璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将-第124章

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he　city　and　its　supposed　dangers。　His　senses　perked　up　at　once。　Kelly‘s　eyes　darted　left　and　right；　scanning　the　streets　and　sidewalks；　checking　his　three　rearview　mirrors　every　five　seconds。　On　getting　in　the　car；　he‘d　put　his　。45　Colt　automatic　in　its　accustomed　place；　a　holster　just　under　the　front　seat　that　he　could　reach　faster　than　one　in　his　belt　…　and　besides；　it　was　a　lot　more　fortable　that　way。
‘Pam？‘　he　asked；　watching　traffic；　making　sure　the　doors　were　locked　…　a　safety　provision　that　seemed　outrageously　paranoid　when　he　was　so　alert。
‘Yes？‘
‘How　much　do　you　trust　me？‘
‘I　do　trust　you；　John。‘
‘Where　did　you　…　work；　I　mean？‘
‘What　do　you　mean？‘
‘I　mean；　it‘s　dark　and　rainy；　and　I‘d　like　to　see　what　it‘s　like　down　there。‘　Without　looking；　he　could　feel　her　body　tense。　‘Look；　I‘ll　be　careful。　If　you　see　anything　that　worries　you；　I‘ll　make　tracks　like　you　won‘t　believe。‘
‘I‘m　scared　of　that；‘　Pam　said　immediately；　but　then　she　stopped　herself。　She　was　confident　in　her　man；　wasn‘t　she？　He‘d　done　so　much　for　her。　He‘d　saved　her。　She　had　to　trust　him　…　no；　he　had　to　know　that　she　did。　She　had　to　show　him　that　she　did。　And　so　she　asked：　‘You　promise　you‘ll　be　careful？‘
‘Believe　it；　Pam；‘　he　assured　her。　‘You　see　one　single　thing　that　worries　you　and　we‘re　gone。‘
‘Okay；　then。‘
It　was　amazing；　Kelly　thought；　fifty　minutes　later。　The　things　that　are　there　but　which　you　never　see。　How　many　times　had　he　driven　through　this　part　of　town；　never　stopping；　never　noticing？　And　for　years　his　survival　had　depended　on　his　noting　everything；　every　bent　branch；　every　sudden　birdcall；　every　footprint　in　the　dirt。　But　he‘d　driven　through　this　area　a　hundred　times　and　never　noticed　what　was　happening　because　it　was　a　different　sort　of　jungle　filled　with　very　different　game。　Part　of　him　just　shrugged　and　said。　Well；　what　did　you　expect？　Another　part　noted　that　there　had　always　been　danger　here；　and　he‘d　failed　to　take　note　of　it；　but　the　warning　was　not　as　loud　and　clear　as　it　should　have　been。
The　environment　was　ideal。　Dark；　under　a　cloudy；　moonless　sky。　The　only　illumination　came　from　sparse　streetlights　that　created　lonely　globes　of　light　along　sidewalks　both　deserted　and　active。　Showers　came　and　went；　some　fairly　heavy；　mostly　moderate；　enough　to　keep　heads　down　and　limit　visibility；　enough　to　reduce　a　person‘s　normal　curiosity。　That　suited　Kelly　fine；　since　he　was　circulating　around　and　around　the　blocks；　noting　changes　from　the　second　to　the　third　pass　by　a　particular　spot。　He　noted　that　not　even　all　the　streetlights　were　functioning。　Was　that　just　the　sloth　of　city　workers　or　creative　maintenance　on　the　part　of　the　local　‘businessmen‘？　Perhaps　a　little　of　both；　Kelly　thought。　The　guys　who　changed　the　bulbs　couldn‘t　make　all　that　much；　and　a　twenty…dollar　bill　would　probably　persuade　them　to　be　a　little　slow；　or　maybe　not　screw　the　bulb　in　all　the　way。　In　any　case；　it　set　the　mood。　The　streets　were　dark；　and　the　dark　had　always　been　Kelly‘s　trusted　friend。
The　neighborhoods　were　so。。。　sad；　he　thought。　Shabby　storefronts　of　what　had　been　mom…and…pop　grocery　stores；　probably　run　out　of　business　by　supermarkets　which　had　themselves　been　wrecked　in　the　‘68　rioting；　opening　a　hole　in　the　economic　fabric　of　the　area；　but　one　not　yet　filled。　The　cracked　cement　of　the　sidewalks　was　littered　with　all　manner　of　debris。　Were　there　people　who　lived　here？　Who　were　they？　What　did　they　do？　What　were　their　dreams？　Surely　not　all　could　be　criminals。　Did　they　hide　at　night？　And　if　then；　what　about　the　daylight？　Kelly　had　learned　it　in　Asia：　give　the　enemy　one　part　of　the　day　and　he　would　secure　it　for　himself；　and　then　expand　it；　for　the　day　had　twenty…four　hours；　and　he　would　want　them　all　for　himself　and　his　activities。　No；　you　couldn‘t　give　the　other　side　anything；　not　a　time；　not　a　place；　nothing　that　they　could　reliably　use。　That‘s　how　people　lost　a　war；　and　there　was　a　war　going　on　here。　And　the　winners　were　not　the　forces　of　good。　That　realization　struck　him　hard。　Kelly　had　already　seen　what　he　knew　to　be　a　losing　war。
The　dealers　were　a　diverse　group；　Kelly　saw　as　he　cruised　past　their　sales　area。　Their　posture　told　him　of　their　confidence。　They　owned　the　streets　at　this　hour。　There　might　be　petition　from　one　to　the　other；　a　nasty　Darwinian　process　that　determined　who　owned　what　segment　of　what　sidewalk；　who　had　territorial　rights　in　front　of　this　or　that　broken　window；　but　as　with　all　such　petition；　things　would　soon　attain　some　sort　of　stability；　and　business　would　be　conducted；　because　the　purpose　of　the　petition　was　business；　after　all。
He　turned　right　onto　a　new　street。　The　thought　evoked　a　grunt　and　a　thin；　ironic　smile。　New　street？　No；　these　streets　were　old　ones；　so　old　that　‘good‘　people　had　left　them　years　ago　to　move　out　of　the　city　into　greener　places；　allowing　other　people；　deemed　less　valuable　than　themselves；　to　move　in；　and　then　they　too　had　moved　away；　and　the　cycle　had　continued　for　another　few　generations　until　something　had　gone　very　badly　wrong　to　create　what　he　saw　now　in　this　place。　It　had　taken　an　hour　or　so　for　him　to　grasp　the　fact　that　there　were　people　here；　not　just　trash…laden　sidewalks　and　criminals。　He　saw　a　woman　leading　a　child　by　the　hand　away　from　a　bus　stop。　He　wondered　where　they　were　returning　from。　A　visit　with　an　aunt？　The　public　library？　Some　place　whose　attractions　were　worth　the　unfortable　passage　between　the　bus　stop　and　home；　past　sights　and　sounds　and　people　whose　very　existence　could　damage　that　little　child。
Kelly‘s　back　got　straighter　and　his　eyes　narrower。　He‘d　seen　that　before。　Even　in　Vietnam；　a　country　at　war　since　before　his　birth；　there　were　still　parents；　and　children；　and；　even　in　war；　a　desperate　quest　for　something　like　normality。　Children　needed　to　play　some　of　the　time；　to　be　held　and　loved；　protected　from　the　harsher　aspects　of　reality　for　as　long　as　the　courage　and　talents　of　their　parents　could　make　that　possible。　And　it　was　true　here；　too。　Everywhere　there　were　victims；　all　innocent　to　some　greater　or　lesser　degree；　and　the　children　the　most　innocent　of　all。　He　could　see　it　there；　fifty　yards　away；　as　the　young　mother　led　her　child　across　the　street；　short　of　the　corner　where　a　dealer　stood；　making　a　transaction。　Kelly　slowed　his　car　to　allow　her　safe　passage；　hoping　that　the　care　and　love　she　showed　that　night　would　make　a　difference　to　her　child。　Did　the　dealers　notice　her？　Were　the　ordinary　citizens　worthy　of　note　at　all？　Were　they　cover？　Potential　customers？　Nuisances？　Prey？　And　what　of　the　child？　Did　they　care　at　all？　Probably　not。
‘Shit；‘　he　whispered　quietly　to　himself；　too　detached　to　show　his　anger　openly。
‘What？‘　Pam　asked。　She　was　sitting　quietly；　leaning　away　from　the　window。
‘Nothing。　Sorry。‘　Kelly　shook　his　head　and　continued　his　observation。　He　was　actually　beginning　to　enjoy　himself。　It　was　like　a　reconnaissance　mission。　Reconnaissance　was　learning；　and　learning　had　always　been　a　passion　for　Kelly。　Here　was　something　pletely　new。　Sure；　it　was　evil；　destructive；　ugly；　but　it　was　also　different；　which　made　it　exciting。　His　hands　tingled　on　the　wheel。
The　customers　were　diverse；　too。　Some　were　obviously　local；　you　could　tell　from　their　color　and　shabby　clothing。　Some　were　more　addicted　than　others；　and　Kelly　wondered　what　that　meant。　Were　the　apparently　functional　ones　the　newly　enslaved？　Were　the　shambling　ones　the　veterans　of　self…destruction；　heading　irrevocably　towards　their　own　deaths？　How　could　a　normal　person　look　at　them　and　not　be　frightened　that　it　was　possible　to　destroy　yourself　one　dose　at　a　time？　What　drove　people　to　do　this？　Kelly　nearly　stopped　the　car　with　that　thought。　That　was　something　beyond　his　experience。
Then　there　were　the　others；　the　ones　with　medium…expensive　cars　so　clean　that　they　had　to　e　from　the　suburbs；　where　standards　had　to　be　observed。　He　pulled　past　one　and　gave　the　driver　a　quick　look。　Even　wears　a　tie！　Loose　in　the　collar　to　allow　for　his　nervousness　in　a　neighborhood　such　as　this　one；　using　one　hand　to　roll　down　the　window　while　the　other　perched　at　the　top　of　the　wheel；　his　right　foot　doubtless　resting　lightly　on　the　gas　pedal；　ready　to　jolt　the　car　forward　if　danger　should　threaten。　The　driver‘s　nerves　must　be　on　edge；　Kelly　thought；　watching　him　in　the　mirror。　He　could　not　be　fortable　here；　but　he　had　e　anyway。　Yes；　there　it　was。　Money　was　passed　out　the　window；　and　something　received　for　it；　and　the　car　moved　off　as　quickly　as　the　traffic…laden　street　would　allow。　On　a　whim；　Kelly　followed　the　Buick　for　a　few　blocks；　turning　right；　then　left　onto　a　main　artery；　where　the　car　got　into　the　left　lane　and　stayed　there；　driving　as　rapidly　as　was　prudent　to　get　the　hell　out　of　this　dreary　part　of　the　city；　but　without　drawing　the　unwanted　attention　of　a　police　officer　with　a　citation　book。
Yeah；　the　police；　Kelly　thought　as　he　gave　up　the　pursuit。　Where　the　hell　are　they？　The　law　was　being　violated　with　all　the　apparent　drama　of　a　block　party；　but　they　were　nowhere　to　be　seen。　He　shook　his　head　as　he　turned　back　into　the　trading　area。　The　disconnect　from　his　own　neighborhood　in　Indianapolis；　merely　ten　years　before；　was　vast。　How　had　things　changed　so　rapidl