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"I’ll try to be there"

"Oneh all this shit I know that isn’t always easy"

"You do have a habit of pissing on other people’s welcoives you a booty call to a ive hi ready I strap on the body arh, but closes with Velcro strips I know this is state-of-the-art gear, but I’d feel ether with the saoing to feel really bad if this all falls apart tonight I don’t want the last thing I say to Vidocq and Allegra to be "Get out"

I tuck the Navy Colt and the Browning into the back of my jeans

Two more dead like Alice Two more who don’t deserve it

The looped cord on the Benelli Whip-It gun goes over oes on over that

Will Avila be full of Kissi? If that’s who’s waiting for us, this is going to be a very bad, very short night for anything with a pulse

The Colt 45 and the LeMat pistols go in the coat pockets, butt ends out

Theyfor the velvet rope to come down and the doors to the VIP section of Creation to be blown off their hinges

What’s going on in Heaven? Are all the ranks of the angelic throng on their knees, praying for huh? Me, I bet it’s ht before the Super Bowl Crowds of drunken, winged frat boys with teaers Maybe that’s why Heaven is silent and God doesn’t speak to Man anymore Heavenly intervention would blow the point spread

THERE’S TOO MUCH weird, il’s warehouse I don’t have tih the room, so I have to use a shadow a few blocks south and run the rest of the way

A line of low-profile,lot They’re nearly silent, and where their bodies touch the dark, they disappear Stealth party vans If I’d known about these, I wouldn’t have bothered stealing all those cars

The rear hatch of the lead van is open Wellsat me like a constipated Clint Eastwood

"Why’d I know you were going to cut it short? Two one"

"Your damned Flatulence Accelerator has the whole area fuzzed out I had to walk halfway here"

Wells holds up a hand "Wait You couldn’t even get here with the pixie hocus pocus you’re going to use to get us into Avila? I am not filled with confidence"

"Relax I’ve already broken into Avila They don’t have anything like your setup"

"And what if they have? What if they’ve brought in a load of technology and dark icians?"

"Then we do it your way Blow the place open Take heavy losses Get inside We’re walking into the OK Corral You want a guarantee that your hair won’t get et any ofafter you"

"Take a number"

Wells steps up into the transport I take a quick look around the lot No sign of Candy Guess she really has taken the cure

I get in the transport and squeeze into a seat next to Wells

THE TRANSPORT MIGHT have been quiet outside, but inside it’s like sitting in a washing , but most probably don’t want to have to shout over the noise

Wells’s G-, and holding strange guns Some are in aluminum-coated full-body suits like foundry workers The rest are in black pants and skintight tops that stretch over their heads like balaclavas The ones not carrying guns are wrapped up inraped by robots

I lean over and shout into Wells’s ear

"Seriously, you people should try to learn just a littleat your warehouse They could teach you so I know you civilians can’t handle any really heavyuseful so you wouldn’t have to dress up like the Terminator’s retarded cousin"

Wells shouts back, "Learn your kind of ic so I can spend eternity in Hell with people like you? No thanks I’ll stick to the weapons Heaven’s given us"

"You’d think if Heaven was that completely on your side, it’d be a little more helpful"

"Aelita, God’s hand on Earth, is on our side You’d be able to understand that if you didn’t have a soul dirtier than a hobo’s boxer shorts"

"All I’ is that I don’t trust either side Heaven justits bets"

"I’m sure that’s what you think, but our weapons have never failed us yet"

"Suit yourself But with ic, I don’t ever run out of amet north of the city, then cut overland through the hills and canyons until we cut south near the Stone Canyon reservoir Co North Beverly Glen Boulevard The drivers up front wear helht vision and heads-up displays Monitors over our heads shohat they’re seeing It’s nothing special Trees asour way through the hills Flares and pinpoints of light e co development This is either the worst amusement park ride in history or I’m back in Hell

Soon we’re at the bottohts like a piece of the sun is sitting on top That’s how Club Avila looks through night vision To anyone driving by, it would be just another gated mansion

There are six transports in our convoy Four of us stay put while two drive onto Beverly Glen so they can roll up to Avila’s front door

Wells say, "We’re flanking the the club’s security that way You’re going to get us inside so we can attack from the rear"

I nod