A Dirty Job (Grim Reaper 1)

"You're the Great Death - with a capital D? You? You know this to be true?"

"I do," Charlie said.

"I knew there was something different about you, but I thought that the Luminatus would be - I don't know - taller. "

"Don't start with that, okay. "

Minty swung the car off Van Ness into a hotel turnaround.

"Where are you going?" Charlie said.

"To run over some sewer harpies again. "

"Back to the Buddhist center?"

"Uh-huh. You have any weapons besides that stupid sword?"

"My cop friend told me I should get a gun. "

Minty Fresh reached into his moss-green jacket and came out with the biggest pistol Charlie had ever seen. He placed it on the seat. "Take it. Desert Eagle fifty-caliber. It'll stop a bear. "

Charlie picked up the chrome-plated pistol. It weighed like five pounds and the barrel looked big enough to stick your thumb in.

"This thing is huge. "

"I'm a big guy. Listen, it holds eight shots. There's a round in the chamber. You have to cock it and release the safety before you fire. There and there. " He pointed to the safety and the hammer. "Hold on to it if you have to shoot. It will knock you on your ass if you're not ready. "

"What about you?"

Minty patted the other side of his coat. "I have another one. "

Charlie turned the gun in his hand and watched the streetlights playing off its chromed surface. (Beta Males, who inherently feel they are always at a competitive disadvantage, are suckers for showy equalizers. ) "You have a lot going on under the surface, Mr. Fresh. You are not just the run-of-the-mill seven-foot-tall Death Merchant in a pastel-green suit. "

"Thank you, Mr. Asher. Very kind of you to say. "

"My pleasure. "

Charlie's cell phone rang and he flipped it open.

Rivera said, "Asher, where the hell are you? I've been circling the Mission and there's nothing here but a lot of black feathers flying in the air. "

"Yeah, it's okay. I'm okay, Inspector. I found Minty Fresh, the guy who owns the music store. I'm in the car with him. "

"So you're safe?"

"Relatively. "

"Good. Lay low and I'll call you, okay? I want to talk to your friend tomorrow. "

"You got it, Inspector. Thanks for coming to help. "

"Careful, Asher. "

> "Gotcha. I'm laying low. Bye. "

Charlie snapped the phone shut and turned to Minty Fresh. "You ready?"

"Absolutely," said the fresh one.