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ANDY RAN UNTIL HE FOUND something between him and whatever bullets might come his way. It was the side of a tin shed that would be an almost totally useless shield from a bullet, but good at shielding him from sight.
He stopped to look at the warehouse he’d just fled. He watched the crates of rubbish pushed aside as the door opened. He saw three men emerge from behind the crates and then fall to gunfire. Andy didn’t know how it happened. He looked to see if it was Carlos, but Carlos and Tony were gone. Rather than wait, Andy ran. If Carlos wasn’t about, there was no point waiting for more of Franko’s men to arrive.
Where would Carlos go?
The foundry.
Andy ran, staying close to the buildings, trying to not be seen. It took some minutes to get there. The door was open but inside was dark. When the door slammed behind him he knew he’d been sloppy.
“Pretty foolish, I’d say,” came a deep voice from his left.
Andy drew his gun.
“Put that fucking thing away,” the voice said.
Lights came on. Andy saw the machinery about the factory floor more clearly as well as four dark skinned men wearing suits, one of whom he recognised.
“Mister Francis,” Andy said as he replaced his gun.
“Where’d you get that from?” Thomas Francis asked.
“Given to me when I was rescued.”
“Rescued?” Thomas said.
“From Franko and his men. with Carlos.”
Thomas nodded. “Was it my men who rescued you?”
Andy shook his head. “No,” he said. “Fellow named Sharpe. I know him from—”
“Tony?” It was a woman’s voice, but Andy couldn’t see any women.
“Well, you’re lucky to be alive,” Thomas said.
“I know,” Andy answered.
“I wasn’t talking about what Franko would have done to you. That gun’s been on the strip.”
Andy pulled the gun from his coat. He was about to toss it aside but Thomas held up his hand. “Don’t do that! It’ll likely go off and kill someone, and that someone’ll likely be you.” Thomas looked at one of the others. “There any union men around here still?”
The man shook his head.
“Take the gun to the office, leave a note with it explaining how it’s cursed and suggest it be melted into something destined for Mugria. We don’t want them keeping their advantage.”
Andy handed the gun to the man Thomas addressed, relieved. The man took it and headed into the foundry.
“Now, where’s Carlos?” Thomas asked.
“Don’t know,” Andy said.
“You’ve not been doing your job lately, have you? Allowing Carlos to get caught, needing to be rescued, now losing him again.”
“I lost them stopping Franko’s men from recapturing him,” Andy said weakly. “I didn’t expect I’d live long enough to look for him.”
Thomas gave him a solemn look. “If that’s the truth, then I’d say Carlos is a lucky man to have a man like you by his side.”
“It is the truth.”
“I didn’t say I doubted it. You said them. Who was with Carlos?”
“The man who got us out,” Andy said.
“Tony Sharpe?” Thomas asked.
Andy nodded. “You know him?”
Thomas nodded at one of the remaining men who disappeared into the machinery. He returned with a pale-skinned brown haired woman.
“Bitch!” Andy snapped.
“Manners Mister Burton,” Thomas scolded. “Miss McCall here has a little dilemma. She can’t remain here safely because there are white men with guns shooting at each other all over the place, and she can’t leave here safely because there are white men with guns who’ll shoot her because the only white woman likely to be around now is the one their boss wants dead. She’s sheltering with me at the moment, until we can clear things up.”
“She’s the one who got Tony shot by Mendel, the one Carlos was after for cheating the casino, and she’s the reason Carlos and I got caught by Franko,” Andy said.
Thomas looked at Chance. “Well, that might change some things.” He looked at Andy. “Or it might not. Whatever it does, it’s sure to be an interesting story. I think we should go someplace else. This place is attracting too many unexpected visitors.” He looked at his men. “Get the others, we’ll take the girl with us.”