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uniform。”
Jaime looked at each face； white skin and light eyes – strangers。 He looked away。 “All the
Japanese left a long time ago。 They went to prison camps。”
“This one came back。”
Page 120
Jaime shrugged。 “Then you know more than I do； se？orita。”
Slaven raised his hand。 Jaime did not see the motion； but Hecht and Vanessa did。 She shook her
head slightly。 Slaven’s hand returned to his side。
“The Japanese man met Refugio at the Fragrant Petal yesterday；” Vanessa said coolly。 “Refugio
was sick。 Now the Japanese is gone。 Where did he go？ Did he take Refugio with him？”
“Quien sabe？” said Jaime indifferently。
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed。 “I’ll pay you one hundred dollars if you answer my questions。”
Jaime looked at her with contempt。 “Only a gringo would sell his family for one hundred
dollars。”
“I see；” said Vanessa。 “How much do Mexicans charge？ Two hundred？ Three？”
Jaime spat on the floor and turned to leave。 Slaven’s open…handed blow sent the slightly built
boy reeling into Hecht’s lap。 Jaime’s eyes were wide and dark with shock。 Blood lined his lips
where flesh had split against teeth。
Slaven advanced on the boy。
“He can’t be more than fourteen！” protested Hecht； struggling up to block Slaven’s advance。
“Communists don’t make war on children！”
Slaven turned to Vanessa。 “Do we really need this bourgeois shit？”
Vanessa looked at Hecht。 He glared back； showing more resolution in defending the enemy than
he had in aiding her。
If Jaime were killed； Hecht would rebel； and it was clear that Jaime would have to be killed。 Her
silenced gun coughed twice。 Hecht crumpled； his eyes wide with disbelief。 Vanessa prodded him
in the groin with her foot。 When he did not move； she faced Jaime again。
“Tell me about Refugio and this Japanese。”
Jaime stood mute； staring at Hecht and shaking his head in silent negation。 Vanessa hissed a
Russian epithet。 The impact of Slaven’s fist sent Jaime spinning。 Feet tangled with Hecht’s legs。
He fell； unconscious； before Slaven could hit him again。
“Not like that； you ox！” Vanessa snarled。 “He’s no good to us with a broken neck！”
Vanessa slapped Jaime aeasured blows。 His eyes focused。 Fear and pride
fought for control of him。 Pride won。 He would not show weakness in front of a woman。 He
spat in her face。
The spittle slid down Vanessa’s cheek； but she seemed not to notice。 She seized Jaime’s hand and
bent his index finger backward until it broke。 Jaime’s scream was cut off by Slaven’s big hand；
but the boy’s writhings continued as Vanessa ground bone against broken bone。
Suddenly； Jaime was talking； words tumbling out； saying whatever would stop the pain。
“The Japanese man – told us to go for three days。 He stayed – with Refugio。” Jaime’s breath
shuddered； but his voice did not break。 “The Japanese man stayed。 Refugio is – very sick。”
“Are they still in the funeral home？ Tell me quickly！”
Jaime cringed。 “I don’t know！ I was one of the first to leave！”
But Jaime’s eyes had shifted away from hers； undermining the plea in his voice。 Vanessa’s hand
closed over his。 Jaime screamed again。
“They were afraid of you！ Velasquez told my uncle about you。 The Japanese decided to leave。
They talked about prison camps。 I think – I think they will take Refugio there until he is better。”
“Where？”
“Where all the Japanese went。 Over the mountains。 Manzanar。”
Vanessa crouched over Jaime； her eyes hooded； weighing what the boy had said。 It made sense
except for the part about Refugio going to Manzanar。 From Hecht’s description； he was too
weak to make the trip。 He was probably dead； laid out on a tabic in the Rincón mortuary。 If not；
he soon would be。 She would see to it。
“The Japanese man；” said Vanessa suddenly。 “Who is he？”
“They called him Kestrel；” said Jaime weakly； faint with pain。
Vanessa tweaked Jaime’s broken finger。
Page 121
“Please；” he said； crying hopelessly； “That’s all I know about him。 Japanese – Kestrel。 Refugio
knew him in Mexico。 That’s all； I swear on my mother’s honor。”
Before Vanessa could touch the boy again； Slaven called her name。 She looked up。 He was at the
window； watching the flower shop。 His body was tense； poised； a fighter waiting for the bell to
sound。
“What is it？” said Vanessa。
“Cars。 Four； five； six。 Four men to a car。 More in the alley； I’ll bet。”
“Police？”
“No uniforms；” said Slaven； “but they’re police。 You can smell it。”
“Are they coming here？”
“No； they’re surrounding the Fragrant Petal。 They’ve got guns out。 They kicked in the door of
the shop。”
Vanessa swore savagely。 If Refugio were still alive； he was now out of her reach。 So； perhaps；
was the uranium。
“What now？” said Slaven。
Vanessa glanced from Hecht’s body to Jaime； pale； sweating； cradling his maimed hand。 He
could tell her nothing more； but he could tell the Americans everything。 She knew he was too
young to read the death in her eyes。 He would suspect nothing until the instant he felt the cold
mouth of the silencer against his ear。
The soft sound of the shot drew Slaven’s attention away from the street for an instant。 Vanessa
stood； letting Jaime’s body slide to the floor。 She went to the window； careful not to show
herself。 A half…block away； the street was filling with men in dark suits。
“Put them in a closet；” said Vanessa。
“And then run？”
“No。 We’ll wait and see what the Americans find。”
San Francisco
29 Hours After Trinity
Finn pletely； like an animal sensing the approach of its prey。 He sat up in
the seat。 San Francisco sped by him on either side； a kaleidoscope of buildings and people。 Riley
glanced at Finn； then turned his attention back to the city streets。 He gunned through a traffic
signal just as it changed to red。 Finn said nothing。 He had not spoken since leaving the winery。
He had simply tossed Riley the car keys； wedged himself into the front seat of the car and fallen
asleep。
“Don’t worry；” Riley said curtly。 “I won’t include your stunt in my report。 Mr。 Hoover wouldn’t
understand。 He doesn’t believe in intimidating crooks – just agents。 His motto is don’t hit or
threaten the bad guys； just convict them。”
Riley looked quickly at his passenger。 Finn’s expression was bleak； but not as forbidding as it
had been when he had walked out of the winery。
“No；” continued Riley； “Mr。 Hoover doesn’t appreciate scare tactics at all。” He drew a deep
breath。 “That was a scare tactic； wasn’t it？ I mean； you didn’t really castrate that poor
sonofabiten。”
Finn looked through Riley。 He had dreamed of children and Okinawa again。
“Did you？” Riley repeated。
“What would you have done？”
“I’m not you！”
“That’s right。 You’re not me。”
Riley looked away from Finn’s pale； measuring eyes。 Neither man spoke again until Riley
stopped the car in front of the Fragrant Petal。 Finn took one look at the flower shop’s splintered
door and began swearing in soft； vicious Spanish。
“I told Coughlan to wait for us；” said Riley。
Page 122
Finn grabbed the radiation counter； slammed the car door and stalked toward Coughlan； who
was standing with a group of agents on the sidewalk in front of the shop。
“ – and the old lady two doors down said that they all left about an hour ago；” continued an
agent； looking at his notes。 “I’m not sure about that last bit。 You know these people。 If you’re
not one of – “
“Coughlan；” snarled Finn； “you were told to stay the hell out of this place。”
Coughlan lit a cigaret； blew smoke over Finn’s shoulder。 “That so？ The word I got was to
surround and take the Fragrant Petal。” He looked over Finn’s shoulder to Riley。 “Right； kid？”
Riley studied Coughlan for a moment； then said； “Wrong。”
Coughlan covered his surprise with a shrug。 “That’s the problem with verbal orders – no
records。”
“Hijo de la gran puta！”
“What’s that mean？” demanded Coughlan； turning back toward Finn。
“It means you’re a lying bastard whose mother sold her cunt for a living。” He felt rage stretch
over him like a tight； hot skin。 “Get out of my way。”
Coughlan flushed。 His hands became fists。 Finn waited； smiling； his eyes pale and intent。 After a
long moment； Coughlan stepped aside。 Finn walked past him to the shop’s splintered door。
“Your information was crap；” Coughlan yelled after him。 “There’s nothing in there but flowers！”
Without answering； Finn switched on the radiation counter and began sweeping the shop。 The
odd； clicking box drew curious glances from the agents who were tearing the flower shop apart。
“What are you looking for？” asked one of them。
“Same thing you are。”
“Shit；” said the man in disgust； throwing aside a dripping bouquet of flowers and peering into
the bottom of the vase。 “You don’t know any more than we do。 How in God’s name can you
look for something without knowing what the hell it is！”
“It’s smaller than a bread box。”
“Fuck you；” said the agent； reaching for another soggy bouquet。
The counter clicked slowly； indicating normal radiation。 Finn moved quickly to the rear of the
shop； sweeping the probe in front of him as though searching for land mines beneath the floor。
When the probe passed near the narrow bed； t