The Hunter’s Oath

by Jason Dean

‘And you didn’t answer my question,’ Arquette said. ‘When did you first suspect?’

  Bishop turned to him. ‘That it was you who enlisted Amy’s help in the first place? That it was you she was supposed to meet on Tuesday night? I guess the first seeds were planted when I saw Nowlan get a coffee refill in the hospital cafeteria. That casual gait of his reminded me a little of the fake janitor I saw in the surveillance footage. But plenty of people walk like that, so I didn’t think anything more of it at the time. I take it he’s here, too?’

  ‘He’s around. Go on.’

  ‘Then at the service station, when he dropped the sugar after handing you your coffee, I thought he was passing you a message, but he was actually placing a tracker under the car. That’s the only way Klyce’s boys could have known I was at the diner later. The one called Jeff handed me some crap about how they had all the roads covered back from the border, but I don’t see how. Not unless Klyce here had an army of men, which he doesn’t. Besides, I confirmed it later when I found the device under the passenger side door.’

  ‘I thought he worked that gag pretty smoothly, myself,’ Arquette said.

  ‘Plus I never got to see your driver, Wescott. Once I began to suspect you, I had a hunch you were keeping him away from me for a reason. And one possible reason is he was the fourth man present at the park that night. That’s something else I’ve just confirmed.’

  Arquette turned to Klyce. ‘Didn’t I warn you not to underestimate this guy?’

  ‘So where did you find your two playmates?’ Bishop asked. ‘I assume they’re not real federal agents.’

  Arquette tilted his head. ‘What makes you say that?

  ‘You said it yourself. The FBI’s vetting process generally weeds out those with questionable characters. Nothing’s perfect, of course, since you somehow slipped through the net. But I’d say the chances of there being two more equally corruptible sleazebags in the agency, and you just happening to know both of them, are pretty slim.’

  ‘Watch your mouth,’ Arquette said. ‘You’re in a very precarious position here.’

  ‘Precarious?’ Bishop said with a sneer. ‘I’m a dead man walking, which means I can say whatever the hell I like. If you don’t like it put one in my forehead right now. Or get somebody else to do it, since that’s more your style.’

  Arquette smiled. ‘Go ahead, Bishop. Keep talking. Where else did I slip up?’

  ‘By calling the Konamban embassy and warning them of an intruder on their grounds. Kidanu said a cop made the call, but I only saw one patrol car pass by and I know he couldn’t have spotted me. And since your two pals were no doubt busy planning that second attempt on Amy’s life in the hospital, that just leaves you. I just can’t figure out how you knew I was there that particular morning.’

  ‘So you don’t know everything, then? You never hear of a Stingray device? With one of those, the FBI can track any cell phone as long as it’s switched on. Once it told me you were on the embassy grounds, I decided to give them a friendly call. That all?’

  ‘Not quite. An associate did a little checking and discovered Larry Ratner was a federal agent, but he never partnered with you. Also, he retired with a full pension and lives in a condo in South Florida. But why let facts get in the way of a good story, right?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘That’s what I don’t get. All that effort to set me on the Konambans’ trail. It must have occurred to you that Bekele would have an alibi for the time I thought I saw him.’

  Arquette shrugged. ‘To be honest, I didn’t expect it to get that far. Once I realized you weren’t about to give up, I just wanted you out of the way permanently. And I figured sending you after Bekele was a perfect way to do it. He’s got a reputation for acting before thinking when it comes to dealing with insurgents, and I honestly thought he’d cut your throat as soon as he set eyes on you. I guess the bastard must have mellowed in his old age.’

  ‘Or maybe he just got smarter,’ Bishop said. ‘Unlike some people in this room. I heard money being mentioned before. Is that why you recruited Amy? You planned on her gathering enough evidence on Klyce so that he’d be forced to go into partnership with you?’

  Arquette said nothing. Bishop turned to Klyce. ‘That piss you off much?’

  Klyce shrugged. ‘Arquette here knows how to play a winning hand. If I have to have a partner, that’s the kind I want. Plus he’s got an enviable amount of law enforcement contacts across this great nation. For somebody in my business, that’s worth its weight in gold. Speaking of the Konambans, Arquette mentioned Kidanu was partnering with you earlier. Where is he?’

  ‘I cast him adrift a while back,’ Bishop said, thankful he’d deleted their last conversation from his cell’s call log. ‘He’s kind of preoccupied with you and I didn’t want him screwing up my plans.’

  Klyce smiled and shook his head. ‘Still obsessing about Erasto Badat, is he? Dumb bastard should let the past stay in the past where it belongs.’

  ‘That’s good coming from you,’ Bishop said. ‘Aren’t you the one who goes around erasing people’s pasts altogether?’

  ‘Only for those who can afford it. So you figured that part out too?’

  ‘It wasn’t hard once you ruled out all the other possibilities. I assume a now unrecognizable Badat is now living freely under one of those names on the list?’

  ‘Ah, Mr Foster, you mean?’ Klyce grinned. ‘You know, other than a wish to settle down someplace tropical, that maniac was desperate to erase all the trappings of his old life and start afresh as an American taxpayer. He actually told me I was the answer to his prayers when I approached him. Which I guess isn’t all that surprising when you think about it. That’s a man with a whole lot of baggage.’

  ‘That’s one way of putting it,’ Bishop said. ‘You’re a real class act, Klyce, dealing with these animals on a regular basis. But I guess like attracts like, huh?’

  Faint red splotches began to appear on Klyce’s cheeks. ‘And how is your little niece?’ he said. ‘Lisa, isn’t it? According to Mickey, she’s a real looker. I think I’ll have the boys pay her another visit once you’re gone and give her a real coming-out party. Or even better, I can just finish the whole family in one go. You took out four of my people, so why shouldn’t I take four of yours? Sound fair to you, Bishop? Because the symmetry really appeals to me.’

  Bishop glared at him and said nothing.

  ‘And I haven’t forgotten the matter of Kordić, either. I invested a lot of time and money on that man, and then you came along and ruined everything. If anything, I’m more angry about that. Why did you have to kill him?’

  ‘It seemed the appropriate course of action at the time.’

  ‘And the worst. Because killing him suddenly made it personal between us.’

  ‘Not suddenly. It always was.’

  ‘If we can just get back to the reason for this meeting for a moment,’ Arquette said. ‘I believe we were talking about a sum of money, Klyce. You said you have it here?’

  Klyce’s face relaxed. He reached down into a desk drawer and pulled out a small manila envelope and placed it in front of Arquette. ‘Count it.’

  ‘Make sure you check the watermarks,’ Bishop said.

  Klyce glared back at him, but said nothing. Arquette picked up the envelope, unrolled the top and reached in. Frowning, he pulled out two wads of hundred dollar bills and began carefully flicking through the first one. Once he was finished counting, he slammed the thick wad down on the desk. ‘Fifty thousand,’ he said. ‘And two stacks makes a hundred.’

  ‘Correct,’ Klyce said.

  ‘So what are you trying to pull? We agreed my first payment would be five times this.’

  ‘And it will be.’ Klyce reached into the same drawer and pulled out another manila envelope. This one was bulging at the seams. ‘There are eight more identical stacks in here. Once Bishop’s out of the way, you’ll get this and our partnership officially begins.’ He placed the envelope back in the
drawer, locked it and put the key in his jacket pocket.

  Arquette pulled his brows together. He tapped his fingers against the two thick stacks, then slowly put them back in the envelope. ‘So what aren’t you telling me?’

  ‘Be patient,’ Klyce said and made an odd twirling motion with his index finger. Bishop heard a single step on the carpet behind him, then a thunderbolt struck him at the base of his neck.

  He was out by the time he hit the floor.

  SEVENTY-NINE

  Bishop awoke to the sound of tyres moving at speed along smooth asphalt. He had one bitch of a headache. And his hands were tied behind his back again. His arms were already aching, which told him he’d been out for a while. The question was, how long?

  He raised his head from his shoulder and winced at a sharp stinging sensation at the back of his neck. Lars must have struck him with the Glock. He opened his eyes and saw Arquette smiling back at him.

  They were in the back of that damned limo again, with Bishop facing the rear like before. Arquette was holding a glass of clear liquid and smiling his cheesy, smug grin. There were travelling along a three-lane highway. Bishop couldn’t tell in which direction they were going. He looked for road signs, but couldn’t make out any. The tinted windows didn’t help.

  ‘Welcome back,’ Arquette said. ‘Still seeing stars?’

  Bishop moved his wrists. There was no play at all. It felt as though they were glued together. And he couldn’t get his fingers up far enough to tell what his binds were made of.

  ‘Standard departmental-issue flex cuffs, in case you’re wondering,’ Arquette said, sipping his drink. ‘Almost unbreakable. A sharp knife’ll do the job, but you don’t have a knife. Or anything else. Believe me, you were very thoroughly searched.’ He motioned with the glass. ‘I’d offer you something from the mini fridge again, but what would be the point?’

  ‘Not thirsty, anyway,’ Bishop said, though he was. ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘To a place you won’t be coming back from. Does it matter where?’

  Bishop said nothing. Kidanu. And Doubleday. Where were they right this second? Were they close, or totally beyond his reach? With an effort, Bishop forced himself not to think about it. He was on his own for the time being. Deal with it. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Late. Again, what difference does it make?’

  ‘None, I guess. So clue me in on Amy’s involvement, Arquette. She’s the reason I’m here, after all. What made you choose her for your little scheme in the first place?’

  Arquette smiled. ‘Little scheme?’

  ‘I’d say it’s little. You’ve seen how much Klyce has got stashed away in the Caymans. Half a million’s chump change to him.’

  ‘Oh, that,’ Arquette said, glancing over at the mini fridge. ‘That payment’s more a gesture of intent than anything. After tonight Klyce and I will be equal partners. Everything down the middle. It’ll soon add up, believe me. As for Amy, I simply used my resources to delve into Artemis’s employee histories. You’d be surprised at how many researchers there are only interested in a regular paycheck. Amy was different. I discovered she was a respectable working mother with a long history of involvement in humanitarian causes. She took the job to make a difference. Which made her perfect for my needs.’

  ‘You hand her the same bullshit story you gave me?’

  ‘More or less. Besides, most of it was true, and truth usually hits the spot with somebody like that. For example, the illegal arms shipments. True. LCT being behind Artemis. True. Ex-Artemis employee Hernandez approaching me after being fired. Also true. And of course, I am a bonafide federal agent. Why would I have to lie to get what I want?’

  ‘You must have already known it was about more than illegal arms shipments at that point, though.’

  ‘Naturally. Hernandez had already figured out that much himself. He would have figured out the rest had he not got himself killed at the final stretch. That was annoying. He’d given me some interesting documentation, but only enough to raise questions, not much more. I needed a few more pieces of corroboration, that’s all. Just enough to force Klyce into a choice of going into business with me or facing serious jail time. And Amy came through with flying colours. Once I added that bank correspondence and the other documents to the stuff I already had, I was able to get my point across very effectively.’ Arquette smiled. ‘And you placed it right back in my hands. I’m actually really grateful.’

  ‘What are you talking about? The CD I gave you was just a straight copy of the flash drive Wescott took from Amy’s bag on Tuesday night.’

  ‘You only assumed it was, Bishop. Thing is, she’d already told me over the phone what she’d found, but when I came to inspect the drive only about half of the files she mentioned were on it. All I can think is the damn woman must have been in a rush and ejected the thing before it finished copying everything over.’

  Bishop thought about that for a moment. He glanced out the windows and saw they were finally exiting the freeway. He looked for signs to tell him which freeway, but he was facing the back of the car. Not an ideal position for navigating. Slowly, a thin smile spread across his lips. ‘That’s not the reason,’ he said.

  ‘No? What is, then?’

  ‘She didn’t trust you, Arquette. Not fully. That’s something that’s been bothering me since I discovered you were behind all this. That she fell so easily for your act. It’s not like her. Amy’s instincts are even better than mine. Always have been. With what I know of her character, at some point she would have started having serious doubts about you. Did you give her that story you gave me about Klyce and your imaginary partner?’

  Arquette gave a single nod.

  ‘That’s it, then. She must have done a little digging, found out what I found out, and realized her new friend from the FBI wasn’t all he seemed to be. She probably decided to hold some stuff back until she knew for sure.’

  It also explained why she hid that file containing Janine Hernandez’s address, and why she’d been preoccupied at home. Not because of what she’d discovered about Artemis, but because of the misgivings she had about her FBI contact.

  Arquette shrugged. ‘You could be right. It’s all academic now, though.’

  ‘So then what?’ Bishop asked. ‘You arranged the handover for Tuesday night and sent Wescott there in your place, along with the three thugs he hired. Any particular reason you wanted Amy dead, or was it just a simple case of unfinished business?’

  ‘You already know the answer to that.’

  ‘Explain it to me anyway,’ Bishop said. He was still looking out the windows, trying to figure out their location. And from there, their possible destination. The buildings they were passing were mostly industrial, many of them separated by vast empty plots of land. So probably not New York State. More likely, he was back in Jersey again, which suggested they’d come off the turnpike just now. But which exit?

  ‘Come on, Bishop,’ Arquette said, ‘once she realized I wasn’t doing anything with the information she’d given me, she would have started making a noise. You know it. I know it. A headstrong type like that would have taken it to my superiors at the agency, as sure as dawn. I couldn’t afford to risk that happening. Far easier to take her out of the equation entirely.’ Arquette sighed and emptied his glass. ‘Unfortunately, Wescott ended up hiring the three stooges for the job. I was not best pleased when I discovered they couldn’t follow a few simple instructions. Idiots. Some people really are just too stupid to live.’

  ‘Well, you solved that little problem.’

  Arquette smiled. ‘You mean we, don’t you? Or am I supposed to believe it wasn’t you who filled Vasilyev with holes?’

  ‘I was present,’ Bishop said, not really caring what he believed.

  ‘Sure you were,’ Arquette said. ‘But your getting to him before Wescott got there kind of forced my hand. Since I had to assume he’d told you what little he knew, I knew I had to make contact with you first and see how far you’d
got, then persuade you to look in another direction. The Konambans fit the bill perfectly. Until Bekele let me down, that is.’

  ‘That still doesn’t explain the second attempt on Amy’s life. She only gave you partial information on the flash drive. Didn’t you want the rest?’

  Arquette snorted. ‘Oh, more than you can imagine. But do you honestly think she’d turn it over to me if she woke up? Not really likely, is it? My name would probably be the first words out of her mouth. And not in a good way. Not that she’d be able to prove anything, of course, but I didn’t want my name attached to her in any way. Since I’d already played my hand, I had to see it to the end. And I will. Once you’re out of the way I’ll arrange another accident. And this time there won’t be any last minute reprieves.’

  ‘Got it all planned out, haven’t you, Arquette? You take care of Amy while Klyce goes after her husband and kids. I still can’t figure out who’s worse out of the pair of you.’

  Arquette pulled his earlobe and smiled. ‘If you’re trying to antagonize me, it won’t work. I’m in far too good a mood. My advice is just relax and enjoy the ride.’

  Bishop looked out the window and saw a sign on the other side of the road with US-1 on it. So, New Jersey, then. Wescott slowed and took a left turn. More rundown industrial buildings passed by on either side. Then another left turn.

  ‘So who gets to pull the trigger on me?’ Bishop asked, still looking out. ‘Wescott or Nowlan? Or are you actually gonna do the dirty work yourself this time?’

  ‘I believe Klyce has reserved that pleasure for himself.’

  ‘There’s a surprise. So where is he?’

  ‘Not too far away. I think we’re almost there now.’

  Bishop didn’t need to wonder about their destination any more. He recognized some of the buildings they were passing. He’d seen them only a few hours ago, when Kidanu had driven him and Lisa down Leesville Avenue. They were headed back to First Choice Auto Salvage.

  And if Klyce was with them, it meant Bishop was likely to be on very intimate terms with that large crusher very soon.