Endgame (2009)

"What about our old friend Ames?" Fisher asked.

BURNING MAN EVENT BLACK ROCK DESERT, NEVADA

MEREwords are not capable of describing exactly what the Burning Man event is or even why it takes place. To state that it is an a

On the third day of the event the Russians finally arrived, and Ames told them what he knew and what he could offer them. They said they'd have to talk to their friends in China but that the offer sounded profitable for all parties concerned. Then they asked why they'd had to meet him in such a strange place. Ames dismissed them without explanation.

And then, finally, it came. Saturday night. The flames swept up the man's body, and Ames shuddered and thrust his arms into the sky, dancing with the others, chanting like a madman, howling at the moon, and swigging whiskey straight from the bottle. It was all here: earth, air, fire, and water.

EPILOGUE

BOCA WINDS ESTATES BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

THEsixty-five-hundred-square-foot home had been built two years before, in a cul-de-sac overlooking the C-15 canal. The house boasted a clay-colored tile roof, four-car garage, private te

Moreau had been watching the place for two days now. He sat in his rental car, parked across the street, sipping a mocha latte. He consulted his watch.

In the driveway sat the man's pride and joy: a white 1971 Corvette Stingray, fully stock with no aftermarket modifications to any part of the engine, interior, or exterior. The car had won multiple awards at car shows and was, Moreau had learned, rare because it had not been modified and had some kind of gold certification from Bloomingdale's or something.

Too bad.

"Finally," Moreau muttered, watching as the old white-haired man emerged from his front door.

The old man paused, yawned, looked toward the newspaper at the end of the driveway, then started toward it and the Corvette.

Moreau sighed and pressed the remote.

After a one-second pause, the Corvette heaved from the ground and exploded in a fireball that knocked the old man onto the ground. Even before the shattered hood and rest of the debris reached the lawn, Moreau was screeching his tires and racing up the driveway. He leapt out of his car, charged up to the old man, and grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Stingray! You son of a bitch! You sent a man to kill me. You think I forgot about that? My God is a God of justice! And you will know his wrath! You will feel his fire!"

"My goddamned car," cried Stingray. "Why'd you have to blow my goddamned car?"

"Because you love that car more than life itself. Hallelujah!"

"You've been waiting a long time to get me."

"Building my case. You're good at cleaning up after yourself."

"Look, Moreau, I'm too old for this. Just do me. Right here, right now. Let your God have his way. I can't do time. I'm too old."

Moreau released the old man, reached up to his shoulder holster, and drew his pistol with attached suppressor.

"Take me out like a man," added Stingray.

A gunshot ripped into the brick driveway not a foot from Moreau's boot. He shot a look across the street, where a figure rose from behind a palm tree on the opposite house's lawn.

He did a double take. It was Hansen, dressed in a tac-suit. He cupped a hand around his mouth and yelled, "Can't let you do that, Marty!"

"What the . . ."

And then Hansen came jogging across the street, still gripping his sniper's rifle. "Lower the weapon," he said.

"Cowboy! Go home!"

"Grim sent me."

"She what?"

"Let's go." Hansen pointed his rifle at Moreau's chest.

From the corner of his eye, Moreau saw Stingray's arm reach to his back.

Moreau whirled, but not in time.

Stingray came around with a pistol and fired at Hansen, who staggered back, one hand clutching his abdomen as he fired an errant round into the garage door behind them.

Moreau fired at Stingray, hitting him directly in the chest, but at the same time the old man got off a round that caught Moreau in the shoulder, near his collarbone, wrenching him sideways.

Screaming through a curse, Moreau fired three more rounds into Stingray's chest, and the man fell back across the pavers, blood pooling immediately around his back.

Moreau stumbled, lost his balance, and fell onto his rump as the flames from the still-burning Corvette began bending his way. He coughed and waved acrid smoke from his eyes.

Hansen was lying flat on his back, and Moreau crawled over. "Cowboy? You stupid bastard. Cowboy?"

He reached Hansen and unzipped the tac-suit, revealing a Kevlar vest.

Moreau swore and said, "Wake up, pretty boy."

Hansen slowly opened his eyes. "Why'd you let him shoot me?"

"I didn't, you dumb ass."

Moreau winced and helped Hansen sit up. "You shouldn't have come."

Hansen grimaced, looked down at the slug embedded in his vest. "Just following orders. She wanted me to stop you before you killed him."

"So she sent you, and you forced me to kill him. How do you like them apples?"

Some of the neighbors from the surrounding homes were approaching, gasping, covering their mouths, and Moreau turned to them and said, "Take it easy, ladies and gentlemen. We're just filming a movie here. Hidden cameras! It's all make-believe! Sorry for the noise! So sorry for the noise!"

"That looks like real blood," said one obese woman, covering her mouth as she stared at Stingray.

"Yeah, they do a pretty good job with special effects these days. Now, please, off the set. Off the set! We need to do this all over again."

"They don't believe you," muttered Hansen.

"I can see that."

"Then why don't we get in your car and get the hell out of here?"

"Yeah. I think I need a hospital."

"What about him?" Hansen asked, lifting his chin at Stingray.

"He doesn't need a hospital."

Hansen made a face. "The body?"

"Forget him. I got ballistics covered. And so do you. Get in the car."

Moreau smiled at the throng of onlookers, then rose with Hansen.

"This ain't no movie," said a portly black man wearing a polo shirt two sizes too small. "You guys just killed our neighbor, and you're not going anywhere."