there.”
Marcus motioned and his bodyguard walked over, picked it up, and handed it to him.
Marcus scanned the bottle and then looked at the cap.
“It’s child proof,” Ms. Zee said. “You have to push-”
“I know,” he said, annoyed. “I know how to open it.” He twisted the cap off and dropped a tablet in his right palm. The tweezers were inside Ms. Zee’s pocket but she wasn’t going to offer it to him. “It’s square. Clever,” he said. He flipped the tablet over, examining it from all sides and angles. He then half-closed his palm and did a motion as if he was weighing it. He felt a jolt in his hand and then it went numb. “Shit.” He looked down and the tablet had almost completely disappeared. Three blinks later he regained feeling in his fingers. “What happened?” he said, looking at her.
“You were sweating,” she said.
I parked at a spot from where I could see the brown building. I couldn’t see much from this distance but I didn’t want to blow my cover by getting any closer. During the ride I had hatched a plan.
Once RACE was done with their business they would come out. When they did, I’d follow them to their hide- out. I’d then notify Aldrich and with a task force we’d swoop down and apprehend them. When we had all the members of RACE, we’d go and get their main accomplice: Detective Phillip Beadsworth.
I felt a lump in my throat. I thought about his wife and his children, specially, about Noel with his crooked teeth and metal braces. He was a good kid with so much potential. What would happen to him after he saw his father go to jail? Maybe he’d drop of out school and end up a drug dealer. It would be ironic, like father like son.
Ms. Zee said, “When the tablet made contact with your sweat it dispersed into your skin.”
“You mean it went into my body?” Marcus nearly screamed.
“Don’t worry, your skin didn’t absorb all of it. I’d advise you to remove it from your hand immediately.”
Without realizing it he wiped his hand over his coat. A white powdery paste attached itself to the fur.
He screamed.
She couldn’t help but laugh.
His bodyguard pulled out a cloth and tried without success to remove the residue from the fur. He made it even worse by smearing it. Marcus cursed and shoved him aside.
Ms. Zee was now laughing harder.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” he spat. He glanced over at Kong, whose face stayed the same the entire time. “At least someone doesn’t find this funny.”
“He doesn’t find anything funny,” Ms. Zee answered.
Martin straightened up and faced her. He needed some of the drug so it could be analyzed and copied. He knew people who’d be happy to help.
“We need to test the drug,” Ms. Zee said.
“What’re you talking about?” he said. “Didn’t you see what just happened?” He lifted his right hand.
“Nex was not meant for sweaty palms. We need to see the effect when it is placed on the tongue.” She knew he was satisfied. But she wasn’t.
He eyed her hard. He then motioned his bodyguard. The bodyguard hesitated; he didn’t want to leave his boss alone with them.
“I’ll be all right,” Marcus said, turning to Ms. Zee. “We’re business partners now. Isn’t that right?”
Ms. Zee hated his smugness but didn’t say anything.
The bodyguard left them.
From my spot I saw someone come out of the building but I couldn’t tell exactly who. He went around the corner and disappeared. I got out and crossed the street, careful not to get too close.
The man came back, and I realized it was the bodyguard. Another man was with him. They went inside the building.
I immediately turned around and went back to the car. Something was happening inside, but I had to wait for RACE to come out.
The door of the laundry room swung open and in came the bodyguard with a short skinny man.
The bodyguard went to Marcus and whispered something in his ear. Marcus nodded approvingly.
“We have a volunteer,” he turned to Ms. Zee.
She eyed the short man. He was wearing a ragged jacket that was so stained that no amount of washing would do it any good. He had stubble on his chin that looked more like dirt than hair. His eyes were vacant, as if he didn’t know why he was here.
“Give it to him, then,” she said.
Marcus gave the bottle containing the tablets to his bodyguard. He wasn’t going to touch it again.
The bodyguard reluctantly took it. He then offered it to the short man. The man’s eyes widened.
“No way, man,” he said. “I am not taking no shit. You guys cops? I don’t do drugs, man. I’ve been clean for months.”
Ms. Zee said, “We’re not cops. We just want you to try it.”
He looked at the bottle. “Not for twenty bucks,” he said.
Twenty dollars? Ms. Zee shook her head. Here they were on the brink of something enormous and Marcus was being cheap.
“I’ll give you a hundred dollars if you try it,” she said.
“Hundred bucks?” he said. “Sure, I’ll try anything for a hundred bucks.”
“Your hands dry?” Ms. Zee said.
The man wiped his hand on his dirty coat and then showed it to her.
She nodded to the bodyguard who dropped a tablet on the man’s hand.
“Do not swallow,” Ms. Zee said. “Place it on your tongue.”
The man held the square tablet between his two fingers and then stuck his tongue out and placed it on it. He wanted to follow her orders precisely. He wanted his hundred dollars.
Instantly he grabbed his chest. He closed his eyes so tight that deep lines etched his face. He fell to his knees.
Agonizing seconds went by as the man, with his head bowed close to his chest, stayed still on his knees.
Then he lifted his head and a smile curled his face. He opened his eyes.
“What happened?” Ms. Zee demanded.
“Shit. That was awesome,” he said, showing his stained teeth. “Can I get another?”
She pulled out a hundred dollar bill and shoved it to him. He took it, but said, “Please, just one more.”
“That’ll cost you now,” said Marcus, seeing a business opportunity.
“Just give him another and throw him out,” Ms. Zee said.
“Outside,” Marcus waved to his bodyguard. He didn’t like seeing goods being given away for free.
“So what do you think?” Ms. Zee said once the two had left.
Marcus spoke with superiority. “It has potential. Fifty-fifty sounds reasonable.”
“Let’s stick to our deal. Shall we?”
“Thirty-seventy it is,” he said, realizing who had the upper hand. “When will I get a shipment?” he said eagerly.
“Within forty-eight hours.”
“That long?”
“The process requires time.”
“All right, all right. Just as long as I get the first shipment.”
Kong and Ms. Zee left.
