Panic

47

F or a moment Jargo’s face wavered behind the gun-sight.

‘Because if you kill me, there is no deal. No files for you,’ Evan said. ‘No more Deeps. I didn’t come to kill you. I came to deal.’

‘Then why’d your father come in alone?’

‘His idea. Not mine. He’s overprotective. I’m sure you’re the same way with Dezz, Uncle Steve.’

Jargo smiled.

‘Or should I just call you Uncle Nikolai?’

The smile faded.

‘You’re running out of time,’ Evan said. ‘You want the files on Khan’s laptop, I can give them to you.’ Evan stepped around the gun. He knelt by his father. ‘I told you this wouldn’t work, Dad. We’re doing it my way.’

Mitchell nodded. Stunned.

‘You broke his fingers,’ Evan said to Jargo.

‘Dezz did. He gets carried away. Mitchell didn’t tell us you were outside, though, if that’s what you’re wondering.’

‘I don’t doubt him,’ Evan said. ‘I’m sure I can trust him completely, the same way you can trust Dezz.’

‘What the fuck is that supposed to mean?’ Dezz said.

Evan’s gaze met Carrie’s. His back was to Dezz and Jargo and he mouthed, It’s okay.

She closed her eyes.

‘I can give you the files now,’ Evan said.

Jargo put the gun back to his head.

Evan leaned down to the decoy laptop’s keyboard. The laptop was powered on, a prompt screen awaiting the password.

Evan leaned down, typed the password, and stepped back.

‘There you go,’ Evan said.

The laptop digested the password, the prompt screen disappeared, a video application started automatically, a film file loaded into the application and ran.

‘What the hell is this?’ Jargo said.

‘Watch,’ Evan said.

The film opened with the Audubon Zoo on last Monday morning, the sky gray with the promise of rain. The camera zooming in close on Evan’s face, then Jargo’s. Jargo in full profile, talking rapidly, his cool starting to break.

Then Evan’s voice began to speak on the film. ‘That angry man in the picture is Steven Jargo. You’ve been doing business with him for a long time. You’ve hired him to kill people you don’t like, steal secrets you don’t have, commit operations that your government or your bosses don’t approve of. You may not have seen his face before – he hides behind other people – but here he is. Take a good look.’

On the screen, Jargo’s face turned toward Shadey’s hidden camera. Angry, almost frightened. Vulnerable.

‘Mr. Jargo’s operations have been compromised. He lost a list that had the name of every client who used his freelance spy network. Officials in every major intelligence agency. Government ministers. High-ranking executives. If you have received this e-mailed message, your name is on this list.’

Jargo made a noise in his throat.

Then the scene fell apart into gunfire, Evan punching Jargo, Evan and Carrie fleeing into the depths of the zoo, Jargo pulling himself up from the ground, he and Dezz giving chase.

‘Why am I alerting you to this problem?’ Evan’s voice resumed. ‘Because we value your business. Your loyalty to Mr. Jargo’s network. But every organization needs to grow to meet new challenges. Our time for change is now. I understand this may make you uneasy about conducting additional business with us.’

Dezz said, ‘You fuck.’

‘Please, have no fear,’ Evan’s voice said. ‘There is no need for you to order your intelligence services to kill Mr. Jargo. We are his associates, we have taken command of his network, and the situation is now under control. You will be contacted in the near future by a new representative of our company regarding your future business with us. Thank you for your attention.’

The screen faded as the crowd in the zoo continued to run past Shadey’s station. Then the film started again. Evan let it play. Let it work under their skin.

Jargo stood frozen. A man whose world had vanished. Dezz grabbed Evan’s throat.

‘Back down,’ Evan said. ‘I’m not done laying out the deal for you.’

‘Let him go. Let him talk,’ Jargo said in a cracked voice.

‘Your clients,’ Evan said in an even tone, ‘are powerful people who don’t want their dirty laundry aired. Maybe they’ll work with me and Dad, maybe not. They have reason to stick with the Deeps. We can hurt them, they can hurt us, but if we all hold our noses, they get what they want and we’ll make a lot of money.’

‘ We’ll? ’ Jargo said.

‘Yes,’ Evan said. ‘Dad and I are taking over the Deeps.’