Kim Oh 3: Real Dangerous People (The Kim Oh Thrillers) Read Free Page B

noise came from out front.
     
    He pushed Falcon back against the entranceway wall, then yanked the door open. The gunfire had stopped. He rushed outside, his own gun raised in one hand. From behind him, he could hear the clatter of the other bodyguards pushing their way through the restaurant tables and chairs as they followed after him.
     
    Curt saw immediately what the target of the gunfire had been. A plume of carbon monoxide came from the Lincoln’s exhaust pipes, its engine running. The passenger’s side door was open. Inside, Heinz’s bloodied corpse sprawled against the steering wheel.
     
    The other bodyguards formed a close knot around Curt, all four men quickly scanning the street. No one . . .
     
    Earl covered Curt, turning slowly from side to side with his upraised gun, as the other man reached inside the Lincoln and pulled Heinz – what was left of him – back against the seat.
     
    Foley and Elton split up, each running toward either side of the restaurant.
     
    The alleyway just beyond the building was lined with trash dumpsters. Foley edged his way along them, all the way to the brick wall at the end, but found nothing. Except the door into the restaurant kitchen, still standing open.
     
    He looked over as Elton came running up to him.
     
    “Anything?”
     
    Shaking his head, he pointed to the doorway. “Sonuvabitch had already gotten out, while we were still firing at him. When he ran out to the street, he saw Heinz with the car ready. And took care of him.”
     
    “Damn.” Elton looked toward the mouth of the alley. “That sucks.”
     
    Both men trudged back to the restaurant entrance. Guns lowered, they stopped in their tracks. Along with Earl, they watched as Curt held Heinz up against his chest, as though trying to shake him back to life.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    THREE
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    When you have that kind of job – bodyguard for somebody like Falcon – maybe you don’t change your shirt when it’s covered in blood, because you want everybody to know. That you’re right there when things get tight.
     
    Or maybe Curt wasn’t even aware that his shirt was soaked red. He was deep in thought as he sat in the chair outside the door of Karsh’s office. At least, that’s how it was described to me. And not the kind of thoughts with words and possibilities and decisions in them. Maybe pictures, things he remembered seeing. Things that had happened, some of them from a long way in the past. He leaned forward in the chair, his arms laid across his knees, his eyes focused on something a million miles away.
     
    He and Heinz had been friends for a long time. Maybe that was why he didn’t change his shirt.
     
    There were two other bodyguards in the office lobby. Not part of Curt’s crew. Younger guys, hard-faced, leaning back against the wall. Watching him and not saying anything. Hadn’t even asked about the blood, just as if they couldn’t have cared less about it. They worked for Karsh.
     
    The office door opened. Curt turned and looked around to it. His boss and the other bodyguards’ boss had just finished up their meeting. That had originally been planned for the restaurant.
     
    “Okay, but remember –” Karsh laid a hand on Falcon’s shoulder. He was a little younger than Falcon, maybe right around Curt’s age. Smartly tailored, sleekly groomed – even more so than his friend and business associate Falcon. “If there’s anything I can do, you call me. All right? Anything at all.”
     
    “Don’t worry,” said Falcon. “And . . . you know . . . I’m sorry we couldn’t work out all the details on this today. I’m still . . . just a little rattled.”
     
    “Hey, believe me, I understand. It’s okay.” Karsh exuded sympathy. “I’m amazed we were able to get together at all. After what happened. If we’d just taken a rain check on the meeting, that would’ve been perfectly acceptable with me.” He lowered his head,