“Hey!” Nick exclaimed when the flash went off. He sprang after Lola. Olivia grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Nick pulled away from her again and said, “If Maximino sees that photo we’ll be in matching terra cotta pots!”
“Don’t be silly,” Olivia said sweetly. “Max wouldn’t hurt me. He loves me!”
Nick growled and jogged out of the club.
I stepped forward. No point in hiding.
“Manny!” Olivia exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around my neck and grinding her pelvis into mine. “At last… we’re alone!” Not counting the gross of souls in the Blue Casket. “Tell me, how are the bourgeoisie?”
“Fine,” I said. “How’s Max?”
“Oh, gramps!” she pouted, pulling away—making me both relieved and frustrated—and lighting a cigarette. “Don’t start.”
I got up close to her so I wouldn’t have to speak too loudly. She looked quizzically up at me.
“What are you doing with a snake like Nick?” I asked.
“I’d lay it on ya, Manny, but,” she laughed, “I don’t think you’d get it.”
I shook my head. “Messing around with your boyfriend’s lawyer is pretty dangerous.”
“Ooo!” she exclaimed. “Maybe I was wrong. You do get it!”
I sighed and changed the subject. “I’m worried about Lola.”
Olivia blew smoke in my face. “That’s because she’s doomed, Manny. She fell in love with Maximino! That’s the one mistake I never made.”
“Do you think Nick would hurt her?”
“Only if he finds her, and take it from me,” she said with a wink in her voice, “he’s not good at finding things. But,” she added brightly, “don’t let me keep you from your camaradas.”
“Huh?”
“Hey, man,” she said, suddenly serious, “I know the reason you’re here.”
I felt a little cold. “You do?”
She laughed. “You may swing with the Man, daddy, but you get your action here.” She gave me a caressing pat on the rump. “Have fun.” She went into the kitchen, still laughing.
I shook my head slowly. “Whatever you’re having, kitten,” I said toward the doors as they swung shut, “save some for the customers, huh?”
I went back onto the floor and went to Alexi’s table. I sat down and Slisko started to say, “Hey—!”
“Can it,” I said. “We’ve got work to do.”
“This isn’t smart, Manny,” Alexi said. Of course it wasn’t. A civil sit-down with these hipsters wasn’t something that should ever happen in public.
“Smart or not,” I replied, “I’m on a tight deadline here.”
“What’s up, brother?” Gunnar asked, picking up on the seriousness of the scene.
“Bogen.”
“Bogen?” Slisko asked, surprised.
Alexi nodded knowingly.
“Yeah. I pissed the cube off,” I answered. “Now I hear the heat’s gonna raid the club.”
“I heard something about this from Glottis this morning,” Alexi said. “So what?” He leaned a little closer in order to speak lower. “I don’t see how this justifies breaking cover.”
“If Bogen’s gonna raid, that might make it tough for me to leave town,” I said, “and it’s time for me to leave.”
Alexi leaned forward even closer, this time in excitement. “You’ve made contact?”
“Sort of. I saw Meche… with Domino Hurley.” Slisko whistled through his teeth. “He was dragging her onto a cruise ship.”
“That’s a problem,” Gunnar said. “I think that was the last float until spring.”
“I know it was,” I grumbled, “but I’ve got one chance—a cargo ship. It’ll be tricky to swing it and I don’t need trouble from Bogen. Some interference would help.”
“OK,” Alexi said, “we’ve got the scene. What’s our part?”
“Well, just how close are the Sea Bees to striking?”
“They’re an oily rag, man,” Slisko said, “and we’re the open flame!”
“Can they go up before tomorrow night?” I asked.
“Tomorrow!” Gunnar exclaimed, ever the practical, cautious one.
“What’s the problem? You’ve been telling me they’re just waiting for the word.”
“Yeah, man,” Slisko said, “but not from us, man.”
“The thing is, Manny,” Gunnar said, “we started flying under the Man’s radar, educating the more progressive workers…”
“…building a vanguard,” I supplied.
“Right,” Gunnar replied. “Problem is, the cat they really take directions from—a Sea Bee named Terry—got himself in trouble. He got a little excited, made one of our kind of speeches, in public, and Bogen got wind of it.”
“That truncheon with legs don’t pay attention to us no more,” Slisko added, “no more than the union does. But Terry!” he exclaimed in admiration. “Brother, he stirred up the Man something fierce and got hisself jugged.”
“How long ago was this?” I wanted to know.
“Two weeks,” Gunnar answered.
“Two weeks?!?” I exclaimed, disbelieving. “What was the charge? Inciting a riot?” You’d think I would have noticed if there had been a riot.
“Manny,” Gunnar answered heavily, “the charge was disturbing the peace.”
I was floored. I knew Bogen was corrupt—I even had Max’s word for it—but this was too much. “That’s overnight and a fine! And Bogen’s getting away with this?”
“Hey,” Slisko exclaimed with a snarl, “does the Man care!? Like I’ve been tellin’ ya—”
Alexi cut him off with a sharp rap on the table. He needn’t have bothered. Skulls turned toward the noise, saw it was only Slisko shooting his face off, and turned away again.
“Well,” I said with a sigh, “I guess we gotta spring Terry.”
“How?” Alexi asked. “He hasn’t been before a judge yet, so he can’t even post bail. He can’t afford a lawyer ’cause he was laid off months ago, and our shit-house public defender is just sitting on his can.”
“I think maybe I can put a sharp lawyer on the case,” I said. “If I play it right, I might even be able to get Terry out tonight. If…” I paused to think. “Can you guys prime the Sea Bees for Terry’s release? Get ’em ready to strike the moment the cat gives the word?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Alexi said cautiously. “But Terry’d have to give the word himself, brother. What kind of action are you looking for?”
“Big. Spectacular. But focused,” I said. “Meaning, kept far away from the Limbo.”
“The Limbo?” Alexi asked, momentarily puzzled. “Oh. Right. Your transport.”
“Well, I hope so. I’ve got a few details to work out first. For one thing, I need to get Glottis some Sea Bee tools.”
“Hell,” Slisko said, “if you can spring Terry, he’d give you his whoring mother. He’s goin’ stir crazy, man.”
“Good. I guess.” I shook my head. “Any of you guys hear of a sailor named Naranja?”
“Yeah,” Gunnar said. “He’s on a major bender. Try Toto’s place. He usually ends up there.”
“If he’s not passed out under a dog someplace,” Alexi added.
“I’ll try Toto first,” I said. “OK, is there anything else we need to cover?”
“Manny,” Slisko said after a moment, “are you sure about this? I mean, staging a strike just so’s you can duck Bogen?”
“You guys have been working toward this for a long time,” I said. “Does the timing matter all that much?”