Osama was fighting the Russians. Back when he was on our side. The most persistent rumor had him married to a KGB agent and living in Moscow. Personally, I have my doubts about that one. It doesn’t fit with Seneca and, hell, if he was working against the Russians, like we suspect, he certainly wouldn’t have been in Moscow. He could be anywhere. We just don’t know. Hell, we don’t even know if he’s behind Taylor’s death or the bombing in Arlington.”
“He’s behind it.”
“Then the question begs, who’s he working for? And why?”
“Why
is the easy one, Lucas. Because he lives for the kill. For a high body count. Seneca’s a predator. He’s not alive unless he’s cutting some poor slob’s heart out. As for who’s calling the shots, that’s your concern. It means nothing to me.”
“Naturally, we’ll give you all the support you need,” Lucas said. “That includes manpower. I’ll assign Nichols to you, along with a young captain I’m impressed with, a kid named Raymond Fuller. I believe you knew his father, Thomas Fuller. Anyway …”
Collins began to laugh.
“What’s so amusing, my boy?” Lucas asked.
“No excess baggage, Lucas. It would only slow me down. Keep your desk jockeys. I don’t need them.”
“Always the loner, right?”
“I travel best when I travel alone.”
“Have it your way. But the support will be available if you need it.”
“Same rules as before. I’ll work directly with you and no one else. All communications will be strictly between us.”
“My boy, these are different times we live in,” Lucas said. “A post—Twin Towers world. The CIA, Homeland Security, FBI … they’ll want their voices heard, and they will demand to be involved. I’ll do everything in my power to limit their involvement, but that won’t be easy to do. My challenge will be to keep them in the loop, but only on my terms. There’s a lot we don’t know, so the fewer people involved, the better. At least for now.”
Lucas lifted a card and a pen from the briefcase. He scribbled something on the card and handed it to Collins. “You can reach me at this number. Night or day. I’m on twenty-four-hour call. Just like the good old days.”
“I’ve got a bulletin for you, Lucas. The good old days weren’t all that good.”
“What’s this I’m hearing? A reluctant warrior?”
“I like the peace.”
“My boy, peace is the one enemy you can’t handle.”
“You’re wrong about that.”
Lucas closed the briefcase, looked at Collins, and smiled. “No, I’m not. You see, you’re overlooking one crucial factor, my boy. You’re the original predator. Just like your code name says. Cain. History’s first assassin. And you more than honored your predecessor’s legacy. No one lived for the kill more than you.”
Collins stood in the doorway and watched Lucas drive off into the night. A good man, Lucas White. Always had been, always would be. No field soldier could ask for a better man to have calling the shots during crisis time. And this was crisis time. A man like Lucas White didn’t come out of retirement unless something big was going down. Of course, he hadn’t laid all his cards on the table. He knew more than he was telling. But that’s the way it should be. Information, especially early on, shouldn’t be dispensed too soon. Too many chances that it might be inaccurate, too many opportunities for leaks. Occasional whispers are better than loud screams during the early stages of any mission. Lucas would fill in the blanks when the time was right.
Hell, man, you
‘
re a psycho
.
Collins smiled.
The killing never ends, does it, my boy? It just goes on
and on
.
The smile widened.
You
‘
re the original predator
.
Goddamn right.
The summer was going to be a scorcher. Only the second week in May and the temperatures had settled in at the mid-80s. Forecasters were already warning that a hot, dry, uncomfortable summer lay ahead. If this was any indication,
“He’s behind it.”
“Then the question begs, who’s he working for? And why?”
“Why
is the easy one, Lucas. Because he lives for the kill. For a high body count. Seneca’s a predator. He’s not alive unless he’s cutting some poor slob’s heart out. As for who’s calling the shots, that’s your concern. It means nothing to me.”
“Naturally, we’ll give you all the support you need,” Lucas said. “That includes manpower. I’ll assign Nichols to you, along with a young captain I’m impressed with, a kid named Raymond Fuller. I believe you knew his father, Thomas Fuller. Anyway …”
Collins began to laugh.
“What’s so amusing, my boy?” Lucas asked.
“No excess baggage, Lucas. It would only slow me down. Keep your desk jockeys. I don’t need them.”
“Always the loner, right?”
“I travel best when I travel alone.”
“Have it your way. But the support will be available if you need it.”
“Same rules as before. I’ll work directly with you and no one else. All communications will be strictly between us.”
“My boy, these are different times we live in,” Lucas said. “A post—Twin Towers world. The CIA, Homeland Security, FBI … they’ll want their voices heard, and they will demand to be involved. I’ll do everything in my power to limit their involvement, but that won’t be easy to do. My challenge will be to keep them in the loop, but only on my terms. There’s a lot we don’t know, so the fewer people involved, the better. At least for now.”
Lucas lifted a card and a pen from the briefcase. He scribbled something on the card and handed it to Collins. “You can reach me at this number. Night or day. I’m on twenty-four-hour call. Just like the good old days.”
“I’ve got a bulletin for you, Lucas. The good old days weren’t all that good.”
“What’s this I’m hearing? A reluctant warrior?”
“I like the peace.”
“My boy, peace is the one enemy you can’t handle.”
“You’re wrong about that.”
Lucas closed the briefcase, looked at Collins, and smiled. “No, I’m not. You see, you’re overlooking one crucial factor, my boy. You’re the original predator. Just like your code name says. Cain. History’s first assassin. And you more than honored your predecessor’s legacy. No one lived for the kill more than you.”
Collins stood in the doorway and watched Lucas drive off into the night. A good man, Lucas White. Always had been, always would be. No field soldier could ask for a better man to have calling the shots during crisis time. And this was crisis time. A man like Lucas White didn’t come out of retirement unless something big was going down. Of course, he hadn’t laid all his cards on the table. He knew more than he was telling. But that’s the way it should be. Information, especially early on, shouldn’t be dispensed too soon. Too many chances that it might be inaccurate, too many opportunities for leaks. Occasional whispers are better than loud screams during the early stages of any mission. Lucas would fill in the blanks when the time was right.
Hell, man, you
‘
re a psycho
.
Collins smiled.
The killing never ends, does it, my boy? It just goes on
and on
.
The smile widened.
You
‘
re the original predator
.
Goddamn right.
The summer was going to be a scorcher. Only the second week in May and the temperatures had settled in at the mid-80s. Forecasters were already warning that a hot, dry, uncomfortable summer lay ahead. If this was any indication,
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