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.Bullets poured into the restaurant in a steady stream, smashing plates and glasses and cups.The tommy-guns stitched neat lines of bullet holes in the walls.Bullets smashed wood-panelling into splinters and brought plaster crashing down from the ceiling.Me and Ace and Frank all had guns in our hands but there was no point in shooting back - it would have been like spitting into a hurricane.All we could do was keep our heads down and wait for the firestorm to die down.I raised my head a fraction and eyeballed round the edge of our table.It was a hell of a sight.Ten - I counted 'em -ten sedans were drawn up in a long line outside the restaurant, a blazing tommy-gun sticking out of each window.Ten choppers and each drum held a hundred rounds.They musta poured a thousand bullets into that restaurant.One by one the tommy-guns fell silent.Someone up the front of the line honked three times and the cars started moving away like some goddam procession.All except the last car, the tenth.The door opened and a man in a brown shirt and khaki overalls got out, clipping a fresh drum onto his tommy-gun.Two more hoods with shotguns jumped out of the back and stood flanking him.The guy with the tommy-gun took a couple of steps toward the Hawthorne and started shooting, swinging the blazing chopper from side to side.Taking his time, like he was in a shooting gallery, he pumped another hundred slugs into the restaurant.When the drum was empty he jumped back into the car.The two shotgunners followed, and the sedan started moving away.Suddenly Ace was on her feet and moving.Gun in hand, she hiked up her skirt, jumped through the shattered window and started shooting at the retreating car.I jumped through the window right behind her and saw two shotgun muzzles appear through the car's back window.I tackled Ace like a Chicago Bears line-backer, carrying her to the ground.Two shotgun blasts boomed over our heads, one of them so close it blew my hat off.I was lying on top of Ace, catching my breath - and thinking it wasn't such a bad place to be - when an elbow jabbed me in the ribs.She wriggled out from under and got to her feet."You big ape, Dekker, when will you stop interfering? I could've shot the driver, caught one of those other hoods and found out who's behind this."I got wearily to my feet, picking my hat up out of the gutter."You're just overflowing with gratitude, ain't you? All you'd have caught was a faceful of shotgun pellets." She was opening her mouth to give me another earful when I shoved my hat under her nose.The shotgun pellets had blasted a big chunk out of the brim."That's a ten-dollar fedora there, lady, ruined! And for your information we know who's behind this.That last guy, the one in the overalls, was Pete Gusenberg in person.Pete's a snappy dresser, probably didn't want to spoil his suit."I turned and stomped back into the ruined restaurant, where I found Doc, hands in pockets, calmly looking round.It was quite a sight: broken glass, splintered wood and shattered plaster everywhere.Everything in the restaurant had been pretty well shot to pieces and the room was full of hysterical people, laughing, chattering and sobbing.I fished out a Camel and stuck it in my mouth."Many dead, Doc?""Apart from a few cuts and bruises I don't think anyone's even wounded."He pointed to a line of bullet holes across the nearest wall."They seemed to be aiming about waist-high, and by the time they got going everyone was flat on the floor - thanks to your warning.""You worked it out first, Doc.If we'd all run out on the street the way they wanted."He nodded."It was Capone they were after, of course.I got shot at for nothing - just an innocent bystander."I looked at him, wondering just how innocent he was."You picked a tough town to run a saloon in, Doc.And you keep dangerous company."Al Capone stood in the centre of a little group nearby, back in charge as usual, issuing a stream of orders.He put his hand on the shoulder of a little bald guy with a droopy moustache.It was the manager, weeping helplessly at the sight of his ruined restaurant."Don't worry, we're gonna have this place fixed up better than new, I'll see to it personally.Frankie, check out things on the street.Anything damaged, anybody hurt, I'll take care of it."I heard later that the machine-gunners had put holes in about thirty of the jalopies parked along the kerb and blasted the windows of a number of local stores.Capone paid handsome compensation to the car owners and shopkeepers.Miraculously there had been only one serious casualty out on the street, a woman who'd been sitting in her car with her family when the shooting started.A splinter from the bullet-shattered windscreen got her in the eye.The operation that saved her sight cost Capone five thousand bucks.Capone turned, saw Doc standing nearby and swept him up in an Italian embrace.He didn't exactly kiss him but it was a pretty near thing."You and your friends saved my life, Doc [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]