to get there. I suppose once upon a time it would have been all trucks, good freeway access, makes sense.’

  ‘Yeah, it would have been real busy round there once upon a time,’ Reed agreed.

  Major Turner appeared and gestured to the door.

  ‘Let’s go.’

  Lieutenant Colonel Mathews was a cheery looking man in his fifties, red face topped by thin sandy hair.

  His office was on the top floor in the big main building right at the front of the base, behind the rose garden which John had first seen when they went through the barrier. His desk was old, dark wood, and he had a furled stars and stripes flag in a corner next to the window. He was sitting comfortably, and smiled as they walked in.

  ‘Sit down, sit down,’ Mathews said.

  They all took a seat, Reed dragging over a chair from one side of the large room.

  ‘I got a couple of questions, as you may expect,’ Mathews said, rifling through a small stack of papers on his desk.

  ‘Yes sir,’ Turner answered for them.

  ‘Right. So, first, does Major Turner got to be worried?’

  Reed shook his head.

  ‘No sir. We just want to go and see the place for ourselves, watch and see what is happening, if anything is of course,’ he replied emphatically.

  Mathews nodded slowly, then looked across at John.

  ‘And I got you to thank for all this am I right?’

  ‘Well, truth be told I got caught up in it. Wrong place at the wrong time.’

  John found himself wanting to say ‘sir’ but managed to bite the word back.

  Mathews nodded again and picked up a couple of sheets of paper stapled together holding them briefly up. John’s military record.

  ‘You seen some action John. And I’m told you are a good man. And from what I’ve been told by Major Turner here, not that I agree completely with everything that has happened I believe you deserve respect.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Mathews leaned forward and rested his forearms on the desk, clenching his fingers together.

  ‘Now, I believe the LAPD will be collecting Mr Keane within the hour. So my instructions are simple. See that he is put in the car and there is no record of him anyplace, and then you and Captain Reed can make your way over to this train yard where you are to stay out the way, but some place where you are able to maintain some visibility on the area. Major Turner, you are to liaise with the LAPD from now on, please make sure that we are aware of their movements and their plans. Captain Reed, you are not to take any action that will mean questions will be asked of myself or Major Turner, understood?’

  ‘Yes sir,’ Reed said gratefully.

  John smiled, he couldn’t help it. He made a request.

  ‘Colonel, Major Turner, can I suggest that you contact Chief Brady in the LAPD? He is based in the Downtown area and is fully aware of the original situation. He had his own doubts about Ron Keane I believe. I think he will be very eager to help.’

  ‘Yeah, ok John, I will make sure I speak to him,’ Turner said.

  ‘Good. And you are to take two other MP’s with you in a separate vehicle, these are to be briefed and to also stay on the perimeter. It may be necessary to have some additional verification of events at a later date, but I sincerely hope that isn’t the case.’ Mathews instructed.

  ‘Yes sir,’ Reed told him.

  Mathews leaned back in his chair again and studied the three men in front of him, a half-smile on his face.

  ‘Captain Reed, I have to admit I knew practically nothing about any of this until fifteen minutes ago. In fact, my only involvement was approving you to assist the law enforcement services and keep us appraised of any indications of army involvement. It was extremely important that the army was kept aware of its position. Major Turner has fully explained the situation and I would like to say that I believe you have behaved in an exemplary manner and have doubtless avoided some embarrassment to the US army. It’s fair to say that some of the actions performed have not been in the rulebook and while I do not condone it, in the circumstances I believe you acted in our best interests.’

  ‘Yes sir. Thank you, sir.’

  ‘Major Turner, do you have anything to add to my orders?’

  ‘No sir.’

  ‘Well alright. Captain Reed, I suggest you take your own vehicle and that the additional MPs do not use any army transport, you are all in civvies and that you maintain contact with Major Turner at all times, am I clear?’

  ‘Yes sir.’

  ‘Well, good luck. And it’s a real pleasure to meet with you John, maybe we can get a beer in the OC once the dust settles how does that sound?’

  ‘It sounds perfect Colonel.’

  ‘Good.’

  Mathews stood up and John shook his hand, then the three men filed out. They returned to the MP office where Reed briefed the corporal and Louisa on what was happening and what he needed them to do.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Colonel General Rostov slowly lowered the phone handset back into its cradle and then sat back in his chair looking at it.

  He couldn’t believe it.

  Everything is under control they had said. Repeatedly. And as the date got closer, they had maintained the same stance. Eventually they admitted that there are problems. It is taking longer than anticipated but it will be done.

  But Rostov had started to have doubts and had taken his own course of action. He was a soldier, he would do what was needed.

  But now it seemed as if this had also failed, the money that had been spent was inconceivable, and he was expected to wait.

  He had run out of trust.

  He looked at the calendar on the wall behind him and dug out his mobile phone.

  He would make a call.

  Rostov did not lose.

  ***

  Magnanimously Leo had ordered a second round of beers, much to the delight of Rico and Sal who made their first ones last as long as possible.

  The elderly barman brought the fresh drinks over to the table.

  ‘Thanks Leo, this is great,’ Sal said warmly, which got a shark-like smile in return.

 
‘Yes. I do not think that staying in that place all the time was good idea. It was feeling little bit like the prison yes?’

  ‘Yes,’ Greg agreed.

  Rico and Sal did also but said nothing. Greg had only been there a day or so, they had four months stuck in the shitty apartment in Mount Pleasant to think about. Mount Pleasant? Whoever thought of that name needed shooting first.

  Leo dug his mobile phone out of his jacket pocket and laid it on the table.

  ‘I wait. For one call. I wait yesterday, and today. I am calling but am told to wait. I do not understand.’

  ‘Er … that’s what Yann told us Leo, he said he was waiting for a call,’ Rico said, unsure as soon as he finished speaking if there would be an explosion hearing it.

  But Leo pursed his lips and nodded, then took a drink of his beer.

  ‘Yann was useless. Incompetent. But yes, is possible we wait for same call. Is possible.’

  ‘How long do you think we will be here Leo?’ Rolf asked nervously.

  Just as they were all thinking Leo would assume he meant the bar and as Leo went to answer the phone rang, shrill in the quiet room. Leo looked at the number on the front and snatched it up, uncoiling from the stool and stalking away listening intently with his mobile pressed against his ear.

  The four men watched, each one wondering what would happen now.

  Whoever Leo was speaking to was obviously somebody important, he was listening and occasionally making a comment but he was not his usual combative self, there was no arm waving or scowling.

  Eventually he hung up the call and headed back over, sliding back onto the stool and taking a drink of beer.

  The others waited, looking at him expectantly. He looked all around the table, for the first time he did not look at all comfortable, he seemed to be wondering what to say. Then he crossed his arms and sat up straight.

  ‘Well, there is being a change. I am in charge. There is one more call I need. Soon I will know for sure what is happening. We drink these beers then we go back, and we make plans. Then we can all go home.’

  ***