“Imogen said the punk would’ve raped her given the chance. You think he’s a sex beast?”

“Yeah, and the contract killing is just a sideline. My guess is that the money has never been that important, it’s always been about him fulfilling his sick fantasies.”

“Dirty motherfucker.”

“I’m with you there, buddy.”

“Doesn’t explain why he’s so proficient with weapons.”

“Never did get to the bottom of that,” I agreed. “But it doesn’t mean a thing now. I know Harvey, though: he won’t stop looking until he finds out. Personally, I don’t think we’ll ever know.”

“Not unless we make him tell us.”

“He won’t have the opportunity. First chance I get, I’m putting him down.”

“Not if I beat you to him.” Rink grinned at me. Then he nodded ahead and I saw the outlines of a white building through the trees.

“That the hospital?”

Rink looked at a printed page folded on the dashboard of the car. It was a map of the area that Harvey had supplied us with. “Outer administration buildings, the hospital’s a bit further back. Maybe a little over a mile into the swamp.”

“Okay. This is as far as we go.”

Rink pulled the vehicle off the road and down a beaten track. The Spanish moss scraped along the roof of the car. No beetles attacked, but there were plenty of tiny gnats knocked from the branches scuttling down the windscreen. Rink hit the wipers and tiny streaks of blood made rainbows on the glass. “Hope you fetched plenty of DEET,” I said.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that, Hunter. The mosquitoes drink your blood they’ll probably be struck dead by all the caffeine.”

“Either that or they’ll be hooked and head off to a Starbucks for their next hit. Both are okay by me.”

“Amen to that.” Rink laughed.

We were engaged in nonsense. It was usually the way we prepared for impending violence. Pretty soon, it would be time for silence. Rink would grow fidgety, I’d go sullen, and then we’d both slide into the calmness more befitting the task ahead.

Anhinga Key Medical Center was a heavy slog through the swamp away from us. Would have been easier by the road, but Hubbard’s men would be watching the main approach, and probably many of the lesser trails. We would have to move in via a route unlikely even for someone intent on murder. The plan was to go in, set up a lying-up point and then wait for the inevitable arrival of Luke Rickard. Then we’d kill him. Or at least try to.