The Triggerman Dance

"If he did, then he'd blow you wide open. Why betray his master? It doesn't make sense. What's in it for Fargo? Do you think he really likes you?"

"He hates me."

"Then he's not going to feed you evidence to hang his own boss! Jesus, John. Try this: he's not being set up by a traitor, but by a conscience. Someone who knows what he did and hopes you can do something with the evidence. Someone who suspects not that you're a plant, but a man with a strong sense of right and wrong. Someone who knows everyone else is loyal to Holt. Someone who's loyal to Holt too, but not quite enough to let him get away with murdering an innocent young woman."

"Who?"

"His wife. His wife's nurse. His daughter. Thurmond or Laura Messinger. One of the Holt Men who works closely with him. Holt himself. Maybe he's broken down, needs to confess."

John tried to think through the possibilities, but they all sounded wrong. "Joshua, you don't have a clue about what's going on out here. Do you?"

"John, I don't give a damn what's going on out there. We've got five days. We're being fed evidence and I'm going to take it. If it comes from an unexpected source, fine. I'll use any bit of rope I need. When Holt's in lockup we'll sort through the program and identify the players. But as long as it's going like this, then in the name of God in heaven let's burn his sorry carcass while we can!"

John listened to Weinstein's clear baritone. He imagined his Adam's apple doing its little jig; he imagined Joshua's black eyes and pale skin and the unshakable focus of his vengeance. And John realized for the first time that he was utterly expendable here, only a tool for Joshua. He was a conduit, a piece of pipe. And no amount of danger or threat would make Joshua waver in his crusade to ruin Vann Holt. What an odd feeling, he thought, to realize you are only valued for what you can do. I don't care what's going on out there. What a simpleton he had been.

He said nothing for a long moment. Instead he felt the chill of the wind cutting through his coat, all the way to his bones, and the loneliness of his body here on Liberty Ridge. He felt the solitary nakedness that was his. He felt the border between his own skin and the world outside it, and knew that he could only trust what was within. He shivered and felt cold.

"The tape's in the box, Joshua."

"Very good, Owl. We can hope it's good enough for a warrant, but that's up for a judge to decide. Now, has he asked you to meet with Baum?"

"He made it official tonight. I'm supposed set up a meeting somewhere, then bring her back to Liberty Ridge. So they can ... talk."

Joshua was silent. His voice was even lower now, quieter "It is happening, Dear Owl. Good things are happening for us. is coming together. When? When does he want her?"

"As soon as possible."

"The gods are smiling. Call her this morning at 8:30. You find her reluctant to meet, but not suspicious of you. She'll insist that Sunday noon is the soonest, and best she can do."

"You've been busy."

"Always. Once Wayfarer agrees to a time, the clock star ticking. I'll need to know what he's planning, where on the Ridge he might take her, anything you can find out. Sundays, the Liberty Ops training school is down. It's quiet, not a lot of Holt Men around."

"And you'll make the arrest while I'm out retrieving her?"

"Ideally. Now, has Holt frisked you since the first day?"

"Holt didn't. Fargo did."

"Well, has Fargo?"

"No."

"Have your things been disturbed?"

"I told you he took my wallet, shotgun and ammo."

"Have your things been disturbed since?"

"I don't think so."

Josh went quiet again. John heard the wind in the fallen oak leaves, the scratch of needles in darkness.

"Owl, we're down to five days. This, as ordered from mid level deities you don't need to know about. Sunday will be the third of those five—our last best window. We've played well, but our time is running out. I want you to do something different, want you to keep your phone with you from now on. Hide it in the cottage. When you've set up the meeting with Baum, an Holt has agreed, call me as soon as it's safe to do so."

"Fargo can check the cottage any time he wants."

"It's time to take acceptable risks."

"You've got the whole sad thing on tape, Joshua. Holt's firished."

"Not yet, he isn't. We'll need a warrant for his arrest. Judges frown on information obtained from covert, untrained, unsworn sources."

"I thought you trained me."

"Don't get precious on me, now. It's a little late in the game for that. We're here to flay Wayfarer alive and let the vultures eat his guts. Aren't we?"

"I've got to be alive to enjoy it."

"I'll keep you alive, Owl. You're indispensable to me. You're my secret agenda. My hidden reason. My invisible passion. Just like you were, to—"