or distant； the occasional squeal of brakes； conversations loud or muted； barking dogs； and rattling trash cans； all of which he analyzed while watching through his binoculars and considering his actions for the evening。
Friday night； the start of the weekend； and people were making their purchases。 It seemed this was a busy night for the gentry business。 He identified one probable dealer a block and a half away。 Early twenties。 Twenty minutes of observation gave him a good physical picture of both the dealer and his assistant…‘lieutenant。‘ Both moved with the ease that came both with experience and security in their place； and Kelly wondered if they had fought either to take this place or to defend it。 Perhaps both。 They had a thriving trade； perhaps regular customers； he thought； watching both men approach an imported car； joshing with the driver and passenger before the exchange was made； shaking hands and waving afterwards。 The two were of roughly the same height and build； and he assigned them the names Archie and Jughead。
Jesus； what an innocent I was； Kelly told himself； looking down another street。 He remembered that one asshole they‘d caught smoking grass in 3rd SOG … right before going out on a job。 It had been Kelly‘s team； and Kelly‘s man； and though he was an FNK right from SEAL school； that was no excuse at all。 Confronting the man； he‘d explained reasonably but positively that going into the field in anything less than a hundred…percent…alert state could mean death for the entire team。 ‘Hey； man； it‘s cool； I know what I‘m doing‘ had not been a particularly intelligent response； and thirty seconds later another team member had found it necessary to pull Kelly off the instantly ex…member of the team； who was gone the next day； never to return。
And that had been the only instance of drug use in the entire unit as far as Kelly knew。 Sure； off…duty they‘d had their beer bashes； and when Kelly and two others had flown to Taiwan for R&；R； their collective vacation had not been terribly unlike a mobile earthquake of drunken excesses。 Kelly truly believed that was different； blind to the explicit double standard。 But they didn‘t drink beer before heading into the boonies either。 It was a matter of mon sense。 It had also been one of unit morale。 Kelly knew of no really elite unit that had developed a drug problem。 The problem … a very serious one indeed； he‘d beard … was mainly in the REMFs and the draftee units posed of young men whose presence in Vietnam was even less willing than was his own； and whose officers hadn‘t been able to overe the problem either because of their own failings or their not dissimilar feelings。
Whatever the cause； the fact that Kelly had hardly considered the problem of drug use was both logical and absurd。 He set all of that aside。 However late he had learned about it； it was here before his eyes。
Down another street was a solo dealer who didn‘t want； need； or have a lieutenant。 He wore a striped shirt and had his own clientele。 Kelly thought of him as Charlie Brown。 Over the next five hours； he identified and classified three other operations within his field of view。 Then the selection process began。 Archie and Jughead seemed to be doing the most business； but they were in line of sight to two others。 Charlie Brown seemed to have his block entirely to himself； but there was a bus stop only a few yards away。 Dagwood was right across the street from the Wizard。 Both had lieutenants； and that took care of that。 Big Bob was even larger than Kelly； and his lieutenant was larger still。 That was a challenge。 Kelly wasn‘t really looking for challenges … yet。
I need to get a good map of the area and memorize it。 Divide it into discrete areas； Kelly thought。 I need to plot bus lines； police stations。 Learn police shift times。 Patrol patterns。 I have to learn this area。 a ten…block radius ought to be enough。 I can‘t ever park the car in the same place twice； no one parking place even visible from another。
You can hunt a specific area only once。 That means you have to be careful whom you select。 No movement on the street except in darkness。 Get a backup weapon 。。。 not a gun 。。。 a knife； a good one。 A couple lengths of rope or wire。 Gloves； rubber ones like women use to wash dishes。 Another thing to wear； like a bush jacket； something with pockets … no； something with pockets on the inside。 A water bottle。 Something to eat； candy bars for energy。 More chewing gum 。。。 maybe bubble gum？ Kelly thought； allowing himself some levity。 He checked his watch： three…twenty。
Things were slowing down out there。 Wizard and his number…two walked away from their piece of sidewalk； disappearing around a corner。 Dagwood soon did the same； getting right into his car while his lieutenant drove。 Charlie was gone the next time he looked。 That left Archie and Jughead to his south； and Big Bob to the west； both still making sporadic sales； many of them still to upscale clients。 Kelly continued to watch for another hour； until Arch and Jug were the last to call it quits for the night 。。。 and they disappeared rather fast； Kelly thought； not sure how they‘d done it。 Something else to check。 He was stiff when he rose； and made another note on that。 He shouldn‘t sit still so much。 His dark…accustomed eyes watched the stairs as he descended； as quietly as he could； for there was activity in the house next door。 Fortunately； the rats were gone； too。 Kelly looked out the back door； and finding the alley empty； walked away from the house； keeping his pace to that of a drunk。 Ten minutes later his car was in sight。 Fifty yards away； Kelly realized that he‘d unthinkingly parked the car close to a street…light。 That was a mistake not to be repeated； he reproached himself； approaching slowly and drunkenly until he was within a car length。 Then； first checking up and down the now…vacant street； he got in quickly； started the engine； and pulled away。 He didn‘t flip on the headlights until he was two blocks away； turning left and reentering the wide vacant corridor； leaving the not…so…imaginary jungle and heading north towards his apartment。
In the renewed fort and safety of his car he went over everything he‘d seen in the past nine hours。 The dealers were all smokers； igniting their cigarettes with what seemed to be Zippo lighters whose bright flames would injure their night vision。 The longer the night got； the less business there was and the sloppier they seemed to bee。 They were human。 They got tired。 Some stayed out longer than others。 Everything he‘d seen was useful and important。 In their operating characteristics； and especially in their differences； were their vulnerabilities。
It had been a fine night； Kelly thought； passing the city‘s baseball stadium and turning left onto Loch Raven Boulevard； relaxing finally。 He even considered a sip of the wine； but this wasn‘t the time to indulge in any bad habits。 He removed his wig； wiping away the sweat it had caused。 Jesus； he was thirsty。
He addressed that need ten minutes later； having parked his car in the proper place and made his way quietly into the apartment。 He looked longingly at the shower； needing the clean feeling after being surrounded by dust and squalor and 。。。 rats。 That final thought made him shudder。 Fucking rats； he thought； filling a large glass with ice； then adding tap water。 He followed it with several more； using his free hand to strip off his clothing。 The air conditioning felt wonderful； and he stood in front of the wall unit； letting the chilled air wash over his body。 All this time； and he didn‘t need to urinate。 Had to take water with him from now on。 Kelly took a package of lunch meat from the refrigerator and made two thick sandwiches； chased down by another pint of ice water。
Need a shower bad； he told himself。 But he couldn‘t allow himself one。 He‘d have to get used to the feeling of a sticky； plasticlike coating all over his body。 He‘d have to like it； cultivate it； for in that was a part of his personal safety。 His grime and odor were part of his disguise。 His looks and smell had to make people look away from him； to avoid ing too close。 He couldn‘t be a person now。 He had to be a street creature； shunned。 Invisible。 The beard was even darker now； he saw in the mirror before heading to the bedroom； and his last decision of the day was to sleep on the floor。 He couldn‘t dirty up new sheets。
C14
CHAPTER 14
Lessons Learned
The early flight back from New Orleans to Washington National was too short for a movie； and Kelly had already eaten breakfast。 He settled on a glass of juice at his window seat and was thankful that the flight was only about a third full as； after every bat action of his life； he went over every detail。 It was a habit that had begun in the SEALs。 Following every training exercise there had been an event called various things by his various manders。 ‘Performance Critique‘ seemed most appropriate at the moment。
His first mistake had been the product of something desired and something forgotten。 In wanting to see Lamarck die in the darkness； he‘d stood too close； simultaneously forgetting that head wounds often bleed explosively。 He‘d jumped out of the way of the spouting blood like a child avoid