The Devil’s Share Read Online Free PDF Page B

Randy. Thanks for the drink.” She got her leather jacket from the back of the chair.
    â€œMaybe we can do this again sometime,” he said.
    â€œMaybe.”
    â€œI won’t walk you out. You want to leave first anyway, right, keep that distance? I’ll stay here, have another drink.”
    â€œBe careful driving. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
    At the patio door, she looked back. The waitress had returned, was standing by the table, one hip against it. He was smiling up at her. He looked younger from the distance.
    He caught her watching, looked at her, the waitress still talking. She turned and went through the door.
    Downstairs in the breezeway, she gave the valet her ticket, watched the traffic go by on Sunset, breathed in the cool night air. Loud music came from a bar across the street. A crescent moon hung over the dark hills to the east.
    Tomorrow she’d contact Sladden, tell him she was in. He’d be due a finder’s fee, then a percentage of her final take if all went well. There would be maps for her to look at, more photos, more details to consider. Then she would start making calls.

 
    FOUR
    â€œHere’s how it’s going to work,” she said.
    They were at the table in the upstairs room, papers and photos spread out in front of them. Hicks had dark circles under his eyes, was drinking water from a plastic bottle.
    â€œLate night?” she said.
    â€œLittle dehydrated, is all.”
    â€œYou make it to Venice?”
    He smiled. “Not quite.”
    Cota put on reading glasses, looked at the map she’d set in front of him, said, “Go ahead.”
    She tapped the map with the eraser end of a pencil.
    â€œFrom what you’ve told me, the truck will leave your warehouse in the late afternoon. Maybe three o’clock before it’s ready to roll, correct?”
    â€œBy the time it’s loaded and inspected, yes.”
    â€œWhen they leave, they’ll head south, then west onto I-15. It’s the most direct route. That takes them through some pretty barren patches of desert, especially between here”—she tapped the map—“and here.” She tapped it again. “That’s where we’ll do it.”
    â€œWhere exactly?” Hicks said. “That’s a long stretch of road.”
    â€œI’ll decide after I’ve been out there, had a look. Now, the later the truck gets under way, the better for us. I’d like to do this with dusk coming on. That way when we’re pulling out of there it’ll be night. That also means less chance the truck will be spotted after we drive it away.”
    â€œGood thinking,” Hicks said.
    â€œSomewhere on that stretch of I-15, we’ll stop the convoy,” she said. “Some sort of diversion we’ll work out later. When I’ve had a look at the terrain, I’ll pick a likely place. We’ll be there already, hidden, waiting. I’ll have three of my own people with me, and Hicks.” She looked at him. “Might be good to have one of your guys there as well, just in case.”
    â€œWhat do you see me doing?”
    â€œPersonnel control. We need to get them locked down fast. As soon as the convoy stops, we’ll go in heavy, get everyone out of those vehicles and secured before they even know what’s happening. Some scary weaponry might help, M-16s, whatever. Something they’ll respect. I’ll leave that to you.”
    â€œGot it,” he said.
    â€œWhat about the cell phone issue?” Cota said.
    â€œI have some ideas on that,” she said. “We can talk about them later.”
    â€œAll right.” Hicks leaned closer to the map. “Go on.”
    â€œOne of my people will be a driver,” she said. “He’ll take the truck. We don’t want to travel too far in a stolen rig, so we’ll stash a second one somewhere nearby, transfer the items into it. Will there be enough gear in the