“Guns and lunch. I don’t plan on window-shopping.”
“Anything else?”
“Lights,” says Brigitte.
“And water. We’ll be in there for at least a few hours. Anyone with boots should wear them.”
“You’re going to need a first-aid kit,” Allegra says. “I’ll put one together.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“I’ll bring potions,” says Vidocq. “And some of my other tools.”
Vidocq might just be the best thief in L.A. That could come in handy.
Father Traven says, “I’ve been doing more research. I believe I’ve found some runes that will keep the Qomrama’s magic in check. I can put them on a vessel for it if I knew how big it was.”
Candy gets the fake 8 Ball from the coffee table and tosses it to him.
“Thank you.”
“There’s a couple of rules we’re going to live by. The first is that everybody sticks together no matter what. If you’re pee-shy, don’t come. Second rule is that no one gets more than ten feet away from anyone else. Last rule is if we run into locals or loons, let Paul do the talking.”
“You’re telling us to keep our mouths shut? You?” says Candy.
“We’ll meet at Bamboo House of Dolls at eight tonight.”
“Why can’t you take everyone in through a shadow?” says Allegra.
“I’ve never been inside Kill City. It’s not the kind of place I want to stroll into blind. We’ll go in together, one step at a time, everybody looking out for everybody else.”
“Still, going in at night,” says Traven.
“Less chance of being seen. And the place has been dead for years. There probably isn’t much light inside, so we’ll be carrying our own light night or day.”
From over at his desk Kasabian says, “And what’s Plan B?”
“Plan B?”
“You know, for when Plan A goes wrong. No offense, but it took your fearless leader over there eleven years to find his way out of Hell. When Plan A goes tits up, what’s your backup plan for getting out of Kill City?”
Everyone looks at me.
“Thanks, Kas.”
“Just being a team player, boss.”
I TAKE A Toyota SUV off a parking lot on North Cahuenga. It’s brown, a few years old, and with a couple of dents in the fenders. A vehicle like this is practically invisible to the highway patrol. Yeah, I could take everyone through a shadow right to Kill City’s front door, but there’s no way I’m letting Delon in on that trick. I figure that anything he knows, Norris Quay will eventually know, and I’m not ready to share that secret with the richest prick in prick town. If things go sideways inside, I’ll drag everyone else out through the Room and leave Delon’s Tick-Tock ass behind.
The others, including Delon, are waiting at Bamboo House of Dolls. Candy is waiting by the curb. When she sees me she calls inside and jumps in the shotgun seat. The others pile in the back. I head for the I-10 and turn west to the land of seashell art and crab salad. Santa Monica.
Delon sits behind me, next to Vidocq.
He leans forward and says, “So what’s the plan?”
“The plan is we go in and we get out ASAP. And why are you asking me? You’re Mr. Insider. What’s your plan for getting us to the ghost?”
“We’re going to have to deal with at least a couple of groups of crazies inside Kill City. Families and federacies.”