Whoever was behind this, they were tied to what had happened in Bogota and they’d gained information pertaining to the hit on Abadia. That would mean that they knew about everyone involved, all the way up to Walter Conrad. The fact that Walter was now incapable of answering my call could mean that they’d got to him too. Or, following his tip-off, he’d gone deliberately incommunicado until the issue was resolved one way or another. Without Walter sanctioning my actions, it would mean I was once again acting outside the law, but I didn’t care. These people had chosen to declare war on me: so be it.

I hung up and said to Bryce, “We’re out of here.”

“Where are we going?”

“Maine. Where else?”

“Jesus, Hunter. How did things come to this?”

I don’t remember Bryce as being so indecisive. This time I noticed he was plucking at his clothing and shifting from one foot to the other.

“It’s just the way it is. Now, if you want to live to see an end to this, we have to get moving.”

Bryce ran a hand over his face. Then he surreptitiously wiped his palm on the leg of his trousers, leaving a dark smear. He was frightened. So was I, to be honest, but I wasn’t going to give in to the fear. I was going to use it, the way I always did.

Chapter 11

11

“See me.”

An opportunity to test his theory should never be wasted, Luke Rickard thought.

“See me,” he said again.

Following his telephone conversation with Joe Hunter, he’d sat on the foot of the bed staring into the vanity mirror. Phasing his vision in and out proved ineffective as he peered into the reflective surface, trying to delve beyond his blurred image to what lay beneath. He could feel the serpent coiling in his innards, but he caught no sign of the slithering thing. Only women had the ability to look upon his true essence.

He finally stood up and looked down on the woman lying on the bed. The drug he’d shot into her had insured that she remained unconscious while he bundled her into the FedEx truck and brought her back to her house. He’d carried her slumped in his arms to her bedroom and laid her out on top of the comforter. That had been more than two hours ago: by now the drug should have worn off.

“See me, Imogen,” he said.