The System - A Detroit Story -

by John Silver

  "I can't do this. I can't stand it anymore. I want my daughter or I want to die." She stared weeping.

  Miri walked in and stood over her, then leaned down and helped her to her feet.

  "Come," she said. "Let's clean you up." She cleaned the floor and flushed the toilet. She started drawing a bath in the small porcelain tub. Elena shook and sobbed. The tub filled with warm water and Miri helped her in.

  "Don't cry," said Miri. "Steel yourself. Put yourself somewhere pleasant in your mind.

  Elena felt relief in the warm water. She stared at the dripping faucet.

  "Is that what you do?" she said. Since last night she had trouble looking Miri in the eyes.

  Miri nodded.

  "Why have you stayed here?" said Elena.

  The sensation of falling returned. Elena gripped the side of the tub. Miri watched Elena tense up in the tub. Jerzy was giving her too much junk and waiting too long between hits. Miri saw it with other girls, coming down hard. Elena seems to be handling it better than some, worse than others. Elena was strong, but so were others…for a while. The ones that were too dependent were used up until they died.

  "How can I leave?" said Miri. "How can any of us leave? No one cares about us. We are cows, to be milked until dry and left to die when younger ones come." She looked down at Elena. "You are young now, but not so much. One year here will age you by five."

  Elena sat up, the dizziness and nausea fading. Even in the warm water her muscles ached and cramped.

  "Can't we escape?" she said.

  "To where? The mountains?" said Miri. "The army is worse then the ones that come here. Trust me."

  "Have you ever tried?"

  Miri paused. "Yes," she said. "Four years ago."

  "What happened?"

  Miri's eyes went distant. "I made it as far as the next village. It was winter. January. I almost froze to death." Miri lit a cigarette, took a drag and exhaled. "I was picked up by a farmer. He took one look at me and brought me right back to Jerzy." Miri tapped the ash over the sink. "Jerzy pays the locals well. For watching out for him, and for favors. Bringing me back was a favor."

  Miri turned and opened her robe, exposing her left side. Four small circular scars were under her ribs. "No doubt you've wondered about these. He beat me and burned me with a cigarette. You've seen the scars on my back. He said if I tried to escape again he would kill me. As an example, no matter how much money I brought in."

  Miri held up her left hand. "Jerzy left me with a special client. A small man, dark. Like a weasel. He had a special request which Jerzy did not honor until I tried to escape."

  Elena looked at the stump of Miri's missing little finger. Jerzy tied me down and left. The little man got undressed and was excited. He had a small surgical saw, like a butcher's knife with teeth." Miri put her hand in her lap. "He sawed off my finger, slowly. I passed out. Jerzy said the client kept it as a souvenir."

  Elena slid back into the water and stared at the ceiling.

  Miri looked down. "After I recovered, I would service at least twenty men a day. One right after another, for almost a month. Do anything they wanted to do, and do it with a smile." She looked at Elena, her dark hair floating around her head. "Do not put yourself in that position. Please."

  Elena looked at her. "I will kill myself."

  "That's what you say," said Miri. "But what about your daughter? Leave her an orphan?"

  "She is like an orphan now," said Elena. She started to cry.

  "No man?" said Miri.

  "Killed. By a gang of so-called rebels. He did nothing to them." Elena started shaking.

  "Hold on," said Miri. She left the bathroom and walked to the vanity. She opened a drawer and pulled out a brown bottle of painkillers, took two out and walked back into the bathroom. She handed them to Elena. "Here," she said. "Take them."

  Elena took the pills, put them in her mouth, raised her head back and swallowed them. They felt dry and abrasive in her throat.

  "Listen to me," said Miri. "Live for your daughter. Take the pills. Cooperate with Jerzy. Be nice and he might stop shooting you up. Take the pills only when you absolutely need to. Fight it."

  Elena slid back into the tub. Relief poured over her like warm rain.

  * *

  Miri helped Elena out of the tub and used a clean white towel to dry her. Elena put on a robe and sat on the bed, buzzed from the painkillers. Not the same floating high as heroin, but it was pleasant and even.

  Jerzy burst into the room.

  "Pack your things," he said. "Both of you."

  "Why?" said Miri.

  "You're leaving. With Vlad."

  Elena looked up. "Where are we going?"

  "Don't complain," said Jerzy. "Vlad is taking you to America."

  "America?" cried Elena.

  "Shut up and pack your things."

  Miri started gathering clothes and makeup. Elena sat on the bed with her head in her hands.

  "Consider yourself lucky," said Jerzy. "But make no mistake. Cross Vlad and he will kill you as easy as killing a cockroach. You are no more than an investment to him." He pulled Elena's head up by her chin. "And you better pay off."

  Chapter 18

  Zippy Shows Paulie the Ropes

  Eddie sat in his wheelchair at the table, cup of coffee in his hand, pleased that his fence said no problem on converting three hundred k to diamonds. He could have them by Wednesday, straight from New York if Eddie gave him the cash, plus a service fee. He took a sip of coffee and watched Zippy and Paulie.

  "What do you know about cars?" asked Zippy.

  "I like fast ones," said Paulie, chewing gum.

  "First thing you gotta know is how to take 'em apart and put 'em together," said Zippy.

  "That so," said Paulie.

  "Damn right. That's why the best guys come from repair shops and assembly lines. Dudes either built, seen or fixed most everything," said Zippy.

  "I wouldn't know, man," said Paulie.

  Zippy looked at him, cigarette behind his slick black hair, expensive t-shirt, designer jeans, expensive shoes. Not exactly the type of clothes to be busting down cars.

  Eddie, paging through a copy of Hustler, kept an eye on them.

  "First thing you gotta know about boosting cars, especially expensive ones, is disabling the telematics unit," he said.

  "The what?" asked Paulie.

  The telematics unit. Automatically calls for help if the car crashes. Tracks position from GPS," said Zippy. "Satellites. Man. Up in space. Knows where you're at. Some of the units automatically call the cops," he said. "Car gets boosted, goes out of a zone, signal sent to the owner and the cops. They can track you all the way, man, even kill the engine."

  "I didn't know that," said Paulie.

  "Now you do," said Zippy. There's other systems too. Pull a couple of fuses, cut a couple of wires, no problem. The thing's dead and no one has a clue. I'll show you how to disable them. First," said Zippy, "you need to get dirty, start small."

  Zippy put his hands in his back pocket. "I'll show you how to boost rims," he said. "Easy and good money." They walked over to a beater Ford Taurus that Zippy was working on. He motioned toward a hydraulic jack. "Grab that jack and bring it over."

  "Me?" said Paulie.

  "No, Eddie," said Zippy. "Yeah, you."

  Paulie frowned and walked slowly over to the jack, grabbed it by the handle and brought it over.

  "Man, you got to hustle," said Zippy. "Like a NASCAR dude."

  Paulie dropped the jack handle and it bounced, clanking on the floor.

  "I thought I was gonna see some action. Go on a real boost. This is a shit job," he said.

  "You don't send a new soldier into a war without training, do you?" said Zippy. "He'd get killed right away. And this is a war. It only looks easy."

  "I can handle it," said Paulie. "No problem."

  "Let me ask you this," said Zippy. "Have you ever changed a tire?"

  "Couple of times."

 
; Eddie put the magazine down and called them over.

  Eddie looked at Paulie and said, "Your uncle and I go way, way back. I don't know what he told you."

  "He said you were in Viet Nam together."

  "That's right," said Eddie. "Carried me out when I got shot. I owe him for that." Eddie adjusted himself in the chair and said, "Why did he really send you here?"

  Paulie shrugged. "You know. To learn the business."

  Eddie looked at him. "You don't know the first thing about cars."

  "That's why I'm here. To learn."

  Eddie sat back. "You know," he said. "Nobody gets into this business without having cars in their blood. At least I don't know anybody. It hurts me that your uncle doesn't trust me."

  "He trusts you," said Paulie.

  "If he did, you wouldn't be here." Eddie thought for a moment. "You want to go on a boost?"

  "Sure do," said Paulie.

  "He ain't ready," said Zippy.

  "I'm ready," said Paulie. "I'm fuckin' ready right now."

  "No you aren't," said Zippy.

  Eddie held up his hand. "Hold it. Both of you." He looked at Zippy. "Cool it for a minute."

  "I'm tellin' you, he ain't ready," said Zippy.

  Eddie rolled out from behind the table and looked at Paulie. "Make a deal with you," said Eddie. "Tell me why you're here and you go on a boost. Tomorrow."

  "To learn how to steal cars. Learn the business," said Paulie.

  Eddie stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "Forget it. Forget I said anything." He looked at Zippy. "You done with him for today?"

  "Wait a minute," said Paulie.

  "Never mind, kid," said Eddie. "Forget about it."

  Paulie hesitated, and then said, "Tomorrow?"

  "Just answer the question and you're good to go."

  Paulie put his hands in his back pockets, looked at the floor and said, "To watch you."

  "Why?" said Eddie.

  "To see if you got something going with some Albanian guy."

  Eddie looked at him a long time, and then rolled back behind the table.

  "Why does he think that?" he said.

  "He thinks you're playing him. He don't like it."

  "What did he want you to do?" said Eddie.

  Paulie shrugged. "See if the guy ever showed up here. See if you ever talked about him. About deals."

  Eddie shook his head. "Well, you can let Vinnie know that I don't know anything about any Albanian. Pure and simple." He looked at Zippy. "Take him with you tomorrow, on that thing we talked about."

  "No offense," said Zippy. "But he can't even change a tire let alone handle a boost."

  "I can handle it," said Paulie.

  "This one is hit or miss," said Eddie. "A long shot." He looked at Zippy. "Don't take any unnecessary chances. Walk if you have to."

  "Goes without saying," said Zippy.

  "Go or no go, it's your call and your call alone," said Eddie. He looked at Paulie. "Two things. First, you do everything, and I mean everything Zippy tells you to do. To the tee. Got it?"

  "Got it," said Paulie.

  "And second, out little conversation here doesn't get back to Vinnie."

  "Got that too," said Paulie.

  * *

  Zippy told Paulie to wear a shirt and tie. A clip on, to look at legit as possible and not get it hung up on anything. They sat in the stolen Impala across from the Book Cadillac hotel. The hauler was parked near the main entrance. One BMW was already loaded. The driver walked down one of the ramps after securing it with the straps and frame chains.

  "This is where it pays to keep up on what's going on around town," said Zippy. "Happens a few times a year, not only during the auto show. Manufacturers bring in their rides to show off and shuttle execs around." Zippy wiped the steering wheel with a moist towelette and handed one to Paulie. "If it happens, open up the door with this. Wipe it down. Outside handle too. No fingerprints." Zippy put the towelette on the console. "Commercial real estate convention this week. People in from all over the country. Draws top end car makers like flies."

  The driver was eyeballing the cab when the valet pulled up in a 325i. The valet got out and left it running. The hauler driver got in, drove it up the ramp and secured it. The valet turned and walked away. The hauler driver hopped off the rig and looked at his watch.

  "This is it," said Zippy. "Get out and wipe down. Put on your sunglasses and follow me."

  They got out of the Impala and left the keys. They quickly wiped down the door handles and dropped the towelettes. Zippy glanced at Paulie. Cocky as he was, he pulled that off like a pro.

  Zippy had timed how long it took for the valet to bring the cars. Nine minutes. Just enough time to circle the entire block. They crossed Washington in front of the hauler, turned left and walked toward State Street.

  "We can make it around in six or seven minutes," said Zippy. "That'll give us two minutes to make a move. If it's clear, I'll drive. You ride shotgun."

  "Okay, man," said Paulie, literally bouncing as he walked. "This is too fucking cool."

  "Calm down," said Zippy. He noticed the handle of a pistol near on the left side under Paulie's belt.

  "Did I tell you to bring a piece?" said Zippy. "Did I? You dumb fuck. Don't ever bring a piece unless I tell you to. I don't even have one."

  "Just a little insurance," said Paulie.

  "You do not, I repeat, do not, bring a piece on a boost like this."

  They turned the corner onto State Street. About midway Zippy looked at his watch. Five minutes. "Breath deep," he said. "That's the first thing you gotta learn. "Be cool, and be aware. Look around without looking around. Notice everything."

  "Okay, man, okay," said Paulie, breathing in deeply. They turned the corner onto Griswald.

  Zippy looked at his watch. Four minutes. "Let's pick it up a little."

  They picked up their pace and a minute later turned the corner onto Michigan Avenue. As they passed the 24Grille the valet whizzed by in a 760Li. Zippy looked at his watch. He was off by a minute. "Let's move," he said.

  They turned onto Washington and saw the valet step out of the BMW, leaving the door open and the car running. Instead of getting in the BMW, the hauler driver walked back to the cab, opened the door, stepped up and leaned in.

  "Now," said Zippy. "Go."

  They sprinted toward the BMW. Zippy hopped in the driver's seat and Paulie slid in the other side. Zippy slammed it in reverse then put it in drive and squealed around the hauler. The hauler driver stepped out of the cab holding a cell phone. He watched the BMW disappear down Washington.

  Chapter 19

  Amateur Night

  "We could do something to the air conditioning," said Washington. "Or mess with the utilities to get inside."

  Peabody shook her head. "No way. They'd read it like a book. If anything went south, air conditioner, lights, plumbing, name it, you can bet an Albanian contractor will be on the job. A trusted one."

  "So what do we do? Let the court order go to waste just because we can't execute?"

  Peabody thought for a moment and said, "amateur night."

  * *

  Washington picked up Peabody in the parking lot adjacent to the Bunker. He almost didn't recognize her. Her bright blond hair was teased out and sprayed, stripper style. She wore loads of makeup, reddish cheeks, dark blue eye shadow and thick black mascara. She had on a short rabbit fur coat stopping above her bare knees, and wore high platform shoes.

  Washington pulled beside her, reached over and opened the door. Peabody got in, her fur coat riding up her thighs.

  "Ready for this?" she said.

  "I'm speechless," said Washington. "I'd take you for a stripper any day."

  "Thank you," said Peabody. "That's the point."

  They drove along Eight Mile towards the Tiger's Den.

  "It's pretty much the same everywhere, strip joints," said Peabody. "Amateur night is usually slow. Some regulars don't show up, cause a lot of the st
eady dancers bust their butts on weekends and have Monday or Tuesday night off. A lot are turning tricks."

  Washington breathed in Peabody's perfume, smelled like roses and musk. She smelled good. Really good. "How come you know so much about strip clubs?"

  "Worked in one when I was in law school. Made a ton of money."

  Washington nodded.

  "Not in Ithaca, though," said Peabody. "Up in Syracuse. On weekends, sometimes on weeknights. I could make more in a couple of nights than any other part time job at the time. Plus, I didn't have to think. Get the basic pole moves down and just go on autopilot." She looked at Washington. "My stripper name was Penny."

  "No problem taking your clothes off?"

  "No big deal," said Peabody. "First time was a little shaky, but after that, no problem. Spent my time thinking about contracts and torts."

  "What about tonight?"

  "I'll take 'em off if I have to," said Peabody. "I want that place bugged."

  Washington watched the road.

  "We know the layout," said Peabody. "We'll order drinks, settle in, and you'll go to the men's room, right next to the office. Dragovic is a continent away so all we have to worry about is the staff. And the bouncer."

  "Sounds pretty iffy to me," said Washington.

  "If you have a shot at the office, take it. Put it under a desk or a chair if you can. If you can't get near the office, put it in the john. Maybe we can pick something up there."

  Peabody looked out the window, seeing the darkened iron-gated storefronts pass by. "It's a long shot, but you never know. We might get lucky." She pulled the sun visor down and popped open the mirror, checking her makeup.

  Washington pulled into the Tiger's Den parking lot.

  "Ready for this?" said Peabody.

  Washington nodded. They got out and walked to the entrance, under the buzzing neon sign. Washington held the door open for Peabody. She stepped through and scanned the interior. Three couples sat at small tables near the stage. One of the real strippers was onstage, Kool and the Gang thumping in the background. Four guys sat at the bar, along with a little guy in a wheelchair. Two regular strippers talked to him. The bouncer was talking to the bartender.