Page 5 (2/2)

For this old durown up in a Victorian fixer-up dream To him, it had just been la casa Back then, nobody lived here but the Mexicans, because this here they could afford to live

He opened the door of hisold Like hiht of unfamiliar controls, a different paint job Too ot a new car

He drove north to the field office on East Houston, stil thinking about that rancher whose narants as slaves, kil ed the to do with Saot to the FBI suite on the second floor, he walked into the reception area and found so his way to the inner offices "Sir, can I help you?"

Sam scowled There was a ti in his way, but Sam didn’t feel up to it today He felt a little off Preoccupied "I work here, son"

So disconnected in the kid’s eyes It wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting "You have identification?"

Sam patted his jacket, where the ID should be

HelWas it in the car,detail

A couple of agents came out from the interior offices and sized up Sanose blazed with capil aries

Sam knew him, couldn’t quite place his name

"Must’ve left it at ho away froed looks By soreement, the silver-haired one stepped forward "Hey, Sam"

"Yeah?" Sam said

"Let’s take a walk"

"I don’t want a walk"

The old guy put a hand on his shoulder and steered hiuy asked

"Sure," Sauy said

Immediately, the name slipped around him like a coain "Sure, Joe Let et to work, wil you? Tel these jokers"

Pacabel looked at the floor Beige tiles, which see to Sam It should’ve been carpet Green industrial carpet

The other agents were trying not to stare at hi out of him "You’re a little confused, is alIt happens"

"Joe, ot no case, Sa about?"

Pacabel’s eyes watered, and Sam realized it was from embarrassment Embarrassment for hiently "You haven’t worked here in twenty years"

Halfway across town, Gerry Far was pul ing dead people out of a trailer

He hated this part of his job, but he had to help out personal y Otherwise his employees would panic

He’d learned that from his mentor, Wil Stirman

The driver this time was a fruit trucker from Indianapolis This was his first run It was al Gerry could do to keep hi the police

"Help me with this hombre, " Gerry told the trucker "Jesus, he’s heavy"

The sos and excrement and body odor When they’d opened the trailer, the terees

As he hauled the big corpse over to the incinerator, Gerry did the als Three hundred dol ars a head Twenty-one had died, but of course they’d paid up front

The thirty-tho lived would be sold off to Gerry’s clients--sweatshops, labor ranches, brothels--to "earn credit" for further transportation to Chicago or Houston or wherever they drea In reality, none of the Gerry a sale price of two to five hundred dol ars each, possiblywoals paid to get here, then Gerry got paid again for sel ing theive the driver his cut, plus a little extra to caluy who ran the incinerator Stil , Gerry figured he would walk aith ten grand fro out the last body when his spotter, Luke, ran up, looking paler than the corpses "You hear the news?"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Gerry said "Watch the goddaate"

"Stirman’s free Broke out yesterday afternoon"

Gerry dropped the body he was carrying "You sure?"

Luke sed, held up his cel phone "I just got the cal "

"Frowas very wrong with the way Luke was acting