Dying For LA

by Ian Jones

  The LAPD arrived at Fort Indigo less than twenty minutes after their meeting with Mathews ended, two cars with roof lights flashing plus an unmarked white SUV which followed them in.

  Reed got the call and he collected Louisa then they went to the gate and escorted the police through to the MP station.

  John watched as Keane was brought up from the cell. Initially he was all smiles as he walked into the lobby but then froze when he saw four policemen waiting for him.

  ‘Wait …’ he said, looking at Major Turner who impassively returned his gaze.

  ‘What?’ he asked. ‘Did you think you’d walk out of here?’

  ‘Look, I can help. But I need to be on the ground. You need me.’

  Now Keane was looking pleadingly at Reed, who shook his head.

  ‘No, we don’t. We know where Pinsky is and we are acting on it, as are the LAPD. So now it’s time to pay for what you’ve done.’

  A policeman stepped forward with cuffs, Keane tried to move away but the corporal pushed him forward.

  ‘Do you know what they did? They kept me prisoner here! I was locked up! I’m a policeman, a civilian, locked up in an army cell!’ Keane shouted, to nobody in particular.

  Chief Brady walked through the group of police officers, John had not noticed he was there before. He walked across to Keane and gestured to the officer to put on the cuffs, which he did briskly.

  ‘No, they didn’t Ron. None of that happened. We’ve just detained you at your house, I believe I am correct?’ Brady announced.

  The officers with him all looked at each other then nodded, and Keane was led out. John followed them and watched him being put in the back of a car and then shook Chief Brady’s hand.

  ‘It would be useful to keep the army well clear of this Chief,’ John said earnestly.

  Brady smiled.

  ‘Don’t worry. He was never here.’

  ‘You suspected him, didn’t you? I wish I had realised it at the time, looking back I can see you didn’t trust him.’

  Brady sighed.

  ‘Well, yeah, I didn’t understand why he’d get involved. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense, as far as I knew he was just a pencil pusher. But there have been issues in the past. I never liked Ron Keane, things seem to get tidied away way too neatly. But of course the administration do like that, less work to do, keep the outstanding list shorter. So he was never called to task over it, but I sure ain’t the only one who didn’t like the guy.’

  ‘Still, I wish I’d taken more notice. A lot of the stuff that has happened would have been avoided.’

  ‘Hindsight John. Wonderful thing right?’ Brady replied with a smile, patting him on the shoulder. ‘I got to say I’m sorry that Captain Truman gave you a hard time John. He’s new to the job, his predecessor was there a long time, and had a lot of respect. Big shoes to fill, but that’s no excuse, I guess he was kind of an asshole. He couldn’t understand who you are.’

  John shrugged. Life was too short to worry about what people thought.

  ‘Yeah, well. So Chief, are you up to speed with everything? Have you heard about Pinsky, and the rail yard?’

  ‘Yes and that’s why I came down here, I got to meet Major Turner now. We got SWAT mobilised, just waiting on the go ahead then we’re going to be getting over there.’

  ‘I am too, along with Captain Reed and another couple of MPs from here.’

  Brady looked at him shrewdly.

  ‘Not thinking about getting involved?’ he asked.

  ‘No, no,’ John replied hastily. ‘Just want to see what is happening, Pinsky has a lot to answer for.’

  Brady passed him a business card.

  ‘Right, well here’s my cell number, stay in contact and I will let you know how it’s progressing, is that ok with you?’

  ‘Yes, thanks Chief. We’ll stay out of the way.’

  ‘No problem. I’ll see you there I’m sure.’

  John introduced him to Tom Reed, and then they walked upstairs to take him to Turner’s office. Once he was inside they went back down and walked out of the building. The two squad cars were gone, Keane was no longer the army’s problem thankfully. The corporal and Louisa were standing waiting next to the Humvees and they headed across to make sure everything was completely clear.

  ‘Ok. Let’s go,’ Reed said.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  In the bar Rico was deliberately doing all he could to delay finishing his drink, all the others had downed theirs long before but he managed to keep a fifth in his glass and would occasionally sip without actually consuming anything. He was desperate to keep Leo in the bar; all the time they were not in the yard they were not in any real danger. The problem was that the glasses were small, there wasn’t a size option. Rico had been in bars in New York and Boston where pints were just standard, he had been told that was all there was in Europe, and he could really do with that now.

  In fact, Leo did not seem to be in any hurry. Since the call he had been telling them all about Las Vegas, and the fact that others had fucked up there, then fallen almost silent, constantly checking the display on his phone but it stayed resolutely inactive.

  Sal was aware of Rico’s plans and was always talking, telling stories and asking Rolf and Greg questions, but it was becoming strained. The elderly barman appeared and collected the empty glasses.

  Rico winced.

  ‘Shall I get some more beers Leo?’ Sal asked brightly.

  Pinsky checked his phone and looked sharply at him, and then around the bar, which had not changed. He sighed and tapped his fingers on the table.

  ‘Yes. Why not?’

  Sal jumped up, and as he moved around the table Pinsky’s mobile beeped. He grabbed it and looked closely at the screen.

  Rico stared at Sal and gestured toward the bar with his head.

  Sal nodded and practically ran over.

  Leo walked away again, talking fast but quietly into his phone.

  The barman brought the drinks over and set them on the table, and they all took a drink just as Pinsky sat down again.

  ‘Ok. Have a drink. We need to be moving soon. And we have to make security good. There is changes.’

  ***

  Louisa seemed to know the city a lot better than Reed, and they followed her bright yellow Honda along several highways and freeways, moving fast until eventually she slowed and exited, and almost immediately they saw the yard down on their left as they passed a basic looking hotel and a short line of shops, the golden arches visible from a long way away.

  They drove past the yard without obviously looking at it and turned into the car park of a bulk carpet wholesaler further down the road, well out of sight of the yard.

  ‘Nice driving,’ Reed commented to Louisa as they gathered to talk.

  Louisa looked baffled and gestured at her car.

  ‘Er … satnav? Sir?’

  Reed chuckled.

  ‘Ok. I got to get me one of those things.’

  John had walked back to the road and then joined them.

  ‘Right. So there’s a tyre place just down there, and next to it looks like a closed down restaurant maybe, and some sort of industrial unit but there’s a couple of cars parked all around there. It’s not busy but I don’t think we would stand out there, and it’s probably better if we stay in the cars right now, it won’t be obvious we’re there from the distance if we get spotted but we’ll have a good line of sight to the gates, maybe partly into the yard.

  ‘You want us to stay together?’ the corporal asked.

  ‘No, opposite the hotel there are a couple of small warehouses, they look a bit rundown but I’d say they are in use. I spotted them as we drove past. They are set back from the road but again, a car parked there won’t stand out. Remember the police and SWAT are due here pretty soon so anonymity will be a thing of the past anyway.’

  They made the decision quickly; John and Reed would wait next to the tyre place and Louisa and the corporal further down the road c
lose to the warehouses. They got into position and settled down to wait.

  From where they were parked John could see through the gates, and across the yard to some huge warehouses on the far side. He watched several trains crisscrossing behind them so he knew that was where the tracks were that they had seen on the map.

  There was occasional traffic, but the area was quiet. They were parked in front of the closed down restaurant right next to the tyre shop. Through the gap between the two low buildings they could see another large open area, where there were haphazard stacks of rusting shipping containers.

  ‘Must have been busy here, once,’ John commented looking all around.

  Reed nodded, joining in with viewing the area with a critical eye.

  ‘Yeah, I guess so. Lots of trucks and all sorts of industry. Must have killed it when they shut the yard, but that’s progress I guess. We don’t get this shit in the army, it’s getting smaller for sure but nothing ever really changes.’

  John smiled, it was a long time ago for him but he suspected it was the same in every country.

  They sat there for a while, and then Reed got a call to say the LAPD were on their way, so John dug out the card and called Brady, who told him that he had to wait to get the all clear from the SWAT team leader before he would be at the scene. He suggested that John make himself known, everyone was fully briefed.

  The SWAT team leader was a Lieutenant Oakes, and in Brady’s own apologetic terms ‘a bit of a jerk.’

  As he was talking Reed punched him on the shoulder, pointing out the windscreen.

  Five men were walking along the road toward the yard. Immediately Reed’s radio crackled and Louisa called in.

  ‘Sir, we got movement. Five men just came out the hotel.’

  ‘I got it Louisa, sit tight.’

  John had hung up and was staring forward. The men were strung out in a line, two side by side at the back, the other three single file in front. The man in the middle of the three was who they were looking for.

  ‘That is Leonid Pinsky. It’s him.’

  Reed got on the radio to alert Louisa.

  ‘Do you know any of the others?’ he asked John.

  ‘Yeah, there was intel on a couple of guys, associates of the men I shot at the Metro station. One of them was arrested at the bar fight Keane mentioned. Perez, Ascola, or something like that. I think that’s him at the back.’

  He called Brady back to tell him this development, and they watched the men unlock the gates, walk through and repeat the action again at a second set inside where they walked into the yard and disappeared after making sure both sets of gates were secured.

  A couple of minutes later and Louisa pulled up fast. They got out the cars and stood looking over at the yard.

  ‘They went into a building opposite the yard from those warehouses, looks like maybe offices or something,’ the corporal said.

  ‘Ok,’ John replied. ‘I’m just gonna wander down the hill, and then come back on that side of the road, see if I can see anything.’

  ‘John …’ Reed warned him.

  ‘It’s ok, don’t panic. I’m not going to do anything. I’m not armed anyway, none of us are. I just want to see from the other side for myself, the LAPD will be here any minute anyway.’

  Without waiting for an answer John jogged down between the two buildings and ran right across behind the restaurant and keeping well out of sight came out on the other side of the warehouses. He walked across the road and strolled casually right past the gates, head straight in front but his eyes scanning the yard. He carried on until he was obscured by the buildings on the corner, then ran back to where the others were waiting.

  ‘Right. I saw the building. It’s kind of on its own, there isn’t much else on that side, just some sheds.’

  ‘Did you see anyone?’ Reed asked.

  ‘No, it’s impossible from outside. But the corporal saw them go in, and from where he was watching there’s nowhere else they could have gone. There is a massive crane which looks like it’s in the middle of being disassembled and I think part of it is a bridge from the offices to the warehouse. If it is, that means they could move out that way but I reckon if they did we would spot them.’

  ‘Are we ok just standing here?’ asked Louisa, leaning back against her car.

  ‘We’re fine, there is no line of sight from where they are to here, but that also means that we aren’t going to see them either.’

  The stood watching the yard, all unsure what to do next when an LAPD black and white followed by a SWAT van came down the road toward them. Reed waved and pointed to a space further along from where they had parked but was ignored. Both vehicles stopped in the middle of the road.

  A squat, heavyset officer all in black with a flak jacket bristling with apparatus climbed out the passenger side of the cruiser and then stood, looking at them from across the bonnet.

  John sighed and then set off across the road with Reed following.

  As they got closer the officer held his hand up.

  ‘Hold it there. Don’t come any closer. I got to speak to a Major Reed?’

  ‘There’s no Major Reed. Not here anyways. It’s Captain Reed. And that’s me,’ Reed told him.

  The officer looked annoyed and then reached into the car snapping his fingers, without taking his eyes off them. The driver, a young black officer ferreted around on the back seat and then handed over a piece of paper, which the officer took and started scanning it.

  ‘Jesus Christ,’ John murmured as he and Reed stood there in the road.

  ‘Ok,’ the officer said eventually. ‘Major Reed, walk to me.’

  He looked over at both men. Reed started to walk over.

  ‘Yeah, like I said, it’s Captain Reed.’

  ‘Who’s this guy?’ the officer asked nodding at John once Reed reached the car and leaned on the bonnet opposite.

  ‘That’s John Smith. I think you’ll find he’s kind of important in all this. I imagine it’s on those notes somewhere.’

  The officer started reading again, lips moving slowly.

  He stared at John.

  ‘You were there? At the goddamn Metro?’

  John wandered across to join Reed.

  ‘Er, yeah. That was kind of how all this started.’

  The officer threw the piece of paper back into the car.

  ‘Well, I’m Lieutenant Oakes. This is my team, and you got to hand over to us now. I’m running the show.’

  ‘Right. But don’t you want to know anything about who’s in there?’

  Oakes glanced at him as he walked toward the van.

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I got it. Some Russian dude. Gets his kicks firing automatics in train stations. Ain’t the first, won’t be the last.’

  He banged hard on the side of the van and then walked back and opened the boot of the car and started unloading some orange plastic bollards which he threw on the ground.

  Reed scratched his head.

  ‘Lieutenant, this is a whole lot bigger than one guy with a gun. We don’t believe Pinsky, the Russian was at the Metro.’

  Oakes looked at him then continued throwing more bollards. Reed walked around to the back of the car and loomed over Oakes, who finally stopped and looked up warily.

  ‘You’re not listening Lieutenant,’ Reed said simply.

  Behind them, eight SWAT team members had climbed from the van and were standing watching, clearly wondering what was going on. Oakes slammed the boot shut and leaned heavily on it, avoiding looking at Reed who stood to one side.

  ‘Fine. Whatever. You guys tell me what’s on your mind then we’ll go do our jobs, ok?’

  He beckoned to the team behind who began to slowly walk across.

  ‘We don’t know how many are in there, and we have no idea what weapons they are holding. They could have an arsenal in there for all we know. You got to understand this is real serious, I ain’t at all sure we should even be standing out here in the street.’ Reed told him, looking aroun
d.

  ‘We know what we’re doing, just leave it to us. They are in one building right? Three floors, lots of windows, nothing we ain’t done before. So just stay out the way and we’ll get it done,’ Oakes replied.

  ‘It’s four floors. You even seen the building? Checked the perimeter?’ John called out nervously.

  Oakes scowled back at him.

  ‘Like I said, leave it to us.’

  He turned and gestured to a SWAT officer that was the closest, who walked over, then he pointed down the road toward the hotel.

  ‘Ok. Get your ass over there. Eyes on the building. Report back what you see.’

  The officer looked at him then down the road where Oakes was pointing.

  ‘Er … sir? I’ll be kind of exposed,’ the officer stated.

  ‘Yeah. He fucking will,’ Reed growled, exasperated.

  Oakes turned his back.

  ‘Just do it son, then we can get back. Beer and pizza. Ok?’

  The officer took his firearm off his shoulder and held it with both hands across his front then shaking his head, set off down the road.

  ‘Wait! …’ John started to move and then the shooting started.

  Several shots rang out, loud, shocking. John dropped fast to the floor behind the black and white, inching backwards to the front wheel. Then a flurry of firing, different guns, set to automatic, bullets ricocheting off the road and thumping into the vehicles, glass breaking.

  Then nothing.

  John slowly raised his head. He was safe where he was, behind the engine, cars are just thin steel, a bullet will easily pass right through, although modern vehicles have a lot more stuff in the doors. But nothing would get through the engine. In front of him Reed had thrown himself to the floor and was lying lengthways, wedged under the vehicle.

  John could see the van, and several SWAT team officers cowering behind it. He turned his head, there was no sign of Louisa or the corporal, he hoped they had been able to get out the way. The officer who had been sent to watch the building was lying in the road. Head shot. A lot of blood. His gun, a Colt M4 was next to him. Reed moved his head and looked directly at him. John pointed at the gun.

  Reed nodded, and stretched out a long, long leg and hooked his foot around the strap, slowly dragging it toward him and then kicking it along to John.