“First time for the lady. I’ve driven Randall around before. And Mrs. Randall had her ‘designer’ come out and oversee the work. So I took the designer lady out too. She was nice. Nothing like her boss.”
“What do you think about the whole luxury bunker thing?”
“Hell, it’s their money. If they want to do it, more power to ’em. My take, though, is that if things are so bad they got to run off to some nuke-proof bunker, they’re going to be living there the rest of their lives because what happened up top has got to be way past fixing, right?”
“One would think.”
Page had raised his hand for another beer when Reel thought of it.
“What do you mean you’ve driven Randall around before? I thought that was the first time they’ve been to the bunker.”
“It was, at least as far as I know.”
“So where else did you take him?”
“Oh, that. Well, he would jet in to another private strip about an hour from here. I’d pick him up and take him to a cabin. Sometimes he’d have some buddies with him.”
“Where exactly is the cabin?”
“I got it on the GPS in my limo. Bluff Point Road. It’s pretty far as the crow flies.”
“What did they fly in to do?”
“Don’t know. Not my place to ask. Then a couple days later I’d take ’em back to the jet.”
“A couple of days? What could they do in a couple of days?”
“Beats me.”
“How many times did you do this?”
“Maybe a half dozen. Maybe more.”
“Did they bring anything with them?”
“Some duffels. Maybe they were fishing.”
“He didn’t strike me as the fishing type.”
“Don’t know what to tell you.”
“These buddies? What were they like?”
He grinned at her. “Hey, now, why the third degree?”
“I’m here trying to find someone. And Randall is an asshole. Wouldn’t it be great if I could pin something on him?”
Page’s eyes lighted up. “Damn, wouldn’t it?”
“So the other guys?”
Page thought about this for a moment. “They weren’t like him. I mean he’s a big, strong guy but he’s soft too. I mean you can just tell. Punch him in the nose and he’ll go crying to his momma. These guys, well, they were serious dudes, if you get my drift. They didn’t talk much. But I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of them either. I’m not even sure they were American.” He glanced at her again. “Why, you really think Randall is up to something?”
“If he is, I’ll be sure to send him your best right after I bust him.”
Page lifted his glass. “Amen to that.”
Reel walked out.
Chapter
53
CHICKEN.
As a teenager Robie had played the game on the narrow back roads of coastal Mississippi.
As a man he had played the same game on five continents.
He was about to do it again. But in a slightly different way.
As a teenager he had used a car when playing the game.
As a man he had used mostly guns as his weapon of choice when doing so.
Tonight, he would use both.
As another shot rang out and missed his vehicle completely, Robie looked down at his speedometer. He was clocking seventy. He punched the gas and clicked that quickly up to ninety. Then he was at triple digits.
He checked his rearview.
The car had mirrored his acceleration.
Robie pushed the gas down even more.
One-ten came and went.
The truck had a monster V-8 power plant, but it was not designed to go that fast on slicked roads.
Robie knew this. And he also knew he was going to push it even more.
He clicked up to one-fifteen. There wasn’t much room for the speedometer arrow to go farther.
The car behind him did the same. And they were no longer shooting at him. No doubt they were too busy white-knuckling their seats while going this fast in a storm.
Robie made sure his seat belt was secure. He checked the mirror one more time.
Then he crushed the brakes.
Smoke blew out from the rear tires as he laid rubber down the road.
He kept his hands firmly on the wheel. When the truck started to shake and edge to the right, he guided it back to the center with slight maneuvers of the wheel.
He didn’t brace himself.
He relaxed.
He looked in the mirror.
The car had gone out of control as it sharply decelerated. It had turned to the left, but its forward momentum was carrying it right toward the truck.
Three…two…one.
Robie smoothly steered the truck to the left, and the out-of-control car flew past him on the right. He could see the panicked faces of the three men inside as it sailed by. And then it rolled twice before coming to rest back on its wheels.
Robie slowed, then stopped and slammed the truck into park. He ripped off the seat belt and came out of the truck charging forward with his pistol aimed directly at the driver. Robie’s laser sight was on the man’s chest.
The second man was in the passenger seat, and the third in the rear. They all looked knocked out amid a sea of deployed air bags.
As he approached, Robie recognized one of them in the illumination of his truck lights.
He’d seen him at Dolph’s compound.
He hoped one of them was still alive. He needed information.
Robie pulled open the driver’s door, pushed aside the air bag, and checked the man’s pulse.
Dead.
He pulled open the rear door and did the same to the man slumped over there.
He had a pulse.
Robie slapped him in the face. The man groaned. Robie slapped him even harder.
The man’s eyes slowly opened.
Robie gripped the man’s chin and pointed it upward so he was looking directly at Robie.
“Where is Dolph?” he asked.
The man’s head listed to one side. Robie pulled him back up straight.
“Dolph!”
The man shook his head.
In the front passenger seat the man there stirred and caught sight of Robie in the rearview. His hand slowly went down to his gun.
“Dolph!” said Robie again.
“I…I don’t…”
Robie shook the other man. “Where is Dolph?”