“Facts about something that was important to him.”
“You think this has to do with Vector taking over London AFS?” said Robie.
“If you asked me that yesterday I would have said maybe. But I don’t think Purdy was aware it was going to become a prison.”
“We thought you might have figured that out,” said Robie.
“Purdy was transferred out before any of that happened. He was upset about the transfer, his mother said, but he didn’t know the details of what was coming in to replace him and the others. Vector apparently wasn’t on the scene yet, and without them around there weren’t going to be any prisoners sent there.”
Jamison said, “So it seems clear that the time bomb Purdy mentioned doesn’t involve the prison.”
“Little town for so many big things to be happening,” commented Reel.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” remarked Jamison.
Robie said, “The guys we took care of back there looked just like the ones who tried to ambush me the other night.”
“We figured you were involved in all that,” said Decker.
Robie glanced at Reel. “But for my partner here, they would have had to send someone else to take my place.”
Reel said, “We all do our part.”
Robie continued, “They’re clearly mercenaries. And there are a shitload of them out for hire. Anyone with enough money can have their pick of some very serious people.”
“But again, why London, North Dakota, for all the attention?” said Jamison.
“Time bomb,” said Decker as he glanced down at the printed pages Robie had handed back to him. “And apparently these folks want to make damn sure it goes off.”
* * *
The knock came on Decker’s door about an hour after they got back to London.
Considering what had happened to them, Decker answered the door with his Glock in hand.
It was Robie. “Got a minute?” he asked.
They sat in two chairs facing each other. Robie looked grim.
“I take it you have bad news,” said Decker.
“They got to Beverly Purdy. She’s dead.”
Decker sat back and slowly absorbed this not-so-surprising news. What else could they do? They had no idea what Ben had told his mother, or him and Jamison. It was surprising that they hadn’t killed her before. But then there was a simple answer to that.
“So when we went there we signed her death warrant?” said Decker. “They obviously followed us out there.”
“I doubt it would have mattered,” said Robie. “She was a loose end. They would have gotten to her at some point.”
Decker stood and looked out the window into the darkness. “I’m a cop, Robie. And right now I feel like I’m in the middle of a James Bond film. I have no experience with shit like this.”
Robie didn’t respond right away, but when he did it was in a calm, judicious tone.
“The world hasn’t gotten safer over time, Decker. It’s just gotten more complicated. Humans are still in control and humans do bad things all the time. We had the Cold War with nukes, and now we have hot spots all over with people slaughtering other people and dictators rising up again because democracy seems stalemated and nothing gets done and people get fed up. But a dictator doesn’t needsupporters, he just needsfollowers. And the best way to make people follow, at least in the eyes of guys like that, is to give them no choice in the matter.”
Decker sat back down. “Thanks for the geopolitical education, but it still doesn’t get us where we need to go.”
“Jessica Reel and I are here to help you. Our strengths are in protection, and inremovingpeople in the most efficient way possible.”