“Everybody stay at your post!” Padre said. “It could be a diversion. It’s not here on the property so let the LPPD handle it.”
We were all aware of the concert last year that ended in an active shooter killing a dozen people at a concert just like this one. The cops might not be too happy that we were here, but we didn’t give a fuck. Our presence was a major deterrent to shit like that happening.
For the next ten minutes or so, Padre and I just watched as cop cars and fire engines and paramedics raced down the street in the direction of the explosion.
Trainer rode up just then and parked his bike near where mine was.
“Did you hear?”
“That explosion? Yeah.” The sound of sirens wailing in that direction was unmistakable.
“No. Not that. Hawk got some intel that the explosion was at the Las Balas compound. Looks like somebody blew up their warehouse.”
I shot a glance in Padre’s direction. “Do we know anything about that?”
“No, man. Must be Viper’s guys or somethin’.”
“Well, they are sure the hell gonna think it’s us.”
“Look, we are on a job. We don’t have time to be worrying about Las Balas or who may or may not have blown up their shit.” I zipped up my jacket and headed toward the convention center entrance. “Trainer, you stay here with Padre. I’m going to go inside and see what Pin is seeing.”
I just hoped that whatever was going on with Las Balas, they’d leave Outlaw Souls out of it.
* * *
The tensionin the security room was as thick as the clam chowder at Tiny’s. They’d heard the explosion, too, and had stepped up surveillance inside the arena where the concert was going on. At the moment, Billie Eilish was still on stage as the opening act, but MCR was going on in about twenty minutes.
“What’s the latest?” I asked Pin
“So far everything is going as planned. No one doing anything suspicious that we can tell.”
Given the fact that the small room was jammed with cops, venue security, and us, it looked like they were expecting a problem.
“What was the explosion, do we know yet?” Pin asked.
I lowered my voice so that only he could hear. “Hawk said that someone blew up the Las Balas compound.”
“Shit. They’re gonna think it was us.”
“I know. So that’s why I came in here. You need to keep a close eye out for any of their guys, because they are gonna be looking for some serious revenge. The cops won’t necessarily think of that and we don’t want to call attention to it, so let’s just all be on the lookout.”
“You got it, boss.”
I wondered if Scorpion knew where Lily and Bailey were sitting. Maybe I ought to just go check and make sure they were okay.
* * *
When it was deckedout for a concert, the convention center could seat about 12,000 people. Bailey had gotten them floor seats (further evidence that she came from money) and they were about a third of the way back from the stage. The security room was underground in a maze of tunnels that led to various parts of the venue. It was how celebrities and other notables got in and out without being seen.
I was walking down a long, brightly lit hallway with cement walls and shiny white tiles, headed to the entrance that would get me closest to the stage when a door opened and four guys came out, escorted by three security people. I immediately recognized the middle one as Gerard Way, the lead singer of My Chemical Romance. His posters had been plastered all over Lily’s bedroom for years. She was going to shit when I told her I met him.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey,” he said, as we all started walking in the same direction. His voice sounded a lot higher than I thought it would.
“Good luck tonight, guys. It’s a full house out there,” I said. It seemed lame, but I didn’t know what else to say.
“Thanks. I love it when people come out to see us.” He smiled and seemed like a really down-to-earth person.
