Part 38 (1/2)

McIlvaine's voice came over the radio: ”Everybody ready? My guy in the woods says they're getting out of the vehicle. He counts four men.”

McCann smiled at Olig. ”Showtime,” he said.

With that, the lawyer sauntered across the lobby toward the blazing fireplace. Olig walked stiff-legged behind him. Joe guessed Olig was scared out of his mind, as Joe would be in the same circ.u.mstances.

The lawyer turned one of the big rocking chairs around and sat down, his back to the fire, framed by it. Olig stood nervouslyoff to the side where, if necessary, he could duck and hide behind a stone column.

Joe felt his heart race and tried to keep his breathing steady. He flicked his eyes from the monitor to the lobby outside the window, as if trying to decide whether to watch what was about to happen for real or on TV.

The heavy front door squeaked as it opened a few inches. A curl of snow blew in.

”Come on in,” McCann called. ”It's warmer in here.”

The brain trust of EnerDyne Corporation entered the Old Faithful Inn.

Layborn was first, slipping through the door rapidly and flatteninghimself against the wall near the door, weapon drawn and aimed at McCann with two hands. The ranger flicked his eyes around the room, trying to see if anyone else was there. As planned, he could see no one else in the dark.

”Clear,” Layborn barked. James Langston, Layton Barron, and Chuck Ward followed. All wore heavy winter suits. All glanced around suspiciously. When Langston recognized Bob Olig standing near the fireplace, he cursed.

”Yeah,” Olig said, ”I'm still here.”

”So,” McCann said, ”did you finally bring my money?”

Barron said yes at the exact same time Ward said no. Joe cringed at their lack of coordination.

”What was that?” McCann said.

”We brought it,” Barron lied, as Ward deferred. ”Does this mean you haven't contacted the FBI?”

”Oh, I contacted them,” McCann said. ”They're on their way. I was hoping we could come to terms before they get here.”

The FBI microphones were good, Joe thought. These guys were good at this kind of technical stuff. He could even hear Langston mumble to Ward out of McCann's earshot, ”Not in this storm they aren't.”

”It can all still work, gentlemen,” McCann said cheerfully. ”It's not too late to come to terms.”

”What do you mean?” Ward asked. Ward looked anxious, scared, looking for a way out, something he could grasp. Joe stared at him with morbid fascination. It seemed so odd to see him in this light.

”You pay me what you owe me and let me run the operation from here on out,” McCann said. ”You guys have really screwed everything up with your endless plotting and meetings. You're like the worst kind of mid-level managers trying to launch some c.r.a.ppy brand of soap. You overthink everything and make poor decisions, like isolating me. I'm your best a.s.set, and always have been. That you couldn't see that shows you're a bunch of amateurs, that you're out of your league in a game played for keeps. None of you has ever faced a jury or a judge when it's just you, naked, standing there. None of you knows how to think on your feet.”

The four of them were momentarily entranced by him. Joe was too. McCann had decided to take this in another direction.

”That b.a.s.t.a.r.d,” Portenson whispered. Portenson whispered. ”He's out of control.” ”He's out of control.”

In the lobby, whorls of fire roiling behind him, McCann said, ”If we're going to get all of this behind us and make a lot of money, which is all I've ever cared about and the only reason I a.s.sociated with dolts like you, I need you idiots to shut up, quit having meetings, and listen to me. We're going to do things differently,which means smarter. For once.”

He paused to let his words sink in. Joe tried to read the four men both through the gla.s.s and on the monitor. Langston looked angry, defensive, struggling with his first impulse to pull rank and ream someone out. Barron tried mightily to distance himself from Langston without physically moving, and appearedready to concede. Ward stared at the floor, confused and resigned to the bad choice he'd made. Layborn sneered at Mc-Cann's words.

”He's f.u.c.king us,” Portenson moaned.

”Hold on,” Joe said, ”I think he knows where he's going.”

Clay McCann said, ”No more accidents like Mark Cutler.”

”We had no choice,” Langston said. ”He was about to-”

”No more ambushes of park rangers like Judy Demming.”

”That wasn't planned,” Langston said, stammering. ”It just happened.”

”Okay,” Portenson whispered inside, clearly relieved. ”We're back on track. He just got the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds to incriminate themselves.”

McCann changed the subject. ”When we agreed that I would take care of Hoening and the Gopher State Five, you agreed to pay me for it. I did my part. You didn't do yours.”

Barron said, ”The SEC-”

”f.u.c.k the SEC,” McCann said. ”My deal was with you.”

”We can still pay,” Barron said. ”If we can get things back on track like you say. If we can make an announcement to attract investors-”

McCann exploded: ”That's what you should have done months ago!” ”That's what you should have done months ago!”

Layborn said to Barron, ”Why are you letting this a.s.shole dictate to us? Can't you see what he's doing?”

Ward looked terrified, Joe thought. He almost felt sorry for him.

”So,” McCann said, ”I'll ask you one more time. Did you bring me my money?”

Silence. Ward looked as if he was about to break down. Joe saw Langston make eye contact with Layborn, giving him a prearranged signal.

”Even better,” Layborn said, unleashed, narrowing the distancebetween him and McCann. ”I brought you this,” and before Joe could react, he raised his weapon and fired twice, pop-pop pop-pop, the gunfire splitting the silence. The impact of the bullets sent McCann toppling straight over backward in his rocking chair.

”Jesus!” Ashby shouted, scrambling.

Suddenly, Layborn swung his pistol toward Bob Olig, saying,”And you-”

Through the radio, McIlvaine barked, ”Pull!”

And Layborn's head exploded from automatic gunfire. His headless body stayed erect for a second before crumpling to the floor.

”Freeze!” McIlvaine shouted from the dark. McIlvaine shouted from the dark. ”All three of you, down on the ground, hands behind your heads, now!” ”All three of you, down on the ground, hands behind your heads, now!”

Ashby threw open the gift-shop door. Joe, Nate, and Portensonran out behind him. Joe felt adrenaline shoot through him like electric currents as he scrambled, the afterimage of Layborn's death seared into his vision.

Everything was happening at once: agents were thundering down the stairs in their heavy boots; Olig was screaming and cursing from where he was now hiding behind the fireplace; Langston, Ward, and Barron were dropping to their knees and flopping onto their bellies as ordered.

Within half a minute all three were cuffed and searched. Only Langston had a weapon. Barron was pleading, saying he had no part in anything, was an innocent businessman. Langston hissed at him to shut up, but Barron was already offeringto testify in exchange for a lighter sentence.