“I’m aware of that. I believe we can retrieve most, if not all of your possessions, given time. If not, I’ll agree to pay half your losses. I cannot and will not assume full responsibility.”
Yost might have argued, but he considered himself a fair man in business. The detection, and the resulting losses, were partially his fault. Though he had yet to determine where and when he’d made mistakes.
“Agreed. Since your transmission this morning was timely, and your pied-à-terre quite adequate for my temporary needs. Do I proceed on schedule?”
“You do. Hit the next target tomorrow.”
“That’s your decision.” Yost sipped his after-lunch coffee. “At this point, however, I feel obliged to tell you I intend to dispose of Lieutenant Dallas in my own time and fashion. She’s inconvenienced me, and beyond that, she’s come too close.”
“I’m not paying you for Dallas.”
“Oh no, this is a bonus.”
“I told you from the beginning why she wasn’t chosen for this project. Hit her, and Roarke will never stop hunting. Just keep her busy otherwise until the job is completed.”
“As I said, Dallas is for me. In my time and in my way. You aren’t contracting for her, therefore you aren’t involved and have no say in the matter. I’ll complete your contract.”
On the table, over the spotless white linen, Yost’s fist bunched and began to pound, softly, rhythmically. “She owes me, and she will pay. Consider this: With her death, Roarke will only be more distracted and make your job that much easier.”
“She is not your target.”
“I know my target.” The pounding increased until he caught himself, flexed his big hand. No, he realized with some annoyance, he wasn’t as mellow as he’d believed. There was a terrible anger inside him. And something he hadn’t felt in so long he’d forgotten the taste of it.
Fear.
“He’ll be terminated tomorrow, on schedule. And there won’t be any cause for concern about Roarke hunting either of us after I deal with the cop. I intend to eliminate him. For that, you will pay.”
“You succeed with deleting Roarke within the time agreed upon in our addendum, you’ll collect your fee. When have I ever failed to pay off a contract?”
“Then, were I you, I’d begin making arrangements to transfer funds.”
He cut transmission abruptly, pushed from the table, paced. When he felt the worst of the rage ebbing, he made himself go upstairs, into the attractive office where he’d set up his portables.
Sitting, ordering his mind to clear, he brought up the public data on Eve. And for some time he sat, studying her image and her information.
chapter fifteen
Roarke didn’t quite make it to Eve’s office. He found her down the corridor, in front of one of the vending machines. She and the machine appeared to be in the middle of a vicious argument.
“I put the proper credits in, you blood-sucking, money-grubbing son of a bitch.” Eve punctuated this by slamming her fist where the machine’s heart would be, if it had one.
ANY ATTEMPT TO VANDALIZE, DEFACE, OR DAMAGE THIS UNIT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The machine spoke in a prissy, singsong voice Roarke was certain was sending his wife’s blood pressure through the roof.
THIS UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH SCANEYE, AND HAS RECORDED YOUR BADGE NUMBER. DALLAS, LIEUTENANT EVE. PLEASE INSERT PROPER CREDIT, IN COIN OR CREDIT CODE, FOR YOUR SELECTION. AND REFRAIN FROM ATTEMPTING TO VANDALIZE, DEFACE, OR DAMAGE THIS UNIT.
“Okay, I’ll stop attempting to vandalize, deface, or damage you, you electronic street thief. I’ll just do it.”
She swung back her right foot, which Roarke had cause to know could deliver a paralyzing kick from a standing position. But before she could follow through he stepped up and nudged her off balance.
“Please, allow me, Lieutenant.”
“Don’t put any more credits in that thieving bastard,” she began, then hissed when Roarke did just that.
“Candy bar, I assume. Did you have any lunch?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know it’s just going to keep stealing if people like you pander to it.”