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The fake 8 Ball isn’t in any safe. It’s in the one place no one is going to go pawing around. Under a pile of my dirty clothes, the bloody ones piled on top.
I bring the 8 Ball into the living room, bouncing it in one hand. Declan tenses but doesn’t let go of Candy.
“Good. Now put it on the table.”
“No. Who’s it for?”
“I’ll shoot the bitch.”
“No.”
Candy looks at me.
“The bitch doesn’t want to get shot,” she says.
I look at Declan.
“You could have shot her before and the 8 Ball is right here, so why would you shoot her now?”
Declan’s eyes flicker microscopically. He knows what will happen if he pulls the trigger and he doesn’t want to die. But he also knows that I don’t want Candy shot.
“Heads up,” I say, and toss him the 8 Ball.
He lets go of Candy and lunges for the Qomrama. Catches it with his arms, close to his chest like a football. Candy steps away from him. Declan now has the gun leveled at both of us.
I say, “Who’s it for?”
Declan looks at his bouncing baby 8 Ball and smiles.
“No one. Last time I was buying for a bunch of bankers with their own Angra group, Der Zorn Gottes. The Angra they worship is a fucking flower. Can you believe that shit? ‘Zhuyigdanatha.’ A real mouthful, huh? But his friends call him the Flayed Heart, so it’s okay.”
“But you’re not selling it to them now.”
“Damn right,” says Declan. “Your little blitzkrieg drove the price way up. Now it goes to the highest bidder.”
“That sounds dangerous,” says Candy.
“Nothing ventured nothing etcetera, sweetheart. I saw the light after he killed Moseley.”
“I didn’t kill him. He jumped in front of a bus.”
“Same thing, you fuck. He was a true believer and happy to die for the Angra cause. I’m not. Whoever ponies up can have it. That includes you, you know. You find a buyer and we can do some real business.”
“You suppose your Flayed Heart buddies know how the 8 Ball works?”
“What the fuck do I care? They can give it to their kids at Christmas instead of an Elmo doll.”
I don’t know any other actual Angra freaks. This might be my only chance to meet some real ones.
“I know someone who wants the 8 Ball. You sell it to your people, then put me in touch so I can make a bid on it.”
Declan considers this.
“I don’t know that I’m going to sell to Der Zorn Gottes. Why don’t you tell me your buyer and I’ll sell to him? I’ll give you a ten percent finder’s fee.”
“No. I want to meet your people.”
“I have the Qomrama and the gun. What you want isn’t really relevant to the discussion.”
