Chapter 182: Life, Death, and Pepper Spray

After about twenty minutes Willy came from the bedroom. "I talked to Mike. He suggested that if I needed to call, after he had explained the job to me before I signed on, maybe I should leave."

Earl nodded and I turned away. Big time war correspondent my ass, I thought, but I didn't say anything. Lucas didn't have any expression. He stayed right with his computer searches.

"You need to find a flight and we need to get you out of here. The sooner the better, it takes time to mount an operation. I'm surprised they could get here this quick. They must have people here for some reason. What the hell could they be into in Aster or Tryon. This isn't exactly New York or LA," I said.

"You can sell drugs anywhere," Earl said. "Lots of nasty shit comes from their part of the world."

"If that is the case, they will be looking for reinforcements. I expect they brought all they had when they came the first time. Three men is not enough to take even a single well armed and determined individual," I said.

"So we need to get Willyout of here and stash her somewhere until her plane leaves," Earl suggested.

"Willy get back to you place and stuff all your shit into a bag and be ready in five minutes," I demanded. "Earl take her to Jennifer's office. Tell Jen to get her onto a plane and do it very quietly." I paused a minute then added, "If you think you are being followed call back. We will come get them off your tail."

I handed Earl one of my Glock pistols. He got the 9mm, I kept the 10mm for Lucas.

"You seem to have a lot of firearms," Willy said.

I choked on it but I did answer her, "It seems that no matter how many I have, I never have enough." I did smile at her even though I didn't feel like it.

"If we are going into a drug war, we are pretty much out manned and probably out gunned," Lucas commented.

"Lucas, we can get reinforcements in a hurry, they can't. We need to know what the hell they are into.," I said.

"Well whatever it is, there is no clue in Smiley's files. He just handles their money," he said.

"Yeah but I bet, he knows what they are doing to make it," I suggested. "So you tell me where to find him right now and we will go ask."

Lucas cracked the cell phone records. I didn't want to know that he did it, let alone how he did it. "Best I can tell Maxine, Smiley is home."

"That isn't a good sign," I said.

"Why not?" Lucas asked.

"It's a blown operation, from what you have told me about these Chinese thugs, its a good bet that if they haven't killed us, they will kill Smiley," I said.

"Are we going to be upset, if they do?" he asked.

"Only because they are likely to come after us next. Remember the no witness left behind thing." I suggested. "Our advantage is they don't know how much we know. They probably think that when Smiley's body is found, we will think it is the end. After all we are just pety blackmailers to them."

"But we are going after them, while they think they are coming after us," Lucas said.

"That's pretty much how I figure it," I said. "Should we go try to save Smiley?

"I don't know boss, you said everybody wanted to kill him. Why not just let them." Lucas suggested.

"How about we bleed him for information first, then we throw him out the door." I suggested with images of old movies filling my mind.

"Now that is maximum efficiency," Lucas suggested. "So should we wait for Earl?"

"I have mixed feelings. If we do that we have to take him and put him in danger. If we just leave, he might walk into an ambush." I said. "I think I will have him stay with Willy until the plane leaves. I'll also tell him to call us before he leaves the airport. If we finish our chore fine, it not, we can send him to the store for us."

"These guys do not know who they are dealing with. They think they have some simple blackmailers," Lucas said.

"Let's hope they find out twenty seconds before they die," I said with a laugh.

We went to Smiley's home and knocked on the door. I was back in the wig and make up. I also left the cane in the car. I could manage to fake it on the leg for about a hundred steps, then I was in agony.

When he came to the door, he was a mess. I had planned to hit him with the stun gun then kidnap his ass, but the Chinese thug got there ahead of me. He stood behind Smiley and most likely had a gun in his back.

"It's them," he said with terror in his dancing eyes.

The thug tried to bring a pistol to bare, but Smiley was in the way. Smiley tried to get out of the way so the thug could shoot me and probably Lucas. I pushed Smiley because that way I knew in which direction he was going, and the thug didn't. I did hit the thug with the stungun, while Smiley was still between me and his gun hand. After that the best I could do was throw Smiley to the floor and leave him for Lucas.

I moved to put a large wire tie on the thug before he regained his senses. Lucas had watched enough cop shows to have Smiley on the floor with his hands behind his head. It really was kinda cool how it worked out. Of course we beat the odds, we should have both been dead.

"Find something to make a gag," I said to Lucas. then I whispered, "We want our friend with the slanted eyes to see and hear, but not speak."

"You are dead woman," the chink said.

"Let me see, I have the gun. You are tied up like a pig for the slaughter, and you are threatening me. Well you do have balls at least. When my friend get's back, we are going to see if Short Eyes here has balls." I was laughing as I said it.