I reached into a cloth duffel bag and pulled out a black box attached to what looked like a silver wand. The apparatus was a long-distance microphone, compliments of my new good buddies at the Bureau in Quantico.

Sampson nodded when he saw what it was. “FBI wants you real bad.”

I nodded back. “That they do. This is a state-of-the-art unit. But we should get a little closer.”

We made our way up toward the cabin, crawling on our hands and knees between the towering trees. Besides the long-distance mike, Sampson and I had rifles, and 9-millimeter Clocks.

Take one of these,“ I said. ”In case you don't like the NVGs. "I handed him a pocket scope that worked in day or night. Fully extended, it was less than six inches long. Another valuable loan from the

FBI.

“Only fair, I guess,” Sampson said. “The boys probably have a couple of war toys of their own inside that log cabin.”

“That's what I was thinking. It's the argument I used with Burns. That and the fact that they came after me at my house. Burns has three kids of his own. He was sympathetic.”

Sampson glanced over at me. “I thought you didn't know it was them in Washington?” he whispered.

“I don't. I'm not so sure it was. I had to tell Burns something. I don't know that it wasn't them.”

Sampson grinned and shook his head. “You're gonna get fired before you get hired.”

I stayed close to the ground and trained one end of the mike at the cabin. We were only fifty yards away now. I worked the microphone around until the voices were as clear as if they were just a few feet away from us.

I recognized Starkey's voice. Thought we'd party a little tonight, Counselor. Tomorrow we're going to hunt deer up on the mountain. You in?"

“I have to go back tonight,” said Marc Sherman. “No hunting for me, I'm afraid.”

There was a brief silence, then a burst of laughter. Three or four men joined in.

Brownley Harris spoke up. “That's just fine, Sherman. Take your blood money and run, why don't you? You hear this one? The Devil takes a meeting with this lawyer.”

“I heard it,” said Sherman.

“Funny, Marc. Now listen. Devil is slick as shit, you know. I mean, you know, right, Counselor? Devil says, ”I'll make you a senior partner right now. Today.“ Young turk lawyer asks, ”What do I have to do?“ Devil says, ”I want your immortal soul. Beat. And also the immortal souls of everyone in your family. “The young lawyer stops and thinks, and he eyes the Devil something fierce. Then the lawyer says, ”What's the catch?" '

There was raucous laughter from inside the cabin. Even Sherman joined in.

“That's even funny the fourth time. You do have the rest of my money?” he asked once the laughter had stopped.

“Of course we do. We've been paid, and you're going to be paid in full. We keep our deals, Mr. Sherman. You can trust us. We're men of honor.”