Chapter 9: The Bondsman

The Bondsman came out at ten o'clock that night to tell me his terms himself.

He stood in the middle of Eastern Avenue under the one streetlight that still worked.

He was a heavy man of about fifty-six in a camel coat, with gold rings on both hands.

From the lobby doors I could read the band on his wrist.

It said Enforcer, Rank Three.

Thirty men stood along the SUVs behind him with guns.

"Don't go out there," Gloria said.

"He came out to talk. I'm going to talk."

"Hon, a man like that doesn't come out to talk. He comes out to be seen."

"Then he'll see me."

Calvin walked out beside me without asking.

We stopped at the curb, and the Bondsman smiled at us from the yellow line.

"The nurse," he said. "My nephew says you're a hard woman."

"Your nephew put his guns in a shopping cart."

"My nephew has a soft heart. I'm working on it."

His voice was friendly.

I read him while he talked.

He was green, top to bottom, not a scratch on him.

"I'll make this simple," he said. "The pills in your basement are money now."

"The Green runs on them. People over that line will trade anything for something to help them sleep."

"So sell them aspirin."

He laughed, and his men laughed behind him.

"The voice gave me a job," he said. "Bring the pills, and me and mine get a place over the line."

"That's a good deal. I'm taking it."

"The voice gave you a quest."

"The voice gave me a future."

He spread his hands.

"Give me the key tonight, and nobody on this avenue ever bothers your hospital again."

"And if I don't?"

"Then at sunrise I walk in and take it." He shrugged. "And some of these people behind the glass get hurt."

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