"What do you think they did with Silvera?" Tonio said, scratching at his several-days'-old growth of thick black beard. Both he and Jimmy were dressed as common laborers.
"Could be they've taken him into custody and turned him over to other agents, maybe even clocked him out," said Jimmy. "Could be he's dead."
"That one chest seems pretty heavy," Tonio said. "What do you think they've got in there?"
Both men exchanged quick glances.
"This is really stupid," Jimmy said, beginning to test the waters. "There's absolutely no good reason to kill those two."
"Boss's orders," Tonio said. "Besides, they got Silvera. One way or another," he added, a bit more softly.
"So they got Silvera," Jimmy said. "Silvera screwed up. He never should've taken out that agent."
"He was the opposition," Tonio said.
"Christ, use your brain," said Jimmy. "They've probably got agents crawling over half of Paris; you really believe we can take them all on? What's the point? The only thing that matters is the plan and they have no idea what it is."
"Yeah, but maybe they can guess," said Tonio.
"Maybe, but I doubt it. Even if they do, so what? Stopping it won't be so easy. Even if they do stop it, we've still got the plate. We cut and run and start all over in another period. And this time, there won't be any infiltrators to tell them where we are."
"That bastard never had a chance to-"
"How else could they have found out about it? He must have lived long enough to leave a message."
"C'mon, Taylor left him with his guts all over the goddamn floor," said Tonio.
"Maybe that's just the point," said Jimmy. "Taylor didn't finish the job."
"Yeah, maybe."
"He thinks an agent known as Mongoose may be running the TIA operation," Jimmy said.
"Yeah? So?"
"The way I understand it, Taylor's got a pretty heavy grudge against him. It just makes me a little nervous, that's all. Taylor seems to want to get his hands on that guy pretty badly."
"You saying Taylor might be putting his vendetta or whatever ahead of the operation?"
"I don't know. Is that what I said?"
"No, not exactly. It's what you're not saying that interests me. Ever since that sex-change operation, he's been acting pretty strange."
"You noticed."
"Don't pussyfoot with me, son. Say what's on your mind."
"How long have you known Taylor?"
"Not as long as you."
"How do you feel about him?"
"What do you say we cut through all this crap?" said Tonio. "Either you level with me or you don't; make up your fucking mind."
"I think you know what I'm getting at."
"Yeah, but I want to hear you say it."