that. Far as we’re concerned we love him, and we trust him to do
right.”
“What about Jackson?” Reacher asked. “You think he did right about
that?”
Ray shrugged.
“Jackson was a spy,” he said. “Shit like that happens. Beau’s studied
the history. It happened in 1776, right? Redcoats had spies all
over.
We hanged them then, just the same. Plenty of old ladies back east got
old oak trees in their front yards, famous for being where they strung
up the redcoat spies. Some of them charge you a buck and a half just
to take a look at them. I know, I went there once.”
“What time is lights-out here?” Reacher asked.
Ten o’clock,” Ray said. “Why?”
Reacher paused. Stared at him. Thought back over their conversation.
Gazed at his lean, mobile face. Looked into his crazy eyes, burning
deep under his brow.
“I got to be someplace else after lights-out,” Reacher said.
Ray laughed again.
“And you think I’m going to let you?” he said.
Reacher nodded.
“If you want to live,” he said.
Ray lifted the pistol off his thigh and pointed it one-handed at
Reacher’s head.
“I’m the one got the gun here,” he said.
“You wouldn’t live to pull the trigger,” Reacher said.
Trigger’s right here,” Ray said. “You’re all the way over there.”
Reacher waved him a listen-up gesture. Leaned forward and spoke
quietly.
“I’m not really supposed to tell you this,” he said. “But we were
warned we’d meet a few guys smarter than the average, and we’re
authorized to explain a couple of things to them, if the operational
circumstances make it advisable.”
“What circumstances?” Ray asked. “What things?”
“You were right,” Reacher said. “Most of the things you’ve said are
correct. A couple of inaccuracies, but we spread a little
disinformation here and there.”
“What are you talking about?” Ray asked.
Reacher lowered his voice to a whisper.
“I’m World Army,” he said. “Commander of the advance party. I’ve got
five thousand UN troops in the forest. Russians mostly, a few Chinese.
We’ve been watching you on the satellite surveillance. Right now,
we’ve got an X-ray camera on this hut. There’s a laser beam pointed at
your head. Part of the SDI technology.”
“You’re kidding,” Ray said.
Reacher shook his head. Deadly serious.
“You were right about the microchips,” he said. “Look at this.”
He stood up slowly and pulled his shirt up to his chest. Turned
slightly so Ray could see the huge scar on his stomach.
“Bigger than the modern ones,” he said. The latest ones go in with no
mess at all. The ones we put in the babies. But these old ones work
just the same. The satellites know where I am at all times, like you
said. You start to pull that trigger, the laser blows your head
off.”
Ray’s eyes were burning. He looked away from Reacher’s scar and
glanced nervously up at the roof.
“Suis pas american,” Reacher said. “Suis un sold at franfais, agent du
gouvernement mondial de puis plusieurs annees, parti en mission
clandestine ily a deux mois. Efaut evaluer I’element de risque que
votre ban de represent par id!
He spoke as fast as he could and ended up sounding exactly like an
educated Parisian woman. Exactly like he recalled his dead mother
sounding. Ray nodded slowly.
“You foreign?” he asked.
“French,” Reacher said. “We operate international brigades. I said
I’m here to check out the degree of risk you people represent to us.”
“I saw you shooting,” Ray said. “I spotted it. A thousand yards.”
“Guided by satellite,” Reacher said. “I told you, SDI technology,
through the microchip. We can all shoot two miles, perfect score every
time.”
“Christ,” Ray said.
“I need to be out in the open at ten o’clock,” Reacher said. “It’s a
safety procedure. You got a wife here?”
Ray nodded.
“What about kids?” Reacher asked. “Any of these kids yours?”
Ray nodded again.
“Sure,” he said. “Two boys.”
“If I’m not out by ten, they all die,” Reacher said. “If I get taken
prisoner, the whole place gets incinerated. Can’t afford for my
microchip to get captured. I told them you guys wouldn’t understand
how it works but my chief said some of you could be smarter than I