"Allegedly…"

"Don't give me that. You have any doubt at all, reasonable or otherwise?"

"No."

"So don't give me 'allegedly.' You don't believe it yourself."

"Okay, but maybe Abe could bring in the feds. Him going in alone to arrest these guys now…"

"He's not going to be alone. We're backing him up."

Hardy chewed at his cheek. "We're not the cops."

"Truer words were never said. There's no time to call in the feds, Diz. There's no time to convince any bureaucracy to move. You of all people should know that."

"I'm just saying if we had a little more time…"

McGuire shook his head. "Time's up, Diz. They decide you're next-the good money bet by the way-they pull up to you maybe today, maybe tomorrow; they're not going to care if Frannie's in the car with you, or the kids. You're just gone. Like the others."

"I know. I know you're right."

"Damn straight." The light changed. McGuire hit the gas and lurched ahead. "Listen, you think I want to be here? I don't want to be here."

"I keep thinking the law…"

McGuire snorted. "The law. Your precious fucking law. It's gonna protect you, right? Like it has everybody else?"

"It's my life, Mose. I've pretty much got to believe that, don't I?"

"The law's not your life. It's your job. Your life is something else entirely. The first law is you protect your life and the people you love."

Hardy stared out the window.

McGuire was riding his adrenaline. "These guys don't give a shit, Diz. Isn't that pretty clear by now? They've got the law-the cops in this town anyway-in their pocket. It's unfair and unlikely, okay, but that's what's happened. So now all that's left is they take out you and your meddling friend Abe and it's all over. They win. Life goes back to normal. Except you guys are both dead, and maybe my sister with you, and I'm not willing to take that chance." His eyes ticked across the seat. "You're telling me after all that's gone down, you don't see this? You don't know for a fact this can happen? Is going to happen?"