Six Crime Stories Read Online Free Page B

threw them down in front of me. Not being a vicious son of a bitch like him , I had to slow down and catch each one , falling further behind.
    Hamhock plowed through the Mississippi River habitat , thundering past the white gator and the bayou and riverbank mockups. Just when I thought I was gaining on him , he picked up a little kid and heaved him at me like a football , forcing me to scramble for the pass so the kid wouldn ' t crash into one of the tanks.
    I felt bad about just handing the kid off to his screaming mother and running away , but I was determined to land Hamhock. His running away suggested to me he had something to hide...more than usual , that is.
    By the time I ' d bounded downstairs , I ' d lost sight of Hamhock...but there was only one route to the exit , so I followed it. When I saw some people getting helped off the floor in the jellyfish room , I figured I wasn ' t too far behind my quarry.
    Hustling out past the giant Gulf of Mexico tanks , I caught a glimpse of Hamhock ' s fat ass through the glass , motivating for the exit on the other side. As I circled the tanks in pursuit , I saw him drop a woman in the doorway for good measure on his way out.
    Pushing past the woman as she bellowed at me for not helping her , I bowled through the exit and into the lobby. Hamhock was already through the main doors and chugging over the plaza outside by the time I got midway across the lobby floor.
    But I kept after him. I was soaking wet and puffing like an asthmatic elephant , but I made up my mind I was going to get him...and I did.
    Hamhock stumbled on the other end of the plaza and just about took a header. Arms windmilling like crazy , he managed to keep his feet...but he tripped on the edge of the Moonwalk along the river and almost went down again. This time , he had to stop to regain his balance before charging off...which gave me the time I needed to close the gap and make contact , slamming all two-hundred-ninety-nine-and-a-half pounds of me into his equally massive bulk.
    I rammed him back against the railing overlooking the Mississippi , which at first seemed like a good idea. Then , he pasted me in the jaw and wrestled me around so I was the one with my back to the river.
    Breaking bones on a daily basis gave him an edge in the strength department , and he started forcing me over the railing toward the surging waters below. I brought my knee up hard into his groin , but it didn ' t seem to faze him , and he took advantage of my lifting a foot off the pavement to shove me back further.
    Then , in the middle of fighting for my life , I caught a whiff of daffodils and antifreeze.
    Two tweed-sleeved arms shot from behind Hamhock and under his armpits , then pumped straight up and back , hands interlacing behind his head. Hamhock released me and wobbled backward , thrashing to escape the full nelson in which he was locked.
    Now , Hamhock being the big boy that he is , I would ' ve expected him to break free , but Starbulk held tight. Hamhock wrenched around every which way , but couldn ' t get loose...and then Starbulk tightened up his grip and Hamhock started groaning.
    " Settle down , big fella , " said Starbulk , squeezing harder. " I promise , it ' ll hurt worse if you don ' t. "
    Hamhock grunted in pain. " You ' re makin ' a huge mistake , " he said through clenched teeth. " You ' re screwin ' with a made guy here! "
    " Horseshit , " I said , able to talk again now that I ' d finally caught my breath. " You ain ' t made now an ' you never will be , you dumb stooge. "
    Hamhock sneered. " I ' m made , all right. Just ask Gino Laplaca. "
    " Might as well ask Jimmy Hoffa , " I said. " Neither one of ' em ' s likely to turn up anytime soon. "
    " Wrong , " said Hamhock. " Gino ' s back , an ' I ' m workin ' for him. "
    I chuckled like I was laughing it off , but Hamhock had my attention. Laplaca , the biggest wiseguy in town , had disappeared three months ago , right before he was due to testify against some