Free The System - A Detroit Story - by John Silver Page A

wanted us to work there. Anywhere but on the line."
    Peabody nodded.
    Washington cleared his throat. "One thing bothers me, I gottta say," he said.
    "What's that?" said Peabody.
    "I don't like it when you people let things walk," said Washington. "Especially guns."
    Peabody looked at him, surprised at the rapid change of subject. "You people?" she said.
    "You know what I mean," said Washington.
    "That's ATF," she said. "Occasionally DEA. Same with informants. SOP, just like you." Peabody glanced at the road. "Let a little fish go, maybe lead to a bigger one. Let ten guns go, maybe capture a hundred." Peabody's voice trailed off.
    Washington shook his head. "I'll go for the bust," he said. "A bird in hand…"
    "If it's anything to you," said Peabody. "Someone close to me was killed by a gun that walked. A border patrol agent. Picked off just like that. In Mexico. Juarez, across from El Paso."
    "Man," said Washington. "I'm sorry to hear that."
    They cruised past Seven Mile Road and turned right onto Eight Mile, driving past the abandoned State Fair Grounds. Washington drove for a mile or so then slowed.
    "There it is," said Peabody, looking at the neon sign with the painted tiger below. "Have you ever been inside?"
    "In there?" said Washington. He pulled onto a side street and stopped in view of the club. "No. I'm not Vice and I'm not a strip club kind of guy."
    "You are now," said Peabody.
    They sat and watched the club, scanning the parking lot, dumpster and alley in the rear.
    "We need to get inside," said Peabody. "Look around. A lot of places have amateur night."
    Washington looked at her.
    "Surprised?" said Peabody. She looked at the club. "I can handle myself on one of those poles."
    They watched the club for another fifteen minutes. Four cars in the parking lot, one large Dodge van with a handicapped plate. Washington started the car and as they pulled onto Eight Mile Peabody saw a diminutive, graying man in a wheelchair roll out the front door, held open by a bouncer.

Chapter 13
     
    Concrete Mushrooms
     
    The money, hidden in a crate full of spark plugs, left the Port of Detroit and arrived in Toulon, France eight days later. From there the box was driven to Milan and uncrated at a social club. The money was placed in two canvass duffel bags and driven down the coast to Bari. The bags were handed off to two men who boarded a daily ferry that went across the Adriatic to Durres, Albania. The money was on shore and hidden as Vlad looked down at Athens from a first class window seat.
    He cleared customs and boarded a flight from Athens to Tirana. After less than an hour the small jet touched down at Rinas International. He walked out of the customs booth looking as fresh as when he left Detroit, twelve hours earlier.
    Vlad slung his leather travel bag over his shoulder and spotted a thin, dark man near a coffee stand, smoking a cigarette. They made eye contact. The man butted out his cigarette, turned and started walking toward the terminal exit. Vlad slowed and followed, leaving a gap of at least twenty feet between them.
    They boarded a bus that headed north, passed through the empty traffic circle and were dropped off in an open air parking lot. The bus lumbered away and Vlad and the man hugged and kissed each other on the cheek.
    "Gregor, my old friend," said Vlad. "Good to see you."
    "The pleasure is mine." 
    They walked to a small sedan. Vlad was amused.
    "I am to fit in this?" 
    "Don't worry," said Gregor. "This is just temporary."
    Vlad tossed his bag in the back seat and got in the car, squeezing himself into the passenger's seat. Gregor pulled out of the parking lot and drove south, eventually coming to SH2. They passed Polis University and turned onto Rruga 29. After several miles they took an exit and drove west to a garage. Gregor opened the rusty door then pulled inside. They got into Gregor's Land Rover and drove to the fringe of Tirana, stopping at the safehouse.
    Vlad and Gregor walked upstairs to a