Black Harvest

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Harker sighed. Ronnie had shiny new crutches and a cast on his right leg. Lamont's arm was back in a sling. Nick came in walking like he had a board strapped on his back.

"Maybe we should just set up an ER in the hall. Has anyone seen Stephanie?"

"No." Headshakes.

"We'll start without her. Good work in Texas. We've stopped them, for now." She looked at the picture on her desk of the Twin Towers. She picked up the silver pen. "What shall we do about Lodge?"

"Maybe Rice can handle it." Nick's back ached like hell. It was black and blue and red, a bad sunset from a grade B movie.

"Nothing's changed. We've got no proof of anything."

"We could put pressure on Dansinger," Lamont said. "If he gives Lodge up, he could get a deal from Rice."

"For someone who was about to kill millions of people? I don't think so."

"Dansinger might not know that."

"We could, how do you say, 'grab' him. Dansinger, not Lodge. Or maybe Lodge himself?" Korov watched Harker.

"Lodge is too risky. Maybe later, but not now. Rice can only protect us so far."

"We could bug him," Ronnie said.

"Any bug we got in place wouldn't last long. Everywhere he goes is swept three or four times a day."

"Steph could help," Nick said. "She's hanging out with Lucas and Lucas works for Hood. Maybe he can find something out."

"What if Hood is part of this?" Harker said.

"He doesn't strike me as someone who'd get in bed with Lodge. He doesn't like Lodge, he's ambitious, he wants Lodge's job. That might work to our advantage."

"If you're wrong it will tip our hand."

"What hand? If I were Lodge, I'd have figured out who was behind Texas. I'll bet a year's pay he knows it was us."

Everyone thought about that. Nick's ear began itching. He tugged on it.

Selena pushed hair away. "Lodge won't take it lying down. He's got to move against us, do something."

"I know what I would do." They turned to Korov. "I would seek information. I would not ask nicely."

"How would you get it?" Harker asked.

"From one of us."