Part 35 (1/2)

'And I'm going to spend the rest of my life paying off the favour. You know how hard it must have been to find? An irrelevant piece of paper from fifty years ago?'

'They've got clerks, the same as we did. What else have they got to do?'

'They claim plenty.'

'Don't believe them. What's on the manifest?'

'Forty tons of war surplus flown in from the old Eighth Air Force bases in the United Kingdom. From the old World War Two bomber fields in East Anglia. They closed a bunch down in the middle fifties. Runways weren't long enough any more.'

'Does it specify what kind of surplus?'

'Yes and no. Generically it says aircrew requirements, and specifically there's a manufacturer's name that no one remembers, and a code that no one understands any more.'

'Not even the Lackland guys?'

'Not even them. This is ancient history we're dealing with here.'

'The way I remember my ancient history, we didn't bring World War Two surplus back from Europe. We either junked it over there or sold it off over there. Kept the money in the local currencies and used it for Fulbright scholars.h.i.+ps. Two birds with one stone. We got rid of a lot of old c.r.a.p and we spread peace and brotherhood and understanding all at the same time. Through educational exchange.'

'Those were the days.'

'What was the code?'

'N06BA03.'

'Means nothing to me.'

'Means nothing to anyone. Could be underwear. Or hats.'

'We wouldn't have flown forty tons of underwear or hats all the way back from Europe. No sense in that. Cheaper just to give them away, or burn them.'

'So maybe it was something we couldn't give away. Or sell. Or burn. For security reasons. Sidearms, maybe. I think World War Two pilots carried them. In case they were shot down over enemy territory.'

'What was the manufacturer's name?'

'Some outfit called Crown Laboratories.'

'Say again?'

'Crown Laboratories.'

Reacher said, 'Oh, s.h.i.+t.'

'What?'

'Forty tons tons? They have got to be kidding me.'

'Reacher, what?'

'I got to go.'

As soon as he saw the leading edge of Peterson's headlight beams on the street he stepped out the door and crossed the porch and hustled down the driveway. The cold hit him like a hammer. Peterson's tyres crunched and crackled over the frozen snow. The car pulled up and Reacher climbed in. The heater was blowing lukewarm air. Reacher kept his hat and gloves on. Peterson K-turned and bounced across the ruts and headed back to the main drag. Turned right and drove south, slower than he would in summer, faster than he would in traffic. There was nothing else on the road. Only nine in the evening, but the whole state seemed closed up for the night. People were all huddled inside, and Peterson's car was the only thing moving across the landscape.

They made the turn ten miles later and drove on, parallel with the highway. The cloud was thin and high and there was plenty of moonlight. There was still ice on the wind, coming steadily at them out of the west. It crusted on the winds.h.i.+eld, a thin abrasive layer that the wipers couldn't s.h.i.+ft. Like diamond dust. Peterson put the heater on defrost and ducked his head to look through warmed circles that got smaller with every mile.

They turned right again on the wandering county two-lane. Now the wind was on their left hand side and the screen cleared again. The old runway loomed up ahead, grey and ma.s.sive in the night. It was still clear. They b.u.mped up on it and the tyre chains ground and rattled.

They drove two fast miles.

Saw red tail lights ahead.

A parked car. Its tail lights faced them and beyond its dark end-on bulk was a pool of white from its headlights. There was a swirl of exhaust from its pipes, pooling, eddying, drifting, then blowing away.

Peterson slowed and put his lights on bright. The parked car was empty. It was a Ford Crown Victoria. No markings. Either dark blue or black. Hard to say, in the glare.

'Chief Holland's car,' Peterson said.

They parked alongside it and climbed out into the stunning cold and found Holland himself at the first hut's door. Fur hat, zipped parka, thick gloves, heavy boots, moving stiff and clumsy in all the clothing, his breath clouding in front of him.

Holland wasn't pleased to see them.

He said, 'What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?'

He sounded angry.

Peterson said, 'Reacher figured out where the key is.'

'I don't care who figured out what. You shouldn't have come. Neither one of you. It's completely irresponsible. Suppose the siren goes off?'

'It won't.'

'You think?'

'It can't. Can it? The cells are locked and the head counts are done.'

'You trust their procedures?'

'Of course.'

'You're an idiot, Andrew. You need to stop drinking the d.a.m.n Kool-Aid. That place is a complete mess. Especially the county lock-up, which is what we're interested in right now. If you think they do a proper head count every night, then I've got a beachfront lot to sell you. Fifty bucks an acre, about a mile from here.'

'It's a brand new place.'

'Brand new metal and concrete. Same old human beings working there.'