[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
your own."
Guerrero frowned; it was something she rarely saw. "He had a brush with disaster; anyone w
be exhausted," he explained, watching carefully to assess her response. "Under
circumstances "
"Under any circumstances, Hakim is your superior. In every way. Believe what you like, Be
but pay service to that idea in his pres-ence. Always."
From a camp chair near the window, Chaim: "More than with your training instructor
El-Hamma, Guerrero. I know him: before he would accept your insolence, he would accept y
resignation." Chaim Mardor flicked the safety back and forth on the weapon across his kn
Guerrero heard, not taking his gaze from Talith. He nodded. It was unnecessary to state that no
resigned from Fat'ah while he was still breathing.
"I must go. I want to go," she corrected herself quickly, and disappeared into the glo
Guer-rero stared after her, then began to detach another clipping for Hakim. He was smiling.
Hakim lay in his bed awaiting the girl. He had read the latino's implied criticism, but would ab
it for now. He could not afford to waste Guerrero. Yet.
MONDAY, 10 NOVEMBER, 1980:
As Hakim awaited the girl, Maurice Everett's evening had hardly begun in Colorado Springs
selected a fresh log from the bin and thrust it into his fireplace, holding it with two fingers li
rolled newspaper.
"It'll catch," David Engels grinned from his chair, waving the mug lazily. "Sit down, Maury, yo
nervous as a bridegroom. Forget she's coming."
"I'd like to," Everett said, dusting his hands. He reached for a poker, then realized it was m
makework, more fuel for Engels whose amuse-ment was beginning to grate on the nerves. "S
more rum in your toddy?"
"I'm fine." Engels placed a hand over the bev-erage. At times of stress, he knew, Everett d
sparingly but wanted everybody else drunk as lords. "It's Vercours you should be plying
booze. I'd rather you did it tonight, out of your own pocket, than later with contingency funds."
"That raises a nice question, Dave. I'm grate-ful, and I won't ask what contingency funds th
are "
"Wouldn't tell you anyhow."
" But who decides when I need Vercours? Let's assume my intuition's screwed up, and it w
out so well I use her for every public appearance. That's twenty times a year."
"Fifty thou? Pretty steep," Engels replied. "I'd probably palm you off on a bureau man; ma
switch 'em around."
"So you do decide." He saw the Engels fea-tures become opaque and knew that he was r
"Well then, why didn't you suggest that to begin with?"
"I told you on the phone, and I told you today, and for the last time I'm telling you: if a female
handle this work, she's better. She raises fewer suspicions. The Secret Service used to m
bodyguards obvious on the theory that it'd put a case of the shakes on the assassin. But for som
these fanatics it just shows 'em in which direction to start the spray of lead."
"Or at least that's the current theory."
"All God's chillun got theories," said Engels, and sipped. "If you don't like ours, pick ano
one."
"And fund it myself."
Engels winked: "You got it. Look, Maury, I can't locate any bureau women who'd be as availa
Besides," he went on, ticking off details on his fingers, "Vercours takes it seriously. She's b
taking lessons in defensive driving at Riverside. And Wally Conklin likes the ENG coverage
does on him. She even tapes his speeches. What more could you ask? I'll tell you one thing s
Wally Conklin isn't going to be singing any hosannas over your hiring her away."
"Your hiring her away!"
One eye closed in an outre horsewink: "If you won't tell, I won't tell."
Everett's laugh rattled crockery in the next room. "Okay, you bastard: so you foot the bills a
take the heat. And what'd you say about Vercours and defensive driving? What doesn't she do?"
"She doesn't do-wacka-doo, if that's what you mean," Engels said archly. "Not with our like
least. Think of Gina Vercours as one of the boys."
"But she might run off with my secretary?"
"Doubtful. Wouldn't be good business, and Vercours sounds like all business on the phone.
picked the time tonight "
The door chime echoed. Everett stood up too quickly, then forced himself to move toward
door as though relaxed. He told himself that it was not lack of self-confidence. It was simply tha
did not know how to behave with most women, never had, which was why his early marriage
failed early. He was ill at ease because all right, then, it was lack of self-confidence with wom
While traversing his carpet, Maurice Everett had made a valuable dis-covery. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
your own."
Guerrero frowned; it was something she rarely saw. "He had a brush with disaster; anyone w
be exhausted," he explained, watching carefully to assess her response. "Under
circumstances "
"Under any circumstances, Hakim is your superior. In every way. Believe what you like, Be
but pay service to that idea in his pres-ence. Always."
From a camp chair near the window, Chaim: "More than with your training instructor
El-Hamma, Guerrero. I know him: before he would accept your insolence, he would accept y
resignation." Chaim Mardor flicked the safety back and forth on the weapon across his kn
Guerrero heard, not taking his gaze from Talith. He nodded. It was unnecessary to state that no
resigned from Fat'ah while he was still breathing.
"I must go. I want to go," she corrected herself quickly, and disappeared into the glo
Guer-rero stared after her, then began to detach another clipping for Hakim. He was smiling.
Hakim lay in his bed awaiting the girl. He had read the latino's implied criticism, but would ab
it for now. He could not afford to waste Guerrero. Yet.
MONDAY, 10 NOVEMBER, 1980:
As Hakim awaited the girl, Maurice Everett's evening had hardly begun in Colorado Springs
selected a fresh log from the bin and thrust it into his fireplace, holding it with two fingers li
rolled newspaper.
"It'll catch," David Engels grinned from his chair, waving the mug lazily. "Sit down, Maury, yo
nervous as a bridegroom. Forget she's coming."
"I'd like to," Everett said, dusting his hands. He reached for a poker, then realized it was m
makework, more fuel for Engels whose amuse-ment was beginning to grate on the nerves. "S
more rum in your toddy?"
"I'm fine." Engels placed a hand over the bev-erage. At times of stress, he knew, Everett d
sparingly but wanted everybody else drunk as lords. "It's Vercours you should be plying
booze. I'd rather you did it tonight, out of your own pocket, than later with contingency funds."
"That raises a nice question, Dave. I'm grate-ful, and I won't ask what contingency funds th
are "
"Wouldn't tell you anyhow."
" But who decides when I need Vercours? Let's assume my intuition's screwed up, and it w
out so well I use her for every public appearance. That's twenty times a year."
"Fifty thou? Pretty steep," Engels replied. "I'd probably palm you off on a bureau man; ma
switch 'em around."
"So you do decide." He saw the Engels fea-tures become opaque and knew that he was r
"Well then, why didn't you suggest that to begin with?"
"I told you on the phone, and I told you today, and for the last time I'm telling you: if a female
handle this work, she's better. She raises fewer suspicions. The Secret Service used to m
bodyguards obvious on the theory that it'd put a case of the shakes on the assassin. But for som
these fanatics it just shows 'em in which direction to start the spray of lead."
"Or at least that's the current theory."
"All God's chillun got theories," said Engels, and sipped. "If you don't like ours, pick ano
one."
"And fund it myself."
Engels winked: "You got it. Look, Maury, I can't locate any bureau women who'd be as availa
Besides," he went on, ticking off details on his fingers, "Vercours takes it seriously. She's b
taking lessons in defensive driving at Riverside. And Wally Conklin likes the ENG coverage
does on him. She even tapes his speeches. What more could you ask? I'll tell you one thing s
Wally Conklin isn't going to be singing any hosannas over your hiring her away."
"Your hiring her away!"
One eye closed in an outre horsewink: "If you won't tell, I won't tell."
Everett's laugh rattled crockery in the next room. "Okay, you bastard: so you foot the bills a
take the heat. And what'd you say about Vercours and defensive driving? What doesn't she do?"
"She doesn't do-wacka-doo, if that's what you mean," Engels said archly. "Not with our like
least. Think of Gina Vercours as one of the boys."
"But she might run off with my secretary?"
"Doubtful. Wouldn't be good business, and Vercours sounds like all business on the phone.
picked the time tonight "
The door chime echoed. Everett stood up too quickly, then forced himself to move toward
door as though relaxed. He told himself that it was not lack of self-confidence. It was simply tha
did not know how to behave with most women, never had, which was why his early marriage
failed early. He was ill at ease because all right, then, it was lack of self-confidence with wom
While traversing his carpet, Maurice Everett had made a valuable dis-covery. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]