Chapter 34 Hot And Damp

• The air was hot and damp, filled with dust and noise. I quickly crossed the express road leaving the honking from the cars littered on the expressway behind. There was a rapid traffic flow of cars on the expressway and people walking fast trying to cross before the traffic eased up. There was constant honking and swerving around the sluggish drivers, the walking people shouted and dodged the car before they got hit. This was Los Angeles at its finest.
• I averted my gaze back to the sight in front of me and walked briskly for about ten minutes before coming to a stop. Sometimes a car would slow down and a boy would emerge from the shadows towards the driver's window. A short conversation would ensure that money and goods would change hands within the blink of an eye. Then the boy would retreat back into the shadows and wait for the next car to pull up.
• I waited and watched the same procedure happen over and over again, my eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness and I could see the number of boys had increased within a short time and they emerged from three different doorways. I was reluctant about walking into unfamiliar territory, I couldn't afford to get caught off guard again. The sight before me was relatively new. Antonio was a man who had sworn off drugs when I met him two years ago. He was a private detective, one of the best in the whole country with connections in every public office. It didn't take him long for him to convince me he was perfect for the job, I waited for him to get clean and together we had worked together seamlessly. He always spotted the threat and had taken care of them under my instructions. If anyone knew who to meet about my operations, it would be Antonio.