The Black Death Read Online Free PDF

stay for a trial?”
    “No, of course not.”
    “Then what does any of that matter?” Frank asked. “None of what you said does me a damn bit of good in prosecuting these assholes.”
    “I never said anything about prosecution. If anything,
persecution
might be a better term for it. I know that I can get in there in a short amount of time, and once I do, you’ll just need to wait for the call. News like that, it won’t matter how much money they dump into the state police or how many sheriffs they’ve killed in the past.”
    “If you do this, there’s no way I could ever tell anyone that I was involved at this level. It’s one thing for me to make you disappear during a raid—”
    “But if I get killed before I can get ahold of you, then there will be nothing you can do for me. I know that, and I’m still going to do this, with or without your permission.”
    “I could put you in a cell right now to stop you from killing yourself.”
    “You could,” said Matt, smiling, “but when are you ever going to get another opportunity like this? If I can do what I’m telling you, this whole drug problem can go away for a little bit, and maybe the meth cooks that replace these dirtbags won’t make product that can make a teenager attack a policeman.”
    “And greasing your palm?”
    “A thousand bucks would help me out a lot.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    When Matt left the police station, he went over in his head what he was going to do. First things first, he was going to need to talk to Free and see if he intended on bringing him to Sally’s or if he just wanted to sell him some crystal. Figuring that Mortimer’s would be the easiest place to start, even if Mort had to call Free, Matt was scowling as he left the police station, trying his best to look pissed off. Bleak thoughts about a past filled with death and regrets made it easy to get there quickly.
    Shouldering the door open, Matt kept scowling as he strode into the bar. Free and his two bandanna buddies were sitting where Matt had left them, and all three of them looked a little out of sorts. Still scowling, Matt ordered a whiskey from Mort, then changed his mind. “Make it a double.” Free and his two buddies watched as Matt slammed the brown liquor, then spun a finger in the air for Mort to refill it. When the glass was full again, Matt took a sip and then a seat, next to Free.
    “You look like somebody stepped on your tail,” said Free. “Bad news on your ride?”
    “I wish. That sheriff fuck with everybody?”
    “Now I see the problem,” said Free, who was wearing a mask of concern that Matt thought might even have been real. “Yes, he does, and I take it he fucked with you, too. Well, you won’t be the first, or the last. He makes it hard for a man to make an honest buck, but don’t worry, he’ll get what’s headed his way. Look, a couple sheriffs back, my daddy and some of his buddies took care of a problematic man in a way that really ought to make our boy think seriously about what’s really important. For example, keeping that piece of ass he’s got watching the front desk safe. Little black crystal, dark plume of smoke, she’ll be turned out faster than it takes Mort here to pour me a beer.”
    Free smacked his mug on the table, and Mort refilled and then replaced it.
    “See, that was damn fast. That’s the sort of thing our boy in there needs to consider, less’n he wants to see his old lady servicing truckers all night so she can get herself some of the black.”
    “What’s black crystal?”
    “You better cover your eyes, Mort,” said Free, laughing. “I’m about to break rule number one.” Matt could hear one of the old men grumbling under his breath, but thankfully, none of the old-timers said anything audible, or worse, forced Matt to defend them. Free stuck a hand in hisleather vest, and Matt was transfixed by the wound in his neck. It was exactly as it had been the last time he saw him, another odd sign. Normally, the rot