The Baddest Ass (Billy Lafitte #3) Read Online Free Page A

The Baddest Ass (Billy Lafitte #3)
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gives?"
    He realizes as he says it: he's being set-up. This isn't just about Lafitte. There's more to it. But West can't figure it. Before he can ask, the older man nods at Slick, who starts going through the stuff on West's shelf.
    "Hey, no, get him out of there. Hey, Garner!" Lifts his ass from the seat just a little. Feels a burn. "Come on, leave my shit alone!"
    "I know you don't have the screwdriver on you." The older man points, runs his finger up and down the length of West. "So where you keep it? Hm?"
    He shakes the pillow on the bunk while Slick throws West's few magazines and Bible on the floor. West is on and off. Throws his roll of toilet paper at Slick, then regrets it. It bounces onto the floor, rolls out of the cell. The older man is feeling around on the mattress, finds the pocket he's looking for, and pulls out the screwdriver. "Here it is, Steve."
    The slick guy named Steve reaches for it, fixes it in his grip, then steps over to West and presses the point against his neck. West backs away. The sharp point follows, and then he falls off onto the floor beside the toilet, hands over his head, the smell of his shit slapping everyone at the same time.
    "Whoa, boy!" The older man is up and over to the door lickety-split. Slick drops the screwdriver into the toilet and follows. West is splashed on his face and neck. Last words from the older man: "Get it done."
    And then he's alone, filthy, unable to hold his ass muscles any longer. Goddamn it, he couldn't cry, could he? After all he's been through, they'd never forgive him crying. Which just makes him do it louder.
    *
    Four more days. He stays out of everyone's way. Not that they stay out of his. Call him "Stank" now. Too many people sneaking up saying, "Boo, motherfucker!" And he jumps and makes the right threats while everyone laughs.
    Then Garner shows up and tells West he's got a job. Starts immediately. "Come on."
    The cop leads him through the harsh-lit halls to a room with several computers in it, cons working away, oblivious to him. There are printers, a projector, a list on the screen—1) Archive files from 1986-88. 2) Make copies, send to Supervisor. 3) Doublecheck list... and so on. On one end of the room sits Lafitte, looking West's way. He waves the kid over.
    West takes a step but Garner grabs him by the arm and hums "Not here, okay?" before letting him keep on. "Don't break anything."
    Lafitte keeps pecking as West approaches. "You run a computer?"
    Slouches into the chair beside Lafitte. "Sweet. You got internet on this thing?"
    "No."
    West thumps the keyboard with his knuckles. "Bullshit man, what's this shit anyway? Some sort of job?"
    "You get twenty cents an hour. Take it or leave it."
    "I'm not a file clerk." Crosses his arms and leans way back.
    Lafitte stares at the kid a moment before going back to his work. "Most of it is labeling. They scanned a bunch of old records, or got them off floppy discs. We've got to re-label them and make backups. Easy stuff."
    " Dull stuff, is what you mean."
    Then Lafitte's hand is on the back of West's head, bringing him upright against his will. He doesn't fight it.
    "I told them to hire you for this. You want it or do I throw you back?"
    "Why should I do their work for them? They ain't done nothing for me. I got plenty to do without this boring shit."
    Lafitte takes his hand back, lays it on the mouse and keeps working. He speaks slowly, deliberately. "Trouble is what you get into without this...so this...this is what you...um..." Click. "This is what you want. Something boring. Something monotonous. Something that fills up the minutes and hours and…the...days. It keeps you out of trouble. And it makes the time...go..." Click. "...by that much...faster." Click.
    He doesn't say any more. Just steadily clicks and scans the screen. Drags. Scrolls. West sits with his arms crossed. He looks around. Other men doing the same thing as Lafitte. None of them look like they want to kill each other or West or the
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