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“This isn’t one of your games.”
“Everything is a game. This one is the Prisoner’s Dilemma. If you’re only playing once, your best bet is to screw the other guy. Because you know he will screw you.” He leaned forward. “Look at us. The four of us are all nice people, employed, call our mothers, do the things we’re supposed to, right? But guys like Joh
“I didn’t mean I’d be pulling the trigger.”
“But why not? This guy is blackmailing you. He’s breaking the rules and he’s wi
The mood around the table had changed. There was a strange tension, the joke ru
“No, Mitch,” Alex humoring him, “what did Raymond Chandler say?”
“He said there’s no clean way to make a hundred million bucks.”
“There you go,” Ian said. “There you go.”
Alex looked around the table, his expression incredulous. “You serious?”
Not really, Mitch thought. It did sound doable, and the money, well, that would change his life. But was he actually serious? Not when it came down to it.
Which is maybe why you stand holding a door for people who don’t know you exist, the voice in his head whispered.
“We’re not robbing my boss.”
Ian shrugged, leaned back. “Your loss.” He put on that smile, his caustic armor.
There didn’t seem to be much to say to follow that, and they picked at their breakfasts. Mitch could almost hear the thoughts, read them like they were printed on everyone’s cheeks. He was a good watcher. People mistook not wanting to be the center of attention for not paying attention. Ian was easy, the narrow hunger on his face, the way he held himself straight. Alex had the tense stillness and wide eyes of a courtroom defendant, and Mitch could see him thinking of his daughter and whatever white-picket house she lived in. Je
The scrape of silverware was loud. Finally, Alex looked at Ian, said, “You are making me wonder, though.”
“Yeah?”
“How’d you get that black eye again?”
CHAPTER 5
IT WAS AMAZING, Be
Of course, on the inside, the lab probably looked more exciting. According to the research he’d done, about twenty percent of pharmaceuticals used some form of fluorine, which acted as a stabilizer, improving efficiency by delaying absorption. It was pretty nasty stuff; as a subcontractor developing compounds for drug companies, K &S probably had clean rooms, positive airflow suits, three kinds of safety precautions. Maybe on the inside it looked like something out of a Bruckheimer flick.
Be
“Y-Yes.”
“Good. You do what I asked?”
“I… I…”
“Easy. Take a breath.” He waited for a beat, then said, “Better?”
The man’s voice came through hollow and miserable. “I made what you wanted.”
“Good. I knew you were a smart guy. Now, you haven’t told anyone about our chat, have you?”
“No.”
“Your wife, the police?”
“No.”
“You’re not lying to me? Because those pictures”-he sucked air through his teeth-“I mean, that kind of thing, you wouldn’t want anyone to see that.”
“I haven’t. I swear.” The voice was quick and panicky.
“Then relax, brother. This will all be over soon. Here’s how it’s going to go.” Be
Two minutes later, the doctor hurried out, one hand pulling keys from his pocket. The other held a duffel bag in fingers clenched bloodless. Be
When the clock on his dashboard said that ten minutes had passed, he dialed the phone again. “Where you at, Doc?”
“I’m on the way. You said-”
“Changed my mind. Why don’t we meet at your office in”-he pretended he was looking at a watch-“five.”
“But I’m ten minutes-”
“Drive fast.” Be
It took more like seven, but when the Town Car hit the lot, the tires were squealing and the engine was roaring. Again, no sign of anybody following.
Be
After the guy collected himself enough to unlock the door, Be
The man just looked at him. His nose had gauze packed in the nostrils and tape across the bridge. His fingers gripped and released the steering wheel.
“Rough one, huh?” Be
The man nodded, started to reach for the bag.
“Not so fast. Let’s get out of here.”
“Where?”
“Take a ride. First, though, do me a quick favor.” Be
“My shirt?”
“Yeah. I hear swimming is good exercise. Want to check out your muscle definition.”
“Listen, I did what you wanted, but this is getting ridiculous.” The man trying to take control back.
Be
“No! Wait.” The man grimaced, then untucked his shirt and pulled it up to show his bare skin. “I told you, I didn’t go to the police.”
“Can’t be too careful.” Be
It was after seven o’clock, and traffic was just begi
God, he loved predictable people.
“OK. You know how to get to O’Hare from here?” Be
As they neared the airport, the doctor said, “About those pictures. I never did anything like that before. It was… I don’t even know why I did. I was just… curious. Wasn’t thinking. I swear to God, though, I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m begging you.”
“You do what I wanted?”
“Yes.”
“And didn’t fool around? Try to make something a little different, figure I won’t be able to tell?”
“No, I swear.”
“Long-term parking.”
“Huh?”
“Head for long-term parking.”
The man nodded. “I love my wife. My daughter. More than anything.”
Be
“I know. I know. It was stupid. I just. It’s a weakness. A compulsion. It’s not my fault, something I would choose.”
“Go up to the top level.”
“If I have to pay for what I did, that’s fine. I just don’t want anyone to know.”