Weecho: First Shots

Chapter 24 - Breaking In

After it turned dark, they let themselves through the gate to the dirt parking lot that connected with Lynch’s Petoria warehouse. Juna had made a copy of the key to the gate’s padlock earlier in the week. Weecho was on his cell with Alexey. 

“He’s out making a run,” Weecho said, looking over at the dock where Lynch’s Donzi was usually tied up. “This’ll get away from us if we don’t move now. DEA could be out there waiting for him, come here and seal everything off. Seal us out and we’re back to nowhere.” He’d be back to nowhere, hustling for third-string photo gigs. 

“DEA isn’t waiting for anyone but you,” Alexey said. “They’re circulating your picture.” 

“What are you talking about? Who gave them my picture?” 

“Somebody else on that patrol boat had a camera. Probably used their phone.” 

Great. “Then all the more reason to move now.” Weecho realizing he sounded like Juna did earlier, when she was laying this out for him back at the loft. “That laptop is leverage,” Weecho said to Alexey. “Your whole show could be riding on this.” 

“Don’t make it sound like some mercy mission for me,” Alexey said.  

“It’s for all of us. One hand washes the other.” Or something like that. 

“If you’re pulled in…” 

“I’m on my own. I get it.” 

Silence. 

“I’ll let you know how it goes,” Weecho said, and shut off. 

Turned to Juna. “All of a sudden I’m the bad guy.” 

“Then let’s get moving.” She started to turn. 

“Juna?” 

“What?” 

It striking him as strange she wouldn’t ask why he was the bad guy. 

“What?” she said again, edge in it now. 

Maybe she was nervous, maybe it was the bad karma from the Jet Ski thing, but something was definitely off. They’d hardly talked on the way out in the train, after she’d gotten his yes to the plan. 

He shook his head. “After you.” 

She took him around Lynch’s blue SUV parked by the building’s freight entrance. Stopped at a drainpipe, looked up, bent down and picked up a coil of rope she’d left there earlier for the occasion. Looped it around her shoulder and grabbed the drainpipe with both hands. 

“Think you can do this?” she said. 

“And chew gum, too.” Tone letting her know he’d done his share of creative entries.                     

Juna ignored it, started pulling herself up hand-over-hand, calling back over her shoulder. “Wait till I’m on the roof, then come up. The pipe can’t hold both of us.” 

“Fine,” he said, and watched her go up.  

When she swung her leg over the coaming, Weecho took hold of the pipe and started climbing. At the top he slipped, tried to grab hold of something, lost his balance and was about to go over when Juna caught the back of his jacket and pulled him onto the roof. 

A dent in the machismo, but he managed to mumble thanks. 

Got himself together, stood there and looked around – city lights across Jamaica Bay, landing lights coming into JFK… They should’ve brought a picnic.