set the cars down and the ‘wheels skittered on the hardwood floors and the two little machines took off toward the end of the room, their springs whining as they unwound and the cars bounding along side by side until Riker’s car began to shift to the right and eased against Corkscrew’s machine just enough to set it off course. The midget racing car veered, hit the wall and tumbled end over end halfway down the room. One of its wheels flew off and bounced down behind Riker’s car as it crossed the finish line and whipped into the Styrofoam barrier. Earp, at the other end of the room, waved the winner’s flag.
‘Awright!’ Riker yelled.
‘Foul,’ complained Corkscrew bitterly. ‘You fouled me, man, drove me right into the wall.’
‘Foul, hell, there’s no such thing,’ Riker snapped back.
The two men stood nose to nose their fists clenched, bellowing at each other until the Honorable raised his hand and loudly cleared his throat. ‘Gentlemen, gentlemen,’ he said severely, ‘really! This is hardly the way international champions act.’
‘What’s the decision, Honorable?’ Corkscrew asked.
The man in the impeccable white suit cleared his voice and announced, ‘Unfortunately, while it would appear that a foul did occur, I must rule that in the absence of any specific regulation concerning the deportment of the vehicles on the course, no foul was committed. The blue car is the winner.’
A general cheer went up and bet money changed hands. Riker counted out his bhats as Corkscrew paid off, snapping the bills into his palm. Then suddenly the room got quiet. Riker turned around. Hatcher was standing at the top of the stairs. His face looked drawn and the color seemed to be drained from it.
‘Hey, buddy, what’s the matter,’ Wonderboy said, ‘couldn’t stand to leave us?’
Hatcher didn’t smile. He walked over and put the tape recorder on the corner of the pool table and snapped it on. The regulars listened, then moved closer as Fong’s voice recited his vicious litany.
‘Oh my God,’ Melinda breathed and, covering her mouth with her hand, turned her back to the table.
When it was over they were all grouped tightly around Hatcher, staring down at the machine. There was no explanation necessary; the tape spoke for itself.
‘This lady was special to you, was she?’ Prophett asked.
‘Does it make any difference?’ Hatcher said.
They all slowly shook their heads.
‘I made a mistake,’ Hatcher whispered. ‘This morning when I said Fong was too busy to bother with you? I was wrong. He’ll kill and keep killing until he gets to me.’
‘So?’ said Earp.
‘So the only choice is to force his band. I’ll go after him and force him to move on me in self-defense and I’ll kill him.’
‘Just like that?’
‘That’s right.’
‘You said no more killing this morning,’ Melinda said.
‘I was wrong.’
‘You’re going to do this on your own?’ said Potter.
‘I still have a few good moves.’
‘So why the Lone Ranger act?’ asked Earp.
‘It’s my fight.’
‘Not true, warrior,’ Prophett said. ‘It’s our fight too. You don’t have a monopoly on hate. You got the lady, we got Kilhanney.’
‘You can’t take the chance, none of you,’ said Hatcher. ‘You get caught, you blow everything you’ve put together here. It’ll all come out.’
‘Well, I’ve got nothing to hide,’ said Earp.
‘Me either,’ said Corkscrew.
‘Or me,’ Potter chimed in.
‘I say if we’re going to do it, take down the whole works,’ said Riker.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Hatcher.
‘I told you before, he’s getting ready to make a major move on the U.S.,’ said Earp. ‘He’s got two tons of skag on that junk. I seem to remember searing you were the one took out the Dragon’s Breath back in ‘72, ‘73, to try to slow down heroin coming into Saigon. What’s the difference between then and now?
Hatcher, his eyes the color of flint, stared at Earp. What Earp said was true. Wanting things to change didn’t change anything.
‘You’re right,’ Hatcher snapped. ‘Nothing’s changed.’
‘We take down the junk, right?’ Riker said with a grin.
You lookin’ for a fight? Said Hatcher.
Fuckin-A, Corkscrew answered for him.
Hatcher walked behind the bar and drew himself half a glass of beer. He sipped it slowly, then wiped off his
