Chapter Thirty
(Thursday, 3:15pm—Danny)
Viktor had said once that flailing about was for the prey, not the predator. Danny had always respected the old man, and had taken the principle to heart.
On the way to Viktor’s house he strove to push his worries about the meeting with the columnist, and Atkins’ gun, firmly aside. He needed to hold his mind quiet and still.
The question was: Why had Viktor summoned him in this fashion? Unilateral and forceful action was something of a trademark of the old bastard. But he tended not to act until he knew all he thought he should know and had found the most advantageous way to resolve a situation—and that was worrisome.
It was possible Viktor had deduced or otherwise learned Danny was responsible for Junior’s death. But even if that were true, Viktor would almost certainly have decided to wait until he had the NSA contract in hand before acting. Danny regretted, again, that he hadn’t killed Owen that first weekend to provide Viktor with a scapegoat as he’d originally planned. But he’d done the best he could under the circumstances, and he needed to focus on solutions, not regrets. Though he’d like to get another chance at Owen sometime.
Could this be about some other problem at CyberLook? Possible, but not likely. Software development was well outside Viktor’s usual stamping grounds. And Reinhardt, Danny’s NSA contact, was too cautious to have decided to cut Danny out and deal with Viktor directly. Viktor was well known to insist on (or otherwise gain) personal control of all business ventures to which he became a party. Danny and Reinhardt hoped to overcome this with large checks, frequently delivered.
No. It was probably the little girl. Viktor had found out somehow, and he was peeved. He had certain standards of conduct, and would regard that whole situation as beyond the pale. Hell, Danny himself would have preferred to avoid the necessity, but it had grown beyond his control. At first the children had seemed manageable, but lately things had been getting out of hand.
He shook his head, disgusted with himself. No more whining. If it was the girl, he would just have to find a way to make Viktor understand she was necessary. In fact, whatever was going on, Danny would be able to handle it. He understood Viktor, and he would use that.
By the time the Lincoln pulled into Viktor’s driveway Danny felt almost cheerful. Watch and wait, he reminded himself. The time for action would be revealed in due course.
Atkins exited the car first and stood outside, waiting. Danny got out and walked past him as if he weren’t there. This time he wouldn’t be kept sitting around—not after being brought here like this.
He turned the handle and opened the door to Viktor’s office more forcefully than was strictly necessary. He walked in, projecting calm, smiling as if he knew what was going on and was unworried by it.
Viktor looked up, his expression blandly courteous. He and a grossly fat man Danny didn’t know stood behind a long table that ran along the right side of the office, bent over some documents. Or at least Viktor was bent over. The fat man sort of crumpled.
“Greetings, cousin,” Viktor said.
Danny almost stumbled, but recovered smoothly. He hoped it had been smooth, anyway. When had Viktor heard about that? Had Howie been mouthing off again? If so…what else had he been saying?
“Hello, Viktor.” Danny considered mentioning the columnist, but decided against it. It might get him out of here quickly, but it wouldn’t help his long-term credibility with Viktor. He would watch and wait for now.
“Have a seat on the couch, if you like,” Viktor invited. “We’re nearly finished.”
Danny nodded and sat facing them. He put his feet up on a coffee table.
Viktor and the fat man mumbled over their papers. After a few minutes, Atkins entered the room and joined them behind the table. He leaned against the wall, his perpetual smile directed at nothing in particular.
Viktor nodded, then straightened the papers and set them aside. “Very well,” he said. “We’re all here, I believe. Shall we begin?” The fat man looked surprised.
“I’ll bite,” Danny said. “Why are we here.”
“I don’t believe you’ve met Mr. Applewhite. He and I were discussing a future business venture.”
“Involving my company?” Danny watched Viktor closely.
“No, I don’t believe that would be possible,” Viktor said politely. “But I do think you will be interested in his proposal.” The fat man looked like he wanted to interrupt, but parked himself in a chair instead.
Danny crossed his legs. “Oh? I’m prepared to listen.”
“Good. Briefly, he suggests that we have you killed. I believe his suggestion has merit, but felt it would be best to allow you time for rebuttal.”
Danny nodded. Who was this Applewhite? Viktor was playing with one or the other of them. Or was it both? “Considerate of you. May I ask what profit might come from my elimination?”
“Simplicity,” the fat man said. He glared at Viktor. “I didn’t realize you would invite him here. Is this really necessary?”
“Certainly.” Viktor gave him an encouraging nod. “Go ahead, make your case.”
Applewhite sighed. “All right. I’ll go along with it.” He addressed his statements to Viktor, never turning to look at Danny. “If he’s dead, we pin everything on him. Your son, the woman, everything. Which makes sense, because he’s guilty anyway. But we don’t need him talking at a trial. Once he’s out of the way, we can go ahead with our ‘business venture’ as you called it.”
Guilty anyway? The phrase drowned out the rest of Applewhite’s words.
“Thank you.” Viktor turned to Danny, and allowed his pale eyes to glow with fury. “What is your rebuttal?”
Danny tried to swallow without letting them see. “Aside from the obvious issue of the impact on CyberLook? Tremaine is a far more likely suspect. The business with the woman at the hotel pretty much clinches that.”
“Oh, well,” Viktor said casually. He leaned forward, putting his hands flat on the table. “I dispatched Atkins on a minor errand regarding Mr. Tremaine recently.” Atkins’ smile brightened briefly, without gaining focus. “In the course of his errand, he found himself outside Mr. Tremaine’s hotel quite early in the morning. I believe he saw enough that we can put a different interpretation on those events, with some confidence it will prove correct.”
Danny nodded. It was a bad situation, but maybe not impossible. “I was only trying to resolve the matter. My contacts I brought to meet you the other day will take things to their logical conclusion once Owen, ah, Mr. Tremaine, is arrested.” He felt sweat running down his back.
“Indeed? Are you aware that some local policemen entered Mr. Tremaine’s room that morning, and left without arresting him? And that he has since been seen in very interesting company? I believe you may have underestimated Mr. Tremaine’s resources.”
“But—”
Viktor chopped his hand onto the table. “Enough!” He glared coldly, his face pale. “You killed my son. You have handled the situation ineptly. And I have no further need of you.” He nodded to Atkins, who drew his gun and pointed it at Danny.
It couldn’t all be over. Not yet. “But my contacts at the NSA . . .”
Viktor laughed. “Oh, we didn’t cover that, did we? Your contact, Mr. Reinhardt, kept certain things from his superiors. Mr. Applewhite here is now in the loop, as I understand the expression is used.”
Danny swallowed. He nodded toward Applewhite. “But he’s not one of us!”
“No. He is not. But it scarcely matters. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Danny had no response. Atkins brought his other arm up, sighting carefully with a two-handed grip. Danny’s tongue flicked out to moisten his lips.
He drew himself up and looked Atkins in the eye. The little freak could pose all he wanted, but Danny wouldn’t cringe for his amusement. Atkins’ smile seemed to focus on him for the first time.
Danny took a deep breath, then nodded. The shot was loud, but everything afterwar
d was silent. He was obscurely pleased, as he fell, to see Applewhite flinch.
Wait a minute. Viktor had said nothing about the girl. Maybe he didn’t know about her yet. If Danny wasn’t around—the Games to celebrate his victory would never happen. And that wouldn’t be good for the kid. Not at all.
In a way it was a relief to tell Viktor about her. He’d find a way to make it right.
With that decision, Danny felt something inside him relax, though he wasn’t sure why. Something important had happened, anyway. But the world had become so still, so silent. Perhaps a trifle cold. He couldn’t remember how to speak.
It didn’t matter. Danny felt comfortable, at home. Soon, it was dark.
Shiver on the Sky Page 47