“Who are you?” Dennis asks.
“The guy who’s going to get you your next promotion,” Ben answers. “Unless you keep asking me who I am.”
“Let’s meet.”
“Let’s not.”
“I can guarantee your security,” Dennis says. “No surveillance, no wires.”
“Trust you?”
“You absolutely can.”
“You want this tip or you don’t?”
Dennis does.
121
Ben mixes it up next time.
Sends Dennis a typed letter with a fake return address “Orange County Register-Classified Ads-Houses for Rent-You’ll figure it out.”
Dennis figures it out-there aren’t that many houses for rent, and only two that have the potential to be grow houses. One turns out to contain a retired couple, the other turns out to be a grow house.
Dennis is falling in love.
But who with?
It’s kind of fun having a Secret Admirer; at the same time he’s a little sick of the flirtation. So far the guy has given him product, but no people.
Confiscations, not arrests.
He’s getting dope off the street, but no dealers.
He tells this to Ben the next time he calls.
122
INT. DENNIS’S OFFICE — DAY
DENNIS is on the phone with BEN.
DENNIS
Look, I know you’re getting your rocks off moving a federal agent around like your personal sock puppet, but that game is over. I’m not your right hand-go jerk your self off.
BEN
Hold on-I have to set the phone down.
DENNIS
It’s that little skinny thing in your shorts. I’ll wait.
BEN
Jesus, what has your panties in a wad?
DENNIS
Let me lay this out for you, you can tell me if I’ve got it right. You have some beef against a dope operation. I don’t know-they’re not paying you enough, they canned you, the boss fucked your girlfriend in the ass and she never let you, who cares. Doesn’t matter. You decide to get even, you want to fuck the man, but you don’t want to hurt your old friends and coworkers. So you give me the grow houses and then phone in a warning. How am I doing?
BEN
Not even close.
DENNIS
Yeah? Then how come every time I pop one of your tips, it’s a neutron bomb? The stuff is there, but all the people are gone.
BEN
I don’t know. Maybe you make a lot of noise going in.
DENNIS
You know what else makes a lot of noise going in? A hollow-point into your brain. Which is what you’re going to get when these people figure out it’s you, which they probably already have. You need protection, which I can’t offer you unless you give me a meet. You need to put these people behind bars. I’m trying to save your life here.
BEN
You’re trying to make cases.
DENNIS
So call it a symbiotic relationship.
123
symbiosis (n.) A close and often long-term relationship between different biological species.
For example-narcs and drug dealers.
Truth is, neither can live without the other.
Ben agrees to meet Dennis.
Don Winslow
The Kings Of Cool
124
O comes through the door; Paqu is in the kitchen.
“Have you been out looking for a job?” Paqu asks.
“I want to meet my father.”
125
Ben sets a lot of conditions He’s not coming into the freaking DEA office in Dago. They’ll meet at a place of Ben’s choosing.
Dennis comes alone-no partners, no surveillance.
It’s off the books-Dennis doesn’t open a CI (Confidential Informant) file.
Ben will never testify, never appear in court.
Dennis agrees to all of it, because Why not?
End of the day, he’ll do what he wants and the CI can’t do shit about it.
