II – It Gets Interesting

I nodded, and Smiley waved the two stooges at me. The guns disappeared, and they got a lot closer. Smiley was talking again. "Mr. Gardener will be most pleased you decided to come quietly, Mr. Pierard. Perhaps you are smarter than he gave you credit for. Williams, relieve Mr. Pierard of his gun; lower left torso. Anderson, be a gentleman and take his coat."

I let them take my gun and coat. When Williams (or Anderson, I really couldn't tell them apart,) went for me again, I issued my lines. "You tell your stooges to keep their paws off. I'm going with you, but I ain't no toy."

Smiley nodded, and the two distanced themselves from me. "Shall we?" He pointed to the door, and the two went forward. Williams opened the hotel door, and Anderson opened the waiting car door. I stepped in. The young passenger inside immediately covered me with a .38. "Move, an' I cut you in 'aff."

I nodded my agreement. Smiley got in, with no sign of the other two. Inside of the car, he somehow felt larger than he looked back outside. I just pulled my flask, and took a swallow.

The door shut, and I weighed my options. Something Smiley had said had got me thinking. I knew the name "Gardener" from somewhere. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew I had dealt with him before. Well, from the looks of things, I was on my way to get my memory jogged.

Or was I?

I hate dealing with people I don't know. I started taking quick breaths.

Smiley somehow managed to look uncomfortable without dropping his grin. "What's the matter?"

I muttered something I knew he couldn't hear.

"Pardon?"

I swallowed heavily. "I'm gonna th…" I choked myself off, and held my hands in front of my mouth.

"Dear God! Jimmy, the window!" The window rolled down and I made dive for it, making retching sounds.

After a couple of seconds, the gunsel guffawed, and spoke. "Gaw, listen to that rummy tossin' his cookies like there's no tomorrow!" My cue.

I lashed out with both feet, striking Smiley in the gut, and the gunsel in his face. I broke something; I could feel bone grinding underneath my shoe. After making contact, I shoved off, and landed on the sidewalk. I rolled into a storefront, and gasped in pain. I had a broken rib, maybe more. I fought down my instinct to scream, and stood. The car had come to a stop about half a block down. 'Jimmy' knew how to handle the tiller, that's for sure. I wasn't going to beat them in a foot race.