Midnight Sun (43 page)

“
I'm
not
a
field
agent
,
just
surveillance.
” H
er
voice
rattled
with
nervous
tension.

“
You
know
how
to
use
one
of
these?
”
Lonnie
asked
without
looking
back
at
her.

“
Yeah,
but
I've
never
shot
anyone.
”

“
Pray
we
don't
have
to
tonight.
Got
your
badge?
”

“
In
my
purse.
”

“
Get
it
out,
but
keep
it
down
too.
”

One
of
the
men
approached
Lonnie's
side
of
the
truck,
stopped
several
paces
away,
and
raised
his
hands
above
his
head
in
a
recognizable
gang-style
gesture.
The
other
punks
probably
thought
looked
cool,
but
anyone
with half a brain
would
’
ve
thought
looked
like
an
underfed,
hairless
orangutan
waving
his
arms
at
a
bunch
of
flies.

“
Hey,
baby,
”
he
said
with
a
generic
“
urban”
accent
that
was
not
native
to
any
part
of
Alaska, an obvious
imitation
something
he'd
seen
on
television.
“
Whatcha'
doin'
in
my
yard?
”

“
Two
hot
chicks
like
you
parking
out
here
at
night?
”
another said.
“
Must
be
a
couple
of
lezzies
left
over
from
the
fagot
parade
getting
it
on
in
there.
”

“
Ooh,
I
wanna
watch.
”
said
a
third
man.

“
How
’
s
about
I
give
you
some
man
flesh,
”
said
the
leader, a pistol hanging loose in his hand.
“S
how
you
what
you
’
re
missing.
”

The
men's
lustful
glares
twisted
Hilde's
stomach
into
sickened
knots.
The
leader
stepped
closer, and
Lonnie
stared
back
at
him
with
her
practiced
evil
Korean
ajumma
glare.
Once
he
was
within
ten
feet
of
the
truck,
she
raised
her
badge
to
the
open
window.
Hilde
did
the
same.
The
gang
leader
paused
in
his
tracks.
A
look
of
confusion
crossed
his
face,
but
vanished
right
away,
replaced
by
a
serpent-like
smirk.

“
Boys,
we
got
us
a
couple
of
dyke
police
officers
here.
” H
e
sneered
at
them.
“
Two
horny
bitch
cops
all
by
themselves
in
our
territory.
”

“
Hey,
Snake,
”
said
a
nearby
man,
“
I
think
they
got
tired
of
playing
with
their
night
sticks
and
came
looking
for
some
real
gangsta
thang.
”
He
grabbed
his
crotch
and
shook
it
at
Lonnie.

The
men
encircled
the
truck.
Someone
smashed
a
heavy
metal
pipe
against
the
tailgate,
and
a
metallic
crash
echoed
against
the
buildings.
Hilde
flinched
at
the
sudden
noise.
She
struggled
to
mask
her
fear
with
an
unconvincing
snarl.
Seeing
herself
in
the
side
view
mirror,
she thought her expression
looked
less
like
she
was
fierce
and
more
like
she
had
indigestion.
She
caught
a
glimpse
of
Lonnie's
expression, her
eyes
sparked
with
violence
that
rivaled
that
of
the
gang
bangers
surrounding
them.
A
loud
hiss
sliced through
the
tension
and
the
back
of
the
truck
sank
as
two
of
the
thugs
pulled
short
knives
out
of
the
sidewalls
of
the
tires.
Lonnie
gripped
her
pistol
tightly,
but
kept
it
out
of
sight
just
below
the
window.
The
front
tires
went
next.