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Both men had to stand opposite Bell in order to lift a crate and, ev
en then, they struggled Fivecould have manhandled one of the chests on his own
38
Back in the city, Bell drove the lead truck to the garage he’d found earlier and whose owner had agreed to a trade The building was in a rougher part of tohich hy Bell had chosen it Around it were row upon roorker tene the Sabbath The streets were filthy and tees, searching for anything of interest The men had the dullard look of overworked draft animals, while the women appeared decades older than their years
The lookout posted at the larger of the coe’s two entrances had been told to expect the convoy and swung the doors open Bell drove straight into the cavernous space with Warry right behind On the concrete floor sat several trucks and motorbuses in various states of repair, in addition to a row of autos fitted out as taxis and a tarp-covered touring car that had likely been boosted froleamed like polished silver
The garage owner, a thickset in blossolass-enclosed corner office when Bell ru khaki pants held up by a dark belt and over-the-shoulder braces that he was just snapping back across his ray rather than white
“What’s this, then?” he asked in a thick Midlands accent He squinted at Bell through the sar
“We talked”
Behind the oas anothereyes and the look of a killer He was clearly the garage owner’s enforcer for all the criminal enterprises he dabbled in besides stolen vehicles
“Right, but you said half eleven You’re early,in the bays, a young boy used as a runner “Joey, do that thing I told you or I’ll tan ya hide Right?”
“Sure, Mr Devlin I’s on it” The urchin scaate set inside one of the main doors
“Bell! Bell!” Brewster was still in the back of the second truck “Vern’s awake”
“About tie owner he had to see to his people
The owner, George Devlin, esture and turned back to his subordinate, while Bell boosted himself on top of the truck’s rear tire to peer into its bed “Welcome back,” he said
Hall l-eyed and disoriented “Where are we?”