The sentry

44

She answered on the third ring. Pike figured it took one ring for Gregg Daniel Vincent to show her the incoming number, one for her to confirm this was Rainey, and the third for Vincent to punch the answer button and hold the phone to her ear. Her voice sounded tentative.

"Hello?"

"Is he listening?"

Saying it for Vincent.

A full twenty seconds passed before she answered, which was probably Vincent figuring out what to do.

"Yes, he's listening. Where's Willie? Willie was supposed to call."

"Willie can't call. You good?"

"Ah, yeah, I'm okay. He hasn't hurt me."

"Give him the phone."

"He, ah, he doesn't want to talk. If Willie doesn't call, he's going to hurt me."

"No, he won't. I have Rainey and the money, but mostly I have Rainey."

"Ah, he wants to know who you are."

"Tell him."

Pike heard her tell Vincent his name. Vincent said something, but too low for Pike to understand. They were still talking when Pike spoke again.

"What's his name?"

"What?"

"His name?"

Another mumble in the background before she answered.

"Ah, his name is David."

The corner of Pike's mouth twitched.

"You're a liar, Mr. Vincent. Your name is Gregg Daniel Vincent. Knock off the bullshit, and get on the phone. If you don't want Rainey, I'll sell him to the Bolivians."

Thirty seconds of silence this time, edging to forty before a male voice came on the line.

"What's your deal, boy? How do you know my name?"

"A friend told me."

"I'll kill your fuckin' friend, you, your family, any motherfucker you've ever met. Your friend tell you that?"

"My friend told me you're the guy the Bolivians send to scare people. I know who you are. None of it matters."

"I have friends, too. You work Nicaragua or Honduras? You work Ecuador or Colombia? You think maybe we faced off before?"

The corner of Pike's mouth twitched. He had not told Dru where he worked, so she couldn't have told Vincent. His name, yes, and that he had been a military contractor, but no more than that. Vincent had checked him out, which meant he saw Pike as a threat.

"All right. We both have friends. Maybe our friends are the same people."

"What does that mean?"

"I have Rainey and the money. I'll sell him to you."

"Sell'm, my ass. You need to walk, and hope I don't come looking."

"If I walk, I'll sell him to Hugo. They've already offered a million. Maybe I can get more."

The silence felt different this time, and when Vincent spoke, his voice was both thoughtful and wary.

"Yet here you are, talking to me. I must have something you want."

"The girl."

"Ah."

"The girl, plus one half of the remaining money. You get Rainey and the other half."

"Walk away, boy. I'll cut this bitch in half."

"I'll still have Rainey."

Vincent shouted.

"I'll cut you in half, too, you motherfucker, then I'll have'm both."

Pike knew he was winning. The shouting was good, so Pike kept his own voice low and steady.

"Here's where we are. You're only going to get one of these people for Mr. Joaquin, so which one do you want? Which one does he want most? Rainey ripped him off. Rose was just along for the ride."

Pike let it sit. Outside in the world, Cole and Rainey were watching. The family returned to their SUV, carrying boxes overflowing with hot dogs and fries. The traffic moved like a sluggish pulse.

Vincent said, "You working for the Bolivians?"

Pike was surprised by the question. Vincent was concerned about his position with the Bolivians.

"I never discuss my employers."

Pike let it sit again, knowing that Vincent's insecurity would grow. By playing it vague, Vincent would think Pike's friend was a Bolivian. He also knew that Vincent would be trying to figure out how he could get both Rainey and Rose.

Vincent finally made his decision.

"Okay. How do you want to do this?"

"However you want. Let's meet somewhere. You give me the girl, I'll give you Rainey, all there is to it."

Vincent laughed, as Pike expected. Pike had talked it out with Cole while they were waiting for Rainey. Vincent would never expose himself. He would never walk the girl out to Pike and Rainey, two on two, because this would make him a target.

"No way, dude. C'mon, are you being serious?"

"Have the girl where I can see her. I have to see she's alive. She looks okay, I'll send Rainey with your half of the money. They meet at the halfway point, she comes to me, he goes to you. Sound better?"

"Waitaminute. What if the sonofabitch runs?"

"Shoot him."

It was a stupid scenario filled with holes, but that's what Pike wanted. Vincent would see the holes as opportunities. Pike's only concern was jamming Vincent into showing Dru Rayne. Vincent would not expose himself, but he would stay near the girl, watching from a hidden location with a clean escape route. Pike knew he would want this because this is what Pike would want. Vincent would watch from a hide and try to kill Pike. Pike could almost hear him thinking about it.

Vincent said, "Okay. We're getting somewhere."

"How about Rainey's house, on the canal? It's empty."

"Too tight in there."

Which is why Pike suggested it, pushing Vincent to think of escape routes and a wide field of view.

"Wherever you want, Vincent. You want to think about it, call me back?"

Vincent fell silent again, then mumbled something Pike couldn't quite hear. Pike thought he was talking to Dru, then realized Vincent was talking to himself.

Two minutes later, they had a time, a place, and had worked out the details.

Pike rolled down the Jeep's window and motioned to Cole.

"We're on. Let's roll."