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〃Put on some Stones；〃 said Skink。
〃And some panties；〃 Winder whispered。
She told him to hush and quit acting like an old prude。
While the tow truck hooked up the Saab； Pedro Luz forced himself to reflect on events。
There he was； waiting for Winder to e out of the apartment when here es this big spade highway patrolman knocking on the window of the car。
〃Hey； there；〃 he says from behind those damn reflector shades。
〃Hey；〃 says Pedro Luz； giving him the slight macho nod that says； I'm one of you； brother。
But the spade doesn't go for it。 Asks for Pedro's driver's license and also for the registration of the Saab。 Looks over the papers and says； 〃So who's Ramex Global？〃
〃Oh； you know；〃 Pedro says； flashing his old Miami PD badge。
Trooper goes 〃Hmmm。〃 Just plain 〃Hmmm。〃 And then the fucker jots down the badge number； like he's going to check it out！
Pedro resists the urge to reach under the seat for his gun。 Instead he says； 〃Man； you're burning me。 I'm silting on a dude out here。〃
〃Yeah？ What's his name？〃
Pedro Luz says； 〃Smith。 Jose Smith。〃 It's the best he can do on short notice； with his brain twitching all crazy inside his skull。 〃Man； you and that marked unit are burning me bad。〃
Trooper doesn't act too damn concerned。 〃So you're a police officer； is that right？〃
〃Hell；〃 Pedro says； 〃you saw the badge。〃
〃Yes； I sure did。 You're a long way from the city。〃
〃Hey； chico； we're in a war； remember。〃
〃Narcotics？〃 The trooper sounds positively intrigued。 〃This man Smith； he's some big…time dope smuggler； eh？〃
〃Was；〃 Pedro says。 〃He sees your car sitting out here； he's back in wholesale footwear。〃
〃Hmmm；〃 the spade trooper says again。 Meanwhile Pedro's fantasizing about grabbing him around the middle and squeezing his guts out both ends； like a very large tube of licorice toothpaste。
〃Don't tell me you're gonna run my tag；〃 Pedro says。
〃Nah。〃 But the trooper's still leaning his thick black arms against the door of the Saab； his face not a foot from Pedro〃s； so that Pedro can see himself twice in the mirrored sunglasses。 Now the trooper says： 〃What happened to your finger？〃
〃Cat bite。〃
〃Looks like it took the whole top joint。〃
〃That's right；〃 says Pedro； aching all over； wishing he'd brought his intravenous bag of Winstrol…V。 Talking high…octane。 Same stuff they use on horses。 One thousand dollars a vial； and worth every penny。
Trooper says； 〃Must've been some cat to give you a bite like that。〃
〃Yeah； I ought to put the damn thing to sleep。〃
〃Sounds like a smart idea；〃 says the trooper； 〃before he bites you someplace else。〃
And then the sonofabitch touches the brim of his Stetson and says so long。 Like John Fucking Wayne。
And here es Winder； cruising out of the apartment with an armful of clothes。 Gets in the car…not his car； somebody else's； somebody with an employee sticker from the Kingdom…and drives off with the radio blasting。
Pedro Luz lays back cool and sly； maybe half a mile； waiting until the cocky bastard reaches that long empty stretch on Card Sound Road； south of the Carysfort Marina。 That's where Pedro aims to make the big move。
Until the Saab dies。 Grinds to a miserable wheezing halt。 A Saab！
Pedro Luz is so pissed he yanks the steering wheel off its column and heaves it into a tamarind tree。 Only afterwards does it dawn on him that Mr。 X isn't going to appreciate having a 35；000 automobile and no way to steer it。
An hour later； here es Pascual's Wrecker Service。
Guy lifts the hood； can't find a thing。 Slides underneath； zero。 Then he says maybe Pedro ran out of gas； and Pedro says don't be an asshole。 Guy pulls off the gas cap； closes one eye and looks inside； like he can actually see something。
Then he sniffs real hard； rubs his nose； sniffs again。 Then he starts laughing like a fruit。
〃Your friends fucked you up real good；〃 he says。
〃What are you talking about？〃
〃e here and take a whiff。〃
〃No； thanks；〃 Pedro says。
Guy hoots。 〃Now I seen everything。〃
Pedro's trying to figure out when it happened。 Figures somebody snuck up and did it while he was talking to that hardass trooper。 Which means the trooper was in on it。
〃Did a number on your engine；〃 says the tow…truck man； chuckling way too much。
Pedro Luz grabs him by the arm until his fingers lock on bone。 He says； 〃So tell me。 What exactly's in the gas tank？〃
〃Jack Daniels；〃 the guy says。 〃I know that smell anywhere。〃
So now Pedro's watching him put the hook to Mr。 Kingsbury's Saab and wondering what else could go wrong。 Thinking about the monkeys and shithead burglars and what happened to Churrito。 Thinking about the black state trooper busting his balls for no reason； and how somebody managed to pour booze in the tank without Pedro even knowing it。
Pedro thinks he'd better shoot some horse juice in his arms as soon as possible； and get tight on Joe Winder's ass。
In one of his pockets he finds the scrap of paper where he wrote the decal number off the car Winder was driving。 It's not much； but it's the only thing he's got to show for a long sorry morning。
So Pedro tells the tow…truck guy he's going to ride in the busted Saab on the way to the shop。 Use Kingsbury's car phone to make a few calls。
Guy says no way； it's against pany policy。 Gotta sit up front in the truck。
Which is not what Pedro wants to hear after such a shitty day。 So he tackles the guy and yanks his arms out of the sockets one at a time； pop…pop。 Leaves him thrashing in the grass by the side of the road。
Jumps in the tow truck and heads for the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills。
The Mothers of Wilderness listened solemnly as Molly McNamara recounted the brutal assault。 They were gathered in the Florida room of Molly's old house； where a potluck supper had been arranged on a calico tablecloth。 Normally a hungry bunch； the Mothers scarcely touched the food； a huge bacon…cheese ball lay undisturbed on a sterling platter…a sure sign that the group was distracted。
And no wonder： Molly's story was appalling。 No one dreamed that the battle against Falcon Trace would ever e to violence。 That Molly had been attacked by thugs in her own apartment was horrifying； equally unsettling was her lurid description of the finger…biting episode。 In disbelief； several of the older members fiddled frenetically with the controls to their hearing aids。
〃Obviously we've struck a nerve with Kingsbury；〃 Molly was saying。 〃Finally he considers us a serious threat。〃
One of the Mothers asked why Molly had not called the police。
〃Because I couldn't prove he was behind it；〃 she replied。 〃They'd think I was daffy。〃
The members seemed unsatisfied by this explanation。 They clucked and whispered〃 among themselves until Molly cut in and asked for order。 The lawyer； Spacci； stood up and said it was a mistake not to notify the authorities。
〃You're talking about a felony；〃 he said。 〃Aggravated assault； possibly even attempted murder。〃
One of the Mothers piped up： 〃It's not worth dying for； Molly。 They're already clearing the land。〃
Molly's gray eyes flashed angrily。 〃It is not too late！〃 She wheeled on Spacci。 〃Did you file in federal court？〃
〃These things take