Part 21 (1/2)

Jose nodded and came down a step to plop down beside Rider. ”Yeah.”

They sat that way for a long time, staring out at the stars and saying nothing.

”You taught me a lot of things along the way, man,” Jose said in a cautious tone. ”I appreciate that.”

”It was my job,” Rider said flatly.

Jose smiled. ”No it wasn't. Not all the things you taught me since I was a kid. But it kept my head right.”

Rider nodded and spit over the edge of the step. ”Then I suppose I served my purpose.”

”Things change, man,” Jose said, his tone gentle, probing lightly as he collected each word. ”You taught me that. I had to accept things and move on.”

”You are gonna make me open this bottle of Jack and pull out a b.u.t.t, if you keep traveling down this particular road, partner.

Not tonight, okay?”

Jose leaned over, reached around Rider's stone posture, and gathered up the booze and cigarettes to place them neatly by his side. ”You told me I couldn't die from this s.h.i.+t, and you know what? You were right.”

”I lied,” Rider said in a flat tone, and began polis.h.i.+ng the barrel of his gun.

”Nah, you didn't lie. I lived, made my peace; I see her with who she's supposed to be with, found somebody else. We cool. It's all good.”

For the first time since Jose had sat down, Rider offered him a sidelong glance. ”Yeah, you do see her every day, don't you?” ”With him, too,” Jose said, opening the Jack Daniel's and taking a swig. ”First time they went into a hotel room together, was about to put a nine to my skull... And hearing that s.h.i.+t down the hall?” Jose shook his head. ”Wasn't right for weeks. But, like you told me, I had to suck it up. That's where she was supposed to be. The two of them are a matched pair; they have the same energy, same lifestyle and mission. The sooner you let it go and realize that it wasn't because she didn't care, wasn't like she didn't ever love you...” Jose held out the bottle, but Rider held up his hand and closed his eyes as he took in a deep whiff of its fragrance.

”I still got that s.h.i.+t in my nose,” Rider said. ”Cap it up for me, would ya?”

Jose quickly complied. ”My bad.”

”One day I'll be able to smell it, be around it, and it won't give me the shakes, but tonight, while I'm trying to go cold turkey, I can't tolerate it.”

”You're gonna feel like s.h.i.+t for a while,” Jose said, nodding and hiding the bottle behind him. ”If you need a coach, you call me.

Sheeit, I still need a coach myself.”

Rider smiled a half smile. ”Once an addict, always an addict.”

Jose pounded his fist. ”No relapse, brother.”

”No relapse, brother.” Rider stared at the horizon. ”Yeah. Time to shake this and move on. Might even go buy me a brand-new Harley-red seat this time. Maybe flaming-f.u.c.king-yellow. Who knows?”

”New people, places, and things,” Jose said, standing and collecting the bottle and smokes.

Rider stood and stretched. ”You think Mar is serious about going to Tibet? I can see it now, going on another Marlene-inspired, spiritual, monastic quest to no-man's-land.”

”Marlene has more reason to go to Tibet than any of us are talking about', man,” Jose said quietly. ”How's your nose?”

Rider absently pounded Jose's fist and kept his eyes on the horizon. ”Were-jag all in it. How's our brother Shabazz holding up under the pressure?”

”Like me and you-f.u.c.ked up one minute, cool the next. Sometimes when I get too deep into my own drama, I forget I got brothers dealing with the same pain. But, hey, I'm human. At least I am for the next thirty days.”

Rider nodded and sighed. ”Yeah... Tibet might be a good change of scene.”

”Mar already called Chief Quiet Eagle. We're leaving the computers and ammo for them to fend off whatever, like we always do when we leave civilians. Can't s.h.i.+p it no way. Shabazz already made contact in L.A. for whatever ammo we'll need there on a temporary basis. All we gotta do is get our individual gear packed. Everything else gets donated back here for families in need, and we'll argue about the money we outlaid to build, later, Dan said. So, I'd take that as a readiness call to move out. Marlene wants to get back to L.A., find real estate fast on the fly so we'll have something to come back to.”

Rider chuckled. ”Just like Mar to try to put a positive spin on things and act like this is a normal, run-of-the-mill job.”

”Keep hope alive, man,” Jose said, but carefully unscrewed the bottle and took another swig of Jack Daniel's. ”She's got J.L.

sending plans to Covenant-referred contractors by e-mail; we get our travel shots as soon as we get into L.A. Marlene wants the necessary renovations on whatever we buy done by the time we come home. You know Mar-efficient.”

Rider leaned his head back and closed his eyes. ”The woman is insane. Tibet is yak country!” Rider lifted his head, opened his eyes, and sighed as he stared at Jose, not at all amused to find Jose smiling. ”Dude, it's worse than Arizona. This is not how a man is supposed to go to war or live out his possible last thirty days of life. We are not going to a bachelor's paradise of Far-East exploration. There will be no j.a.panese geishas, no Thai cottages, or Philippine oasis, or even a good brothel in Nepal along the way. This isn't even the red-light district in Communist China, Jose. Are you hearing me?”

Jose laughed. ”I think Marlene is one step ahead of you on the changing of people, places, and things. No packaged-goods stores, no-”

”See, you don't understand my angst. I need at least one vice left to cling to so that I know I'm human-a red-blooded American male.”

”Like 'Bazz always says, there's a reason for everything. There are no coincidences in the universe.”

”Kiss my a.s.s,” Rider said, chuckling, although peeved. ”I'd prefer to go out in a blaze of glory.”

”a.s.suming we live, Bobby and Dan gotta learn to focus, get the job done, and tough it out from watching a master tough it out...

just like our male Neteru might have to get some sage advice about kicking his old drinking addiction from a temporarily celibate male in that last crucial month, hombre. That's why we're heading off to Confucius country.”

”Why me? Why not the G.o.dd.a.m.ned Covenant!” Rider closed his eyes. ”I'm almost fifty. I can't tolerate-”

”Last round it was me, remember? And what did you tell me?” Jose asked, laughing.

Rider snorted and rubbed his palms down his face, shutting his eyes tighter, grimacing.

”Think about this, then,” Jose said, teasing him and making him open his eyes with a poke in the ribs. ”Bobby is in his teens. Dan is in his twenties. They are in pain. This contagion ain't helping.”

”Well, since you put it that way,” Rider said, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

”You need to talk to our boy, J.L., too. Now if anyone ever needed a Zen master to get through this mission, it's him. Brother can't even concentrate on wiring tubes or designing radar, much less sending a basic e-mail. Every time Krissy flits by and flops in a chair beside him...”

”I know, I know, his circuits blow.”

”See, that's why you have a purpose,” Jose said with a broad smile, and elbowing Rider in the ribs again as he pa.s.sed him.

Rider flipped Jose the bird and then smiled. ”Since you and Mike don't do nights out with the boys anymore, I guess you won't mind if I take Bobby and Dan to go watch the girls dance the poles in L.A. before we head out?”

”With my blessings,” Jose said, bowing like a martial arts instructor with the bottle balanced between both palms. ”I cannot go watch the girls without severe consequences, but I can help you pick out a Harley once we return home, oh enlightened one.”

Both men chuckled as Jose stood up straight. But slowly, Rider's expression became serious.