guy knows the northern boroughs like you know the bathrooms at Kharma. Learned even more on the inside. The joint’s a better school than all the projects combined. I know some of his buds from Osteraker. They say he’s smart as hell. The Chilean pulled off quite a show five or six weeks ago. Fucking Cirque du Soleil. Climbed over the wall and disappeared in the woods. A twenty-three-foot wall, you dig? The guards just stood there twisted up like question marks. He’s a good guy. But right now he’s a guy under a fuckload of pressure. I know he hasn’t left the country yet. He’s got what we need. Most important, he’ll work for cheap in exchange for me taking him on.”
“What am I supposed to say? I don’t know about all that. Don’t know why you’d want to get involved with some guy who’s obviously gonna attract the cops like flies to shit.”
“Right now, at this stage, I’m not gonna get involved with him. You are. I want you to find him. Flatter him. Pay him. Take care of him. Then he’ll help us tighten our grip on the boroughs. But don’t scare him; remember, he’s on the run. But that’s the whole point. You dig, my man? Since he’s on the run, he’ll get dependent on us providing for him, giving him a safe place to stay, keeping him undercover.”
JW didn’t like what he was hearing. At the same time, it was like he’d tasted blood, whet his appetite for the Arab’s business. He’d been hesitant in the beginning, but now the sun just seemed to keep on shining. Maybe the Chilean runaway idea wasn’t so bad after all.
“Why not? Let’s try it. How and where do I find this Chilean?”
Abdulkarim laughed out loud. Praised JW. Praised Allah. JW thought, is Abdul getting religious, or what?
The Arab leaned in even closer and gave JW the info. The little he knew. The runaway’s name: Jorge Salinas Barrio. The guy was from Sollentuna and his family consisted of a mom, a plastic papa, and a sister. Abdulkarim’s best piece of advice: “Go to Sollentuna and talk up some of the right people. It should give you something, inshallah; just make it obvious you’re not a narc.”
He ended by tucking a bag in JW’s jacket pocket. JW felt with his hand-bills. He looked at Abdul, who held up all ten fingers. “There are this many bills in there and a piece of paper with six names on it. That’s the best help I can offer.”
JW fished out the slip of paper. All the names except for one sounded Spanish. The money was, as the Arab put it, “for getting all the homeys in Sollis to dish about el runaway-o.”
JW finished his soup. Abdulkarim settled the bill.
They walked out. It was chilly outside.
JW started thinking. This could be big. This could be a little conglomerate all on its own.
He was going to track down that Chilean.
He walked home. Had trouble studying. Couldn’t concentrate. His mind kept wandering. He stretched out on the bed and tried to read the last issue of GQ.
His cell phone rang. JW realized he’d forgotten to keep his promise to Abdulkarim about getting a new one.
Jet Set Carl’s voice on the other end of the line.
What the hell? What could he want?
After saying hi, Carl said, “JW, Lovhalla Manor was such a great fucking time. Totally insane.”
“Ridiculous. We’ve gotta do that again sometime.”
“For sure. Really damn sweet that you could help bring the party. I really think everyone appreciated it.”
“Nice to hear. I tend to be able to find a way to bring some fun, so to speak.”
“Did you know I jumped the shit out of a couch? Totally busted it.”
JW gauged his tone-no problem, okay to laugh.
Carl scoffed.
“It was a real piece, too. Designer.”
“You’re kidding? What’d Gunn say?”
More laughter. I mean, Gunn? Please.
They chatted about the awesome dinner, Nippe’s game, that Jet Set Carl’d paid fifteen big ones to fix the couch, that Gunn must’ve wondered why everyone was sneezing up a storm the morning after.
In JW’s mind, the same question kept coming back to him: Why is Jet Set Carl calling me?
He didn’t have to wait long for an answer. “It’s my birthday and I’m having a big party at my house. Think you could bring some fun?”
JW was used to the slang and the roundabout way of saying things. Even so, it took him a sec to catch on. “You mean C? Of course. How much do you need?”
“Hundred and fifty grams.”
JW: brain freeze.
Jesus.
He tried to sound unperturbed, “That’s a lot, but I think I can get it. Just have to check the amount first, make sure it’s cool.”
“I don’t want to be a drag, but I have to know pretty soon. I’ll call you back in an hour. If you don’t know, I’ll ask someone else. What’s your price?”
JW did some rapid mental arithmetic. It was dizzying-if he could get a hold of the amount, that is. Maybe he’d be able to push the purchase price down to five hundred. Could charge Carl at least a thousand. Left for him: at least seventy-five grand.
Jesus Christ Superstar.
“I’ll do my very best, Calle. I’ll call you as soon as I know.”
Jet Set Carl thanked him. He sounded like he was in a good mood.
They hung up.
JW sat on the bed-with the stiffest hard-on in northern Europe.
Dagens Nyheter, daily
October
Tonight,the Stockholmpolice began a major offensive against organized crime. The goal is to eradicate at least one-third of the 150 specifically targeted persons from the criminal underworld-and to deter young people from taking up a life of violent crime.
The offensive, classified as “Nova,” was actually supposed to begin over six months ago. The planned action had to be postponed because resources were allocated to a number of other recent highly publicized investigations.
But the first hit took place tonight. Hundreds of police officers from various divisions, including special operations from the gang unit, took part in a number of crackdowns in different parts of the city and the surrounding boroughs. The result of the work is not yet known and the district police have not answered any of Dagens Nyheter’ s questions.
Through Nova, the district police hope to combat the networks of more or less career criminals who are behind violent crime, protection racketeering, drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, and cigarette smuggling. The project’s action plan states that violent crime is on the rise in the Stockholm area and that the likelihood of criminals bearing arms has increased.
The strategy is to first and foremost strike out against the leaders of these criminal networks. In connection with the offensive, 150 known criminals across the region have been pinpointed as being of special interest. The goal is that at least fifty of these will, “by means of distraction or force of law,” be “made to refrain from criminal activity in the long term.” None of these persons is currently serving time or is charged with crimes that can lead to more than two years in prison.
The goal is to be reached within two years, at the latest.
15
On his way to Radovan. Serbian music on the stereo: Zdravko Colic. Mrado, pissed-that faggot Jorge’d been uppity. Threatened Radovan. Indirectly threatened Mrado. Tried to blackmail. Tried to be smart. Tried to play with
