“Because you attempted to usurp his authority by having your people out there on Monarch. In case you haven’t figured it out, Harry, Snowden is very territorial. And he’s afraid of you, you terrorist, you.”

Harry took his gaze away from the crowds to look at Jack in disbelief. “Do you really believe that?”

“Nah. But you have to admit, it sounded good. C’mon, we need to pick up those syringes. The girls should be arriving shortly. You know Charles, everything is synchronized down to the last second. Move it, Harry!”

“Shit, Jack! Look at that line!”

“I have the magic bullet, Harry.” Jack held up a crisp hundred-dollar bill and waved it in front of Harry’s face.

“And when those sweaty people standing in line attack you for trying to cut ahead of them, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to let you take care of them. Strawberry or blueberry? We have to make it look good. The third one will have the syringes in it. Oh, I’m supposed to say I’m picking up the senator’s Sno-Cones. That’s my ID.”

“How stupid is that? Snowden, right?”

Jack laughed. “Yeah. I think he saw the same episode of Law & Order that I did.

“If he acts up, I can always shoot him in the ass instead of you. Now do you feel better?”

Harry looked at Jack and smiled. “You know what, Jack, that does make me feel better. I’m seeing the silly side to you, and I actually like it.”

Jack moved away. Harry never complimented anyone. “Oh, goodie, we’re here!” Walking up to the front of the line, Jack asked the vendor, “Hey, buddy, you got the strawberry, blueberry, and the surprise-him-with-the-third-one the senator wants? He said he called ahead.”

Disgruntled sweaty runners started to mumble among themselves.

“Hey, cool it, dudes. The senator said your cones are on him.” Jack whipped out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to the first guy in line. “Be honest,” he warned.

Harry reached for the cones. Jack steered him away. “The strawberry is mine. Hey, look, there’s Nikki.” He moved forward and handed over the cardboard carton. “It’s in the one that looks like banana.” He moved off.

“Where’s mine, Jack?”

“They didn’t have tofu or that shitty green-tea flavor. You want a lick of mine?” A second later the Sno-Cone was in Jack’s eyes, up his nose, and trickling down his cheeks.”

“Now I really am going to shoot your ass off, Harry Wong.”

“You’re going to have to postpone that. I see one of Snowden’s people. See that guy in the purple shorts, the one with the high-and-tight haircut? He’s at three o’clock. I can’t be sure of this, but I think our quarry is at eleven o’clock, and they appear to be eating a packaged lunch. Hot dogs would be my guess.”