River City Blues
Chapter 3: China Town and Mark's garage
Michael found out Grant's hideout was located in an abandoned night club, on the edge of the entertainment district of River City. It was the same place where Grant's kidnapper's had taken him yesterday when he arrived in town. The entrance to his office was in the side alley, the door closely gaurded by two thugs armed with Mac 10's. Oz parked his old Stallion out front and got out, Mike followed carrying the case of money.
We walked to the service door in the alley. Two Guard's 's were there, One sitting on an ratty old couch opposite the door, he wore a black suit and a had short brown hair. The other leaned with his back against the wall cradling his Ingram, he wore a black trench coat and had a mop of medium colored brown all over his head. Oz walked up to him casually and said; " How goes things Roland?"
Roland straightened up and replied with:" Nothin' much Oz. How bout you?" In a Scottish accent.
" We're here to see Grant." Oz said coolly. The man on the couch reached for his Mac 10 sitting next to him. Roland held up his hand for him to stop. " Ya' know, official business and all." Oz finished.
Roland thought for a moment and nodded. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door opening it for us. We walked past him and he followed us in. we walked yet again, down the dark narrow hallway. Through the door at the end of the hall and we found ourselves in Grant's office.
" What is it now?" He asked from behidn his desk, he was ready a copy of the River City newspaper.
" We got your money Grant." Oz spokeup. " But the Outfit came after us to get it."
Grant looked up suddenly from his newspaper and said: " What?! The Outfit?! Shit!"
" What do we do?' I asked him. grant looked up at me confused.
" We teach them a lesson I guess." Grant said rubbinghis chin. " Oz listen up. Go to Mark's place, tell him I told you to hook you up. I'll call over there right now, and when you get there he'll tell you what to do."
" Alright.' Oz said. And with out Grant Telling us another word we were out the door and on our way.
============================================================================ ======
At the moment Ryan Gunner was in China town. He wanted to see a man there, wnet by the handle of Charlie Wong. Small time delivery boy, but used to be big in the gun smuggling business. If Det. Gunner wanted to find R.H. Grant, Charlie Wong would know where he was.
Mr. Chong's house of noodles made deliveries all over Chinatown and nearby parts of that area. Down on Peaking street Gunner found Wong delivering a order of Kung Pow chicken to an upstairs apartment. Gunner parked outside across the street and waited. He always despised Chinatown, It was too obtuse so to speak. Brightly red colored banners and multicolored paper lamps hanging over the street, Gunner always had a vague discomfort with apaper laterns. Ever since he was a kid and his parents threw a party on their patio, one caught fire. Bad memories. Another thing he hated about chinatown was that all the signs were in Chinese, it made Ryan think they were mocking him.
Gunner got out of his Kuruma to stretch his legs a bit and found Wong coming out of the apartment. He got on his bike and did a uturn on the street, ignorign passing traffic. He rode up onto the sidewalk Gunner was on and rode towards, not even noticing the Detective. Not until he was 2 feet away.
WHAM!
Gunner clotheslined the delivery boy. Charlie flew off the bike and landed on the pavement. He reached down and pulled wong up by the lapel of his jacket. He helped dusted him off. The Chinese delvery boy was outraged.
" What the hell gunner?!" He exclaimed. " I sue you for nearly breaking my fuckin' back!" Charlie had that annoying Chinese accent, the one that made people sound like dolts. Gunner rolled his eyes and said; What do you know about R.H. Grant's doings these days?"
" Nothing mon." Wong said. " Sides, Why I tell you anything? I should put you on citizen's arrest for-"
Fed up Gunner grabbed Wong by the arm and spun him aroudn pinning his arms behind his back. He pushed him against his car and frisked him.In an ankle holster he found a Beretta 9000s. He pulld it out and looked it over, giving a whistle of awe.
" Beretta 9000s 9mm, nice piece ya got here Wong." He said letting the Delivery boy free. " You do know your on parole, so why are you carrying a concealed weapon?"
" Ack. I'm on bad terms with Triads." Wong replied scratching the back of his head. " I'm afraid they may come after me, seeing as I never paid them back when I was sitll in the business."
" Oh so maybe the Triads know what R.H. Grant is up to these days." Gunner said.
" It your funeral man." Wong said.
" Well then I hope you don't live to be a pallbearer." Gunner said opening the passenger door of his Kuruma for Wong. The delivery boy sighed and got in.
============================================================================ ======
Mark's auto repair, a seedy little place in the midst of wrogn side of town. It was a small building, covered in grime and graffitti that fouled up it's pale green paint job. The shells of old cars, rusted and burnt were strewn around the yard among hte tufts of dead grass and patches of dirt. The L train roaored over head of the Garage, a cheap sheet metal sign hung lopsided over otp of hte ubilding. Spray painted on it were hte words: MARK'S AUTO REPAIR.
Oz pulled the Stallion up to the curb and put it in park. I looked at the hsady building and hten over at Oz. He nodded and I sighed, getting out of the car. We wlaked past the skeletal remains of vehicles and up to the metal shudder that guarded the the garage from outside. Oz yanked a door in the hsutter open and led the way in. The garage bay was even worse then the outside itself, tools hung crooked on the racks, a hydraulice lift lay broken; a large axe imbedded into the face of the control panel. There was probably a whole bottle of motor oil spilled on the ground, along with a dented tool box lying face down as well. The drown of a Tv emitted from somewhere in the shop.
We found Mark in the shop office, he was sitting behidn a large steel desk. His feet propped up on the desk top, watching Tv. Behind him were stacks of repair manuals and auto magazines. He was a slob, his shirt was covered in stains, he was very badly unshaven. He held a beer in one hand, and had uncombed greasy hair. He let out a burp and looked up at us.
" The hell you want?" He slurred.
" Grant said to hook us up with some firepower for a job." Oz said spitting on the floor.
" Wha-?...Oh yeah, that." He said. He pointed to a rusty steel cabinet in the corner. " Over there."
Oz briskly walked over to the cabinet, and yanked the door open. He scanned the inside and reached in pulling somethings out. They were an Mossberg 500 cruiser model pump action 12 gauge and an MP5K. He handed the Submachine gun, and kept the Shotgun.
" You do know how to use one of those?" Oz asked me. I looked over the gun and smacked the operating bolt down.
" Beautiful." He said loading shells into his shotgun. He turned to Mark. " So who're we killing today?"
TO BE CONTINUED
Michael found out Grant's hideout was located in an abandoned night club, on the edge of the entertainment district of River City. It was the same place where Grant's kidnapper's had taken him yesterday when he arrived in town. The entrance to his office was in the side alley, the door closely gaurded by two thugs armed with Mac 10's. Oz parked his old Stallion out front and got out, Mike followed carrying the case of money.
We walked to the service door in the alley. Two Guard's 's were there, One sitting on an ratty old couch opposite the door, he wore a black suit and a had short brown hair. The other leaned with his back against the wall cradling his Ingram, he wore a black trench coat and had a mop of medium colored brown all over his head. Oz walked up to him casually and said; " How goes things Roland?"
Roland straightened up and replied with:" Nothin' much Oz. How bout you?" In a Scottish accent.
" We're here to see Grant." Oz said coolly. The man on the couch reached for his Mac 10 sitting next to him. Roland held up his hand for him to stop. " Ya' know, official business and all." Oz finished.
Roland thought for a moment and nodded. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door opening it for us. We walked past him and he followed us in. we walked yet again, down the dark narrow hallway. Through the door at the end of the hall and we found ourselves in Grant's office.
" What is it now?" He asked from behidn his desk, he was ready a copy of the River City newspaper.
" We got your money Grant." Oz spokeup. " But the Outfit came after us to get it."
Grant looked up suddenly from his newspaper and said: " What?! The Outfit?! Shit!"
" What do we do?' I asked him. grant looked up at me confused.
" We teach them a lesson I guess." Grant said rubbinghis chin. " Oz listen up. Go to Mark's place, tell him I told you to hook you up. I'll call over there right now, and when you get there he'll tell you what to do."
" Alright.' Oz said. And with out Grant Telling us another word we were out the door and on our way.
============================================================================ ======
At the moment Ryan Gunner was in China town. He wanted to see a man there, wnet by the handle of Charlie Wong. Small time delivery boy, but used to be big in the gun smuggling business. If Det. Gunner wanted to find R.H. Grant, Charlie Wong would know where he was.
Mr. Chong's house of noodles made deliveries all over Chinatown and nearby parts of that area. Down on Peaking street Gunner found Wong delivering a order of Kung Pow chicken to an upstairs apartment. Gunner parked outside across the street and waited. He always despised Chinatown, It was too obtuse so to speak. Brightly red colored banners and multicolored paper lamps hanging over the street, Gunner always had a vague discomfort with apaper laterns. Ever since he was a kid and his parents threw a party on their patio, one caught fire. Bad memories. Another thing he hated about chinatown was that all the signs were in Chinese, it made Ryan think they were mocking him.
Gunner got out of his Kuruma to stretch his legs a bit and found Wong coming out of the apartment. He got on his bike and did a uturn on the street, ignorign passing traffic. He rode up onto the sidewalk Gunner was on and rode towards, not even noticing the Detective. Not until he was 2 feet away.
WHAM!
Gunner clotheslined the delivery boy. Charlie flew off the bike and landed on the pavement. He reached down and pulled wong up by the lapel of his jacket. He helped dusted him off. The Chinese delvery boy was outraged.
" What the hell gunner?!" He exclaimed. " I sue you for nearly breaking my fuckin' back!" Charlie had that annoying Chinese accent, the one that made people sound like dolts. Gunner rolled his eyes and said; What do you know about R.H. Grant's doings these days?"
" Nothing mon." Wong said. " Sides, Why I tell you anything? I should put you on citizen's arrest for-"
Fed up Gunner grabbed Wong by the arm and spun him aroudn pinning his arms behind his back. He pushed him against his car and frisked him.In an ankle holster he found a Beretta 9000s. He pulld it out and looked it over, giving a whistle of awe.
" Beretta 9000s 9mm, nice piece ya got here Wong." He said letting the Delivery boy free. " You do know your on parole, so why are you carrying a concealed weapon?"
" Ack. I'm on bad terms with Triads." Wong replied scratching the back of his head. " I'm afraid they may come after me, seeing as I never paid them back when I was sitll in the business."
" Oh so maybe the Triads know what R.H. Grant is up to these days." Gunner said.
" It your funeral man." Wong said.
" Well then I hope you don't live to be a pallbearer." Gunner said opening the passenger door of his Kuruma for Wong. The delivery boy sighed and got in.
============================================================================ ======
Mark's auto repair, a seedy little place in the midst of wrogn side of town. It was a small building, covered in grime and graffitti that fouled up it's pale green paint job. The shells of old cars, rusted and burnt were strewn around the yard among hte tufts of dead grass and patches of dirt. The L train roaored over head of the Garage, a cheap sheet metal sign hung lopsided over otp of hte ubilding. Spray painted on it were hte words: MARK'S AUTO REPAIR.
Oz pulled the Stallion up to the curb and put it in park. I looked at the hsady building and hten over at Oz. He nodded and I sighed, getting out of the car. We wlaked past the skeletal remains of vehicles and up to the metal shudder that guarded the the garage from outside. Oz yanked a door in the hsutter open and led the way in. The garage bay was even worse then the outside itself, tools hung crooked on the racks, a hydraulice lift lay broken; a large axe imbedded into the face of the control panel. There was probably a whole bottle of motor oil spilled on the ground, along with a dented tool box lying face down as well. The drown of a Tv emitted from somewhere in the shop.
We found Mark in the shop office, he was sitting behidn a large steel desk. His feet propped up on the desk top, watching Tv. Behind him were stacks of repair manuals and auto magazines. He was a slob, his shirt was covered in stains, he was very badly unshaven. He held a beer in one hand, and had uncombed greasy hair. He let out a burp and looked up at us.
" The hell you want?" He slurred.
" Grant said to hook us up with some firepower for a job." Oz said spitting on the floor.
" Wha-?...Oh yeah, that." He said. He pointed to a rusty steel cabinet in the corner. " Over there."
Oz briskly walked over to the cabinet, and yanked the door open. He scanned the inside and reached in pulling somethings out. They were an Mossberg 500 cruiser model pump action 12 gauge and an MP5K. He handed the Submachine gun, and kept the Shotgun.
" You do know how to use one of those?" Oz asked me. I looked over the gun and smacked the operating bolt down.
" Beautiful." He said loading shells into his shotgun. He turned to Mark. " So who're we killing today?"
TO BE CONTINUED