"Can I share another feeling with you?" she said pleasantly.

"Of course."

"Either go back to being the mildly amusing testosterone Caleb, or else your ass can walk back to D.C."

Predictably, they drove on in silence.

CHAPTER 50

KNOX CRUISED INTO TAZBURG and passed the local police station. He parked the truck and watched uniformed officers come and go, some on foot, others climbing into old mud-splattered Ford LTDs and speeding off to somewhere. The downtown area consisted of brick and clapboard buildings, a few leaning into each other, with old telephone lines running to them, while cars were parked slantwise in front of them. He'd passed through a long tunnel cut straight through a section of mountain on his way here. It felt like a border crossing.

What country am I in?

He pulled out the photos of Carr and mentally absorbed them one more time. He put the truck in gear and slowly pulled off. He would grid the downtown area street by street. From the look of the place that would take all of five minutes. Then he would get something to eat at the local place. He wouldn't pull his badge or show his photos. He would just watch. He had one big advantage. He knew relatively well what Carr looked like, while Carr had no idea who he was. He would press that to his full advantage. If that didn't pay off, he would eventually go to the police and work through them. It was a plan at least.

Three hours later and after having sat his butt down in four hole-in-the-walls and downed more cups of coffee than his stomach or bladder cared for, he concluded that he had struck out.

He parked in front of the police station, went in, flashed his creds, explained his mission to the extent he could, meaning it was mostly refined by-the-spook-book gobbledygook, and got zip for his troubles from the lawmen who were understandably excited that a dangerous desperado might be in their midst, but not very helpful. No one had seen anyone remotely resembling the man in the photo. Although one young deputy did mention that a fellow that looked just like that had lived in Tazburg for sixty-three years and happened to be his daddy. Knox thanked them politely and nearly sprinted back to his truck.

Before he'd gotten the door of his truck closed, his cell phone rang.

It was Hayes. The spy chief was not happy. But then again, Knox had never known the man to be really happy about anything. Knox had been with him when the Berlin Wall had come down. While everyone else had been raising their champagne flutes and making victory toasts, Hayes had only sipped on club soda and grumbled, "About damn time."

"Yes, sir?"

"Have you ever known me to give an idle command?"

"Can't say that I have."

Hayes bellowed, "When I ordered you to give me regular updates, I didn't mean at such wide intervals that obviously seem to appeal to you."

Knox punched the gas and rapidly left the good hamlet of Tazburg behind. He didn't want the megaton blast that he sensed was coming from Hayes to flatten the place.

"Well, General, you're a busy man and if I'd had something of substance to report you'd be the first to know." Before Hayes could send off another broadside he added, "But in fact I was just going to call you. I've narrowed the search area to four places. I just cleared one and I'm heading on to the second one now."

"Give me the locations."

Knox knew that one was coming. "With all due respect, sir, can I ask why?"

"Why I want to know where your investigative search is going on? Are you on drugs, Knox?"

"Stone cold sober, I can assure you. But if your plan is to flood the area with agents, that would definitely be a bad move in my opinion. We're looked on with suspicion here, and for all I know Carr has already gotten cozy with some folks around here and they may provide him with cover."

"Why would they do that?"

"Big bad government coming after a persecuted Vietnam vet. He could've made up any lie about his background. Believe me, sir, I've passed enough pickup trucks with shotguns and deer rifles in the window rack and bumper stickers that read, 'Thanks for visiting, now get the hell out,' to know an unfriendly atmosphere when I see it. There was even a ten-foot-tall graffiti sign on a train overpass that said, 'The Feds Suck!' I couldn't fail but note by the faded paint that it had been there apparently a long time without a single attempt to wash it off."

"Where are you, Knox? Now!"

Okay, here comes Plan B. Knox sped up, rolled down the window and stuck the phone out so it was blasted by the wind. He leaned out the window and spoke into the phone. "General… mile… border… hour… berg."

"Knox!" Hayes roared. "You're breaking up."

Knox pretended not to hear. In for a dime, in for a dollar. Maybe his lawyer daughter could represent him in his criminal insubordination trial. Although Hayes probably wouldn't bother with a trial. Knox would simply just disappear.

"Next… then… report… investigation… west… lead." This was so absurd he had to work hard to keep from laughing his guts out, he really did.

"Damn it, Knox!"

Knox turned the phone off, wound the window back up, patting his hair back into place. With any luck Hayes was so apoplectic they would find him facedown on his desk, the unfortunate victim of a Joe Knox-induced fatal cardiac blast.

He pointed his ride to the next town on the list.

CHAPTER 51

AS STONE WALKED down the hospital corridor he heard laughter. When he reached Willie's room he understood why. Danny was in the bed next to his friend and Abby was sitting between them.

They all looked up when Stone walked in.

Danny's head was bandaged and one eye was swollen and there were cuts on his face. When he sat up he moved slowly and stiffly. Still, when he saw Stone he grinned in his usual cocksure manner.

"Looky what the cat dragged in. Dudley Do-Right. Savior of mankind, or at least two sorry-ass mountain boys."

Abby smiled. "The 'boys' seem to be doing a lot better ever since they were put in the same room."

"I can see that." Stone pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. "Danny, how you doing?"

"Thinking better than ever. See, couple knocks on the head straightened my brain out."

Willie piped up, "Too bad it didn't happen when we were playing football. Remember that godawful play you called in the state semis our junior year? I was wide open but you threw it right to the safety. Almost cost us the game."

"Play was fine. Only problem was I was checking out the other team's cheerleaders when I let go of the ball. One of 'em kept bending over. Trying to distract me, I expect."

"Some things never change," said Abby wearily. "Boys never grow up, they just get bigger with more hair and people start calling them men."

Stone said to Danny, "Tyree told me he came by to see you."

Danny's look changed. He glanced toward the window but uncharacteristically kept his mouth shut.

"Those men almost killed you, Danny. They almost killed me."

"I'm sorry about that, Ben. Sure wasn't your fight."

"Who were they?"

"Can't really remember. Docs say I got a concussion." He looked back and his face brightened. "Had a few in high school. Didn't I, Willie?"

"Hell, yeah. He always held on to the ball too long."

"Had to so your sorry butt could get open. If you'd run a little faster my brain would be doing better."

Willie grinned.

"Once we get out of here me and Willie are heading to California. Ain't that right, Willie?"

Willie nodded. "We talked it over last night. Got it all worked out."

"You sure it wasn't the painkillers talking?" said Abby.