"When did you last water my roses?" "Dad expects them to be disciplined enough to water themselves." "No." "It's not that I expect them to water themselves." "It's that they'll have the wherewithal to tough out not being watered." "Are you packing other people's clothes?" " I suspect it's full of dirty laundry." " Might be." "Thought they taught you discipline in boot camp, Private Blane." " They taught me to delegate." " Oh." "Heh." " Roses?" "Yes, they are." "Welcome home, my baby." "My baby." "You know what I think?" "I think my arms are gonna pop off if you don't stop nattering and open the door." "Surprise." "All right, Betsy." "Sweetie." "Here, hold on to that." "May I have your attention, please?" "To our daughter, who stuck it out, who toughed it out who kicked some serious ass." " You're right." " Sure did." "Today graduated from boot camp as Private Elizabeth Blane." " Cheers, baby." " Cheers." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Congratulations." "Well, I got something else too." "What's this?" "Hm." "Imagine that." "You know what I'm holding?" "Something that comes as no surprise to me." "Honor graduate." ""Promoted to private first class recommended for Officer Candidate School. "" "My little baby, yeah." "No." "Hey, I'll get that." " You take the poll." " You sure?" "About the ice or the poll?" " It's official." " You're pregnant." "We're in the official name-picking section of our journey." "I'll take some." "Coming right up." "American soldier here!" "Bob?" "Bob, one question." "Do you dream, Bob?" "You're not here." "Go away." "If I'm not here, I can't go away." "So I'm here." "Fact is, I'll always be here." "Baby, people are waiting for the ice." "We bought too much." "Can you sit that in the fridge for me?" "Okay, so nobody likes the name Oliver or Olivia for the baby's name." "Ice." "Ice." "Town plaza, surrounded on three sides by multi-story residential and business buildings." "We can expect a lot of civilian movement, I take it." "You take it correctly." "Up to, and possibly including, the minute of the event." "You sure the premier will make an appearance?" "Bad intel makes for dead soldiers." "No, this is the day." "This is the one day that he must appear before the people." "And it must be here." "Celebrates..." "What is it?" "Their liberation from the Turks in eighteen-oh-something." "Yeah." "Well, they call it Victory Day." "But it makes no difference who or why." "The important thing is he will be there on Thursday afternoon, 1700 hours." "But he'll be in a crowd." "That's exactly right." "And that's where Carlito's special round comes in." "It also makes the angle of the shot critical." "Now, normally, we'd be high, engaged in plunging fire." "High is where counter-snipers and surveillance'll look." "And that's why we will be where they don't look." "We'll need to be positioned around the plaza on different sides." "We have to be scattered." "That violates a sniper principle." "Yes, but if you are aware of the principle and you violate it knowingly it's not a violation." "It's called good tactics." "So where do we set up?" "Mack, you're gonna be here on the second level of this building." "Carlito, you'll be in this building here." "Hey, don't shoot me, bro." "I'll try not to." "And Bob and I will be here." " I thought we're all gonna be separated." " Well, you're the shooter, not me." "I can best influence and coordinate the action from this point." "So, Carlito, let's take those Buck Rogers rounds down to the range and see what they can do." "I told you we're good to go, Top." "What?" "You don't trust me?" "The Big Communicator said, "Trust, but verify. "" "Gonna join us, Bob?" "Bob." "Yeah, Top, I'm coming." "Just like the other ones." "All less than half minute of angle." "What'd I tell you?" "Even old Mack here couldn't screw that up." "And he tried." "Well, that meets the first test." "Will the rounds stay in the body without hitting someone else?" " Guaranteed." " And you're so sure why?" "Matter of physics." "I'll make it simple for you." " They didn't cover that in your GED." " Thank you, I appreciate that." "What I did here I filled the central cavity of the bullet half full with mercury." "So when fired, the mercury sets to the rear." "Then on impact, it meets the nose of the bullet as it comes crashing to the rear." "So all that energy, like a ton and a half gets dumped in the target on impact." " Yep." " Well, time to see." "Mack can get the first shot." "This is a normal issue round." "Should give through and through penetration." "The jug on the left, if you please." "Target killed." "Bullet went all the way through the backstop." "What'd you expect from ball ammo?" "Well, let's see if Carlito's special load performs." "Or is he just blowing smoke?" "Just don't miss." "You're breathing on me." "Get out of here." "Red." "Green." "Bob." "Bob." "While we're still young, Bob." "The bullet stayed in." " No undue penetration." " What'd I tell you?" "We can pluck a man out of a crowd with that bullet and have confidence it'll get only its intended target." "Did good, Carlito." "And blow its head off." "What was that?" "Do same to a man, it'll blow his head off." "Remember this:" "The target is only a stand-in for a living man." "It's not about the shooting." "It's about the killing." "Yeah." "It's about the killing." " You do KP in basic?" " Sure did." "You let the other soldiers do the work while you sit on your butt making chitchat?" " No idea you still had this." " Carry it with me all the time." " That's what, your rabbit's foot?" " Cameo." "Grandpa gave it to Ma the day she graduated high school." "Oh." "It's beautiful." "Old thing from a drawer of costume jewelry Betsy played in." "Grandpa gave it to Ma for courage." "She was nervous, because she" "I'm sure these tired women don't wanna hear about that." "Oh, are you kidding?" "She was valedictorian and had to give a speech." "She and Grandpa got awards." "Grandpa was the first black principal at the school." "Got an award for academic achievement." "Oh, so it is the family rabbit's foot." "Mom gave it to me before my first spring dance." "Let's forget about the past." "Let's talk about this young lady's future." "In two days, you're off to OCS." "Didn't bring Mama good luck." "Her daddy died that same night of a heart attack." "Oh, Molly, I'm sorry." "Not something you advertise." "Do you have pictures from your graduation?" "I'd love to see." "Mama was so upset she never picked up my graduation pictures." "Grandma put away everything that reminded her." "Mom, her sister." "Did you tell your mother you'd like to see your father's things?" " It's been a long time now." " That's a closed door." "How about you?" "Did it bring you luck?" "The dance?" "Gordon McGee asked me to the Spring Fling." "Next day, he comes down with measles." "Twenty-one days later, I'm sick as a junkyard hound." "So why do you still carry it?" "History." "Gotta remember where you come from, good or bad." "I don't wanna shoot you." "But I will if you don't put that down." "All right." "All right." "Running late." "Gotta see Tiffy and Annie about a thing and get over to the station for my show." " I just need to talk to you." " Oh, okay." "When you get back." "You leave this evening, right?" " Yeah, I am, but, uh" " Kids are at daycare." "Molly's gonna pick them up." "So you relax until it's time to go." "Oh, can you take care of the dishes?" "I'll get the dishes for you." " Bye, babe." "Love you all day." " Mm-hm." "And twice at night." "Bye." "The concept of just war." "Instead, ask me the meaning of life, that's probably an easier question." "What is the meaning of life?" "The meaning of life is not known to us." "Look, chaplain, what I want..." "The taking of life, when is it justified?" "You?" "When are you justified-?" "Yes, that's exactly what I mean." "When is it right?" "The Bible says thou shalt not kill." "I used to be here, on the teams, you know, back in the '90s before I got out and went to the seminary." " Yeah, I'd heard that rumor." " It's true." "The Bible says thou shalt not kill." "No, it says thou shalt not murder." " Is that a small point?" " I" "It says thou shalt not murder." "The two words in Hebrew are quite distinct." "And so the use is quite intentional." "Murder is the unnecessary and immoral taking of life." " Is the taking of life ever necessary?" " You know that it is." "Would you ever kill an intruder who came to your home in the middle of the night to harm your family?" "Would you?" "Some say that the taking of life is never justified." "Those people employ others to protect them so that they'll never have to face that choice." "Do you hear me?" " Yeah, I hear you." " Do you understand?" "I understand." "But?" "But is right." " Let me tell you this one thing." " I know, God loves me." "Yes, God loves you." "Hey, I know you're hurting, but I'd like you to leave with this." "When there is no more information, it's time to make a decision." "Mm-hm." "We all have our limits." "Maybe you've had enough." "God bless you." "Oklahoma Board of Education, three county school district Oklahoma Hall of Records, City Hall, and nothing." "No class roster for Depew High, graduating class of 1980." "Maybe we got the wrong year." "No, checked five years back, a couple of years forward." "No class rosters." "No archives of graduation photos." "School closed in 1982." "The lady at Chamber of Commerce told me all the records got lost." "Well, then that's that." "There's gotta be someone in Depew knows how I can get a picture." "I wanna give it to Molly and Betsy before Betsy leaves." "Betsy's orders'll come in on Monday." "That just gives us two days." "Well, there's just not enough time." " I got an idea." " I'm not gonna like this." "The man at the Board of Education said Depew's such a small town one man did all the graduation photos for the schools there." " Call him up." " Can't." "Ephraim Watson's in his 80s, lives with his daughter, Ruth." " They're poor, no e-mail" " No way." "Think of it as a fun road trip." "Oh, you were in on this too?" "Think of it as a no." "Look it had to be so hard on Molly." "Her dad dies the day of her graduation." "Now her daughter's gonna finish OCS, deployed to God knows where." "Having a piece of your history can be a real comfort." "I want this picture." "Kim, I can't do this." "I've got the kids." "I arranged for Haley to sit the night you'll be gone." "I cannot afford to lose my tips." "Got you the night off, and two shifts to make up." "Well, thank you very much." " My car" " We're taking mine." "Oh, we're taking..." "Which one do I get to be?" "Thelma or Louise?" "Yeah." "Depew, here we come." "Lady at the restaurant said Depew's 6 miles ahead as the crow flies." "Do you see a crow?" "Because all I see is Kim Brown's neck between my hands and me squeezing." " Oh, pretty country." " If you're a possum." " What'd they say the name was?" " Ephraim Watson." " It can't be hard to find." " No?" "We have no phone, no address." "Just that he lives the south end of town." " The town's the size of my hand." " Great." "Give me his height and weight." "I'll buy a tape measure and we'll stop every old man around Depew." "Oh, my God." "You are just determined to have a bad time, aren't you?" "Absolutely." "He doesn't talk?" "Not since '99." "But he kept the photos of when he worked, right?" "Now, why would he do that?" "Well, files, someone wanting reprints?" "He might've." "Did your father do all the school graduations in Depew?" "You know, you can talk to him." "He can hear." "He just won't answer, but do him the courtesy." "Yeah, I'm sorry." "Mr. Watson, did you take the pictures of the 1980 high-school graduation at Depew?" "No." "No, he did not." "Mr. Watson, do you know where any of the photos of the graduation might be?" "Anyone who graduated that year might still have them?" "Might still live around here?" "Weren't any graduation photos that year." "Why?" "And if that's so, how come you remember so clearly?" "My daddy would make $55 he took pictures of a graduating class." "My mother, her budget for food each month was 50 dollars." "He'd come from a job and we'd all joke, "Daddy brought dinner. "" "Summer of '80, Daddy didn't bring home dinner." " But he was hired to." " He was." "But the principal gets shot dead right near the end of the ceremony nobody wants pictures of the class." "Report." "All quiet on the western front." "Roger that." "Only thing deadly around here is the boredom." "Then motivate yourself." "What the hell are you doing?" "Maybe no one saw." "Hey, I saw movement." "If I saw it, somebody else did." "You're burned, move." "Roger that." "Going to the alternate position." "I don't know what I was thinking, Jonas." "The hell kind of rookie stunt was that?" "Blow a mission that's been months in the making." "I don't know where your head's at, but you better get it screwed on quick." "Clear out." " Is this the sexy new you?" " Mm-hm." "Whoo!" "Heh-heh." "Kim?" "Yeah." "Hey, we were waiting for you to call back." "We have some info." "Well, the photographer, Ephraim Watson, he can't talk." "And his daughter tells us the principal got shot the day of the graduation." "I have bigger news than that." "The Creek County Board of Education got back to me." "Tyrone Rutgers was never principal of Depew High and" "No records of Tyrone as a principal of the school." "Hey, I don't get it." "I already know the principal was shot." "But his name wasn't Tyrone Rutgers." "His name was Harrold Simmons." "But didn't Betsy tell us that her grandfather's first name was Tyrone?" "And wasn't Molly's maiden name Rutgers?" "I don't understand." "I'm working on it." "News on the fives." "Some things you just don't wanna talk about." "So you change them for a reason." "So you lie to your closest friends." "You don't lie outright, but you just leave out some of the information." " Why?" " Because it's too painful." "Do you wanna know what's more painful?" "What's that?" "Having your lies found out." "In alternate position." "Going active again." " Roger." " Same." "Same." "Now, everybody, say, "Thank you, Bob. "" " Thank you, Bob." " Thanks, Bob." "Take the scope." "I'll take the rifle." "The angle change." "This may be one hell of a shot." "Wanna tell me where you left that head of yours?" " Because it ain't on this mission." " No excuses, Top." ""No excuses," the new "screw you. "" "That just don't cut it, slim." "Now, I need an answer, and I need the real one." "Jonas, I don't know." "I was just" "Spit it out so you don't choke on it." "Right." "The real one..." "We were sent here to kill a man." "Go on." "We have premeditated his death and will carry it out no matter what." "Exactly so." "Well, then, tell me how that differs from murder." "Because our government sent us?" "I mean, if I did this on my own, if I killed this man for profit or revenge I would be hunted down as a murderer." "Get your eye back on the scope." "How long you been thinking about this?" " I don't know." "A while." " You just thought to tell me this today?" " Well, I thought" " No, what you thought doesn't work." "And you brought it on the job." "Well, you're gonna have to work it out like everybody else." " Everybody else?" " You think you're unique?" "Happens to everyone." "What surprises me is it took you so long." ""Patty Ann Gustafson had her son, Chimney-"" "Chimney." ""- and the kids over for cheese dip and crackers last Sunday. "" "We're a weekly paper." "No idea what she's serving tomorrow." "Okay, I got something." "June 11 th, 1980." "Graduation Depew High School." "Yeah, the principal was shot and killed." "Harrold Simmons, 59." "Harrold Simmons." "Shot by an Avery Flowers, 42." "No apparent motive." " At the trial?" " Mmm." "He was convicted, sentenced to 32 years, Creek Prison." "Huh." "Is he still alive?" "Is he still in prison?" "As far as I can see." "He's been in prison almost 30 years." " Thank you." " Welcome." "I'm gonna find out why he shot Molly's father." " She deserves to know." " How can this be a good thing, Tif?" " Why kick up the dust?" " Because I need to know." "Molly needs to know." "If Molly needed to know, she knew where to find this guy, right?" "She knew he was in prison." "Look, you didn't wanna take this trip, and the reason for taking it is finished." " Not for me." " All right, you go there." "You talk to this killer." "You bring into your life somebody you don't want there." "Just don't do this." "Please." " Just come home." " No." "I wanna look at this man." "The other guys too?" "Yeah, well, once the novelty wears off." "It's what makes these missions the hardest of all." "And so?" "So you're gonna have to sort your way through it." " Or quit." " Quit?" "What, you think you were the first?" "Certainly won't be the last." "I've considered it myself." "The question I have now is can I depend on you for this mission?" "And I need an honest answer." "Yes." "Jonas, yes, you can depend on me for this mission." "All right, because we got another problem." "What's that?" "We've changed rooms, we've changed angles." "And I need measurements." "And my range finder just martyred itself." "Betty Blue, where are you?" " Br'er Fox be laying low." " Well, get out of the briar patch." "I need you to get in the street and pace off a range for me." "My viewer punked out." "Said and done, but if I need it, you gotta give me some love." "All I can, brother." "Where'd he come from?" "Snake Doc." "New measurement, 96 meters." "Did you see that cop?" "No, I was watching the far side of the plaza." " Let's keep a sharp eye out, shall we?" " Mm-hm." " Things are starting to move." " Right." "Tough little bastard." "What's that?" "Nothing." "Ma'am." "How can I help you?" "My name is Tiffany Gerhardt." "My husband works with the husband of a woman named Molly Blane." "Molly Blane?" "Her husband and mine, in the Army." "All right." "I came here to talk about the crime you committed." "Crime I committed?" "Twenty-seven years ago, yes." "You come here to talk to me about a crime?" "The man you shot, the principal, that was my friend's father." "I can't help you, miss." "Will you please, just...?" "I'm asking you one human being to another." "Help my friend close this out." "Just tell me." "What could that cost you?" "Now, I'm sure you regret it." "Just tell me so I can tell her that you're sorry." " Ma'am." " You can speak low." " The guards don't even have to hear" " Ma'am, all in due respect they say I killed a man." "Maybe I did." "Maybe I didn't." "But I've spent some time here, because the jury says I did." "Now, I'm up for parole." "You imagine I'm gonna tell you what I ain't ever told anyone so your friend can sleep nights?" "Mr. Flowers, can I show you a picture?" "This is me and my friend, Molly." "Now, she's been living a lie all her life." "And she needs your help." "Won't you help her?" "She surely looks like her mother." "Uh, I beg your pardon?" "She looks like her mother." "Mary." "She looks just like her mother." "You know her?" "Her mother's name is Mary?" "Her name is Mary." "And you know her?" "She's my daughter." "Last name's Blane now." "Never knew what she changed it to the first time." "Where y'all live?" "I..." "Husband's in the Army?" "What's his name?" " I'm sorry, this was a mistake." " Oh, boy, oh, boy." "I tried for years to find her." "The Internet, other places." "Where is she?" " Where is she?" " I can't." " I just" " You don't have to tell me, young lady." "You don't have to betray your confidence." "Name is Molly Blane." "Her husband's in the Army." "I can find her." "You get back, you tell Mary I'm up for parole in three months." "I get out, I might pay her a visit." "Jonas." "Jonas, cops are heading to Mack's location." "He better get out of there quick." "I've got him now." "Dirt Diver, you better move." "They're coming." "I'm gone." "I'll get to my fallback if I can." " If not, the rendezvous point." " Roger that." "I'll run interference." " Bob, take over." " Mm-hm." "I'll see if I can help Mack." "I won't risk coming back." "But I will try to find a spot where I can overwatch." "You and Carlito have a shot." "You handle that?" "Can do, Top." " Stroke of 5." " On 5." "Good man." "Remember it." "At the stroke of 5." "You can do that, can't you, Bob?" "You're good at killing the helpless." "It's what you do best." "Betty Blue, how's your view?" "Passable." "Got some glare in a couple of spots." "How's yours?" "It's okay." "I can get the red and white sides." "Can you cover the other two?" "It's tight, but yeah." "We got a cover." "How about Snake Doc and Dirt Diver?" "Best thing is leave them alone." "Besides, this'll be over most gauche." "Oh, yeah." "Here they come." "Cool Breeze, Betty Blue, you on him?" "I'm ready." "Ready." "Stand by." "Bob." "Didn't I tell you to go to your room?" "I didn't" " I mean" " I'll teach you to pay attention, you brat." " Dad, I'm sorry, I didn't hear" "Cool Breeze." "The glare." "I don't have a shot." "Bob, the shot." "Take it." "Done." "Good one, Bob." "Now, everybody, say, "Well done, Bob. "" " Way to go, Bob." " Way to go, Bobby." "All right, let's clean up ditch the gear and drift out with the crowd." "See you all at the rendezvous." "My cleanup's gonna take me a couple minutes." "I'll see you there." " No." " I agree with Annie." "He can find out where she lives, he has enough information." "There's a reason that Molly didn't wanna talk of him." "She made up an entire past just to avoid this man." "He gets out, comes here, what does that do to her?" "I can't." " You opened the can of worms." " Me?" "You're the one who" "I wanted to get her a photograph, not unravel a whole life." "It doesn't matter who did what." "It's done." "And we've got to be responsible." "Is this the hill you wanna die on?" "If it costs me my friendship with Molly, it'll break my heart." "But if it costs Molly her life or her sanity, it'll kill me." "Let me tell you what you did." "You had no right!" "Did I dig into your particulars a few years back?" "Mack hit you." "And is that my right?" "Or your life?" "Chapter and verse." "I'm sure there are things you don't want me to know." "And that's your right." "People have secrets." "You ask them the reason for them, they can't tell you why because they're secrets." "Molly, we just wanted to warn you." "We didn't wanna hurt you." "So you hit the piñata." "And I'll spill it all out if that's okay with you." " No, you don't have to." " Don't I?" "Because if I don't next time you talk to me, you'll be wondering if I'm lying." "The day I graduated, my daddy gave me the only present he ever gave me." "A cameo pin." "The next time I saw him, he was being led from the high school hands handcuffed behind his back, blood on his clothes." " Molly" " Let me tell it." "My daddy was a mean drunk." "My mama was worried about me and my sister's safety." "I don't know how Principal Simmons found out but he was gonna help us out of it somehow." "Daddy, he saw my mama talking to Principal Simmons before the graduation, and he was drunk." "And he made something out of it it wasn't." "And he shot that man dead." "And as people do Mary Flowers her sister and her mama were made outcasts." "My mama lost her job, Daddy was front-page news and not a person in that town would let us forget." "We moved." "Mama threw away every reminder of him." "Threw away our family name." "She even asked me about that cameo pin." "I lied to her, I told her I threw it out because I kept it as reminder of the last happy moment in my young life." "The cameo Betsy had." "I didn't wanna kick up dust in her life." "So I told her another story." "As would you." "Out of respect for my mother." "Her humiliation." "I kept her secret." "Molly, if there is anything that I can do." "Don't tell Jonas." " It's been real." " Been fun." "It just hasn't been real fun." "Stick around for some beers?" "I can find someone better looking than you to have a drink with." " I intend to." " Oh, ow." "Come to any conclusions?" "Yeah." "And?" "And I like it, Jonas." "God help me, Jonas, but I like it." "Yeah, well, you have to, don't you?" "Mm-hm."