The screen was still filled with the mural when a pair of playing cards materialized over it, just as Ace had described to Tiger. This time, it was the ace of hearts and the jack of spades.
“Stayed just like that for almost ten minutes,” Tiger said. “Then it just … disappeared.”
“Same time?”
“Yeah. Like it was filling in the crack between night and dawn.”
“Got a date on that thing?”
“Of course.”
“Anything happen that night?”
“Anything …?”
“Violent deaths.”
“Not in that neighborhood.”
“But …?”
“You remember that puny little ‘Führer’? The one that ended up with a long sentence for plotting to kill the judge who sentenced him? The original sentence was nothing to start with, but he turned it into an all-the-way with that move.”
“Yeah. But that was—”
“Few years ago, I know. But he put together some ‘followers.’ He’s locked in PC, but that Web site what’s left of his ‘storm troopers’ put together claimed he was secretly running the AB from Inside. He went from a terrified little twit to shot caller. Magical, huh? Only that was pure Internet baloney. Still, somebody didn’t like it much.”
“He got—?”
“Not him. That little group of play-Nazis. The ones that put up that Web site. They had a storefront. And I mean had.”
“Bomb?”
“Nope. Five people—two female, three male, none of them over twenty-five—all got shot in the head. What the papers love to call ‘execution style.’ The shooters sprayed ‘AB’ over everything in there—walls, computers, posters. They got so carried away, they even sprayed all over Hitler’s picture.”
“What happened to the Web site?”
“Nothing, Rhino says. But it hasn’t been updated since that night.”
“So where’s the connection?”
“I don’t know, okay!”
“Sssshhh, girl. There’s nothing to get worked up about.”
“Really?” Tiger said, reflexively touching the knives in her holster. “I’ll buy that. I’ll buy it the minute you explain how Ace’s calling card changed color. How did the ace of spades turn into the ace of hearts?”
Cross felt the spot below his eye burn, as if in answer to the warrior-woman’s question.
ANDREW VACHSS
URBAN RENEWAL
Andrew Vachss is a lawyer who represents children and youths exclusively. His many books include the Burke novels, the Cross series, the Aftershock series, and three collections of short stories. His books have been translated into twenty languages, and his work has appeared in Parade, Antaeus, Esquire, Playboy, and The New York Times, among other publications. He divides his time between his native New York City and the Pacific Northwest.
www.vachss.com
BOOKS BY ANDREW VACHSS
THE BURKE SERIES
Flood
Strega
Blue Belle
Hard Candy
Sacrifice
Down in the Zero
Footsteps of the Hawk
False Allegations
Safe House
Choice of Evil
Dead and Gone
Pain Management
Only Child
Down Here
Mask Market
Terminal
Another Life
OTHER NOVELS
Shella
The Getaway Man
Two Trains Running
Haiku
The Weight
That’s How I Roll
A Bomb Built in Hell
THE AFTERSHOCK SERIES
Aftershock
THE CROSS SERIES
Blackjack
Urban Renewal
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
Born Bad
Everybody Pays
Mortal Lock