RIGHT,
GENTLEMEN, SETTLE
DOWN. WE’RE GOING
TO TAKE YOU UP ONE
AT A TIME AND BOOK
YOU. YOU GET ONE
PHONE CALL
APIECE.
LISTEN,
IF I COULD JUST
SEE CAPTAIN SWOBODA
FOR A MINUTE...
YOU FIRST,
PRETTY BOY,
SINCE YOU’RE
SO EAGER.
SO
YOU’RE
A COP,
HUH?
THIS IS NOT
HAPPENING...
HERE HE IS,
LIEUTENANT. HE TRIED
TO USE MANNING’S
HEAD FOR BATTING
PRACTICE.
WHAT’S
ERNIE KVETCHING
ABOUT?
I WHIFFED,
DIDN’T I? TELL
HIM “ALMOST” ONLY
COUNTS IN HORSE-
SHOES AND HAND
GRENADES.
YOU SURE
I CAN’T GIVE HIM
A FEW DINGS, FOR
AUTHENTICITY?
THANK
YOU, SERGEANT
MONDRAGON.
THAT’LL BE
ALL.
AARON, THIS
IS SAM WINEGLASS
FROM THE STATES
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.
SAM, THIS IS
DETECTIVE AARON
STEIN.
DETECTIVE?
THAT ISN’T A
REAL TATTOO...
IS IT?
ONLY MY
HAIRDRESSER WILL
EVER KNOW FOR
CERTAIN.
WHAT THE
HELL WERE YOU
DOING AT THE EL THIS
MORNING, ESPECIALLY
AT A STOP THAT’S
THREE BLOCKS
AWAY? ARE YOU
NUTS?
WHAT DO
YOU THINK I WAS
DOING? I WAS
GETTING MYSELF
ARRESTED!
THEY LIVE LIKE
A PACK OF WILD DOGS,
AND HOLLANDER’S GOT
SOMEONE ON ME 24/7,
SINCE I’M THE NEW
GUY AND SO
CHARMING
AND ALL.
THIS WAS
THE ONLY WAY TO
REPORT IN, MAKE SURE
I DIDN’T GET STUCK
EXPLAINING MYSELF
AT THE WRONG
DISTRICT.
WE GOT
A FEW OF THEM
OFF THE STREETS,
ANYWAY.
WELL, GO
PUT THEM BACK.
THEY’LL WALK ANYWAY.
ENTRAPMENT. THIS
MORNING’S LITTLE
PRANK WAS
MY IDEA.
LITTLE PRANK?
TRY FELONY ASSAULT,
BATTERY, MALICIOUS
DESTRUCTION OF
PROPERTY...
...AND A
PARTRIDGE
IN A PEAR
TREEEEE.
DIME-STORE
CRAP, COUNSELOR.
THE BIS PRIZE IS
STILL BEHIND
DOOR NUMBER
THREE.
EARTHBLOOD’S
GOING TO TRY AND
WHACK THE SKRIT
TRADE ENVOY.
DAMN IT!
ARE YOU
SURE?
I CAN’T TELL
YOU WHEN OR
WHERE–YET. BUT
BELIEVE ME,
LIEUTENANT, IT IS
GOING DOWN.
CAN
WE BRING
’EM IN?
CONSPIRACY
CHARGES ARE
NOTORIOUSLY HARD
TO PROVE.
THEN HOW
ABOUT ARMS
SMUGGLING?
HOLLANDER’S
UGLY, BUT HE’S NOT
STUPID. AND HE’S NOT
GOING TO TRY AND
SNUFF ONE OF OUR
FRIENDS FROM THE
STARS WITH A
SATURDAY-NIGHT
SPECIAL.
WORD IS,
HE’S FIXED TO
GET HIS HANDS ON
SOME HEAVY-DUTY
FIREPOWER.
ARE WE
TALKING UZIS,
HERE? HAND
GRENADES,
BAZOOKAS?
WHAT?
NAH, EVEN
BETTER. SOMETHING
STRAIGHT OUTTA
STARPORT...
RAYGUNS!
CHAPTER TWO
WHAT DID
HE EXPECT ME
TO DO, FLAP MY
ARMS AND
THINK ABOUT
CHRISTMAS?
YOU ASK
ME, MONDRAGON’S
HAD A BUG UP HIS
BUTT EVER SINCE HE
MADE SERGEANT. HE’S
LIKE ME. A MAN OF
ACTION CAN’T BE
HAPPY