CR: Never condescend or underest (ambient noise/2.9 seconds) abilities.
PR: That was reinforced for Martin soon after.
CR: How-
PR (interrupting): Martin received a letter, and regretfully Coretta saw it first. It was allegedly written by a Negro man, who urged Martin to kill himself. There were (static/3.3 seconds) references, and I won't comment on their veracity, to philanderings that Martin (static/ 1.6 seconds) may or may not have committed. Coretta was (pause/O.9 seconds) well, she was devastated.
CR: Jesus Christ.
PR: That about says it.
(Static/ambient noise/9.3 seconds.)
PR (conversation in progress): No saint, but I never fully grasped the man's evil nature until that moment. (Pause/4. 1 seconds/PR laughs) Why so glum, Ward? Really, you're looking positively spectral.
CR: I can't give you any more money, Bayard. It's getting too risky on my end. (Static/0.8 seconds) later, but not for the foreseeable future.
PR: You needn't (pause/2.2 seconds). Stop with the glum looks, child. You've done the cause a world of good, and I for one hope you'll stay in touch.
CR: I want to. You know how I feel.
PR: I do indeed. I enjoy our talks, and I rely on your perceptions of the FBI mindset.
CR: I'll continue to offer them. And I'm always passing through D.C.
PR: I'm always good for a drink or a cup of coffee.
CR (static/3.4 seconds/conversation in progress): Dr. King have planned?
PR: We've got a big push coming up in Selma, Alabama. We're making plans to reprise "Freedom Summer" in Mississippi, and we've targeted Eastern Louisiana in June.
CR: You've got a strong Klan presence there. The Baton Rouge Office has a substantial file.
PR: Bogalusa's a simmering hotbed of our pointy-headed friends. We're going to mount voter registration drives and vex them out of their sheets.
CR (laughing/ambient noise/20 seconds): Anticipate resistance?
PR: Yes, but Martin was encouraged by the FBI's presence in Mississippi last summer, and he's convinced that the evil Mr. Hoover will work for the safety of our people, however reluctant-
(Sustained static/tape ends here.)
_DOCUMENT INSERT_: 1/7/65. Courier message: Saravan, Laos, to Saigon, South Vietnam.
To: Wayne Tedrow Junior. From: Pete Bondurant. Marked: "Hand Pouch Deliver."
W.T.,
Be ready to follow first shipment stateside a.m. of 1/9/65. Be off lab premises by 1/8. _Urgent! Respond today!_
_DOCUMENT INSERT_: 1/8/66. Courier message: Saravan, Laos, to Saigon, South Vietnam.
To: Wayne Tedrow Junior. From: Pete Bondurant. Marked: "Hand Pouch Deliver."
Board up lab vacate immediately! _Urgent! Respond immediately!_
(Saigon, 1/9/65)
Let's stay. Let's get close. Let's _watch_.
The lab was secure. He pouched Chuck last night: I'll meet Pete/Tan Son Nhut Airport/flight 29. I packed the shit. I hid it-check the box marked "Flamethrower Parts."
Let's linger. Let's get close. Let's watch the "Cleanup."
The Can Lao hit last night. The Can Lao precleaned. They stinkbombed the Go-Go. They ran out the patrons. They ran out the whores. They locked up the dope den. They secured the O-heads. Said O-heads dozed on.
Wayne checked his watch-6:14 a.m.-Wayne checked his window.
Marvs draped flags. Marvs unfurled banners. Marvs muscled vendors out. Marvs stole their cash. Marvs dumped their stalls. Marvs cued hose crews up.
The crews aimed. The crews fired. Water smashed walls and stalls. Water squashed fruit. Water launched debris and scoured graffiti. Vendors flew-flyweights-hose confetti.
The Marvs raised banners. There's LBJ. Dig his big schnoz and Smile of Love. There's Premier Khanh. He's got big teeth. Dig his Big Smirk of Love.
A vendor flew. Water tossed him. Water tossed rickshaw bikes.
"You a watchin' motherfucker."
Wayne gulped a tad. Wayne turned around. Wayne saw Bongo.
In his tight fruit briefs. In his pointy fruit boots. With a chubby whore.
"You know what I like about you? It's that 'meek-shall-inherit-the-earth' thing. You like to watch, but you never say a motherfuckin' word."
The whore wore skfvvies. The whore wore thigh hickeys. The whore wore cigarette burns.
"You like her? I call her 'Ashtray.' You don't need to reach for one when she's around."
Wayne shut the window. Bongo hoisted his balls. Bongo pumped up his veins.
"I figured I'd trade you for a taste. I get to geez, you get to watch Ashtray french me."
Wayne smiled. Wayne gulped a tad. Wayne unlocked his closet.
He prepped water. He prepped a spike. He prepped a spoon. He prepped horse. He cooked it. He siphoned it in.
Bongo laughed. Ashtray giggled. Wayne blocked their view. He siphoned in ammonia. He siphoned in rat poison. He siphoned in strychnine.
Bongo said, "You slow, you know that?"
Wayne turned around. Bongo looped a tourniquet. Bongo tied off a vein.
Wayne saw it. Wayne tapped it. Wayne jabbed it. Wayne pushed the plunger in sloooooow.
_There now-how's that?_
Bongo lurched. Bongo jumped. Bongo sprayed piss and shit. Bongo fell down and spasmed and thrashed.
Wayne stepped back. Wayne watched. Ashtray stepped up close.
Bongo coughed foam. Bongo coughed blood. Bongo bit his tongue off. Wayne stepped up. Wayne stepped on his head. Wayne cracked his skull.
Ashtray held her nose. Ashtray crossed herself. Ashtray kicked Bongo in the balls. Wayne grabbed him. Wayne dragged him. Wayne dropped him down the air vent.
Ashtray said, "Bongo cheap Charlie. Bongo number ten."
Wayne saw Leroy and Cur-ti. Wayne saw Wendell Durfee.
o o o
More cleanup-his and theirs.
Wayne cleaned the lab. Wayne watched the outside show. Marvs hosed monks. Marvs hosed walls. Marvs abridged graffiti.
The vent shook. Rats bopped through. Rats found Bongo. Rats ate him.
10:05 a.m.-flight time soon.
_Theeeeere_-
Voices and clumps now-two clicks downstairs. There-it's coming-you knew it would.
Wayne walked down. Wayne stood on the landing. Wayne found a shadow patch.
There-ten Can Lao goons. Two five-man teams paired off. They've got flashlights and silencered magnums. They've got hoses/flamethrowers/sacks.
They dispersed. They walked the pallet rows. They shot faces in tight.
It went soft-silencers-head shots in light.
They flashed. They shot. They dumped shells and reloaded. Heads snapped inside halos. Heads cracked pallet slats.
Opium-_hush now anesthesia_-in slow and tight.
Wayne watched. Wayne saw faces alight. B-girls and Ashtray. Uncle Ho-types.
The goons finished up. The goons regrouped in the doorway. The goons stood way back.
A goon aimed a toaster. Said goon strafed low. Said goon cooked body rows tight.
Three sweeps out and back. Flame levels in tight.
The goon turned the toaster off. A goon strafed a hose. Said goon sprayed water down tight.
Flames sputtered. Bodies flared. Pallets cracked.
Wayne watched. The goons regrouped. The goons walked and dispersed.
They took their pants off. They kicked through hose water. They lugged gunnysacks. They poured out quicklime. They perfumed bodies. They flour-dipped flesh.
_DOCUMENT INSERT_: 2/8/65. Internal memorandum. Topic: OPERATION BLACK RABBIT. To: DIRECTOR. From: BLUE RABBIT. Marked: "Stage-1 Covert" / "Eyes Only" / "Read and Burn."