Never Go Back By Lee Child Novel Narratives Audiobooks

knowledge lab present this is audio book never go back Jack Reacher by Lee Child narrated by book tube introduction after an epic and interrupted Journey all the way from the Snows of South Dakota Jack Reacher has finally made it to Virginia his destination a sturdy Stone building a short bus ride from Washington DC the headquarters of his old unit the 110th MP it was the closest thing to a home he ever had why he wants to meet the new commanding officer major Susan Turner he liked her voice on the phone but the officer sitting behind Reacher's old desk isn't a woman why is Susan Turner not there what Reacher doesn't expect is what comes next he himself is in big trouble accused of a 16-year-old homicide and he certainly doesn't expect to hear these words you're back in the Army Major and your ass is mine will he be sorry he went back or will someone else after an epic and interrupted Journey all the way from the Snows of South Dakota Jack Reacher has finally made it to Virginia his destination a sturdy Stone building a short bus ride from Washington DC the head quarters of his old unit the 110th MP it was the closest thing to a home he ever had why he wants to meet the new commanding officer major Susan Turner he liked her voice on the phone but the officer sitting behind Reacher's old desk isn't a woman why is Susan Turner not there what Reacher doesn't expect is what comes next he himself is in big trouble accused of a 16-year-old homicide and he certainly doesn't expect to hear these words you're back in the Army Major and your ass is mine will he be sorry he went back or will someone else Reacher in a car and drove him to a motel a mile away where the night clerk gave him a room which had all the features Reacher expected because he had seen such rooms a thousand times before there was a rockus through the wall heater which would be too noisy to sleep with which would save the owner money on electricity there were low what bulbs in all the fixtures likewise there was a low pile carpet that after cleaning would dry in hours so the room could rent again the same day not that the carpet would be cleaned often it was dark and patterned and ideal for concealing stains as was the bed spread no doubt the shower would be weak and strangled and the towels thin and the soap small and the shampoo cheap the furniture was made of wood all dark and brw bruised and the television set was small and old and the curtains were gray with Grime eventually they put all as expected nothing he hadn't seen a thousand times before but still dismal so before even putting the key in his pocket he turned around and went back out to the lot the air was cold and a little damp the middle of the evening in the middle of winter in the northeastern corner of Virginia the lazy pomac was not far away Beyond it in the East DC glow lit up the clouds the nation's capital where all kinds of things were going on the car that had let him out was already driving away Reacher watched its tail lights grow faint in the Mist after a moment they disappeared completely and the world went quiet and still just for a minute then another car showed up brisk and confident like it knew where it was going it turned into the lot it was a plain sedan dark in color almost certainly a government vehicle it aimed for the motel office but its headlight beams swung across Reacher immobile form and it changed Direction and came straight at him visitors purpose unknown but the news would be either good or bad the car stopped parallel with the building as far in front of Reacher as his room was behind him leaving him alone in the center of a space the size of a boxing ring two men got out of the car despite the chill they were dressed in t-shirts tied and white above the kind of athletic pants sprinters peel off seconds before a race both men looked more than 6 feet and 200 lb smaller than Reacher but not by much both were military that was clear Reacher could tell by their haircuts no civilian Barber would be as pragmatic or as brutal the market wouldn't ow it the guy from the passenger side tracked around the hood and formed up with the driver the two of them stood there side by side both wore sneakers on their feet big and white and shapeless neither had been in the Middle East recently no sunburn no squit lines no stress and strain in their eyes both were young somewhere south of 30 technically Reacher was old enough to be their father they were ncos he thought Specialists probably not sergeants they didn't look like sergeants not wise enough the opposite in fact they had dull blank faces the guy from the passenger side said are you Jack Reacher Reacher said who's asking we are and who are you were your legal advisors which they weren't obviously Reacher knew that Army lawyers don't travel in pairs and breathe through their mouths they were something else bad news not good in which case immediate action was always the best bet easy enough to mime sudden comprehension and an eager approach and a hand raised in welcome and easy enough to let the eager approach become Unstoppable momentum and to turn the raised hand into a siing blow elbow into the left hand guy's face hard and downward followed by a stamp of the right foot as if killing an imaginary cockroach had been the whole point of the exercise whereupon the bounce off the stamp would set up the same elbow backand into the right- hand guy's throat one two three smack stamp smack game over easy enough and always the safest approach Reacher Mantra get your retaliation in first especially when outnumbered two to one against guys with youth and energy on their side but he was n sure not completely not yet and he couldn't afford a mistake of that nature not then not under the circumstances he was inhibited he let the moment pass he said so what's your legal advice conduct Unbecoming the guy said you brought the unit into disrepute a court Marshal would hurt us all so you should get the hell out of town right now and you should never come back again no one mentioned a court Marshal not yet but they will so don't stick around for it I'm under orders they couldn't find you before they won't find you now the Army doesn't use skip tracers and no skip Tracer could find you anyway not the way you seen to live Reacher said nothing the guy said so that's our legal advice Reacher said noted you need to do more than not it do I because we're offering an incentive what kind every night we find you still here we're going to kick your ass are you starting tonight so you'll get the right general idea about what to do Reacher said you ever bought an electrical Appliance what's that got to do with anything I saw one once in a store it had a yellow label on the back it said if you messed with it you ran the risk of death or Serious injury so pretend I've got the same kind of label we're not worried about you old man old man Reacher saw an image of his father in his mind somewhere Sunny okanawa possibly Stan Reacher born in lonia New Hampshire a marine Captain serving in Japan with a wife and two teenage Sons Reacher and his brother had called him the old man and he had seemed old even though at that point he must have been 10 years younger than Reacher was that night turn around Reacher said go back wherever you came from you're in over your heads not how we see it I used to do this for a living Reacher said but you know that right no response I know all the moves Reacher said I invented some of them no reply Reacher still had his key in his hand rule of thumb don't attack a guy who just came through a door that locks a bunch is better but even a single key makes a pretty good weapon socket the head against the Palm poke the shaft out between the index and middle fingers and you've got a fairly decent knuckle duster but they were just dumb kids no need to get all bent out of shape no need for torn flesh and broken bones Reacher put his key in his pocket their sneakers meant they had no plans to kick him no one kicks things with soft white athletic shoes no point unless they were aiming to deliver blows with their feet merely for the points value alone like one of those martial arts fetishes with a name like something off a Chinese food menu Tew do and so on all very well at the Olympic Games but hopeless on the street lifting your leg like a dog at a hydrant was just begging to get beat begging to get tipped over and kicked into unconsciousness did these guys even know that were they looking at his own feet Reacher was wearing a pair of heavy boots comfortable and durable he had bought them in South Dakota he planned to keep on wearing them all winter long he said I'm going inside now he said good night Reacher half turned and half stepped back towards his door a fluid quarter Circle shoulders and all and like he knew they would the two guys move towards him faster than he was moving offs script and involuntary ready to grab him Reacher kept it going long enough to let their momentum establish and then he whipped back through the reverse quarter Circle towards them by which time he was moving just as fast as they were 250 lbs about to collide headon with 400 and he kept on twisting and threw a long left hook at the left- hand guy it caught him as designed hard on the ear and the guy's head snapped sideways and bounced off his partner's shoulder by which time Reacher was already throwing a right- hand uppercut under the partner's chin it hit like a how a diagram and the guy's head went up and back the same way his buddies had bounced around and almost in the same second like they were puppets and the Puppeteer had sneezed both of them stayed on the their feet the left hand guy was wobbling around like a man on a ship and the right hand guy was stumbling backward the leftand guy was all unstable and up on his heels and his Center Mass was open and unprotected Reacher popped a clubbing right into his solar plexus hard enough to drive the breath out of him soft enough not to cause lasting neurological damage the guy folded up and crouched and hugged his knees Reacher stepped past him and went after the right-hand guy who saw him coming and swung a feeble right of his own Reacher clouded it aside with his left forearm and repeated the clubbing right to the solar plexus the guy folded in half just the same after that it was easy enough to nudge them around until they were facing in the right direction and then to use the flat of his boot sole to shove them towards their car first one and then the other they hit head- on pretty hard and they went down flat they left shallow dents in the door panels they lay there gasping still conscious a dented car to explain and headaches in the morning that was all merciful under the circumstances benevolent considerate soft even old man old enough to be their father by that point Reacher had been in Virginia Less Than 3 hours two made it all the way from the Snows of South Dakota but not quickly he had gotten hung up in Nebraska twice and onward progress had been just as slow Missourri had been a long wait and then a silver Ford driven East by a bony man who talked all the way from Kansas City to Colombia and then fell silent Illinois was a fast black Porsche which Reacher guest was stolen and then it was two men with knives at a rest stop they had wanted money and Reacher guessed they were still in the hospital Indiana was two days going nowhere and then a dented blue Cadillac driven Slowly by a dignified Old Gentleman in a bow tie the same blue as his car Ohio was four days in a small town and then a red crew cab Silverado with a young married couple and their dog driving all day in search of work which in Reacher's opinion was a possibility for two of them the dog would not find easy employment it was likely to remain Forever on the debit Side Of The Ledger if it was a big useless mut pale in color about 4 years old trusting and friendly and it had hair to spare even though it was the middle of winter Reacher ended up covered in a fine golden down Reacher had finally then came in a logical Loop north and east into Pennsylvania but it was the only ride Reacher could get he spent a day near Pittsburgh and another near York and then a black guy about 20 years old drove him to Baltimore Maryland in a white Buick of about 30 years old slow progress overall but from Baltimore it was easy Baltimore set a stride I 95 and DC was the next stop South and the part of Virginia Reacher was aiming for was more or less inside the DC bubble not much farther west of Arlington Cemetery than the White House was East Reacher made the trip from Baltimore on a bus and got out in DC at the Depot behind Union Station and walked through the city on K Street to Washington Circle and then 23rd Street to the Lincoln Memorial and then over the bridge to the cemetery there was a bus stop outside the gates a local service mostly for the gardeners Reacher's General destination was a place called Rock Creek one of many spots in the region with the same name because there were rocks and Creeks everywhere and settlers had been both isolated from one another and equally descriptive in their naming habits no doubt back in the days of mud and breaches and wigs it had been a pretty little Colonial Village but later it had become just another Crossroads in 100 square miles of expensive houses and cheap office Parks Reacher watched out the bus window and noted The Familiar sites and cataloged the new editions and waited his specific destination was a sturdy building put up about 60 years before by the nearby Department of Defense for some long-forgotten original purpose about 40 years after that the military police had bit on it in error as it turned out some officer was thinking of a different Rock Creek but he got the building anyway it sat empty for a spell and then it was given to the newly formed 110th MP special unit as its HQ it was the closest thing to a home base Reacher had ever had the bus led him out two blocks away on a corner at the bottom of a Long Hill he had walked many times the road coming down towards him was a three lane with cracked concrete sidewalks and mature trees and pits the HQ building was ahead on the left in a broad lot behind a high stone wall only its roof was visible made of gray slate with moss growing on its Northern Hip there was a driveway entrance off the three lane which came through the high stone wall between two brick pillars which in Reacher's time had been purely decorative with no Gates hung off them but Gates had been installed since then they were heavy steel items with steel wheels which ran in radius tracks butchered into the old black top security in theory but not in practice because the gates were standing open inside them just beyond the end of their swing was a Sentry Hutch which was also new it was occupied by a private first class wearing the new Army Combat Uniform which Reacher thought looked like pajamas all patterned and baggy late afternoon was turning into early evening and the light was fading Reacher stopped at the Sentry Hutch and the private gave him an inquiring look and Reacher said I'm here to visit with your Co the guy said you mean major Turner Reacher said how many cosos do you have just one sir first name Susan yes sir that's correct major Susan Turner sir that's the one I want what name shall I give Reacher what's the nature of your business personal wait one sir the guy picked up a phone and called ahead a Mr Reacher to see major Turner the call went on much longer than Reacher expected at one point the guy covered the mouthpiece with his palm and asked are you the same Reacher that was Co here once major Jack Reacher yes Reacher said and you spoke to Major Turner from somewhere in South Dakota the guy repeated the two affirmative answers into the phone and listened some more then he hung up and said sir please go ahead he started to give directions and then he stopped and said I guess you know the way I guess I do Reacher said he walked on and 10 Paces later he heard a grinding noise and he stopped and glanced back the gates were closing behind him the building ahead of him was classic 1950 DOD architecture long and low two stories brick stone slate green metal window frames green tubular handrails at the steps up to the doors the 1950s had been a golden age for the dod budgets had been immense Army Navy Air Force Marines the military had gotten whatever it wanted and more there were cars parked in the lot some were Army sedans plain and dark and well used some were povs personally owned Vehicles brighter in color but generally older there was a lone humy dark green and black huge and menacing next to a small red two-seater Reacher wondered if the two-seater was Susan Turners he figured it could be on the phone she had sounded like a woman who might drive such a thing he went up the short flight of stone steps to the door same steps same door but repainted since his time more than once probably the Army had a lot of paint and was always happy to use it inside the door the place looked more or less the same as it always had there was a lobby with a stone staircase to the second floor on the right and a reception desk on the left then the lobby narrowed to a corridor that ran the length of the building with offices left and right the office doors were half glazed with readed glass the lights were on in the corridor door it was Winter and the building had always been dark there was a woman at the reception desk in the same ACU pajamas as the guy at the gate but with a sergeant stripes on the tab in the center of her chest like an Aiming Point Reacher thought up up up fire he much preferred the old Woodland pattern battle dress uniform the woman was black and didn't look happy to see him she was agitated about something he said Jack Reacher for major Turner the woman stopped and started a couple of times as if she had plenty she wanted to say but in the end all she managed was you better head on up to her office you know where it is Reacher nodded he knew where it was it had been his office once he said thank you Sergeant he went up the stairs same worn Stone same metal handrail he had been up those stairs a thousand times they folded around once and came out directly above the center of the lobby at the end of the long second floor Corridor the lights were on in the corridor the same lenium was on the floor the office doors to the left and right had the same readed glass as the first floor doors his office was third on the left no Susan Turner was he made sure his shirt was tucked and he brushed his hair with his fingers he had no idea what he was going to say he had liked her voice on the phone that was all he had sensed an interesting person behind it he wanted to meet that person simple as that he took two steps and stopped she was going to think he was crazy but nothing ventured nothing gained he Shrugged to himself and moved on again third on the left the door was the same as it always had been but painted solid below glass above the readed pattern splitting the dull view through into distorted vertical slices there was a corporate style name played on the wall near the handle major Sr Turner commanding officer that was new in Reacher's day his name had been stencl on the wood below the glass with even more economy major Reacher Co he knocked he heard a vague vocal sound inside it might have been enter so he took a breath and opened the door and stepped inside he had been expecting changes but there weren't many the lenium on the floor was the same polished to a subtle Sheen and a murky color the desk was the same steel like a battleship painted but worn back to shiny metal here and there still dented where he had slammed some guy head into it back at the end of his command the chairs were the same both behind the desk and in front of it utilitarian mid-century items that might have sold for a lot of money in some hipster store in New York or San Francisco the file cabinets were the same the light fixture was the same a contoured white glass bowl hung off three little chains the differences were mostly predictable and driven by the march of time there were three console telephones on the desk where before there had been one old rotary dial heavy and black there were two computers one a desk top and W a laptop where before there had been an inray and an out tray and a lot of paper the map on the wall was new and up to date and the light fixture was burning green and sickly with a modern bulb all fluorescent and energy saving progress even at the department of the army only two things in the office were unexpected and unpredictable first the person behind the desk was not a major but a lieutenant colonel and second he wasn't a woman but a man free the desk was wearing the same ACU pajamas as everyone else but they looked worse on him than most like fancy dress like a Halloween party not because he was particularly out of shape but because he looked serious and managerial and desk bound as if his weapon of choice would be a propelling pencil not an M16 he was wearing steel eyeglasses and had steel gray hair cut and combed like a school boy boys his tapes and his tags confirmed he was indeed a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army and that his name was Morgan The Man Behind Reacher said I'm sorry Colonel I was looking for major Turner the guy named Morgan said sit down Mr Reacher command presence was a rare and valuable thing much prized by the military and the guy named Morgan had plenty of it like his hair and his glasses his voice was steal no [ __ ] no Bluster no bullying just a Brisk assumption that all reasonable men would do exactly what he told them because there would be no real practical alternative Reacher sat down in the visitor chair nearer the window it had springy bent tube legs and it gave and bounced a little under his weight he remembered the feeling he had s in it before for one reason or another Morgan said please tell me exactly why here and at that point Reacher thought he was about to get a death message Susan Turner was dead Afghanistan possibly or a car wreck he said where is Major Turner Morgan said not here where then we might get to that but first I need to understand your interest in what in major Turner I have no interest in major Turner yet you ask asked for her by name at the gate it's a personal matter as in Reacher said I talked to her on the phone she sounded interesting I thought I might drop by and ask her out to dinner the field manual doesn't prohibit her from saying yes or no as the case may be indeed Morgan asked what did you talk about on the phone this and that what exactly it was a private conversation Colonel and I don't know who you are I'm commander of the 110th special unit not major Turner not anymore I thought this was a Major's job not a light Colonels this is a temporary command I'm a troubleshooter I get sent in to clean up the mess and there's a mess here is that what you're saying Morgan ignored the question he asked did you specifically arrange to meet with major Turner not specifically Reacher said did she request your presence here not specifically Reacher said again yes or no neither I think it was just a vague intention on both our parts if I happen to be in the area that kind of a thing and yet here you are in the area why why not I have to be somewhere are you saying you came all the way from South Dakota on the basis of a vague intention Reacher said I liked her voice you got a problem with that you're unemployed is that correct currently since when since I left the Army that's disgraceful Reacher asked where is Major Turner Morgan said this interview is not about major Turner then what's it about this interview is about you me completely unrelated to Major Turner but she pulled your file perhaps she was curious about you there was a flag on your file it should have triggered when she pulled it which would have saved us some time unfortunately the flag malfunctioned and didn't trigger until she returned it but better late than never because here you are what are you talking about did you know a man named Juan Rodriguez no who is he at one time he was of interest to the 110th now he's dead do you know a woman named Candace Dayton no is she dead too Miss Dayton is still alive happily or not happily as it turns out you sure you don't remember her what's this all about you're in trouble Reacher for what the secretary of the army has been given medical evidence showing Mr Rodriguez died as a direct result of a beating he suffered 16 years ago given there's no statute of limitations in such cases he was technically a homicide victim you saying one of my people did that 16 years ago no that's not what I'm saying that's good so what's making Miss Dayton unhappy that's not my topic someone else will talk to you about that they'll have to be quick I won't be sticking around for long not if major Turner isn't here I don't remember any other real attractions in the neighborhood you will be sticking around Morgan said you and I are du a long and interesting conversation about what the evidence shows it was you who beat on Mr Rodriguez 16 years ago [ __ ] you'll be provided with a lawyer if it's [ __ ] I'm sure he'll say so I mean [ __ ] you and I are not going to have any kind of a long conversation or a lawyer I'm a civilian and you're an [ __ ] wearing pajamas so you're not offering voluntary cooperation you got that right in which case are you familiar with title 10 of the United States code Reacher said parts of it obviously then you may know that one particular part of it tells us when a man of your rank leaves the Army he doesn't become a civilian not immediately and not entirely he becomes a reservist he has no duties but he remains subject to recall but for how many years Reacher said you had a security clearance I remember it well do you remember the papers you had to sign to get it vaguely Reacher said he remembered a bunch of guys in a room all grownup and serious lawyers and notaries and seals and stamps and pens Morgan said there was a lot of fine print naturally if you're going to know the government's Secrets the government is going to want some control over you before during and after how long after most of that stuff stays secret for 60 years that's ridiculous don't worry Morgan said the fine print didn't say you stay a reservist for 60 years that's good it said worse than that it said indefinitely but as it happens the Supreme Court already screwed us on that it mandated we respect the standard three bottom line restrictions common to all cases in title 10 which are to be successfully recalled you have to be in good health under the age of 55 years and trainable Morgan asked how's your health pretty good how old are you I'm a long way from 55 are you trainable I doubt it me too but that's an empirical determination we make on the job are you serious completely Morgan said Jack Reacher as of this moment on this day you are formally recalled to military service you're back in the Army Major Morgan said and your ass is mine for big ceremony no processing in or reprocessing just Morgan's words and then the room darkened a little as a guy in the corridor took up station in front of the door and blocked the light coming through the readed glass panel Reacher saw him all sliced up vertically a tall broad-shouldered Sentry standing easy facing away there was ano Morgan said I'm required to tell you there's an appeals procedure you'll be given full access to it you'll be given a lawyer Reacher said I'll be given it's a matter of simple logic you'll be trying to appeal your way out which implies you're starting out in which means you'll get what the Army chooses to give you but I imagine will be reasonable I don't remember anyone Rodriguez you'll be given a lawyer for that too what's supposed to have happened to the guy you tell me Morgan said I can't I don't remember him you left him with a brain injury it caught up with him eventually who was he denial won't work forever I'm not denying anything I'm telling you I don't remember the guy that's a discussion you can have with your lawyer and who is Candace Dayton likewise but a different lawyer why different different type of case am I under arrest no Morgan said not yet the prosecutors will make that decision in their own good time but until then you're under orders as of 2 minutes ago you'll retain your former rank for the time being administratively you're assigned to this unit and your orders are to treat this building as your duty station and appear here every morning before 0800 hours you are not to leave the area the area is defined is a 5 m radius of this desk you'll be quartered in a place of the Army's choosing Morgan said are there any questions major will I be required to wear a uniform not at this stage that's a relief this is not a joke Reacher the potential downside here is considerable for you personally I mean the worst case would be life in lenworth for a homicide conviction but more likely 10 years for manslaughter given the 16-year Gap and the best case is not very attractive either given that we would have to look at the original crime I would plan on conduct Unbecoming at the minimum with a new discharge this time without honor but your lawyer will run it down for you when the relevant department has already been notified there were no cells in the old building no secure facilities there never had been just offices Reacher was left where he was in the visitor chair not looked at not spoken to completely ignored the Sentry stood easy on the other side of the door Morgan started tapping and typing and scrolling on the laptop computer Reacher searched his memory for one Rodriguez 16 years ago he had been 12 months into his command of the 110th early days the name Rodriguez sound Ed Hispanic Reacher had known many Hispanic people both inside the service and out he remembered hitting people on occasion inside the service and out some of them Hispanic but none of them named Rodriguez and if Rodriguez had been of interest to the 110th he would have remembered the name surely especially from so early when every case was significant the 110th had been an experimental Venture every move was watched every result was evaluated every misstep had an autopsy he asked what was the alleged context no answer from Morgan the guy just kept on tapping and typing and scrolling so Reacher searched his memory for a woman named Candace Dayton again he had known many women both inside the service and out Candice was a fairly common name as was Dayton comparatively but the two names together meant nothing special to him neither did the diminutive candy candy Dayton Candace Dayton nothing not that he remembered everything no one remembered everything he asked was Candice Dayton connected to Juan Rodriguez in some way Morgan looked up as if surprised to see he had a visitor sitting in his office as if he had forgotten he didn't answer the question he just picked up one of his complicated telephones and ordered a car he told Reacher to go wait with the sergeant downstairs two miles away the man whom only three people in the world knew as Romeo took out his cell and dialed the man only two people in the world knew as Juliet and said he's been recalled to service Colonel Morgan just put it in the computer Juliet said so what happens next too early to tell Will he run a sane man would where are they putting him their usual Motel I expect the sergeant at the desk downstairs didn't say anything she was as Tongue Tied as before Reacher leaned on the wall and passed the time in silence 10 minutes later a private first class came in from the cold and saluted and asked Reacher to follow him formal and polite innocent until proven guilty Reacher guest at least in some people people's eyes out in the lot there was a worn Army sedan with its motor running a young Lieutenant was stumping around next to it awkward and embarrassed he held the rear door and Reacher got in the back the lieutenant took the front passenger seat and the private drove a mile later they arrived at a motel a rundown swaybacked old Heap in a dark lot on a Suburban evening Quiet three-lane Road the lieutenant signed a paper and the night clerk gave Reacher a key and the private drove the lieutenant away and then the second car arrived with the guys in the t-shirts and the athletic pants five pockets in the athletic pants and none in the t-shirts either and neither man was wearing dog tags no idea at all their car was clean too nothing in it except the usual Army document package stowed neatly in the glove compartment no weapons no personal property no hidden wallets no scraps of paper no gas receipts the license plate was a standard government registration nothing abnormal about the car at all except the two new dents and the doors there were n know the leftand guy was blocking the driver's door Reacher dragged him six feet along the black top he offered no resistance life was not a television show hit a guy hard enough in the side of the head and he didn't spring back up ready to carry on the fight he stayed down for an hour or more all sick and dizzy and disoriented a lesson learned long ago the human brain was much more sensitive to side to side displacement than front to back an evolutionary Quirk presumably like most things Reacher opened the driver's door and climbed inside the car the motor was stopped but the key was still in Reacher racked the seat back and started the engine he sat still for a long spell and stared ahead through the windshield they couldn't find you before they won't find you now the Army doesn't use skip tracers and no skip Tracer could find you anyway not the way you seem to live He adjusted the mirror he put his foot on the brake and fumbled the lever into gear conduct Unbecoming at the minimum with a new discharge this time without honor he took his foot off the brake and drove away he drove straight back to the old HQ building and parked 50 yards from it on the three-lane road the car was warm and he kept the motor running to keep it warm he watched through the windshield and saw no activity ahead no coming or going in his day the 110th had worked around the clock 7 days a week and he saw no reason why anything would have changed the enlisted Night Watch would be in for the duration and a night duty officer would be in place and the other officers would go off duty as soon as their work was done whenever that might be normally but not on that particular night not during a mess or a crisis and definitely not with a troubleshooter in the house no one would leave before Morgan basic Army politics Morgan left an hour later Reacher saw him quite clearly a plane sedan came out through the gate and turned onto the three lane and drove straight past where was parked in the darkness Reacher saw a flash of Morgan at the wheel in his ACU pajamas and his eyeglasses his hair still neatly combed looking straight ahead both hands on the wheel like someone's great ant on the way to the store Reacher watched in the mirror and saw his tail lights disappear over the hill he waited and sure enough within the next quarter hour there was a regular Exodus five more cars came out two of them turning left three of them turning right four of them driven solo one of them with three people aboard all the cars were dued over with night mist and all of them were trailing cold white exhaust they disappeared into the distance left and right and their exhaust drifted away and the world went quiet again Reacher waited 10 more minutes just in case but nothing more happened 50 yards away the old building looked settled and Silent the Night Watch in a world of its own Reacher put his car in gear and rolled slowly down the hill and turned in at the gate a new centry was on duty in the hutch a young guy blank and stoic Reacher stopped and buzzed his window down and the kid said sir Reacher gave his name and said I'm reporting to my duty station as ordered sir the guy said again am I on your list the guy checked yes sir he said said major Reacher but for tomorrow morning I was ordered to report before 0800 hours yes sir I see that but it's 2,300 hours now sir in the evening which is before 0800 in the morning as ordered the guy didn't speak Reacher said it's a simple matter of chronology I'm Keen to get to work therefore a little early no answer you could check with Colonel Morgan if you like I'm sure he's back at his Billet by now or you could check with your duty Sergeant yes sir the kid said I'll do that instead he made the call and listened for a second and put the phone down and said sir the sergeant requests that you stop by the desk I'll be sure to do that Soldier Reacher said he drove on and parked next to the little red two-seater which was still there exactly where it had been before he got out and locked up and walked through the cold to the door the lobby felt quiet and still a night and day difference literally but the same Sergeant was at the reception desk finishing her work before going off duty she was on a high stool typing on a keyboard updating the day's log presumably record keeping was a big deal all over the military she stopped and looked up Reacher asked her are you putting this visit in the official record she said what visit and I told the private at the gate not to either not Tongue Tied anymore not with the interloper Morgan out of the house she looked young but infinitely capable like sergeants the world over the tape over her right breast said her name was leech she she said I know who you are Reacher said have we met no sir but you're a famous name here you were this unit's first Commander do you know why I'm back yes sir we were told what was the General reaction mixed what's your personal reaction I'm sure there's a good explanation and 16 years is a long time which makes it political probably which is usually [ __ ] and even if it isn't I'm sure the guy deserved it or Worse leech said I thought about warning you when you first came in best thing for you would have been just to run for it so I really wanted to turn you around and get you out of here but I was under orders not to I'm sorry Reacher asked her where is Major Turner leech said long story How does it go she deployed to Afghanistan the middle of the day yesterday why we have people there there was an issue what kind of an issue I don't know and she never arrived you know that for sure no question so where is she instead no one knows when did Colonel Morgan get here within hours of major Turner leaving how many hours about two did he give a reason for being here the implication was Major Turner had been relieved of her command nothing specific nothing at all was she screwing up leech didn't answer Reacher said you may speak freely Sergeant no sir she wasn't screwing up she was doing a really good job so that's all disappearances so far you've got implications and no gossip Reacher asked sergeants were always part of a network always had been always would be like rumor Mills like uniformed versions of tabloid newspapers leech said I heard one little thing which was it might be nothing but and it might not be connected someone told me the guard house at Fort Dy has a new prisoner six an army base very close to the Pentagon but leech told Reacher that 8 years after he mustered out a cost cutting exercise had merged it with the Marine corpes nearby hington house the newly enlarged establishment had been given the logical if clumsy name of joint based Dyer hellington House in Reacher's day both Dyer and hellington house had been high status places in their own right staffed mostly by senior and very important people with with the result that the dire PX had looked more like saaks Fifth Avenue than a Walmart and he had heard the Marine store was even better therefore the new Blended version was likely to be no lower on the social totem pole therefore its cells were likely to house only High status prisoners no drunken Brawlers or Petty thieves there an MP major with a problem would be a typical tenant therefore leech's rumor might be right the dire guard house was located north and west of the Pentagon diagonally across the cemetery less than 5 mil from the 110 th's HQ much less Fort Dyer was the Army and the jarheads in the same place Reacher said how's that working out for them politicians will do anything to save a buck leech said can you call ahead for me you going there now I have nothing better to do at the moment do you have a vehicle temporarily Reacher said the night was quiet and dark and suburban and the drive to dire took less than 10 minutes getting into the Joint Base itself took much longer the merger had happened less than 4 years after September 11th and whatever cost cutting money had been saved hadn't been saved on security the main gate was on the south side of the complex and it was impressive there were concrete dragons teeth everywhere funneling tra traffic through a narrowing Lane blocked by three consecutive guard Shacks Reacher was in battered civilian clothes and had no military ID no ID at all in fact except A Worn increased US Passport that was already long expired but he was in a government car which created a good first impression and the military had computers and he showed up as on active Service as of the middle of that evening and the Army had sergeants and leech had lit up the favor Network with a blizzard of calls and Dyer had a criminal investigation office and to Reacher's mild surprise there were still guys around who knew guys who knew guys who remembered his name the upshot was that just 45 minutes after stopping at the first barrier he was face to face with an MP captain in the guard housee front office the captain was a serious dark guy of about 30 and his ACU name tape said his name was Weiss he looked honest and decent and reasonably friendly so Reacher said this is just a personal matter Captain not even remotely official and I'm probably a little toxic right now so you should proceed with Extreme Caution you should keep this visit off the Record or refuse to talk to me altogether why said toxic how looks like something I did 16 years ago has come back to bite me in the ass what did you do I don't remember no doubt someone will remind me soon enough the computer says you were just recalled correct I never heard of that before me neither doesn't sound good like someone really wanted you back in the jurisdiction Reacher nodded that's how I took it like I was being extradited out of civilian life to face the music but it was a much simpler procedure there was no kind of a hearing you think they're serious feels that way at the moment what do you need from me I'm looking for major Susan Turner of the 110th MP like I said it's personal connected with your problem no not in any way but you were with the 110th right a long time before major Turner got anywhere near it so you're not subverting testimony or coaching a witness absolutely not this is is a different matter entirely are you a friend of hers I was hoping that might be a future development or not depending on what I think of her when I meet her you haven't met her yet is she here why said in a Cell since yesterday afternoon what's the charge she took a bribe from who how much of a bribe I'm just a Jailer why said you know how it is is they don't give me chapter and verse can I see her visiting hours are over how many guests have you got tonight just her so you're not busy and we're off the Record right so no one will know Weiss opened up a green three- ring binder notes procedures standing orders some of them printed some of them handwritten he said she seems to have been expecting you she passed on a request through her lawyer she mentioned you by name what's the request it's more of an instruction really saying what she doesn't want to see you Weiss looked down at the three- ring binder and said quote for the accused explicit request under no circumstances is Major Jack Reacher US Army retired former commander of the 110th MP to be granted visitation privileges seven The Joint Base was only marginally quicker than getting in each of the three guard Shacks checked ID and conducted a trunk search to make sure Reacher was who he said he was and hadn't stolen anything then after clearing the last of the barriers he threaded his way along the same route the local bus had taken but he stopped early and pulled in at the curb there were plenty of Highway ramps all around there was I 395 spearing South and West there was the George Washington Memorial Parkway heading north and west there was i66 heading du West there was a 395 going east if he wanted it all of them quiet and flowing fast there was a big country out there there was I 95 all the way up and down the Eastern Seaboard and the West Coast 5 days away and the vast interior empty and lonely getting out of they couldn't find you before they won't find you now a new discharge this time without honor she doesn't want to see you Reacher moved off the curb and drove back to the motel the two guys with the t-shirts were gone evidently they had gotten up and staggered off somewhere Reacher left their car on the curb 200 yards away he left the key in the ignition and the doors unlocked either it would be stolen by a couple of punks or the two guys would come back to get it he really didn't care which he walked the last of the distance and leted himself into his dismal room he had been right the shower was weak and strangled and the towels were thin and the soap was small and the shampoo was cheap but he cleaned up as well as he could and then he went to bed the mattress felt like a sack stuffed with bald up plastic and the sheets felt damp with disuse but he fell asleep just fine he set the alarm in his head for seven and he breathed in and he breathed out and that was it Romeo dialed Juliet again and said he just tried to make contact with Turner over at Dyer and failed of course Juliet said our boys must have missed him at the motel nothing to worry about I hope not good night yes you too Reacher didn't make it to 7:00 he was woken at six by a Brisk tap at the door it sounded businesslike not threatening tap tap tap pity tap 6:00 in the morning and someone was already cheerful he slid out of bed and hauled his pants out from under the mattress and put them on the air in the room was sharp with cold he could see his breath the heater had been off all night he patted Barefoot across the sticky carpet and opened the door a gloved hand that had been ready to tap again was pulled back quickly the hand was attached to an arm which was attached to a body which was in a class A army uniform with jagore Insignia all over it a lawyer a woman lawyer according to the plate on the right side of her tunic her name was Sullivan she was wearing the uniform like a business suit she had a briefcase in her non- tapping hand she didn't say anything she wasn't particularly short but her ey line was level with Reacher's shirtless chest where there was an old 38 bullet wound which seemed to preoccupy her Reacher said yes her car was behind her a dark green domestic sedan the sky was still black she said major Reacher she was in her mid-30s Reacher guessed a major herself with short dark hair and eyes that were neither warm nor cold he said how can I help you it's supposed to be the other way around you've been assigned to represent me for my sins for the recall appeal or the one Rodriguez thing or the Candis ston thing forget the recall appeal you'll get 5 minutes in front of a panel about a month from now but you won't win that never happens so Rodriguez or Dayton Rodriguez Sullivan said we need to get right to it but she didn't move her gaze traced its way downward to his waist where there was another scar by that point more than a quarter Century old a big ugly white starfish overlaid by crude stitches cut through by a knife wound which was much more recent but still old I know he said aesthetically I'm a mess but come in anyway she said no I think I'll wait in the car wekk talk over breakfast where there's a diner two blocks away you paying for myself not for you two blocks away you could have brought coffee could have but didn't some big help you're going to be give me 11 minutes 11 that's how long it takes me to get ready in the morning most people would say 10 then either they're faster than me or imprecise he closed the door on her and patted back to the bed and took his pants off again they looked okay laying them out under the mattress was as close as he ever got to ironing he walked onto the bathroom and set the shower running he cleaned his teeth and climbed under the weak lorm stream and used what was left of the soap and shampoo he dried himself with damp towels and dressed and stepped out to the lot 11 minutes dead on he was a creature of habit major Sullivan had turned her car around it was a Ford the same model as The Silver item that had driven him across Missouri many days before he opened the passenger door and climbed in Sullivan sat up straight and put the car in gear and eased out of the lot slow and cautious her uniform skirt was at her knee she was wearing dark nylons and plain black lace up shoes Reacher asked what's your name Sullivan said you can read I I presume first name I mean does it matter you're going to call me major Sullivan she said it in a way that was neither friendly nor unfriendly nor unexpected a personal relationship was not on the agenda Army defense lawyers were diligent intelligent and professional but they were on nobody's side but the armies the diner was indeed two blocks away but the blocks were long a left and then a right and then a ragged strip mall on the shoulder of another three-lane road the mall featured a hardware store and a no-name farmy and a picture framing shop and a gun store and a walk-in dentist the diner stood alone at the end of the strip in its own lot it was a white stucco affair with the kind of inside Decor that made Reacher bet the owner was Greek and there would be a million items on the menu which made it a restaurant in his opinion not a diner diners were lean mean stripped down places as ruthless as combat rifles they took a booth in a side wi and a waitress brought coffee before being asked which raised Reacher's opinion of the place a little the menu was a multi-page laminated thing almost as big as the tabletop Reacher saw pancakes and eggs on page two and investigated no further Sullivan said I'm recommending a plea bargain they'll ask for 5 years and will offer one and settle on two you can do that two years won't kill you Reacher said who was Candace Dayton not my case someone else will talk to you about that and who was one Rodriguez exactly someone you hid in the head who died from his injuries I don't remember him that's not the best thing to say in a case like this it makes it sound like you hit so many people in the head that you can't distinguish one from the other it might prompt further inquiries someone might be tempted to draw up a list and from what I hear it might be a very long list the 110th was pretty much a rogue operation back then and what is it now a little better perhaps but far from outstanding that's your opinion that's my experience do you know anything about Susan Turner's situation I know her lawyer do we know that for sure there's enough electronic data to float a battleship she opened a bank account in the Cayman Islands at 10:00 in the morning the day before yesterday and at 11:00 $100,000 showed up in it and then she was arrested at 12:00 more or less red-handed seems fairly open and shut to me and fairly typical of the 110th sounds like you don't love my old unit overall which might be a problem because I'm entitled to a competent defense sixth amendment and so on do you think you're the right person for the job I'm what they're giving you so get used to it I should see the evidence against me at least don't you think isn't there something in the Sixth Amendment about that too you didn't do much paperwork 16 years ago we did some I know Sullivan said I've seen what there is of it among other things you did daily summaries I have one that shows you heading out for an interview with Mr Rodriguez then I have a document from a county hospital ER showing his admission later the same day for a head injury among other things and that's it where's the connection he could have fallen down the stairs after I left he could have been hit by a truck the ER doctors thought he had been that's a weak case Reacher said in fact it's not really a case at all I don't remember anything about it yet you remember some stairs that Mr Rodriguez might have fallen down after your interview speculation Reacher said hypothesis figure of speech same as the truck they've got nothing they have an affidavit Sullivan said sworn out by Mr Rodriguez himself sometime later he named you as his attacker eight briefcase up on the Booth's vinyl bench she took out a thick file and laid it on the table she said happy reading Sullivan hauled her which it wasn't of course it was a long and sorted record of a long and sorted investigation into a long and sorted crime the root cause was Operation Desert Shield all the way back in late 1990 which was the build-up phase before Operation Desert Storm which was the gulf for the first first time around after Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded his neighbor the independent state of Kuwait half a million men and women from the Free World had gathered over six long months getting ready to kick saddam's ass which in the end had taken all of 100 hours then the half million men and women had gone home again the material wind down had been the problem armies need a lot of stuff 6 months to build it up 6 months to break it down and the buildup had received a lot more in the way of care and attention than the wind down the wind down had been peacemeal and messy dozens of nationalities had been involved long story short lots of stuff had gone missing which was embarrassing but the books had to be balanced so some of the missing stuff was written off as destroyed and some as damaged and some is merely lost and the books were closed until certain items started showing up on the stre streets of America's cities Sullivan asked you remember it yet yes Reacher said he remembered it very well it was the kind of crime the 110th had been created to fight man-portable military weapons don't end up on the streets by accident they're filched and diverted and stolen and sold by Persons Unknown but by persons in certain distinct categories in logistics companies mostly guys who have to move tens of thousands of tons a week with hazy bills of lading can always find ways of making a ton or two disappear here and there for Fun and Profit or 100 tons the 110th had been tasked to find out who and how and where and when the unit was new with its name to make and it had gone at it hard Reacher had spent hundreds of hours on it and his team had spent many times more he said but I still don't remember anyone Rodriguez Sullivan said flip to the end of the file which Reacher did where he found he remembered one Rodriguez pretty well just not as ju Rodriguez the 110th had gotten a solid tip about a gangbanger in South Central LA who went by the street name of dog which was alleged to be a contraction of big dog because the guy was supposedly sizable in terms of both status and physique the DEA wasn't interested in him because he wasn't part of the drug wars but the tip said like neutrals everywhere he was making a fortune selling Black Market weapons to both sides at once the tip said he was the go to guy the tip said he was angling to unload 11 crates of army saws saws were not metal things with little teeth good for cutting wood saws were squad automatic weapons which were fearsome fully automatic machine guns with fearsome capacities and fearsome capabilities Reacher had gone to South Central LA and walked the hot Dusty streets and asked the right kinds of questions in the right kinds of places in that environment he was unmistakably Army so he had posed as a disaffected grunt with interesting stuff for sale grenades launchers armor-piercing ammunition in vast quantities Beretta handguns people were naturally cautious But ultimately the pose worked 2 days later he was face to face with the dog who turned out to be big indeed mostly side to side the guy could have weighed 400 lb the last sheet in the file was the affidavit which was headed evidentiary statement of Juan Rodriguez aka Big Dog aka dog Reacher's name was all over it as well as a long list of injuries including a broken skull and broken ribs and tissue damage and contusions it was signed at the bottom by Rodriguez himself and witnessed by a lawyer on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City Los Angeles and notorized by someone else entirely Sullivan said remember him now he was lying in this affidavit Reacher said I never laid a finger on him really why would I I wasn't interested in him I wanted his Source that's all I wanted the guy he was buying from I wanted a name you weren't worried about saws on the streets of La that was the lapd's problem not mine did you get the name yes how I asked he answered just like that more or less what does that mean I was a good interrogator I made him think I knew more than I did he wasn't very smart I'm surprised he even had a brain to injure so how do you explain the hospital report do I have to a guy like that he knows all kinds of unsavory characters maybe he ripped someone off the day before he wasn't operating in a very civilized environment so that's your defense some other dude did it if I'd done it he wouldn't have made it to the hospital he was a useless tub of lard I can't go to the prosecutor with some other dude did it I can't say the proof is you would have actually killed him rather than m nearly mortally injuring him you'll have to no I won't have to you need to listen up Reacher you need to take this seriously I can get you a deal but you have to get out in front of it you have to own it and show some Contrition I don't believe this I'm giving you my best advice can I get a new lawyer no Sullivan said you can't they ate the rest of their breakfast in silence Reacher wanted to move to another table but he didn't because he thought it would look Petty they split the check and paid and went out to the car where Sullivan said I have somewhere else to go you can walk from here or take the bus she got in her car and drove away Reacher was left on his own in the restaurant lot the three Lane in front of him was part of the local bus route there was a bench stop 30 yards to his left left there were two people waiting two men Mexicans both of them much thinner than the big dog honest civilians probably heading for yard work in the cemetery or janitor jobs in Alexandria or in DC itself there was another bus stop 50 yards to his right another bench on the near side of the street not the far heading north not South heading out not in to McLean and then Reston maybe and then to lesburg probably and possibly all the way to Winchester where there would be more buses waiting bigger buses which would labor through the appalachin into West Virginia and Ohio and Indiana and onward and Away Reacher waited the air was cold the traffic was steady cars and trucks all makes all mod all colors then far to his left he saw a bus heading north not South heading out not in the bench was 50 yards to his right he waited the bus was a big van really converted local not long distance a municipal service with a subsidized Fair it was snorting and snuffling its way towards him slowly he let it go it passed him by and continued on its way oblivious he walked back to the 110th HQ 2 miles in total 30 minutes exactly he passed his Motel the car with the dents in the doors was gone from the curb reclaimed or stolen he got to the Old Stone building at 5 minutes to 8: in the morning and he met another lawyer who told him who Candace Dayton was and why she was unhappy nine had met the afternoon before was back at in his Hutch the day watch he nodded Reacher through the gate and Reacher walked onward to the short flight of steps and the freshly painted door the humy was still in the lot as was the small red two-seater the car with the den in the doors was not the Sentry Reacher there was a new sergeant at the desk in the lobby the night watch presumably finishing up this one was male white and a little more reserved than leech had been in the end not explicitly hostile but quiet and slightly censorious like a milder version of the guys in the t-shirts from the night before you brought the unit into disrepute he said Colonel Morgan requires you to report to 207 immediately Reacher said immediately what the guy said immediately sir thank you Sergeant Reacher said room 207 was upstairs fourth on the left next to his own room or next to Susan Turner or Morgan's now back in the day 207 had been Carla Dixon's office his number cruncher his financial specialist she had busted open plenty of tough things 99 times out of a hundred crimes come down to love hate or money and unlike what it says in the Bible the greatest of these is money Dixon had been worth her modest weight in gold and Reacher had fed memories of room 207 he used the stairs and walked the corridor and passed his old office the name plate was still on the wall major Sr Turner commanding officer he heard Captain Weiss's voice in his head and major Sullivan's she took a bribe maybe there was an innocent explanation maybe a distant uncle had died and left stock in a uranium mine maybe it was a foreign mine hence the offshore status a austalian perhaps there was uranium in Australia and gold and coal and iron ore or somewhere in Africa he wished Carla Dixon was there she could have taken one look at the paperwork and seen the truth in an instant he didn't knock at 207's door no reason to apart from Morgan he was likely to be the highest rank in the building and rank was rank even in his peculiar circumstances so he went straight in the room was empty and it was no longer an office it had been converted to a conference room of some kind there was no desk but there was a big round table and six chairs there was a black spider-shaped thing in the center of the table presumably a speaker phone for group discussions with remote parties there was a credenza against one wall presumably for in meeting coffee and sandwiches the light shade was the the same glass bowl there was an economy bulb in it turned on already glowing weak and sickly Reacher stepped over to the window and looked out not much to see no parking in the lot on that side of the building just a big trash container and a random pile of obsolete Furniture desk chairs and file cabinets the chair upholstery looked swollen with damp and the file cabinets were Rusty then came the stone wall and over it was a decent view East all the way to the cemetery and the river the Washington Monument was visible in the far distance the same color as the Mist a watery sun was behind it low in the sky the door opened behind him and Reacher turned around expecting Morgan but it wasn't Morgan it was deja vu all over again a neat class a uniform with jagore Insignia on it a woman lawyer her name plate said Edmunds she looked a little like Sullivan dark trim very professional wearing a skirt and nylons and plain black shoes but she was younger than Sullivan and Junior in rank she was only a captain she had a cheaper briefcase he said good morning Captain she said I'm Tracy Edmond's I'm working with HRC which was the human resources command which which back in the days of plain English had been the Personnel Command which at first made Reacher think she was there to take him through the paperwork pay Bank details the whole nine yards but then he realized they wouldn't have sent a lawyer for that kind of thing a company clerk could do that stuff perfectly well so she was there about the Candace Dayton thing probably but she was Junior and she had given up her first name unasked and she had an open look on her face all friendly and concerned which might mean the Candace Dayton thing wasn't as serious as the big dog problem he asked do you know anything about Susan Turner's situation she said who you just walked past her office she said only what I've heard which is what I think that's confidential it can't be she's confined prior to trial therefore there must be probable cause in the record or have we abandoned and civilized Juris Prudence while I've been away they say she took a day to pass on crucial information no one understood why now they do what information she arrested an infantry captain from Fort Hood an Espionage case allegedly the captain gave up the name of his foreign civilian contact major Turner sat on it for 24 hours and the contact used the time to get away when was this exactly about 4 weeks ago but she wasn't arrested until the day before yesterday that's when the foreign contact paid her which was evidence they had to wait for without it the delay could have been explained as incompetence not criminality has the pre-trial confinement been appealed I don't think so who's her lawyer colonel morcroft out of Charlottesville you mean the Jag School Ed nodded he teaches criminal defense is he commuting from there to here no I believe he's in the dire VQ which were the visiting officers Quarters at Fort Dyer or now Joint Base Dyer hington house not the Ritz exactly but not too far from it and no doubt a whole lot better than a crappy Motel on a three lane a mile from Rock Creek Edmonds pulled out a chair for him and then one for herself and sat down at the conference table she said Candace Dayton Reacher sat down and said I don't know who Candace Dayton is or was denial is not a smart way to go I'm afraid major it never works I can't pretend to remember someone if I don't it creates a bad impression it reinforces a negative stereotype both things will go against you in the end who was she Edmonds lifted her briefcase onto the table and opened it up she took out a file she said you were posted to Korea several times is that correct many times including at one time a short spell working with the 55th MP if you say so I do say so it's all here in black and white it was very late in your career almost the last thing you did you were at Camp Red Cloud which is between soul and the demilitarized zone I know where it is Candace Dayton was an American citizen and at that time she was temporarily resident in Soul a civilian yes you remember her now no you had a brief affair who did you and Miss Dayton of course I don't remember her are you married have you ever been have you had many sexual Liaisons in your life that's a very personal question I'm your lawyer have you as many is possible generally I like women I guess it's a biological thing so many there may be some you don't remember there were some I try to forget does that category include Miss Dayton no if I was trying to forget her that would mean I remember her right and I don't are there others you don't remember how would I tell you see this is what I meant about reinforcing a stereotype it won't help you in court what court Candace Dayton left Soul pretty soon after you did and she went home to Los Angeles which is where she was from she was happy to be back she got a job and she did quite well for a number of years she had a daughter early on who thrived and then did well in school she got promoted at work and she bought a bigger house all the good stuff but then the economy went bad and she lost her job and then she lost her house as of right now she and her daughter are living in her car and she's looking for financial assistance from anywhere she's entitled to get it she got pregnant in Korea major her daughter is yours 10 the file walking delicate fingers from sheet to sheet she said Army policy is to take no proactive steps we don't send out search parties we merely make a note against the father's name usually nothing happens but if the father comes to us as you did then we're obliged to act so we're going to have to give your current status and location to the court in Los Angeles Edmonds paged through she found the page she was looking for she pulled it out from among all the others she slid it across the conference table she said obviously as your lawyer I would strongly recommend a paternity test you'll have to pay for it but it would be most unwise to proceed to a final settlement without one Reacher picked up the sheet of paper it was a crisp new photo copy of an affidavit just like the big dogs signatures and lawyers and seals and stamps all done in a law office in North Hollywood appar apparently his name was all over it dates were given for his deployment with the 55th dates and times and social activities were recorded Candace Dayton must have kept a comprehensive diary the baby's date of birth was noted it was exactly nine months after the midpoint of his time at Red Cloud the baby's name was Samantha Sam for short presumably she was now 14 years old nearly 15 Edmund slid a second sheet across it was a crisp new photo copy of a birth certificate she said she didn't put your name on it I think originally she was happy to go it alone but now she's fallen on Hard Times Edmund said I don't know your Current financial situation obviously but you're looking at a little more than 3 years of child support plus College possibly I imagine the court will contact you in about a month and you can work it out with them Reacher said I don't remember her probably best not to say that too often these things are fundamentally adversarial in nature and you should avoid extra resentment on Miss Dayton's part if you can in fact it might be a smart move to contact her proactively as soon as possible to show willing I mean Edmonds took back the affidavit and she took back the birth certificate she slotted them back into the file each in its allotted place she put the file back in her briefcase and closed it she said as you know major the uniform code of military Justice still lists adultery as a criminal offense especially for those with security clearances because the risk of compromise is generally seen as significant especially where a civilian is involved but I think if you're seen to be acting reasonably with Miss Dayton then I can get the prosecutor to let that aspect slide especially if you were to approach Miss Dayton proactively with an offer as I said right away perhaps I think that would be well received by the prosecutor I mean Edmund said it was a long time ago after all and no harm to National Security has been apparent unless your other issue interferes the thing with Mr Rodriguez I mean they might want to hit you with everything they can find in which case I really won't be able to help you Edmund stood up from the table and said I'll keep in touch major let me know if there's anything you need she left the room and closed the door behind her Reacher heard her heels on the lenium in the corridor and then he heard nothing at all fatherhood was up there as one of the most commonplace male experiences in all of human history but to Reacher it had always seemed unlikely just purely theoretical like winning the Nobel Prize or playing in the World Series or being able to sing possible in principle but always likely to pass him by a destination for other people but not for him he had known fathers starting with his own and his grandfathers and his childhood friends fathers and then some of his own friends as they got married and started to raise families being a father seemed both straightforward and infinitely complex easy enough on the surface underneath simply two immense to worry about so generally it seemed to come out as a day-to-day thing hope for the best one foot in front of the other his own father had always seemed in charge but looking back it was clear he was just making it up as he went along Samantha Dayton Sam 14 years old Reacher got no more time to think about her not right then because the door opened and Morgan walked in still in his ACU fatigues still wearing his spectacles still all groomed and fussy and squared away he said you're dismissed for the day major be back here before 0800 tomorrow punishment by boredom nothing to do all day not an unusual tactic Reacher didn't respond he just sat and stared into the distance Bad Manners or minor insubordination couldn't make his situation any worse not at that point but in turn Morgan just stood there too dumb as a rock holding the door So eventually Reacher had to get up from the table and file out of the room he took it slow in the corridor until he heard Morgan shut himself back in his own office then he stopped and turned around he walked back to the far end of the corridor and checked the office on the left room 209 Calvin Fran's office back at the beginning a good friend now dead Reacher opened the door and stuck his head in and saw two men he didn't recognize ncos but not the two from the motel the night before not the two in the t-shirts they were at backtack desks working hard on computers they looked up at him carry on he said he stepped back out and tried the opposite door room 210 once David O'Donnell's Billet odonnell was still alive as far as Reacher knew a private detective in DC he had heard not far away he stuck his head in the room and saw a woman at a desk she was in ACU fatigues a lieutenant she excused me he said room 208 had been Tony Swan's office and another good friend also now dead Reacher opened the door and checked no one there but it was a oneperson Billet and that one person was a woman there was a female officer's hat on the window sill and a tiny wristwatch unlatched and upside down on the desk he had seen 207 once Carla Dixon's domain now no one's the conference room Dixon was still alive as far as he knew in New York York the last time he had heard she was a forensic accountant which meant she was very busy room 206 had been Francis ne's office directly opposite his own because she had done most of his work for him the best Sergeant he ever had still alive and prospering he thought in Chicago he stuck his head in and saw the lieutenant who had dumped him at the motel the night before in the first car driven by the private first class class the guy was at the desk on the phone he looked up Reacher shook his head and backed out of the room room 204 had been Stan Low's office a hard man and a good investigator he had gone early the only one of the original units smart enough to get out and scathed he had moved to Montana to raise sheep and churn butter no one knew why he had been the only black man in a thousand square miles and he had no farming experience but people said he had been happy then he had been hit by a truck his office was occupied by a captain in class a uniform a short guy on his way to testify no other reason for the fancy Duds Reacher said excuse me and headed out again room 203 had been an Evidence locker and still was and 2011 had been a file room and still was and 202 had been the company Clerk's quarters and still was the guy was in there a sergeant relatively old and gray probably fighting involuntary separation on an annual basis Reacher nodded a greeting to him and backed out and went downstairs the sour-faced night guy had gone and leech had taken his place at the reception desk behind her the corridor LED back to the first floor offices 101 through 110 Reacher checked them all rooms 109 and 110 had been Jorge Sanchez's and Manuel orosco's offices and were now occupied by similar guys from a newer generation rooms 101 through 108 held people of no particular interest except for 103 which was the duty officer station there was a captain in there he was a good-looking guy in his late 20s his desk was twice the normal size all covered over with telephones and scratch pads and message forms and an untidy legal pad with its many used Pages folded Loosely back like an immense beff font hero from the 1950s the face up page was covered with angry black Doodles there were shaded boxes and machines and escape proof spiral mazes clearly the guy spent a lot of time on the phone some of it on hold some of it waiting most of it bored when he spoke it was with a Southern accent that Reacher recognized immediately he had talked to the guy from South Dakota more than once the guy had routed his calls to Susan Turner Reacher asked him do you have other Personnel deployed around here the guy shook his head this is it what you see is what you get we have people elsewhere in the states and overseas but no one else in this military District how many in Afghanistan two doing what I can't give you the details hazardous duty is there another kind in Afghanistan something in his voice Reacher asked are they okay they missed their scheduled radio check yesterday is that unusual never happened before do you know what their mission is I can't tell you I'm not asking you to tell me I'm asking whether you know in other words how secret is it the guy paused a beat and said no I don't know what their mission is all I know is they're out there in the back of Beyond and all we're getting is silence Reacher said thank you Captain he headed back to the reception desk where he asked leech for a pool car she hesitated and he said I'm dismissed for the day Colonel Morgan didn't say I had to sit in the corner and Omission possibly but I'm entitled to interpret my orders in the best possible light Le asked where do you want to go fort Dyer Reacher said I want to talk to Colonel morcroft major Turner's lawyer Reacher nodded and Dyer is definitely less than 5 miles away you won't be aiding or abetting a serious crime leech paused a beat and then opened a drawer and took out a grubby key she said it's an old blue Chevy sedan I need it back here before the end of the day I can't let let you have it overnight who is the red sports car outside leech said that's major Turner's ride do you know the guys in Afghanistan leech nodded they're friends of mine are they good they're the best 11 Chevrolet sedans in the HQ lot and two were old but only one was old and blue it was dirty and all beat up and saggy and it had about a million City miles on the clock but it started up fine and it idled okay which it needed to because the daytime traffic was slow lots of Lights lots of cues lots of jammed Lanes but getting into dire itself was quicker than the first time the main gate guards were relatively welcoming Reacher figured leech must have called ahead again which meant she was turning into a minor Ally which Reacher was happy about a sergeant on your side made the world go round smooth and easy whereas a sergeant who took against you could kill you dead there were three he parked the car and went inside where it got slower again a woman at a desk called around and was unable to locate more coft anywhere not in the vpq not in the legal offices not in the guard house and not in the cells which left only one place to look Reacher moved on deeper into the complex until he saw a sign with an arrow officer Club it was late for breakfast but late breakfasts were a natural habitat for senior rear Echelon staffers especially senior rear Echelon staffers who were also academic pointy heads on short-term visits the OC dining room turned out to be a pleasant land space low wide and long recently refurbished probably by the same guy who did the dining rooms in mid-price chain hotels there was plenty of blond wood and mid-green fabric plenty of angled dividers and therefore plenty of separate little seating areas there was carpet on the floor there were Venetian blinds on the windows cracked open about halfway Reacher remembered a joke his old colleague Manuel Orosco liked to tell how do you make a venetian blind you poke his eyes out and then how do you make a Swiss roll you push him down an Alp whereupon David odonnell would start pointing out that Swiss Rolls weren't really Swiss more likely British 19th century like a Victoria sponge but assembled differently odonnell was the kind of pedant that made Reacher look normal Reacher moved on most of the little seating areas were empty but morcroft was in one of them he was a short rotund middle-aged man with an amiable expression in a class of uniform with his name big and obvious on the flap of his right breast pocket he was eating toast at a big isolated table for four and face to face at the table with him was Major Sullivan Reacher's lawyer for the big dog Sullivan wasn't eating she had already had breakfast with Reacher in the Greek establishment she was cradling a cup of coffee nothing more and talking and listening in what looked like a very deferential manner like Majors often converse with Colonels or students with teachers Reacher stepped into the intimate little area and pulled out a chair and sat down at the table between them he said do you mind if I join you morof asked who are you Sullivan said this is Major Reacher my client the one I was telling you about nothing in her voice morcroft looked at Reacher and said if you have things to discuss I'm sure major Sullivan would be happy to schedule an appointment at a more appropriate time it's you I want to talk to Reacher said me about what Susan Turner do you have an interest why has her pre-trial confinement not been appealed you must State a legitimate interest before we can consider specifics any citizen has a legitimate interest in the correct application of due process against any other citizen you think my Approach has so far been incorrect I'll be better able to make that determination after you answer my question major Turner is facing a serious charge but pre-trial confinement is not supposed to be punitive it's supposed to be no more rigorous than is required to ensure the accused Presence at trial that's what the regulation says are you a lawyer your name doesn't ring a bell I was an MP actually I am an MP I suppose all over again therefore I know plenty about the law really in the same way a plumber understands the science behind fluid mechanics and thermodynamics don't flatter yourself Colonel it's not brain surgery so enlighten me by all means major Turner situation doesn't require confinement she's a commissioned officer in the United States Army she's not going to run is that a personal guarantee almost she's the commander of the 110th MP as was I I wouldn't have run she won't either there are elements of treason here here maybe but not in the real world no one is thinking treason or they wouldn't have brought her here to dire she'd be in the Caribbean by now nevertheless it's not a speeding ticket she won't run again is that a personal guarantee it's a considered assessment do you even know her not really so but out major why did she instruct you to prevent me from visiting she didn't technically that instruction was passed on by the duty lawyer at some unspecified time in the late afternoon therefore the Restriction was already in place before I took over her case which was the next morning which was yesterday I want you to ask her to reconsider morof didn't answer Sullivan leaned into the conversation and looked at Reacher and said Captain Edmonds told me she'd met with you about the Candace Dayton matter she said she advised you to take proactive steps have you yet Reacher said I'll get to it it should be your first priority nuances count in a thing like this I'll get to it Reacher said again this is your daughter we're talking about here she's living in a car that's more important than a theoretical worry about major Turner's human rights the kid is nearly 15 years old in Los Angeles no doubt she slept in cars before and if she's my kid she can take a day or two more of it morof said I think major Sullivan and Captain Edmonds are trying to make the point you might not have a day or two more depending on what the prosecutors decide to do about the rod guess issue I mean I imagine they're rubbing their hands with Glee because it's a perfect storm clear evidence plus a disastrous PR angle the clear evidence is clear [ __ ] morof smiled practiced and indulgent you're not the first defendant ever to say that you know the guy is dead but I'm supposed to be able to confront the witnesses against me so how is this even legal it's an unfortunate anomaly the affidavit speaks from Beyond the Grave it is what it is it can't be cross-examined Reacher looked at Sullivan she was his lawyer after all she said the colonel is right I told you I can get you a deal you should take it and then she left she drained her cup and stood up and said goodbye and walked away Reacher watched her go and then he turned back to morof he asked are you going to appeal major Turner's confinement yes morcroft said as a matter of fact I am I'm going to ask for confinement to the DC military district and I expect to be successful she'll be out and about before long when will you start the process I'll put in the paperwork as soon as you let me finish my when will you get a decision by the middle of the day I should think good or bad it's really none of your business major morof chased toast crumbs around his plate for a minute more then he stood up in turn and said good day major and strolled out of the room he waddled a little as he walked much more academic than military but not a bad guy Reacher felt his heart was in the right place I'll get to it Reacher walked all the way North through the complex and stopped in at the Garden house where a different Captain was in charge not Wise from the night before the day guy was an aqualine black man about 7 ft tall but slender as a pencil folded into a desk chair that was far too small for him Reacher asked to visit with Susan Turner and the guy consulted the green three- ring binder and he refused the request nothing ventured nothing gained so Reacher walked back to where the old blue Chevy was parked and he drove it back to the 110th HQ and he left it where he had found it he went inside and gave the key to leech she was agitated again nervous stressed and uptight not terrible but visible Reacher said what leech said Colonel Morgan's not here you say that like it's a bad thing we need him I can't imagine what for he's the co no major Turner is your Co and she's not here either what happened our guys in Afghanistan missed their second radio check it's 48 hours since we heard from them and therefore we need to do something but Morgan's not here Reacher nodded he's probably having a new poker fitted up his ass it's probably a lengthy procedure he moved on into the ground floor Corridor to the second office on the left room 103 the duty officer station the guy was in there behind his huge desk handsome Southern and worried his Doodles were Bleaker than ever Reacher asked him didn't Morgan tell you where he was going Pentagon the guy said for a meeting is that all he said no details have you called of course I have but it's a big place they can't find him anywhere does he have a cell phone Switched Off how long has he been gone nearly an hour what would you want him to do authorize a request for a search party of course every minute counts now and we have lots of people over there the first Infantry Division and special forces and helicopters and drones and satellites and all kinds of aerial surveillance but you don't even know where your guys are supposed to be or what they're supposed to be doing the duty officer nodded and jabbed his thumb at the ceiling at the upstairs offices he said the mission is in major Turner's computer which is now Colonel Morgan's computer which is password protected do the radio checks go into Bagram the guy nodded again most of them are routine data B sends us the transcript but if there's anything urgent then they're patched through to us right here in this office on a secure phone line what was it the last time they transmitted routine or urgent routine okay Reacher said call bag RAM and get an estimate of their range from that last time will Bagram even know their range those radio guys can usually tell why the sound and the signal strength by a gut feeling sometimes it's their job ask for their best guess to the nearest 5 miles the guy picked up a phone and Reacher walked back to leech at the reception desk in the lobby he said get on the line for the next 10 minutes and hit up everyone you know at the Pentagon full court press to locate Morgan leech picked up her phone Reacher waited 10 minutes l later leech had nothing not altogether surprising the Pentagon had more than 17 M of corridors and nearly 4 million square ft of office space all occupied by more than 30,000 people on any given workday trying to find a random individual was like trying to find a needle in the world's most secretive hyack Reacher walked back to 103 and the duty officer said the bag Ram Radio Room figures our guys were about 220 M out maybe 230 that's a start Reacher said not really we don't know what direction if in doubt take a wild ass guess that was always my operating principle Afghanistan is a big country I know it is Reacher said and it's unpleasant all over from what I hear but where is it worst the mountains the border with Pakistan Ashton tribal areas the Northeast basically no one's idea of fun Reacher nodded which is the kind of place the 110th gets sent so get on the horn to the base commander and ask him to order up an air search starting 225 Mi Northeast of Bagram that could be completely the wrong direction like I said it's a wild ass guess you got something better they won't do do it anyway not on my say so a thing like this would need a major or better so take Morgan's name in vain can't do it Reacher listened all quiet no one coming the duty officer waited his hand curled into a fist halfway between his lap and his phone you're back in the Army Major you'll retain your former rank you're assigned to this unit use my name Reacher said 12 made the call and then the military machine took over distant and invisible and industrious on the other side of the world nine time zones and nearly 8,000 miles away planning briefing readying arming and fueling the Old Stone building in Rock Creek went quiet the duty officer Reacher asked how many other people do have in the field the duty officer said globally 14 nearest right now Fort Hood in Texas cleaning up after major Turner thing down there how many in hazardous situations that's a moving Target isn't it eight or 10 maybe has Morgan gone aw while before this is only his third day what was Major Turner like as a commander she was fairly new she only had a few weeks first impression excellent is this Afghanistan thing hers or did she inherit it it's hers the duty officer said it's the second thing she did when she got here after Fort Hood Reacher had never been to bagam or anywhere else in Afghanistan but he knew how it would work some things never change no one liked sitting around doing nothing and no one liked their own people in trouble especially not in the tribal areas which were brutal and primitive in ways too drastic to contemplate so the search mission would be undertaken very willingly but it would carry significant danger combat air support would be needed and overwhelming air to ground Firepower would be required lots of moving Parts therefore Mission planning would take some time 2 hours minimum Reacher figured to get all the ducks in a row then 2 hours of flight time there would be no early resolution Reacher spent some of the weight time walking back to his motel and passed it and then left and right on the long blocks to the Ragged strip mall ahead of the Greek restaurant which he ignored because he wasn't hungry he ignored the picture framing shop because he had no pictures in need of Framing and he ignored the gun shop because he didn't want to buy a gun and he ignored the walking dentist because his teeth felt fine he stopped in at the hardware store and bought a a pair of dark khaki canvas work pants and a blue canvas work shirt and a brown field coat paded with some kind of trademarked Miracle insulation layer then he stopped in at the no-name pharmacy and bought dollar socks and boxers and two white t-shirts which he figured he would wear one on top of the other under the work shirt because the T-shirt fabric looked thin and the weather showed no signs of warming up he added a three-pack of disposable razors the smallest available and an aerosol of Shaving foam the smallest available and two packs of gum and a plastic comb he carried his purchases back to the motel two long blocks and let himself into his room it had been serviced in his absence the bed had been made and the meager bathroom supplies had been replaced fresh towels dry but still thin and new wrapped soap still small and a new tiny bottle of shampoo still chemically identical to dishwashing liquid he stripped in the chill and crammed his old clothes in the trash buckets half in the bathroom and half in the bedroom because the buckets were small and then he shaved very carefully and then he took his second shower of the day he started the heater under the window in the bedroom and dried himself with a hand towel in its hot rockus blast to save the larger towel for a future occasion he dressed in his new clothes and put his old boots back on and combed his hair he checked the result in the bathroom mirror mirr and was satisfied with what he saw he was at least clean and tidy which was about as good as it ever got she'll be out and about before long Reacher walked back to the 110th HQ his four upper body layers plus the miracle insulation did their job he stayed warm enough the HQ Gates were open the day guy was in the Sentry Hutch Morgan's car was back in the lot the plain sedan Reacher had seen it the night before with Morgan himself at the wheel all Prim and upright Reacher detoured across towards it and laid his palm on the hood which was warm almost hot Morgan had just gotten back which explained leech's state of mind she was silent and uptight at the reception desk in the lobby behind her the duty officer was a nerd in the ground floor Corridor all pale in the face just standing there Reacher didn't wait to be told he turned and headed up the Old Stone stairs third office on the left he knocked and entered Morgan was at the desk thin lipped and Furious practically quivering with rage Reacher said good of you to drop by Colonel Morgan said what you just did will cost the Pentagon more than $30 million money well spent it will be a court Marshal all its own possibly Reacher said but yours not mine I don't know where you've served before Colonel but this isn't Amateur hour anymore not here not with this unit you had two men you knew to be in danger and you absented yourself for two whole hours you left no word about where you were going and your phone was switched off that's completely unacceptable those men are in no danger they're poking around with some trivial inquiry they missed two consecutive radio checks probably goofing off like the rest of this damn unit in Afghanistan doing what hitting the bars and the clubs checking out the whouses spending the day at the beach get real you idiot radio silence out of Afghanistan is automatically bad news it was my decision you wouldn't recognize a decision if it ran up and bit you on the ass don't speak to me like that or what Morgan said nothing Reacher asked did you cancel the search Morgan didn't answer Reacher said and you haven't told me we're looking in the wrong place either therefore I was right those guys are lost On the Border in the tribal areas you should have done this 24 hours ago they're in real trouble you had no right to interfere I'm back in the Army I'm assigned to this unit and I hold the rank of major therefore I wasn't interfering I was doing my job and I was doing it properly like I always used to you should pay some attention and pick up some pointers Colonel you've got maybe a dozen people in the field exposed and vulnerable and you should be thinking about nothing else all day and all night you should leave a precise contact number at all times and you should have your cell switched on and you should be prepared to answer it no matter what else you're doing Morgan said have you finished I've barely even started you understand you're under my command Reacher nodded life is full of anomalies then listen up major your orders have changed from now on you are confined to your quarters go straight back to your motel and stay there until you hear from me again do not leave your room at any time for any reason do not attempt to communicate with anyone from this unit Morgan said you are dismissed major the duty officer was still in the ground floor Corridor leech was still behind the reception desk Reacher came down the stairs and Shrugged at them both part apologetic part rul heartly the universal military gesture same old [ __ ] then he headed out the door door and down the stone steps to the cold midday air the sky was clearing there was some bright blue up there Reacher walked the rest of the hill and turned on the three lane a bus passed him by heading out not in onward and away he walked on down a slight dip up a slight rise he saw the motel ahead of him on the right maybe a 100 yards distant he stopped the car was the dented doors was in the motel lot 13 easily recognizable even at a distance make model shape color the slight deformation in the driver's side sheet metal it was alone in the lot level with where Reacher guessed his room must be he moved three Paces forward on a diagonal to the edge of the sidewalk to improve his angle and he saw four men coming out of his door the CR was two of them were as easily identifiable as the car they were the guys from the night before 100% certain shape size coloring the other two men were new nothing special about the first of them tall young dumb as bad as his two Pals the fourth man was different he looked a little older than the others and he was a little bigger than the others which made him close to Reacher's own size 64 maybe and 240 but all muscle huge thighs small waist huge chest like an hourglass like a cartoon drawing plus big knotted shoulders and arms propped away from his sides by the sheer bulk of his pectorals and his triceps like a world champion male gymnast except more than twice the size but it was his head that was truly extraordinary it was shaved and it looked like it had been welded together from Flat steel plates small eyes and heavy brows and sharp cheekbones and Tiny gristly ears like pasta shapes he was straight-backed and Powerful Slavic somehow like a poster boy out of an old Red Army Recruiting advertisement like the ideal of Soviet manhood he should have been holding a banner one-handed high and proud his eyes fixed mistily on a golden future the four men shuffled out and closed the door behind them Reacher walked on 90 yards away way then 80 an Olympic sprinter could have closed the Gap in about 8 seconds but Reacher was no kind of a sprinter Olympic or otherwise the four men stepped over to their car Reacher walked on the four men opened their doors and folded themselves inside two in the back two in the front Reacher walked on 70 yards 60 the car moved through the lot and stopped nose on to the three Lane waiting for a gap in the traffic waiting to turn Reacher wanted it to turn towards him turn left he thought please but the car turned right and joined the traffic stream and drove away into the distance and was lost to sight a minute later Reacher was at his door unlocking it again opening it up and stepping inside nothing was Disturbed nothing was torn up or tipped over or trashed therefore there had been no detailed search just a cursory poke around looking for a first impression which was what there was a wet tub and a wet towel and some old clothes stuffed in the trash cans and some abandoned toiletries near the sink like he had just upped and quit which they had told him to after all you should get the hell out of town right now every night we find you still here we're going to kick your ass maybe they thought he had heeded their warnings or maybe not he left the room again and walked up to the motel office the clerk was a squirrel a guy about 40 all bad skin and jutting bone perched up on a high stool behind the counter Reacher said you let Four Guys into my room the clerk sucked his teeth and nodded Reacher said Army the guy nodded again did you see ID didn't need to they had the look you do a lot of business with the Army enough to never ask questions you got it Chief I'm sweetness and light all the way with the Army because a man's got to eat they do anything wrong not a thing Reacher said did you hear any names only yours anything else I can do for you the guy asked I could use a fresh towel reach said and more soap I guess and more shampoo and you could empty my trash whatever you want the guy said I'm sweetness and light all the way with the Army Reacher walked back to his room there was no chair which was not a breach of the Geneva conventions but confinement to quarters was going to be irksome for a large and Restless man plus it was only a motel with no room service and no dining room and no greasy spoon Cafe across the street either and no telephone and therefore no delivery so Reacher locked up again and walked away to the Greek place two blocks distant technically a grievous breach of his orders but win or lose trivialities weren't going to count for much either one way or the other he saw nothing on the walk except another Municipal bus heading out and a garbage truck on its rounds at the restaurant the hostess gave him a table on the other side of the room from his breakfast Billet and he got a different waitress he ordered coffee and a cheeseburger and a slice of pie and he enjoyed it all he saw nothing on the walk back except another bus heading out and another garbage truck on its rounds he was back in his room less than an hour after leaving it the squirrel a guy had been in with a new towel and new soap and new shampoo the trash cans were empty the room was as good as it was going to get he laay down on the bed and crossed his ankles and put his hands behind his head and thought about taking a nap but he didn't get one within about a minute of his head hitting the pillow three warrant officers from the 75th MP showed up to arrest him 14 a car and they were driving it fast Reacher heard it on the road and he heard it thump up into the lot and he heard it slew around and jammed to a stop outside he heard three doors open a ragged sequence of three separate sounds all contained in the same second and he heard three pairs of boots hit the ground which meant three guys not four which meant they were not the guys from the car with the dented doors there was a pause with one set of footsteps receding fast which he guessed was someone running around to cover the rear which was a waste of time because there was no bathroom window but they didn't know that and better safe than sorry which told him he was dealing with a competent crew they came ey and he uncrossed his ankles and unlaced his hands from behind his head and sat up on the bed he swiveled around and put his feet on the floor right on Q the hammering started on the door nothing like major Sullivan's polite little tap tap tap pity tap from 6:00 in the morning this was a full on Furious boom boom boom by big strong guys trained to make a paralyzing first impression not his own favorite method he had always felt self-conscious making a lot of noise the guys outside stopped banging long enough to shout something a couple of times open up open up reach your guest then they started banging again Reacher stood up and walked to the door he thumped on it from the inside just as hard and just as loud the commotion stopped on the outside Reacher smiled no one expects a door to talk back he opened up and saw two guys in Army Combat Uniform one had a sidearm drawn and the other had a shotgun which was pretty damn serious for a Suburban Virginia afternoon behind them their car had three doors hanging open its motor was running Reacher said what the guy on the hinge side of the door was in charge safest spot for the senior your guy he said sir you're to come with us says who says me unit 75th MP acting for who you'll find out the name on the guy's uniform tape was Espen he was about the size of a flyweight boxer darkhaired hard and muscled with a flattened nose he looked like an okay type of guy in general Reacher liked warrant officers not as much as Sergeants but more than most commissioned officers he asked is this an arrest do you want it to be Espen said if so keep talking make your mind up Soldier it's one thing or the other I prefer voluntary cooperation dreamon then yes you're under arrest what's your name Espen first name I want to remember it is as long as I live is that a threat heat the guy said got it Reacher said heat Espen where are we going Fort Dyer heat Espen said someone wants to talk to you the third guy came back from behind the building Junior to Espen but only technically all three of them looked like veterans seen it all done it all Espen said we're going to search you first be my guest Reacher said he held his arms out wide he had nothing to hide he had nothing in his pockets except his passport his ATM card his toothbrush some cash money some gum and his Motel key which was all quickly confirmed whereupon the guy with the shotgun motioned him over to the car to the back seat on the passenger side which was the safest spot to carry a bad guy in a four place vehicle without a security screen smallest chance of him interfering with the driver the guy who had checked for a bathroom window got in the driver's seat Espen got in next to Reacher the guy with the shotgun closed Reacher's door on him and then climbed in the front passenger seat all set nice and easy and professional a good crew it was too late for lunch and too early for rush hour so the roads were clear and the drive was quick on a different route from the one Reacher had used before through a tangle of streets to Dyer's Northern entrance which seemed much less used than the main gate to the South but it was no less secure getting in took the same amount of time Dragon's Teeth barriers and check check check three separate times then they drove a looping back way around and fetched up at the rear door of the Guard house Reacher was ushered out of the car and in through the door to a guy behind it not exactly a prison guard more like a clerk or an administrator he was unarmed like most prison staff and he had keys on his belt he was in a small square lobby with locked quarantine doors to the left and the right Reacher was led through the door on the left and onward to an interview room which had no windows just four blank walls and a table bolted to the floor with two chairs on one side and one on the other the room had not been designed by the dining room guy that was clear there was no blond wood or carpet just scuffed white paint on cinder block and a cracked concrete floor and a fluorescent bulb in a wire cage on the ceiling a dire guy Reacher hadn't seen before came in with a clear plastic zip bag and took away all the stuff from his pockets Reacher sat down on the solo side of the table he figured that was his designated position Espen sat down opposite him everyone else left Espen said nothing no questions no pleasantries no [ __ ] to pass the time Reacher said who wants to talk to me Espen said he's on his way he some Polish name who is he you'll see which Reacher did about 20 minutes later the door opened and a man in a suit came in the man was was on the early side of middle age with short dark hair showing some gray and a pale poachy face showing some fatigue and a hard compact body showing some time in the gym the suit was black not cheap but worn and shiny in places and it had a badge holder flipped open and hooked in the top breast pocket the badge was metro PD which was DC's local police department a civilian the guy sat down next to Espen and said I'm detective Podolski good to know Reacher said I need some answers to what kind of questions I think you know I don't questions about a felony assault how old this time 20 years 100 something that happened during the Civil War tell me about your morning what morning this morning today I got up and then I spoke spoke to a lawyer and then I spoke to another lawyer and then I spoke to another lawyer this morning was wall to--all lawyers basically their names Sullivan Edmonds and morcroft and morcroft would be Colonel morcroft of your Jag School in Charlottesville but temporarily working out of the space not my Jag School Reacher said but yes that's the guy and where did you speak with him right here on this space in the OC dining room and when did you speak with him this morning like I said what time specifically does a private conversation between two army officers on an army base fall into your jurisdiction detective this one does Podolski said believe me when did you speak with him his breakfast time Reacher said which was later than mine I would say the conversation began at 23 minutes P 9 that's certainly specific you asked me to be specific Podolski said what was the conversation with Colonel morcroft about a legal matter Reacher said privileged no it was about a third party and the third party would be major Susan Turner of the 1110th MP currently under investigation by the Army on corruption charges and major Sullivan witnessed this conversation is that right yes she was there she says you wanted Colonel morof to do something is that correct yes it is you wanted him to appeal major Turner's pre-trial yes I did but he wouldn't is that correct and in fact he told you to butt out at one point yes you argued in fact in a heated manner we didn't argue you we discussed a technical matter it wasn't heeded but the bottom line is you wanted Colonel Morra to do something for you and he refused to do it is that a fair summary Reacher said what exactly is this about Podolski said it's about Colonel morcroft getting beaten half to death late this morning in Southeast D.C on my streets 15 a notebook and a pen and he laid them neatly on the table and he said you should have a lawyer here Podolski took out Reacher said I wasn't in Southeast DC today or any other part I didn't even cross the river do you want a lawyer I already have a lawyer two of them actually they're not much use to me in fact one of them in particular seems to be doing me no good at all major Sullivan you mean she left before the conversation was over morof was going to file the paperwork he agreed just after Sullivan was gone that's convenient it's also true is morof saying different morof isn't saying anything he's in a coma you had a car didn't you Podolski asked a blue Chevrolet sedan borrowed from the10th HQ so what you could have grabbed Mor Croft up and driven him across the river could have I suppose but didn't it was a brutal attack I do say so there must have been blood everywhere Reacher nodded brutal attacks and blood everywhere tend to go hand in hand tell me about your clothes what clothes the clothes you're wearing Reacher looked down they're new I just bought them at a strip mall two blocks from my Mot H why did you buy them it was time Reacher said were your old clothes dirty I suppose did you get something on them like what blood for instance no there was no blood on them where are they now Podolski said we talked to the clerk at your Motel he said you made a point of asking for your trash to be emptied I didn't really make a point but still he emptied your trash like you asked him to just before the garbage truck came so now your old clothes are gone coincidence that's convenient Podolski said again isn't it Reacher didn't reply Podolski said the clerk checked the clothes HEK that kind of guy they were too big for him of course but they might have had some value but they didn't too dirty he said and too stained including with what looked like blood to him not more Crofts Reacher said who's then I'd been wearing them a long time I have a hard life you fight a lot as little as possible but sometimes I cut myself shaving you showered too didn't you when you trashed the clothes the motel clerk said you asked him for new towels yes I showered do you normally shower twice a day sometimes was there a particular reason today Reacher said no particular reason to rinse the blood maybe I wasn't bleeding if we checked the drain what would we find dirty water Reacher said you sure about that the whole room is dirty you're facing a homicide charge right now is that correct from 16 years ago Juan Rodriguez some guy you beat up false accusation I've heard that before which is what Colonel morcroft said too isn't it major Sullivan told me you mentioned the matter to him but he wasn't sympathetic did that make you angry it made me a little frustrated yes it must get tiring being so widely misunderstood Reacher said how bad is morof feeling guilty now I'm feeling concerned about him and his client I heard you never even met the woman should that make a difference the doctors say morcroft might wake up at some point no one can say when or what state he'll be in when he does if he does Reacher said I was at the 110th HQ part of the morning Podolski nodded for a about 20 minutes total we checked what were you doing the rest of the morning walking here in there anyone see you walking that's convenient Podolski said for the third time you're talking to the wrong guy detective last I saw morof he was making his way out of the OC dining room right here happy as a clam whoever attacked him is running around out there laughing at you while you're wasting your time with me in other words some other dude did it obviously I've heard that before Podolski said again you ever been wrong doesn't matter what matters is am I wrong now and I don't think I am I've got a guy with a History of Violence who was seen arguing with the victim right before the time of the crime and who dumped a full set of clothes right after the time of the crime and took his second shower of the day and who had access to a vehicle and whose movements aren't entirely accounted for you were a cop correct what would you do I would find the right guy I'm sure I saw that written down somewhere suppose the right guy says he's the wrong guy happened all the time you have to use your judgment I am pity Reacher said show me your hands Reacher put his hands on the table flat calms down they looked big and tan and worn and rough both sets of knuckles were very slightly pink and very slightly swollen from the night before the two guys in the t-shirts the left hook and the right uppercut big impacts not the biggest ever but solid Podolski stared for a long time inconclusive he said maybe you used a weapon a blunt instr of some kind the doctors will tell me Reacher said so what next that's the da decision in the meantime you'll come with me I want you locked up downtown the room went quiet and then Espen spoke for the first time no he said unacceptable he stays here our homicide beats your felony assault Podolski said this morning beat 16 years ago Espen said possession is nine points of the law we've got him you don't imagine the paper work Podolski didn't answer Espen said but you can come over and talk to him anytime you want will he be locked up Podolski asked tighter than a fish's butt deal Podolski said he stood up and gathered his pen and his notebook and walked out of the room after that it was straight into routine pre-trial confinement Reacher was searched again and his boot laces were taken away and he was half pushed and half L along a narrow blank Corridor past two grander interview rooms opposite and around two corners all the way to the cell block which was a lot more civilized than some Reacher had seen it was more like the far corner of a chain hotel than a prison it was a Warren of subc corridors and small lobbies and the cell itself was like a motel room hardened for sure with bolts and locks and a steel door that opened outward and concrete walls and a barred foot high slit window near the ceiling and metal fittings in the bathroom and a narrow Barrack style cop for a bed but it was spacious and reasonably comfortable all the same better than the place on the three lane overall that was for damn Shore there was even a chair next to the bed joint Bas D hellington house in all its opulent Glory High status prisoners on the inside got it better than low status officers on the outside Reacher sat down in the chair Espen waited in the doorway hope for the best plan for the worst reer said I need to see the duty Captain as soon as possible Espen said he'll stop by anyway he'll need to tell you the rules I know the rules I was a duty Captain myself once upon a time but I still need to see him as soon as possible I'll pass on the message and then Espen left the door slammed and the lock turned and the bolts shot home 20 minutes later the same sounds happened in reverse the bolt slammed back and the lock turned the other way and the door opened the beanpole captain ducked his head under the lentil and walked in he said are we going to have trouble with you Reacher said I don't see why you should as long as you all behave yourselves properly the tall guy smiled what can I do for you you can call someone for me Sergeant leech at the 110th tell her where I am she might have a message for me if she does you can come and tell me what it is you want me to feed your dog and pick up your dry cleaning too I don't have dry cleaning or a dog but you can call major Sullivan at Jag if you like she's my lawyer tell her I want to see her here by the close of business today tell her I need a client conference tell her it's extremely important that it no next you can call Captain Edmonds at HRC she's my other lawyer tell her I want to see her right after major Sullivan tell her I have urgent things to discuss anything else how many customers do you have today just you and one other which would be major Turner right is she nearby this is the only cell block we got she needs to know her lawyer is out of action she needs to get another one you need to go see her and make sure she does that's a weird thing for you to say what happened to morof was nothing to do with me you'll know that soon enough and the best way of getting the egg off your face is not to get it on in the first place still a weird thing for you to say who died and made you president of the ACLU I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution so did you major Turner is entitled to competent representation at all times that's the theory and a gap will look bad when the appeals kick in so tell her she needs to meet with someone new as soon soon as possible this afternoon would be good make sure she grasps that we're all good now Reacher said thank you Captain you're welcome the tall guy said he turned around and folded himself under the lentil again and stepped out to the corridor the door slammed and the lock turned and the bolts shot home Reacher stayed where he was in the chair 15 minutes later the door sounds came again the bolts the lock the hinges this time the duty Captain stayed out in the corridor less strain on his neck he said message from Sergeant leech over at your HQ the two guys in Afghanistan were found dead on a Goat Trail in the hindukush shot in the head 9 mm probably 3 days ago possibly by the looks of it Reacher paused a beat and then he said thank you Captain and the worst had happened 16 his chair thinking hard flipping an imaginary coin in his head first time heads or tails 50/50 obviously because the coin was imaginary a real coin flipped by a real human trended closer to 51 to 49 in favor of whichever side was uppermost at the outset no one could explain exactly why but the phenomenon was easily observed in experiments something to do with multiple axes of Spin and wobble and aerodynamics and the general difference between theory and practice Reacher stayed ion but Reacher's coin was imaginary so second time heads or tails exactly 50/50 again and the third time and the fourth time each flip was a separate event all its own with identical odds statistically independent of anything that came before always 50/50 every single time but that didn't mean the chances of flipping four heads in a row were 50/50 far from it the chances of flipping four heads in a row were about 94 to six against much worse than 50/50 simple math and Reacher needed four heads in a row as in would Susan Turner get a new lawyer that afternoon answer either yes or no 50/50 like heads or tails like flipping a coin then would that new lawyer be a white male answer either yes or no 50/50 and then would first major Sullivan or subsequently Captain Edmunds be in the building at the same time as Susan Turner's new lawyer assuming she got one answer either yes or no 50/50 and finally would all three lawyers have come in through the same gate as each other answer either yes or no 50/50 for yes or no answers each one of them a separate event all its own each one of them a perfect 50/50 chance in its own right but four correct answers in a row were a six in 100 improbability hope for the best which Reacher did to some extent justifiably he felt statistics were cold and indifferent which the real world wasn't necess necessarily the Army was an imperfect institution even in non-competent roles like the Jag Corp it wasn't perfectly gender neutral for instance senior ranks favored men and a senior rank would be seen as necessary for the defense of an MP major on a corruption charge therefore the gender of Susan Turner's new lawyer wasn't exactly a 50-50 proposition probably closer to 7030 in the desired Direction More had been male after all and white black people were well represented in the military but in no greater proportion than the population as a whole which was about 1 in8 about 87 to 13 right there and Reacher could keep at least one of his own lawyers in the building practically indefinitely all he had to do was keep them talking one spous point after another some big show of anxiety he could keep them there forever until they grew bored or impatient enough to abandon legal propriety and good manners therefore the chances of his lawyer and Turner being present in the building together were better than 50/50 too 7030 again possibly maybe even better and regular visitors to Dyer might know the north gate was closer to the guard house and therefore they could be relied upon to use it maybe which put the gate question better than 50502 if Turner's new lawyer was a regular visitor which he might not be pointy-headed classroom Stars didn't necessarily Get Around Much call it 55 to 45 a marginal Advantage not overwhelming nevertheless overall the pl chances were a little better than six in 100 but not a whole lot better if Turner got a new lawyer in the first place that was hope for the best Reacher waited relaxed patient inert he counted off the time in his head 3:00 in the afternoon 3:30 4:00 the chair was comfortable the room was warm and fairly soundproof very little noise was audible from the outside just a dull acoustic not that the place was remotely like a regular prison it was a civilized place place four civilized people all of which Reacher hoped was going to help finally at 4:30 in the afternoon the bolt slammed back and the lock turned and the door opened the beanpole captain said major Sullivan is here to see you Showtime 17 stood back and let Reacher walk in front of him the corridor dog-legged left and then right Reacher pieced together the geography from what little he had seen he figured the main office was around three more corners still some distance away before that would come the small square lobby with the locked quarantine doors and the clerk and the rear door to the outside before that would come the interview rooms on both sides of a short stretch of corridor all its own the scuffed spaces for cops and suspects would be on the right and on the left would be the slightly grander spaces he had seen on his way to the cells there were two of them his destination he assumed higher quality for conferences between lawyers and clients they had windows in their doors narrow vertical rectangles of wired glass set off center above the handles the tall guy he walked straight past the first door glancing in the window but pretending not to seeing Sullivan in there Seated on the left side of a table in her neat class of uniform hands folded on top of her closed briefcase and he kept on walking to the second door where he stopped and glanced in the window quite openly the second room was empty no client and no lawyer male or otherwise neither heads nor Tails not yet behind him the tall guy said hold up major you're in this one back here Reacher turned around and tracked back the door wasn't locked the tall guy just turned the handle and opened it up Reacher listened to the sounds it made a solid metallic click from the handle a curse of precision Grind from the hinges an air-locked swish from the silicone seals not loud but distinctive Reacher stepped inside solivan looked up the tall guy said buz when you're done counselor Reacher sat down opposite Sullivan and the tall guy closed the door and walked away the door was not locked because there was no handle on the side just a flat expanse with something missing unexpected like a face without a nose there was a doorbell button next to the jam buzz when you're done the room itself was plain and pleasant no windows but it was cleaner and crisper than the cop room the light bulb was brighter Sullivan kept her briefcase closed and her hands clasped on top of it she said I won't represent you in the morof assault in fact I really don't want you as a client at all Reacher didn't answer he was checking what he could hear from the corridor which wasn't much but was maybe enough Sullivan said major Reacher said I'm what they're giving you so get used to it colonel morcroft is a friend of mine your old teacher one of them then you know what those guys are like in their heads they're never out of the classroom Socratic or whatever they call it he was yanking my chain for the sake of it he was arguing for the fun of it because that's what they do you left and then he said he was going to file the paperwork as soon as he finished his toast he intended to all along but straight answers aren't his style I don't believe you no paperwork was filed this the last I saw of him he was walking out of the dining room about 2 minutes after after you so you're denying this one too think about it counselor my aim was to get major Turner out of herself cell how would attacking morof help me it would set me back at least a day if not two or three why do you care so much about major Turner I liked her voice on the phone maybe you were angry with morof did I look angry a little you're wrong major I didn't look angry at all because I wasn't angry I was sitting there quite patiently he wasn't the first classro guy I ever met I went to school after all I felt uncomfortable what did you tell Podolski just that there was a dispute and I felt uncomfortable did you tell him it was heated you confronted him you argued what was I supposed to do stand up and salute he's not exactly the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court the evidence against you appears to be considerable the clothes in particular that's classic Reacher didn't answer he was listening again he heard Footsteps in the corridor two people both men low voices short uncontroversial sentences a succinct and everyday exchange of information the footsteps moved on there were no door sounds No click no grind no swish Reacher said do you have a wallet in your briefcase what you heard me why would I because you're not carrying a purse and if you don't mind me saying so your uniform is tailored very close to your figure and there are absolutely no bulges in your pockets Sullivan kept her hands on her briefcase and said yes I have a wallet in here how much money is in it I don't know $30 maybe how much was your last ATM withdrawal 200 got a cell phone in there too then there's as much evidence against you as me clearly you called an accomplice and offered him 170 bucks to kick your old teachers ass maybe because your grades weren't perfect all those years ago maybe you were still angry about it that's what I'm saying Sullivan didn't answer Reacher asked how were your grades Sullivan said not perfect Reacher listened again silence in the corridor Sullivan said detective Podolski will order a landfill search he'll find your clothes it won't be difficult last in first out will they stand up to DNA analysis easily Reacher said it wasn't me then more Footsteps in the corridor soft quiet two people A procession maybe one person leading another a halt an explanation a casual low toned 10 beat sentence maybe this one kernel the other ones in use and door sounds the crisp metallic click of the handle the Slick ground grind of the hinges and the suck of the silicone seal the arrival of a lawyer Turners for sure because she was the only other customer in the place while Reacher's lawyer was still in the building his first lawyer yet so far so good heads and heads score two Reacher said tell me about the Rodriguez affidavit Sullivan said an affidavit is a sworn statement of fact I know that Reacher said like I told your old pal morcroft this stuff isn't brain surgery affidavit is Latin for he has declared upon oath but does it really speak from beyond the grave in a practical sense real world For the First Time Sullivan took her hands off her briefcase she rocked them from side to side equivocal all kinds of academic gestures Maybe maybe not she said in American jurisprudence it's fairly unusual to rely on an unsupported affidavit especially if the person who swore it out is unavailable for cross-examination but it can be allowed if the interests of Justice demand it or the interests of public relations if you want to be cynical and the prosecution will argue that Rodriguez's affidavit is not exactly unsupported anyhow they have the daily summary from the 110 th's files showing your visit with him and they have the ER report from immediately afterwards showing the results of it they'll claim the three things together present a seamless and coherent narrative can you argue against that of course Sullivan said but our argument looks suddenly very weak dynamically what they're going to say makes perfect sense in an everyday way this happened then this happened then this happened we'll need to take out the middle this and replace it with something that sounds very unlikely on its face as in you left and someone else just happened to show up in the same place at the same time and beat the guy to a pulp Reacher didn't answer he was listening again Sullivan said our problem is whether an attempted defense that fails will annoy the court to the point where you get a worse sentence than you would have gotten with the plea bargain which is a serious risk my advice is to play safe and take the deal 2 years is better than five or 10 Reacher didn't answer he was still listening at first to nothing just silence then more Footsteps in the corridor two people one following the other then door sounds the same door the same crisp metallic click of the handle the same slick grind of the hinges the same suck of the silicone seal then a pause and the same sounds all over again in the reverse sequence as the door closed and then one set of footsteps walking away so now Turner was in the next door room with her lawyer and the corridor was empty Reacher said I have a serious problem with my cell counselor you really need to come see it 18 what kind of a problem do you have with your cell she said it a little wearily but not impatiently she was n dismissing the matter out of hand defense lawyers dealt with all kinds of [ __ ] suspects were always looking for an edge or an angle for the inevitable appeal any imagined slight or unfairness had to be investigated and evaluated Reacher knew that he knew how the game was played Sullivan asked he said I don't want to put something in your mind I don't want to preempt your honest opinion I need you to see this for yourself now why not okay she said a little wearily she stood up she stepped over to the door she pressed the buzzer she left her briefcase on the table Reacher stood up and waited behind her 1 minute two then the narrow glass window and the door darkened and the door opened up and the duty Captain said all done counselor Sullivan said said no he has a problem with his cell the tall guy looked at Reacher with a quizzical expression on his face heart resigned heart surprised as if to say really you this old [ __ ] but he said okay whatever let's go take a look like he had to he knew how the game was played Reacher led the way Sullivan went next the tall guy brought up the rear they walked in single file through the dog legs left and then right to the cell door which was unlocked and unbolted because reer wasn't in it Reacher pulled it open and held it for the others the tall guy smiled and took the door from him and gestured after you he was dumb but not brain damaged Reacher went in first then came Sullivan then the tall guy Reacher stopped and pointed over there he said in the crack Sullivan said what crack in the floor near the wall under the window Sullivan stepped forward the tall guy stopped short of the bed Sullivan said I don't see a crack Reacher said there's something in it it's wriggling Sullivan froze the tall guy leaned in human nature Reacher leaned the other way just a subtle drift but the tall guy's Mass was moving one way and Reacher the other Reacher shoved the guy below his shoulder on his upper arm hard like a swimmer pushes off the end of the pool and the guy went down over the bed like he was falling off a pair of stilts Sullivan spun around and Reacher steep to the door and out to the corridor and closed the door and bolted it then he ran back awkward in his laceless boots passed the room with Sullivan's briefcase in it to the next room he stood well back and looked in through the narrow rectangular window and saw Susan Turner for the first time she was worth the wait he thought totally worth it she was sitting on the right hand side of the table she was wearing army combat uniform with all the hook and loop tapes and tags pulled off and 10 combat boots with no laces she was an inch or two above average height she was small boned and slender with dark hair pulled back and tan skin and deep brown eyes her face was showing mostly fatigue but there was spirit in it too and intelligence and a kind of detached ironic Mischief spectacular in Reacher's considered opinion totally worth the wait he thought again her lawyer was on the left side of the table a full bird Kel in class a uniform gray hair and a lined face middle-aged and medium-sized a man a white man heads score three Reacher moved on all the way to the quarantine door between himself and the rear Lobby there was no inside handle just a buzzer button like the conference rooms he kicked off his boots and then he hit the button urgently over and over again less than 5 seconds later the door opened the lobby clerk stood there the handle in his hand his keys were on a squared off metal screw ring like a small piece of mountaineering equipment secured in a belt loop Reacher said breathless your captain is having some kind of a seizure or a heart attack he's thrashing around you need to check him out right now Soldier command presence much prised by the military the guy hesitated less than a second and then stepped into the inner corridor the door started to swing shut behind him Reacher nudged his left boot into the Gap and then turned to follow he ran bootless and quiet behind the guy and then overtook him and wrenched open the first cell door he came to unlocked and unbolted because it was empty but not for long in here he said the lobby guy shouldered in Fast and Urgent and Reacher grabbed his keys and tore them right off his pants belt loop and all and then he shoved him hard and sent him sprawling and closed the door and shot the bolts he breathed in and he breathed out now came the hard part 19 back to the room where Sullivan's briefcase still rested on the table he pushed the door all the way open and darted in and grabbed the case and then he turned back fast and caught the door again before it slammed shut behind him he knelt on the floor in the corridor and opened the case he ignored all the files and all the legal paperwork and rooted around until he found a car key which he put in his pants pocket then he found the wallet he took out the Army ID Sullivan's first name was Helen he put the ID in his shirt pocket he took out her money and put it in his other pants pocket he found a pen and tore off a small triangle of paper from a xeroxed form and he wrote dear Helen I owe you $30 and he signed at Jack Reacher he put the of paper in the money slot and he closed the wallet and he closed the briefcase Reacher patted bootless then he stood up with the briefcase in his hand he breathed in and breathed out he moved on 12T to the next room and he glanced in through the narrow window Susan Turner was talking patiently marshalling arguments using her hands separating one point from another her lawyer was listening head cocked writing notes not on a yellow legal pad his briefcase was open on the table pushed to the side it was emptier than Sullivan's but the guy's Pockets were Fuller his uniform was not well tailored it was baggy and generous the name plate on the pocket flap said temple Reacher moved on again all the way to the quarantine door between him and the lobby he replaced his left boot with Sullivan's car key so the door stayed unlatched and he put his boots back on slack and laceless then he headed back to Turner's interview room and stopped outside the door then he opened the door fast and easy and stepped inside the room he turned and bent and placed Sullivan's briefcase against the jam to stop the door from closing again he turned back and saw both Turner and her lawyer looking up at him nothing much in the lawyer's face but what looked like Dawning recognition in Turner he said colonel I need to see your ID the guy said who are you defense intelligence agency hely routine sir stalled a second and then he fished in an inside pocket and came out with his ID Reacher stepped over and took it from him and looked hard at it John James Temple he raised his eyebrows as if surprised and he looked again and then he slipped the ID into his shirt pocket right next to Sullivan's he he said I'm sorry Colonel but I need a minute of your time he stepped back to the door and held it open after you the guy looked uncertain for a moment and then he got up from the table slowly Reacher glanced over his shoulder at Turner and said you wait here miss we'll be right back the lawyer paused a beat and then shuffled out ahead of him Reacher said sir to your right please and followed after him also shuffling literally because of the loose boots which were the weak points lawyers weren't necessarily the most physically observant of people but they had brains and they were generally logical and this phase of the plan was a low-speed proposition no urgency no rush no Panic practically slow motion this guy had time to think which evidently he used about 20 ft short of the first vacant cell the guy stopped suddenly and turned around and looked down straight at Reacher's boots instantly Reacher spun him face front again and put him in the kind of arresting a senior officer grip that any MP learns early in his career about which there was nothing in the field manual and which was not taught in any way except by hints and example Reacher grabbed the guy's right elbow from behind in his left hand and simultaneously squeezed it hard and pulled it downward and propelled it forward as always the guy was left fighting the downward Force so hard he forgot all about resisting the forward motion he just stumbled onward crabwise twisted and bent gasping a little not really from pain but from outraged dignity which Reacher was happy about he didn't want to hurt the guy this was not his fault Reacher maneuvered the guy to an open and empty cell which he guessed might have been Turners from the look of it and pushed him inside and closed the door on him and bolted it then he stood in the corridor just a beat and he breathed in and he breathed out good to go he shuffled back to the second conference room and stepped inside Susan Turner was on her feet between the table and the door he held out his hand he said I'm Jack Reacher I know you are she said I saw your photo from your file and I recognized your voice from the phone and he recognized hers from the phone warm slightly husky a little breathy a little intimate just as good as he remembered maybe even better live and in person he said I'm very pleased to meet you she shook his hand her touch was warm not hard not soft she said I'm very pleased to meet you you too but what exactly are you doing he said you know what I'm doing and why at least I hope you do because if you don't you're not worth doing it for I didn't want you to get involved hence the thing about not visiting I thought you might show up just possibly if you did I wanted you to turn tail and get the hell out immediately for your own sake did work what are our chances of getting out of here we've been lucky so far he fished in his shirt pocket and took out Sullivan's ID he checked the picture against Turner's face same gender roughly the same hair color but that was about all he gave her the ID she said who is she my lawyer one of my lawyers I met her this morning where is she now in a Cell probably hammering on the door we need to get going and you're taking my lawyer's ID Reacher patted his pocket I've got it right here but you don't look anything like him that's why you're going to drive is it dark yet heading that way so let's go she said they stepped out to the corridor and walked to the quarantine door it was still held open and in by Sullivan's car key Reacher pulled the door and Turner scooped up the key and they stepped into the small square Lobby and the door sucked shut behind them the exit door was locked with a small neat mechanism no doubt expensive and highly secure Reacher took out the clerk's keys and started trying them one after the other there were eight in total the first was no good neither was the second nor the Third nor the fourth but the fifth key did the trick the lock snicked open Reacher turned the handle and pulled the door cold air came in from the outside the afternoon light was fading Turner said what car are we looking for dark green sedan that helps she said on a military base warm husky breathy intimate they stepped out together Reacher closed the door behind them and locked it he figured that might buy an extra minute ahead of them to the left was a small parking lot about 30 yards away across an expans of blank black top 17 cars in it mostly povs only two plain sedans neither one of them green beyond the La Road curved away West on the right the same road turned a corner and ran out of sight best guess Turner said if in doubt turn left Reacher said that was always my they turned left and found another lot hidden beyond the corner of the building it was small nothing more than a bumped out strip with diagonal Bays six cars in it all of them nosen all of them identical dark green sedans Turner said that's better she lined herself up equidistant from the six rear bumpers and pressed the button on the key fob nothing happened she tried again nothing she said maybe the battery is out in the car Reacher said in the key she said then how did Sullivan get here she stuck the key in the door like we used to back in the day we'll have to try them one by one we can't do that we'll look like car thieves we are car thieves May maybe none of these is the right car Reacher said I didn't see the plate it was dark this morning we can't wander about this base much longer maybe we should have turned right they tracked back as brisk and unobtrusive as they could be in Boots without laces pass the rear door to the guard house again and onward around the corner it felt good to walk freedom and fresh air Reacher had always figured the best part of getting out of jail was the first 30 yards and he liked having Turner next to him she was nervous as a cat but she was holding it together she looked confident they were just two people walking like con artists everywhere act like you're supposed to be there there was another bumped out Bay around the east corner six diagonal slots symmetrical with the one they had already seen to the West there were three cars in it only one of them was a sedan and it was dark green Turner hit the key fob button she stepped up close and tried the key in the door it didn't fit she said where does a lawyer who's visiting the guard house come in the front entrance right is there a parking lot out front bound to be Reacher said but I wish there wasn't we'll be very exposed out front we can't just hang around here we're sitting ducks they walked on to the front corner of the building and stopped short in the shadows Reacher sensed open space ahead and maybe lights and maybe traffic on three Turner said 1 2 3 they turned the corner act like you're supposed to be there they walked fast like busy people going somewhere there was a fire lane along the front face of the building and then a curbed divider with a long one row lot Beyond it full of parked cars except for one empty slot and to the left of the empty slot was a dark green sedan that's it Reacher said I kind of recognize it Turner headed straight for it and hit the key fob button and the car lit up inside and its turn signals flashed once and its door locks clunked open ahead on the left about a 100 yards away a car was crawling towards them at a cautious on post kind of speed with its headlights on against the GL Reacher and Turner split up Reacher going right Turner going left down the flanks of the green car Reacher to the passenger's door Turner to the driver's door they opened up and climbed in together no fumbling no hesitation the approaching car was getting nearer they closed their doors slam slam like overworked staffers with minutes between vital appointments and Turner put the key in the slot and started the engine the oncoming car turned into the lot and rolled towards them from the left its headlight beams lighting them up go Reacher said go now Turner didn't she got it in reverse gear and touched the gas but the car went nowhere it just reared up against the parking brake Turner said [ __ ] and fumbled the lever down but by then it was too late the oncoming car was right behind them it stopped there locking them in and then its driver turned the wheel hard and crawled forward again aiming to park in the empty slot right next to them its driver was Captain Tracy Edmonds Reacher lawyer working with HRC Candace Dayton his second appointment of the afternoon Reacher slumped right down in his seat and cradled his face in his hand like a man with a headache Turner said what that's my other lawyer Captain Edmonds I scheduled back-to-back meetings I wanted to be certain I was out of my cell when your lawyer showed up don't let her see you that's the least of our problems the [ __ ] will hit the fan about a minute after she goes inside don't you think you should have figured one lawyer would be enough would you have probably not alongside them Edmunds jacked back and forth a couple of times until she was all neat and straight in her allotted space she flicked her lights off and Turner flicked hers on and backed straight out and cut the wheel hard Edmonds opened her door and climbed out of her car Reacher swapped hands on his face Turner rattled the lever into a forward gear and straightened up and took off slowly Edmonds waited patiently for her to complete the maneuver Turner waved a thank you gesture and hit the gas Southgate Reacher said don't you think I figure all these guys will have come in from the north agreed Turner said she rolled on South brisk but not suicidal all the way through the complex past buildings large and small turning here and there slowing here and there waiting at stop signs hearing left and right moving on again until finally the last of the base fell away behind them and then they were into the exit road heading for the first guard shack barrier the first of three 20 was easy act like you're supposed to be there Turner collected reachers borrowed ID from him and held it with hers fanned in her hand like a pair of Threes And she slowed to a walk and buzzed her window down and popped the trunk as she eased to a stop the whole performance a natural flowing sequence as if she did it every single day of her life the first barrier and the Sentry in the shack responded to the performance perfectly like Reacher guested she hoped he would he spent less than a second glancing at the fand IDS and less than a second glancing into the open trunk and less than a second slamming it shut for them Turner nudged the gas and rolled forward and breathed out Reacher said Edmonds has to be inside by now got any bright ideas any sign of a problem just hit the gas straight through the barrier busting up a piece of metal with stripes on it can't get us in much more trouble we might run over a sentury he'll jump out the way centries are human like anyone else we Dent an army car I already dented an army car last night with two guys heads you seem to have a thing about denting Army property with heads she said warm husky breathy intimate like the desk in my office he nodded he had told her the story on the phone from South Dakota an old investigation and a little resulting frustration a short story made long just to keep her talking just to hear more of her voice she asked who were the two guys from last night complicated he said I'll tell you later I hope you'll be able to she said they rolled towards the second checkpoint where blasting through turned out not to be an available option it was just after 5: in the afternoon Rush Hour military style there was a modest queue of vehicles waiting to get out and a modest queue waiting to get in already two cars were in line in the exit Lane and three in the entrance Lane there were two guys on duty in the shack one was darting left and right letting one vehicle in then letting one vehicle out back and forth in strict rotation the other guy was inside The Shack on the phone listening intently Turner eased to a stop third car in line in a narrowing Lane with the guard shack ahead on her left and an unbroken row of concrete Dragon's Teeth on her right each one of them a squat truncated pyramid about 3 ft tall each one of them no doubt built on a rebar Armature and socketed deep below grade the second guy was still on the phone in the other lane the barrier went up and a car drove in the first guy ducked across and checked ID and checked a trunk and hit a button and the exit barrier went up and a car drove out Reacher said maybe rush hour is our friend it's all kind of cursory Turner said depends what that phone call is Reacher pictured Tracy Edmonds in his mind walking in the main door of the guardhouse and stepping into the front office and finding the duty Captain absent some clerk would nod and Shuffle how patient would Edmonds be how patient would the clerk be rank would play its part Edmonds was a captain too same as the duty guy an officer of equal rank she would cut the guy some slack she wouldn't get instantly all up on her high horse like a major or a colonel would and certainly the clerk would be slow to intervene inside the guard shack the second guy was still on the phone outside the guard shack the first guy was still darting side to side a second car drove in and a second car drove out Turner rolled forward and stopped now first in line to leave but also completely boxed in on the left and the right with two cars behind her and the striped metal barrier in front of her she took a breath and popped the trunk and fanned the IDS and buzzed her window down the second guy got off the phone he put the instrument down and looked straight at the exit Lane he scanned it front to back and back to front starting with Turner and finishing with Turner he came out of the shack and stepped to her he said sorry for the delay he glanced at the fand IDS and stepped back and glanced at the trunk and closed it for them and hit the button on the side of the shack and the barrier went up and Turner rolled forward Reacher said one more and good things come in threes you really believe that no not really the chances of three yes or no propositions working out right are about 12 in 100 up ahead the third guard shack looked to be an exact repeat of the second the same queue of the same three cars a matching queue on the entrance side two guys on duty one of them outside ducking back and forth and one of them inside on the phone listening intently Turner said these phone calls have to be important right I mean these guys have got better things to do right now there's a whole bunch of senior officers getting delayed here and some of them must be Marines they don't like that kind of stuff and we do not like the Marines don't we're not always on standby to save the world my dad was a marine did he save the world he wasn't a very senior officer I wish I knew who was on the phone Reacher thought back to when he had been a captain how long would he have waited for another Captain to finish up his business not too long probably but M Edmonds was a nicer person more patient or maybe she felt out of her depth in a guardhouse environment although she was a lawyer she must have seen plenty of guard houses unless she was mostly a desk person a paperwork lawyer which she might have been she was assigned to HRC after all that had to mean something how much of hrc's work was done in the cells he said this is a big base those calls aren't necessarily coming from the guard housee what else would be so important maybe they have to clear the way for a general or maybe they're ordering pizza delivery or telling their girlfriends they'll be home soon letun hope so Turner said one of the above or all of in the opposite lane the barrier went up and a car drove in the guy on the outside ducked across to the exit Lane and checked ID and checked a trunk and raised the barrier and a car drove out Turner rolled forward one place the inside guy was still on the phone still listening hard Turner said they don't even need a phone call I'm not wearing my tapes or my tags they were taken away from me I look exactly like an escaping prisoner or a special forces hard ass undercover and Anonymous look on the bright side just don't let them see your boots another car drove in and another car drove out Turner rolled forward to the head of the line she popped the trunk and fanned the IDS and buzzed her window down the inside guy was still on the phone the outside guy was occupied in the other lane up ahead beyond the last barrier the Dragon's Teeth stopped and the exit Road widened out and became just a regular Virginia Street there was an Arlington County police cruiser parked on it Turner said still want me to bust out only if we have to Reacher said the outside guy finished up checking and raised the entrance barrier the inside guy finished up listening and put the phone bone down he came out and bent down and looked at the IDS in Turner's hand not just a glance his eyes flicked from the photos to the faces Reacher looked away and stared ahead through the windshield he stayed low in his seat and tried to look middle-aged and medium-sized the guy at the window stepped back to the trunk more than a glance and then he put his palm on the lid and eased it back down and gently latched it shut then he stepped away to the side of the shack and hit the exit button the barrier rose up high and Turner nudged the gas and the car rolled forward under the barrier and pass the last of the Dragon's Teeth and out into the neat Suburban Street all wide and prosperous and treelined and then onward past the parked Arlington Cruiser and Away Reacher thought Captain Tracy Edmonds must be one hell of a patient woman 21 to know the local roads she made a left and a right and skirted the northern edge of the cemetery and then she turned again and drove partway down its eastern flank she said I assume we're heading for Union Station to dump the car and make them think we took a train Susan Turner seemed works for me Reacher said how do you want to get there what's the dumbest route at this time of day she said surface streets I guess Constitution Avenue for sure we be slow and visible all the way then that's what we'll do they'll expect something different so Turner got in position and lined up to cross the river traffic was bad it was rush hour in the civilian world too nose to tail like a moving parking lot she drummed her fingers on the wheel and watched her mirror looking to [ __ ] from Lane to Lane trying to find a tiny advantage relax Reacher said rush hour is definitely our friend now there's no chance of pursuit unless they use a helicopter which they won't not here they'd be too worried about crashing and killing a congressmen which would do their budget no good at all they crept onto the bridge slowly and they moved out over the water and they left Arlington County behind Turner said talking of budgets I have no money they took all my stuff and put it in a plastic bag me too but I borrowed 30 bucks from my lawyer why would she lend you money she doesn't know she did not yet but she'll find out soon enough I left her an iow you we're going to need more than 30 bucks I need street clothes for a start and I need boot laces Reacher said we'll have to find an at M we don't have cards there's more than one kind of ATM they came off the bridge slowly stopping and starting into the District of Columbia itself metrop PD territory and immediately Reacher saw two Metro Cruisers up ahead they were parked nose to nose on the curb behind the Lincoln Memorial their Motors were running and they had about a dozen radio antennas between them each car held One Cop all warm and comfortable a standard security measure Reacher hoped Turner changed lanes and rolled past them on The Blind Side of a stalled line of nose to tail traffic they didn't react at all they drove onward through the Gathering dark slow and halting Anonymous among a glacial pack of 50,000 Vehicles crowding the same few miles of streets they went North on 23r the same block Reacher had walked the day before and then they made the ride on to Constitution Avenue which ran on ahead of them seemingly forever straight and long an unending river of red tail lights Turner said tell me about the two guys from last night Reacher said I came in on the bus and went straight to Rock Creek I was going to ask you out to dinner but you weren't there obviously and the guy who was sitting in for you told me about some [ __ ] assault charge lodged against my file some gang banger we had looked at all of 16 years ago I wasn't impressed so he pulled some title 10 thing and recalled me to service what you're back in the Army as of yesterday evening outstanding doesn't feel that way not so far who is sitting in for me a light Colonel named Morgan a management guy by the look of him he quartered me in a motel north and west of the building and about 5 minutes after I checked in two guys showed up in a car n's for sure late 20s full of piss and wind about how I had brought the unit into disrepute and how I should get out of town to spare them the embarrassment of a court Marshal and how they were going to kick my ass if I didn't so I banged their heads against the side of their car who the hell were they did you get names I don't want people like that in my unit they weren't from the 110th that was totally clear their car was warm inside it had been driven a lot farther than a mile from Rock Creek plus their combat skills were severely substandard they weren't your people I know that for sure because I did a kind of unofficial headcount back at the building I wandered all over and checked all the rooms those guys weren't there so who were they they were two small parts of a big jigsaw puzzle what's the picture on the box I don't know but I saw them again today only from a distance they were at the motel with reinforcements two other guys for a total of four I guess they were checking if I was gone yet or else aiming to speed up my decision if they weren't from the 110th why would they want you gone exactly Reacher said they didn't even know me yet usually people don't want me gone until later they crept onward past the Vietnam Wall there was another Metro Car there engine running bristling with antennas Reacher said we should assume the [ __ ] has hit the fan by now right unless your captain Edmonds fell asleep waiting Turner said they crawled past the parked Cruiser close enough for Reacher to see the cop inside he was a tall black man thin like a blade he could have been the duty Captain's brother from dire which would have been unfortunate Turner asked what was the assault charge from 16 years ago Reacher said some La gangbanger selling Black Market ordinance from the Desert Storm draw down a big fat idiot who called himself dog I remember talking to him hard to forget actually he was about the size of a house he just died apparently leaving behind an affidavit with my name all over it but I didn't hit him not a glove hard to see how I could really I would have been elbow deep in lard before I connected with anything solid so what's the story my guess is some disgruntled customer showed up with a bunch of Pals and a rack of baseball bats and sometime later the fat guy started to think about how he could get compensated you know something for nothing in our litigious Society so he went to some ambulance chaser who saw no point in going after the guys with the bats but maybe the fat guy mentioned the visit from the Army and the lawyer figured Uncle Sam had plenty of money so they cooked up a [ __ ] claim of which there must be hundreds of thousands over the years our files Must Be Stiff with them and quite rightly they all looked at and laughed at and put away in a drawer and ignored forever except this one was hauled out again into the light of day because it's another piece of the jigsaw Morgan told me my file had a flag on it he said it malfunctioned when you pulled it but triggered when you sent it back I don't believe that our bureaucrats are better than that I don't think there was a flag at all I think there was a whole lot of last minute scrambling going on someone got in a big Panic about you Reacher shook his head no about you initially you you and Afghanistan then he stopped talking because the car filled with blue and red light through the mirrors a cop car behind them forcing its way through its siren was going cycling through all the digital variants it had fast and Urgent the whooping the manic cackling the plaintive two-tone horn Reacher turned in his seat the cruiser was about 20 cars back ahead of it traffic was diving for the curb scattering trying to squeeze an extra Lane out of the jammed roadway Turner glanced back too she said Relax that's a Metro Car the Army will hunt us itself we don't use Metro for anything the FBI maybe but not those clowns Metro wants me for Mor coft Reacher said your lawyer a detective called Podolski thinks I did it why would he I was the last guy who talked to him and I trashed my old clothes afterwards and I was alone and unaccounted for at the relevant time why did you trash your clothes cheaper than laundry overall what did you talk to morof about I wanted him to get you out of jail now the cop was about 10 cars back shouldering through the jam pretty fast Reacher said take your jacket off Turner said normally I want a cocktail and a movie before I remove my clothing I don't want him to see your uniform if he's looking for me he's looking for you too he's got our plate number surely he might not see the plate we nose to tail here the cars in front were heading for the gutter Turner followed after them steering left-handed using her right hand on her jacket tearing open the placket hauling down the zipper she leaned forward and sh Ed out of the left shoulder and then the right she got her left arm out and she got her right arm out Reacher hauled the jacket from behind her and tossed it in the rear footwell she had been wearing a t-shirt under the jacket all of green short sleeved probably an extra small Reacher thought which fit her very well except it was a little short it barely met the waistband of her pants Reacher saw an inch of skin smooth and firm tan he looked back again now the cop was two places Behind still coming still flashing red and blue still whooping and cackling and whining he said would you have come out to dinner with me if you'd been in the office yesterday or tonight if morof had gotten you out she said with her eyes on the mirror you need to know that now they were yards short of 17th Street up ahead on the right the Washington Monument was lit up in the GL Blom the cop car came right alongside and stayed there 22 because the car one place ahead hadn't moved all the way over and because in the next Lane there was a wide pickup truck with exaggerated bulges over twin rear wheels the cop had no room to get through he was a white man with a fat neck Reacher saw him glance across at Turner fleeting and completely incurious and then away again and then down at his dashboard controls were evidently his siren switches were located because right then the note changed to a continuous cackling blast Manic and NeverEnding and unbelievably loud it stayed there but evidently there was something else down between the seats and evidently it was a lot more interesting than siren switches because the guy's head stayed down he was staring at something hard a laptop screen Reacher thought or some other kind of a modern Communications device he had seen such things before he had been in civilian cop cars from time to time some of them had slim gray panels on swan neck stems full of instant real-time notes and bulletins and warnings he said we got trouble Turner said what kind I think this guy is on his way to Union Station too or the bus depot to look for us I think he's got notes and pictures pictures would be easy to get yet right from the Army I think he's got them right in front of him right now see how he's making a big point of not looking at us Turner glanced to her left the cop was still staring down his right arm was moving maybe he was fumbling for his microphone up ahead the traffic moved a little the car in front got out the way the pickup with the wide arches slid over 6 in the cop had room to get through but he didn't look up and his car didn't move the siren blasted on the guy started talking no way to make out what he was saying then he shut up and listened he was being asked a question possibly some stilted radio protocol that meant are you sure because right then the guy turned face on and ducked his head a little for a good view out his passenger window he stared at Turner for a second and then he flicked onward to reach her his lips moved a single syllable brief inaudible but definitely a voiced palad Glide morphing into a voiceless Alvar fricative therefore almost certainly yes then he unclipped his seat belt and his right hand moved towards his hip Reacher said Abandon Ship he opened his door hard and part rolled and part fell out to the curb Turner scrambled after him away from the cop over the console over his seat the car rolled forward and nestled gently against the car in front like a kiss Turner came out all arms and legs awkward in her loose boots Reacher hauled her upright by the hand and they hustled together across the width of the sidewalk and onto the mall bare trees and evening Gloom closed around them behind them there was nothing to hear except the cackling blast of the siren they looped around towards the near end of the reflecting pool Turner was in her T-shirt nothing more and the air was cold Reacher took off his jacket and handed it to her he said put this on then we'll split up safer that way meet me in 15 minutes at the Vietnam Wall if I don't arrive keep on running she said likewise if I don't and then she went one way and he went the other Reacher was distinctive in any context because of his height so the first thing he looked for was a bench he forced himself to walk slow and easy with his hands in his pockets without a care in the world because a running man attracted the eye 100 times faster than a walking man another old evolutionary Legacy predator and prey motion and Stillness and he didn't look back either he made no furtive glances he kept his gaze straight and level and he walked towards what he saw full dark was coming down fast but the mall was still busy not like summertime but there were plenty of winter tourists finishing up their days and up ahead the wall had its usual crowd of people some of them there to mourn some of them to pay more General respects and some of them the gaggle of weird folks the place always seemed to attract he couldn't see Turner anywhere the siren had stopped replaced by honking horns presumably the cop was out of his car by that point and presumably his and Sullivan's stationary Vehicles were jamming up the traffic flow Reacher saw a bench in the Gloom 20 yards away unoccupied positioned parallel with the Still Waters of the pool and he strolled on towards it slow and relaxed and then he paused as if deciding and he sat down and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees he looked down like a contemplative man with things on his mind a long and careful stare would betray him but at first glance nothing about his pose would say tall man and nothing would say fugitive either the only notable tell was his lack of a jacket it wasn't exactly shirt sleeve weather 30 yards behind him the horns were still sounding he waited head down still and quiet and then 40 yards away from the corner of his eye he saw the cop with the fat neck hustling Along on foot with a flashlight in his hand but no gun the guy was twitching left and right nervous and searching hard presumably in his boss's bad books for getting close and getting beat Reacher heard two new Sirens both of them far away in the distance one in the South maybe all the way down on Sea Street and one in the north on 15th possibly or 14th maybe level with the white house or the aquarium the cop with the fat neck was heading for the wall halfway there but then he stopped and turned a full circle Reacher felt his days pass right over him a guy sitting still and staring at the water was of no interest at all when there were plenty of better prospects all around like a crowd of 30 or 40 heading for the base of the monument either a tour group or a crowd of strangers all coincidentally drifting in the same direction at the same time or a mixture of the two moving targets Evolution the cop set off after them not a bad percentage play Reacher thought and anyone would expect motion sitting still was tough the distant Sirens came closer but not very close some kind of a center of gravity seemed to pull them East which again was a decent percentage play the metrop PD knew its own turf presumably to the east were the museums and the Galleries and therefore the crowds and then came the capital and beyond that came the best getaways North and South by Road and rail Reacher waited not moving at all not looking around just staring ahead at the water then when the stopwatch in his head hit 10 minutes exactly he eased himself to his feet and ran through as many un fugitive like motions as he could think of he yawned and he put his palms hard on the small of his back and he stretched and he yawned again then he set off West just strolling like he had all the time in the world with the pool on his left in a long leisurely curve through the bare trees that brought him to the wall for minutes later he stood on the edge of the crowd just one Pilgrim among many and looked for Susan Turner he couldn't see her anywhere 23 the wall following the rise and the fall and the shallow angle from 1959 to 1975 and then back again at the lower level from 1975 to 1959 passed more than 58,000 names twice over without once seeing Susan Turner anywhere if I don't arrive keep on running he had said and she had replied likewise if I don't and they were well past their agreed 15 minutes but Reacher stayed he made one more pass from the lonely early deaths on their low 8in panels past the peak casualties more than 10 ft high in 1968 and 1969 and onward to the lonely late deaths on low 8in panels again looking at every person he saw either straight on or reflected in the black Stone but none of them was Turner he came out at the end of the war and ahead of him on the sidewalk was the usual huddle of souvenir Sellers and memorabilia Merchants some of them veterans and some of them pretending to be all of them Hawking old unit patches and Branch Insignia and engraved Zippo lighters and a thousand other things of no value at all except in the sentimental sense as always tourists came and chose and paid and went and is always a static Cadre of picturesque and disaffected types hung around more or less permanently Reacher walked above Reacher smiled because one of the disaffected types was a thin girl with a curtain of dark hair hanging loose wearing an oversized coat wrapped twice around her knee length with camo pants below and the tongues hanging out of her boots her coat sleeves were rolled to her wrists and her hands were in her Pockets she was standing huddled head down in a days rocking just perceptibly from foot to foot out of it like a stoner Susan Turner acting the part fitting in hiding in plain Reacher walked up to her and said you're really good I needed to be she said a cop walked right by as close as you are it was the guy we saw before in the cruiser that was parked back there where is he now he went East Like a Rolling Cordon it passed me by you too I guess I didn't see him he went down the other side of the pool you never raised your head you were watching me I was and you're pretty good too why were you watching me in case you needed help Reacher said if they're coming east we better go west walking no by taxi Reacher said taxis in this town are as invisible as it gets every significant tourist along the mall had a rank of two or three cabs waiting the wall was no exception behind the last souvenir Booth were battered cars with dirty paint and taxi lights on their roofs Reacher and Turner got in the first in line Arlington Cemetery Reacher said main gate he read the printed notice on the door the fair was going to be three bucks for the flag drop plus $216 per mile thereafter plus tip they were going to be down about seven bucks total which was going to leave them about 23 which was better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick but was a long way short of what they were going to need they sat low in sagging seats and the cab crashed and bounced like its Wheels were square but it made the trip okay around the back of the Lincoln Memorial and out over the water on the Memorial Bridge and back into Arlington County to the bus stop at the cemetery gate right where Reacher had started out almost exactly 24 hours previously which was a weird kind of progress the bus stop at the cemetery gate had a small crowd waiting all small dark Hispanic men all laborers all tired and patient and resigned Reacher and Turner took their places among them Turner Blended in fairly well Reacher didn't he was more than a head taller and twice as wide as any else and much paler he looked like a lighthouse on a dark Rocky Shore therefore the weight was tense and long but no cop cars rolled past and eventually the bus came Reacher paid the fairs and Turner sat at a window and Reacher sat next to her on the aisle and hunched down as low as he could go the bus moved off slow and ponderous on the same route Reacher had taken the day before passed the stop where he had gotten off at the bottom of the three lane Hill and onward up the Steep incline towards the 110th HQ Turner said they'll call the FBI because they'll assume we're going Interstate the only question is who calls first my money is on the Metro PD the Army will wait until morning most likely we'll be okay Reacher said the FBI won't use roadblocks not here on the east coast in fact they probably won't get off their asses at all they'll just put our IDs and our bank cards on their watch lists which doesn't matter anyway because we don't have IDs or bank cards they might tell local PDS to watch their bus Depots we'll keep an eye out I still need clothes Turner said pants and a jacket at least we've got $19 you can have one or the other pants then and I'll trade you your jacket back for your shirt my shirt will look like a circus tent on you I've seen women wear men's shirts like wraps all she can baggy you'll be cold I was born in Montana I'm never cold the bus labored up the hill past the 110th HQ the Old Stone building the gates were open the Sentry was in his Hutch the day guy Morgan's car was still in the lot the pain painted door was closed lights were on in all the windows Turner swiveled all the way around in her seat to keep the place in sight as long as she could until the last possible moment then she let it go and faced front again and said I hope I get back there Reacher said you will I worked so hard to get there in the first place it's a great command but you know that already everyone else hates us only if we do our job properly the bus made the turn at the top of the hill onto the next three lane which led to Reacher Motel there was rain in the air just a little but enough that the bus driver had his wipers going Turner said tell me again how this is all my fault me and Afghanistan the road leveled out and the bus picked up speed it rattled straight past Reacher Motel the lot was empty no car with dented doors he said it's the only logical explanation you put a fox in someone's Hen House and that someone wanted to shut you down which was easy enough to do because as it happened no one else in the unit knew what it was about your duty Captain didn't neither did Sergeant leech or anyone else so you were the only one they set you up with the Cayman Islands bank account scam and they busted you which cut your lines of communication which stayed cut when they beat on your lawyer morcroft as soon as he showed the first sign of trying to get you out of jail problem solved right there you were isolated you couldn't talk to anyone so everything was hunky dory except the records showed you had spent hours on the phone to South Dakota with some guy and scuttlebutt around the building said the guy had been a previous 110th County your duty Captain knew that for sure because I told him first time I called maybe lots of people knew certainly I got a lot of name recognition when I showed up yesterday and you and I could be assumed to share some common interests we might have talked about the front burner either just shooting the [ __ ] or maybe you were even asking me for a perspective but I didn't mention Afghanistan to you at all but they didn't know that the phone log shows duration not content they didn't have a recording so I was a theoretical loose end maybe I knew what you knew not much of a problem because I wasn't likely to show up they seem to have checked me out they claim to know how I live but just in case they made some plans they had the big dog thing standing by for instance I don't see how that would help them any you'd have been in the system with plenty of time to talk I was supposed to run Reacher said I was supposed to disappear and never come near the Army again the whole rest of my life that was the plan that was the whole point they even showed up at the motel to make sure I understood and the big dog thing was a great choice for that the guy is dead and there's an affidavit there's no real way to fight it running would have been entirely r rational Sergeant leech thought if she could find a way of warning me I'd head for the hills why didn't you run I wanted to ask you out to dinner no really not my style I figured it out when I was about 5 years old a person either runs or he fights it's a binary choice and I'm a fighter plus they had something else in their back pocket something else designed to make me run which didn't either I'll tell you later Reacher said it's a complicated story the bus ground onward all low gears and Loud diesel pass the strip mall Reacher new with the hardware store and the pharmacy and the picture framing shop and the gun store and the dentist and the Greek restaurant then it moved out into territory he hadn't seen before onward and away he said look on the bright side your problem ain't exact brain surgery whatever rabbit you were chasing in Afghanistan is behind all this [ __ ] so we need to work backward from him we need to find out who his friends are and we need to find out who did what and when and how and why and then we need to bring the hammer down Turner said there's a problem with that Reacher nodded I know he said it won't be easy not from the outside it's like we've got one one hand tied behind our back but we'll give it our best shot unfortunately that's not the problem I'm talking about so what is someone thinks I know something I don't that's the problem what don't you know I don't know who the rabbit is Turner said or what the hell he's doing or where or why or how in fact I don't know what's happening in Afghanistan at all but you sent two guys there much earlier for a completely different reason in Kandahar P routine entirely unconnected but along the way they picked up on a whisper from a pashton Informer that an American officer had been seen heading north to meet with a tribal leader the identity of the American was not known and his purpose was not known but the feeling was it can't have been anything good we're drawing down we're supposed to be heading south not north towards Bagram and Cobble prior to getting the hell out we're not supposed to be way up in country having secret meetings with towads so I sent my guys to chase the rumor that was all the day before I was busted so I won't even have a name until they report back to me which they won't be able to not until I'm back on the inside it's worse than that how can it be they won't be able to report back ever Reacher said because they're dead 24 about the missed radio checks and the agitation in the Old Stone building and the semi- authorized air search out of bag RAM and the two dead bodies on the Goat Trail Turner went still and quiet she said they were good men Natty weeks and Duncan Edwards weeks was an old hand and Edwards was a good Prospect I shouldn't have let them go the hinda Kush is too dangerous for two men on their own Reacher told Turner it wasn't tribesmen who got them Reacher said they were shot in the head with 9mm rounds US Army sidearms most likely Beretta m9s almost certainly the tribesmen would have cut their heads off or used AK-47s different kind of hole altogether so they must have gotten close to the wrong American without even knowing it Reacher said don't you think a handgun to the head is an upclose and personal kind of a thing which they wouldn't have allowed surely if they had the slightest suspicion very neat Turner said they shut me down at both ends here and there before I got anything at all as in right now I have nothing not a thing so I'm totally screwed I'm going down Reacher I don't see a way out of this now they got off the bus in Barryville Virginia which was one town short of its ultimate destination better that way they thought a driver might remember a pair of atypical passengers who stayed on board until the very end of the line especially if it came to radio or TV appeals or routine police interviews or Public Enemy photographs in the post office the rain had stopped but the air was still damp and cold Berryville downtown area was pleasant enough but they backtracked on foot back the way the bus had come across a railroad track past a pizza restaurant to a hardware store they had seen from the window the store was about to close which was not ideal because clerks tend to remember the first and last customers of the day but they judged yet more time in ACU pants was worse so they went in and Turner found a pair of canvas work pants similar to reachers the smallest size the store carried was going to be loose in the waist and long in the leg not perfect but Turner figured the discrepancy was going to be a good thing a feature not a bug was how she put it because the pant legs would pull down over her army boots thereby hiding them to some extent and making them less obvious they bought the pants in three pairs of boot laces one for reachers boots and one for Turners and one for for her to double up and use as a belt they conducted their business in as unmemorable a manner as they could neither polite nor impolite neither rushing nor stalling not really saying much of anything Turner didn't use the restroom she wanted to change but they figured for the last customer of the day to go in wearing ACU pants and come out in a new purchase would likely stick in the clerk's memory but the store had a big parking lot on one side and it was empty and dark so Turner changed her pants in the shadows and dumped her Army issue in a trash container at the rear of the building then she came out and they traded jacket for shirt and they sat down on a curb together and tied their boots good to go with four dollars left in Reacher's pocket for bucks was a week's wage in some countries of the world but it wasn't worth much of a dam in Barryville Virginia it wouldn't buy transportation out of the state and it wouldn't buy a night in a motel and it wouldn't buy a proper sit down meal for two not in any kind of restaurant or Diner known to man Turner said you told me there's more than one kind of ATM there is Reacher said 50 m ahead or 50 m back but not here I'm hungry me too there's no point in holding on to $4 I agree Reacher said letun go crazy they walked back back towards the railroad track fast and newly confident in their newly laced boots to the pizza restaurant they had seen not a gourmet place which was just as well they bought a single slice each to go pepperoni for Reacher plain cheese for Turner and a can of soda to share between them which left them 80 cents in change they ate and drank sitting side by side on a rail at the train crossing Turner asked did you lose guys when you were coo four Reacher said one of them was a woman did you feel bad I wasn't turning cartwheels but it's all part of the game we all know what we're signing up for I wish I'd gone myself Reacher asked have you ever been to the Cayman Islands ever had a foreign bank account are you kidding why would I I'm an ' 04 I make less than some high school teachers why did you take a day to pass on the name of the hoodu contact what is this the third degree I'm thinking Reacher said that's all you know why I wanted to bust him myself to make sure it was done properly I gave myself 24 hours but I couldn't find him so I told the FBI they should think themselves lucky I could have given myself a week I might have Reacher said or a month they finished their pizza slices and drained the shared can of soda Reacher wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then wiped the back of his hand on his pants Turner said what are we going to do now we're going to walk through town and hitch a ride West tonight better than sleeping under a bush how far west all the way west Reacher said we're going to Los Angeles I'll tell you later Reacher said it's complicated they walked through the downtown area on a street called East Maine which became a street called West Maine after a central Crossroads all the store windows were dark all the doors were shuttered Berryville was no doubt a fine American Town matter of fact and unpretentious but it was no kind of Hub that was for damn sure it was all closed up and slumbering even though it was only the middle of the evening they walked on Turner looked good in the shirt even though she could have gotten herself and her sister in it together but she had rolled the sleeves and she had Shrugged and wriggled like women do and it had draped and fallen into some kind of a coherent shape somehow its hugeness emphasized how Slender she was her hair was still down she moved with li elastic energy a wary quizzical look never leaving her eyes eyes but there was no fear there no tension just some kind of an appetite for what Reacher wasn't entirely sure totally worth the wait he thought they walked on and then on the west edge of town they came to a motel and in its lot was the car with the dented doors 25 a neat and tidy Place entirely in keeping with what they had seen in the rest of the Town it had some red brick and some white paint pain and a flag and an eagle above the office door there was a Coke machine and an ice machine and probably 20 rooms in two lines both of them running back from the road and facing each other across a broad Courtyard the motel was the car with the dented doors was parked at an angle in front of the office haessly and temporarily as if someone had ducked inside with a brief inquiry are you sure Turner asked quietly no question pracher said that's their car how is that even possible whoever is running these guys is deep in the loop and he's pretty smart that's how it's possible there's no other explanation he heard we broke out and he heard we took 30 bucks with us and he heard about that Metro cop finding us on Constitution Avenue and then he sat down to think where can you go with 30 bucks there are only four possibilities either you hul up in town and sleep in a park or you head for Union Station or the Big Bus Depot right behind it and you go to Baltimore or Philly or Richmond or else you head the other way west on the little Municipal bus and whoever is doing the thinking here figured the little Municipal bus was the favorite because the fair is cheaper and because Union Station and the Big Bus Depot are far too easy for the cops to watch as are the stations and the Depots at the other end in Baltimore and Philly and Richmond and because sleeping in the park really only gets you busted tomorrow instead of today and on top of all that they claim to know how I live and I don't spend much time on the East Coast I was always more likely to Head West but you agreed to head for Union Station I was trying to be Democratic trying not to be set in my ways but how did they know we'd get out of the bus in Berryville they didn't I bet they've already checked everywhere from about lesburg onward every visible Motel Hamilton pville Barryville Winchester if they don't find us here that's where they're heading next are they going to find us here I sincerely hope so Reacher said the motel office had small windows for a decorative effect like an old Colonial house and on the inside they were fitted with sheer drapes of some kind no way of telling who was in the room Turner walked to a window and put her face close to the glass and looked ahead and left and right and up and down she whispered no one there just the clerk I think or maybe he's the owner sitting down in back Reacher checked the car doors they were locked as was the trunk he put his hand on the hood above the radiator Chrome the metal was hot the car hadn't been parked there long he moved left into the mouth of the courtyard no one there no one going from room to room no one checking doors or looking in Windows he stepped back and said so let's talk to the guy Turner pulled the office door and Reacher went in ahead of her the room was a lot nicer than the kind of place Reacher was used to a lot nicer than the place a mile from Rock Creek for instance there was quality vinyl on the floor and wallpaper and all kinds of framed commendations from tourist authorities the reception desk was an actual desk like something Thomas Jefferson might have used to write a letter behind it was a red leather chair with a guy in it the guy was about 60 tall and gray and impressive he looked like he should have been running a big Corporation not a small motel Turner said we're looking for our friends that that's their car outside the four gentlemen the guy said with a tiny and skeptical hesitation before the word gentleman yes Turner said I'm afraid you just missed them they were looking for you about 10 minutes ago at least I assume it was you they were looking for a man and a woman they said they wondered if youd checked in already and what did you tell them Reacher asked well naturally I told told them you hadn't arrived yet okay are you ready to check in now the guy asked in a tone that suggested it wouldn't break his heart if they didn't we need to find our friends first Reacher said we need to have a discussion where did they go they wondered if perhaps you'd gone to get a bite to eat I directed them to the Berryville Grill it's the only restaurant open at this time of the evening the pizza place doesn't count it's it's not exactly a restaurant is it so where's the Berryville Grill two blocks behind us an easy walk thank you Turner said there were two ways to walk two blocks behind the motel on the left hand cross street or the right hand cross street covering both at once would involve splitting up which would risk a potential one-on four confrontation for one of them Reacher was happy with those odds but he wasn't sure about Turner she was half his size literally and she was unarmed no gun no knife he said we should wait here we should let them come to us but they didn't come Reacher and Turner stood in the shadows for five long minutes and nothing happened Turner moved a little to let the light play along the flank of the car she whispered those are pretty good dents Reacher said back how long does it take to check out a damn restaurant maybe they got sent on somewhere else maybe there's a bar with hamburgers or a couple of them which don't count as restaurants with the motel guy I don't hear any bars how do you hear a bar hubub glasses bottles extractor fans it's a distinctive sound could be too far away to hear in which case they'd have come back for their car they have to be somewhere maybe they're eating at the grill Reacher said maybe they got a table a last minute decision we were hungry they could be hungry too I'm still hungry it might be easier to take them inside a restaurant crowded quarters a little inhibition on their part plus knives on the tables then we could eat their dinners they must have ordered by now steak ideally the waiter would call the cops Reacher checked the cross street on the right nothing doing he checked the cross street on the left empty he walked back to where Turner was waiting she said they're eating they have to be what else could they be doing they could have searched the hole of Barryville by now twice over so they're in the restaurant they could be another hour and we can't stay here much longer we're loitering on private property and I'm sure Barryville has laws and a police department the motel guy could be on the phone 2 minutes from now okay Reacher said letun go check it out left or right left Reacher said they were cautious at the corner but the leftand cross street was still empty it was more of an alley than a street it had the motel 's wooden fence on one side and the blank flank of a brickbuilt general store on the other a 100 yards later it was crossed by a wider street that ran parallel with West Maine the second block was shorter and more varied with some Standalone buildings and some narrow vacant lots and then up ahead were the rear elevations of the buildings that stood on the next parallel Street including one on the right which had a tall metal kitchen chimney which was blowing steam pretty hard the Berryville Grill for sure doing some serious mid evening business Turner said back door or front door front window Reacher said reconnaissance is everything they turned right out of the cross street and got cautious again first came a dark storefront that could have been a flower shop then came the restaurant second in line it was a big place but deeper than it was wide it had four front windows separated into two pairs by a central door the windows came all the way down to the floor maybe they opened up for the summer maybe they put tables on the sidewalk Reacher kept close to the wall and moved towards the near edge of the first window from that angle he could see about a third of the Interior Space which was considerable and well filled the tables were small and close together it was a family style restaurant nothing fancy the weight staff looked to be all girls about high school age the tables were plain wood about half of them were occupied by couples and threesoms and by Family groups old people and their adult children some of them having fun some of them a little strained and quiet but none of the tables was occupied by four men not in the part of the restaurant Reacher could see he backed off she leap frogged past him and walked briskly along the restaurant Frontage looking away and she stopped beyond the last window he watched the door no reaction no one came out she hugged the wall and crept back and looked inside from the far edge of the last window Reacher figured from there she could see a symmetrical oneir the same as he had but on the other side of the room which would leave a central wedge unexamined she shook her head he set off and she set off and they met at the door he pulled it and she went in first the central wedge had plenty of tables but none of them was occupied by four men there was no mat D lecturn no Hostess station either just empty floor inside the door A young woman bustled over a girl really 17 maybe the designated greeter she was wearing black pants and a black polo shirt with short sleeves and an embroidered Berryville Grill logo on the front she had a livid red birth mark on her forearm she said two for dinner Turner said we're looking for some people they might have been asking for us the girl went quiet she looked from Turner to Reacher suddenly understanding a man and a woman were they here Reacher asked for men three of them B big and one of them bigger the girl nodded and rubbed her forearm subconsciously or nervously Reacher glanced down it wasn't a birthmark it was changing shape and changing color it was a bruise he said did they do that the girl nodded the big one she said with the shaved head and the small ears yes the girl said he squeezed my arm he wanted to know where else you could be and I couldn't tell him it was a big mark from a big hand more than 6 in across the girl said he really scared me he has cruel eyes Reacher asked when were they here about 10 minutes ago where did they go I don't know I couldn't tell them where to look no bars no hamburger joints that's exactly what he asked but there's nothing like that the girl was close to tears Reacher said they won't be coming back it was all he could think of to say they left the girl standing there rubbing her arm and they used the cross street they hadn't used before it was a similar thorough Fair narrow unlit raggedy at first and then firming up on the second block with the motel's fence on the right they took the corner cautiously and scanned ahead before moving out the motel lot was empty the car with the dented doors was gone 26 later Reacher and Turner hit Berryville city limit and West Main became plain old State Route 7 Turner said if those guys could figure out where we went we have to assume the Army could too the FBI as well even 300 yards which made hitchhiking a nightmare it was pitch dark a winter night in the middle of nowhere a long straight road oncoming headlights would be visible a mile away but there would be no way of knowing what lay behind those Headlights who was at the wheel civilian or not friend or Foe too big of a risk to take a gamble so they compromised in a Winsome loome kind of way that Reacher felt came out about equal in terms of drawbacks and benefits they retraced their steps and Turner waited on the shoulder about 50 yards ahead of the last lit up town block and Reacher kept on going to where he could lean on the corner of a building half in and half out of a cross street alley where there was some light spill on the black top a bad idea in the sense that any car turning West Beyond them was a lost opportunity in terms of a potential ride but a good idea in the sense that Reacher could make a quick and dirty evaluation of the through town drivers as in when they appeared they agreed he should air on the side of caution but if he felt it was okay he would step out and signal to Turner who would then step up to the curb and jam her thumb out which overall he thought at the beginning was maybe more Winsome than loome because by accident their improvised system would imitate a very old hitchhiking trick a pretty girl sticks out her thumb a driver stops full of enthusiasm and then the big ugly boyfriend jogs up and gets in two but 30 minutes later Reacher was seeing it as more more lose some than win some traffic was light and he was getting no time at all to make a judgment he would see headlights coming he would wait then the car would flash past in a split second and his brain would process sedan domestic model here specification and long before he got to a conclusion the car was already well past Turner and speeding onward so he switched to a pre-screening approach he decided to reject all sedans and all SU younger than 5 years and to approve all pickup trucks and all older SUVs he had never known the Army to hunt and pickup trucks and he guessed all Army road vehicles would be swapped out before they got to be 5 years old same for the FBI surely the remaining risk was off-duty local deputies joining in the fun in their povs but some risk had to be taken otherwise they would be there all night long which would end up the same as sleeping in a DC Park Park they would get busted at first light tomorrow instead of last Light today he waited for a minute he saw nothing and then he saw headlights coming in from the East not real fast just a good safe City speed he leaned out from his corner he waited he saw a shape flash past a sedan reject he settled back against the building he waited again 5 minutes then seven then eight then more headlights he leaned out he saw a pickup truck he stepped out to the sidewalk in its wake and jammed his left fist high in the air and 50 yards away Turner jumped to the curb and stuck out her thumb total Precision like a perfect postseason bang bang double play fast and crisp and decisive in the cold night air the pickups headlight beams washed over Turner's a mobile form like she'd been there all along the pickup didn't stop [ __ ] Reacher thought the next viable candidate was an elderly Ford Bronco and it didn't stop either neither did a middle-aged F-150 or a new Dodge Ram then the road went quiet again the clock and Reacher head ticked around to 10:30 in the evening the air grew colder he had on two T-shirts and his jacket with its Miracle layer he started to worry about Turner she had one t-shirt and one regular shirt and her t-shirt had looked thin from laundering I was born in Montana she had said I never cold he hoped she was telling the truth for five more minutes nothing came in from the East then more headlights WID spaced and low tracking the roads rise and fall with a rubbery well damped motion a sedan probably he leaned out just a fraction already pessimistic then he ducked back in fast it was a sedan Swift and Sleek a Ford Crown Victoria shiny and dark in color with black windows and antennas on the trunk lid MPS possibly or the FBI or Federal Marshals or the Virginia state cops or not maybe another agency altogether on an unconnected mission he leaned out again and watched it go it missed Turner in the shadows and blasted onward into the distance he waited one more minute then two nothing but Darkness then more headlights way back maybe still on East M before the downtown Crossroads coming on steadily now on West Main for sure getting closer they were yellow and weak old-fashioned and faint nothing modern not hogen Reacher leaned out from his Corner the headlights kept on coming slow and steady they flashed past a pickup truck the same double play his left fist her thumb the pickup slowed right down it stopped Turner stepped off the curb and leaned in at its passenger window and started talking and Reacher started jogging the 50 yards towards her this time Juliet called Romeo which was unusual mostly Romeo had the breaking news but their labors were divided and so sometimes Juliet had the new information he said no sign of them all the way to Winchester Romeo said are they sure they checked very carefully okay but keep them in the area that bus line is our best option we'll do Reacher arrived a little out of breath and saw the pickup was an old Chevrolet plain and basic built and bought for utility not show and the driver looked to be a wiy old boy of about 70 all skin and bone and sparse white hair Turner introduced him by saying this gentleman is heading for Mineral County in West Virginia near a place called Kaiser not too far from the Maryland line which all meant nothing to Reacher except that West Virginia sounded One Step better than regular Virginia he leaned lean in at the window next to Turner and said sir we'd really appreciate the ride the old guy said then hop right in and let's go there was a bench seat but the cab was narrow Turner got in first and if Reacher pressed hard against the door there was just about room for her between him and the old guy but the seat was soft and the cab was warm and the truck moted along okay it was happy to do 60 it felt like it could roll down the road forever the old guy asked so where are you folks headed ultimately we're looking for work Reacher said thinking of the young couple in Ohio in the red crew cab Silverado with the shedding dog so pretty much any place will do and what kind of work are you looking for and so began a completely typical hitchhiking conversation with every party spinning Yarns based on halft truths and inflated experiences Reacher had been out of the service for a long time and when he had to he worked whatever job he could get he had worked the doors in nightclubs and he had dug swimming pools and stacked Lumber and demolished buildings and picked apples and loaded boxes into trucks and he made it sound like those kinds of things had been his lifelong occupations Turner talked about waiting tables and working in offices and selling kitchen Wares door Todo all of which Reacher guest was based on her evening and weekend experiences through high school and college the old guy talked about tobacco farming in the Carolinas and horses in Kentucky and Hauling coal in West Virginia in 18 wheel trucks they drove through Winchester Crossing I 81 twice and then onward towards the state line into Appalachian country on the last Northern foothills of shenendoa mountain the road rising and twisting towards George Peak the motor straining the weak yellow headlights jerking from side to side on the sharp turn then at midnight they were in West Virginia still elevated in Wild Country rolling through wooded passes towards the aligan in the far distance then Reacher saw a fire far ahead in the West on a wooded Hillside a little south of the road a yellow and orange glow against the black sky like a bonfire or a warning Beacon they rolled through a sleeping town called Capon Bridge and the fire got closer a mile or more away but then sudden ly less because the road turned towards it Reacher said sir you could let us out here if you wouldn't mind the old guy said here it's a good spot I think it will meet our needs are you sure we'd appreciate it very much the old guy grumbled something dubious not understanding at all but he took his foot off the gas and the truck slowed down Turner wasn't understanding either she was looking at Reacher like he was crazy the truck came to a halt on a random stretch of mountain blacktop Woods to the left Woods to the right nothing ahead and nothing behind Reacher opened his door and unfolded himself out and Turner slid out beside him and they thanked the old man very much and waved him away then they stood together in the pitch dark and the dead quiet and the cold night air and Turner said you want to tell me exactly why we just got out of a warm truck in the middle of nowhere Reacher pointed ahead and to the left at the fire see that he said that's an ATM 27 they walked on following the curve of the Road West and a little South getting closer to the fire all the time until it was level with them about 200 yard into the hilly Woods 10 yards later on the left shoulder there was the mouth of a Stony track a driveway of sorts it ran uphill between the trees Turner wrapped Reacher's shirt tied around her and said that's just some kind of random brush fire wrong season Reacher said wrong place they don't get brush fires here so what is it where are we West Virginia correct miles from anywhere in Backwoods country that fire is what we've been waiting for but be quiet as you you can there could be someone up there firefighters probably that's one thing there won't be Reacher said I can guarantee that they started up the Stony path it was loose and noisy underfoot Hardo better driven than walked on both sides the trees crowded in some of them Pines some of them deciduous and bare the track snaked right and then left again Rising all the way with a final wide curve up ahead with the fire waiting for them Beyond it they could already feel heat in the air and they could hear a vague Roar with loud cracks and bangs mixed in real quiet now Reacher said they rounded the final curve and found a clearing hacked Out of the Woods Dead Ahead was a Tumbl down old barn-like structure and to their left was a Tumbl down old cabin both buildings made of wooden boards alternately baked and rotted by A Century of weather to their far right was the fire raging in and around and above a wide low rectangular structure with wheels yellow and blue and orange Flames blazed up and out and the trees burned and smoldered near them thick gray smoke boiled and swirled and eddied and then caught the updraught and whipped away into the darkness above what is it Turner asked again in a whisper like that old joke Reacher whispered back how is a fire in a meth lab the same as a redneck divorce someone's going to lose a trailer this is a meth lab was Reacher said hence no firefighters Turner said illegal operation they couldn't call it in firefighters wouldn't come anyway Reacher said if they came to every meth lab that caught on fire they wouldn't have time for anything else meth labs are accidents waiting to happen where are the people probably just one person somewhere around they moved into the clearing towards the cabin away from the fire staying close to the trees smoke drifted in light and Shadow danced all around them Pagan and Elemental the fire roared on 50 yards away undisturbed the cabin was a simple one-story affair with an ouse in the back both unoccupied no one there the barn was wide enough for two vehicles and it had two vehicles in it a big red Dodge pickup truck with huge tires and Acres of bulging Chrome brand new and a red convertible sports car a Chevrolet Corvette waxed and gleaming with tailpipes as big as Reacher fists also brand new or close to it Reacher said this country boy is doing well no Turner said not so well she pointed towards the fire the skeleton of the trailer was still visible twisting and dancing in the flames and there was burning debris all around it spilled and Fallen but changing the basic rectangular shape was a flat protrusion on the ground in front of it like a tongue hanging out of a mouth something low and rounded and very much on fire with flames of a different color and a different intensity the kind of flames you see if you leave a lamb chop on the grill too long but a 100 times bigger I guess he tried to save it Reacher said which was dumb always better to let it burn what are we going to do Turner said we're going to make a withdrawal Reacher said from the ATM it was a decent sized lab and he had a couple of nice cars so my guess is our credit limit is going to be pretty handsome we're going to take a dead man's money he doesn't need it anymore and we have 80 cents it's a crime it was already a crime the guy was a dope dealer and if we don't take it the cops will when they get here tomorrow or the day after where is it that's the fun part Reacher said finding it you've done this before haven't you usually while they're still alive I was planning to take a walk behind Union Station think of it like the IRS we're government employees after after all that's terrible you want to sleep in a bed tonight you want to eat tomorrow Jesus Turner said but she searched just as hard as Reacher did they started in the cabin the air was stale there was nothing hidden in the kitchen no false backs in the cupboards no fake tins of beans nothing buried in flower canisters no voids behind the wall boards there was nothing in the living room no trap doors in the floor no hollowed out books nothing in the sofa cushions nothing up the chimney there was nothing in the bedroom either no slits in the mattress no locked drawers in the night table nothing on top of the Wardrobe and no boxes under the bed Turner said where next Reacher said I should have thought of it before where did this guy feel real private this whole place feels real private it's a million miles from anywhere but where most of all she got it she nodded she said the ouse it was in the ouse ceiling there was a false panel right above the toilet which Reacher unlatched and handed to Turner then he put his arm in the void and felt around and found a plastic tub he hauled it out it was the kind of thing he had seen in houseware stores in it was about $4,000 in Brick 20s and spare keys for the Dodge and the Corvette and a deed for the property and a birth certificate for a male child named William Robert clotton born in the state of West Virginia 47 years previously Billy Bob Turner said rest in peace Reacher bounced the keys in his hand and said the truck or the sports car we're going to steal his car as well they're already stolen Reacher said no titles in the Box probably some tweaker boosting cars paying off a debt and the alternative is walking Turner was quiet a second more like it was going to be a bridge too far but then she shook her head and Shrugged and said the sports car of course so they kept the money and the Corvette key and put the rest of the stuff back in the ouse ceiling they hiked over to the barn and dumped the money in the Corvette's load space on the edge of the clearing the fire was still going strong Reacher tossed the car key to Turner and climbed in the passenger seat Turner started the engine and found the headlight switch and clipped her belt low and tight and a minute later they were back on the road heading west in the dead of night fast warm comfortable and Rich 28 mile to get settled in and then she upped her speed and found a perfect Rhythm through the curves the car felt big and low and hard and brutal it threw long super super white headlight beams far ahead and trailed loud V8 bbal far behind she said we should turn off soon we can't stay on this road much longer one of those cars that came through Barryville was FBI I think did you see it Turner took of the Crown Vic Reacher said yes she said so we need to get away from any logical extension of that bus route especially because that old guy in the truck could tell them exact ly where he let us out he won't forget that stop in a hurry he won't talk to the cops he hauled Cole in West Virginia he might talk to the guys in the dented car they might scare him or they might give him money okay go south Reacher said South is always good in the wintertime she upped the speed a little more and the tail pipes got louder it was a fine car Reacher thought maybe the best in the world for American roads which was logical because it was an American car he smiled suddenly and said letun turn the heater way up and put the top down Turner said you're actually enjoying this aren't you why wouldn't I it's like a rock and roll song on the radio a fast car some money in my pocket and a little company for once so Turner put the heater dial all the way in the red and she slowed to a stop at the side of the road and they figured out the latches and the switches and the top folded itself down into a well behind them the night air flooded in cold and fresh they wriggled lower in their seats and took off again all the driving Sensations were doubled the speed the lights the noise Reacher smiled and said this is the life Turner said I might get used to it but I would like a choice you might get one how there's nothing to work with not exactly nothing Reacher said we have an apparent anomaly and we have a definite piece of procedural information which together might suggest a preliminary conclusion weeks and Edwards were murdered in Afghanistan but you weren't murdered here and I wasn't and morof wasn't and he could have been a drive by shooting in Southeast DC would have been just as plausible as a beating and I could have been because who was ever going to notice and you could have been a training accident or carelessness handling your weapon but they chose not to go down that road therefore there's a kind of timidity on the DC end which is suggestive when you combine it with the other thing would you know how to open a bank account in the Cayman Islands I could find out exactly you'd search on the computer and you'd make some some calls and you'd get whatever it was you needed and you'd get it done but how long would it take maybe a week but these guys did it in less than a day in an hour probably your account was open by 10: in the morning which has to imply an existing relationship they told the bank what they wanted and it was done right away immediately with no questions asked which makes them premium clients with a lot of money but we know that anyway because they were prepared to burn a 100 Grand just to nail you which is a big sum of money but they didn't care they went right ahead and dumped it in your account and there's no guarantee they'll ever get it back it might be impounded as evidence and even if it isn't I don't see how they can turn around afterwards and say oh by the way that 100 Grand was ours all along and we want it returned to so who are they Turner asked they're very correct people running a scam that generates a lot of money prepared to order all kinds of Mayhem 8,000 mil away in Afghanistan but wanting things clean and tidy on their own doorstep on firstname terms with offshore Bankers able to get financial things done in an hour not a week able to search and manipulate ancient files in any branch of the service they want with fairly efficient muscle watching their backs their senior staff officers in DC almost certainly Turner hung a left just after a town called Romney on a small road that took them South but kept them in the Hills safer that way they thought they didn't want to get close to the i79 corridor too heavily patrolled even at night too many local PDS looking to boost their Municipal revenues with speed traps the only small Road negative was the complete lack of civilized infrastructure no gas no coffee no diners no motels and they were hungry and thirsty and tired and the car had a giant motor with no kind of good miles per galon figures a lone road sign at the turn had promised some kind of a town 20 M ahead about half an hour at small Road speeds Turner said I'd kill for a shower and a meal Youk probably have to Reacher said it won't be the city that doesn't sleep more likely the one horse Crossroads that never wakes up they never found out they didn't get there because a minute later they ran into another kind of small Road problem 29 curve and then had to break hard because there was a red road flare spiked in the black top directly ahead Beyond it in the distance was another and beyond that were headlight beams pointing in odd directions one pair straight up vertically into the nighttime sky and another horizontal but but at right angles to the traffic flow Turner threaded left and right between the two spiked flares and then she coasted to a stop with the tail pipes popping and burbling behind them the vertical headlights were from a pickup truck that had gone off the road asur into a ditch it was standing more or less upright on its tailgate its whole Underside was visible all complicated and dirty the horizontal headlights were from another pickup truck a sturdy half ton crew cab which had turned and backed up until it was parked across the road at a right angle it had a short and heavy chain hooked up to its tow hitch the chain was stretched tight at a steep upward angle and its other end was wrapped around a front suspension member on the vertical truck Reacher guessed the idea was to pull the vertical truck over back onto its Wheels like a falling tree and then to drag it out of the ditch but the geometry was going to be difficult the chain had to be short because the Road was narrow but the shortness of the chain meant that the front of the falling truck would hit the back of the half ton unless the half ton kept on moving just right and inched out of the way all without driving itself into the opposite ditch it was going to be an intricate Automotive ballet there were three men on the scene one was sitting dazed on the shoulder with his elbows on his knees and his head down he was the driver of the vertical truck Reacher guest stunned by the accident and maybe still drunk or high or both the other two men were his Rescuers one was in the half Ton's cab looking back elbow on the door and the other was walking side to side getting ready to direct operations an everyday story Reacher figured or an every night story too many beers or too many pipes or too many of both and then a dark Winding Road and a corner taken too fast and panicked braking and locked rear wheels under an empty load bed maybe some wintertime ice and a spin and the ditch and then the weird climb out of the tipped up seat and the long slide down the vertical flank and the cell phone call and the wait for the Willing friends with the big truck no big deal from anyone's point of view practically routine the locals looked like they knew what they were doing despite the geometric difficulties maybe they had done it before four possibly many times Reacher and Turner were going to be delayed 5 minutes maybe 10 that was all and then that wasn't all the dazed guy on the shoulder became slowly aware of the bright new lights and he raised his head and he squinted down the road and he looked away again then he looked back he struggled up and got to his feet and he took a step he said that's Billy Bob's car he took a another step and another and he glared at them at Turner first then at Reacher and he stamped his foot and swung his right arm as if batting away immense clouds of flying insects and he roared what are you doing in it which sounded like what chu dun and at maybe due to bad teeth or booze or befuddlement or all of the above Reacher wasn't sure then the guy who was ready to direct operations got interested too and the guy at the wheel of the half ton crew cab got out and all three guys formed up in a ragged a little semicircle about 10 ft ahead of the Corvette's front fender they were all wiry and worn down they were all in sleeveless plaid work shirts over no color sweatshirts and blue jeans and boots they all had Woolen watch caps on their heads the dazed guy was maybe 5'8 and the director of operations was maybe 5'10 and the Half Ton driver was about 6 ft like small medium and large in a country clothing catalog from the low end of the market run them over Reacher said Turner didn't the guy from The Crew Cab said that's Billy Bob's Car the dazed guy roared I already said that already said it real loud maybe his hearing had been damaged by the wreck the guy from The Crew Cab said why are you folks driving Billy Bob's Car Reacher said this is my car no it ain't I recognize the plate Reacher unclipped his seat belt Turner unclipped hers Reacher said why do you care who's driving Billy Bob's car because Billy Bob is our cousin the guy said you bet the guy said there have been clotton in Hampshire County for 300 years got a dark suit because you're going to a funeral Billy Bob doesn't need a car anymore his lab burned up tonight he didn't get out in time we were passing by nothing we could do for him all three guys went quiet for a moment they shuffled and flinched and then shuffled some more and spat on the road the guy from the half ton said nothing you could do for him but steal his car think of it as repurposing before he was even cold couldn't wait that long it was a hell of a fire it'll be a day or two before he's cold what's your name [ __ ] Reacher Reacher said there have been reachers in Hampshire County for about 5 minutes you taking the Mickey not really taking it you seem to be giving it up voluntarily maybe you started the fire we didn't old Billy Bob was in a dangerous business live by the sword Die By The Sword same with the car IL gotten gains Otten all over again you can't have it we should have it Reacher opened his door he jacknifed his feet to the floor and stood up fast in a second all the way from having his but four Ines off the blacktop to his full 6'5 he stepped around the open door and walked forward and stopped right on the spot where the Ragged little semicircle was centered he said let's not have a big discussion about inheritance rights the guy from the half ton said what about his money possession is nine points of the law Reacher said like Espen in the dire interview room you took his money too as much as we could find whereupon the dazed guy launched forward and swung his right fist in a violent Arc Reacher swayed backward and let the fist Fizz passed in front of him harmlessly and then he flapped his own right arm back and forth as if he was batting away more of the invisible insects and the dazed guy stared at the pantomime and Reacher cuffed him on the side of the head with his open left palm just under the rim of his hat like an oldtime cop with a rude boy from the neighborhood just a tap nothing more but still the guy went down like his head had been blown apart by a round from a high-powered rifle he lay still on the road not moving at all the guy from the half ton said is that what you do pick on the smallest first I wasn't picking on him Reacher said he was picking on me are you going to make the same mistake might not be a mistake it would be Reacher said then he glanced beyond the guy at the vertical pickup truck he said [ __ ] that thing's going to fall over the guy didn't turn around didn't look his eyes stayed fixed on reachers he said good try but I wasn't born yesterday Reacher said said I'm not kidding y [ __ ] and he wasn't maybe the half ton had a loose transmission maybe it had sagged forward 6 in when the guy shut it down before he got out but whatever there was new tension in the chain it was rigid it was practically humming and the vertical truck was teetering right on the point of balance an inch away from falling forward like a tree a breath of wind would have done it and then a breath of wind went right ahead and did it the branches all around side and moved gently just once and the vertical trucks tailgate scraped over small stones trapped beneath it and the chain went slack and the truck started to topple forward almost imperceptibly one degree at a time and then it hit the point of no return and then it was falling faster and faster and then it was a giant Sledgehammer smashing down into the half Ton's load bed the weight of its iron engine block striking a mighty blow on the corrugated floor breaking the axle below it the half ton Wheels suddenly canting out at the bottom and in at the top like knock knees or puppy feet the smaller trucks Wheels folding the other way on broken steering rods the chain rattled to the ground and competing suspensions settled and the smaller truck came to rest up at an angle partly on top of the larger truck both of them spent and inert and still looks like they were having sex Reacher said doesn't it no one answered the small guy was still on the floor and the other two were staring at a whole new problem neither vehicle was going anywhere soon not without a big Crane and a flatbed truck Reacher climbed down into the Corvette the wreckage was blocking the road from ditch to ditch so Turner had no choice she backed up and threaded between the two burning flares and she headed back the way they had come Turner said those guys will drop a dime as soon as they hear about us they'll be on the phone immediately to their probation officers they'll be cutting all kinds of deals they'll use us as a get out of jail card for their next 10 misdemeanors Reacher nodded the road couldn't stay blocked forever sooner or later some other passerby would call it in or the clotton cousins would call it in themselves having exhausted all other Alternatives and then the cops would show up and their inevitable questions would lead to exculpatory answers and Deals and trades and promises and exchanges try the next Road South Reacher said there's nothing else we can do still enjoying yourself never better they made the turn onto the quiet two-lane road they had quit 20 minutes earlier it was deserted trees to the left trees to the right nothing ahead nothing behind they crossed a river on a bridge the river was the ptoa at that location narrow and unremarkable flowing North downhill from its distant Source before hooking East and then broadening into the lazy current it was known as at its mouth there was no traffic on the road nothing going their way nothing going the other way no lights and no sounds except their own Reacher said if this was a movie right about now the cowboy would scratch his cheek and say it's too quiet not funny Turner said they could have sealed this road there could be State Police around the next Bend but there weren't not around the next Bend or the next but the BS kept on coming one after the other like separate tense questions Turner said how do they know how you live who the senior staff officers that's a very good question do they know how you live find you anyway they seem to know I didn't buy a split level Ranch somewhere in the suburbs they seem to know I don't coach little league and grow my own vegetables they seem to know I didn't develop a second career but how do they know no idea I read your file there was a lot of good stuff in it a lot of bad stuff too but maybe bad is good in the sense of being interesting to someone in terms of Personality they were tracking you since you were 6 years old you exhibited unique characteristics not unique rare then in terms of an aggressive response to Danger Reacher nodded at the age of six he had gone to a movie on a Marine base somewhere in the Pacific a kids matina a cheap sci-fi pot boiler all all of a sudden a monster had popped up out of a slimy Lagoon the youthful audience was being filmed in secret with a lowlight camera a scops experiment most kids had recoiled in Terror when the monster appeared but Reacher hadn't he had leapt at the screen instead ready to fight with his switchblade already open they said his response time had been three4 of a second six years old they had taken his switchblade away they had made him feel like a psychopath Turner said and you did well at West Point and your service years were impressive if you close your eyes and squint personally I remember a lot of friction and shouting I was on the carpet a lot of the but maybe Bad is Good from some particular perspective suppose there's a desk somewhere in the Pentagon maybe suppose someone's sole job is to track a certain type of person who might be useful in the future under a certain type of circumstance like long range contingency planning for a new super secret unit deniable too like a list of suitable personnel as in when the [ __ ] hits the fan who are you going to call now it sounds like you who's been watching movies nothing happens in the movies that doesn't happen in real life that's one thing I've learned you can't make this stuff up speculation Reacher said is it impossible there's a database somewhere with 100 or 200 or a thousand names in it of people the military wants to keep track of just in case I guess that's not impossible it would be a very secret database for a number of obvious reasons which means that if these guys have seen it theyby knowing how you live they're not just senior staff officers they're very senior staff officers you said so yourself they have access to files in any branch of the service they want speculation Reacher said again but logical maybe very senior staff officers Turner said again Reacher nodded like flipping a coin 5050 either true or not true the first turn they came to was Route 220 which was subtly wider than the road they were on and flatter and better surfaced and straighter and altogether more important in every way in comparison it felt like a major artery not exactly a highway but because of their heightened sensitivities it looked like a whole different proposition no Turner said agreed Reacher said there would be gas and coffee probably and diners and motels but there could be police too either state or local or federal because it was the kind of road that showed up well on a map Reacher pictured a hasty conference somewhere with impatient fingers jabbing paper with urgent voices saying roadblocks here and here and here we'll take the next one he said which gave them seven more tense minutes the road stayed empty trees to the left trees to the right nothing ahead nothing behind no lights no sound but nothing happened and the next turn was better on a map it would be just an insignificant gray trace or more likely not there at all it was a highill road very like the one they had already tried narrow lumpy twisting and turning with ragged shoulders and shallow rainwater ditches on both sides they took it gratefully and its Darkness swallowed them up Turner got her small Road rhythm going keeping her speed appropriate keeping her movements efficient Reacher relaxed and watched her she was leaning back in her seat her arms straight out her fingers on the wheel sensitive to the tiny quivering messages coming up from the road her hair was hooked behind her ears and he could see slim muscles in her thigh as she worked first one pedal and then the other she asked how much money did the big dog make plenty Reacher said but not enough to drop a 100 Grand on a defensive scam if that's what you're thinking but he was right at the end of the chain he wasn't the top boy he wasn't a mass wholesaler he would be seeing only a small part of the prophet and it was 16 years ago things have changed you think this is about stolen ordinance it could be the Desert Storm draw down then the Afghanistan draw down now similar circumstances similar opportunities but different stuff what was the big dog selling 11 crates of saws when we heard about him on the streets of LA that's bad that was the lapd's problem not mine all I wanted was a name you could sell saws to the Taliban but for how much drones then or Surface to air missiles extremely high value items or moabs did you have them in your day you make it sound like we had bows and arrows so you didn't no but I know what they are massive ordinance air burst the mother of all bombs thermobaric device is more powerful than anything except nuclear weapons plenty of buyers in the Middle East for things like those no doubt about that and those buyers have plenty of money no doubt about that either they're 30 ft long kind of hard to slip in your coat stranger things have happened then she went quiet for a whole mile suppose this is government policy we might be arming one faction against another we do that all the time Turner said you don't see it that way I can't make it work deep down the government can do whatever it wants so why scam you with a 100 Grand why didn't you just disappear and me and more why aren't we in Guantanamo right now or dead and why were the guys who came to the motel the first night so crap that was no kind of government wet team I barely had to break a sweat and why would it get to that point in the first place they could have backed you down some other way they could have ordered you to pull weeks and Edwards out of there they could have ordered you to cease and desist not without automatically raising my susp s it would have put a big Spotlight on the whole thing that's a risk they wouldn't want to take then they'd have found a better way they would have ordered a whole Countrywide strategic pullback all the way to the green zone for some madeup political reason to respect the Afghan sovereignty or some such thing it would have been a tsunami of [ __ ] your guys would have been caught up in it along with everyone else and you wouldn't have thought twice about it it would have been just one of those things same old [ __ ] so you're not convinced this all feels amateur to me Reacher said correct uptight slightly timid people somewhat out of their depth now and therefore relying on somewhat undistinguished muscle to cover their Collective asses which gives us one small problem and one big opportunity the small problem being those four guys know they have to get to us first before the MPS or the FBI because we're in deep [ __ ] now technically with the escape and all so the assumption is we'll say anything to help with our situations and even if No One Believes us it would all be out there as a possibility or a rumor and these guys can't afford any kind of extra scrutiny even if it was half-ass and by the book so that's the small problem those four guys are going to stay hard on our Tails that's for damn sure and what the big opportunity those same Four Guys Reacher said their bosses will be lost without them they'll be cut off at the knees they'll be helpless and isolated they'll be ours for the taking so that's the plan Turner said we're going to let the four guys find us and we're going to bust them and then we're going to move on up from there except we're not going to bust them Reacher said we're going to do to them what they were going to to do to us we're going to put them in the ground and then we're going to listen out for their bosses howling in the void and then we're going to explain to them carefully why it's a very bad idea to mess with the 110th 31 line into Grant County and the Lonely Hill Road ran on unchanging mile after mile the speedometer was drifting between 50 and 60 up and down but the gas gauge was moving One Way only and fast then a sign on the shoulder announced the Grant County Airport 20 M ahead and a town named Petersburg they crossed the Turner said a place with an airport has to have a gas station right and a motel and a place with an airport and a gas station and a motel has to have a diner Reacher said and a police department hope for the best I always do Reacher said they hit the town before the airport it was mostly asleep but not completely they came out of the hills and merged left onto a state road that became North Main Street 100 yards later with builtup blocks on the left and the right in the center of town there was a Crossroads with Route 220 which was the road they had avoided earlier after the crossroads North Main Street became South Main Street the airport lay to the West not far away there was no traffic but some windows had lights behind them Turner went South across the narrow pomac again and she took a right towards the airport which was a small place for light Plains only and was all closed up and dark so she turned curb to curb and headed back across the river again towards the downtown Crossroads Reacher said go right on 220 I bet that's where the good stuff is east of the crossroads 220 was called Virginia Avenue and for the the first 200 yards it was closed but no cigar there was a sandwich shop closed and a pizza place also closed there was an outof business Chevron station and two fast food franchises both closed for the night there was an ancient motor cord in boarded up falling down its lot choked with weeds no good stuff yet Turner said free market Reacher said someone put that Chevron out of business and that Motel all we have to do is find out who they drove on another block and another pass the city limit and then they scored a perfect trifecta on the cheaper land Beyond first came a Country Cafe open all night on the left side of the road behind a wide gravel lot with three trucks in it then there was a motel a 100 yards later on the right side of the road a modern two-story place on the edge of a field and be beond the motel in the far distance was the red glow of an Exxon station all good except that halfway between the cafe and the motel was a state police barracks it was a pale building long and low made from glazed tan brick with dishes and whip antennas on its roof it had two Cruisers parked out front and lights behind two of its Windows a dispatcher and a desk sergeant Reacher figured doing their night Duty in warmth and comfort Turner said do they know about this car yet Reacher looked at the motel or will they before we wake up in the morning we have to get gas at least okay let's go do that we'll try to get a feel for the place so Turner eased on down the road as discreet as she could be in a bright red convertible with 600 brake horsepower and she pulled in at the Exxon which was a two Island for Pump Air with a pay Hut made of crisp white boards it looked like a tiny house except that it had antennas on its roof too Turner parked near a pump and Reacher studied the instructions which said that without a credit card to dip he was going to have to prepay in cash he asked how many gallons Turner said I don't know how big the tank is pretty big probably let's say 15 then which was going to cost $59 85 at the posted rate Reacher peeled 320s out of one of Billy Bob's bricks and headed for the Hut inside was a woman of about 40 behind a bulletproof screen there was a half moon shape at counter height for passing money through coming out of it were the sweet nasal Melodies of an AM radio tuned to a country station and the chatter and noise of a police scanner tuned to the emergency band Reacher slid his money through and the woman did something he guessed permitted the pump to serve up 60 bucks of gas and not a drop more one country song ended and another started separated only by a muted blast of static from the scanner Reacher glanced at it and tried a weary traveler expression and asked anything happening tonight all quiet so far the woman said Reacher glanced the other way at the AM Radio country music not enough for you my brother owns a tow truck and that business is all about being first on the scene he gives me $10 for every wreck I get him to so no wrecks tonight not a one no excitement at all the woman said that's a nice car you're riding in why do you say that because I always wanted a Corvette did you hear about us on the scanner been speeding hard not to then you've been lucky you got away with it reach said long may it continue and he smiled what he hoped was a conspiratorial little smile and headed back to the car Turner was already pumping the gas she had the nozzle hooked into the filler neck and she was turned 3/4 away from him with the back of one thigh against the flank of the car and the other foot up on the curb of the island she had her hands behind her and her back was arched as if she was easing an ache her face was turned up to the night sky Reacher imagined her shape like a slender s under the big shirt he said the clerk is listening in on a scanner we're clean so far you asked her she'll remember us now she will anyway she always wanted a Corvette we should trade with her we should take whatever she's got then she'd remember us forever maybe those hillbillies won't call it in maybe their trucks were stolen too maybe they just vanished into the woods possible Reacher said I don't see why they would wait so long we could Parkway in the back of the motel right out of sight I think we should risk it we really need to eat and sleep the pump clicked off just short of 12 gallons either the tank was smaller than they had guessed or the gauge was Turner said now she knows it's not our car we're not familiar with how much gas it takes will she give us the change maybe we should leave it it's 12 bucks this is West Virginia we'd stick out like sore thumbs tell her we're heading south on 220 tell her we've got a long way to go before Daybreak then when she hears about us on the scanner she'll call it in wrong Reacher collected $12.52 in change and said something about trying to make it to I 64 before Before Dawn the AM radio murmured its tunes and the police scanner stayed quiet the woman looked out the window and smiled a little sadly as if it was going to be a long time before she saw Corvette again Turner picked Reacher up at the pay Hut door and they drove back towards town and pulled in again 300 yards later at the motel she said check in first and then hit the cafe Reacher said sure she paused a long beat and looked straight at him she said how many rooms are we going to get he paused a long beat in turn and said let's eat first then check in there's something I have to tell you after we order he said it's a long story 32 a rural greasy spoon as perfect as anything Reacher had ever seen it had a black guy in a white undershirt next to a large slick griddle 3 ft deep and 6 ft wide it had battered Pine tables and mismatched chairs it smelled of old grease and fresh coffee it had two ancient white men in seed caps one of them sitting way to the left of the door the other way to the right maybe they didn't get along maybe they were victims of a feud 300 years old the cafe was Turner chose a table in the middle of the room and they rattled the chairs out over the board floor and they sat down there were no menus no chalk boards with handwritten lists of daily specials it wasn't that kind of a place ordering was clearly telepathic between the cook and his regular customers for new customers it was going to be a matter of asking out loud plain and simple which the cook confirmed by raising his chin and rotating his head a little so that his right ear was presented to the room omelet Turner said mushrooms spring onions and cheddar cheese no reaction from the cook none at all Turner said it again a little louder still no reaction no movement just total Stillness and a raised chin and an averted gaze and a dignified and implacable silence like a veteran salesman insulted by a counter offer Turner looked at Reacher and whispered what's with this place you're a detective Reacher said you see any sign of an omelet pan up there no I guess not all I see is a griddle so probably the best way to get some enthusiasm out of this guy would be to order something griddle related Turner paused a beat then she said two eggs over easy on a fried biscuit with bacon on the side the cook said yes ma'am same for me Reacher said and coffee yes sir and immediately the guy turned away and got to work with a wedge of new lard and and a blade planing the metal surface smoothing it 3 ft out and 3 ft back and 6 ft side to side which made him a griddle Man At Heart in Reacher's experience such guys were either griddle men or owners but never really both a griddle Man's first instinct was to tend the metal working it until it was glassy down at a molecular level so slick it would make teon feel like sandpaper whereas an owner's first instinct would have been to bring the coffee because the first cup of coffee seals the deal a customer isn't committed until he has consumed something he can still get up and walk away if he's dissatisfied with the waight or if he remembers an urgent appointment but not if he's already started in on his first cup of coffee because then he would have to throw some money down and who really knows what a cup of diner coffee costs 50 cents a dollar $2 okay we've ordered Turner said so what do you have to tell me letun wait for the coffee Reacher said I don't want to be interrupted then I have a couple of things she said I want to know more about this guy Morgan for instance I want to know who's got his hands on my unit my unit too Reacher said I always assumed I'd be its worst ever Commander but I guess I'm not your guys in Afghanistan missed two consecutive radio checks and he did nothing about it do we know where he's from is he one of them hard to say Obviously the unit needed a temporary Commander that's not proof of guilt in itself and how would recalling you to service fit their game plan surely they would want to get rid of you not keep you close at hand I think it was all supposed to make me run which I could have I could have gone permanently awall they made a big point of saying no one would come after me no skip tracers like a onew punch with the big dog affidavit a charge I can't beat and a mandate to stick around to face it I think most guys in my situation would have headed for the hills at that point I think that was their expectation strategically but it didn't work because when a monster comes up out of the Slime you have to fight it or it could have been a Jag order simple as that there might have been a sidebar on the file saying that if I didn't cooperate then I had to be nailed down because of some kind of political sensitivity in the secretary's office certainly it wasn't Morgan's own decision a light Colonel doesn't decide [ __ ] like that it had to come from a higher level from very senior staff officers agreed but which ones exactly Turner didn't answer that The Griddle man brought the coffee finally two large pottery mugs and a little pink plastic basket full of creamer pots and sugar packets and two spoons pressed out of metal so thin they felt weightless Reacher took a mug and sniffed the Steam and tried to sip the Mug's Rim was cold and thick but the coffee was adequate hot and not too weak he put the mug back down on the table and linked his hands around it as if he was protecting it and and he looked at Turner right in the eye and he said so she said one more thing and it's going to be tough to say so I'm sorry what is it I shouldn't have asked about one room or two I didn't mind but I did I'm not sure I'm ready for one room yet I feel like I owe you for what you've done for me today I don't think that's a good State of Mind to be in under those circumstances the one room type of circumstances I mean you don't owe me anything I had purely selfish motivations I wanted to take you out to dinner which I'm right now in the middle of doing I guess in a way perhaps not as planned but whatever I got what I wanted anything else is collateral damage so you don't owe me [ __ ] Turner said I feel unsettled you just got arrested and broke out of jail and now you're running for your life and stealing cars and money no it's because of you you make me feel uncomfortable I'm sorry not your fault she said it's just the way you are and what way is that I don't want to hurt your feelings you can't Reacher said I'm a military cop and a man I have no feelings that's what I mean I was kidding no you weren't not entirely she paused a long moment then she said you're like something FAL Reacher said nothing in reply to that FAL from the Latin adjective feris wild viab best Farah wild animal generally held to mean having escaped from domestication and having devolved back to a natural state Turner said it's like you've been sanded down to nothing but yes and no and you and them and black and white and live or die it makes me wonder what does that to a person life Reacher said mine anyway you're like a predator cold and hard like this whole thing you have it all mapped out the four guys in the car and their bosses you're swimming towards them right now and there's going to be blood in the water yours or theirs but there's going to be blood right now I hope I'm swimming away from them and I don't even know who they are or where they are but you will you're thinking about it all the time I can see you doing it you're worrying away at it trying to catch the scent what else should I do buy us bus ticket straight to lenworth is that the only alternative what do you think she took her first sip of coffee slow and contemplative she said I agree with you and that's the problem right there that's what's making me uncomfortable I'm just like you except not yet and that's the point looking at you is like looking into the future you're what I'm going to be one day when I'm all sanded down too so I'm too similar most women say no because I'm to you scare me or the prospect of becoming scares me I'm not sure I'm ready for that I'm not sure I ever will be doesn't have to happen this is a bump in the road you'll still have a career if we win we will so best case I step off the path to stay on it worst case I'm off it forever no worst case is your dead or locked up worst case is the wrong guy win it's always win or lose with you isn't it is there a third option does it burn you up to lose of course it's a kind of paralyzing arrogance normal people don't get all burned up if they lose maybe they should Reacher said but you're not really like me you're not looking at yourself when you look at me that's why I came all this way you're a better version that's what I sensed on the phone you're doing it the way it should be done everything your job your life being a person doesn't feel that way not right now and don't think of me like a better version if I can't look at you and see what's going to be you can't look at me and see what should have been then The Griddle man came back this time with plates full of eggs and bacon and fried biscuits all of which looked good and all of which looked perfectly cooked the eggs had clean crisp edges clearly the guy cared for his metal well after he was gone again Turner said this is all assuming you have a definite preference that is one way or the other about the number of rooms Reacher said honest answer I do have a definite preference for I have to tell you my thing first which is the other item designed to make me run a paternity suit Reacher said apparently I have a daughter in Los Angeles by a woman I can't remember 33 Turner 8 he told her the things he had been told Red Cloud between soul and the DMZ and Candace Dayton and her diary and her home in La and her homelessness in LA and her daughter and her car and her visit with a lawyer Reacher talked and Turner asked what's the kid's name Samantha Reacher said Sam for short presumably how old is she 14 nearly 15 how do you feel bad if she's mine I should have been there for her you really don't remember her mother no I really don't is that normal for you you mean exactly how feal am I I don't think I forget people I hope I don't especially women I sleep with but if I did I would be unaware of it by definition you can't be aware of forgetting is this why we're going to L Angeles I have to know Reacher said but it's suicide they'll all be waiting for you there it's the one place they can be sure you'll go I have to know Reacher said again Turner said nothing Reacher said anyway that's the story that's what I had to tell you in the interests of full disclosure in case it had a bearing on the room's issue for instance Turner didn't answer they finished up and they got their check which was for a total represented by a scrolled figure circled beneath three scribbled lines how much was a cup of diner coffee no one knew because no one ever found out maybe it was free maybe it had to be because the composite total was modest pracher had $13.32 in his pocket which was Sullivan surviving 80 cents plus the change he had gotten in the gas station Hut and he left all of it on the table thereby including a handsome tip a guy who worked a hot griddle all night deserved no less the car was where they had left it unmolested not surrounded by search lights and sweat teams far to their left the state police barracks looked quiet the Cruisers out front had not moved the war lights were still showing in the windows stay or go Turner asked stay Reacher said this place is as good as any as weird as that sounds with the Troopers right here it's not going to get better than this not until it's over not until we win you mean same thing they ease themselves into the Corvette's low seats and Turner fired it up and drove back to the motel she stopped at outside the office I'll wait here she said you go do it okay he said he took a fistful of 20s from one of Billy Bob's bricks two rooms she said the night clerk was asleep in his chair but it didn't take much to wake him up the sound of the door did half the job and a polite tap from Reacher's Knuckles on the counter did the rest the guy was young maybe it was a family business maybe this was a son or a nephew got two rooms Reacher asked him the guy made a big show of checking on a computer screen like many such guys do which Reacher thought was dumb they weren't the worldwide heads of global operations for giant hotel corporations they were in motels with rooms they could count on their fingers and toes if they lost track then surely all they had to do was turn around and check the keys hanging on the hooks behind them the guy looked up from the screen and said yes sir I can do that how much $30 per room per night with a voucher included for breakfast at the cafe across the street deal Reacher said and he swapped three of Billy Bob's 20s for two of the young guys Keys rooms 11 and 12 adjacent a kindness on the young guy part easier for the maid in the morning less distance to push her heavy C thank you Reacher said he went out to the car and Turner drove around to the rear of the compound where she found a patch of lumpy winter grass behind the last of the buildings she eased the car up onto it and they raised the top and they locked it up for the night and they left it there not visible from the street they walked back together and found their rooms which were on the second floor up an exterior flight of concrete stairs Reacher gave Turner the key to 11 and kept 12 for himself she said what time tomorrow noon he said and I'll drive some if you like we'll see sleep well you too he waited until she was safely inside before he opened his door the room behind it was a concrete box with a popcorn ceiling and vinyl wallpaper better than the place a mile from Rock Creek but only by degrees the heater was quieter but far from Silent the carpet was cleaner but not by much as was the bed spread the shower looked reasonable and the towels were thin but not transparent the soap and the shampoo were dressed up with a brand name that sounded like a firm of old Boston lawyers the furniture was made of pale wood and the television set was a small off-brand flat screen about the size of a carry-on suitcase there was no telephone no no mini bar refrigerator no free bottle of water no chocolate on the pillow he turned on the television and found CNN and watched the ticker at the bottom of the screen all the way through a full cycle there was no mention of two fugitives fleeing an army facility in Virginia so he headed for the bathroom and started the shower and stood under it aimlessly long after the soap he had used was rinsed away fragments of the conversation over the scarred cafe table came back to him unstoppably you're like something FAL she had said you're like a predator cold and hard but in the end the line that stuck was from earlier in the exchange Turner had asked about Morgan and he had told her your guys in Afghanistan missed two consecutive radio checks and he did nothing about it he went over and over it sounding the words in his head moving his lips saying it out loud breaking it down sputtering each phrase into the beating water examining each separate clause in detail your guys in Afghanistan missed two consecutive radio checks and he did nothing about it he shut off the water and got out of the tub and grabbed a towel then still damp he put his pants back on and one of his t-shirts and he stepped out to the upstairs walkway he padded Barefoot through the cold night air to Room 11 store 3 before the cold because Turner didn't open up right away but he knew she was awake he could see electric light through the Spy hole in her door then it darkened briefly as she put her eye to it to check who was there then he was left to wait some more she was hauling some clothes on he guessed she had showered too almost certainly then the door opened and she stood there with one hand on the handle and the other on the jam blocking his way either consciously or subconsciously her hair was slick with water and finger combed out of her eyes she was wearing her Army t-shirt and her new work pants her feet were bare Reacher waited I and Reacher said I would have called but there's no telephone in my room mine either she said what's up something I told you about Morgan I just realized what it means what did you tell me I said your guys in Afghanistan missed two consecutive radio checks and he did nothing about it I was thinking about that too I think it's proof he's one of them he did nothing because he knew there was nothing to do he knew they were dead no point in organizing a search can I come in Reacher asked it's cold out here or we could use my room he said if you prefer no come in she said she took her hand off the jam and moved aside he stepped in and she closed the door behind him her room was the same as his his shirt was on the back of a chair her boots were under the chair stowed neatly side by side she said I guess I could afford some new shoes now new everything if you want he said do agree she said it's proof he's one of them it could be proof he's lazy and incompetent no Commander could be that dumb how long have you been in the Army she smiled briefly okay plenty of commanders could be that dumb he said I don't think the important part is him doing she sat down on the bed left him standing near the window her pants were loose and her shirt was tight she was wearing nothing underneath it that was clear he could see ribs and slender curves on the phone from from South Dakota he had pictured her as a blonde with blue eyes maybe from Northern California all of which had turned out to be completely wrong she was dark-haired and Dark Eyed and from Montana but he had been right about other things 56 or 57 he had guessed out loud but thin your voice is all in your throat she had laughed out loud and asked you saying I'm flatchested he had laughed back and said 34A best she had said damn but the reality was better than the telephone guesses live and in person she was something else entirely she said what was the important part of what Morgan said the two missed radio checks your guys checked in on the day you were arrested but then they missed the next day and the next as did I because I was in jail you know that it was a concerted plan they shut us down both ends over there and over here simultaneously but it wasn't simultaneous Reacher said that's my point Afghanistan is 9 hours ahead of Rock Creek that's practically a whole day's worth of daylight in the winter and no one walks on a Goat Trail in the Hindu Kush after dark that would be a bad idea for a huge number of reasons including falling down and accidentally breaking your leg so your guys were out there getting shot in the head during daylight hours that's for damn sure no question about it and daylight hours End by about 6:00 local 6:00 in the evening in Afghanistan is 9:00 in the morning here but my lawyer said you opened your bank account in the Cayman Islands at 10:00 in the morning and the 100 Grand arrived at 11:00 in the morning and you were arrested at noon I remember that last part which means your guys were dead at at least an hour before they started messing with you many hours most likely minimum of one maximum of eight or nine okay so not exactly simultaneous not two things at once but one thing after the other does that make a difference I think it does Reacher said but first we have to step back a day you sent weeks and Edwards into the hills and the reaction was instantaneous the whole thing was over by noon the next day how did they react so fast luck suppose it was something else you think they have a mole in the 110th I doubt it not with our kind of people it would have been impossible in my day and I can only imagine things have gotten better then how I think your calms were penetrated a tap on the Rock Creek phones I don't think that's possible we have systems in place not Rock Creek Reacher said it makes no sense to tap the local ends of the network there are too many of them better to concentrate on the center of the web where the spider lives I think they're reading everything that goes in and out of Bagram very senior staff officers with access to anything they want which back at that point was everything which was exactly what they got they sift ed through all the chatter and they got the original rumor and your orders and your guys reactions and the whole back and forth possible Turner said which makes a difference but only as a background Detail no more than that Reacher said they had already stopped weeks in Edwards between 1 and 9 hours previously so why did they still go ahead and come after you you know why they thought I knew something I actually didn't but they didn't need to think anything or guess or plan for the worst not if they were reading stuff in and out of Bagram no speculation was required they knew what weeks and Edwards told you they knew for sure they had it in black and white they knew what you knew Susan but I knew nothing because weeks and Edwards told me nothing if that's true then why did they go ahead and come after you why would they do that why would they go ahead with a very complex and very expensive scam for no reason at all why would they risk that hundred grand so what are you saying I'm saying weeks and Edwards did tell you something I'm saying you do know something maybe it didn't seem like a big deal at the time and maybe you don't remember it now but week and Edwards gave you some little nugget and as a result someone got his panties in a real big wad 35 bare feet up on the bed and leaned back on the pillow she said I'm not scile Reacher I remember what they told me we're paying a pashton and cider and they met with the guy and he told them an American officer had been seen heading north to meet with a tribal Elder but at that point the identity of the American officer was definitely not known and the purpose of the meeting was definitely not known Turner put her Reacher asked was there a description no other than American man or woman has to be a man pton Elders don't meet with women black or white didn't say army marines Air Force we all look the same to them rank age no details at all an American officer that's all we knew there has to be something else I I know what I know Reacher and I know what I don't what does that even mean this is like you and that woman in Korea no one is aware of forgetting except I'm not forgetting I remember what they said how much back and forth was there there was what I just told you about the rumor and then there were my orders which were to go chase it and that was all one signal out and one signal back what about their last radio check did you see it it was the last thing I saw before they came for me it was pure routine no progress nothing to see here folks so move right along that kind of thing so it was in the original message about the rumor you're going to have to try to remember it word for word an unknown American officer was seen heading north to meet with a tribal Elder for an unspecified reason that's it word for word I already remember it what part of that is worth $100,000 and your future and mine and more Crofts and a bruise on a school girl's arm in Barryville Virginia I don't know Turner said they went quiet after that no more talking no more discussion Turner lay on her bed staring at the ceiling Reacher leaned on the window sill running her summary through his head 14 words a perfect sentence with a subject and an object and a verb and a satisfying Rhythm and a pleasing Cadence an unknown American officer was seen heading north to meet with a tribal Elder he went over and over it and then he broke it into thirds and stared it down claw by Clause an unknown American officer was seen heading north to meet with a tribal Elder 23 syllables not a haiku or a little less than a haiku and a half meaning uncertain but he sensed a tiny inconsistency between the start of the sentence and its finish like a grain of sand in an otherwise perfect mechanism an unknown American a tribal Elder he didn't know he said I'll get going now we'll come back to it tomorrow it might creep up on you in the night that can happen something to do with the way the brain reacts to sleep memory processing or a portal to the subconscious or something like that I read an article about it once in a magazine I found on a bus no she said don't don't what don't get going she said stay here Reacher paused a beat he said really do you want to does the pope sleep in the woods then take your shirt off take it off Reacher so he did he hauled the thin stretchy cotton up over his shoulders and then up over his head and then he dropped it on the floor thank you she said and then he waited like he always did for her to count his scars I was wrong she said you're not just FAL you're an actual animal we're all animals he said that's what makes things interesting how much do you work out I don't he said it's genetic which it was huberty had brought him many things unbidden including height and weight and an extreme mesomorph physique with a six-pack like a cobbled city street and a chest like a suit of NFL armor and biceps like basketballs and subcutaneous fat like a Kleenex tissue he had never never messed with any of it no diets no weights no gym time if it ain't broke don't fix it was his attitude pants now she said I'm not wearing anything underneath she smiled me neither she said he undid his button he dropped his zip he pushed the canvas over his hips he stepped out one step closer to the bed he said your turn now she sat up she took her shirt off she was everything he thought she would be and she was everything he had ever wanted they woke very late the next morning warm drowsy deeply satiated roused from sleep only by the sound of automobile engines in the lot below their window they yawned and stretched and kissed long and slow and gentle Turner said we wasted Billy Bob's money with the two room thing my fault entirely I'm sorry Reacher asked what changed your mind lust I suppose prison makes you think seriously it was your T-shirt I've never seen anything so thin it was either very expensive or very cheap it was on my bucket list since we talked on the phone I liked your voice and I saw your photograph I don't believe you you mentioned the girl in Berryville that's what changed my mind with the arm that offended you and you've done nothing but chip away at my problem you're ignoring your own with the big dog which is just as serious therefore you still care for others which means you can't really be feal I imagine caring for others is the first thing to go and you still know right from wrong which all means you're okay which all means My Future Self is okay too it's not going to be so bad you're going to be a two star general if you want to be only two stars more than that is like running for office no fun at all she didn't answer there was still motor noise in the lot it sounded like multiple Vehicles were driving around and around in a big circle maybe three or four of them one after the other up one side of the building and down the other an endless loop Turner asked what time is it 9 minutes before noon how do you know I always know what time it is what time is checkout then they heard footsteps on the walkway outside and an envelope slid under the door and the footsteps reversed direction and Faded Away checkout time is noon I guess Reacher said because I assume that envelope is our copy of the invoice paid in full that's very formal they have a computer the motor noise was still there Reacher assumed the lizard part of his brain had already screened it for danger were they army vehicles cop cars FBI and apparently the lizard brain had made no comment correctly in this case because they were clearly civilian Vehicles outside all gasoline engines including an outof tune V8 with a hold muffler and at least one we four-cylinder cheap Finance special offer kind of a thing plus crashing suspensions and rattling panels not military or paramilitary sounds at all they got louder and faster what is that Turner said take a look Reacher said she padded slender and naked to the window she made a peephole in the drapes she looked out and waited to catch the whole show for pickup trucks she said various ages sizes and states of repair all of them with two people aboard they're circling the building over and over again I have no idea what town are we in Petersburg West Virginia then maybe it's an Old West Virginia folk tradition the rights of spring or something like the running of the bull in Pamplona except they do it in pickup trucks in Petersburg but it looks kind of hostile like those movies you mentioned where they say it's too quiet the parts where the Indians ride in a circle around the wagon with the busted wheel faster and faster Reacher looked from her to the door wait he said he slid out of bed and picked up the envelope the flap was not gummed down inside was a piece of paper nothing Sinister as expected it was a trifolded invoice showing a zero balance which was correct Room 11 30 bucks less 30 bucks cash up front but at the bottom of the invoice was a cheery printed thank you for staying with us line and below that the motel owner's name was printed like a signature and below that there was a piece of completely gratuitous information [ __ ] Reacher said he met her by the bed and showed her we surely appreciated you staying with us John clotton owner there have been clotton in Grant County for 300 years 36 Reacher said I guess they're really serious about that Corvette they must have gotten on some kind of a phone tree last night a council of War a call to action Hampshire County clotton and Grant County clotton and clotton from other counties to I'm sure probably dozens of counties probably vast suedes of the entire Mountain State and if Sleeping Beauty in the office last night was a son or a nephew then he's also a cousin and now he's a maid man because he dimed us out that Corvette is more trouble than it's worth it was a bad but it was fun while it lasted we'll have to reason with them spread love and understanding Reacher said you Force if necessary who said that Leon Trotsky I think he was stabbed to death with an ice pick in Mexico that doesn't invalidate his overall position not in and of itself what was his overall position solid he also said if you can't acquaint an opponent with reason you must acquaint his head with the sidewalk he was a man of sound instincts in his private life I mean apart from getting stabbed to death with an ice pick in Mexico that is what are we going to do we should start by getting dressed probably except that most of my clothes are in the other room my fault she said I'm sorry don't make a whole big thing out of it we'll survive you get dressed and we'll both go next door and I'll get dressed safe enough we'll only be out there a couple of seconds but take a shower first there's no rush they'll wait they won't come in here they won't break down cousin asshole's door I'm sure that's part of the clotton family code Turner matched Reacher's habitual shower time exactly dead on 11 minutes from the first hand on the faucet to stepping out the door which in this instance involved a long pause spent trying to time it right to get to the next room on seen by a circling pickup truck and then deciding that with four of them each moving at close to 30 m an hour remaining unseen was not an available option so they went for it and for 10 of the 20 ft they were ahead of the game until a truck came around and Reacher heard a rush under its Hood as the driver reacted instinctively to the sudden appearance of his Quarry by stamping on the gas chasing it Reacher supposed running it down an evolutionary mechanism like so many things he unlocked his door and they spilled inside he said now they know for sure we're here not that they didn't know already I'm sure cyber boy has been giving them chapter and verse his room was undisturbed his boots were under the window with his socks nearby and his underwear and his second t-shirt on a chair and his jacket on a hook he said I should take a shower too if they keep on driving circles like that they'll be dizzy before we come out Reacher was ready in 11 minutes he sat on the bed and laced his boots and he put his coat on and zipped it up he said I'm happy to do this by myself if you like Turner said what about the Troopers across the street we can't afford for them to come over I bet the Troopers let the clotton do whatever they want because I bet the Troopers are mostly clotton too but I'm sure we'll Do It All Out of Sight anyway that's what usually happens I'll come with you have you done this before yes she said not too many times they won't all fight there will be a congestion problem apart from anything else and we can curb their enthusiasm by putting the first few down hard the key is not to spend too much time on any one individual the minimum ideally which would be one blow and then move on to the next elbows are better than hands and kicking is better than both but I'll talk to them first it's not like they don't have a slight point they opened the door and stepped out to the walkway and the bright noon light and as Reacher expected they saw the four trucks drawn uptight nosing at the bottom of the concrete staircase like suckerfish eight guys were leaning against their doors and their fenders and their load beds patiently like they had all the time in the world which they did because there was no way down from the second floor walkway other than the concrete staircase Reacher recognized the three guys from the night before on the Hill Road small medium and large the latter two looking more or less the same as they had before and the small guy looking much better like he was most of the way recovered from whatever binge had led to his accident the other five were similar fellows all Hard Scrabble types the smallest of them wiry guy all sinue and leathery skin the largest somewhat bloated by beer and fast food probably none of them was armed in any way Reacher could see all 16 Hands and all 16 were empty no guns no knives no wrenches no chains amateurs Reacher put his hands on the walkways Rail and he gazed out over the scene below serenely like a dictator in an old movie ready to address a crowd he said we need to find a way of getting you guys home before you get hurt you want to work with me on that he had overheard a guy in a suit on a cell phone one time who kept on asking you want to work with me on that he guessed it was a technique taught at expensive seminars in dowy hotel ballrooms presumably because it mandated a positive response because civilized people felt an obligation to work with one another if that option was offered no one ever said no I don't but the guy from the half ton did he said no one is here to work with you boy we're here to kick your butt and take our car and our money back okay Reacher said we can go down that road if you like but there's no reason why all of you should go to the hospital you ever heard of Gallup it's a polling organization like at election time they tell you this guy is going to get 51% of the vote and this other guy is going to get 49 I've heard of them you know how they do that they don't call everyone in America that would take too long so they sample they call a handful of people and scale up the scores that's what we should do we should sample one of us against one of you we should let the results stand in for what would have happened if we'd all gone at it together like the Gallup organization does Reacher said If your guy wins you get to trade your worst truck for the Corvette and you get half of Billy Bob's money Reacher said but if my side wins we'll trade the Corvette for your best truck and we'll keep all of Billy Bob's Reacher said that's the best I can do guys this is America we need wheels and money I'm sure you understand that Reacher said my friend here is ready and willing you got a preference would you prefer to fight a woman the guy from the half ton said no that ain't right then you're stuck with me but I'll sweeten the deal you can increase the size of your sample me against two of you want to work with me on that and I'll fight with both hands behind my back both hands behind your back for the terms we just agreed and their great terms guys I mean either way you get to keep the Corvette I'm being reasonable here two of us and your hands behind your back I'd put a bag on my head if I had one okay we'll take a piece of that terrific Reacher said any of you got health insurance because that would be a good way to choose upsides then suddenly next to him Turner whispered I just remembered what I forgot from last night the thing in the original report was it the tribal guy Reacher whispered back an unknown American a tribal Elder the grain of sand the American was defined as unknown but the tribal Elder was not they told you his name not his name exactly their names are all too complicated to remember we use reference numbers instead assigned as and when they first become known to us authorities and the guy's number was in the report which means he's already in the system he's known to somebody what was the number I don't remember am something what does AM mean Afghan male that's a start I guess then from below the guy from the half ton called up okay we're all set down here Reacher glanced down the small crowd had separated out six and two the two were the guy from the halfon himself and the bloated Guy full of McDonald's and Miller High Life Turner said can you really do this Reacher said only one way to find out and he started down the stairs 37 hung back and Reacher and the chosen two moved together into clear space a tight little triangle of three men in lock step two walking backward and one forward all of them watchful Vigilant and suspicious beyond the parked trucks was an expanse of beaten dirt about as wide as a city street to the right was the back of the compound where the Corvette was behind the last building and to the left the lot was open to Route 220 but the entrance was narrow and there was nothing to see but the black top itself and a small stand of trees Beyond it the state police barracks was way to the West no one on the beaten dirt could see it and therefore the Troopers could see no one on the beaten dirt the six Spectators safe enough normally against two dumb opponents Reacher would have cheated from the GetGo hands behind his back he would have planted two elbows into two jaws right after stepping off the last stair but not with six Replacements standing by that would be inefficient they would all Pile in outraged upon on some peculiar equivalent of a moral high horse and thereby buzzed beyond their native capabilities so Reacher let the triangle adjust and rotate and kick the ground until everyone was ready and then he jammed his hands in his back pockets with his palms against his ass play ball he said whereupon he saw the two guys take up what he assumed were their combat stances and then he saw them change radically tell a guy you're going to fight with your hands behind your back and he hears just that and only that he thinks this guy is going to fight with his hands behind his back and then he pictures the first few seconds in his mind and the image is so weird it takes over his attention completely No Hands an unprotected torso just like the heavy bag at the gym so guys in that situation see nothing but the upper body the upper body the upper body and the head and the face like irresistible targets of opportunity damage just waiting to be done unanswerable shots just begging to be made and there ances open wide and their fists come up high and their chins JP forward and their eyes go narrow and wild with Glee as they squint in at the gut or the ribs or the nose or wherever it is they plan to land their first joyous blow they see nothing else at all like the feet Reacher stepped forward and kicked the fat guy in the nuts solid right foot as serious as punting a ball the length of the field and the guy went down so fast and so hard it was like someone had bet him a million bucks he couldn't make a hole in the dirt with his face there was a noise like a bag hitting a floor and the guy curled up tight and his blubber settled and went perfectly still Reacher stepped back poor choice he said clearly that guy would have been better left on the bench now it's just you and me the guy from the half ton had stepped back too Reacher watched his face and saw all the guy previous assumptions being hastily revised inevitably yeah feet he was thinking I forgot about that which pulled his center of gravity too low now it was all feet feet feet nothing but feet the guy's hands came down almost to his pelvis and he put one thigh in front of the other and he hunched his shoulders so tight that overall he looked like a little kid with a stomach cramp Reacher said you can walk away now and we'll call it done give us a truck take the Corvette and you're out of the guy from the half ton said no I'll ask again Reacher said but I won't ask three times the guy said no then bring it my friend show me the good stuff you got good stuff right or is driving around in circles all you can do Reacher knew what was coming the guy was obviously right-handed so it would be an inswinging right starting low and never really getting high enough like a sidearm pitcher like a boxing glove fixed to a door and the door slamming with you in the doorway that's what it was going to be like when it came the guy was still shuffling around still trying to find a Launchpad and then he found one and then it came like a glove on a door what are you going to do most people are going to duck out the way but one six-year-old at the sci-fi movie isn't he's going to turn sideways and push forward hard off bent knees and he's going to meet the door with his shoulder nearer the hinge about halfway across its width maybe a little more a solid aggressive shove where the momentum is lower well inside the Ark of the glove which is what Reacher did with the guy from the half ton he twisted and pushed off and slammed the guy with his shoulder right in the center of his chest and the guy's fist flailed all the way around Reacher's back and came at him from The Far Side limp like the guy was trying to cop a feel in the picture house after which the guy wobbled backward a long pace and got his balance by jabbing his hands out from his body which left him stock still and wide open like a starfish which he seemed to realize immediately because he glanced down in horror at Reacher's moving feet news flash my friend it's not the feet it's the head the feet were moving in a boxer's Shuffle creating aim and momentum and and then the upper body was whipping forward and the neck was snapping down and the forehead was crunching into the bridge of the guy's nose and then snapping back up job done Reacher jerking upright the guy from the half ton staggering on rubber knees half a step and then the other half and then a vertical collapse weak and helpless like a Victorian lady fainting into a kralin Reacher looked up at Turner on the walkway he said which truck do you think is the best 38 of honor was a wonderful thing that was clear none of the six Spectators interfered or intervened in any way either that or they were worried about what Reacher might do to them now that his hands were out of his pockets the clotton cod in the end Turner liked the fat guy's truck the best it was av8 but not the one with the Leaky Muffler it had the second Fess tank of gas it had good tires it looked comfortable she drove it up next to the hidden Corvette and they transferred Billy Bob's money from the Corvette's load space to the truck's glove compartment which two reticles were about the same size and then they rumbled back past the Sullen crowd and Reacher tossed the Corvette key out his window then Turner hit the gas and made the left on 220 passed the state troopers passed the cafe with the griddle and onward to the crossroads in the center of town 30 minutes later Petersburg was 20 mil behind them they were heading west on a small road on the edge of a national forest the truck had turned out to be a Toyota not new but it ran well it was as quiet as a library and it had satellite navigation it was so heavy it smoothed out the bumps in the road it had pillowy leather seats and plenty of space inside Turner looked tiny in it but happy she had something to work with she had a whole scenario laid out she said I can see why these guys are worried an AM number changes everything the guy is known to us for a reason either his activities or his opinions and either thing is going to lead us somewhere Reacher asked how do we access the database change of plan we're going to Pittsburgh is the database in Pittsburgh no but there's a big airport in Pittsburgh I was just in pittsb B at the airport on the road variety is the spice of life she said getting to Pittsburgh meant cutting Northwest across the state and hitting a 79 somewhere between Clarksburg and Morgantown then it was a straight shot basically North safe enough Reacher thought the Toyota was as big as a house and weighed three tons but it was effectively camouflaged what's the best place to hide a grain of sand on a beach and if the Toyota was a grain of sand then West Virginia's roads were a beach practically every vehicle in sight was a full-size pickup truck and western Pennsylvania would be no different a visitor from outer space would assume the viability of the United States depended entirely on the ability of the citizenry to carry 8x4 sheets of board safely and in vast quantities the late start to the day turned out to be a good thing or or a feature not a bug as Turner might have put it it meant they would be driving the highway in the dark better than driving it in the light on the one hand highways got the heaviest policing but on the other hand cops can't see what they can't see and there was nothing less visible than a pair of headlights during the legal limit on an interstate highway at night Reacher said how are we going to get the exact am number Turner said we going to take a deep breath and go way out on a limb we're going to ask someone to get all snarled up in a criminal conspiracy aiding and abetting Sergeant leech I hope she's pretty solid and her heart is in the right place I agree Reacher said I liked her we have records and transcripts in the file room all she has to do is go take a look at them and then what then it gets harder we'll have a reference number but not a name or a biography and a sergeant can't access that database I'm the only one at Rock Creek who can Morgan now I suppose but we can hardly ask him Reacher said leave that part to me you don't have access but I know someone who does the Judge Advocate General you know him not personally but I know his place in the process he's forcing me to defend a [ __ ] charge I'm entitled to cast The Net wide in my own defense I can ask for pretty much anything I want major Sullivan can handle it for me no in that case my lawyer should it's much more relevant to my [ __ ] charge than yours too dangerous for the guy morof got beaten half to death for trying to get you out of jail they're never going to let your Council get near that information then it's dangerous for Sullivan too I don't think they'll be watching her yet they'll find out afterwards for sure but by then it's too late there's no point closing the Barn Door after the horse is out will she do it for you she'll have to she has a legal obligation they drove on quiet and comfortable staying in West Virginia tracking around the jagged dip or the end of Maryland's Panhandle J South then setting course for a town called Grafton from there the Toyota's Electronics showed a road running Northwest which joined I 79 just south of Fairmont Turner said were you worried Reacher said about what those eight guys not very then I guess that study from when you were six was right on the money correct conclusion Reacher said wrong reasoning how so they thought my brain was wired backward they got all excited about my DNA maybe they were planning to breed a new race of Warriors you know what the Pentagon was like back then but I was too young to take much of an interest and they were wrong anyway when it comes to fear my DNA is the same as anyone else's I trained myself that's all to turn fear into aggression automatically at the age of six no at 4 and 5 I told you on the phone I figured it was a choice either I cower back or I get in their faces I've never seen anyone fight with no hands neither had they and that was the point they stopped for gas and a meal in a place called momer and then they rolled on ever Westward through Grafton and then they took the Right Fork through a village called McGee and eventually they came to the i79 entrance ramp which the Toyota told them was about an hour south of the Pittsburgh International Airport which meant they would arrive there at about 8 in the evening the sky was already Dark Night had closed in secure and enveloping and concealing Turner said why do you like to live like this Reacher said because my brain is wired backward that's what they missed all those years ago they looked at the wrong part of me I don't like what normal people like a little house with a chimney and a lawn and a picket fence people love that stuff they work all their lives just to pay for it they take 30-year mortgages and good for them if they're happy I'm happy but I'd rather hang myself I have a private Theory involving DNA far too boring to talk about no tell me some other time Reacher we slept together I didn't even get a cocktail or a movie the least you can do is tell me your private theories are you going to tell me one of yours I might but you go first okay think about America a long time ago the 19th century really beginning to end the westward migration the risks those people took as if they were compelled they were Turner said by economics they needed land and Farms and jobs but it was more than that Reacher said for some of them at least some of them never stopped and a hundred years before that think about the British they went all over the world they went on see voyages that lasted 5 years economics again they wanted markets and raw materials but some of them couldn't stop and way back there were the Vikings and the Polynesians just the same I think it's in the DNA literally I think millions of years ago we were all living in small bands small groups of people so there was a danger of inbreeding so a gene evolved where every generation and every small band had at least one person who had to wander that way the Jean pools would get mixed up a little healthier all around and you're that person I think 99 of us grow up to love the campfire and one grows up to hate it 99 of us grow up to Fear The Howling Wolf and one grows up to Envy it and I'm that compelled to spread his DNA worldwide purely for the good of the species that's the fun part that's probably not an argument to make it your paternity hearing they left West Virginia and entered Pennsylvania and five miles after the line they saw a billboard for a shopping mall the billboard was lit up bright so so they figured the mall was still open they pulled off and found a faded Place anchored by a local department store Turner headed to the women's section with a watt of cash Reacher followed after her but she told him to go check the men's section instead he said I don't need anything she said I think you do a shirt she said and a v-neck sweater maybe and if you get something you can give me my old shirt back I'm going going to junk it you need something better I want you to look nice so he browsed on his own and he found a shirt blue flannel with white buttons $15 and a v-neck sweater cotton a darker blue also $15 he changed in the cubicle and trashed his twin t-shirts and checked the mirror his pants looked okay as did his coat the new shirt and sweater looked neat under it nice he wasn't sure nicer than before maybe but that was his far as he was prepared to go then 20 minutes later Turner came back head to toe different new black Zip boots new blue jeans a tight crew neck sweater and a cotton warm-up jacket nothing in her hands no shopping bags she had trashed the old stuff and she had bought no spares she saw him noticing and said surprised a little he said I figured we should stay Nimble right now and always they moved on to the smaller stores in the malls outlying regions and found an off-brand Pharmacy they bought folding toothbrushes and a small tube of toothpaste then they headed back to the truck the Pittsburgh International Airport was way far out from the city and the interstate LED them straight to it it was a big spacious place with a choice of hotels Turner picked one and parked in its lot they split Billy Bob's remaining money nine different ways and filled every pocket they had then they locked up and headed for the lobby no luggage was no problem not at an airport hotel airport hotels were full of people with no luggage part of the joy of modern-day travel breakfast in New York dinner in Paris Luggage in Istanbul and so on your name ma'am the clerk asked Turner said Helen Sullivan and Sir Reacher said John Temple may I see photo ID Turner slid the two borrowed Army IDs across the desk the clerk glanced at them long enough to establish that yes they were photo IDs and yes they had the names Sullivan and Temple on them he made no attempt to match the photographs with the customer in Reacher experience few such people did possibly outside their responsibilities or talents the guy said may I swipe a credit card Reacher said we're paying cash which again was no problem at an airport hotel credit cards and travelers checks go missing too because however bad the baggage handling is the pck pocketing is good Reacher peeled off the room rate plus 100 extra for incidentals as requested and the guy was happy to take it in exchange he gave up two key cards and directions to the elevators the room was fine if not radically different in principle from the cell in the dire guard house but in addition to the basics it had a mini bar refrigerator and Free bottles of water and robes and slippers and chocolates on the pillows and a telephone which Turner picked up and dialed 39 per of a ring tone Turner had the handset trapped between her shoulder and her neck and she mouthed leech's cell number then her eyes changed Focus as the call was answered she said Sergeant this is Susan Turner my official advice to you as your commanding officer is to hang up immediately and report this call to Colonel Morgan are you going to do that Reacher heard the reacher didn't hear leech's answer but it was obviously no because the conversation continued Turner said Thank You Sergeant I need you to do two things for me first I need the am number in the original signal from weeks and Edwards the transcript should be in the file room is Colonel Morgan still in the house Reacher didn't hear the answer but it was obviously yes because Turner said okay don't risk it now I'll call back every hour then she stayed on the line ready to ask about the second thing she wanted leech to do for her but Reacher didn't hear what it was because right then there was a knock at the door he crossed the room and opened up and standing there was a guy in a suit he had a walkie-talkie in his hand and a corporate button in his lapel a hotel manager of some kind Reacher thought the guy said I apologize sir but there's been a mistake Reacher said what kind of a mistake the incidentals deposit should have been $50 not 100 when paying in cash I mean for the phone and the mini bar if you order room service we ask you to pay the weight staff direct okay Reacher said so the guy dipped in his pocket and came out with $50 two 20s and a 10 all fanned out like Reacher had won a prize on a television show and he said again I apologize for the overcharge Reacher took the money and checked it US currency 50 bucks he said no problem and the guy walked away Reacher closed the door Turner put the phone down and said what was that I guess the clerk at the desk hadn't gotten a memo we're supposed to Lodge 50 with them not 100 because room service is all cash whatever how was Sergeant leech she's a brave woman you know her number by heart a sergeant you just met in a new command I know all their numbers by heart you're a good Commander thank you what was the second thing you asked her for you'll see Turner said I hope Romeo dialed but Juliet was slow to answer Romeo rubbed his palm on the leather arm of the chair he was sitting in his palm was dry and the leather was smooth and lustrous made that way by 50 years of suited elbows then in his ear Juliet saides Romeo said the name Sullivan and Temple just came up in an airport hotel in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania fortunately for us its register is linked to Homeland Security being at an airport is it them do you think we'll have description soon the hotel is sending a man up to take a look but I think it has to be them because what are the odds those two names in combin a as far as we know those are the only IDs they have but why the airport in Pittsburgh doesn't matter why where are boys on their way to Los Angeles see how fast you can turn them around the room was warm so Reacher took off his Miracle coat and Turner took off her new jacket she said you want to get room service sure before or after before after after what before or after we have sex again Reacher smiled in his experience the second time was always better still new but a little less so still unfamiliar but a little less so always better than the first time and in Turner's case the first time had been spectacular after he said then take your clothes off she said no you first this time because variety is the spice of life she smiled she took her new sweater off she was wearing nothing under it no bra she didn't really need one and she wasn't about to pretend he liked her for that he liked her for everything basically not that he had a big problem with any kind of a topless woman in his room but she was special mentally and physically physically she was Flawless she was leaning and strong but she looked soft and tiny one curve flowed into another endlessly seamlessly like a single Contour like a mobus strip from the CFT of her back to her shoulder to her waist to her hips to her back where it started all over again her skin was the color of Honey her smile was wicked and her laugh was infectious Romeo dialed and this time Juliet picked up immediately Romeo said it's them a tall heavy fair-haired man and a younger dark-haired woman much smaller that's what the hotel manager saw any indication how long they intend to stay they paid cash for one night did they book a wakeup call no they can't fly not with cash and not with those IDs Reacher looks nothing like Temple even the TSA would notice I think they're just hold up not a bad choice airport hotels are always Anonymous and Pittsburgh isn't the center of the known universe I'd like to know how they got so much money though our boys will get there as soon as they can the hotel manager said Turner was on the phone who to I'm having it traced now afterwards they lay spent and sweaty and Tangled sheets breathing hard then breathing low Turner got up on an elbow and stared at Reacher's face and ran her fingertips over his brow slow and searching she said it's not even bruised all bone he said all the way through her touch moved down to his nose this wasn't though she said not all the way through and recent right Nebraska Reacher said some guy all worked up about something her fingertip traced the cuts all healed up but not long ago and the thickened bumps of bone which now gave his nose a slight right turn still a surprise to him but automatically normal to her she traced around his ear and his neck and his chest she put the tip of her pinky in his Bullet Hole it fit just right a 38 he said a weak load lucky she said I'm always lucky Look at me now her touch moved on to his waist to the old shrapnel scar beut she said I read your file a silver star and a purple heart not bad but still I bet overall you got more metal in your gut than on your chest it was bone Reacher said fragments of somebody's head who was standing nearer it said shrapnel in the file how many times did you read that file over and over again you know where the word shrapnel comes from an 18th century shrapnel British guy named Henry he was a captain in their artillery for 8 years then he invented an exploding shell and they promoted him major the Duke of Wellington used the shell in the Peninsular Wars and at the Battle of waterl terrific but thanks for reading that file it means a lot to me because now I don't have to spend a lot of time telling you a bunch of old stories you know them already telling each other old stories has a nice ring to it you haven't told me any but I will she said I'll tell you as many as you want to hear Romeo dialed Juliet and said she was calling a prepaid cell phone almost certainly purchased at a Walmart if it was paid for in cash it's untraceable and I bet it was Juliet said it was worth a try but you know one big market for pre paid cell phones is the military because some of them don't make enough for a regular monthly contract which is shameful frankly and because some of them lead necessarily disorganized lives and prepaid suits them better that's a leap the phone is showing up on three cell towers north and west of the Pentagon I see Rock Creek is north and west of the Pentagon I think she was calling the mother ship and someone aboard the other ship took her call our boys are on their way to Pittsburgh doesn't matter no one at Rock Creek can help her now 40 shower but Reacher didn't bother he wrapped up in a robe and lounged in a chair warm deeply satisfied as relaxed as he could ever remember being then Turner came out in the other robe and asked what time is it for minutes Reacher said until you're due to call leech again does she know I'm with you Turner nodded I'm sure the whole world knows by now and I told her anyway was she okay with that she's a sergeant in the US Army I don't think she's approved that's not the point if you beat your thing then no one can touch her for helping you she'll come out smelling of roses but if I don't beat my thing then she's still in trouble for helping me or vice versa and so on and so forth she's doubling her risk and having her chances she didn't object you should hang on to her I Will Turner said if I ever get back and then she picked up the phone and dialed a little more than 14 miles away a phone rang inside the FBI field office on East Carson Street Pittsburg which was a little south and east of the downtown area a duty agent answered and found himself talking to the Hoover building in DC he was told that the homeland security computers were showing the name Sullivan and Temple as guests in an airport hotel nearby the duty agent spooled back through his bulletins and his bolos and saw that the DC Metro cops and the Army MPS were looking for two fugitives presumed to be traveling under those names the duty agent called his special agent in charge and asked do you want me to spread the word to DC and the army his Sac was quiet for a moment and then he said no need to complicate things no need to share the credit the duty agent thought his sa said send one of our own to check it out whenever you can no big rush we've got until the morning I'm sure they aren't going anywhere Turner had the room phone trapped between her shoulder and her neck again as before and Reacher could hear the ringtone then he heard leech answer he couldn't make out her words but he could make out her mood which was not good she launched into a long fast monologue all of it reduced to a rapid plastic quack by the earpiece but all of it frustrated and angry Turner said thanks anyway and hung up looking very tired and bitterly disappointed take a guess there was no number after all the transcript is missing someone took it out of the file room Morgan has to be no one else would or could so either he's one of them or he's following orders blindly Turner nodded they're cleaning house and they're covering all the bases because they're better than I thought they were and therefore I'm screwed there's no way out for me now not without that am number isn't it still in a computer somewhere we don't don't really trust computers the feeling is we might as well send stuff straight to the New York Times or China so your physical transcript is your only Record She nodded again it's the only one I'm aware of maybe Bagram keeps a copy why you thinking of asking Jag to issue a subpoena good luck with that could it be misfiled no and leech checked everywhere anyway she not dumb there has to be another way around this wake me up if you think of it she said because right now I'm all done thinking I have to get some sleep she dropped her robe to the floor and patted naked around the room straightening the drapes turning out the lights and then she climbed under the covers and rolled over and sigh along sad exhausted sigh and then she lay still Reacher watched her for a moment and then he went back to his chair and sat a spell in the dark he pictured The Rock Creek file room in his mind upstairs first on the left room 2011 he pictured the duty Captain downstairs in 103 taking the long-distance call from weeks and Edwards writing it up hand carrying the sheet of precious paper up the Old Stone stairs showing it to Turner getting her reply transmitting it copying it out and heading upstairs again to file both the call and the response in the right drawer correctly sequentially back to back and then he pictured Morgan coming out of his office just two rooms away and glancing up and down the corridor the work of a moment two pages burned or torn up or shredded or folded into a pocket and hand it over at a later time to Persons Unknown in exchange for tight nods of appreciation and implied Promises of future consideration there has to be another way around this Reacher might have remembered the number he liked numbers this one might have had some intrinsic appeal prime or nearly or with interesting factors but he hadn't seen the number but nothing was impossible no system was ever perfect no security was ever 100% foolproof and there were always unforeseen wrinkles there has to be another way around this but Reacher couldn't think of one not right then he stood up and yawned and stretched and then he dropped his robe on top of Turners and he slid into bed next to her she was already deeply asleep breathing slow warm and soft her circuit breakers had tripped she had shut down overwhelmed like that old movie I'll think about that tomorrow he stared up at the ceiling dim and gray above him then he closed his eyes and breathed in in and breathed out and he fell asleep he slept well for five solid hours and then he woke up at 4:00 in the morning because someone was hammering on the door 412 immediately but Reacher put his hand on her shoulder he whispered I'll go he blinked once and slid out of bed and found his robe on the floor he put it on as he walked the hammering didn't quit it was not a polite or an apologetic sound not a hotel in the dead of night sound it was full on urgent and demanding boom boom arrogant and intrusive it was a no argument sound it was the sound of law enforcement or the sound of someone pretending to be law enforcement Turner woke up Reacher didn't use the Spy hole he didn't like spy holes he never had too easy for an asent to wait until the the lens darkened and then to fire a handgun through the pre-drilled hole no aim required better to ignore the Spy hole alog together and fling the door open real quick and punch them in the throat or not depending on who they were and how many they were behind him Turner was out of bed and in her robe too he pointed her towards the bathroom nothing to gain by presenting a single unified Target and she had nowhere else to go there was only one way out of the room which was the door they were on a high floor and the windows didn't open anyway legal issues presumably because of inquisitive children and because it was an airport hotel with noise and Jet fumes from early in the morning until late at night Turner stepped into the bathroom and Reacher put his hand on the handle he took a breath MPS or federal agents would have weapons drawn that was for sure but they wouldn't shoot not right away they had too much training and too many protocols and too much potential paperwork but the four guys from the dented car might shoot right away they had training but no protocols and no paperwork so best bet open the door but stay behind it irresistible a door that sags open seemingly all by itself just begs for a crane neck and a quick glance inside and in turn a craned neck and a quick glance inside just begs for a straight right to the temple then you kick the door shut again instantly and you've got a hostage on the floor on one side of the threshold with his Pals left outside on the other you've got the basis for a negotiation Reacher turned the handle downward 10° 20 30 no reaction 40 50 60 no reaction so he continued all the way to 90 fast and he gave the handle a sharp tug to pull the door through maybe 2third of its travel and then he made a fist and cocked his arm and waited for a long time clearly the door had been trapped open by a boot applied from the other side while decisions were being considered which process was taking considerable time close to a whole minute passed then an object came sailing in Reacher didn't look at it didn't follow it with his conscious Vision he wasn't born yesterday but the brief flash he caught in the corner of his I said envelope a brown letter size envelope sealed with a metal closure he thought like something out of an office lightly loaded with no thickness to it and the sound it made when it fluttered to the carpet backed up the first impressions papery but stiff with a faint reson crackle where it hit Edge on and Tiny sliding sounds as if it carried a small number of separate items inside each one of them thin and light then a head came around the door with a face Sergeant leech's face leech was in her acus she looked very tired she stepped into the room and Turner stepped out of the bathroom and Reacher closed the door Turner saw the envelope on the carpet and said is it all there leech said yes I thought you were going to overnight it I think you're going to need it sooner than FedEx can get it to you so you drove out all this way well I didn't walk or fly how long did it take about 4 hours thank you Sergeant you're welcome what time are you du on Post in the morning soon enough that I really should leave right about now I'm in a position I don't want to be in what position I'm going to have to criticize a fellow team member and a senior officer is that one person or two one person ma'am no ma'am no ma'am someone else but you're the co and I'm not a snitch then tell Reacher he's no one's Co leech paused a beat and weighed up the artifice and came out in favor apparently because she turned to Reacher and said sir I have a long-standing concern about the duty Reacher said how long-standing permanent why haven't you done anything about it I don't know how he's a captain and I'm a sergeant what's the issue he's a doodler he draws and scribbles all the time he's on the phone I've seen the results he said on his desk an old legal pad do you you know why he does it because he's bored but sometimes he's not bored when big news comes through he changes suddenly he's happy no law against that but the pen is still in his hand he changes and the drawings change too sometimes they're not even drawings sometimes he jots things down he words leech said don't you see he deals with classified information which is supposed to exist in physical form in one place only which is the Rock Creek file room for the information or parts of the information to exist in physical form elsewhere is dead against regulations Turner said oh please tell me Reacher said he wrote the number down yes ma'am leech said yes sir he wrote the number down leech pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from her pocket it was a page from the yellow legal pad Reacher had seen it was curled at the top wide and generous from several days of being rolled over it was practically covered in black ink from a ballpoint pen there were shapes and whirls and boxes and machines and spirals with occasional plain text times and names and words some of them heavily underlined some of them boxed in and shaded over almost to the point of illegibility leech put her fingertip on the first legible word which was a little less than a third of the way down the page the word was Kandahar a proper noun the name of a place it had a vivid Arrow sketch next to it the arrow was pointing away from the word emphatically leech said this is the last signal before the one that's missing this is weeks and Edwards moving out of Kandahar going back to Bagram on standby as ordered that all is still in the file room exactly where it should be then she jumped her fingertip to the bottom third of the page where two words stood out separated by a dash Hood days the AG of hood was enhanced after the fact with Baroque CCU a man on the phone bored leech said this is the next signal after the one that's missing it's still in the file room too immediately after the Kandahar thing this is our guys checking in from Fort Hood in Texas reporting that they expect to be all wrapped up in a matter of days then she moved her hand upward again and bracketed her fingers over the middle third of the page she said so this part here is what corresponds to the Gap in the record the middle third of the page was a mass of Bleak Doodles with shapes and whirls repeated endlessly and boxes and mazes and spirals but buried right in the center of it all were the letters A and M followed by a four-digit number the whole thing had been first scrolled and then gone over carefully with more precise lines squared up and sharpened and underlined and then abandoned am 3,435 Turner smiled and said he's technically in the wrong Sergeant but we're going to Overlook at this one time which was a number that Reacher might have remembered pretty well because it was mildly engaging in the sense that three and four and three and five if raised to the powers of three and four and three and five resp itively would collectively add up to exactly 3435 which was slightly interesting such numbers had been much discussed by a guy called Joseph madaki who Once Upon a Time had been the owner publisher and editor of a magazine called recreational mathematics Reacher had read a stack of back issues as a kid in the library on a Marine base in the Pacific he said Sergeant what's my best way of contacting major Sullivan at Jag directly sir person to person when sir right now in the middle of the night right this minute leech pulled another piece of paper from her pocket smaller a sheet from a scratch Pad torn in half she said this is Major Sullivan's personal cell I'm sure right now it's on her night table how did you know I would need it I figured that was how you were going to have to do it defense motions get pretty wide latitude but permission to speak freely leech took a second slip of paper from her pocket another sheet from a scratch Pad torn in half just the same she said this is Captain Edmund's personal cell your other lawyer I think she's a better Prospect she's more likely to pursue it with Vigor she likes to see the right thing done even after I busted myself out of jail I think so so she's an idealist get it while you can it won't last it didn't with major Sullivan Reacher asked is the FBI involved yet leech said they've been notified who is organizing the Army's efforts the 75th MP a team led by warrant officer Espen who you met he was the one who brought you to dire people say he's taking it personally he claims you abused his good nature he claims he did you a favor and thereby inadvertently set the whole thing in motion what did he do for me he kept you at dire detective Podolski wanted to take you downtown Espen said no and then on top of that you asked him to go get the MP Duty Captain right away which he did which he's counting as another favor exploited the duty Captain would have come anyway but not so quickly and your whole plan depended on getting everything done before late afternoon so you had to start early which Espen feels he accidentally facilitated is he getting anywhere not so far but not through lack of trying can you get a message to him probably tell him to get over himself ask him what he would have done in our situation I will sir if I can what's your name Sergeant sir it's leech no your first name sir it's Chris as in Christine or Christina or something just Chris sir that's what's on my birth certificate well Chris if I was still Co of the 110th I'd move Heaven and Earth to keep you there that unit has had its share of great ncos and you're right up there with the best of thank you sir no thank you Sergeant leech left after that in a hurry facing a 4-Hour drive back followed by a full day at the office Reacher looked at Turner and said you must be a hell of a good Commander to inspire loyalty like that no more than you were she said you had Francis Ney you've been reading her file too I've been reading all the files all the operational history Mysteries to I wanted to know the 110th inside out like I said you're a great Commander Reacher flattened the page from the legal pad against the top of the hotel desk and he smoothed one of the torn halves of the scratch Pad paper next to it then he picked up the phone and dialed Captain Tracy Edmund's private cell number 42 lot of ringtone but Reacher expected that cell networks can take 8 seconds to Roo a call and very few sleepers jump up like the movies most people wake up slow and then blink and fumble there was a but Edmunds answered eventually she said hello her tone was a little anxious and the sound of her voice was a little plummy as if her tongue was thick or her mouth was full Reacher said Captain Edmonds who is this your client Jack Reacher major United States Army recently recom commissioned currently maneuvering with the 110th MP are you alone what kind of a question is that we're about to have a privileged conversation counselor we have legal matters to discuss you're damn right we do calm down Captain you broke out of jail that's not allowed anymore we have to talk we are talking really talk I mean are you alone yes I'm alone so what got a pen she paused a beat now I have paper got it okay pay attention to better mount an adquate defense I need hard copies of everything anyone has on a citizen of Afghanistan known to us only as am 3435 that's probably secret I'm entitled to do process courts take that [ __ ] very seriously whatever it's a big ask fair is fair they have their [ __ ] with the affidavit Reacher I'm representing you in a paternity suit not the one Rodriguez thing that's major Sullivan and to get hard copies of military intelligence out of Afghanistan would be huge even in a criminal case you won't get it in a paternity suit I mean why would you Reacher said you told me the uniform code of military Justice still lists adultery as a crime what's the penalty potentially substantial so it's not just a paternity suit it's a criminal case too that's tenuous they can't have it both ways counselor they mentioned adultery as a crime either that means something or it doesn't Reacher we have to talk is this where you tell me coming in from the cold would be the best thing to do it would be perhaps but I've chosen Plan B anyway so I need that information but how does it relate Afghanistan hadn't even started when you were in Korea or when you saw the big dog Edmund said oh correct Reacher said you're pretty quick for a lawyer this is about major Turner not me or maybe it's about major Turner and me because because what we've got here is someone laying down a challenge to two cosos of the 110th special unit which means there are going to be winners and losers and the smart money says you need to be with the winners because being on the right side of History brings Bounty Beyond imagining in this man's Army are you going to be the winners count on it we're going to beat them like rented mules and we need to Captain they killed two of Our Own in Afghanistan and beat one of your colleagues half to death Edmund said I'll see what I can do Turner was still in her robe and she was showing no signs of going back to bed Reacher asked her what was in the envelope the other thing I asked Sergeant leech for evidently but what was it we're going to Los Angeles next are we she nodded you need to take care of the Samantha situation I'll get to it worst case we're going to fail here and they're going to lock us up and throw away the key I can't let that happen to you not before you've met your daughter you'd think about nothing else for the rest of your life so you can put my problem on the back burner for a spell and you can move yours to the front when did you make this plan some time ago as I was entitled to you're in my unit apparently therefore I'm your Co we're going to Los Angeles next what was in the envelope she answered by spilling the contents on the bed two credit cards and two driver's licenses she paired them up and kept one of each for herself and she passed the others to reach her a New York state driver's license and a Visa credit card the license was made out to a guy named Michael Dennis kho 45 years old at a queen's address male blue eyes height 66 he was an organ donor the picture showed a square face and a wide neck the Visa card was in the same name Michael D kho Reacher said are they real mine are and mine aren't they're kind of real they're from the undercover Locker Reacher nodded the 110th sent people undercover all the time they needed documents the government supplied them authentic in every way except for never having been issued to an actual person he asked where are yours from a friend of leeches she said she knew someone who looked like me so what's your name now Turner answered by flipping the license into his lap like a card trick Illinois Margaret Vega 57 brown eyes 31 years old not an organ donor the photograph showed a light-skinned Hispanic woman at first glance a little like Turner but not a whole lot Reacher flipped the license back and M Vega was happy to give up her DL he said just like that and her credit card too we have to return them and we have to pay back any charges we make obviously I had to promise but Billy Bob's money can take care of that that's not the point Miss V is way out on a limb now I guess leech can be persuasive only because she thinks you're worth it she had no friends who looked like you not even close which is why we had to use the locker probably Mr kho was the Target in a training scenario he looks like the guy with the chainsaw in a slasher movie should work fine then when are we leaving as soon as possible Turner said we'll catch a an early flight they showered and dressed and then packing was nothing more than jamming their new toothbrushes in their pockets and putting on their coats they left the drapes closed and the lights off and Reacher hung the Do Not Disturb card on the outside handle and then they hustled down the corridor to the elevator it was just after 5: in the morning and Turner figured the long hauls to the West Coast would start around 6 not an infinite choice of carriers out of Pittsburgh International but there would be at least several worst case they could connect through San Francisco or Phoenix or Las Vegas the elevator reached the lobby and they stepped out to a deserted scene there was no one at the desk no one anywhere so Reacher dropped their key cards in the trash and they headed for the door where they got straight into a hesitant after you know after you thing with a lone guy who had chosen that exact moment to come in from the dark sidewalk outside he was a compact man in a navy suit and a white shirt and a Navy tie he had a fresh haircut short and conservative and a pink face recently shaved eventually they worked out a three-way pecking order the guy held the door for Turner who stepped out and then Reacher hung back and the guy stepped in and finally Reacher stepped out there were no taxis at the curb but there was a hotel shuttle bus with its engine running and its door open no driver at the wheel inside maybe taking a leak 10 yards farther on a Crown Vic was parked in the fire lane dark blue clean and shiny with antennas on the trunk lid Reacher turned and looked back at the hotel door deep in the lobby the guy who had come and was waiting for service at the desk navy suit white shirt Navy tie short hair pink face clean shave Reacher said FBI Turner said they were tracking those names Sullivan and Temple he walked right past us how long till his brain kicks in he's FBI so it won't be instantaneous we could head back to the truck and drive ourselves no the truck should stay here we need to keep Breaking the Chain get on the bus the driver will be back in a minute got to be he left it running Reacher said we'll be sitting ducks we'll be invisible Turner said just folks on a bus Reacher glanced around the guy was still at the counter no one behind it the shuttle bus was all done up in Chrome and a corporate style it had black windows like a movie stars limousine a touch of Glamour for the everyday traveler black window just folks on a bus predator and prey motion and Stillness an old evolutionary Legacy Reacher said okay we'll get on the bus they climbed aboard and the suspension dipped under their weight and they shuffled along a low narrow aisle and took seats on the far side halfway to the back and then they sat still and waited not a great feeling the view out was not great either because of the distance and the window tint and the multiple layers of glass but Reacher could still see the guy he was getting impatient he had turned around to face the empty Lobby and he had stepped a yard away from the desk claiming The Wider space expressing his resentment but staying close enough to the help to remain definitively first in line not that he had any competition nor would he for an hour or so rede arrivals would start about 62 then the suddenly moved forward a long Pace eager as if he was about to greet someone or acost someone on the right of the frame a second figure stepped into view a man in a black uniform with a short jacket a bell booy maybe the FBI guy asked a question accompanied by a sweeping gesture with his arm like where the hell is everybody and the guy in the short jacket paused uncomfortable as if obliged to venture outside his accustomed territory and then he squeezed behind the counter and wrapped on a door with no result so he opened the door a crack and called through inquiringly and 15 seconds later a young woman came out running her fingers through her hair the FBI guy turned back to the desk and the young woman moved up face to face with him and the guy in the short black jacket walked out of the lobby not a bell boy the bus driver he climbed aboard and saw that he had customers and he glanced back at the lobby to see if he was about to get more and he must have concluded not because he asked domestic or International Turner said domestic so the guy dumped himself down in his seat and unspooled a long seat belt and clipped it tight and the door closed with a wheezing sigh and the guy put the bus in gear and then he waited because he had to because an arriving car was maneuvering around the parked Crown Vic and thereby blocking his exit it was the car with the dented doors 43 the dented doors squeezed around the parked Crown Vic and then it slowed to a walk and prepared to pull up just short of the hotel entrance the bus moved off into the vacated space grinding slow and heavy and it passed the car close by flank to flank Reacher got up off his seat and stared out the window all four guys were in the car the two he had met on the first night and the third guy and the the big guy with the tiny ears the whole crew was there the C with leave it Turner said we need to take them off the table but not here and not now later they're on the back burner remember no time like the present in a hotel lobby in front of an FBI agent Reacher craned around and saw the four guys climb out of the car they glanced left and right fast and flew and then they headed straight inside single file a crisp linear stream 1 2 3 4 like men with an urgent purpose Turner said stand easy major another time another place we're going to La the bus picked up speed and left the hotel behind Reacher watched for as long as there was something to see and then he turned back he said tell me what you know about how the FBI tracked our names the modern world Turner said Homeland Security it's an information dependent operation all kinds of things are linked together Airlines for sure and no doubt airport hotels too in which case it would be easy enough to set up an alert in case two specific names appeared in the same place at the same time would the bureau share that information are you kidding then we need to revisit what we said about the top boys here they're not very senior staff officers they're very very senior staff officers don't you think to be inside Homeland Securities databases independently in real time maybe not so real time the FBI beat them here after all from their Pittsburgh field office our guys had further to come they must have set out much earlier they must have known before the FBI did they had an alert of their own the hotel bus let them out at the terminal and they ducked inside to check the departure boards next out were two flights within a minute of each other US Airways to Long Beach and American Airlines to Orange County got a preference Turner asked Long Beach Reacher said we can rent a car straight shot up the 710 then the 101 the mother's affidavit was out of a law office in North Hollywood I'm guessing that's where she is how are you going to find her I'll start in her lawyer's parking lot that's one place she won't get moved on her lawyer's office will be staked out surely by elements of the 75th and the FBI for sure and our four unofficial friends will be there about 6 hours after they realize we're not in the hotel so we'll have to be very careful the US Airways ticket counter was opening up a cheerful woman of about 50 spent a minute booting computers and sorting labels and papers and pens and then she turned towards them with a smile Turner asked about seats to Long Beach on the morning flight the woman clicked away on her keyboard flat fingered because of her nails and said she didn't have many but two was no problem so first Turner and then Reacher handed over driver's licenses and credit cards absently and casually as if they had just pulled them at random from a full deck of documentation the woman lined them up in front of her in a neat physical analog of a window seat and an aisle and she typed the names moving her head back and forth as she glanced between the licenses and the screen and then she swiped the cards and she hunted and pecked and clicked some more and then a machine kicked in and printed boarding cards the woman swept them up and collated them with the licenses and the right credit cards and she said Miss Vega Mr kho here you go and she handed them over like a little ceremony they thanked her and walked away and Reacher said this is why you made me buy a sweater right you're going to meet your daughter Turner said and first impressions count Juliet called Romeo because there was a division of labor and some of the responsibilities were his and he said all excited our boys are in the corridor right now directly outside their room Romeo said Corridor Hotel Corridor hotel room our guys say the room is dark it is quiet there is a do not disturb notice on the door and they have not yet checked out so they're in the room they have to be then why are our boys in the corridor there's a problem Romeo said what kind of a problem the FBI is there with our boys literally in the corridor just kind of standing around one guy he can't do anything because he thinks he has four civilian Witnesses we can't do anything because we know we have one FBI witness we're all just standing around in the corridor right outside their room do we know they're in there for certain where else would they be are they both in there why do you ask I did some cutting and pasting of what data after that call to the mother ship it threw me a little I thought some precautions might be appropriate among the things I put on the alert list was the 110 th's undercover Locker for no good reason just for the sake of being able to feel I was doing everything I could but I just got something back one of the identities just bought a ticket on US Airways from Pittsburgh to Long Beach in California for when first flight this morning about half an hour from now only one of them none of the other identities is showing up as active and which one is Michael Dennis kho the man in other words they've split up I guess they had to all the Wom has is the Helen Sullivan ID and by now they must realize no one named Helen Sullivan is getting on an airplane anytime soon not without extensive trials and tribulations beforehand which Turner can't afford therefore Reacher heading to California alone which makes sense he needs to be there she doesn't Juliet said maybe Turner is in the room on her own logical if Reacher is on his way to California perfectly logical if he is but not if he isn't we need to find out right now we need to cut a deal with the FBI we won't rat them out and they won't rat us out or whatever but we need to get our boys through that door right now even if the FBI gets in as well Turner was the co and she wanted to get airide as soon as possible she thought airport security would be some kind of a barrier against the four guys at least if they got as far as the airport that was which they might if they talked to the bus driver two passengers yes sir domestic but airport security was useless against the FBI or the Army those guys went to the head of the line and then in through the side door so not really a barrier more of a filter they had nothing made of metal in their pockets except small change which they pulled in a scuffed black bowl they stepped through the hoop one after the other just two coatless shoeless figures among a building crowd they put their coats back on and laced up their boots and split the change and moved off in search of coffee Juliet called Romeo and said our boys got a look inside the hotel room they claimed they were worried about their friend and the FBI guy was all over that immediately it made opening the door look like a public service Romeo said and there was no one in the room they're in the airport terminal both of them one of the women passengers on the same US Airways flight used a credit card that comes back to a bank in Arlington County a woman named Margaret Vega Juliet said and she was a very late booking within the last hour she was one one of only two passengers who booked at that time the other being Michael Dennis kho their cards were charged within the same minute where did Turner get a credit card in the name of Margaret Vega I don't know yet not the undercover Locker no a real person possibly from the Mother Ship perhaps I'll check when does the flight leave they'll start boarding in about 15 minutes okay I'm sending our boys straight to the terminal they can check landside at least I'm ahead of you Romeo said they can go airside they can even get on the plane if they need to I got them two seats and two standby seats which was difficult by the way it's shaping up to be a full flight tell them the boarding cards will be at the ticket counter the gate area was a wide space ious Lounge carpeted painted in soothing pastel colors but it was far from restful because it was packed with more than 100 people clearly Pittsburgh to Long Beach was a popular route Reacher wasn't sure why although he had read that Pittsburgh was becoming an in demand movie- making town because of money Financial incentives were being offered and production companies were responding all kinds of movies had already been shot there and more were planned so maybe these were show folk heading home the Long Beach Airport was no less convenient for Hollywood and Beverly Hills than LAX both were the same freeway slog but whatever the crowd was large and unruly and as always Reacher tried to hang back Beyond its Edge but Turner was the co and she wanted to get on the plane as early as possible as if the narrow fuselage was Sovereign territory like an embassy on foreign oil not the same as the city that surrounded it they had a high row number which meant their seats would be towards the back which meant they would board before most of the rest directly after the Halt and the lame and the families with small children and the first class cabin and the frequent flyers so Turner was all in favor of pushing up close to the desk she had a small person's deafness she slid through gaps denied to Reacher's clumsier frame but followed her doggedly and he got to the spot she had staked out about a minute after her and then more or less immediately the boarding process began a woman opened the official door and used a microphone on a curly cord and the crowd surged and wheelchairs pushed through and old guys with walking canes limped after them and then couples carrying children and fantastically complicated seating equipment went next and then Sleek men and women in suits rushed on and then Reacher was carried along in the flow down the Jet Bridge through cold air and kerosene stink and finally into the cabin he hunched and ducked and made his way down the aisle to his seat which was a narrow thing with adequate leg room only if he folded himself into it bolt upright next to him Turner looked happier hers was the body type the seats had been designed for they clipped their belts and waited Romeo called Juliet and said I'm watching the US Airways system right now bad news I'm afraid HiHo and Vega have already boarded and we just lost both our standby seats two of their frequent flyers showed up and preempted them they get priority can't you call US Airways and tell them they don't I could but I don't think I will the airline would make a charge that's how it works now apparently Goodwill has monetary value at least when Uncle Sam is paying the bill and a charge would generate paperwork which we can't afford so we'll have to live with it we'll get two of them on at least which to it seems to have been done alphabetically not ideal Juliet said eyes and ears are all we need at this point a holding operation I got the other two on American to Orange County they'll arrive around the same time they can link up in California Reacher stared ahead Head Down The Long aluminium tube and watched people as they shuffled in and turned right and shuffled some more and peered at their seat numbers and jammed large suitcases and bulky coats into the overhead lockers Luggage baggage burdens not his thing some of the approaching faces were happy but most were glum he remembered taking flights as a kid long ago at the military's expense on long-forgotten carriers like granth and Eastern and Pan-American when jet travel was rare and exotic and people dressed up for it and glowed with excitement and Novelty suits and ties and summer dresses and sometimes even gloves China plates and milk jugs and silverware then he saw the guy he had punched in the side of the head 44 mistaking the guy Reacher remembered him well at the motel on the first night the car showing up not yet dented the guy climbing out of the passenger seat and tracking around the hood and starting in with the verbal chitchat we're not worried about you old man Reacher remembered the long left hook and the feel of bone and the sideways snap of the guy's head and then he had seen him again from a distance in the motel lot the next day and for a third time just minutes ago getting out of the car at the hotel it was the guy no question and right behind him was the guy Reacher thought of as the third man not the driver from the first night and not the big guy with the small ears but the make weight from the second day both guys peered ahead left and right close and far until they located their Quarry and then they looked away fast and acted innocent Reacher watched the space behind them but the next passenger was a woman as was the next after that who was also the last the steward came on the PA and said he was about to close the cabin door and everyone should turn off their portable electronic equipment the two guys kept on shuffling up the aisle and then they dumped themselves down in separate lone seats one on the left and one on the right three rows and four rows ahead respectively Turner said this is crazy that's for damn sure Reacher said how long is this flight which question was answered immediately not by Turner but by the steward on the PA again with another of his standard announcements he said the computer was showing a flight time of 5 hours and 40 minutes because of a headwind Reacher said this back burner thing isn't working it isn't working at all because they're not letting at work I mean what exactly is this now they're coming on the plane with us why what are they going to do in front of a hundred other people in a small metal tube could just must be close order surveillance do they have eyes in the back of their heads then it's a warning shot of some kind we're supposed to feel intimidated yeah now I'm really scared they sent Tweedle Dum and Tweedle dumber and where are the other two full flight Reacher said maybe two seats was all they could get in which case why not send the big guy the question is not why or why not it's how how are they doing this they started from Stone Cold and now they're 5 minutes behind us and as far as they know we have no ID except Sullivan and Temple and they have to figure we know no one named Sullivan or Temple is getting on a plane today not without some serious scrutiny so how did they know we were heading for departures why would we without ID it was much more likely we'd head for the parking lot and get back on the road the bus driver told them too quick he's not even back yet it's them there's no information they can't get they're in this Airlines operating system right now they saw us by the tickets and they watched us board which means they're in the 110 th's undercover Locker too because how else would the name kho mean anything to them they're watching everything we do every move we make we're in a gold Fishbowl in which case they must have matched Vega to kho by now because we booked at the same time and we're sitting together so they know I'm Vega which means the real Vega is in bad trouble as is leech too for brokering the loan and for delivering the stuff we really need to warn them both we can't warn either one of them we can't do anything not for the next 5 hours and 40 minutes the plane taxied Earthbound and clumsy ahead of an American Airlines departure which Reacher figured was the Orange County flight due to leave a minute later the sky was still dark there was no sign of the morning sun then came the runway and the plane turned and paused as if to compose itself and then its engines roared and it accelerated on its way rumbling over the concrete sections relentlessly and Reacher watched out the window and saw the ground Fall Away below and the broad aluminium wing dip and flex as it took the weight the lights of Pittsburgh twinkled in the distance carved into curves and Headlands by broad black rivers three and four rows in front the two guys were staring studiously ahead both had middle seats the least desirable and therefore the last to sell on the left of the cabin was the guy from the first night he had a younger woman next to him at the window and an older woman next to him on the aisle on the right of the cabin was the make weight from the second day he had an old white-haired guy next to him at the window one of the early borders Reacher thought with a walking stick on the aisle was a woman in a suit who would have looked more At Home In First Class maybe she was on a business trip maybe her employer had cut back on benefits Turner said I wish we knew who they were they're on a plane this time Reacher said not in a car which implies two major certainties this time they have IDs in their pockets and no weapons how far up the chain of command would you have to go before you found someone with unfettered 247 access to every National Security system this country has I assume everything changed after September 11th I was gone four years before that but I would guess an ' 08 in intelligence might have that capability although not feted they're a paranoid Bunch they have all kinds of checks and balances to do a little private snooping on an airline's passenger manifest at 5:00 in the morning would be something else entirely so who think about it the other way around how far down the chain of command would you have to go the president could do it or the National Security adviser or anyone who gets in The Situation Room on a regular basis the Chiefs of Staff in other words except this is round-the-clock responsibility and it's been running for more than a dozen years now so there must be a separate desk a deputy chief of staff some kind of a go to guy tasked to be on top of everything all the time he could dip in and out any old time he wanted to no checks and balances for him because he's the guy the checks and balances get reported to so we're dealing with a Deputy Chief of Staff the bigger they are the harder they fall conspiring with someone in Afghanistan those guys all know each other they're very social probably classmates so who are these guys on the plane they don't look like Pentagon staffers Reacher didn't answer he just watched and waited and then 10 minutes later his patience was rewarded the woman in the fancy business suit got up and headed for the bathroom 45 the woman in the suit to pass by and then he unclipped his belt and got up and headed forward one Row 2 3 4 he dropped into the woman's vacated seat and the make weight from the second day reared back against the whired old guy with the cane who was fast asleep with his head against the window Reacher waited for Reacher said let me see your ID which the guy didn't he just sat there completely disconcerted pressed up against his quy like a sardine in a can he was wearing some kind of nylon cargo pants and a black sweatshirt under a black PE coat he had a Hamilton watch on his left wrist which meant he was probably right-handed how long do women take in the bathroom in Reacher's experience they were not lightning fast for minutes possibly which was about three more than he needed he leaned forward like he was going to head but the seat in front of him and he rocked to his right and he leaned back again all one continuous fluid motion so the guy ended up half trapped behind his right shoulder and his upper arm and he reached over with his right hand and grabbed the guy's right wrist and he dragged the guy's hand over towards him twisting the wrist so the knuckles came first with the Palm facing away and with his left hand he grabbed the guy's right index finger and he said now you've got a choice you can take it like a man or you can scream like a little girl and he broke the guy's finger by wrenching it down 90° and snapping the first knuckle and then he popped the second knuckle with the ball of his thumb the guy jumped and squirmed and gasped in shock and pain but he didn't scream not like a little girl not with a hundred other people there next Reacher broke his middle finger in the same way in the same two places and then the guy started trying to get his trapped left arm free which Reacher allowed but only so he could swap hands and attend to the same two fingers on the other side then he said id the guy didn't answer he couldn't he was too busy whimpering and grimacing and staring down at his ruined hands his fingers were all over the place sticking out at odd angles bent into L shapes Reacher patted him down at Close Quarters pushing him and pulling him to get at all his pockets nothing exciting in most of them but he felt a characteristic lump in the right hip pocket a trifold wallet for sure he pulled it out and stood up across the aisle and one row back the other guy was half on his feet the woman in the suit was out of the bathroom and coming towards him she hung back to let him sit and then she continued on her way Reacher dumped the wallet and Turner's lap and repped his belt she said what did you do to him he won't be pulling any triggers for a week or two or hitting anything or driving or buttoning his pants he's off the table prevention is better than cure get your retaliation in first I know Reacher said FAL what you see is what you get no it was good work how did it look he was hopping around a bit I knew something was happening what's it in the wallet Turner opened it up it was a fat old item made of decent leather that had molded itself around its contents which were numerous the back part had cach in two sections a healthy quarter inch wat of 20s but nothing larger and then a thinner selection of ones and tens and fives the front part had three Pockets sized to carry credit cards on the top of the deck in the center was a North Carolina driver's license with the gu in the picture and the name Peter Paul loano behind the DL was a stack of credit cards visa and MasterCard and discover and American Express with more in the slots on the left and the right all of them current in date and unexpired all of them in the name of Peter P lazano there was no military ID is he a civilian Turner said or sanitized I'm guessing sanitized Reacher said but Captain Edmunds can tell us I'll give her the name she's working with HRC are you going to get the other guy's name two would triangulate better than one how are you going to do it I'll think of something for Rose ahead the guy named Lozano was hunched over and rocking back and forth in his seat as if he had his hands clamped up under his arms to manage the pain a stewardess came by and he glanced at her as if he wanted to speak but then he looked away again because what was he going to say a bad man came by and hurt me like a little girl like a snitch in the principal's office clearly not his style not in front of a hundred other people military Reacher said don't you think boot camp taught him to keep his mouth shut then the other guy squeezed out past the old lady next to him the guy from the first night with all the verbal chitchat he stepped forward a row and bent down to talk to his buddy it turned into a regular little conference there was discussion there was exhibition of injuries there were hostile glances over the shoulder the woman in the business suit looked away her face blank and Frozen Turner said it won't work twice for warned is forearmed the guy is getting a damn play byplay and hoping his seatmate has a strong bladder do you really think Edmunds will get us the file on 3,435 she either will or she won't it's about 50/50 like the toss of a coin and either way is okay with you right I'd prefer to have the file but you're not going to be heartbroken if you don't get it because just asking for it was enough asking for it was like telling them we're one step away like our breath on their necks I prefer to have the file Reacher said again like these guys on the plane you're sending them back walking wounded you're sending a message aren't you Reacher kept one eye on the guy from the first night three rows ahead on the left the woman next to him at the window seemed to be asleep from behind she looked young and she was dressed like a homeless person definitely no summer frock and no gloves but she was clean a movie person probably Junior to be flying coach not an a-lister maybe an intern or an assistant to an assistant perhaps she had been scouting locations or organizing office space the older woman on the aisle looked like a grandma maybe she was heading out to visit her grandkids maybe her ancestors had worked for Carnegie and Frick in their brutal Mills and then when the city hit hard times maybe her children had joined the Rust Belt diaspora and headed for sunnier climbs maybe they were living the dream in the warmth of Southern California and in the end it was the guy himself who proved to have a bladder issue too much morning coffee perhaps or orange juice or water But whichever the guy stood up and squeezed out past grandma and oriented himself in the aisle and locked eyes with Reacher and took hesitant steps towards the back of the plane watching Reacher all the way one row two three and then as he came alongside he turned and walked backward the rest of the way his eyes still on reachers exaggerated as if to say no way you're getting a jump on me and he fumbled behind himself for the door and he backed ass first into the bathroom his I still locked on reachers until the last possible second and then the door closed and the bolt shot how long do men take in the bathroom not as long as women generally Reacher unclipped his belt and stood up 46 the bathroom patiently lick a regular passenger like the next man in line the door was a standard bfold Contraption hinged on the right cream in color and a little grimy no surprises then he heard the sudden muted suck of the flush and then there was a pause for handwashing he hoped and then the red occupied changed to a green vacant and the center of the door pulled back and its left left hand Edge slid along its track and as soon as it was 3/4 of the way home Reacher wheeled around and slammed the heel of his left hand through the widening Gap and caught the guy in the chest and smashed him back into the bulkhead behind the toilet Reacher waited outside Reacher crammed in after him and closed the door again with a jerk of his hips the space was Tiny barely big enough for Reacher on his own he was jammed hard up against the guy chest to chest face to face he turned half left so he was hip to hip so he wouldn't get knead in the balls and he jammed his right forearm horizontally into the guy's throat to pin him against the back wall and the guy started wriggling and struggling but uselessly because he couldn't move more than an inch or two no swing no momentum Reacher leaned in hard and turned his own left hand backward and caught the guy's right wrist and rotated it like a doorknob which meant that as the twist in Reacher's arm Unwound the exact same TST twist went into the other guy's arm more and more harder and harder relentlessly until the guy really needed to do a pirouette or a cartwheel to relieve the agonizing pressure which obviously he couldn't due to the complete lack of space Reacher kept it going until the point of the guy's elbow was facing directly towards him and then he raised the guy's arm up and up still twisting until it was horizontal an inch from the side wall and then he took his forearm out of the guy's throat and smashed his own elbow down through the guy's elbow shattering it the guy's arm suddenly folding the way no arm is designed to fold the guy screamed which Reacher hoped would be muffled by the door or lost in the sound of rushing air and then the guy collapsed into a sitting position on the commode and then Reacher broke his other arm the same way twist twist Smash and then he hauled him upright Again by the collar and checked his pockets an inch away up close and personal the guy still struggling his thighs going like he was riding an imaginary bicycle but generating no Force at all because of the extreme proximity reer feeling nothing more than a ripple the guy's wallet was in his right hip pocket the same as the previous guy Reacher took it and turned to his left and jabbed the guy with his elbow hard in the center of his chest and the guy went back down on the toilet and Reacher extricated himself from the tangle of flopping Limbs and shouldered out the door he closed it behind him as much as he could and then he walked the short distance back to his seat the second wallet was loaded more or less the same as the first a healthy watad of 20s and some leathery small bills the guy had gotten in change and a deck of credit cards and a North Carolina driver's license with the guy's picture and the name Ronald David balachi Reacher said if one is sanitized they all are or they're all civilians suppose they aren't then their lifers at Fort Bragg to have North Carolina DLS who's at Fort Bragg these days nearly 40,000 people more than 250 square miles it was a city all its own at the last census there's a lot of Airborne including the 82nd and special forces and scops and the Kennedy special Warfare Center and the 16th MP and a lot of sustainment and Logistics a lot of of people in and out of Afghanistan in other words including the logistics people they brought stuff in and now they're taking it out again or not you still think this is a repeat of the big dog scam except bigger and better and I don't think they're selling it here at home I think they're selling it to the native population we'll find out Reacher said we're one step away after back burner again Turner said you took care of what you had to now you're going to meet your daughter about 5 minutes after that the guy came out of the bathroom pale sweating seemingly smaller much diminished only his lower body moving his upper body held rigid like a robot only half working he stumbled down the aisle and squeezed past the grandma and dumped himself back in his seat Reacher said he should ask the stewardess for an aspirin then the flight reversed Ed to normal and became like most flights Reacher had taken no food was served not in coach there was stuff to buy mostly small chemical pellets artfully disguised as various natural products but neither Reacher nor Turner bought any they figured they would eat in California which would make them hungry but Reacher didn't mind being hungry he believed hunger kept him sharp he believed it stimulated creativity in the brain another old evolutionary Legacy if you're hungry you work out a smarter way to get the next woolly mammoth today not tomorrow he figured he was owed about 3 hours sleep after being woken by leech at 4: in the morning so he closed his eyes he wasn't worried about the two guys what were they going to do they could spit peanuts at him he guessed but that was about all beside him he felt Turner arrive at the same conclusion she rested her head on his shoulder he slept bolt upright Waking with a start every time his head tipped forward Romeo called Juliet and said we have a serious problem Juliet said in what way Turner must have remembered the number after all Reacher's lawyer just made an application to see the full bio on am 3435 why Reacher's lawyer they're trying to slip it by they assume we watching her lawyer but maybe not his it's not even his main lawyer it's the Newbie doing his paternity case then we can get it thrown out surely it's got nothing to do with his paternity case it's an application like any other the process is what it is we'd have to show good reason and we can't because there's nothing demonstrably special about the guy except to us we can't afford that kind of of attention everyone would think we'd lost our minds they'd say who the hell is redacting that guy he's just a run-of-the-mill peasant so how long have we got a day perhaps did you cancel their credit cards I canceled his easy enough because it was the Army to start with but I can't touch hers without a paper trail Margaret Vega is a real person we're going to finish it in C California they'll be on the ground soon four against two Reacher and Turner slept most of 3 hours and woke up with the plane on approach into Long Beach and with the steward on the PA again talking about seatbacks and tray tables and upright positions and portable electronic equipment none of which interested Reacher because he hadn't moved his seat back hadn't used his tray table and had no electronic equipment portable or otherwise out the window he could see the brown Desert Hills he liked California he figured he could live there if he lived anywhere it was warm and no one knew him he could have a dog they could have a dog he pictured Turner maybe in a backyard somewhere pruning a rose or planting a tree she said we shouldn't use Herz or Avis to rent the car I mean or any of the big franchises just in case their computer computers are hooked up with the government he said you're getting paranoid in your old age doesn't mean they aren't out to get me he smiled she said what would that leave us with local guys Lamborghinis rentx or four-year-old will they take cash we have credit cards they might have cancelled them they seem able to do that kind of thing they can't have not yet they don't even know we've got them they saw us by these flights they saw Vega and kho by these flights but we're not Vega and kho anymore from now on we're Lano and balchi at least when it comes to credit cards we'll use theirs how's that for a message they can track credit cards I know you want them to find us don't you easier than us finding them but I agree with you about Herz and Avis we don't want to make it too easy we need to give them a sense of achievement first we have to make it through the airport which could be full of MPS because warrant officer Espen isn't the dumbest bunny ever born he must know where you're going and he's got the Personnel he could have a guy in every airport within a 100 miles of La all day and all night and the FBI could be there too their Pittsburgh people don't need to be Geniuses to figure out where we were going we'll keep our eyes open the Glide path was long and gentle and the landing was smooth and the inward taxi felt fast and Nimble then a tiny bell sounded and a light went out and about 97 people leapt to their feet Reacher stayed in his seat because it was no less comfortable than standing under a 6-ft ceiling and the guys three and four rows ahead stayed sitting too because there was no way known to science for an adult male human to get out of an airline seat in coach without using leverage from his hands and his arms the plane emptied from the front with people flowing out in layers like sand in an hourglass they grabbed their suitcases and their coats from where they had stowed them and they funneled away and the next row slid out to replace them and the next the old white-haired guy with the cane and the young movie in turn had to struggle out past their immobile Center seat Neighbors then the next Rose cleared and the two guys were left sitting all alone in a sea of emptied space Reacher took his turn down the aisle head bent and hunched and he paused three rows ahead and hauled the left-and guy to his feet by the front of his shirt it seemed the least he could do he paused again a row later and did the same with the right-hand guy then he moved on down the aisle through the galley out the door through War a and kerosene stink and into the Long Beach Airport 47 of solo loiterers which makes spotting surveillance almost impossible because everyone is a suspect a guy sitting around doing nothing behind a rumpled newspaper rare on the street but pretty much compulsory in the airport there could have been 50 undercover MPS and 50 FBI agents inside the first 30 ft alone airports are full but no one showed any interest in them no one looked at them no one approached them and no one followed them so they walked away fast straight to the taxi line and they got in the back of a beat up sedan and they asked the driver for off Airport car rental but not Herz Avis Enterprise or anyone else with an illuminated sign the driver didn't ask supplementary questions didn't seek detailed specifications he just took off like he knew where he was going his brother-in-laws probably or whichever guy gave him the best finders fee in which case the brother-in-law or the top dollar Hustler must have been named Al and he must have been a cool guy because the cab pulled up in front of a vacant lot filled with about 20 parked cars and backed by a wooden shed which had cool Al's Auto Rental painted on its roof inexpertly by hand in thin paint with a wide brush perfect Reacher said Peter Paul lazano took care of the cab Fair vea Bill peeled off his quarter in stack of 20s and then Reacher and Turner wandered through the lot clearly K had positioned his business in what he must have figured was a sweet spot halfway between the rent idea and the 4-year-old Lamborghini approach the lot was filled with vehicles that had started out prestigious and had probably stayed prestigious for a good long time but which were now well into a long and sad decline there were Mercedes-Benz S and Range Rovers and BMWs and jaguars all of them last but three body styles all of them scuffed and dented and a little dull will they work Turner asked don't know Reacher said I'm the last guy to ask about cars let's see what K has to say on the subject which was translated and paraphrased they've lasted this long so why should they stop now which struck Reacher as both logical and optimistic kou himself was a guy of about 60 or 65 with a full head of gray hair and a big belly and a yellow shirt he was at a desk that took up half the space in his shed which was hot and smelled of Dusty wood and creasote he said go on pick a Car Any Car arrange Rover Turner said I've never been in one before you'll love it I hope so Reacher did the deal at the giant desk with licenses from Vega and balachi and a madeup sell number and one of balch's credit cards and a scrolled signature that could have been pretty much anything in return K handed over a key and waved a wide arm towards the right side of the lot and said the black one the black one turned out to be sun hazed down to a Steely dark purple and its window tints were lifting and bubbling and its seats were cracked and sagging it was from the 1990s Turner thought no longer a premium vehicle but it started and it turned right and it rolled down the road Turner said it's lasted this long why should it stop now it stopped a mile later but on command for breakfast at the first Diner they saw which was a family Run Place on Long Beach Boulevard it had all the good stuff including a long delayed omelet for Turner she called Sergeant Leech from the pay phone and told her to take care Reacher watched the parking lot and saw no one no Pursuit no surveillance no interest at all so they got back on the road and headed north and west looking for a 710 on ramp Reacher driving for the first time the stately old boat suited him well its window tints were reassuring they were nearly opaque and the mechanical Parts seemed up to their task the car floated along as if the road surface was just a vague rumor somewhere far far away Turner said what are you going to do if you see them Reacher said who your daughter and her mother you mean what am I going to say no I mean from a distance the very first time you lay eyes on them I don't see how I would recognize them suppose you did then I'm going to look for the Trap correct Turner said their bait until proven otherwise the MPS and the FBI will be there for sure it's a known destination every single person you see could be undercover so proceed accordingly yes ma'am between here and North Hollywood the danger doubles with every mile we're heading straight for the center of The Inferno is this a pre-action briefing I'm your Co I'm obliged to give one you're preaching to the choir you might recognize them you know daughters don't necessarily resemble their fathers I meant you might remember the mother Juliet called Romeo because some responsibilities were his and he said I have some very bad news Romeo said does it relate in any way to balchi using his credit card at a car rental called cool als's what kind of als's it's a West Coast thing what happened Reacher got to them on the plane he put them out of action and stole their wallets on the plane he broke Lozano's fingers and balch's arms and no one noticed that's not possible apparently it is one against two on an airplane with a 100 Witnesses it's a blatant humiliation and now he's renting cars on our dime who does this guy think he is Reacher thought he was a bad driver at first he had meant it as a safety first subterfuge rightly assuming it would remind him to con conate but then he had learned it was true his spatial awareness and his reaction times were all based on a human scale not a highway scale they were up close and personal animal not machine maybe Turner was right maybe he was FAL not that he was a terrible driver just worse than the average driver but not worse than the average I 710 driver on that particular morning on the section known as the Long Beach freeway people were eating and drinking and shaving and brushing their hair and applying makeup and filing nails and filing papers and reading and texting and surfing and holding long conversations on cell phones some of which were ending in screams and some of which were ending in tears in the midst of it all Reacher tried to hold his speed and his line while watching the drift and the wobble up ahead and calculating which way he should swerve if he had to he said we should stop and call Captain Edmonds I want to know if she can get what we need keep it on the back burner Turner said I would if I could but they won't let us their other two guys might have been on that flight to Orange County or else on the next Long Beach departure either way they're only an hour or two behind us knowing what Edmunds can or can't get won't help us with them it's tactically crucial Reacher said like in the field manual we have to assess whether they need to retain unimpaired cognitive function for future interrogation that's not in the field manual maybe they cleaned it up you mean if Edmunds has failed you'll keep the two guys alive so you can beat it out of them I wouldn't beat it out of them I would ask them nicely like I did with the big dog but if I know I don't need to ask them anything then I can let nature take its course beforehand what course will that be the future is not ours uncomplicated probably to see but something Reacher you're on the way to see your daughter and I'd like to live long enough to get there we can't do a front burner and a back burner thing not on this we have to do two front burners ma'am respectfully submitted Turner said okay but we'll buy a phone so we don't have to keep on stopping in fact we'll buy two phones one each prepaid for cash and a street map which they did about a mile later by coming off the freeway into a dense retail strip anchored by a chain Pharmacy which carried prepaid cell phones and maps and whose registers accepted cash along with every other form of payment known to man they put the map in the car and stored each other's numbers in their phones and then Reacher leaned on the Range Rover's warm flank and dialed Edmund's cell she said I made the application at start of business today so far there have been no motions to deny how soon would you expect them instantly or sooner so that's good so how long later today or early tomorrow and paper I want you to check Peter Paul lazano and Ronald David balachi with HRC who are they I don't know that's why I want you to check relevant to anything in particular to being on the right side of History I heard something you should know detective Podolski found your clothes in the landfill they've been tested the blood didn't match should I hold my breath waiting for an apology from major Sullivan she's coming around she was very touched you left her in IOU is the metrop PD dro out now no you fled after a lawful Police challenge I'll do my best with Lozano and balachi and then they got back on the freeway and headed north just one of 10,000 moving Vehicles winking in the sun Romeo called Juliet and said I spoke to the gentleman known as Kel directly on a pretext and he tells us they're in a 20-year-old Black Range Rover Juliet said that's good to know not the fastest car on the planet not that any would be fast enough I put our boys on a helicopter Orange County to Burbank they'll be in position at least an hour ahead of time who paid for it not the Army Romeo said don't worry did you cancel balch's credit card Lozano's too I suppose I can't those are personal cards they have to do it themselves as soon as they get out of the hospital until then we'll have to reimburse them as always this thing is costing us a fortune little acorns my friend not so little nearly over then it's back to business as usual Reacher kept on dodging the eaters and the drinkers and the Shavers and the hair stylists and the makeup artists and the nail filers and the file filers and the readers and the texter and the Surfers and the screamers and the criers and he made it as far as East Los Angeles where he took the Santa on a freeway up to the 101 in Echo Park then it was a long slow grind Northwest through the hills past names he still found glamorous like Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard and the Hollywood bulll and then his telephone rang he answered it and said I'm driving one-handed on the 101 with the Hollywood sign on my right and I'm talking on my phone finally I feel like I belong Edmund said got a pen and paper then listen carefully Peter Paul lazano and Ronald David balachi are active duty soldiers currently long-term deployed with a logistics Battalion out of Fort Brag North Carolina they're assigned to a company trained for the infiltration and exfiltration of sensitive items into and out of Afghanistan which at the moment of course is all exfiltration because of the draw down which is also keeping them very busy their Fitness reports are currently above average that's all I know which information Reacher relayed to Turner after hanging up and Turner said There You Go stuff that should be making at home isn't you don't agree he said I'm just trying to picture it all these sensitive items coming out of caves or wherever and most of them getting loaded up for fville but but some of them getting dumped in the back of Ratty old pickup trucks with weird license plates which then immediately drive off into the mountains maybe the trucks were full of cash on the inward Journey maybe it's a cash on delivery business is that what you're thinking me too a fishbowl a lot of stress and uncertainty and visibility and risk of betrayal that's where they learn who to count on because everything is against them even the roads how sensitive are these things are they okay in the back of a ratty old pickup truck with a weird license plate what's your point all the action is in Afghanistan but our guys are at Fort Brag maybe they're just back from Afghanistan I don't think so Reacher said I noticed the first minute I saw the first two I figured neither one of them had been in the Middle East recently they had no sun burn no squint lines and no stress and strain in their eyes they're home buddies but they're also the a team so why keep your a team in North Carolina when all your action is in Afghanistan typically these people have an A Team on each end but there is only one end stuff comes out of the caves and goes straight into the ratty old pickup trucks with the weird license plates it never gets anywhere near Fort Brag or North Carolina then maybe I'm wrong maybe they're selling it in America not Afghanistan that would need an A team at Brag to siphon it off but I don't think that's happening either Reacher said because Small Arms is all they could sell realistically we'd notice anything heavier and to sell enough Small Arms to make the money they seem to be making would flood the market and the market isn't flooded or you would have heard about it someone would dropped a dime if there was a torrent of military stuff for sale domestic manufacturers probably getting squeezed out the message would have gotten to your desk eventually that's what the 110th is for so what are they doing Reacher remembered all the pertinent data from Candace Dayton's affidavit including her lawyer's name and his office address Turner had found the right block on the street map and her left thumbnail was resting on it and her right index finger was tracing their progress and her two hands were getting very close together they crossed the Ventura freeway and she said keep on going until Victory Boulevard it should be signposted for the Burbank Airport then we'll drop down from the north I imagine most of their focus will be to the South we be on their Blind Side Victory bulevard turned out to be the next exit then they made a ride on Lankershim and tracked back south and East exactly parallel with the freeway they had left minutes before now pull over Turner said from here on and we go super cautious 48 the mouth of a cross street and they gazed South together at the blocks north of the Ventura freeway which were a bustling a z catalog of American Commercial activity from medium size on down through small and all the way to super tiny with retail Enterprises and wholesale Enterprises and service Enterprises some of them durable some of them wildly optimistic some of them Yan coming some of them fading fast some of them familiar and ubiquitous a visitor from outer space would conclude that acrylic nails were just as important as 8x4 boards Reacher parked I and Turner still had the map open and she said he's on Vinland Avenue two blocks north of the freeway so make a left on Burbank Boulevard and then Vinland is a right and then it's a straight shot no one knows this car but we can't afford to drive by more than two times so Reacher set off again and made the turns and drove vinand like anyone else not slow and peering not fast and aggressive just another anonymous vehicle rolling through the sunny morning Turner said he's coming up on the right side next block I see a parking lot out front which Reacher saw too but it was a shared lot not the lawyer's own because the right side of the block was all one long low building with a shake roof and a covered walkway in front with the exterior walls painted what Reacher thought of as a unique Valley shade of beige like flesh colored makeup from the movies the building was divided along its length into six separate Enterprises including a wig shop and a crystal shop and a geriatric supplier and a coffee shop and a SE obla espanol tax preparer with Candace Dayton's lawyer more or less right in the center of the row between the magic crystals and the electric wheelchairs the parking lot was about eight slots deep and it ran the whole width of the building's facade serving all the stores together Reacher guessed any customer was entitled to park in any spot the lot was about half full with most of the cars at first glance entirely legitimate most of them clean and bright under the Relentless Sun some of them parked at bad angles as if their drivers had ducked inside just long enough for a simple errand Reacher had given much thought to what kind of a car two people could live in and he had concluded that an old fashioned wagon or a modern SUV would be the minimum requirement with a fold flat rear bench and enough unimpeded length between the front seats and the tailgate to fit a mattress black glass to the sides and the rear would be an advantage an old Buick roadm or a new Chevy Suburban would fit the bill except that anyone planning to live in a new Chevy Suburban would surely see an advantage in selling it and buying an old Buick Roadmaster and keeping the change so mostly he scanned for old wagons maybe Dusty maybe on soft tires settled somehow as if parked for a long time but he saw no such Vehicles most were entirely normal and three or four of them were new enough and bland enough to be Airport Rentals which was what Espen and the 75th MP would be using and two or three of them were weird enough to be FBI reissued for use as unmarked Stakeout cars shadows and the glare of the Sun and window tints made it hard to be sure whether any were occupied or not they drove on same speed same trajectory and they got on the freeway again because Reacher felt a sudden U-turn or other atypical choice of direction would stand out and they drove around the same long slow rectangle and they came down lorim for the second time and they parked in the mouth of the same cross street again feeling comfortably remote and invisible from the south want to see it again Turner asked don't need to Reacher said so what next they could be anywhere we don't know what they look like or what car they've got so there's no point driving around we need to get a precise location from the lawyer if the lawyer even knows day to day sure but how I could call or I could get Edmonds to call for me but the lawyer is going to say all correspondents should come to the office and all meetings should be held at the office he can't afford to give her location to a party as involved as I'm supposed to be he would have to assume any contact I had would end up either creepy or violent basic professional responsibility he could get sued for millions of dollars so what are you going to do I'm going to do what guys do when they have nothing better going on I'm going to call a hooker they backed up and headed north again and they found a hamburger restaurant where they drank coffee and Reacher studied certain entries in a Yellow Pages borrowed from the owner and then they got back on the road again as far as a motel they saw next to one of the Burbank Airport's long-term parking lots they didn't check in they stayed in the car and Reacher dialed a number he had memorized the call was answered by a woman with a foreign accent she sounded middle-aged and sleepy Reacher asked her who's your top rated American Girl the foreign woman said Emily a, an hour is she available now does she take credit cards yes but then she's 12200 an hour the foreign woman said she can be with you in less than 30 minutes and she's worth every penny how would you like her to dress like a grade school teacher Reacher said about a year out of college girl next door that's always a popular look Reacher gave his name as Pete Lozano and he gave the name and the address of the motel behind him is that next to the airport parking lot the foreign woman asked we use it a lot Emily we have no trouble finding it Reacher clicked off the call and they got comfortable and they waited not talking doing nothing at all but look ahead through the windshield after 10 minutes Turner said you okay Reacher said not really I'm sitting here staring at 14-year-old girls I feel like a pervert recognize any not yet altogether they waited more than 35 minutes and then Reacher's phone rang not the foreign Woman calling back with an excuse for Emily's lateness but Captain Edmunds calling back with what she announced as Front Page News reach tilted the phone and Turner put her head close to listen Edmund said I got the full jacket on am 3435 it came through 5 minutes ago not without a little hustle on my part I might add Reacher said and no really you're most welcome major absolutely my pleasure I don't mind risking my entire career by entering in where Jag captains should Fear To Tread okay thank you I should have said that first I'm sorry some things you need to understand we've been in Afghanistan more than 10 years now and in that context 3435 is a relatively low number currently we're well over a 100,000 which means the data on this man was created some time ago about 7 years ago I think as far as I can tell and there have been no significant updates nothing beyond the routine minimum because this is a fairly ordinary guy boring even at first glance he's a meaningless peasant what's his name EML Gollum zadin he's now 42 years old and he's the youngest of five zadin brothers all of them still alive he seems to be the black sheep of the family widely regarded as disreputable the Elder brothers are all fine upstanding poppy Growers working the Family Farm like their aunt ancestors did for a thousand years before them very traditional small time and modest but young emal didn't want to settle for that he tried his hand at a number of things and failed at them all his brothers forgave him and took him back and as far as anyone knows he lives near them in the Hills does absolutely nothing productive and keeps himself to himself what was he written up for seven years ago one of the things he tried out and failed at nothing was proved or we'd have shot him what wasn't proved the story is he set up as an entrepreneur he was buying hand grenades from the 10th Mountain Division and selling them to the Taliban how much did he get for them it doesn't say not proved they tried their best why didn't they shoot him anyway Reacher you're talking to an Army lawyer here nothing was proved and we the United States of America suppose I wasn't talking to an Army lawyer then I would say nothing was proved and right then we were probably kissing Afghan but and hoping they would set up a civilian government of their own at some point in the not a distant future so we could get the hell out of there and in that atmosphere shooting indigenous individuals against whom nothing had been proved even by our own hair trigger military justice system would have been regarded as severely counterproductive otherwise I'm sure they would have shot him anyway you're pretty smart Reacher said for an Army lawyer and then he clicked off because he was watching a kid who had gotten out of a cab and was walking into the motel driveway she was luminous she was young and blonde and fresh and energetic and somehow Earnest as if she was determined to use all the many years ahead doing nothing but good in the world she looked like a grade school teacher about a year out of college 49 passed the the motel office and then she stopped as if she didn't know where to go she had a name but no room number Turner buzzed her window down and called out are you Emily the kid walked which was something she and Reacher had rehearsed no question it was weird to be approached in a motel parking lot by a woman in a car ahead of what was clearly going to be a bizarre threesome but a similar approach by a man would have been weirder still so Turner got to ask the question which the kid answered by saying yes I'm Emily Turner said we your clients I'm sorry they didn't tell me it's more money for couples you've probably heard this before or not possibly but all we want to do is talk we'll give you $2,000 for an hour of your time clothes on throughout all three of us the kid came nearer but not too close and she lined herself up with the open window and she stooped an inch and she looked in and said what exactly is this about Reacher said an acting job they talked out in the open to keep it unthreatening Reacher and Turner leaning on the side of the car with Emily completing the triangle 4 feet away where she was free to turn and run but she didn't she ran Lozano's MX through a slot in her iPhone and as soon as she saw an authorization number she said I don't do porn Reacher said no porn then what kind of acting job are you an actor I'm a call girl were you an actor first I was an intending actor do you do roleplay I thought that's what I was doing today the naive young idealist prepared very reluctantly to do whatever it takes to get extra funding for her school or possibly I want to borrow a lawnmower from one of the PTA dads but normally it's about interviewing for a job how can I show I'm really committed to the company in other words you're acting all the time including now I need you to go see a law firm receptionist and act your way into her good books Reacher told her what he wanted she showed no curiosity as to why he said if there's a choice pick a motherly type she'll be sympathetic this is about a struggling mother getting some help tell her Miss Dayton is a friend of your aunt and she loaned you some money when you were in college and it got you out of a hole and now you can repay the favor and you want to see her again anyway something like that you can write your own script but the receptionist is not supposed to give up the location in fact she's prohibited from doing so so this is your Oscar moment who gets hurt here no one gets hurt the opposite for $2,000 I never heard of that before if she's for real she gets helped if she's not for real I don't get hurt it's all good Emily said I don't know if I want to do it you took our money for an hour of my time I'm happy to stand here and talk or we could get in the car I'll get naked if you like that's what usually happens how about an extra 500 in cash as a tip when you get back how about 700 six Emily said and the Oscar goes to Emily she wouldn't let them drive her smart girl words were cheap the long Preamble could have been nothing but a hot air fantasy ahead of her unclothed body being found dead in a ditch 3 days later so they gave her the address and 20 bucks and she caught a cab instead they watched it out of sight and then they turned back and got in the Range Rover Turner said man up Reacher am 3435 is m al zadin who has a documented history of buying and selling United States ordinance in the hills of the tribal areas whereas Peter Lozano and Ronald balachi have a documented history of being part of a company tasked to get that very same United States ordinance in and out of those very same Hills is that that deafening noise I hear the sound of the pieces falling into place he was buying and selling us ordinance in the Hills 7 years ago after which he fell off the radar by getting better at it he moved right up to the top of the tree now he's the top boy and the go to guy he's making a fortune for somebody he has to be why else would they go to such lengths to hide him you're probably right I need your serious input here not mindless agreement you're my executive officer is that a promotion just new orders I mean it you could be right the Informer called him a tribal Elder which strikes me as a status based label like an honorific and a black sheep who sits around all day doing nothing productive wouldn't be thought of as a person of status more likely The Village Idiot certainly he wouldn't be honored so old mol is doing something for somebody and my only objection was having a team on standby in North Carolina when all the action is in Afghanistan but maybe there's a legitimate role for them because if what you think is true then there's a lot of money coming home wagon loads probably a big physical quantity so yes they need a team in North Carolina just not to handle weapons to handle the Romeo called Juliet and said it's getting worse Juliet said how could it they just used Lozano's AMX $2,000 on an Entertainer do you know what that means they're bored there's only one kind of Entertainer who carries her own card reader and that's a prostitute they're taunting us they'd be giving it to homeless people if homeless people had card readers on their phones or phones at all I suppose which they don't and Reacher lawyer got zad's full jacket about an hour ago so it's out there now you worry too much it's an obvious connection it won't take a genius to work it out or maybe you worry too soon Juliet said you haven't heard the good news yet is there any our boys just saw them drive past the lawyer's office in a 20-year-old Range Rover black hard to be sure because it had dark windows but the strong impression was there were two people inside one large and one small when was this less than an hour ago just once so far reconnaissance obviously is there much activity there it's a strip mall it's like a Fourth of July parade where did they go after they cruised by they took the freeway probably looped around they're probably hold up a few blocks to the north anything we can do yes I think there is they were super cautious around that office they must know the MPS and the FBI are all over it and there's nothing to be learned there not for them it would be the worst kind of malpractice so I don't think they'll go near that office again in which case guarding it is a waste of personnel we can't miss them there because they won't go there simple as that therefore our boys would be better used elsewhere possibly in a more proactive role just a suggestion I agree Romeo said turn them loose Reacher and Turner passed the time by trying to figure what kind of ordinance would sell for a lot of money and fit in the back of a pickup truck which was frustrating because the two categories tended to be mut exclusive moabs were Sinister Finn pear-shaped cylinders 30 ft long and 4 ft wide drones were worth $37 million a pop but had a wingspan greater than 60 ft and without the joystick controls they were just lumps of dumb metal and the joystick controls were all in Texas or Florida conversely rifles and handguns and Hand Grenades weren't worth much a Beretta M9 was about 600 bucks in a store Maybe 400 used on the street or in the Hills less overhead and expenses which meant it would take 3 or 400 sales just to cover the hundred grand risked in the Cayman Islands and even the Army would notice if it was losing handguns by the Thousand they got nowhere and then Emily came back 50 of a cab just like the first time still in character all radiant and naive and she hustled over and stood where she had before about 5 F feet from Turner's window Turner buzzed the glass down and Emily said I felt bad doing that Emily got out why Reacher said she was a nice woman I manipulated her successfully I got the location you owe me 600 bucks not technically it's a tip which means it's a gift outside of the main contract there's no element of owing are you trying to get out of it now no I'm just naturally pedantic whichever I still need 600 bucks which Ronald balachi paid from the plank of 20s in his wallet Reacher passed it to Turner who passed it out the window to Emily who glanced around and said this looks like a drug deal what's the location Reacher asked she gave a street address complete with a house number Reacher said what is that a vacant lot a business with its own parking what was the mood in the office very busy I don't think Miss Dayton is high on their list of priorities okay thank you Emily Reacher said it was nice to meet you have a great day that's it what else is there aren't you going to ask what a nice girl like me is doing in a job like this aren't you going to give me advice for the future no Reacher said no one should listen to my advice and you seem to be doing fine anyway a th000 bucks an hour ain't bad I know people who get screwed for 20 people who wear uniforms mostly Turner's map showed the new location to be south of the Ventura freeway in a neighborhood without a name not really Universal City not really West to Luca Lake definitely not Griffith Park and too far south to be North Hollywood but Reacher figured it was the right kind of place it would have a high turnover of people all coming and going in and curious and it would have Ventures and operations starting up and shutting down therefore it would have empty buildings and it would have staff only Lots in front of failed businesses best way to get there was south on Vinland again past the law office across the Ventura freeway and then the neighborhood lay waiting on the right Turner said we have to assume the MPS and the FBI have the same information I'm sure they do Reacher said so we'll do it the same way we did the law office one pass which might be the second pass for some of them because I'm sure they're rotating back and forth between there and the law office I mean they can't let either scene get too static what if it's a little alley or a one-way Street then we'll abort we'll find some other way and best case all we do is eyeball it no meat and greet we need a whole lot of long range surveillance before we even think about that understood even if the cutest 14-year-old in the world runs out waving a homemade Banner that says welcome home Daddy because it might be the wrong 14-year-old with a different daddy understood Reacher said again say it no meet and greet Reacher said so let's go they didn't use vinent Avenue they figured rolling past the law office again would turn one pass into two for some of the Watchers for no productive reason at all and then the two could become three if the rotation was time just wrong and three times was not a charm most people picked up on things the third time around that was reachers experience even if they didn't know they were noticing a stumble on a word while talking to a friend you just saw the same guy for the third time in the corner of your eye or the same car or the same flower truck or the same coat or dog or shoes or walk so they looped clockwise East first and then South and they crossed the freeway a little to the right of a straight line then they pulled over the target neighborhood was ahead on the right it was a lowrise Warren with concrete curbs and dry grass shoulders with [ __ ] poles car caring dozens of wires some of them as thick as Reacher's wrist and behind them were small buildings some of them Bungalows some of them Garden Apartments some of them stores or bodegas there was one nail salon and one pickup truck clearly visible there were basketball hoops and ice hockey goals and satellite dishes as big as hot tubs and parked cars everywhere not good Turner said Reacher nodded because it wasn't it was tight packed and closed quarters and rolling through would mean stopping and starting and maneuvering around one obstacle after another walking speed would be a luxury he said you're the co she said you're the EXO I say go for it but it's your decision why do you say go for it the negatives look bad but they're actually positives things could work out in our favor the MPS and the FBI don't know what we're driving as far as they're concerned this is just an old truck with dark windows they're not looking for it but the two guys from the dented car might be they're getting good intelligence worst case someone saw the credit card and knows what we're driving doesn't matter Reacher said they can't do anything to us not here not in front of government Witnesses they must know the MPS and the FBI are right there with them it's a perfect Catch 22 they'll just have to sit there and take it they might follow us the MPS and the FBI wouldn't see anything wrong with that just another car leaving the neighborhood I agree but like I said that would be things working out in our favor that would be two birds with one stone we eyeball the location and we lure the guys out to a place of our choosing all in all I would call that a good day's work speaking as an EXO that is but it's your decision that's why you get the big bucks almost as many as some high school teachers Reacher said two front burners remember Turner said okay go for it they checked the map and Reacher rehearsed the turns a right a left a right and that was her street apparently her Lot number looked to be about halfway between one end and the the other Turner said remember eyeballs only no meat and greet got it Reacher said no exceptions yes ma'am he eased off the curb and rolled down to the first turn and swung the wheel and then he was in the neighborhood the First Street was a mess mixed you zoning with a bakery truck stopped outside a grocery and a kids bike dumped in the gutter and a car with no wheels up on blocks the Second Street was better it was no wider but it was straight and less cluttered the tone of the neighborhood Rose through its first 50 yards there were little houses on the left and the right not prosperous but solid some had new roofs and some had painted stucco and some had parched plants in concrete tubs regular people doing their best making ANS meet then came the final right turn and the tone Rose some more but not to dizzying Heights Reacher saw a long straight Street with the 101 plainly visible at the far end behind hurricane fencing the street had tracked housing on both sides built for GIS in the late 1940s and still there more than 60 years later the houses were all cared for but to varying degrees some of them wellmaintained some of them refurbished and some of them extended but others more marginal most had car on their driveways and most had extra cars on the curb overall so many it was effectively a one lane road slow and awkward Turner said FBI head on the right for sure Reacher nodded and said nothing one of the cars on the curb was a Chevy Malibu about 60 ft away plain silver base specification with plastic where there should have been Chrome with two stubby antennas glued to the back glass with a guy behind the wheel where wearing a white collared shirt an unmarked car but no real attempt at Deception therefore possibly a supervisor just stopping by for a moment to check on morale and spread good cheer to the guy he was parked right behind maybe Reacher said check out the thing in front of him it was a civilian Hummer H2 wide tall gigantic all waxed black paint and chrome accents with huge wheels and thin tires like black rubber bands so 8 years ago Turner said a legal seizure possibly because of Coke in the door pocket or because it was charged to a scam business or it had carried stolen goods in the back first confiscated and then reissued as an undercover surveillance vehicle slightly toned deaf in terms of credibility like the government usually was and 60 ft in front of the Hummer was a small white compact parked on the other curb facing towards them clean and Bland Barely Used not personalized in any way an airport rental almost certainly the 75th MP some unfortunate guy coach class to LAX and then a barebones government account with Herz or Avis the worst car on the lot and no upgrade see it Reacher asked Turner nodded beside him and now we know where the address is exactly halfway between the Hummer's front bumper and that things I would say subtle aren't they as always Reacher had been checking house numbers and the lot they were looking for was going to be on the left about 90 ft ahead if the government's triangulation was dead on accurate he said do you see anyone else hard to tell Turner said any one of these cars could have people in it letun hope so Reacher said two people in particular he rolled on slow and careful giving himself a margin of error the old truck steering was a little vague and sloppy plus or minus 6 in was all it was good for he passed the silver Malibu and glanced down to his right the white collared shirt had a neck tie down the front FBI for sure probably the only necktie inside a square mile then next up was the Hummer it had a fair-haired white guy behind the wheel with a white wall crew cut high and tight probably the first white wall crew cut ever seen inside a pimped out H2 government tone deaf then Reacher glanced to his left and started tracking the numbers he wasn't sure what he was expecting a gap of some kind basically something different from the places before and after something boarded up and foreclosed or burned down and bulldozed or never built in the first place with a big old car parked back in the shadow of its neighbors maybe a Buick roadm but the address Emily had gotten was a house like all the others not different from the places before or after not boarded up by the bank and not burned and leveled just a regular house on a regular lot it had a car on its driveway but it wasn't a Buick roadm it was a two-door coupe imported Sun faded red fairly old and even smaller than the MP's white compact therefore not big enough for two people to sleep in not even close the house itself was an old one-story extended upward with a ground floor window on the left and a ground floor window on the right and a new Attic Window punched out directly above a blue front door and coming out the blue front door was a girl she could have been 14 years old or 15 she was blonde and she was tall 51 Turner said don't stop but Reacher break anyway he couldn't help it the girl looped around the parked Coupe and stepped out to the sidewalk she was wearing a yellow t-shirt and a blue denim jean jacket and big black baggy pants and yellow tennis shoes on her feet with no socks and no laces she was Slender and long limed all knees and elbows and her hair was the color of Summer straw it was parted in the center and wavy and it came halfway down her back her face was unformed like teenagers faces are but she had blue eyes and cheekbones and her mouth was set in a quizzical half Smile as if her life was full of petty annoyances best tolerated with patience and Goodwill she set off walking West away from them Turner said eyes front Reacher hit the gas and pass her and do not stop drive to the end of the road right now that's an order if it's her we'll confirm later and we'll deal with it so Reacher speed up again from walking pace to jogging and they passed the girl just as she was passing the MP's white compact she didn't seem to react to it in any way didn't seem to know it was there for her she hadn't been told presumably because what could they say hi there Miss we're here to arrest your father who you've never met if he shows up that is having just been told all about you Reacher kept one eye on the mirror and watched her grow smaller then he paused at the tea and turned left and looked at her one more time and then he drove away and she was lost to sight no one came after them they pulled over a 100 yards later but the street behind them stayed empty which theoretically was a minor disappointment not that Reacher really registered it as such in his mind right then the two surviving guys from the dented car were on the backest of all back burners on a stov top about 10 m deep he said they told me she was living in a car maybe her mom got a new job or a new boyfriend did you see any surveillance opportunities nothing obvious maybe we should join the crowd and park on the street we'd be okay as long as we never got out of the car we can do better than that Turner said she checked her map and looked out through the range Rover's Windows all around craning her neck searching for high ground or elevated Vantage points of which there were plenty to the South where the Hollywood Hills rose up in the smog but they were too distant and in any case the front of the house would be invisible from the south in the end she pointed a little north of West at an off-ramp in the tangle where the 134 met the 101 it was raised up high and its curve seemed to cradle the whole neighborhood as it swooped around from one Freeway to the next she said we could fake a breakdown if that ramp has a shoulder overheating or something this car certainly looks the part we could stay there for hours the FBI doesn't do roadside assistance if the LAPD stops for us we'll say sure we're about cooled down now and we'll get on our way warrant officer Espen will have seen it Reacher said he'll have scoped out the terrain surely if he sees any kind of a parked vehicle up there he'll investigate okay if anything other than a marked LAPD Cruiser stops for us we'll take off immediately and if it's Espen we duke it out in the Wilds of Burbank we'll lose him well before Burbank I bet they gave him a four-cylinder rental they wanted a pawn shop next because they needed a quality item for a short spell of time and fast and unmemorable and they were going to pay for it with a stolen credit card so overall secondhand was the better Market they used surface streets to West Hollywood and picked one of many establishments and Reacher said to the guy let me see your best binoculars of which there were many mostly old which made sense Reacher figured that back in his father's day binoculars were bought simply because binoculars were bought every family had a pair and an encyclopedia no one used either or the Clockwork 8mm camera if the family was a Colonels or better but they had to be provided part of a family man's sacred duty but now all those family men were dead and their adult children's houses were a finite capacity so their stuff found itself stacked between the AC IC guitars and the college rings still in the Velvet lined leather buckets it came in and tagged with prices halfway between low and very they found a pair they liked powerful but not too heavy and adjustable enough to fit both their faces and balchi paid and they walked back to the car Turner said I think we should wait for dusk nothing will happen before then anyway not if her mom has a new job and we have a black car as won't even see it in the dark but the street itself should be lit up enough for binoculars okay Reacher said we should eat first I guess this could take hours how long are you prepared to stay up there as long as it takes as many times as it takes in all of my dating history I don't know if this is the smartest thing I've ever done or the dumbest they ate in West Hollywood well and slowly and expensive ly on Peter Paul Lozano's dime and they let late afternoon turn into early evening and as soon as the street lights were brighter than the sky they got back in the car and took Sunset Boulevard to the 101 traffic was bad as always but the sky used the wasted minutes to get darker and darker so that by the time they took the curving off ramp the day had gone completely there was no official shoulder on the ramp but there was more than a shoulders width of painted Chev on the right side to Define the traffic lane through the curve so they pulled over as if their dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree Turner had the new old binoculars out and ready and they rolled forward until she figured they had as good a view as they were going to get Reacher shut the motor down they were about 300 yd from the blue front door and about 40 ft above it just like the field manual a straight line with elevation more than satisfactory not bad at all the house was quiet the blue door was closed the old red Coupe was still on the driveway the FBI Malibu had gone from the street but the Hummer was still there as was the small white compact 60 ft from it the rest of the automotive roster had changed a little dayshift workers were heading home and night shift workers were heading out they took turns with the binoculars Reacher twisted around in the driver's seat and rested his back on the door and looked out Beyond Turner next to him through her open window the optical image was dark and indistinct no night vision enhancement but it was adequate behind him cars sped past just feet away a steady procession all of them leaving the 101 and joining the 134 none of them stopped to help they just rocked the old truck with their spped streams and sped onward oblivious Romeo called Juliet and said they were just in West Hollywood they bought something in a pawn shop on balch's card and then they ate at a very expensive restaurant on lozanos Juliet said what would they want from a pawn shop doesn't matter the point is they were in West Hollywood whing away the hours apparently aimlessly which one assumes they wouldn't do if there were things still on their agenda like determining Miss Dayton's current location for inance so I think we should assume they have it now how did they get it doesn't matter how what matters is what they're going to do next possibly they were in West Hollywood just hiding out until dark in which case they're probably back at the house by now about to begin a lengthy period of surveillance our boys aren't there anymore then get them back tell them to look at the neighborhood with a military eye and work out where a skilled team would be watching from there can't be more than a handful of suitable Vantage points they won't be hunkered down in a neighbor's backyard for instance they're probably fairly distant the field manual calls for a line of sight plus elevation upstairs in an empty building perhaps or a water tower or a parking garage tell our boys to compile a list of possibilities and then tell them to split up and investigate more efficient that way we need this done tonight you can buy guns in a pawn shop but they didn't there's a waiting period California has laws and they only spent $30 on the credit card there could have been a side deal in cash Lozano and balachi had plenty with them on the plane an illegal purchase then they wouldn't have stuck around to eat not in the same neighborhood they'd have been too nervous they'd have gone somewhere else that's my sense so assume they're still unarmed I hope you're right about that Juliet said it would make things easier Turner spent 30 minutes with the binoculars and then she passed them back to reach her blinking and rubbing her eyes he widened them out to fit and adjusted the focus which took a big turn of the wheel either he was half blind or she was she said I want to call Sergeant leech again I want to know she's okay he said give her my best he half listened to Turner's end of the conversation while he watched what was happening 300 yards away which was nothing much the Hummer stayed where it was and the small white compact stayed where it was no one went in or out through the blue front door Sergeant leech was apparently okay as was her Cooperative friend Margaret Vega at that point at least so far the conversation was short Turner said nothing explicit but between the lines leech seemed to be agreeing with her that the die was cast and the only available options were win big or go home The Blue Door stayed closed most of the time Reacher kept the binoculars trained hard on it but then for maybe 4 seconds out of every 20 he started a fragmented exploration of the neighborhood he traced his way back down the street and out through the elbow where they had come in with the bakery truck outside the grocery and the dumped bike and the car with no wheels then came the main drag which was vinand Avenue about as far south of the freeway as the law office was North he went back to the blue door which stayed closed and then he traced his way down the street again but went the other way at the far end right instead of left and he found an identical elbow like a mirror image the same kind of zoning and the same kinds of issues and then the main drag again still vinand but a further quarter mile south which made the neighborhood not quite a rectangle it was taller on the right than the left like a pennant someway above its top right corner was the freeway and then the law office and someway below its bottom right corner Was An Old Coach Diner all lit up and shiny Reacher knew which way he would walk it stayed closed until a minute before 8:00 and then it opened and she came out again just the same as before same long Lim stride almost graceful same hair same shirt same jacket same shoes presumably no socks or laces and possibly the same R expression but it was dark and the Optics had limits just the same as before but she turned the other way she went East not West away from the freeway interchange towards the main drag no one went with her no Shadow and no protection Reacher pointed and Turner nodded he said do you think it's possible they didn't tell either one of them she said obviously they didn't tell the kid they can't say we found your daddy but decided to arrest him instead can they say that to the mother she's not going to get much child support if they throw away the key what's on your mind they didn't send anyone with her which they should have if I can't get to her in the house then I'll try to get to her when she leaves that's obvious surely but no one is with her the only logical reason is that they haven't told them and they can't explain way for guys following them everywhere so they don't follow them everywhere plus their cheap skates if they told them they'd have to put a woman support officer in the house which would cost okay so if Mother and Child are bait but don't know it and they leave the house then all Espen or anyone else can do is a long-distance tail and an occasional pass in a vehicle agreed but no one is moving and neither vehicle has started its engine maybe they wait until she's out of sight let's see if they do they didn't the girl turned right at the far end of the street and disappeared but back at her house no one moved and neither car started Turner said maybe there's another team would you approve that budget of course I would would they if they won't even put a woman officer in the house okay there's only one team and it's not moving laziness and complacency plus it must be hard to get a parking spot they're not moving because they think I'm dumb enough to walk up the driveway and knock on the door then a car drove in all the way from the far end of the neighborhood coming off vinand and coming through the elbow they had used before its light swung right and left and then it came down the street headon and blinding past the Hummer past the blue door almost level with the small white Compact and then it stopped and backed up fast past the house again past the Hummer and all the way back to the last parking spot on the street which was evidently much farther away than its driver desired the car parallel parked neatly and its headlights shut off and two guys got out far off and indistinct just moving Shadows really one maybe larger than the other the lizard brain stirred and a billion years later Reacher leaned forward an inch 52 marginal at the distance and the light was very low so Reacher kept an open mind on any given day there were nearly 40 million people in California and for two specific individuals to show up while observed by a third was an unlikely event the binoculars were but unlikely events happened from time to time so Reacher kept his field of view tight on the two figures and he Goose the focus as they walked for the sharpest image they walked in the street not on the sidewalk straight down the traffic lane fast side by side getting closer all the time Reacher getting sure all the time they passed the Hummer again and they stepped into a pool of light and then Reacher was certain he was looking at the driver from the first night and next to him was the big guy with the shaved head and the small ears they stopped right in front of the house and they stood still and then they turned back to face the way they had come as if they were studying the far Horizon and then they began to rotate in place slowly counterclockwise using small shuffling steps occasionally pointing always away from the house and upward Reacher said they're looking for us they continued to rotate past the midpoint and then they saw the right hand end of the off-ramp for the first time the guy with the ears seemed to understand immediately his arm came up and he sketched the curve right to left and then back again left to right tracking the wide circumference showing how it cradled the whole neighborhood and then he pulled his palm back towards his chest as if to say it's like the front row of the dress Circle up there and this is the state AG right here and then he used the same Palm to shade his eyes and he stared at the ramp in detail section by section yard by yard looking for the best angle until finally he came to rest as if staring straight into the binoculars from the wrong end Reacher said theyve found us Turner checked the map and said they can't get here very quickly not with the way the roads go they'd have to drop down to the Hollywood Bowl on Surface Street and then come back up again behind us on the 101 that's a very big Square the kid is out on her own it's us they want and it's her we want they should stick with her I would they don't know where she went it's not rocket science her mom's not home and she watched TV shows until the 8:00 hour and then she went out to get something to eat they're not going to take her hostage they beat morof half to death and they're running out of time so what do you want to do Reacher didn't answer he just dropped the binoculars in Turner's lap and started the car and jammed it in gear and glanced back over his shoulder he gunned off the Chevon and into the traffic lane and he swooped around the curve leaving the 101 joining the 134 merging with slow traffic looking ahead for the first exit which he figured fured would be very soon and which he figured would be vinand Avenue and it was with a choice of north or south Reacher inched through the congestion frustrated and went South along the taller edge of the neighborhood past the first mixed use elbow pass the second and onward 100 yards until he saw the coach Diner ahead all lit up and shiny and Crossing vinand towards it was the girl he slowed and let her pass 50 yards in front of him and then he watched her as she stepped into the diner's lot there was a gaggle of kids in one corner maybe eight of them in total boys and girls just hanging out in the shadows and the night air aimlessly joking around posturing and preing the way kids do the girl headed over towards them maybe she wasn't going to eat after all maybe she had eaten at home something from the freezer perhaps microwaved and maybe this was her after dinner social life maybe she had come out to a regular rendevu to join the crowd at their chosen spot to hang out and have fun all night long which would be okay there was safety in numbers she stepped up close to the other kids and there were some dead pen comments and some high-fives and some laughter and a little horsing around Reacher was running out of road so he took a snap decision and pulled into the lock and parked in the opposite corner the girl was still talking her body language was relaxed these were her friends they liked her that was clear there was no awkwardness but then minutes later she inched away her body language saying I'm going inside now and no one moved to follow her and she didn't look disappointed almost the opposite she looked like she had enjoyed their company for sure but now she was ready to enjoy her own equally for sure as if it was all the same to her Turner said she's a loner Reacher said and Tall doesn't necessarily mean anything we can't stay here I want to go inside no meet and greet not yet I won't talk to her you'll draw attention to her only if those guys see this car up front turn said nothing Reacher watched the girl pull the door and step inside the diner was built in the traditional style out of stainless steel with folds and creases and triple accent lines like an old automobile and small framed windows like an old railroad car and neon letters configured in an art deco manner it looked busy inside the peak period between the blue plate specials and the late night coffee drinkers Reacher knew all about diners he knew their rhythms he had spent hundreds of hours in them Turner said observation only Reacher said agreed no contact okay go I'll hide the car somewhere and wait don't get in trouble you either call me when you're done thank you Reacher said he climbed out and crossed the lot he heard cars on Vinland and a plane in the sky he heard the group of kids scuffling and talking and laughing he heard the Range Rover Drive Away behind him he paused a beat and took a breath then he pulled the diner door and he stepped inside the interior was built in the traditional style too just as much as the outside with booths to the left and the right and a fullwidth counter Dead Ahead about 6 ft from the back wall which had a pass through slot to the kitchen but was otherwise all made of mirror glass the booths had vinyl benches and the counter had a long line of stools All Chrome and pastel colors like 1950s convertibles and the floor was covered with lenium and every other horizontal surface was covered with laminate in pink or blue or pale yellow with a pattern like small pencil notations that given the dated context made Reacher think of endless Arcane equations involving the sound barrier or the hydrogen bomb there was a stooped and gray hair counter man behind the counter and a blonde waitress about 40 years old working the left side of the coach and a brunette waitress about 50 years old working the right side and they were all busy because the place was more than 3/4 full all the booths on the left were taken some by people eating at the end of the work day some by people eating ahead of a night out one by a quart head of hipsters apparently intent on period authenticity the right side of the coach had two booths free and the counter showed 19 backs and five gaps the girl was all the way over on the right at the counter on the last stool owning it like the place was a bar and she had been a regular Patron for the last 50 years she had silverware and a napkin in front of her and a glass of water but no food yet next to her was an empty space and then came a guy hunched over a plate and another and another with the next empty stool nine spots away Reacher figured he would get a better look at her from one of the empty booths but diners had an etiquette all their own and lone customers taking up four Place booths at rush hour was frowned upon so Reacher stood in the doorway unsure and the blonde waitress from the left side of the coach took pity on him and detoured over and she tried a welcoming smile but she was tired and it didn't really work it came out as a dull and uninterested gaze nothing there at all and she said sit anywhere you like and someone will be right with you then she bustled away again and Reacher figured anywhere you like included four-person booths so he turned to his right and took a step the girl was watching him in the mirror and she was watching him quite openly her eyes were locked on his in the mirrored wall via Reflections and refractions and angles of incidents and all the other stuff taught in high school physics class she didn't look away even when he looked right back at her no contact he had promised he moved on into the right side of the coach and he took an empty Booth one away from directly behind her to see her best he put his shoulder against the window and his back to the rest of the room which he didn't like but he had no option the brunette waitress showed up with a menu and a smile as one as the blondes and she said water he said coffee the girl was still looking at him in the mirror he was n hungry because the meal Lozano had bought in West Hollywood had been a feast Fit For A King so he slid the menu aside the brunette was not thrilled with his lack of an order he got the feeling he wouldn't see her again anytime soon no free refills for him the girl was still watching he tried the coffee it was okay the counterman brought the girl a plate and she broke eye contact long enough to say something to him that made him smile he had an embroidered patch on his uniform with his name which was Arthur he said something back and the girl smiled and he moved away again then the girl picked up her silverware and her napkin in one hand and her plate in the other and she slid off her stool and she stepped over to Reacher's booth and she said why don't I join you 53 her silver wear down and her napkin and her plate and then she ducked back to the counter to retrieve her glass of water she waved to the guy called Arthur and pointed at the booth as if to say I'm moving and then she came back with her water and put it next to her plate and she slid along the vinyl bench and she ended up directly opposite Reacher up close she looked the same as she did from a distance but all the details were clearer in particular her eyes which seemed to work well with her mouth in terms of getting all quizzical the girl put he said why would you want to join me she said why wouldn't I you don't know me are you dangerous I could be Arthur keeps a cult python under the counter about opposite where you're sitting and another one at the other end they're both loaded with 357 Magnums out of 8 in barrels you e here a lot practically every meal but the word would be often not a lot lot refers to quantity and I prefer small portions sorry she said I can't help it I'm naturally pedantic he said why did you want to join me why did I see your car three times today when was the third time technically it was the first time I was at the lawyer's office curiosity about why we see the same cars three times a day we those of us paying attention she said don't play dumb Mister there's something going on in the neighborhood and we would love to know what it is and you look like you might tell us if I asked you nicely why do you think I could tell you because you're one of them cruising around all day snooping Reacher said what do you think is happening we know you're all over the lawyer's office and we know you're all over my street so we're guessing someone on my street is the lawyer client and they're in some shady business together who on your street that's the big question isn't it it depends on how much of a head fake you use with your parking places we think you would want to be close to your target but not right in front of it because that would be too obvious but how close that's what we don't know you could be watching a lot of different houses if you go left and right a little ways up and down the street Reacher said what's your name remember that Colt Python loaded my name is Sam Sam what Sam Dayton what's your name is that really all you know about the operation on your street Don't Damn us with faint praise I think we did very well to piece that much together you're all very tight lipped about it which is a great expression isn't it tight lipped but the tell is the way you move your cars between the law office and where I live I understand why you do it but it gives away the connection no one has talked to you about it why would they has your mom said anything she doesn't pay attention she's very stressed what about everything what about your dad I don't have one I mean obviously I must biologically but I've never met him brothers or sisters I don't have any Reacher said who do you think we are federal agents obviously either DEA ATF or FBI this is Los Angeles it's always drugs or guns or money almost 15 you didn't tell me your name yet Reacher said Reacher and watched her very carefully but there was no reaction no spark no aha moment or no OMG moment which Reacher understood to be more likely with kids his name meant nothing to her nothing at all it hadn't been mentioned in her presents she said so will you tell me what's going on Reacher said your dinner is getting cold that's what's going on you should eat are you eating I already ate so why come in for the decor Arthur is very proud of it where are you from I move around so you are a federal agent and then she started eating some of her food which Reacher bet himself was build on the menu as mom's amazing meatloaf the smell of ground beef and ketchup was unmistakable he knew all about diners he had spent hundreds of hours in them and he had eaten most of what they had to offer she said so am I right is it the lawyer and a client partly Reacher said but there's no Shady business between them it's more about a guy who might visit with one of them or both of them a third party with a beef kind of so it's going to be an ambush you're waiting for the guy to show you're going to bust him on my street that would be very cool and unless it happens at the law office can you choose if you can will you do it on my street you should think about it anyway the street would be safer that little mall is busy is the guy dangerous have you seen anyone around only your own people they sit in their cars and watch all day plus your mobile Cruise the guy in the silver Malibu comes by a lot a lot frequently I should say or often and the two guys in the rental and you two in the Range Rover but I haven't seen a man on his own looking dangerous what two guys in a rental one of them has a funny shaped head and cropped ears cropped at first from a distance I thought they were just small but up close you can see they've been cut like into tiny hexagons when did you get up close with that guy this afternoon he was on the sidewalk outside my house did he say anything not a thing but why would he I'm not a lawyer or a client and I don't have a beef with anyone Reacher said I'm not authorized to tell you much but those two guys are not with us they're not ours okay in fact they might be a part of the problem so stay away from them and tell your friends the girl said not so cool then Reacher's phone rang he was unaccustomed to carrying a phone and at first he assumed it was someone else's so he ignored it but the girl stared at his pocket until he pulled it out Turner's stored number was on the screen he excused himself and answered Turner was breathing hard she said I'm heading back and I need you out front of the diner right now some kind of Tide emotion in her voice so Reacher clicked off the call and left Sam Dayton alone in the booth and went outside and hustled through the lot to the street a minute later he saw headlights way to his left spaced high and wide coming towards him fast the old Range Rover out of the south in a big hurry then its lights lit him up and it jammed to a hard stop right next to him and he yanked the door and slid inside he said what's up Turner said a situation got a little out of hand how bad I just shot a guy 54 Ventura freeway going west and she said I figured the law office would be closed for the night by now and probably the whole strip with it and therefore I figured the Watchers would be gone by now too so I went up to take a look around because there are things we may need to know in the future including what kind of locks the law office has and what kind of alarm which by the way are both fairly basic you could buy 5 minutes in there if you had to and then I looked at my map and saw how I could get to mhall and drive pretty easily because I've always wanted to drive a car on mhal and drive like a Gman in a movie and I figured if the kid is in there with you for her dinner then she's in there for at least 30 minutes more which gives me time for a personal Excursion so off I went Turner took the end Reacher said simply to keep her going shooting people was stressful and stress was a complex thing people reacted to it in all kinds of different ways some people bottled it up and some talked it out she was a talker he figured she said I was followed that was dumb he said because she didn't like Mindless agreement I spotted him early there were lights behind him and I could see it was only one guy a solo driver and that was all so I didn't think much of it and lots of people like mhall and drive so it didn't bother me he was going the same direction so what did he was also going the same speed which is unnatural speed is a personal thing and I'm pretty slow most of the time usually people are bunching up behind me or I'm getting passed by altogether but this guy was just there always like I was Towing him on a rope and I knew it wasn't the 75th MP or the FBI because neither one knows what we're driving so it had to be our other friends except there was only one guy in the car not two which meant either it was neither one of them or they've split up now and they're hunting solo but whatever it got old real quick and the movies say mullholland gets wild real quick so I figured I better stop at the very first turnout I saw like a message to tell him I had made him him which would then give him a choice either accept defeat gracefully and keep on rolling down the road or be a sore loser and stop and harass me in person and he stopped he sure did he was the third of the four in the dented car this morning what you call the driver from the first night they've split up and they're hunting solo I'm glad it was him and not the other one he was bad enough real bad [ __ ] Reacher said he was a waste of food he was the one I hit second which makes him worse than the one who just bought us dinner busted Turner said it was like taking candy from a baby what kind of taking he had a gun that would level the playing field a little it did for about 3/4 of a second and then he didn't have a gun anymore which meant I did and some voice in my head was screaming threat threat threat Center Mass bang and I blinked and found out I had gone and done it right through the heart the guy was dead before he hit the ground and you need me right now for what are you telling me you don't offer counseling not a core strength fortunately I'm a professional Soldier and won't need counseling then how may I help you I need you to move the body I can't lift it Mulholland looked exactly like the movies but smaller they drove in as cautious as gmen prepared to stop if the coast was clear prepared to keep on going if there were flashing lights and crackling radios already on the scene but there weren't so they stopped traffic on the road was light picturesque but not practical but the nighttime view from the turnout was spectacular Turner said not the point Reacher the dead guy was on the ground near his car's front corner his knees were folded sideways but other than that he was flat on his back there was no doubt about it it was the driver from the first night with a hole in his chest Reacher said what gun was it Glock 17 which is where right now wiped and back in his pocket for the time being we have to work out how to play it only two possible ways Reacher said either the APD finds him sooner or later best bet would be to throw him in the Ravine he could be there a week he could get eaten up or at least chewed especially the fingers putting him in the car is much worse doesn't matter if we make it suicide or homicide because the first thing they'll do is run the fingerprints and from that moment onward Fort Brag will go crazy and this whole thing will unravel from the far end as in not our end and you don't want that do you I just want it unraveled I don't care who does it then you're the least feal person I ever met they slandered you in the worst possible way you should cut their heads off with a butter knife no worse than they said about you with the big dog exactly I'm about to stop and buy a butter knife so give me a sporting chance a few days in the Ravine won't hurt anyone because even if we don't wrap it up personally then the LAPD and Fort Brag will maybe next week when they eventually find this guy either way it's going to unravel and we're keeping the Glock which they did along with a wallet and a cell phone then Reacher bunched the front of the guy's coat in his hands and heaved him off the ground and staggered with him as close to the edge of the drop as he dared most Ravine disposals failed the body hung up six or 7 ft down right there on the slope due to a lack of height and distance so Reacher spun the guy around like a hammer thrower at the Olympics two full circles low on the ground Side High on the air side and then he let go and hurled him out into the darkness and he heard the crashing of disturbed trees and the rattle of stones and then not much else apart from the hum of the plane below the U turned off the turnout and headed back through Laurel Canyon to the freeway Reacher drove Turner stripped the Glock and checked it and then put it back together and put it in her pocket with one NMM in the chamber and 15 more in the magazine then she opened the wallet it was loaded just like the others a thick raft of 20s a handful of smaller bills a full deck of unexpired and legitimate credit cards and a North Carolina driver's license with the guy's picture on it his name had been Jason Kenneth Ricard and he had finished his Earthly sojourn a month shy of his 29th birthday he was not an organ donor his phone was a cheap item similar to the pair Reacher and Turner had bought at the chain Pharmacy an untraceable Mission specific prepaid no doubt its directory showed just three numbers the first two labeled Pete L and Ronnie B which were obviously Lozano and balchi and the third was just shago the call register showed very little activity nothing outgoing and just three incoming all from shago Turner said shago must be the big guy with the small ears he seems to have the squad leaders roll they're not small Reacher said they're cropped what are his ears the girl told me she seen them up close you talk to her she initiated contact in the diner her why would she she thinks we're feds she's curious about what's happening on her street she thought we might give her the details where did she see the guy with the ears at the end of her driveway she really doesn't know what's happening not even about the paternity suit my name meant nothing to her clearly her mother hasn't told her about the affidavit she doesn't even know her mother is the lawyer's client she thinks it's one of her neighbors you shouldn't have talked to her I had no choice she sat herself at my table with a complete stranger she feels safe in the diner the counterman seems to look after her what was she like she's a nice kid yours she's the best candidate yet she's about as weird as me but I still don't recall a woman in Korea no not that last time Turner said cropped ears like little hexagons Reacher said I never heard of that me either Reacher took out his phone and dialed Edmunds it was 9:00 on the west coast which made it midnight on the East Coast but he was sure she would answer she was an idealist dial tone sounded seven times and then she picked up thick tonged like before and Reacher said got a pen Edmund said and paper I need you to check two more names with HRC almost certainly from the same logistics company at Fort Brag but I need confirmation the first is Jason Kenneth Ricard and the second is a guy called shago I don't know if that's his first or last name try to get some background on him apparently he has mutilated ears ears the things on the side of his head I spoke with major Sullivan earlier this evening the office of the secretary of the Army is pushing for a fast resolution of the Rodriguez issue dropping the charges would be pretty fast it's not going to happen that way okay leave it with me Reacher said he clicked off the call and put his phone in his pocket and went back to driving two-handed lurel Canyon Boulevard was a dumb name for the road they were on it was in Laurel Canyon for sure winding its narrow hilly way through a very desirable and picturesque neighborhood but it wasn't a Boulevard a Boulevard was a wide straight ceremonial thoroughfare often planted with rows of specimen trees or other formal Landscaping features from the old French bullwark meaning bull workk because that was where the idea came from a Boulevard was the landscape top of a rampart long wide and flat ideal for strolling then they came out on Ventura Boulevard which was not the same thing as the Ventura freeway but was at least wide and straight the Ventura freeway lay ahead and Universal City was to the right and Studio City was to the left Reacher said wait Turner said for what the big dogs lawyer was in Studio City right on Ventura Boulevard I remember from the affidavit maybe his locks and his alarm aren't so great either that's a big step Reacher that's a whole bunch of extra crimes right there let's at least go take a look I'll be an accessory you can have a veto Reacher said two thumbs on the button like a nuclear launch he turned left and rolled down the road then a phone rang a loud electronic Trill Like A demented Songbird not his phone and not Turners but ricards from the back seat next to his empty wallet 55 and squirmed around and picked up the phone it was trilling loud and vibrating in his hand the screen said incoming call which was Superfluous information given all the trilling and vibrating but it also said shago which was useful Reacher opened the phone and held it to his ear and said hello Reacher pulled over a voice said Ricard no Reacher said not rard silence Reacher said what were you thinking a bunch of warehousemen against the10th MP we're three for three it's like batting practice and you're all that's left and you're all alone now and you're next how does that even feel Reacher said but they shouldn't have put you in this position it was unfair I know that I know what Pentagon people are like I'm not unsympathetic I can help you out Reacher said tell me their names go straight back to brag and I'll leave you alone silence then a fast beep beep beep in the earpiece and call ended on the screen Reacher tossed the phone back on the rear seat and said I'll ask twice but I won't ask three they drove on and then Studio City came at them thick and fast the boulevard was lying with Enterprises some of them in buildings all their own some of them huddled together in strip malls like the place in North Hollywood with some of the buildings and some of the malls approached by shared Service Roads and others standing behind parking lots all their own numbers were hard to see because plenty of storefronts were dark they made two premature turns in and out of the wrong parking lots but they found the right place soon enough it was a lime green Mall five units long the Big Dog's lawyer was in the center unit except he wasn't the center unit was occupied by a tax preparer say obla espanol plus about a hundred other languages Turner said things change in 16 years people retire she said are you sure this is the right address you think I'm mistaken you could be forgiven thank you but I'm sure moved closer for a better look the style of the place was not cutting edge the signage and the messages and the boasts and the promises were all a little dated the lawyer had not retired recently there was a light on in back on a timer Turner said for security no one is in there it's winter Reacher said tax time is starting the guy is in there we could talk to him what about are you do a refund he forwards the old guy's mail at least maybe he even knows him maybe the old guy is still the landlord maybe the old guy died 10 years ago or moved to Wyoming only one way to find out Reacher said he stepped up and wrapped hard on the glass he said at this time of night it will work better if you do the talking is and he said shago tells me Reacher has ricard's phone and therefore also his gun I assume and he knows their warehousemen from Fort Brag Romeo said because of zad's Bio it was an easy connection to make we're down to the last man we're nearly defenseless shago is worth something against them we've lost three men are you worried of course I am we're losing do you have a suggestion it's time Juliet said we know Reacher Target we should give shago permission for a spell it looked like Turner was right and there was no one there just a light on a security timer but Reacher kept on knocking and eventually a guy stepped into view making shoing motions with his arms to which Reacher replied with beckoning motions of his own which produced a standoff the guy miming I don't do nighttime wkins and Reacher in like the kid in the movie that gets sent to the doctor's house in the middle of the night all come quickly old Jeb got buried alive in a pile of w9s and the guy cracked first he snorted in exasperation and set off stomping up his store's center aisle he undid the lock and opened the door he was a young Asian man early 30s maybe he was wearing gray pants and a red sweater vest he said what do you want Turner said to apologize interrupting you we know your time is valuable but we need 5 minutes of it for which we'd be happy to pay you $100 who are you technically at the moment we work for the government may I see ID but you want to pay me $100 only if you have material information on what subject the lawyer that had this place before you what about him Congress requires us to verify certain types of information a minimum of five separate ways and we've done four of them so we're hoping you can be number five tonight so we can all go home what type of information first of all we're required to ask purely as a formality do you have personal knowledge whether the subject of our inquiry is alive or dead yes I do and which is it alive good turn said that's just a baseline thing and all we need now is his full legal name and his current address you should have come to me first not fifth I forward his mail no we tackle the hard ones early makes the day go better downhill not up I'll write it down it has to be exact Reacher said you know what Congress is like if one guy puts Avenue and another guy puts a it's liable to get thrown out don't worry the guy said the lawyer's full legal name was Martin Mitchell Valentine and he hadn't moved to Wyoming his address was still Studio City Los Angeles California almost walking distance Turner's map showed it to be close to the Ventura end of Coldwater Canyon Drive maybe where the guy had lived all along in which case he had been a lousy lawyer the address was a garden apartment probably from the 1930s which was eight Decades of Decay it had been Dy long ago now it was desperate dark green Walls like slime and yellow light in the Turner said don't get your hopes up he might refuse to see us it's kind of late to come calling Reacher said his light is still on and he might not remember a thing about it it was 16 years ago then we no worse off unless he calls it tampering with a prosecution witness he should think of it as a deposition just don't be surprised if he throws us out he's a lonely old guy nothing he wants more than a couple of visitors Valentine neither threw them out nor looked happy to see them he just stood at his door rather passively as if a lot of his life had been spent opening his door late in the LA evening in response to Urgent demands he looked mediumsized and reasonably healthy and not much over 60 but he looked tired and he had a very lugubrious manner he had the look of a man who had taken on the world and lost he had a scar on his lip which Reacher guessed was not the result of a surgical procedure and behind him he had what Reacher took to be a wife she looked just as glum but less passive and more overtly hostile Reacher said we'd like to buy 15 minutes of your time Mr Ballentine how would a hundred bucks work for the guy said I no longer practice law I no longer have a license retired disbar for years ago it's an old case we want to talk about what's your interest in it we're making a movie how old is the case 16 years for a 100 bucks it's yours if you want it come in the guy said we'll see if I want it they all four crabbed down a narrow hallway and into a narrow living room which had better Furniture than Reacher expected as if the Valentines had downsized from a better place for years ago perhaps disbar maybe fined maybe sued maybe bankrupted Valentine said what if I can't remember you still get the money Reacher said as long as you make an honest effort what was the case 16 years ago you wrote an affidavit for a client named Juan Rodriguez also known as the big dog Valentine leaned forward all set to give it $100 worth of honest effort but he got there within about a buck and a quarter he sat back again he said the thing with the Army recognition in his voice and some kind of misery as if some bad thing had stirred and come back from the dead as if the thing with the Army had brought him nothing but trouble yes Reacher said the thing with the Army and your interest in it is what exactly you used my name where you had to fill in the blanks you're the guy Valentine said in my house haven't I suffered enough and his wife said get the hell out right now which apparently she meant because she kept on saying it loud and clear and venomous over and over again with heavy emphasis on the right now which in terms of tone and content Reacher took as clear evidence that consent had been withdrawn and that trespass had begun and he had promised Turner two thumbs on the nuclear button and he was a little mindful of the prosecution witness issue so he got the hell out right then with Turner about a foot behind him they walked back to the car and leaned on it and Turner said so it's all about the filing system system fingers crossed he said are you going to use Sullivan would you definitely she's senior and she's right there at Jag not stuck in HRC agreed Reacher said he took out his phone and called Edmunds 56 Edmonds picked up sleepy and a little impatient and Reacher said earlier tonight you told me major Sullivan told you the office of the secretary of the Army is pushing for a fast resolution of the Rodriguez issue and you've woken me up in the middle of the night to give me another witty response no I need you to find out exactly who delivered that message to Major Sullivan or at least which channel it came through thank you for thinking of me but shouldn't major Sullivan handle this direct she's going to be very busy doing something else this is very important captain and very urgent I need it done early so hit up everyone you know everywhere as early as you can while they're still on the treadmill or whatever it is people do in the morning Reacher patted his pockets and found Sullivan's personal cell number on the torn in half scratch Pad page that leech had given him he dialed and counted the ring tones she picked up after six which he thought was pretty good A light sleeper apparently she said hello this is Jack Reacher he said remember me how could I forget we need to talk about your situation later okay right now we have stuff to do right now it's the middle of the night either right now or as soon as possible depending on your level of access to what I just spoke with the lawyer who did the big dogs affidavit on the phone face to face that was completely inappropriate it was a very short conversation we left when requested major Turner is with me an officer of equal Rank and equal ability an independent witness she heard it too like a second opinion heard what does your legal archive have a computer search function of course it does so if I typed Reacher complaint against what what would I get exactly what you got basically the big dogs affidavit or similar is the search fast and reliable did you really wake me up in the middle of the night to talk about computers I need information the system is pretty fast not a very intuitive search protocol but it's capable of taking you straight to an individual document I mentioned the case to the lawyer and he remembered it immediately he called it the thing with the Army then he asked me what my interest was and I told him and he said haven't I suffered enough what did he mean by that you had to be there to hear it it was all in his tone of voice the big dog affidavit was not just a complaint he mailed in and forgot about it was not routine it was a thing it was a whole story with a beginning and a middle and an end and I'm guessing it was a bad end that's what we heard he made it sound like a negative episode in his life he was looking back on it with regret Reacher I'm a lawyer not a dialogue coach I need facts not the way people make things sound and I'm an interrogator and an interrogator learns plenty by listening he asked me what my interest was as if he was wondering what possible interest was there left to have hadn't all possible interests been exhausted years ago Reacher it's the middle of the night do you have a point hang in there it's not like you have anything else to do you won't get back to sleep now the point is then he said haven't I suffered enough and simultaneously his wife started yelling and screaming and throwing us out the door they're living in reduced circumstances and they're very unhappy about it and the big dog was a hot button like a defining event years ago with ongoing negative consequences that's the only way to make sense of the language so now I'm wondering whether this whole thing was actually litigated at the time all those years ago and maybe the lawyer got his butt kicked and maybe he got his first ethics violation which might have been the first step on a rocky road that terminated four years ago when he got disbarred such that neither he nor his wife can bear to hear about that case ever again because it was the start of all their troubles haven't I suffered enough as in I've had 16 years of hell because of that case and now you want to put me through it all again Reacher what are you smoking you didn't remember the case therefore you didn't litigate it or you'd remember it and if it was litigated 16 years ago to the point where the lawyer got his butt kicked why are they re litigating it now are they litigating it now I'm about to hang up what would happen if someone searched Reacher complaint against and ordered up the big dog affidavit and fed it into the system at unit level with a bit of smoke and mirrors about how serious it was Reacher said it would feel exactly like a legal case wouldn't it we'd assemble a file and we'd all start preparing and strategizing and we'd wait for a conference with the prosecutor and we'd hope our strategy survived it it Reacher said have you had a conference with the prosecutor Sullivan said no maybe there is no prosecutor maybe this is a one-sided illusion designed to work for one minute only as in I was supposed to see your file and run like hell it can't be an illusion I'm getting pressure from the secretary's office says who maybe you're getting messages but you don't really know where they're coming from do you even know the big dog is dead have you seen a death certificate this is crazy talk maybe but humor me suppose it really was litigated 16 years ago without my knowledge perhaps one of hundreds with a specimen case involving some other guy but I was in The Supporting Cast like class action maybe they started some aggressive new policy against ambulance Chasers with which might account for the guy getting his but kicked so bad what kind of paperwork would we have seen if it really was litigated a lot of paperwork you don't want to know so if I searched Reacher defense against complaint what would I find eventually you'd find everything they tagged as defense material I suppose hundreds of pages probably in a big case is it like shopping on a website does it link from one thing to another no I told you it's a clunky old thing it was designed by people over 30 this is the Army don't forget okay so if I was worried about a guy called Reacher and I wanted to scare him away and I was in a big hurry I could search the archive for Reacher complaint against and I could find the Big Dog's affidavit and I could put it back in circulation while being completely unaware it was only a small part of a much bigger file because of the way the search function works is that correct hypothetically which is your job starting right now you have to test the hypothesis see if you can find any trace of a bigger file search under all the tags you can think of they got in the car and drove East on the freeway back to Vinland Avenue and then South past the girl's neighborhood to the coach Diner she was gone in inevitably and so was the blonde waitress and so were all the other dinnertime customers Rush Hour was definitely over late evening had started there were three men in separate booths drinking coffee and there was a woman eating pie the brunette waitress was talking to the counter man Reacher and Turner stood at the door and the waitress broke away and greeted them and Reacher said I'm sorry but I had to run before there was an emergency I didn't pay for my cup of coffee the waitress said it was taken care of who bu not the kid I hope that wouldn't be right it was taken care of the woman said again it's all good the counter man said Arthur he was wiping his counter how much is a cup of coffee Reacher asked him two bucks and a penny the guy said with tax good to know Reacher said he dug out two bills and a loone scent and he put them on the counter and he said to return the favor to whoever it was very much appreciated what goes around comes around okay the guy said he left the money where it was she told me she came in often Samantha the kid the guy nodded she's pretty much a regular tell her I was sorry I had to run I don't want her to think I was rude she's a kid what do you care she thinks I work for the government I don't want to give her a negative impression she's a bright girl public service is something she could think about who do you work for really the government Reacher said but not the part she guessed how long have you known her longer than I've known you so if there's a choice between her privacy and your questions I guess I'm going to go with her privacy I understand Reacher said I would expect nothing less but would you tell her one more thing for me which would be what tell her to remember what I said about the hexagons the hexagons the little hexagons Reacher said tell her it's important they got back in the car and they started it up but they didn't go any anywhere they sat in the diner's lot their faces lit up pink and blue by the art deco neon and Turner said do you think she's safe Reacher said she's got the 75th MP and the FBI staring at her bedroom window all night long both of them specifically on the alert for an intruder which they expect to be me except it won't be because I'm not going there and neither is shago in my opinion because he knows what I know neither one of us could get in that house tonight so yes I think she's safe almost by accident then we should go find ourselves a place to stay got a preference you're the co I'd like to go to the Four Seasons but we should keep radio silence on the credit cards as far as our overnight location is concerned so it's cash only which means Motels Only which means we should go back to that hot sheets place in Burbank where we met Emily the hooker all part of the authentic experience like driving a car on mohall and drive or shooting a man on moh Hall and drive that's in the movies too you okay she said if I have a problem you'll be the first to know the motel was certainly authentic it had a wire Grill over the reception window and cash was all it took the room looked like it should feel cold and damp but it was in Los Angeles where nothing was cold and damp instead it felt brittle and papery as if it had been baked too long but it was functional and not far from comfortable the car was parked five rooms away no place else to hide it but safe enough even if shago saw it he would watch the room in front of it and then he would break in and find the wrong people and assume the car was one step to the side of where it should have been but left or right was a 50/50 chance which meant if he called it wrong he would have committed three separate burglaries before he even laid eyes on the Target and suppos the car was Two Steps from where it should have been how many rooms was that his head would explode long before he got to Five Steps his tiny ears would ping off into the far distance like shrapnel Reacher figured he had about 4 hours to sleep he was sure Edmunds was busting a gut in Virginia on East Coast time gathering information so she could call early and wake him up 57 came in at 2: in the morning local time which was 5:00 Eastern Reacher and Turner both woke up Reacher put the open phone between their pillows and they rolled over forehead to forehead so they could both hear Edmund said you asked me earlier about Jason Kenneth Ricard and a guy called shrago got a pen Edmund's first call Reacher said no then listen carefully there the same as the first two they're all deployed with the same company at Fort Brag three teams to a squad and they're a team what that means exactly I don't know possibly this is skilled work and they learn to rely on each other and to keep their Mutual Secrets Reacher said tell me about shago as run shago staff sergeant and team leader 36 years old Hungarian grandparents he's been in the unit since the start of the war he was in and out of Afghanistan for 5 years and since then he's been based at home exclusively what's up with his ears he was captured in North Carolina or Afghanistan by the Taliban he was gone 3 days why didn't they cut his head off probably for the same reason we didn't shoot emal zadin they have politicians too 5 years a ago they gave him a permanent Billet at home after that and he hasn't been back to Afghanistan since Reacher closed the phone and Turner said I don't like that at all why would he sell arms to the people who cut his ears off he doesn't make the deals he's just a cog and a machine they don't care what he thinks they want his muscle not his opinions we should offer him immunity we could turn him on a dime he beat morcroft half to death I said offer not give we could stab him in the back afterwards so call him and make the pitch he's still on speed dial in ricard's phone Turner got up and found the right cell and got back in bed and dialed but the phone company told her the number she wanted was blocking her calls officient she said they're cleaning house as they go minute by minute no more Mr Ricard or balachi or Lozano all consigned to history will manage without sho's input Reacher said we'll figure it out maybe in a dream about 5 minutes from now she smiled and said okay good night again is and he said shago has located their car it's at a motel south of the Burbank Airport Romeo said but shago feels it's likely not in in front of the right room as a basic security measure he'd have to check 10 or a dozen and he feels he won't get away with that one or two maybe but no more and there's no point in disabling the car because they'd only rent another on one of our own credit cards can't he get to the girl not before she leaves the house again it's buttoned up tight Romeo said there's activity in the legal archive alone user with Jag access searching for something which is unusual at this time of night Captain Edmonds no she's in the HRC system she just took a good look at Ricard and shago about an hour ago they're closing in on shago perhaps but not on us there's no direct link the link is through zadin it's like a neon sign so tell sh to get out of Burbank tell him to wait on the girl tell him we're counting on him and tell him this mess has to be cleaned up first thing in the morning whatever it takes Edmund's second call came at 5: in the morning local time which was 8 in the East Reacher and Turner did the forehead to forhead thing again and Edmund said okay here's an update treadmill time is over and office hours are yet to begin so all I have is rumor and gossip but but in DC that's usually more accurate than anything else I spoke to eight people either in or associated with the office of the secretary Rodriguez or one Rodriguez or dog or big dog is ringing no Bells no one recognizes the name no one is aware of an act of case no one has passed a message to Major Sullivan and no one is aware of a senior officer doing so interesting but not definitive eight people is a small sample and the feeling is a 16-year-old embarrassment wouldn't be given much bandwidth we'll know more in an hour when everyone is back in the office thank you Captain sleeping well we're in a motel that rents by the hour we're getting our money's worth was Ezra shago offered counseling after the thing with his ears in Afghanistan psychiatric notes are eyes only but I'm sure you read them anyway he was offered counseling and he accepted which was considered unusual most people seem to do it the Army way which is to bottle it up until they collapse with a nervous breakdown but shago was a willing patient as of three years after the incident he still retained strong feelings of anger resentment humiliation and hatred the home deployment was preemptive just as much as therapeutic the feeling was he couldn't be trusted among the native population he was an atrocity waiting to happen the notes say he hates the Taliban with a passion afterwards Turner said now I really don't like it why would he sell weapons to people he hates he's a cog Reacher said again he lives in North Carolina he hasn't seen a rag head in 5 years he gets paid a lot of money but he's participating he's disassociating out of sight out of mind Reacher left the phone where it was between their pillows and they went back to sleep but not for long Edmunds called for a third time 40 minutes later at A4 to 6: in the morning local time she said just for fun I went back through the Fort Brag deployments because I wanted to see how long they had all served together as a quartet shago was in at the beginning as I said and then came Ricard and then Lozano and then balachi was the last in which was four years ago and they 've been together ever since which makes them the oldest team in the unit by a big margin they've had plenty of time to get to know each other but that's not the real point the real point is for years ago that unit had a temporary Commander the previous guy fell down Dead with a heart attack it was the temporary commander who put sho's team together and guess who he was Morgan Reacher said you got it in one he was a major then he got his promotion soon after that for no very obvious reason his file is pretty thin you could read it as a cure for insomnia I'll bear that in mind but right now I sleep fine apart from getting woken up by the phone likewise Edmund said Reacher asked who sent Morgan to brag four years ago who tells a guy like that where to go I'm working on that now teacher left the phone where it was and they went back to sleep they got a final half hour and then the fourth call of the morning came in at a quarter after 6 local time and it came direct from major Sullivan at Jag she said I just spent 3 hours in the archive and I'm afraid your theory is a little off the mark the Big Dog's claim was not litigated 16 years ago nor has it been at any time since okay he said understood thank for trying now do you want the good news it wasn't litigated but it was investigated very thoroughly it was a fraud from beginning to end 58 Sullivan said someone really went to bat for you you must have been very well respected major it wasn't a class action thing there was no new policy regarding ambulance Chasers this was all about you someone wanted to clear your name the heart hard work was done by a captain from the 135th MP name of Granger a Man based on the west coast Don Granger never heard of him all his notes were copied to an mp2 star name of Garber Leon Garber Reacher said he was my Rabbi more or less I owe him a lot even more than I thought clearly I guess so he must have driven the whole thing and you must have been his blue-eyed boy because this was one hell of a full court press but you o Granger too he worked his butt off for you and he saw something everyone else missed what was the story you guys generate a lot of complaints your Branch's standard operating procedures play dumb and hope they go away which they often do but if they don't then they're defended with historically mixed results that's how it went for many years then the ones that went away started to cause a problem ironically you all had old and proven allegations on file most of them were obvious [ __ ] quite rightly ignored but some were marginal and promotions boards saw them and they started wondering about smoke without fire and people weren't getting ahead and it became an issue and the Big Dog's complaint was worse than most I guess General Garber felt it was too toxic to ignore even if it might have gone away by itself he didn't want to leave it sitting there on the record it was way too smoky he could have asked me about it direct Granger asked him why he didn't and what was the answer Garber thought you might have done it but he didn't want to hear it direct he thought you might have gotten upset at the thought of saws on the streets of Los Angeles which you got and he didn't really see how else you could have gotten it he didn't talk to me afterwards either he was afraid you'd stop by and put a bullet in the lawyer's head I might have then Garber was a wise man his strategy was Immaculate he put Granger on it and the first thing Granger didn't like was the big dog and the second thing he didn't like was the lawyer but there were no cracks anywhere and he knew you had been with the guy moments before he was beaten and the affidavit was what it was so he was stuck he came up with the same thing you did which was some other dude did it or dudes maybe a delegation sent over by a disgruntled customer which in that context meant a gang either Latino like Rodriguez or black but he didn't make any progress on his own so next he went to the LAPD but the cops had nothing to offer either which Granger didn't necessarily regard as definitive because at the relevant time the cops had been up to their eyes in racial sensitivity issues like the LAPD often was back then and they were nervous about discussing gangs with a stranger in case the stranger was really a journalist who believed gang issues were code words for racial insensitivity so Granger went back to the gang idea on his own and he checked the record for who had been armed and dangerous at the time as a kind of starting point and he found no one had been armed and dangerous at the time there was a 72-hour period without a single gang crime reported anywhere so initially Granger concluded gangs were on the way in LA and he better look elsewhere but he had no luck and Garber was ready to pull him out then Granger saw what he was missing from her pillow Turner said the 72-hour Hiatus was because the LAPD trashed all the gang crime reports probably on the advice of their PR people not because nothing was happening correct major Sullivan said but the patrolman's notebook still had all the detail Granger got some Lieutenant backed up in a corner and the true story came out which was bizarre about 20 minutes after Reacher left five black guys from El Segundo showed up and started beating the big dog in his own front yard a neighbor called it in and the LAPD showed up and they witnessed about a minute of the beating and then they got themselves in gear and arrested the guys from elag gundo and it was the patrolmen themselves who took the big dog to the hospital but there had been a degree of excessive force in the arrests and a number of serious injuries so the report was reviewed and then word came down to bury anything that wasn't totally kosher and the precinct captains aired on the side of caution and they buried everything or maybe it wasn't caution maybe there was nothing kosher Reacher said so I'm in an affidavit for a beating but the LAPD actually saw someone else doing it Granger got photoc copies of their note books they're all in our archives that's some balls a lawyer the big dog found worse than you think plan a was jump on the bandwagon and Sue the LAPD itself why not everyone else was Granger was snooping the lawyer's office one night on Ventura Boulevard and he found a draft affidavit identical to yours except it had the LAPD all over it instead of you but ironically That Couldn't fly because the LAPD could prove for a fact it hadn't been in the neighborhood that day because all its records were doctored so as soon as that little wrinkle sunk in the lawyer switched to plan B which was the Army which is of course fraudulent and criminal but the reasoning was very solid ever afterwards the LAPD could never admit they trashed crime reports for political convenience so the lawyer was guaranteed absolute Silence from that direction and the big dog wanted a big payday and the guys from El Segundo had no traceable assets so Uncle Sam was the next best thing how did Granger wrap it up he had to thread the needle because he didn't want to embarrass the LAPD in public but he knew a Jag guy who knew a guy in the bar association and between them they put some professional hurt on the lawyer Granger made him write out another affidavit swearing the first one was fraudulent which he personally witnessed and which by the way is still in the archive one slot away from where the phony one was and then Granger split the lawyer's lip he put that in the archive too apparently he was defending himself against an unprovoked attack that can happen how is Colonel morcroft doing he's out of danger but not good give him my best if you get the chance and thanks for your efforts tonight Sullivan said I owe you an apology major Reacher said no you don't thank you but you still owe me th e e e e