Agendas
Itwashisfirst-evervisittothePentagon.Kellyfeltillatease,wonderingifheshouldhavewornhiskhakichiefsuniform,buthistimeforwearingthathadpassed.Insteadheworeabluelightweightsuit,withaminiatureoftheNavyCrossribbononthelapel.Arrivinginthebusandcartunnel,hewalkeduparampandsearchedforamapofthevastbuilding,whichhequicklyscannedandmemorized.Fiveminuteslaterheenteredtheproperoffice.
‘Yes?‘apettyofficerasked.
‘JohnKelly,IhaveanappointmentwithAdmiralMaxwell.‘Hewasinvitedtotakeaseat.OnthecoffeetablewasacopyofNavyTimes,whichhehadn‘treadsinceleavingtheservice.ButKellywasabletocontrolhisnostalgia.Thebitchesandgripeshereadabouthadn‘tchangedverymuch.
‘MrKelly?‘avoicecalled.Heroseandwalkedthroughtheopendoor.Afteritclosed,areddo-not-disturblightblinkedontowarnpeopleoff.
‘Howareyoufeeling,John?‘Maxwellaskedfirstofall.
‘Fine,sir,thankyou.‘Civiliannowornot,Kellycouldnothelpfeelinguneasyinthepresenceofaflagofficer.Thatgotworseatoncewhenanotherdooropenedtoadmittwomoremen,oneincivilianclothes,theotherarearadmiral-anotheraviator,Kellysaw,withthemedalofhonor,whichwasevenmoreintimidating.Maxwelldidtheintroductions.
‘I‘veheardalotaboutyou,‘Podulskisaid,shakingtheyoungerman‘shand.
‘Thankyou,sir.‘Kellydidn‘tknowwhatelsetosay.
‘CasandIgobackaways,‘Maxwellobserved,handlingtheintroductions.‘Igotfifteen‘-hepointedtotheaircraftpanelhangingonthewall-‘Casgoteighteen.‘
‘Allonfilm,too,‘Podulskiassuredhim.
‘Ididn‘tgetany,‘Greersaid,‘butIdidn‘tlettheoxygenrotmybraineither.‘Inadditiontowearingsoftclothes,thisadmiralhadthemapcase.Hetookoneout,thesamepanelhehadbackathishome,butmoremarkedup.Thencamethephotographs,andKellygotanotherlookatthefaceofColonelZacharias,thistimeenhancedsomehoworother,andrecognizablysimilartotheIDphotoGreerputnexttoit.
‘Iwaswithinthreemilesoftheplace,‘Kellynoted.‘Nobodyevertoldmeabout-‘
‘Itwasn‘tthereyet.Thisplaceisnew,lessthantwoyearsold,‘Greerexplained.
‘Anymorepictures,James?‘Maxwellasked.
‘JustsomeSR-71overheads,high-obliques,nothingnewinthem.Ihaveaguycheckingeveryframeofthisplace,agoodguy,ex-AirForce.Hereportstomeonly.‘
‘You‘regoingtobeagoodspy,‘Podulskinotedwithachuckle.
‘Theyneedmethere,‘Greerrepliedinalightheartedvoiceborderedwithseriousmeaning.Kellyjustlookedattheotherthree.Thebanterwasn‘tunlikethatinachief‘smess,butthelanguagewascleaner.Helooked.overatKellyagain.‘Tellmeaboutthevalley.‘
‘Agoodplacetostayawayfrom.‘
‘First,tellmehowyougotlittleDutchback.Everystepoftheway,‘Greerordered.
Kellyneededfifteenminutesforthat,fromthetimeheleftUSSSkatetothemomentthehelicopterhadliftedhimandLieutenantMaxwellfromtheriver‘sestuaryfortheflighttoKittyHawk.Itwasaneasystorytotell.Whatsurprisedhimwerethelookstheadmiralspassedbackandforth.
Kellywasn‘tequippedtounderstandthelooksyet.Hedidn‘treallythinkoftheadmiralsasoldorevenastotallyhuman.Theywereadmirals,godlike,agelessbeingswhomadeimportantdecisionsandlookedastheyshouldlook,eventheoneoutofuniform.NordidKellythinkofhimselfasyoung.He‘dseencombat,afterwhicheverymanisforeverchanged.Buttheirperspectivewasdifferent.ToMaxwell,Podulski,andGreer,thisyoungmanwasnotterriblyunlikewhattheyhadbeenthirtyyearsearlier.ItwasinstantlyclearthatKellywasawarrior,andinseeinghimtheysawthemselves.Thefurtivelookstheytradedwerenotunlikethoseofagrandfatherwatchinghisgrandsontakehisfirsttentativestepontheliving-roomrug.Butthesewerelargerandmoreserioussteps.
‘Thatwassomejob,‘GreersaidwhenKellyfinished.‘Sothisareaisdenselypopulated?‘
‘Yesandno,sir.Imean,it‘snotacityorlikethat,butsomefarmsandstuff.Iheardandsawtrafficonthisroad.Onlyafewtrucks,butlotsofbicycles,oxcarts,thatsortofthing.‘
‘Notmuchmilitarytraffic?‘Podulskiasked.
‘Admiral,thatstuffwouldbeonthisroadhere.‘Kellytappedthemap.HesawthenotationsfortheNVAunits.‘Howareyouplanningtogetinhere?‘
‘There‘snothingeasy,John.We‘velookedatahelicopterinsertion,maybeeventryinganamphibiousassaultandracingupthisroad.‘
Kellyshookhishead.‘Toofar.Thatroadistooeasytodefend.Gentlemen,youhavetounderstand,Vietnamisarealnationinarms,okay?Practicallyeverybodytherehasbeeninuniform,andgivingpeoplegunsmakesthemfeellikepartoftheteam.Thereareenoughpeoplewithgunstheretogiveyouarealpaincomingupthisway.You‘dnevermakeit.‘
‘Thepeoplereallysupportthecommunistgovernment?‘Podulskiasked.Itwasjusttoomuchforhimtobelieve.ButnotforKelly,
‘Jesus,Admiral,whydoyouthinkwe‘vebeenfightingtheresolong?Whydoyouthinknobodyhelpspilotswhogetshotdown?They‘renotlikeusoverthere.That‘ssomethingwe‘veneverunderstood.Anyway,ifyouputMarinesonthebeach,nobody‘sgoingtowelcomethem.Forgetracingupthisroad,sir.I‘vebeenthere.Itain‘tmuchofaroad,notevenasgoodasitlooksonthesepictures.Dropafewtreesandit‘sclosed.‘Kellylookedup.‘Hastobechoppers.‘
Hecouldseethenewswasnotwelcome,anditwasn‘thardtounderstandwhy.Thispartofthecountrywasdottedwithantiaircraftbatteries.Gettingastrikeforceinwasn‘tgoingtobeeasy.Atleasttwoofthesemenwerepilots,andifagroundassaulthadlookedpromisingtothem,thenthetriple-AproblemmusthavebeenworsethanKellyappreciated.
‘Wecansuppresstheflak,‘Maxwellthought.
‘You‘renottalkingabout-52sagain,areyou?‘Greerasked.
‘NewportNewsgoesbackonthegunlineinafewweeks.John,everseehershoot?‘
Kellynodded.‘Suredid.Shesupportedustwicewhenwewereworkingclosetothecoast.It‘simpressivewhatthoseeight-incherscando.Sir,theproblemis,howmanythingsdoyouneedtogorightforthemissiontosucceed?Themorecomplicatedthingsget,theeasieritisforthingstogowrong,andevenonethingcanberealcomplicated.‘Kellyleanedbackonthecouch,andremindedhimselfthatwhathehadjustsaidwasn‘tonlyfortheadmiralstoconsider.
‘Dutch,wehaveameetinginfiveminutes,‘Podulskisaidreluctantly.Thismeetinghadnotbeenasuccessfulone,hethought.GreerandMaxwellweren‘tsosureofthat.Theyhadlearnedafewthings.Thatcountedforsomething.
‘CanIaskwhyyou‘rekeepingthissotight?‘Kellyasked.
‘Youguesseditbefore.‘Maxwelllookedoveratthejuniorflagofficerandnodded.
‘TheSongTayjobwascompromised,‘Greersaid.‘Wedon‘tknowhow,butwefoundoutlaterthroughoneofoursourcesthattheyknew-atleastsuspected-somethingwascoming.Theyexpecteditlater,andweendeduphittingtheplacerightaftertheyevacuatedtheprisoners,butbeforetheyhadtheirambushsetup.Goodluck,badluck.Theydidn‘texpectOperationKINGPINforanothermonth.‘
‘DearGod,‘Kellybreathed.‘Somebodyoverheredeliberatelybetrayedthem?‘
‘Welcometotherealworldofintelligenceoperations,Chief,‘Greersaidwithagrimsmile.
‘Butwhy?‘
‘IfIevermeetthegentleman,Iwillbesuretoask.‘Greerlookedattheothers.‘That‘sagoodhookforustouse.Checktherecordsoftheoperation,reallow-keylike?‘
‘Wherearethey?‘
‘EglinAirForcebase,wheretheKINGPINpeopletrained.‘
‘Whomdowesend?‘Podulskiasked.
Kellycouldfeeltheeyesturninhisdirection.‘Gentlemen,Iwasjustachief,remember?‘
‘MrKelly,where‘syourcarparked?‘
‘Inthecity,sir.Itookthebusoverhere.‘
‘Comewithme.There‘sashuttlebusyoucantakebacklater.‘
Theywalkedoutofthebuildinginsilence.Greer‘scar,aMercury,wasparkedinavisitorslotbytheriverentrance.HewavedforKellytogetinandheadedtowardstheGeorgeWashingtonParkway.
‘Dutchpulledyourpackage.Igottoreadit.I‘mimpressed,son.‘WhatGreerdidn‘tsaywasthatonhisbatteryofenlistmenttests,Kellyhadscoredanaverageof147onthreeseparatelyformattedIQtests.‘Everycommanderyouhadsangyourpraises.‘
‘Iworkedforsomegoodones,sir.‘
‘Soitappears,andthreeofthemtriedtogetyouintoOCS,butDutchaskedyouaboutthat.Ialsowanttoknowwhyyoudidn‘ttakethecollegescholarship.‘
‘IwastiredofschoolsAndthescholarshipwasforswimming.Admiral.‘
‘That‘sabigdealatIndiana,Iknow,butyourmarkswereplentygoodenoughtogetanacademicscholarship.Youattendedaprettyniceprepschool-‘
‘Thatwasascholarship,too.‘Kellyshrugged.‘Nobodyinmyfamilyeverwenttocollege.DadservedahitchintheNavyduringthewar.Iguessitjustseemedlikesomethingtodo.‘Thatithadbeenamajordisappointmenttohisfatherwassomethinghe‘dnevertoldanyone.
Greerponderedthat.Itstilldidn‘tanswerthings.‘ThelastshipIcommandedwasasubmarine,DanielWebster.Mychiefoftheboat,seniorchiefsonarman,theguyhadadoctorateinphysics.Goodman,knewhisjobbetterthenIknewmine,butnotaleader,shiedawayfromitsome.Youdidn‘t,Kelly.Youtriedto,butyoudidn‘t.‘
‘Look,sir,whenyou‘reoutthereandthingshappen,somebodyhastogetitdone.‘
‘Noteverybodyseesthingsthatway.Kelly,there‘stwokindsofpeopleintheworld,theoneswhoneedtobetoldandtheoneswhofigureitoutallbythemselves,‘Greerpronounced.
ThehighwaysignsaidsomethingthatKellydidn‘tcatch,butitwasn‘tanythingaboutCIA.Hedidn‘ttumbletoituntilhesawtheoversizedguardhouse.
‘DidyoueverinteractwithAgencypeoplewhileyouwereoverthere?‘
Kellynodded.‘Some.Wewere-well,youknowaboutit,ProjectPHOENIX,right?Wewerepartofthat,asmallpart.‘
‘Whatdidyouthinkofthem?‘
‘Twoorthreeofthemwereprettygood.Therest-youwantitstraight?‘
‘That‘sexactlywhatIwant,‘Greerassuredhim.
‘Therestareprobablyrealgoodmixingmartinis,shakennotstirred,‘Kellysaidevenly.Thatearnedhimaruefullaugh.
‘Yeah,peopleheredoliketowatchthemovies!‘Greerfoundhisparkingplaceandpoppedhisdooropen.‘Comewithme,Chief.‘Theout-of-uniformadmiralledKellyinthefrontdoorandgothimaspecialvisitor‘spass,thekindthatrequiredanescort.
Forhispart,Kellyfeltlikeatouristinastrangeandforeignland.Theverynormalityofthebuildinggaveitasinisteredge.Thoughanordinary,andrathernew,governmentofficebuilding,CIAheadquartershadsomesortofaura.Itwasn‘tliketherealworldsomehow.Greercaughtthelookandchuckled,leadingKellytoanelevator,thentohissixth-flooroffice.Onlywhentheywerebehindtheclosedwoodendoordidhespeak.
‘How‘syourscheduleforthenextweek?‘
‘Flexible.Idon‘thaveanythingtyingmedown,‘Kellyansweredcautiously.
JamesGreernoddedsoberly.‘Dutchtoldmeaboutthat,too.I‘mverysorry,Chief,butmyjobrightnowconcernstwentygoodmenwhoprobablywon‘tseetheirfamiliesagainunlesswedosomething.‘Hereachedintohisdeskdrawer.
‘Sir,I‘mrealconfusedrightnow.‘
‘Well,wecandoithardoreasy.ThehardwayisthatDutchmakesaphonecallandyougetrecalledtoactiveduty,‘Greersaidsternly.Theeasywayis,youcometoworkformeasacivilianconsultant.Wepayyouaper-diemthat‘sawholelotmorethanchief‘spay.‘
‘Doingwhat?‘
‘YouflydowntoEglinAirForceBase,viaNewOrleansandAvis,Isuppose.This‘-Greertossedabillfold-likeIDinKelly‘slap-‘givesyouaccesstotheirrecords.Iwantyoutogoovertheoperationsplansasamodelforwhatwewanttodo.‘Kellylookedatthephoto-Ю.ItevenhadhisoldNavyphotograph,whichshowedonlyhishead,asinapassport.
‘Waitaminute,sir.Iamnotqualified-‘
‘AsamatteroffactIthinkyouare,butfromtheoutsideitwilllooklikeyou‘renot.No,you‘rejustaveryjuniorconsultantgatheringinformationforalow-levelreportthatnobodyimportantwilleverread.Halfthemoneywespendinthisdamnedagencygoesoutthedoorthatway,incasenobodyevertoldyou,‘Greersaid,hisirritationwiththeAgencygivingflighttomildexaggeration.That‘showroutineandpointlesswewantittolook.‘
‘Areyoureallyseriousaboutthis?‘
‘Chief,DutchMaxwelliswillingtosacrificehiscareerforthosemen.SoamI.Ifthere‘sawaytogetthemout—‘
‘Whataboutthepeacetalks?‘
HowdoIexplainthattothiskid?Greeraskedhimself.‘ColonelZachariasisofficiallydead.Theothersidesaidso,evenpublishedaphotoofabody.Somebodywenttovisithiswife,alongwiththebasechaplainandanotherAirForcewifetomakethingseasier.Thentheygaveheraweektovacatetheofficialquarters,justtomakethingsofficial,‘Greeradded.‘He‘sofficiallydead.I‘vehadsomeverycarefultalkswithsomepeople,andwe‘-thispartcameveryhard-‘ourcountrywillnotscrewupthepeacetalksoversomethinglikethis.Thephotowehave,enhancementandall,isn‘tgoodenoughforacourtoflaw,andthat‘sthestandardthatisbeingused.That‘sastandardofproofthatwecan‘tpossiblymeet,andthepeoplewhomadethedecisionknowit.Theydon‘twantthepeacetalkssidetracked,andifthelivesoftwentymoremenarenecessarytoendthegoddamnedwar,thenthat‘swhatittakes.Thosemenarebeingwrittenoff.‘
ItwasalmosttoomuchforKellytobelieve.HowmanypeopledidAmericawriteoffeveryyear?Andnotallwereinuniform,werethey?Somewererightathome,inAmericancities.
‘It‘sreallythatbad?‘
ThefatigueonGreer‘sfacewasunmistakable.‘YouknowwhyItookthisjob?Iwasreadytoretire.I‘veservedmytime,commandedmyships,donemywork.I‘mreadyforanicehouseandplayinggolftwiceaweekanddoingalittleconsultingontheside,okay?Chief,toomanypeoplecometoplaceslikethis,andrealitytothemisamemo.Theyfocusinon&"process&"andforgetthatthere‘sahumanbeingatthefarendofthepaperchain.That‘swhyIre-upped.Somebodyhastotryandputalittlerealitybackintotheprocess.We‘rehandlingthisasa&"black&"project.Doyouknowwhatthatmeans?‘
‘No,sir,Idon‘t.‘
‘It‘sanewtermthat‘scroppedup.Thatmeansitdoesn‘texist.It‘scrazy.Itshouldn‘tbethatway,butitis.Areyouontheteamornot?‘
NewOrleansKelly‘seyesnarrowedforamomentthatlingeredintofifteensecondsandaslownod.‘IfyouthinkIcanhelp,sir,thenIwill.HowmuchtimedoIhave?‘
GreermanagedasmileandtossedaticketfolderintoKelly‘slap.‘YourIDisinthenameofJohnClark;shouldbeeasytoremember.Youflydowntomorrowafternoon.Thereturnticketisopen,butIwanttoseeyounextFriday.Iexpectgoodworkoutofyou.Mycardandprivatelineareinthere.Getpacked,son.‘
‘Ayeaye,sir.‘
GreerroseandwalkedKellytothedoor.‘Andgetreceiptsforeverything.WhenyouworkforUncleSamyonhavetomakesureeveryonegetspaidoffproperly.‘
‘Iwilldothat,sir.‘Kellysmiled.
‘YoucancatchthebluebusbacktothePentagonoutside.‘GreerwentbacktoworkasKellylefttheoffice.
Theblueshuttlebusarrivedmomentsafterhewalkeduptothecoveredpickuppoint.Itwasacuriousride.Abouthalfthepeoplewhoboardedwereuniformed,andtheotherhalfcivilians.Nobodytalkedtoanyone,asthoughmerelyexchangingapleasantryoracommentontheWashingtonSenators‘continuingresidencyatthebottomoftheAmericanLeaguewouldviolatesecurity.Hesmiledandshookhisheaduntilhereflectedonhisownsecretsandintentions.Andyet-Greerhadgivenhimanopportunitythathe‘dnotconsidered.Kellyleanedbackinhisseatandlookedoutthewindowwhiletheotherpassengersonthebusstaredfixedlyforward.
‘They‘rerealhappy,‘Piaggisaid.
‘Itoldyouallalong,man.Ithelpstohavethebestproductonthestreet.‘
‘Noteverybody‘shappy.SomepeoplearesittingonacouplehundredkeysofFrenchstuff,andwe‘veknockedthepricedownwithourspecialintroductoryoffer.‘
Tuckerallowedhimselfagoodlaugh.The‘oldguard‘hadbeenoverchargingforyears.Thatwasmonopolypricingforyou.Anyonewouldhavetakenthetwoofthemforbusinessmen,orperhapslawyers,sincetherewerelotsofbothinthisrestauranttwoblocksfromthenewGarmatzcourthouse.Piaggiwassomewhatbetterdressed,inItaliansilk,andhemadeamentalnotetointroduceHenrytohistailor.Atleasttheguyhadlearnedhowtogroomhimself.Nexthehadtolearnnottodresstooflashy:Respectablewastheword.Justenoughthatpeopletreatedyouwithdeference.Theflashyones,likethepimps,wereplayingadangerousgamethattheyweretoodumbtounderstand.
‘Nextshipment,twiceasmuch.Canyourfriendshandleit?‘
‘Easy.ThepeopleinPhillyareespeciallyhappy.Theirmainsupplierhadalittleaccident‘
‘Yeah,Isawthepaperyesterday.Sloppy.Toomanypeopleinthecrew,right?‘
‘Henry,youjustkeepgettingsmarterandsmarter.Don‘tgettoosmart,okay?Goodadvice,‘Piaggisaidwithquietemphasis.
‘That‘scool,Tony.WhatI‘msayingis,let‘snotmakethatkindofmistakeourselves,okay?‘
Piaggirelaxed,sippinghisbeer.‘That‘sright,Henry.AndIdon‘tmindsayingthatit‘snicetodobusinesswithsomebodywhoknowshowtoorganize.There‘salotofcuriosityaboutwhereyourstuffcomesfrom.I‘mcoveringthatforyou.Lateron,though,ifyouneedmorefinancing‘
Tucker‘seyesblazedbrieflyacrossthetable.‘No,Tony.Nonow,noforever.‘
‘Okayfornow.Somethingtothinkaboutforlater.‘
Tuckernodded,apparentlylettingitgoatthat,butwonderingwhatsortofmovehis‘partner‘mightbeplanning.Trust,inthissortofenterprise,wasavariablequantity.HetrustedTonytopayontime.He‘dofferedPiaggifavorableterms,whichhadbeenhonored,andtheeggsthisgooselaidwerehisreallifeinsurance.Hewasalreadyatthepointthatamissedpaymentwouldn‘tharmhisoperation,andaslongashehadasteadysupplyofgoodheroin,they‘ddobusinesslikeabusiness,whichwaswhyhe‘dapproachedtheminthefirstplace.Buttherewasnorealloyaltyhere.Truststoppedathisusefulness.Henryhadneverexpectedanymorethanthat,butifhisassociateeverstartedpressingonhispipeline
Piaggiwonderedifhe‘dpressedtoofar,wonderingifTuckerknewthepotentialofwhattheyweredoing.TocontroldistributionontheentireEastCoast,anddosofromwithinacarefulandsecureorganization,thatwaslikeadreamcometrue.Surelyhewouldsoonneedmorecapital,andhiscontactswerealreadyaskinghowtheymighthelp.ButhecouldseethatTuckerdidnotrecognizetheinnocenceoftheinquiry,andifhediscusseditfurther,protestinghisgoodwill,thatwouldonlymakethingsworse.AndsoPiaggiwentbacktohislunchanddecidedtoleavethingsbeforawhile.Itwastoobad.Tuckerwasaverysmartsmall-timer,butstillasmall-timeratheart.Perhapshe‘dlearntogrow.Henrycouldneverbe‘made,‘buthecouldstillbecomeanimportantpartoftheorganization.
‘NextFridayokay?‘Tuckerasked.
‘Fine.Keepitsecure.Keepitsmart.‘
‘Yougotit,man.‘
Itwasanuneventfulflight,aPiedmont737outofFriendshipInternationalAirport.Kellyrodecoach,andthestewardessbroughthimalightlunch.FlyingoverAmericawassodifferentfromhisotheradventuresaloft.Itsurprisedhimhowmanyswimmingpoolstherewere.Everywhereyouflew,liftingofffromtheairport,evenovertherollinghillsofTennessee,theoverheadsunwouldsparkleofflittlesquarepatchesofchlorine-bluewatersurroundedbygreengrass.Hiscountryappearedtobesobenignaplace,socomfortable,untilyougotcloser.Butatleastyoudidn‘thavetowatchfortracerfire.
TheAviscounterhadacarwaiting,alongwithamap.ItturnedoutthathecouldhaveflownintoPanamaCity,Florida,butNewOrleans,hedecided,wouldsuithimjustfine.Kellytossedbothhissuitcasesintothetrunkandheadedeast.Itwasratherlikedrivinghisboat,thoughsomewhatmorehectic,deadtimeinwhichhecouldlethismindwork,examiningpossibilitiesandprocedures,hiseyessweepingthetrafficwhilehismindsawsomethingelseentirely.Thatwaswhenhestartedtosmile,athin,composedexpressionthatheneverthoughtaboutwhilehisimaginationtookacarefulandmeasuredlookatthenextfewweeks.
Fourhoursafterlanding,havingpassedthroughthelowerendsofMississippiandAlabama,hestoppedhiscaratthemaingateofEglinAFB.AfittingplacefortheKINGPINtrooperstohavetrained,theheatandhumiditywereanexactmatchwiththecountrythey‘dultimatelyinvaded,hotandmoist.KellywaitedoutsidetheguardpostforablueAirForcesedantomeethim.Whenitdid,anofficergotout.
‘MrClark?‘
‘Yes.‘HehandedoverhisIDfolder.Theofficeractuallysalutedhim,whichwasanovelexperience.ClearlysomeonewasoverlyimpressedwithCIA.Thisyoungofficerhadprobablyneverinteractedwithanybodyfromthere.Ofcourse,Kellyhadactuallybotheredtowearatieinthehopeoflookingasrespectableaspossible.
‘Ifyou‘llfollowme,please,sir.‘Theofficer,CaptainGriffin,ledhimtoafirst-floorroomattheBachelorOfficersQuarters,whichwassomewhatlikeamedium-qualitymotelandagreeablyclosetothebeach.AfterhelpingKellygetunpacked,GriffinwalkedhimtotheOfficers‘Club,where,hesaid,Kellyhadvisitor‘sprivileges.Allhehadtodowasshowhisroomkey.
‘Ican‘tknockthehospitality,Captain.‘Kellyfeltobligatedtobuythefirstbeer.‘YouknowwhyI‘mhere?‘
‘Iworkintelligence,‘Griffinreplied.
‘KINGPIN?‘Asthoughinamovie,theofficerlookedaroundbeforereplying.
‘Yes,sir.Wehaveallthedocumentsyouneedreadyforyou.Ihearyouworkedspecialopsoverthere,too.‘
‘Correct.‘
‘Ihaveonequestion,sir,‘theCaptainsaid.
‘Shoot,‘Kellyinvitedbetweensips.He‘ddriedoutonthedrivefromNewOrleans.
‘Dotheyknowwhoburnedthemission?‘
‘No,‘Kellyreplied,andonawhimadded,‘MaybeIcanpickupsomethingonthat.‘
‘Mybigbrotherwasinthatcamp,wethink.He‘dbehomenowexceptforwhatever‘
‘Motherfucker,‘Kellysaidhelpfully.TheCaptainactuallyblushed.
‘Ifyouidentifyhim,thenwhat?‘
‘Notmydepartment,‘Kellyreplied,regrettinghisearliercomment.‘WhendoIstart?‘
‘Supposedtobetomorrowmorning,MrClark,butthedocumentsareallinmyoffice.‘
‘Ineedaquietroom,apotofcoffee,maybesomesandwiches.‘
‘Ithinkwecanhandlethat,sir.‘
‘Thenletmegetstarted.‘
Tenminuteslater,Kellygothiswish.CaptainGriffinhadsuppliedhimwithayellowlegalpadandabatteryofpencils.Kellystartedoffwiththefirstsetofreconnaissancephotographs,thesetakenbyanRF-101Voodoo,andaswithSENDERGREEN,thediscoveryofSongTayhadbeenacompleteaccident,therandomdiscoveryofanunexpectedthinginaplaceexpectedtohavebeenaminormilitarytraininginstallation.Butintheyardofthecamphadbeenlettersstompedinthedirt,orarrangedwithstonesorhanginglaundry:‘K‘for‘comeandgetusoutofhere,‘andothersuchmarksthathadbeenmadeundertheeyesoftheguards.Thelistofpeoplewhohadbecomeinvolvedwasagenuinewho‘swhoofthespecialoperationscommunity,namesthatheknewonlybyreputation.
Theconfigurationofthecampwasnotterriblydifferentfromtheoneinwhichhewasinterestednow,hesaw,makingappropriatenotes.Onedocumentsurprisedhimgreatly.Itwasamemofromathree-startoatwo-star,indicatingthattheSongTaymission,thoughimportantinandofitself,wasalsoameanstoanend.Thethree-starhadwantedtovalidatehisabilitytogetspecial-opsteamsintoNorthVietnam.That,hesaid,wouldopenallsortsofpossibilities,oneofwhichwasacertaindamwithageneratorroomoh,yeah,Kellyrealized.Thethree-starwantedahuntinglicense,toinsertseveralteamsin-countryandplaythesamegamesOSShadbehindGermanlinesintheSecondWorldWar.ThememoconcludedwithanotethatpoliticalfactorsmadethelatteraspectofPOLARCIRCLE-oneofthefirstcovernamesforwhatbecameOperationKINGPIN-extremelysensitive.Somewouldseeitasawideningofthewar.Kellylookedup,finishinghissecondcupofcoffee.Whatwasitaboutpoliticians?-hewondered.Theenemycoulddoanythinghewanted,butoursidewasalwaystremblingatthepossibilityofbeingseentowidenthewar.He‘devenseensomeofthatathislevel.ThePHOENIXproject,thedeliberatetargetingoftheenemy‘spoliticalinfrastructure,wasamatterofthegreatestsensitivity.Hell,theyworeuniforms,didn‘tthey?Amaninacombatzonewearingauniformwasfairgameinanyone‘sbookofrules,wasn‘the?Theothersidetookoutlocalmayorsandschoolteacherswithsavageabandon.Therewasablatantdoublestandardtothewaythewarhadbeenconducted.Itwasatroublingthought,butKellysetitasideasheturnedbacktothesecondpileofdocuments.
Assemblingtheteamandplanningtheoperationhadtakenhalfofforever.Goodmenall,however.ColonelBullSimons,anothermanheknewonlybyhisreputationasoneofthetoughestsharp-endcombatcommandersanyArmyhadeverproduced.DickMeadows,ayoungermaninthesamemold.Theironlywakingthoughtwastobringharmanddistractiontotheenemy,andtheywereskilledindoingsowithsmallforcesandminimumexposure.Howtheymusthavelustedforthismission,Kellythought.Buttheoversightthey‘dhadtodealwithKellycountedtenseparatedocumentstohigherauthority,promisingsuccess-asthoughamemocouldmakesuchaclaimintheharshworldofcombatoperations-beforehestoppedbotheringtocountthem.Somanyofthemusedthesamelanguageuntilhesuspectedthataformletterhadbeenginnedupbysomeunitclerk.Probablysomeonewho‘drunoutoffreshwordsforhiscolonel,andthenexpressedasergeant‘scontemptfortheinterlocutorsbygivingthemthesamewordseverytime,intheexpectationthattherepeatswouldneverbenoticed-andtheyhadn‘tbeen.KellyspentthreehoursgoingthroughreamsofpaperbetweenEglinandCIA,concernsofdeskboundbean-countersdistractingthemeningreensuits,‘helpful‘suggestionsfrompeoplewhoprobablyworetiestobed,allofwhichhadrequiredanswersfromtheoperatorswhocarriedgunsandsoKINGPINhadgrownfromarelativelyminoranddramaticinsertionmissiontoaCecilB.DeMilleepicwhichhadmorethanoncegonetotheWhiteHouse,therebecomingknowntothePresident‘sNationalSecurityCouncilstaff—
Andthat‘swhereKellystopped,attwo-thirtyinthemorning,defeatedbythenextpileofpaper.HelockedeverythingupinthereceptaclesprovidedandjoggedbacktohisroomattheQ,leavingnoticeforaseveno‘clockwalk-upcall.
Itwassurprisinghowlittlesleepyouneededwhentherewasimportantworktobedone.Whenthephonerangatseven,Kellybouncedfromthebed,andfifteenminuteslaterwasrunningalongthebeachbarefoot,inapairofshorts.Hewasnotalone.Hedidn‘tknowhowmanypeoplewerebasedatEglin,buttheywerenotterriblydifferentfromhimself.Somehadtobespecialoperationstypes,doingthingsthathecouldonlyguessat.Youcouldtellthemfromthesomewhatwidershoulders.Runningwasonlypartoftheirfitnessgame.Eyesmetandevaluatedothers,andexpressionswereexchangedaseachmanknewwhattheotherwasthinking-Howtoughishe,really?-asanautomaticmentalexercise,andKellysmiledtohimselfthathewasenoughapartofthecommunitythathemeritedthatkindofcompetitiverespect.Alargebreakfastandshowerlefthimfullyrefreshed,enoughtogethimbacktohisclerk‘swork,andonthewalkbacktotheofficebuilding,heaskedhimself,surprisingly,whyhe‘deverleftthiscommunityofmen.Itwas,afterall,theonlyrealhomehe‘dknownafterleavingIndianapolis.
Andsothedayscontinued.Heallowedhimselftwodaysofsix-hours‘sleep,butnevermorethantwentyminutesforameal,andnotasingledrinkafterthatfirstbeer,thoughhisexerciseperiodsgrewtoseveralhoursperday,mainly,hetoldhimself,tofirmup.Therealreasonwasonethatheneverquiteadmitted.Hewantedtobethetoughestmanonthatearly-morningbeach,notjustanassociatepartofthesmall,elitecommunity.KellywasaSEALagain,morethanthat,abullfrog,andmorestill,hewasagainbecomingSnake.Bythethirdorfourth,morning,hecouldseethechange.Hisfaceandformwerenowanexpectedpartofthemorningroutinefortheothers.Theanonymityonlymadeitbetter,thatandthescarsofbattle,andsomewouldwonderwhathe‘ddonewrong,whatmistakeshe‘dmade.Thentheywouldremindthemselvesthathewasstillinthebusiness,scarsandall,notknowingthathe‘dleftit-quit,Kelly‘smindcorrected,withnotalittleguilt.
Thepaperworkwassurprisinglystimulating.He‘dneverbeforetriedtofigurethingsoutinquitethisway,andhewassurprisedtofindhehadatalentforit.Theoperationalplanning,hesaw,hadbeenathingofbeautyflawedbytimeandrepetition,likeabeautifulgirlkepttoolonginherhousebyajealousfather.EverydaythemockupoftheSongTaycamphadbeenerectedbytheplayers,andeachday,sometimesmorethanonce,takendownlestSovietreconnaissancesatellitestakenoteofwhatwasthere.Howdebilitatingthatmusthavebeentothesoldiers.Andithadalltakensolong,thesoldierspracticingwhilethehigher-upshaddithered,ponderingtheintelligenceinformationsolongthattheprisonershadbeenmoved.
‘Damn,‘Kellywhisperedtohimself.Itwasn‘tsomuchthattheoperationmighthavebeenbetrayed.Ithadjusttakentoolongandthatmeantthatifithadbeenbetrayed,theleakerhadprobablybeenoneofthelastpeopletodiscoverwhatwasafoot.Hesetthatthoughtasidewithapenciledquestion.
Theoperationitselfhadbeenmeticulouslyplanned,everythingdonejustright,aprimaryplanandanumberofalternates,witheachsegmentoftheteamsofullybriefedandtrainedthateverymancoulddoeveryfunctioninhissleep.CrashingahugeSikorskyhelicopterrightinthecampitselfsothatthestriketeamwouldnothavetowaittogettotheobjective.Usingminigunstotakedowntheguardtowerslikechainsawsagainstsaplings.Nofinesse,nopussyfooting,nomovie-typebullshit,justbrutallydirectforce.Theafter-actiondebriefsshowedthatthecampguardshadbeenimmolatedinmoments.Howelatedthetroopersmusthavefeltasthefirstminuteortwooftheoperationhadrunmoresmoothlythantheirsimulations,andthenthestunning,bitterfrustrationwhenthe‘negativeItem‘callshadcomeagainandagainovertheirradiocircuits.‘Item‘wasthesimplecodewordforanAmericanPOW,andnonewerehomethatnight.Thesoldiershadassaultedandliberatedanemptycamp.Itwasn‘thardtoimaginehowquietthechoppersmusthavebeenfortheridebacktoThailand,thebleakemptinessoffailureafterhavingdoneeverythingbetterthanright.
Therewas,nonetheless,muchtolearnhere.Kellymadehisnotes,crampingfingersandwearingoutnumerouspencils.Whateverelseithadbeen,KINGPINwasasupremelyvaluablelesson.Somuchhadgoneright,hesaw,andallofthatcouldbeshamelesslycopied.Allthathadgonewrong,really,wasthetimefactor.Troopsofthatqualitycouldhavegoneinmuchsooner.Thequestforperfectionhadn‘tbeendemandedattheoperationallevel,buthigher,frommenwhohadgrownolderandlostcontactwiththeenthusiasmandintelligenceofyouth.Andaconsequencehadbeenthefailureofthemission,notbecauseofBullSimons,orDickMeadows,ortheGreenBeretswho‘dgladlyplacedtheirlivesatriskformenthey‘dnevermet,butbecauseofotherstooafraidtorisktheircareersandtheiroffices-mattersoffargreaterimportance,ofcourse,thanthebloodoftheguysatthesharpend.SongTaywasthewholestoryofVietnam,toldinthefewminutesithadtakenforasuperbly-trainedteamtofail,betrayedasmuchbyprocessasbysomemisguidedortraitorouspersonhiddeninthefederalbureaucracy.
SENDERGREENwouldbedifferent,Kellytoldhimself.Iffornootherreasonthanthatitwasbeingrunasaprivategame.Iftherealhazardtotheoperationwasoversight,thenwhynoteliminatetheoversight?
‘Captain,you‘vebeenveryhelpful,‘Kellysaid.
‘Findwhatyouwanted,MrClark?‘Griffinasked.
‘Yes,MrGriffin,‘hesaid,droppingunconsciouslybackintonavalterminologyfortheyoungofficer.‘Theanalysisyoudidonthesecondarycampwasfirst-rate.Incasenobodyevertoldyou,thatmighthavesavedafewlives.Letmesaysomethingformyself:Iwishwe‘dhadanintel-weenielikeyouworkingforuswhenIwasoutintheweeds.‘
‘Ican‘tfly,sir.Ihavetodosomethinguseful,‘Griffinreplied,embarrassedbythepraise.
‘Youdo.‘Kellyhandedoverhisnotes.Underhiseyestheywereplacedinanenvelopethatwasthensealedwithredwax.‘Courierthepackagetothisaddress.‘
‘Yes,sir.You‘reduesometimeoff.Didyougetanysleepatall?‘CaptainGriffinasked.
‘Well,IthinkI‘lldepressurizeinNewOrleansbeforeIflyback.‘
‘Notabadplaceforit,sir.‘GriffinwalkedKellytohiscar,alreadyloaded.
Oneotherbitofintelligencehadbeenstunninglyeasy,Kellythought,drivingout.HisroomintheQhadcontainedaNewOrleanstelephonedirectoryinwhich,tohisamazement,hadbeenthenamehe‘ddecidedtolookupwhilesittinginJamesGreer‘sofficeinCIA.
Thiswastheshipmentthatwouldmakehisreputation,Tuckerthought,watchingRickandBillyfinishloadingthingsup.PartofitwouldfinditswaytoNewYork.Upuntilnowhe‘dbeenaninterloper,anoutsiderwithambition.He‘dprovidedenoughherointogetpeopleinterestedinhimselfandhispartners-thefactthathehadpartnershadattractedinterestofitsown,inadditiontotheaccess.Butnowwasdifferent.Nowhewasmakinghismovetobepartofthecrew.HewouldbeseenasaseriousbusinessmanbecausethisshipmentwouldhandlealltheneedsofBaltimoreandPhiladelphiaformaybeamonth,heestimated.Maybelessiftheirdistributionnetworkwasasgoodastheysaid.TheleftoverswouldstartmeetingthegrowingneedsintheBigApple,whichneededthehelpafteramajorbust.Aftersolongatimeofmakingsmallsteps,herewasthegiantone.Billyturnedonaradiotogetthesportsnews,andgotaweatherforecastinstead.
‘I‘mgladwe‘regoingnow.Stormscominginlater.‘Tuckerlookedoutside.Theskywasstillclearanduntroubled.‘Nothingforustoworryabout,‘hetoldthem.
HelovedNewOrleans,acityintheEuropeantradition,whichmixedOldWorldcharmwithAmericanzest.Richinhistory,ownedbyFrenchmenandSpaniardsintheirturn,ithadneverlostitstraditions,eventoitsmaintenanceofalegalcodethatwasnearlyincomprehensibletotheotherforty-ninestates,andwasoftenamatterofsomebefuddlementtofederalauthorities.Sowasthelocalpatois,formanymixedFrenchintotheirconversations,orwhattheycalledFrench.PierreLamarck‘santecedentshadbeenAcadians,andsomeofhismoredistantrelativeswerestillresidentsinthelocalbayous.Butcustomsthatwereeccentricandentertainingtotourists,andacomfortableliferichintraditiontoothers,hadlittleinteresttoLamarckexceptasapointofreference,apersonalsignaturetodistinguishhimfromhispeers.Thatwashardenoughtodo,ashisprofessiondemandedacertainflash,apersonalflair.Heaccentuatedhisuniquenesswithawhitelinensuitcompletewithvest,awhite,long-sleevedshirt,andared,solid-colortie,whichfittedhisownimageasarespectable,ifostentatious,localbusinessman.Thatwentalongwellwithhispersonalautomobile,aneggshell-whiteCadillac.Heeschewedtheornamentalexcessesthatsomeotherpimpsplacedontheirautomobiles,nonfunctionalexhaustpipes.OnesupposedTexanevenhadthehornsofalonghornsteeronhisLincoln,butthatonewasreallypoorwhitetrashfromlowerAlabama,andaboywhodidn‘tknowhowtotreathisladies.
ThislatterqualitywasLamarck‘sgreatesttalent,hetoldhimselfwithgreatsatisfaction,openingthedoorofhiscarforhisnewestacquisition,fifteenyearsoldandrecentlybrokenin,possessedofaninnocentlookanddemuremovementthatmadeheranoteworthyandenticingmemberofhiseight-girlstable.She‘dearnedthepimp‘sunaccustomedcourtesywithaspecialserviceofherownearlierintheday.Theluxurycarstartedonthefirstturnofthekey,andatseven-thirty,PierreLamarcksetoffonanothernight‘swork,forthenightlifeinhiscitystartedearlyandlastedlate.Therewasaconventionintown,distributorsforsomethingorother.NewOrleansattractedalotofconventions,andhecouldtrackthecashflowofhisbusinessbytheircomingsandgoings.Itpromisedtobeawarmandlucrativenight.
Ithadtobehim,Kellythought,halfablockaway,behindthewheelofhisstill-rentedcar.Whoelsewouldwearathree-piecesuitandbeaccompaniedbyayounggirldressedinatightmini?Certainlynotaninsuranceagent.Thegirl‘sjewelrylookedcheap-showyevenfromthisdistance.Kellyslippedthecarintogear,following.Hewasabletolayback.HowmanywhiteCaddiescouldtherebe?hewondered,crossingtheriver,threecarsback,eyeslockedonhistargetwhileperipheralpartsofhisminddealtwiththeothertraffic.Oncehehadtoriskaticketatatrafficlight,butotherwisethetrackingwassimple.TheCaddystoppedattheentrancetoanupscalehotel,andhesawthegirlgetout,andwalktowardsthedoor,herstrideamixtureofthebusinesslikeandtheresigned.Hedidn‘twanttoseeherfaceallthatclosely,afraidofwhatmemoriesmightresultfromit.Thiswasnotanightforemotion.Emotionwaswhathadgivenhimthemission.Howheaccomplishedithadtocomefromsomethingelse.Thatwouldbeaconstantstruggle,Kellytoldhimself,butonehewouldhavetocontendwithsuccessfully.Thatwas,afterall,whyhe‘dcometothisplace,onthisnight.
TheCadillacmovedonafewmoreblocks,findingaparkingplacebyaseedy,flashybarcloseenoughtothenicehotelsandbusinessesthatapersoncouldwalktherequickly,yetneverbefarfromthesafetyandcomfortofcivilizedsafety.Afairlyconstantstreamoftaxicabstoldhimthatthisaspectoflocallifehadafirm,institutionalfoundation.Heidentifiedthebarinquestionandfoundhimselfaplacetoparkthreeblocksaway.
Therewasadualpurposeinparkingsofarfromhisobjective.ThewalkinalongDecaturStreetgavehimbothafeelfortheterritoryandalookatlikelyplacesforhisaction.Surelyitwouldbealongnight.Someshort-skirtedgirlssmiledathimasmechanicallyasthechangingofthetrafficlights,buthewalkedon,hiseyessweepingleftandrightwhileadistantvoiceremindedhimofwhathehadoncethoughtofsuchgestures.Hesilencedthatvoicewithanother,morecurrentthought.Hisclotheswerecasual,whatamoderatelycomfortablemanmightwearinthishumidheatandheavyatmosphere,darkandanonymous,looseandbaggy.Theyproclaimedmoney,butnottoomuch,andhisstridetoldpeoplethathewasnotonetobetrifledwith.Amanofunderstatedsubstancehavingadiscreetnightonthewildside.
HewalkedintoChatsSauvagesateight-seventeen.Hisinitialimpressionofthebarwassmokeandnoise.Asmallbutenthusiasticrockbandplayedatthefarend.Therewasadancefloor,perhapstwenty-fivefeetsquare,wherepeoplehisageandyoungermovedwiththemusic;andtherewasPierreLamarck,sittingatatableinthecornerwithafewacquaintances,orsotheyseemedfromtheirdemeanor.Kellywalkedtothemen‘sroom,bothanimmediatenecessityandanopportunitytolooktheplaceover.Therewasanotherextranceontheside,butnoclosertoLamarck‘stablethantheonethroughwhichbothheandKellyhadentered.ThenearestpathtothewhiteCaddyledpastKelly‘splaceatthebar,andthattoldhimwherehisperchhadtobe.Kellyorderedabeerandturnedconvenientlytowatchtheband.
Atnine-tentwoyoungwomencametoLamarck.Onesatonhislapwhiletheothernibbledathisear.Theothertwomenatthetablewatchedwithneutralinterestwhilebothwomenhandedoversomethingtohim.Kellycouldn‘ttellwhatitwasbecausehewaslookingtowardstheband,carefulnottostaretooofteninLamarck‘sdirection.Thepimpsolvedthatproblemimmediately:itturnedout,unsurprisingly,tobecash,andthemansomewhatostentatiouslywrappedthebillsaroundarollremovedfromhispocket.Flashmoney,Kellyhadtroubledhimselftolearn,animportantpartofapimp‘spublicimage.Thefirsttwowomenleft,andLamarckwassoonjoinedbyanother,inwhatbecameanintermittentstreamthatdidn‘tstop.Histablematesenjoyedthesamesortoftraffic,Kellysaw,sippingtheirdrinks,payingcash,joshingwithandoccasionallyfondlingthewaitresswhoservedthem,thentippingherheavilybywayofapology.Kellymovedfromtimetotime.Heremovedhisjacket,rollinguphissleeves,topresentadifferentimagetothebar‘spatrons,andlimitinghimselftotwobeers,whichhenursedascarefullyashecould.Tediousasitwas,hedisregardedtheunpleasantnatureoftheevening,insteadnoticingthings.Whowentwhere.Whocameandleft.Whostayed.Wholingeredinoneplace.Kellysoonstartedrecognizingpatternsandidentifyingindividualstowhomheassignednamesofhisowncreation.MostofallheobservedeverythingtherewastoseeaboutLamarck.Henevertookoffhissuitjacket,kepthisbacktothewall.Hetalkedamiablywithhistwocompanions,buttheirfamiliaritywasnotthatoffriends.Theirjokingwastooaffected.Therewastoomuchemphasisontheirinteractivegestures,notthecasualcomfortthatyousawamongpeoplewhosecompanywassharedforsomepurposeotherthanmoney.Evenpimpsgotlonely,Kellythought,andthoughtheysoughtouttheirownkind,theirswasnotfriendshipbutmereassociation.Thephilosophicalobservationsheputaside.IfLamarcknevertookoffhiscoat,hehadtobecarryingaweapon.
Justaftermidnight,Kellyputhiscoatbackonandmadeyetanothertriptothemen‘sroom.Inthetoiletstallhetooktheautomatiche‘dhiddeninsidehisslacksandmovedittothewaistband.Twobeersinfourhours,hethought.Hisliveroughttohaveeliminatedthealcoholfromhissystem,andevenifithadn‘t,twobeersshouldnothavehadmucheffectononeasbulkyashe.Itwasanimportantstatementwhich,hehoped,wasn‘talie.
Histimingwasgood.Washinghishandsforthefifthtime,Kellysawthedooropeninthemirror.Onlythebackoftheman‘shead,butunderthedarkhairwasawhitesuit,andsoKellywaited,takinghistimeuntilheheardtheurinalflush.Asanitarysortoffellow,themanturned,andtheireyesmetinthemirror.
‘Excuseme,‘PierreLamarcksaid.Kellysteppedawayfromthesink,stilldryinghishandswithapapertowel.
‘Iliketheladies,‘hesaidquietly.
‘Hmph?‘Lamarckhadnolessthansixdrinksinhim,andhisliverhadnotbeenuptothetask,whichdidn‘tpreventhisself-admirationinthedirtymirror.
‘Theonesthatcomeuptoyou.‘Kellyloweredhisvoice.‘They,uh,workforyou,like?‘
‘Youmightsaythat,myman.‘Lamarcktookoutablackplasticcombtoreadjusthiscoiffeur.‘Whydoyouask?‘
‘Imightneedafew,‘Kellysaidwithembarrassment.
‘Afew?Yousureyoucanhandlethat,myman?‘Lamarckaskedwithaslygrin.
‘Somefriendsintownwithme.One‘shavingabirthday,and-‘
‘Aparty,‘thepimpobservedpleasantly.
‘That‘sright.‘Kellytriedtobeshy,butmainlycameoffasbeingawkward.Theerrorworkedinhisfavor.
‘Well,whydidn‘tyousayso?Howmanyladiesdoyourequire,sir?‘
&"Three,maybefour.Talkaboutitoutside?Icouldusesomeair.‘
‘Surething.Justletmewashmyhands,okay?‘
‘I‘llbeoutsidethefrontdoor.‘
Thestreetwasquiet.BusycitythoughNewOrleansmightbe,itwasstillthemiddleoftheweek,andthesidewalks,whilenotempty,weren‘tcrowdedeither.Kellywaited,lookingawayfromthebar‘sentranceuntilhefeltafriendlyhandonhisback.
‘It‘snothingtobeembarrassedabout.Weallliketohavealittlefun,especiallywhenwe‘reawayfromhome,right?‘
‘I‘llpaytopdollar,‘Kellypromisedwithanuneasysmile.
Lamarckgrinned,likethemanoftheworldhewas,toputthischickenfarmeratease.‘Withmyladies,youhaveto.Anythingelseyoumightneed?‘
Kellycoughedandtookafewsteps,willingLamarcktofollow,whichhedid.‘Maybesome,well,somethingtohelpusparty,like?‘
‘Icanhandlethat,too,‘Lamarcksaidastheyapproachedanalley.
‘IthinkImetyoubefore,coupleyearsback.Irememberthegirl,really,hernamewasPam?Yeah,Pam.Thin,tawnyhair.‘
‘Oh,yeah,shewasfun.She‘snotwithmeanymore,‘Lamarcksaidlightly.‘ButIhavelotsmore.Icatertothemenwholike‘emyoungandfresh.‘
‘I‘msureyoudo,‘Kellysaid,reachingbehindhisback.‘They‘reallon-Imeantheyallusethingsthatmakeit-‘
‘Happystuff,man.Sothey‘realwaysinthemoodtoparty.Aladyhastohavetheproperattitude.‘Lamarckstoppedattheentrancetothealley,lookingoutward,maybeworriedaboutcops,whichsuitedKellyjustfine.Behindhim,hehadnottroubledtosee,wasadark,scarcelylitcorridorofblankbrickwalls,inhabitedbynothingmorethantrashcansandstraycats,andopenatthefarend.‘Let‘ssee.Fourgirls,restoftheevening,shallwesay,andsomethingtohelpgetthepartystartedfivehundredshoulddoit.Mygirlsaren‘tcheap,butyouwillgetyourmoney‘s-‘
‘Bothhandsintheopen,‘Kellysaid,theColtautomaticleveledtwelveinchesfromtheman‘schest.
Lamarck‘sfirstresponsewasadisbelievingbluster:
‘Myman,thatisaveryfoolish-‘
Kelly‘svoicewasallbusiness.‘Arguingwithagunisevenmorefoolish,myman.Turn,walkdownthealley,andyoumightevenmakeitbacktothebarforanightcap.‘
‘Youmustneedmoneyrealbadtotrysomethingthisdumb,‘thepimpsaid,tryinganimpliedthreat.
‘Yourrollworthdyingfor?‘Kellyaskedreasonably.Lamarckmeasuredtheoddsandturned,movingintotheshadows.
‘Stop,‘Kellytoldhimafterfiftyyards,stillbehindtheblankwallofthebar,orperhapsanotherjustlikeit.Hisleftarmgrabbedtheman‘sneckandpushedhimagainstthebricks.Hiseyeslookedupanddownthealleythreetimes.Hisearssearchedforsoundsseparatefromtrafficnoiseanddistortedmusic.Forthemomentitwasasafeandquietplace.‘Handmeyourgun-realcareful.‘
‘Idon‘t-‘Thesoundofahammerbeingcockedsoundedawfullyloud,thatclosetohisear.
‘DoIlookstupid?‘
‘Okay,okay,‘Lamarcksaid,hisvoicelosingitssmoothedgenow.‘Let‘sberealcool.It‘sonlymoney.‘
‘That‘ssmart,‘Kellysaidapprovingly.Asmallautomaticappeared.Kellyputhisrightindexfingerintothetriggerguard.Therewasnosenseinputtingfingerprintsontheweapon.Hewastakingenoughchances,andascarefulashe‘dbeentothispoint,thedangersofhisactionweresuddenlyveryrealandverylarge.Thepistolfitnicelyintohiscoatpocket.
‘Let‘sseetherollnext.‘
‘Righthere,man.‘Lamarckwasstartingtoloseit.Thatwasbothgoodandbad,Kellythought.Goodbecauseitwaspleasingtosee.Badbecauseapanickedmanmightdosomethingfoolish.Insteadofrelaxing,Kellyactuallybecamemoretense.
‘Thankyou,MrLamarck,‘Kellysaidpolitely,tocalmtheman.
Justthenhewavered,andhisheadturnedafewinchesorso,ashisconsciousnessasserteditselfthroughthesixdrinkshe‘dhadthisevening.‘Waitaminute-yousaidyouknewPam.‘
‘Idid,‘Kellysaid.
‘Butwhy-‘Heturnedfarthertoseeafacethatwasbathedindarkness,onlyeyesshowingwithlightglisteningofftheirmoisture,andtherestofthefaceashadowwhite.
‘You‘reoneoftheguyswhoruinedherlife.‘
Outrage:‘Hey,manshecametome!‘
‘Andyougotheronpillssoshecouldpartyrealgood,right?‘thedisembodiedvoiceasked.Lamarckcouldhardlyrememberwhatthemanlookedlikenow.
‘Thatwasbusiness,soyoumether,soshewasagoodfuck,right?‘
‘Shecertainlywas.‘
‘Ishouldatrainedherbetteran‘youcouldahadheragaininsteada-was,yousay?‘
‘She‘sdead,‘Kellytoldhim,reachinginhispocket.‘Somebodykilledher.‘WwW.XiaoShuo530.com
‘So?Ididn‘tdoit!‘ItseemedtoLamarckthathewasfacingafinalexam,atesthedidn‘tunderstand,basedonruleshedidn‘tknow.
‘Yes,Iknowthat,‘Kellysaid,screwingthesilencerontothepistol.Lamarcksawthatsomehow,hiseyesmakingtheadjustmenttothedarkness.Hisvoicebecameashrillrasp.
‘Thenwhatareyoudoingthisfor?‘themansaid,toopuzzledeventoscream,tooparalyzedbytheincongruityofthepastfewminutes,bythepassageofhislifefromthenormalityofhishangoutbartoitsendonlyfortyfeetawayinfrontofawindowlessbrickwall,andhehadtohaveananswer.Somehowitwasmoreimportantthantheescape,whoseattemptheknewtobefutile.
Kellythoughtaboutthatforasecondortwo.Hecouldhavesaidmanythings,butitwasonlyfair,hedecided,totellthemanthetruthastheguncameupquicklyandfinally.
‘Practice.‘</div> 有的人死了，但没有完全死……
无尽的昏迷过后，时宇猛地从床上起身。想要看最新章节内容，请下载爱阅小说app，无广告免费阅读最新章节内容。网站已经不更新最新章节内容，已经爱阅小说APP更新最新章节内容。
他大口的呼吸起新鲜的空气，胸口一颤一颤。
迷茫、不解，各种情绪涌上心头。
这是哪？
随后，时宇下意识观察四周，然后更茫然了。
一个单人宿舍？
就算他成功得到救援，现在也应该在病房才对。
还有自己的身体……怎么会一点伤也没有。
带着疑惑，时宇的视线快速从房间扫过，最终目光停留在了床头的一面镜子上。
镜子照出他现在的模样，大约十七八岁的年龄，外貌很帅。
可问题是，这不是他！下载爱阅小说app，阅读最新章节内容无广告免费
之前的自己，是一位二十多岁气宇不凡的帅气青年，工作有段时间了。
而现在，这相貌怎么看都只是高中生的年纪……
这个变化，让时宇发愣很久。
千万别告诉他，手术很成功……
身体、面貌都变了，这根本不是手术不手术的问题了，而是仙术。
他竟完全变成了另外一个人！
难道……是自己穿越了？
除了床头那摆放位置明显风水不好的镜子，时宇还在旁边发现了三本书。
时宇拿起一看，书名瞬间让他沉默。
《新手饲养员必备育兽手册》
《宠兽产后的护理》
《异种族兽耳娘评鉴指南》
时宇：？？？
前两本书的名字还算正常，最后一本你是怎么回事？
“咳。”
时宇目光一肃，伸出手来，不过很快手臂一僵。
就在他想翻开第三本书，看看这究竟是个什么东西时，他的大脑猛地一阵刺痛，大量的记忆如潮水般涌现。
冰原市。
宠兽饲养基地。
实习宠兽饲养员。网站即将关闭，下载爱阅app为您提供大神璇玑的璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将
御兽师？
章节错误,点此报送(免注册),
报送后维护人员会在两分钟内校正章节内容,请耐心等待