“We’re talking a heavy jet,” he said. “My base rate’s two hundred grand. Could go high as double.”

“I can’t afford two hundred grand. Or one hundred for that matter.”

“Exactly how much can you afford, then?”

“Exactly nothing.”

DeBattista’s smile crept a little higher up the side of his mouth. “Now, there’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

Carmody shrugged his shoulders. “I did your uncle a big favor a while ago. I’m asking for payback.”

“Didn’t his pilot fly you out of Amalfi about a year, year and a half ago?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought that was the payback.”

Carmody shrugged. “A bunch of freelance operators were waiting for me at his airfield. With guns.”

“Not his fault. Besides, his pilot took you where you wanted to go.”

“Only because my boys had guns too. And were faster with them. In my book, he still owes me.”

“And who wrote these fucking fair-trade rules?”

Carmody just shrugged again. They stood listening to the drone of planes landing and taking off.

“You still smoke?” DeBattista asked.

“Sometimes.”

“When the girlfriend with the hot bike isn’t around?”

“I didn’t say anything about a girlfriend.”

“OK, whatever. I’m bumming a smoke for listening to your bullshit.”

Carmody reached inside his leather jacket for a pack of Marlboros and a disposable lighter. He shook out a cigarette, lipped it and handed the pack to DeBattista.

“Keep it,” he said. “I’m feeling generous.”

“Thought maybe you were trying to put a dent in my fee,” DeBattista said.

“At what these things cost nowadays, it’d be a deep one.”

Carmody fired up the lighter, held it to the tip of DeBattista’s cigarette, then lit his.

“You traveling alone?” DeBattista asked.

“No.”

“How many of you?”

“Four. Maybe five.”

“How soon?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

“That’s lots of notice right there.” DeBattista took a drag and puffed. “I can see if something’s available. Talk to a coupla my pilots and get back to you.”

“Not good enough,” Carmody said. “I need an answer right now.”

“For your grand total of nothing.”

Carmody held up his cigarette between them. “How quickly you forget my generosity.”

DeBattista grinned. Carmody grinned back. They stood there smoking as aircraft droned, whined and throbbed nearby with the palpable vibrations they made on takeoff and landing.

“OK,” DeBattista said after a long minute. “I’ll get you a plane. Then, we’re square for whatever you claim my uncle owes you.”

“Almost.”

DeBattista looked at him. “What else?”

“I want you to fly us.”

“Me. Not one of my pilots?”

Carmody nodded. “I need somebody I can trust to bring us in and out of a very dangerous place. And keep a secret.”

DeBattista tilted his head up and blew a chain of smoke rings into the air. Then he tilted his head down and faced him.

“So?” Carmody asked. “What do you say?”