璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将-第142部分

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n　afterthought　added　some　to　the　hair　of　his　wig；　and　by　the　time　Kelly　had　passed　through　the　city…block…length　of　the　alley；　he　was　just　one　more　wino；　a　street　bum　like　those　who　dotted　the　area　even　more　than　the　drug　pushers。　Kelly　adjusted　his　gait；　slowing　down　and　being　deliberately　sloppy　in　his　movements　while　his　eyes　searched　for　a　good　perch。　It　wasn‘t　all　that　difficult。　Several　of　the　houses　in　the　area　were　vacant；　and　it　was　just　a　matter　of　funding　one　with　a　good　view。　That　required　half　an　hour。　He　settled　for　a　corner　house　with　upstairs　bay　windows。　Kelly　entered　it　from　the　back　door。　He　nearly　jumped　out　of　his　skin　when　he　saw　two　rats　in　the　wreckage　of　what　a　few　years　before　had　been　a　kitchen。　Fuckin‘　rats！　It　was　foolish　to　fear　them；　but　he　loathed　their　small　black　eyes　and　leprous　hair　and　naked　tails。
‘Shit！‘　he　whispered　to　himself。　Why　hadn‘t　he　thought　about　that？　Everybody　got　a　creeping　chill　from　something：　spiders；　snakes；　or　tall　buildings。　For　Kelly；　it　was　rats。　He　walked　towards　the　doorway；　careful　to　keep　his　distance。　The　rats　merely　looked　at　him；　edging　away　but　less　afraid　of　him　than　he　was　of　them。　‘Fuck！‘　they　heard　him　whisper；　leaving　them　to　their　meal。
What　followed　was　anger。　Kelly　made　his　way　up　the　unbanistered　stairs　and　found　the　corner　bedroom　with　the　bay　windows；　furious　with　himself　for　allowing　such　a　dumb　and　cowardly　distraction。　Didn‘t　he　have　a　perfectly　good　weapon　for　dealing　with　rats？　What　were　they　going　to　do；　assemble　into　a　battalion　for　a　rat…wave　attack？　That　thought　finally　caused　an　embarrassed　smile　in　the　darkness　of　the　room。　Kelly　crouched　at　the　windows；　evaluating　his　field　of　view　and　his　own　visibility。　The　windows　were　dirty　and　cracked。　Some　glass　panels　were　missing　entirely；　but　each　window　had　a　fortable　sill　on　which　he　could　sit；　and　the　house‘s　location　at　the　corner　of　two　streets　gave　him　a　long　view　along　each　of　the　four　main　points　of　the　pass；　since　this　part　of　the　city　streets　was　laid　out　along　precisely　surveyed　north…south；　east…west　lines。　There　wasn‘t　enough　illumination　on　the　streets　for　those　below　him　to　see　into　the　house。　With　his　dark；　shabby　clothing；　in　this　unfit　and　derelict　house；　Kelly　was　invisible。　He　took　out　a　small　pair　of　binoculars　and　began　his　reconnaissance。
His　first　task　was　to　learn　the　environment。　The　rain　showers　passed；　leaving　moisture　in　the　air　that　made　for　little　globes　of　light　punctuated　by　the　flying　insects　attracted　to　their　eventual　doom　by　streetlights。　The　air　was　still　warm；　perhaps　mid…eighties；　falling　slowly；　and　Kelly　was　perspiring　a　little。　His　first　analytical　thought　was　that　he　should　have　brought　water　to　drink。　Well；　he　could　correct　that　in　the　future；　and　he　didn‘t　really　need　a　drink　for　some　hours。　He　had　thought　to　bring　chewing　gum；　and　that　made　things　easier。　The　sounds　of　the　streets　were　curious。　In　the　jungle　he‘d　heard　the　tittering　of　insects；　the　calls　of　birds；　and　the　flapping　of　bats。　Here　it　was　automotive　sounds　near　or　distant；　the　occasional　squeal　of　brakes；　conversations　loud　or　muted；　barking　dogs；　and　rattling　trash　cans；　all　of　which　he　analyzed　while　watching　through　his　binoculars　and　considering　his　actions　for　the　evening。
Friday　night；　the　start　of　the　weekend；　and　people　were　making　their　purchases。　It　seemed　this　was　a　busy　night　for　the　gentry　business。　He　identified　one　probable　dealer　a　block　and　a　half　away。　Early　twenties。　Twenty　minutes　of　observation　gave　him　a　good　physical　picture　of　both　the　dealer　and　his　assistant…‘lieutenant。‘　Both　moved　with　the　ease　that　came　both　with　experience　and　security　in　their　place；　and　Kelly　wondered　if　they　had　fought　either　to　take　this　place　or　to　defend　it。　Perhaps　both。　They　had　a　thriving　trade；　perhaps　regular　customers；　he　thought；　watching　both　men　approach　an　imported　car；　joshing　with　the　driver　and　passenger　before　the　exchange　was　made；　shaking　hands　and　waving　afterwards。　The　two　were　of　roughly　the　same　height　and　build；　and　he　assigned　them　the　names　Archie　and　Jughead。
Jesus；　what　an　innocent　I　was；　Kelly　told　himself；　looking　down　another　street。　He　remembered　that　one　asshole　they‘d　caught　smoking　grass　in　3rd　SOG　…　right　before　going　out　on　a　job。　It　had　been　Kelly‘s　team；　and　Kelly‘s　man；　and　though　he　was　an　FNK　right　from　SEAL　school；　that　was　no　excuse　at　all。　Confronting　the　man；　he‘d　explained　reasonably　but　positively　that　going　into　the　field　in　anything　less　than　a　hundred…percent…alert　state　could　mean　death　for　the　entire　team。　‘Hey；　man；　it‘s　cool；　I　know　what　I‘m　doing‘　had　not　been　a　particularly　intelligent　response；　and　thirty　seconds　later　another　team　member　had　found　it　necessary　to　pull　Kelly　off　the　instantly　ex…member　of　the　team；　who　was　gone　the　next　day；　never　to　return。
And　that　had　been　the　only　instance　of　drug　use　in　the　entire　unit　as　far　as　Kelly　knew。　Sure；　off…duty　they‘d　had　their　beer　bashes；　and　when　Kelly　and　two　others　had　flown　to　Taiwan　for　R&；R；　their　collective　vacation　had　not　been　terribly　unlike　a　mobile　earthquake　of　drunken　excesses。　Kelly　truly　believed　that　was　different；　blind　to　the　explicit　double　standard。　But　they　didn‘t　drink　beer　before　heading　into　the　boonies　either。　It　was　a　matter　of　mon　sense。　It　had　also　been　one　of　unit　morale。　Kelly　knew　of　no　really　elite　unit　that　had　developed　a　drug　problem。　The　problem　…　a　very　serious　one　indeed；　he‘d　beard　…　was　mainly　in　the　REMFs　and　the　draftee　units　posed　of　young　men　whose　presence　in　Vietnam　was　even　less　willing　than　was　his　own；　and　whose　officers　hadn‘t　been　able　to　overe　the　problem　either　because　of　their　own　failings　or　their　not　dissimilar　feelings。
Whatever　the　cause；　the　fact　that　Kelly　had　hardly　considered　the　problem　of　drug　use　was　both　logical　and　absurd。　He　set　all　of　that　aside。　However　late　he　had　learned　about　it；　it　was　here　before　his　eyes。
Down　another　street　was　a　solo　dealer　who　didn‘t　want；　need；　or　have　a　lieutenant。　He　wore　a　striped　shirt　and　had　his　own　clientele。　Kelly　thought　of　him　as　Charlie　Brown。　Over　the　next　five　hours；　he　identified　and　classified　three　other　operations　within　his　field　of　view。　Then　the　selection　process　began。　Archie　and　Jughead　seemed　to　be　doing　the　most　business；　but　they　were　in　line　of　sight　to　two　others。　Charlie　Brown　seemed　to　have　his　block　entirely　to　himself；　but　there　was　a　bus　stop　only　a　few　yards　away。　Dagwood　was　right　across　the　street　from　the　Wizard。　Both　had　lieutenants；　and　that　took　care　of　that。　Big　Bob　was　even　larger　than　Kelly；　and　his　lieutenant　was　larger　still。　That　was　a　challenge。　Kelly　wasn‘t　really　looking　for　challenges　…　yet。
I　need　to　get　a　good　map　of　the　area　and　memorize　it。　Divide　it　into　discrete　areas；　Kelly　thought。　I　need　to　plot　bus　lines；　police　stations。　Learn　police　shift　times。　Patrol　patterns。　I　have　to　learn　this　area。　a　ten…block　radius　ought　to　be　enough。　I　can‘t　ever　park　the　car　in　the　same　place　twice；　no　one　parking　place　even　visible　from　another。
You　can　hunt　a　specific　area　only　once。　That　means　you　have　to　be　careful　whom　you　select。　No　movement　on　the　street　except　in　darkness。　Get　a　backup　weapon　。。。　not　a　gun　。。。　a　knife；　a　good　one。　A　couple　lengths　of　rope　or　wire。　Gloves；　rubber　ones　like　women　use　to　wash　dishes。　Another　thing　to　wear；　like　a　bush　jacket；　something　with　pockets　…　no；　something　with　pockets　on　the　inside。　A　water　bottle。　Something　to　eat；　candy　bars　for　energy。　More　chewing　gum　。。。　maybe　bubble　gum？　Kelly　thought；　allowing　himself　some　levity。　He　checked　his　watch：　three…twenty。
Things　were　slowing　down　out　there。　Wizard　and　his　number…two　walked　away　from　their　piece　of　sidewalk；　disappearing　around　a　corner。　Dagwood　soon　did　the　same；　getting　right　into　his　car　while　his　lieutenant　drove。　Charlie　was　gone　the　next　time　he　looked。　That　left　Archie　and　Jughead　to　his　south；　and　Big　Bob　to　the　west；　both　still　making　sporadic　sales；　many　of　them　still　to　upscale　clients。　Kelly　continued　to　watch　for　another　hour；　until　Arch　and　Jug　were　the　last　to　call　it　quits　for　the　night　。。。　and　they　disappeared　rather　fast；　Kelly　thought；　not　sure　how　they‘d　done　it。　Something　else　to　check。　He　was　stiff　when　he　rose；　and　made　another　note　on　that。　He　shouldn‘t　sit　still　so　much。　His　dark…accustomed　eyes　watched　the　stairs　as　he　descended；　as　quietly　as　he　could；　for　there　was　activity　in　the　house　next　door。　Fortunately；　the　rats　were　gone；　too。　Kelly　looked　out　the　back　door；　and　finding　the　alley　empty；　walked　away　from　the　house；　keeping　his　pace　to　that　of　a　drunk。　Ten　minutes　later　his　car　was　in　sight。　Fifty　yards　away；　Kelly　realized　that　he‘d　unthinkingly　parked　the　car　close　to　a　street…light。　That　was　a　mistake　not　to　be　repeated；　he　reproached　himself；　approaching　slowly　and　drunkenly　until　he　was　within　a　car　length。　Then；　first　checking　up　and　down　the　now…vacant　street；　he　got　in　quickly；　started　the　engine；　and　pulled　away。　He　didn‘t　flip　on　the　headlights　until　he　was　two　blocks　away；　turning　left　and　reentering　the　wide　vacant　corridor；　leaving　the　not…so…imaginary　jungle　and　heading　north　towards　his　apartment。
In　the　renewed　fort　and　safety　of　his　car　he　went　over　everything　he‘d　seen　in　the　past　nine　hours。　The　dealers　were　all　smokers；　igniting　their　cigarettes　with　what　seemed　to　be　Zippo　lighters　whose　bright　flames　would　injure　their　night　vision。　The　longer　the　night　got；　the　less　business　there　was　and　the　sloppier　they　seemed　to　bee。　They　were　human。　They　got　tired。　Some　stayed　out　longer　than　others。　Everything　he‘d　seen　was　useful　and　important。　In　their　operating　characteristics；　and　especially　in　their　differences；　were　their　vulnerabilities。
It　had　been　a　fine　night；　Kelly　thought；　passing　the　city‘s　baseball　stadium　and　turning　left　onto　Loch　Raven　Boulevard；　relaxing　finally。　He　even　considered　a　sip　of　the　wine；　but　this　wasn‘t　the　time　to　indulge　in　any　bad　habits。　He　removed　his　wig；　wiping　away　the　sweat　it　had　caused。　Jesus；　he　was　thirsty。
He　addressed　that　need　ten　minutes　later；　having　parked　his　car　in　the　proper　place　and　made　his　way　quietly　into　the　apartment。　He　looked　longingly　at　the　shower；　needing　the　clean　feeling　after　being　surrounded　by　dust