The TV showed the shaky image of a squad of soldiers standing against the wall of an old red brick building. The first in line leaned past the corner and fired a few rounds at some distant target. The camera panned to reveal a row of dilapidated homes, one of them on fire and pumping smoke. The caption read: FIREFIGHT IN DETROIT. In cities like Detroit, National Guard units had moved into the poorest neighborhoods to destroy the blood trade, which had caused thousands of deaths and disappearances. Joan couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The U.S. Army fighting street gangs on American soil in a massive operation involving thousands of troops. The firepower on display was impressive, but the whole thing struck her as pointless. As if they would accomplish anything when the violence was happening everywhere. On the TV, soldiers ran past a burning car. The caption: ARMY CRACKS DOWN ON BLOOD TRADE. Doug sipped his beer and snorted. “They’re not cracking down on it. They’re putting it under new management.
