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Paul's hands were shaking。 His own Smith & Wesson felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds。 He said； 〃I guess we go after Salsbury now。〃
〃It's past time we did。〃
Jenny touched her father's hand； the one that held the gun。 〃But what if one of those men did stay with Salsbury？〃
〃Then it's two against two；〃 Sam said。 〃And we sure as hell can handle that。〃
〃If I went along；〃 she said； 〃it would be three against two； and that would have to improve the odds。〃
〃Rya needs you；〃 Sam said。 He hugged her； kissed her on the cheek。 〃We'll be okay； Jen。 I know we will。 You just watch after Rya while we're gone。〃
And if you don't e back？〃
We will。
〃If you don't？〃 she insisted。
〃Then…you're on your own；〃 Sam said； his voice almost breaking。 If there were tears in the corners of his eyes； the darkness hid them。 〃There's nothing more I can do for you。〃
〃Look；〃 Paul said； 〃even if Salsbury does know how much
we've learned； he doesn't know where we are。 But we know exactly where he is。 So we still have some advantage。〃
Rya clung to Paul。 She didn't want to let him go。 She spoke in a quiet but fierce voice； and she virtually demanded that he not leave her in the tower。
He stroked her dark hair； held her tight； spoke softly to her； calmed and reassured her as best he could。
And at 10：20 he followed Sam down the tower stairs。
8
10：20 P。M
PHIL KARKOV； the proprietor of Black River's only service station and garage； and his girl friend； Lolah Tayback； tried to leave town a few minutes past ten o'clock。 As programmed； the deputies who manned the roadblock sent them to the municipal building to have a talk with Bob Thorp。
The mechanic was soft…spoken； courteous； and obviously liked to think of himself as a model citizen。 He was a tall； broad…shouldered； red…haired man in his middle thirties。 His good looks were marred only by a bulbous and somewhat misshapen nose that appeared to have been broken in more than one fight。 He was an amicable man with a ready smile； and he was most anxious to help the chief of police in any way that he could。
After he opened the two of them with the code phrase and spent a minute interrogating them； Salsbury was satisfied that Karkov and Lolah Tayback were fully； properly programmed。 They hadn't been trying to escape。 They hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary in town today。 They had only been going to a bar in Bexford for beer and sandwiches。
He sent the mechanic home and told him to stay there for the rest of the night。
The woman was another matter altogether。
〃Child…woman〃 was a better word for her； he thought。 Her Silvery…blond hair hung to her narrow shoulders and framed a
face of childlike beauty： crystalline green eyes； a perfectly clear and milky plexion with a light； cinnamon like dusting of freckles across her cheekbones； an upturned pixie nose； dimples； a blade…straight jaw line and round little chin 。 。 。 Every feature was delicate and somehow bespoke na？veté。 She stood perhaps five feet two and weighed no more than one hundred pounds。 She seemed fragile。 Yet in her red…and…white…striped T…shirt （sans bra） and blue jean shorts； she presented a strikingly desirable； quite womanly figure。 Her breasts were small； high set； accentuated by an extremely thin waistline； the nipples delectably silhouetted through the thin material of the T…shirt。 Her legs were sleek； supple； shapely。 As he stood in front of her； looking her up and down； she regarded him shyly。 She was unable to meet his eyes。 She fidgeted。 If appearance could count for anything； she ought to have been one of the most malleable； vulnerable women he had ever met。
However； even if she were a fighter； a real hellcat； she was now vulnerable。 As vulnerable as he wished her to be。 Because he had the power。。。
〃Lolah？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How old are you？〃
〃Twenty…six。〃
〃Are you engaged to Phil Karkov？〃
〃No。〃 Softly。
〃Going steady with him？〃
〃More or less。〃
〃Are you sleeping with him？〃 She blushed。 Fidgeted。
Lovely little animal 。 Screw you； Dawson。 You too； Ernst。
He giggled。
〃Are you sleeping with him； Lolah？〃 Almost inaudibly： 〃Do I have to say？〃 〃You must tell me the truth。〃
〃Yes；〃 she whispered。
〃You're sleeping with him？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How often？〃
〃Oh 。 。 。 Every week。〃
〃Speak up。〃
〃Every week。〃
〃Little minx。〃
〃Are you going to hurt me？〃
He laughed。 〃Once a week？ Twice？〃
〃Twice；〃 she said。 〃Sometimes three。 。 。〃
Salsbury turned to Bob Thorp。 〃Get the hell out of here。 Go down to the end of the hail and wait with the guard there until I call you。〃
〃Sure。〃 Thorp closed the door as he left。
〃Lolah？〃
〃Yes？〃
〃What does Phil do to you？〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃In bed。〃
She stared at her sandaled feet。
The power filled him； pulsed within him； leaped across tens of thousands of terminals in his flesh： sparked； flashed； crackled。 He was exhilarated。 This was what the key…lock program was all about： this power； this mastery； this unlimited mand of other people's souls。 No one could ever touch him again。 No one could ever use him。 He was the user now。 Always would be。 From here on out。 Now and forever； amen。 Amen； Dawson。 Did you hear that？ Amen。 Thank you； God； for sending along this cute little piece of ass； amen。 He was happy again for the first time since this morning； since he had touched Thorp's wife。
〃I'll bet Phil does everything to you；〃 be said。
She said nothing。 Shuffled her feet。
〃Doesn't he？ Doesn't he do everything to you； Lolah？ Admit it。 Say it。 I want to hear you say it。〃
〃He does…everything。〃
He put his hand under her chin； lifted her head。
She gazed at him。 Timid。 Frightened。
〃I'm going to do everything to you；〃 he said。
〃Don't hurt me。〃
〃Lovely； lovely little bitch；〃 he said。 He was excited as he had never been in his life。 Breathing hard。 Yet everything so clear。 So in control。 Firmly in control。 Her absolute master。 Everyone's absolute master。 That was Howard Parker's phrase； flashing back to him across the decades； much as a bizarre hallucination erupting in an acidhead's mind years after his last tab of LSD： absolute master。 〃That's exactly what I'm going to do to you；〃 he told Lolah Tayback。 〃I'm going to hurt you； just like I hurt the others。 Make you pay。 Make you bleed。 I'm your absolute master。 You're going to take everything I dish out to you。 Everything。 Maybe even like it。 Learn to like it。 Maybe。。 。〃
His hands curled into fists at his sides。
The pilot flew the helicopter in a wide circle around the logging camp； searching for the best place to set down between the scattered lights from the buildings。
In the passenger cabin； Dawson broke an extended silence。 〃Ogden has to be eliminated。〃
Klinger had no difficulty accepting that judgment。 〃Of course。 He's untrustworthy。〃
〃Unstable。〃
〃But if we eliminate him；〃 the general said； 〃can we continue with the plan？〃
〃Everything that Ogden has learned is in the Greenwich puter；〃 Dawson said。 〃The research was beyond us。 But we can use the finished product well enough。〃
〃Hasn't he encoded his data？〃
〃Naturally。 But the day after the puter was installed； long before Ogden began to use it； I had my people program it to decode and print out any data that I requested…regardless of how the request was phrased； regardless of passwords or number keys or other security devices that he might use to limit my access to the information。〃
The helicopter hovered； descended。
〃When do we deal with him？〃
〃You deal with him；〃 Dawson said。
〃Me…or do I program someone to do it？〃
〃Do it yourself。 He can deprogram anyone else。〃 Dawson smiled。 〃You do have a handgun with you？〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
〃In the small of your back？〃
〃Strapped to my right ankle。〃
〃Marvelous。〃
〃Back to the original question；〃 Klinger said。 〃When do I eliminate him？〃
〃Tonight。 Within the hour； if possible。〃
〃Why not back in Greenwich？〃
〃I don't want to bury him on the estate。 That's taking too great a chance。〃
〃What will we do with the body？〃 〃Bury it here。 In the woods。〃 The helicopter touched ground。 The pilot shut off the engines。
Overhead； the rotors coughed and slowed down。 A wele silence gradually replaced the racket they had made。
Klinger said； 〃You intend for him to just…disappear off the face of the earth？〃
〃That's correct。〃
〃His vacation ends on the fifth of next month。 That's when he's due back at the Brockert Institute。 He's a punctual man。 The morning of the fifth； when he doesn't show up； there's going to be some motion。 They'll e looking for him。〃
〃They won't e looking in Black River。 There's nothing at all to connect Ogden with this place。 He's supposed to be vacationing in Miami。〃
〃There's going to be a very quiet and very big manhunt；〃 Klinger said。 〃Pentagon security people； the FBI 。 。 。〃
Unbuckling his seat belt； Dawson said； 〃And there's nothing to connect him with you or with me。 Eventually they'll decide that he went over to the other side； defected。〃
Maybe。
〃Definitely。〃
Dawson opened his door。
〃Do I take the chopper back to town？〃 Klinger asked。
〃No。 He might hear you ing and suspect what you're there for。 Take a car or a jeep from here。 And you'd better walk the last few hundred yards。〃
〃All right。〃
〃And Ernst？〃
〃Yes？〃
In the amber cabin light； Dawson's five…hundred…dollars…apiece capped teeth gleamed in a broad and dangerous smile。 There seemed to be light behind his eyes。 His nostrils were flared： a wolf on the trail of a blood scent。 〃Ernst； don't worry so much。〃
〃Can't help but。〃
〃We're destined to survive this night； to win this battle and all of those battles that will e after it；〃 Dawson said with solemn conviction。
〃I wish I could be as confident of that as you are。〃
〃But you should be。 We're blessed； my friend。 This entire enterprise is blessed； you see。 Don't you ever forget that； Ernst。〃 He smiled again。
〃I won't forget；〃 Klinger said。
But he was reassured more by the weight of the revolver at his ankle than by Dawson's words。
Straining to hear any sound other than their own footsteps； Paul and Sam left the church by the rear door and crossed the open fields to the riverbank。
The high grass was heavy with rain。 Within twenty yards； Paul's shoes and socks were wet through to his skin。 The legs of his jeans were soaked almost to the knees。
Sam located a footpath that traversed the bank of the river at a forty…five…degree angle。 Every groove and depression in the earth had been transformed into a puddle。 The way was exceedingly muddy and slick。 They slipped and slid and waved their arms to keep their balance。
At the bottom of the path； they came onto a two…foot…wide
rocky shelf。 On the right the river rolled and gurgled； filling the darkness with syrupy sound： a wide ebony strip which； at this hour of the night； looked like crude oil rather than water。 On their left the bank of the river rose up eight or nine feet； and in some places the exposed roots of willow trees and oaks and maples overlaid the earthen wall。
Without benefit of a flashlight； Sam led Paul westward； toward the mountains。 His snowy hair was a ghostly； luminescent sign for Paul to follow。 The older man stumbled occasionally； but he was for the most part sure…footed； and he never cursed when he misstepped。 He was surprisingly quiet； as if the skills and talents of an experienced warrior suddenly had e back to him after all these years。
This is war； Paul reminded himself。 We're on our way to kill a man。 The enemy。 Several men
The warm； heavy air was redolent with the odor of damp moss and with the stale fumes of the plants that were deposing in the muck at the water's edge。
Eventually； Sam found a series of wind… and water…chiseled ledges； steps that took them up from the river again。 They came out in an apple orchard on the slopes at the extreme west end of town。
Thunder roared down from the peaks； disturbing the birds in the apple trees。
They went north。 They were taking the safest…and also the most roundabout…route to the back of the municipal building。 Soon they came to a waist…high white picket fence that marked the end of the orchard and the verge of Main Street； where it became known to the locals as the mill road。
After he