Placing Out Read Online Free Page B

bust commie and union agitator heads, the Times never missed a chance to extol "'Red'" Roach. No surprise there. Chandler was pathologically anti-union. Ben wouldn't be surprised if they pushed Roach to be the next Chief of Police when Porter got tired of the one they had now. Or a new mayor came in and cleaned the whole roster. Anything could happen then.
    Roach led him into an empty office and took a chair behind the desk. "Sit down," he said. "Got a proposal for you."
    "Yah?" Ben didn't sit. "What?"
    "Want you to join us. Help us keep the commies out."
    He perked up at that. The Red Squad was high on the chief and the mayor's A list. A man coming from that could go far. The last Chief of Police came from Vice. Ben wanted to be Lieutenant by the time he was thirty-five. Now he no longer had to pay for the position, he might make it on ability.
    "What would I have to do?"
    "I want to see you in action. See if you're up for it."
    Ben thought of busting commie heads. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe this financial mess the whole world was falling into was their fault. Payback would be a fine thing. Beat rousting pickpockets.
    "I'm up for it."
    "I'll be calling on you then. Your lieutenant has been apprised."
    Roach left and Ben went out to finish his watch.
    Two weeks later Roach showed up at the beginning of his graveyard shift. He handed him a Colt automatic and a shoulder holster. "Ditch the Sam Browne. Use this and use that"--he pointed at Ben's .45 revolver--"as your backup piece. Tonight that's all you need. Other times you'll be using something more powerful."
    Ben followed Roach into the garage where instead of picking up one of the marked units, they climbed into a black Buick. They were joined by two other men Ben had seen around off and on over the years he'd been on the force. Aside from terse nods, no one spoke on their way.
    At first Ben tried to guess where they were going, but Roach, the driver, stayed off the main roads and took unexpected turns. After ten minutes of seemingly aimless driving, he recognized where they were when they passed the short cul-de-sac Kevin lived on. His stomach lurched when they pulled into the alley between Daisy's Drugs and the dentist and the discreet, unmarked entrance to Johnny's behind them.
    He couldn't speak. To talk would be to give away the jolt of fear that filled his mouth with bile. The four of them climbed out of the Buick and approached the narrow alcove that partially concealed the door. Roach led them inside and down the stairs. Peaches was on the door again. Her eyes lit into Ben's seconds before Roach's nightstick landed on her temple and she went down with a screech. Roach reached down and yanked the blond hairpiece off Peaches' bleeding head. He swung the stick again, Ben heard the crack of cartilage as the drag queen's nose erupted in a gush of blood. She started choking as blood poured down her throat.
    Roach booted her over on her side. He stepped over her twitching body and shoved the door open. A blast of Ella Fitzgerald covered their entrance. They reached the bar before anyone knew they'd be invaded. The music was replaced by screams as Roach and the other two swung their batons with cold efficiency.
    Ben knew he was being watched to see whether he was participating in the blood bath. That was when he spotted Kevin going under Roach's stick. Ben lunged forward, knocking over a pair of men in Marine uniforms. The tallest fell into Roach, who lost his grip on Kevin. Before he could catch his balance, Ben dragged Kevin out from under the others.
    Kevin yelped a protest when Ben snapped cuffs on him. Ben leaned over and hissed into his lover's ear, "Don't fight. Trust me, Kev."
    Kevin went limp and Ben pulled him behind the bar. He lowered him to the floor, yelling as he straightened. "Stay down, asshole." He pretended to kick the fallen man.
    A stool flew over his head and crashed into the mirrored bar back. Ben ducked, shielding Kevin from the rain of glass.