a one-in-four chance of making it out alive. Maybe less, considering the rancid conditions. That is, unless someone or something acted fast.
That’s where I came in.
Or didn’t.
Tony was the first to return.
He took his usual place behind the desk.
Then came Barnes, O’Brien on his tail.
Barnes folded up his cellular. Instead of packing it back inside his briefcase, he stuffed it inside the interior pocket of his suit jacket.
I set myself on the edge of Tony’s desk, crossed my arms. Very official-looking.
“I know why you want to hire me, Mr. Barnes,” I said. “And I think I know what the job entails. But maybe you can shed some light on how exactly you’d expect me to pull it off.”
Without hesitating, O’Brien stepped forward. But then he stopped dead in his tracks when Barnes shot up.
“Please, Donald,” he said. “Just stay out of the way for now.”
There was a weighted silence in which I wasn’t quite sure if O’Brien was going to cry or throw up or both. Both, if I had to place a bet. But he just backed into the far corner where the glass and mahogany walls met and lowered his head like a scolded kid.
“I’m not going to pretend you can go this one alone, Mr. Marconi,” Barnes said, looking me in the eye. “I’ll be providing you with a contact.”
“What contact, Mr. Barnes?”
“Richard,” he said. “Please call me Richard.”
“Who would act as my contact, Mr. Barnes?”
He swallowed. “I have a man in mind who would be happy to take the job on.”
“Mexican man?”
“Of American and Mexican descent, actually. An antiquities trader who, on occasion, hires out as a guide.”
“How’d you find him?”
O’Brien tore himself away from the wall. “It’s none of your business how we run our operations, Mr. Marconi.”
I caught O’Brien’s eyes with my own, locked onto them. I was just about ready to tell him to shut up when Barnes made it perfectly clear that his “services would no longer be required for the remainder of the proceedings.”
O’Brien’s face turned Harvard red. “But who will you use as a witness, Richard? You just can’t solicit the services of a private investigator you know nothing about, even if he claims to be an expert on prisons.”
“That’s enough, Donald,” Barnes snapped. “Now, please leave the room before I ask you to return my retainer.”
Another silence. You could almost hear the pigeons perching outside Tony’s window. If there were a ledge for pigeons to perch on in the first place. O’Brien pursed his lips, bent over, and packed up his briefcase. “Well, then,” he said, in a strained voice, “since I am no longer wanted, I’ll take my leave.”
As he was going for the door, I shouted out for him to stop.
I grabbed the travel guide off Tony’s desk, flung it to him from across the room. O’Brien bobbled the book with his free hand but somehow managed to hang on. Not bad, I thought. For a dweeb.
He let out a breath and stared at the book’s cover until a broad smile appeared on his face. He raised his head and, at the same time, positioned the book in his right hand, like a Frisbee.
He tossed it back to me.
I caught it one-handed.
“Actually, Mr. Marconi,” he said, “I believe it’s you who’s going to be needing it more than I.”
And then he walked out.
After apologizing on behalf of his counselor, Barnes loosened the knot on his tie. His way of getting down and dirty, I supposed.
I asked him how he expected me to recognize this contact.
“He’ll recognize you,” Barnes said.
“What about weapons and a safe house?”
“You won’t have to worry about a thing. They’ll already be there waiting for you. Nor will you have to worry about Customs giving you a problem.”
Tony sat up straight. “If I may,” he said.
“Please, Anthony,” Barnes said.
He explained to me that Richard already had several business ventures in Mexico and other parts of Central America. “Some people owe
That’s where I came in.
Or didn’t.
Tony was the first to return.
He took his usual place behind the desk.
Then came Barnes, O’Brien on his tail.
Barnes folded up his cellular. Instead of packing it back inside his briefcase, he stuffed it inside the interior pocket of his suit jacket.
I set myself on the edge of Tony’s desk, crossed my arms. Very official-looking.
“I know why you want to hire me, Mr. Barnes,” I said. “And I think I know what the job entails. But maybe you can shed some light on how exactly you’d expect me to pull it off.”
Without hesitating, O’Brien stepped forward. But then he stopped dead in his tracks when Barnes shot up.
“Please, Donald,” he said. “Just stay out of the way for now.”
There was a weighted silence in which I wasn’t quite sure if O’Brien was going to cry or throw up or both. Both, if I had to place a bet. But he just backed into the far corner where the glass and mahogany walls met and lowered his head like a scolded kid.
“I’m not going to pretend you can go this one alone, Mr. Marconi,” Barnes said, looking me in the eye. “I’ll be providing you with a contact.”
“What contact, Mr. Barnes?”
“Richard,” he said. “Please call me Richard.”
“Who would act as my contact, Mr. Barnes?”
He swallowed. “I have a man in mind who would be happy to take the job on.”
“Mexican man?”
“Of American and Mexican descent, actually. An antiquities trader who, on occasion, hires out as a guide.”
“How’d you find him?”
O’Brien tore himself away from the wall. “It’s none of your business how we run our operations, Mr. Marconi.”
I caught O’Brien’s eyes with my own, locked onto them. I was just about ready to tell him to shut up when Barnes made it perfectly clear that his “services would no longer be required for the remainder of the proceedings.”
O’Brien’s face turned Harvard red. “But who will you use as a witness, Richard? You just can’t solicit the services of a private investigator you know nothing about, even if he claims to be an expert on prisons.”
“That’s enough, Donald,” Barnes snapped. “Now, please leave the room before I ask you to return my retainer.”
Another silence. You could almost hear the pigeons perching outside Tony’s window. If there were a ledge for pigeons to perch on in the first place. O’Brien pursed his lips, bent over, and packed up his briefcase. “Well, then,” he said, in a strained voice, “since I am no longer wanted, I’ll take my leave.”
As he was going for the door, I shouted out for him to stop.
I grabbed the travel guide off Tony’s desk, flung it to him from across the room. O’Brien bobbled the book with his free hand but somehow managed to hang on. Not bad, I thought. For a dweeb.
He let out a breath and stared at the book’s cover until a broad smile appeared on his face. He raised his head and, at the same time, positioned the book in his right hand, like a Frisbee.
He tossed it back to me.
I caught it one-handed.
“Actually, Mr. Marconi,” he said, “I believe it’s you who’s going to be needing it more than I.”
And then he walked out.
After apologizing on behalf of his counselor, Barnes loosened the knot on his tie. His way of getting down and dirty, I supposed.
I asked him how he expected me to recognize this contact.
“He’ll recognize you,” Barnes said.
“What about weapons and a safe house?”
“You won’t have to worry about a thing. They’ll already be there waiting for you. Nor will you have to worry about Customs giving you a problem.”
Tony sat up straight. “If I may,” he said.
“Please, Anthony,” Barnes said.
He explained to me that Richard already had several business ventures in Mexico and other parts of Central America. “Some people owe
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