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“He is something of an attention getter when he wants to be” I responded. “At least you’ll have early warning.”
“And a round chambered” she continued.
“If you do decide to claim his body, find a lawyer who owns more weapons than the National Guard and have them make the claim for you. A really smart one should be able to keep your name out of the news or at least off the first few reporters for you. Have to run. You take care.”
“Kill em all Ra.” Click.
I removed the battery and walked downstairs after making another journal entry.
***** Journal entry 5
A Cup of Rain
Oh for a cup of rain
I’ve been walking in what should not be a desert for days
Oh for a cup of rain
The crops for miles are rolled, withered and scorched
Oh for a cup of rain
The grass beneath my shoes pierces the soles like needles then crumbles
Oh for a cup of rain
I’ve heard thunder each morning and again at night and never felt a drop
Oh for a cup of rain
The soul goes dry and won’t last a night without a cup of rain.
***** End journal entry 5
“We should probably talk in the kitchen” I told the group as I met them in the living room.
“Kind of comfy here” said Giant.
“What I have to say will make you spill and Henry will have to have cleaners in to get at the stain before it sets” I answered and walked to the kitchen without looking to see if anyone followed. I got a large water glass, filled it with ice and cracked open a bottle of Chardonnay while I waited for them to drag their behinds to the kitchen. Truth be told, if they weren’t to the kitchen by the time I finished pouring I was just going to leave them all to their fates. They started to trickle in and I heard a toilet flush somewhere in the distance.
Sitting on the bar stools on the other side of the high counter they all looked at me, waiting for the bad news.
“Somebody piggy backed a legitimate OP to kill us” I stated bluntly. “Dimitri’s people hired all of us, including Badger, to come here and retrieve something for them. The Acrobats were brought in because they think it is hidden in some place which might require their talents to reach. Badger was here to provide both interrogation and muscle. Henry is supposed to provide a special meal to the leader of the crew once we have eliminated the rest of the crew and obtained the item or items in question. Actually, that’s not true. The timing part. We will have to check our phones and files for the order of the meal.”
“Why don’t you take another drink and try saying that in a manner which makes sense?” offered Henry.
“What? Oh. No. That’s not all of it. Just a condensed version of the side I got from Dimitri” I answered. “He knew that bar was yours by the way, just not the first few times he ate there.”
“I told you, he’s already dead, just hasn’t stopped breathing yet” Henry answered.
“The Acrobats didn’t know though. They are a wee bit behind on things and we all need to have the same number of pages, not just be on the same page. I also brought back a thumb drive we need to go through.”
“Here’s the short sketch of what I know. The watcher is part of a six person team. They pilfered the core of Dimitri’s peoples operational information. Accounts, operatives, weapons caches, etc. They have everything they need to set up their own shop using assets from Dimitri’s company without the company catching on, at least for a while.”
“Dimitri’s people want to turn the leader of the group into theater, which is Henry’s task. Badger and I were supposed to interrogate the individuals in a timely manner. Find out what they did with this data, then have the Acrobats retrieve it. The leader would have to live to become theater, but, everyone else is supposed to die.”
“So we will be going back near that house” spoke Giant.
“Soon” I answered. “Henry needs to find us a basement with a drain, preferably no windows but with functioning electric lights and running water.”
“Can’t be done here. New Orleans is a bushel basket below sea level. All sewage is pumped. Any basement which exists will have some kind of window for ventilation” answered Henry. “If there is such a place it will be across the bridge, way out of town where land is above sea and river level.”
“You need the drain for . . .” started Giant.
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