"So tell her what you got." "Male, Caucasian, mid-40s, appears to have been shot." " Where?" " In his room." " Very funny, Harold." " Okay, okay." "The wound is just below the heart." " Was he shot once?" " Seems to have been, yeah." "First you said, "Appears to have been shot..."" "Mr. Turner." "Dr. Lappe, I'm sure he's gonna be here any second now." "Really?" "Mr. Turner's late again." "Just get back to work." "Come on." "We can dope it out in five minutes and get back to work." "If Joey were here, you know what he would say..." "Joey isn't the only mind in this place." "Come on." "What caliber slug?" " You're missing the point, Ray." " What do you mean?" "The machine will come back with a "Rephrase"" "or "Please express in other words."" "Well, so what do you want to feed in?" " Turner, Joseph." "No middle initial." " You're 17 minutes late." "Make it 12, will you?" "I was bucking headwinds." "Dr. Lappe, anything in the early pouch for me?" " Dr. Lappe." " Yes?" " Is there anything..." " Nothing in response to your report." "And please have the book I left on your desk analyzed and on the computer by 4:00." "Yes, sir." "Better get the tolmieas moved closer to the light, Doctor." "You're getting a blight on the leaf." "At ease, Sarge." "At ease." "Going to rain today. 10:20." " There's got to be more details." " I only read two chapters." " No other clues?" " Not so far." "What time did they find him?" "Just the same afternoon, just early evening." "They never said what the caliber of the bullet was." " Apparently a.38." " There it is again, "apparently."" "Well, it made an entry wound characteristic of a.38, but they couldn't recover the slug itself." "Hey, we're getting somewhere." "You guys figure it out." "I have Far East journals to read." "Hey, was the slug smashed against the wall?" "No." "As a matter of fact, there was no exit wound." "We're not getting anywhere." "Finish the book, Harold." " Hi." "What we've got so far is..." " Ice." "Instead of lead." "Ice." "The murderer pours water into a.38 caliber mold and freezes it and keeps it solid until the crime." " Great." " Then he shoots the guy with the ice bullet." "Cops show up in a half an hour, and there's just a few drops of water." " No bullet, no ballistics." " That's great." " Hey." " Yeah?" "What is this?" "Calligraphy's getting beautiful." "What is it?" "That means heaven." "That's it?" "Nothing else?" "Well, it can mean "the best." "Tops" sometimes." "Why?" "I'm not sure." "We're going to Sam and Mae's tonight, right?" "Well, why don't you talk to Sam about it?" "About this?" "I did." "He says, "Well, that's interesting, but it's not my department."" "Which means he doesn't think there's anything, just like Dr. Lappe." " And you." " Well, there's not much." " A mystery that's been translated?" " A mystery that didn't sell that's been translated into a very odd assortment of languages." "Turkish, but not French, Arabic, but not Russian or German." "Dutch." " Spanish?" " Yes." " Yes." " Hey, where'd you get that thing about the ice?" "Dashiell Hammett?" "Dick Tracy." "Are you sure about this ideogram?" "Look at this face." "Could I be wrong about an ideogram?" "It's a great face, but it's never been to China." "Ray, when can I get some computer time?" "Dick Tracy?" " He was a very underrated detective." " There's some free time at 2:45." "Morning pickup." "No, no, no, no." "Stay on schedule." "I'll get it." " Four pieces, right?" " Right." " Hold it." "Hold it." " Five." " Affirmative." "Fiver." " Where is Mr. Heidegger?" " He called in sick, Dr. Lappe." " He's probably hung over again." "This is extraordinary." "I was just checking the files and I came across this carbon copy of an inquiry he sent to Persian Gulf command." "He did that for me." "It never went through my office." "I asked him to do some research for me." "I guess he didn't feel it was that important." "I wish you people would go through channels." "What's on your mind?" "Okay." "This was in the pouch from New York Center." "HQ at Langley said there's nothing from any other intelligence source" " to support your theory." " Gentlemen." "Is this your idea of working on that book?" "I'll have it on the computer by 4:00." "We have people to service these machines." "These things are really pretty simple." "They just look complicated." "Mr. Turner, I wonder if you're entirely happy here." " Within obvious limits, yes, sir." " Obvious limits?" "It bothers me that I can't tell people what I do." "Why is it taking you so long to accept that?" "Well," "I actually trust a few people." "That's a problem." "Well, I believe it's your turn to bring in lunch." "What time is it?" "11:22." " The rain's gonna stop by 11:30." "You can wait eight minutes." "Yes, yes." "Mr. Turner?" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Damn it." "It's not a proper exit." "He always goes out that way when it rains." "Saves him a block." "Personnel should enter and exit the premises by authorized means only." "Jimmy." " Hey, Shakespeare, how's it going?" " Terrific." "I'm building up a great collection of rejection slips." "Yeah, I know the feeling." "I always wanted to be Escoffier." "Well, maybe it's not too late." "You know, van Gogh was 30" " before he started to paint." " No kidding?" "There's no mayonnaise on Dr. Lappe's." "On the other hand, Mozart was three when he started to play the piano," " and he was composing at six." " Fast starter." "It's probably better." "I don't know." "Van Gogh never sold a painting in a whole lifetime." "Mozart died a pauper." "Where am I, the New York Public Library?" "Hey, that's a very bright man." "It's very educational." "That's why I come in here." "You come in here to get sick, just like everybody else." "Hey, come on." "Hey, no butter on Ray's sandwich." "You know, he gets very panicky about butter." "Give it to Jennings in the back." "He'll sign for it." "Just..." "Edwina Rose..." "Mrs. Russell, was the Kirkus report in this..." "Wait, wait, wait!" "Would you move from the window, please?" "Pardon?" "Would you move from the window, please?" "I won't scream." "I know." "A little breakdown in the security there?" "Well, what..." "What are you doing?" "What..." "Come on, now." "Now, come on." "Harold." "For Christ's sake!" "What the hell you doing, Mac?" "Do your sleeping at night, will you?" " This is the Major." " This is Joe Turner." "Listen..." " Identification." " What?" "ldentification." "My name is Turner." "I work for you." "Now listen..." " Identify yourself." " I..." "I don't..." "What is your designation?" "Condor." "Section 9, department 17." "The section's been hit." " What level?" " What level?" " Level of damage." " Everybody." "Dr. Lappe, Janice, Ray, Harold." "Harold was in the..." "Are you on a company line?" "No, no." "I'm in a phone booth." "I'm just a block away." "I'm in the street." "You're in violation of secure communication procedures, Condor." "Listen, you son of a bitch!" "I'm telling you, I came back with lunch, and it was raining, and the whole house was murdered." "Everybody is dead." "Right." "Has the incident been discovered by anyone outside the company?" "I don't..." "I don't know." "I don't think so." "Are you damaged?" "Damaged?" " No." " Are you armed?" "I don't..." "I have Mrs..." "I don't..." "I can't remember her code name." "Nightingale." "She was afraid of being raped." "She kept a gun." "I've got the gun." "Identify the armament." "It's a.45 automatic." "Will you guys bring me in, please?" "I'm not a field agent." "I just read books." " Leave the area." " All right." "Well..." "Well, do I come in to headquarters now?" "Negative." "Find a secure location." " Where?" " Avoid any place you're known." "Do not go home." "Surface again in two hours, and call the Major." "That'll be 14:30, your time." "Wait a minute." "All right. 2:30, right?" "Now, walk away from the phone." "Don't hang it up." "Don't..." "This is the panic officer." "Section 9-17 may have been hit." "Activate following procedures." "NY 127, DC 469er." "Replay of the report upcoming." "Stand by." "Augie One to New York Center." "This is New York Center." "Go ahead, Augie One." " Who am I talking to?" " Higgins, Deputy Director." "I'm holding the baby, go ahead." "Hit confirmed." "Maximum as reported." "Six cold items." " What was the quality of work?" " Clean, fast, first-rate." "Did you say six?" "Excepting Condor, there should be seven." "Repeat." "Six." "Here's a rundown on those items." "Lappe, Chon, Russell," "Jennings, Martin, Mitchell." "All right, Augie One." "Find seven." "Thank you." "Condor." "Researcher type who likes to read comic strips." "Who is it?" "Jesus." "Hey, you." "You ring my buzzer?" " It was a mistake, buddy." " Not you guys." "Hey." "Hey!" "Hey, who are you?" "Hey, who the hell are you?" "Augie Three here." "We found item seven, Ralph Heidegger." "He bought it at home." "Okay." "Button it up, Augie." "I'll send you more janitors." " Yes, sir." " l need Langley right away." "Yes, sir." "Garber speaking." "This is Higgins, Deputy Director, New York." "Let me have department 17." "Somebody took out one of your sections." " What?" "9-17." "That's New York." "Somebody got mugged maybe." "They were hit." " They're bookworms, for Christ's sake." " They got seven out of eight." "We're on the shuttle to LaGuardia side." "Thirty minutes." "You say one of my people is still okay?" " Condor." "You know him?" " No." "Is he okay enough to say what happened?" "They didn't touch him." "He was literally out to lunch." " What does he say happened?" " He's not in yet." "First call was a little wild, scared." " Who's bringing him in?" " Higgins." " Higgins." " Transportation." " We're already booked on the shuttle." " This is Wicks, OIC department 17." "I want a chopper on the pad, fueled for New York, now." " Hey, Lois." " They're waiting for you." " What?" " Your two friends." "They said you'd be home early." "They just got here." "Said you gave them the keys." "Mr. Turner?" " This is the Major." " This is Condor." "Stand by, Condor." "I'm routing you to New York Center." "Condor 1-1, Mr. Higgins." "Hello, Condor." "Who is this?" "Deputy Director Higgins, New York Center." "I'm controlling now, Condor." "Where are you?" "How come I need a code name and you don't?" "Where are you, Turner?" "Here." " You all right?" " Are you insane?" "Everybody's dead." "Take it easy." "Just take it easy, and we'll bring you home." "Now, here's how we'll do it." "Do you know the Ansonia Hotel?" " Broadway and 71st." " Broadway and 73rd." "There's an alley behind the hotel." "One hour from now at exactly 1530," "I want you to enter that alley from the 73rd Street side." "Will you be there?" "The head of your department just came here from DC." "He's gonna bring you home." " I've never met him." " Don't worry." "He's studying your photos now." "Turner?" "Turner." "I don't know you, either." "We'll meet." "He'll be carrying a Wall Street Journal in his left hand." " There were two guys at my house." " What were you doing there?" " You were told not to go there." " I was homesick." "Who were they?" " They were ours." " What were they doing in my house?" "I'm not going into any alley with you or anybody, and fuck The Wall Street Journal." "Turner, it's been a long, bad day." "You've been under..." "You're damn right I've been under." "All right, Turner." "We'll bring along a familiar face, somebody you know." "Who's left?" "You got a friend in statistics named Sam Barber." "Sam..." " You guys are something." " Will he do?" "Yes, Sam will do." "All right, Turner." "Stay well for 60 minutes, and you're home." " Can I ask a question?" " Sure." "What is happening?" "I'll talk to you in 60 minutes." "You've got 55." "This is ridiculous." "You're not a field agent." "It's standard procedure." "To pick up a friend?" " What about you, Mr. Wicks?" " No, thanks." " Side arm?" " I don't know." "Have you got a.45?" "You bet." "Here, let me help you with that." "How long have you known Condor?" "Who, Joey?" "I knew him before he was a bird even." " We went to CCNY." "My wife Mae, too." " Yeah?" " She ever Condor's girl?" " Here you go, Mr. Wicks." "Hey, can you tell me anything about what happened today?" " When?" " This morning." "All those murders." "What murders?" "Sam?" "Sam." "Here he is." "Joe!" "Hey, Sam, where's that other..." "What are you doing?" "It's him!" "It's him!" "Joe!" "Katherine Hale." "H-A-L-E." "08, 1156, 172, 208, 875." "Amount, $51.86." "Where's there enough snow this early?" " Vermont, I hope." " What's open now, Sugarbush?" "No, I don't do downhill." "This is for cross-country." "Don't like the lift lines, huh?" "474?" "Thank you." "Kathy!" "Kathy." "Where have you been?" "Here, let me give you a hand." " Wait a minute, I don't know..." " Don't do anything." "Be quiet." "Get in the car." "Don't make a sound." "Don't be dumb." "Come on." "Hurry up." "Get in." "Listen, please don't hurt me." "Where do you live?" "Where do you live?" " Brooklyn Heights." " Alone?" "I live with a friend." "You live alone." "Come on, let's go." "Leave the stuff." "Hey, Kathy." "You should have said hello." " Where is it?" " Here." ""Condor shot us both."" "Evidently, that was the only statement he could make before they took him into the operating room." " And the other man, Barber, he's dead?" " Before he hit the ground, Mr. Atwood." "You should add that it was a remarkable shot, a half inch above his flak jacket." " I thought this guy was..." " Wait a minute." "Wait a minute." "Was Condor qualified with a handgun?" "Two years military service, Signal Corps." "Telephone lineman, long lines, switchboard maintenance." "Six months overseas." "Separated 9/'61." "Worked at Bell Labs Communication Research." "College on the GI Bill." "The question was, Mr. Higgins, is he qualified with a handgun?" "No handgun, sir." "M1 rifle and carbine." "Evidently, it was sheer luck." "Or else..." " Yes?" " Or else what, Mr. Higgins?" "This Condor isn't the man his file says he is." "Then where did he learn evasive moves?" " He reads." " He..." "What the hell does that mean?" "It means, sir, that he reads everything." " I don't understand." " Yes." "Very good." " Has Operations got anything?" " Absolutely nothing, sir." " Extraordinary." " It was very well executed." "Which requires planning, communications, tracks." "I'm not asking for footprints, but a blade of grass, a broken twig, something disturbed." "Yes, sir." " Wicks seems to be all we've got." " Where do we have him?" "We don't." "They rushed him to Guvenor Emergency before we got word." "Maybe we should leak the name of the hospital, try to get Condor to make his move." "Of course, Len, don't expect too many mistakes from this man." "After all, he does seem rather more interesting than just another of our reader-researchers." "For example, has he gone into business for himself?" "Was he turned around?" "Does someone operate him?" "Is he homosexual?" "Broke?" "Vulnerable?" "Could he be a soldier of fortune?" "Did he arrange the hit?" "ls that why he's still in flight?" "Still, he may be an innocent." "But then, why didn't he come in gently with Mr. Wicks?" " Tentrex Industries." " It's a cover." " For what?" " I work for the CIA." "Oh, Jesus." "Your assignment for today was to go out and kidnap a girl." "Look it up." "Look it up." "Tentrex Industries." "Then look up the number for the CIA in New York." "You mean they're listed, like my Aunt Gladys?" "It's under "US Government Agencies." Go on." "Is this what you do?" "This photography?" "Okay." "It's the same number." " You could have had the card made." " Yes, I could've made the card in a machine, but I didn't." "You really get into it, don't you?" "Sit down!" "I told you I had a friend." "15.5, 34." " I dig 15.5, 34s." "What size are you?" " What are you, a clown?" " I'm scared!" " So am I!" "What are you scared for?" "You've got the gun!" "Yes!" "Yeah, and it's not enough." "Listen." "I work for the CIA." "I am not a spy." "I just read books." "We read everything that's published in the world." "And we..." "We feed the plots, dirty tricks, codes into a computer, and the computer checks against actual CIA plans and operations." "I look for leaks." "I look for new ideas." "We read adventures and novels and journals." "I..." "Who'd invent a job like that?" "I..." "Listen!" " People are trying to kill me!" " Who?" "I don't know, but there's a reason." "There is a reason!" "And I just need some safe, quiet time to pull things together." " Here." " Here." "That's only fair." "Where is the guy with the shirts?" "He's at a ski place, in the Green Mountains." "We just want to go cross-country skiing for a couple of weeks, away from everything." " What time does the news go on, 6:00?" "6:00." "Forty minutes." " Come here." " No, please." "Please don't." "Lie down." "Lie down." "Against the wall." "Put this arm behind you, and keep it there." "Now you listen to me." "I am tired." "I've got to close my eyes for a while." "I can't think straight." "If you try and move, or climb off the bed," "I'll know it." "I'll feel it, and I promise you I'll hurt you." "Couldn't you let me stay in the other room?" "No." "I believe what you told me." "No, you don't." "I don't know if I do." "That includes Condor, of course." "Yes, I owe you Condor." " Otherwise..." " Otherwise does not exist." "Will Condor take long?" " Do you want an estimate?" " There is a time factor." "Always with you people." "Condor is an amateur." "He's lost, unpredictable, perhaps even sentimental." "He could fool a professional." "Not deliberately, but precisely because he is lost." "He doesn't know what to do." "Unlike Wicks, who has always been entirely predictable." "The man Condor killed in the alley." "Some friend of his." " Close friend?" " I suppose so." "Why?" "It interests me." "What was his name?" "I don't know." "He was nobody." "He was..." "Right." "What about Wicks?" "You want the firm to question him?" "They will, you know." "We don't want that." "Cost you nothing." "I was careless with Condor." "Wicks will be done for nothing." " What time is it?" "What time is it?" " It's news time." "Get up." "Lonely pictures." "So?" "You're funny." "You take pictures of empty streets and trees with no leaves on them." "It's winter." "Not quite winter." "They look like" "November." "Not autumn, not winter." "In-between." "I like them." "Thanks." "Eyewitness News continues with an update from..." "Sit down." "...at the scene of the Ansonia shootings." "The shootings behind the Hotel Ansonia remain a complete mystery at this hour." "The victims' identities have not yet been revealed." " Victims?" " And according to a police spokesman," " drugs were not involved..." " Did he say victims?" "...nor does it seem to have been a robbery." "Lieutenant, can you tell us anything about the possible motive?" " Not at present." " Have you identified the victims?" "They were employees of a large insurance company." "What?" "They were making a routine inspection for possible violations." "And did the victims know their assailant or assailants?" " Absolutely not." " Excuse me." "Well, there you have it." "One man dead, one seriously wounded in an alley on the west side of Manhattan, and the man with the gun, still at large." "Stan Roberts, Eyewitness News," " New York." " Sam!" "Jesus Christ!" "Victims." "What is he..." "What happened in that alley?" " I didn't shoot him." " You said you shot somebody." "But not Sam!" "Nobody in that alley said anything about the CIA." "But..." "But they were there." "Wait a minute." "You're telling me..." "They had to have been to change that story." "Wait a minute." "What did Higgins say?" "What did Higgins say?" "He said he wouldn't be there." "He said the section chief was coming in, the section chief..." "Wait a minute." "He's..." "Section chief would be coming in from Washington." "He'd have to reach Sam." "Sam would have to call me." "Hello?" " I need your car." " That's called grand theft." "You don't want to get in trouble with the police." "This guy in Vermont, what's he gonna do when you don't show up?" "Probably call very soon now." "Call, or do I have to worry about him showing up here?" "You're not entitled to personal questions." "That gun gives you the right to rough me up, it doesn't give you the right to ask me..." "Rough you up?" "Have I roughed you up?" " Yes!" "What are you doing in my house?" " Have I?" "Have I?" "Have I raped you?" "The night is young." "You don't believe anything I've said, do you?" "I believe you're in trouble, danger, but I don't know what kind, and I'm not sure how much of it is made up, real, but..." "Doesn't make any difference." "Doesn't matter." " Just wait a minute." "Will you..." " Forget it." "I'm trying to understand what you're saying to me!" "What are you doing?" "Let me go!" "You're hurting me." "Wait a minute." "You bully!" "Don't tie me up!" "Come on, please!" "This is unfair." "I know." "Hi, Joey." "You're early." "Come on in." "Hey, is Janice working late?" "So is Sam." "Hey, pour one for me, too, will you, Joey?" "It's their own fault if we're zonked when they get here." "Hey, I've got it." "We'll give them an hour, and if they're not here, then it's you and me, babe, just like old times." "Joey." "What is it?" " Hey, what is it, Joey?" "What?" " Mae." " What's wrong?" " Mae." "How do you know Sam's working late?" " What do you think he's doing?" " When did he call?" "I don't know. 2:00 or 2:30." "What did he say?" "Exactly." "He didn't exactly." "He had the center call." " Who at the center?" " I didn't recognize his voice." "It wasn't that lady that usually..." "Hello?" " What is it?" " Third damn time tonight." "Third time?" "It's some creepy burglar casing the joint." "Mae, I want you to get out of here." " Well, I can't, Joey." "I'm cooking." " Right now." "Just do what I tell you, Mae." " What about dinner?" " Don't ask me." "Go to Bill and Eileen's." " Stay there until I call." " Joey, what's going on?" "Please." " Joey, you..." " Don't argue." "Move!" "Move!" " Joey, this is crazy." " Go upstairs and stay there." "Do what I'm telling you." "I'll call you." "And stay there." " Joey." "Joey, you're scaring me." " I'll call you." " Do what I'm telling you, please!" " What about Sam?" "Yours?" "No." "Happy birthday to Grandpa" "You're always pushing the buttons." " Would you stop it, would you?" " That's nice." "Fifth floor, ladies' underwear." "Kids." "Probably the same everywhere." "This is the second floor." "I do it all the time." " After you." " No." "Go ahead." "Okay." " Anybody here good with a coat hanger?" " What?" "I locked my keys in my car." "I need to get in." "I'll give you some money, couple of bucks, okay?" "Anybody can get in the car?" "Come on, you can't tell me you've never busted into a car before." " Okay." "I've busted a car." "But how much?" " No, come on." "Five bucks." "Five bucks if you help me get in my car." " Five bucks?" "Why not?" "Yeah." " I don't have much time." " Can you give me a break?" " Yeah." " Do you mind?" " All right." "Five bucks." "Five bucks." " I'll be right back." "Come on, man." " You can all come." "Have some fun." "Damn." "Wait a minute." "Give me the money." "Hey!" "I want you to answer the phone." "I'm not going to answer the..." "I'm not answering any phone!" "Answer it." "Answer it." "You answer this phone!" "Tell him what a brave son of a bitch you are." "Get in there and answer." "I want you to be casual and nice." " Hello?" " Where the hell are you?" " Ben?" " Who do you think it is?" "Ben." "You were supposed to be up here by now." " I know." " You haven't even left yet." "I was held up." "Held up?" "That's no excuse." "Come on, what's going on, doesn't this trip matter to you?" " It matters." " Yeah, sure." " No, it does." " Come on." "Come on." "This has happened over and over again." "The last minute, some excuse." "No, this is different." "What's the hold up?" " The car." " What about it?" " Broke down." " What do you mean?" "What broke down?" " The generator went." " Oh, Christ, the generator." " That's going to take forever." " Maybe not." "I tried to call you before, but..." "The generator..." "It's..." "Look, it's gonna take too long." "Why don't you just..." "Look, forget about the car." "Just take the bus up first thing in the morning." "I'll try." "Try?" "What's..." "What the hell's going on?" "Are you okay?" "What..." "What's..." "No, I'm okay." "I'm fine." "You don't sound so fine." "I wish you would understand." "I do. I do, I do. lt's just..." "God damn it, I'm just disappointed, that's all." "I really... I really wanted to be with you up here, tonight, babe, you know?" "I know." " We'll have time." " Yeah." "Look, get..." "Get the very first bus out in the morning, okay?" "All right." " Good night, sweetheart." " Good night, babe." "Listen, I'll be going in the morning." "Where?" "Was it all right?" "All right?" "Outside, was it safe?" "Wherever you went." "I'm not sure." "Oh, God." "I wish I knew more." "About you." "Yesterday." "Today." "I don't remember yesterday." "Today it rained." "Why did you have to tie me up like that?" "You thought I'd call the police." "I wouldn't have." "Why?" "Sometimes I take a picture that isn't like me, but I took it, so it is like me." "It has to be." "I put those pictures away." "I'd like to see those pictures." "We don't know each other that well." "Do you know anybody that well?" "I don't think I want to know you very well." "I don't think you're gonna live much longer." "Well, I may surprise you." "Anyway, you're not telling the truth." " What do you mean?" " You'd rather be with somebody who's not going to live much longer, at least somebody who would be on his way." " I'm not..." " You take pictures, beautiful pictures, but of empty streets and trees with no leaves, November." "Why haven't you asked me to untie your hands?" "How much do you want?" "I just want to stop it." "For a few hours." "For the rest of the night." "And then I'll go." "Joe!" "What was his name?" "What is it Higgins said?" "Was it..." "The head of your department just came here from DC." "He's gonna bring you home." "I've never met him." "Anything in the early pouch?" "Headquarters at Langley says there's nothing from any other intelligence source to support your theory." "Headquarters at Langley says there's nothing from any other intelligence source to support your theory." "Wicks." " You didn't sleep well." " You didn't?" "No, you didn't." "You're up early." "Well, I had some thoughts." "I've got a plan." "I don't know if it'll work or not, but..." "I'll need your help." "Have I ever denied you anything?" "Hey." "Well, when things quiet down, you're really a very sweet man to be with." "You had bad dreams." "Talked in your sleep." "What did I say?" "Who's Janice?" "Was she a volunteer or a draftee like me?" "She was a friend." "She's dead." "Do I have permission to take a shower?" "You don't have to help, you know." "No, no." "I'll help." "You can always depend on the old spy-fucker." "Okay." " I'm sorry." " No." "No, I didn't mean..." "I didn't mean to say that." "I'm really sorry." "I'd like to help you." " Eighteen, isn't that..." " Yes." "AID in ICU, 10-9-8." "Yeah?" "Insured package for Katherine Hale." "Could you leave it out on the stoop?" "Somebody's got to sign for it." "Well, she's..." "She's not here." "It's okay, you can sign." " Yeah?" " Her name on top, yours on the bottom." "All right." " Wonderful." " Government pens." "Look, I don't have another pen." "I'll get one." "Don't..." "Don't..." "No, no." "No, no." "No." "Now listen." "You're okay." "You're okay." "Now listen to me." "You're okay." "Can you get dressed?" "You're okay." "Can you get dressed?" "Please, hurry." "Stella Boutique." "Extension 1891, please." "Pardon me?" "Is this 662-3799?" " Yes." "Who's this?" " There's no extension 1891?" "Are you kidding?" "We're lucky if we have any phone service at all." "Sorry." " Operator." " Operator." "What's the area code for Washington?" "DC." "That's 202." "Kathy." "6311." "CIA?" "Langley?" "6311." "Extension 1891." "1891." "Let me speak to Mr. Wicks." "He's not here just now." "May I ask who's calling, please?" "How do you feel?" "You okay?" "What did you do to those people?" "What people?" "I don't know who they are anymore." "I file a report, and a guy in Washington reads it." "He's supposed to read it." "He's my section chief, and he comes to New York to shoot me." " Did you know him?" " No." "Did you know the mailman?" "No, but the guy in Washington did." "Then you won't know the next one, either." "I'm not gonna wait for the next one." " Has he gone double or dirty?" " I don't know, sir." " You think he's still in New York City?" " I wouldn't be." "Question." "Is there an intelligence network, undetected by CIA, linking certain Arabic-speaking countries with Dutch and Spanish-speaking?" "We're already visible." "Let's not become conspicuous." "If company agents aren't enough, use freelance." "Use whatever it requires, but end it." "Okay." "Let's get it over with, okay?" "Kathy." "Thanks." "Applications here." "Okay." "See Mr. Addison." "Turn right, first door on your left." "Mr. Marcus." " Mr. Addison?" " No." "He's in Clearance." "You passed it." "It's on your left." "Sorry." "Thank you." "Yep." "I didn't get the job." "Looks good, but I have this friend, and he asked me to give you a message." "Quote, "Dear Mr. Higgins," ""this will introduce a friend of mine, Sparrow Hawk." ""Please accompany her to the Nassau Street exit of this place." ""Now."" "Personally, I'd do it, because he has this huge gun, and he's looking at us right now." "I'll save this for you." "Shall we?" "To your left, please." "Okay, sit up." "Sit up!" "All the way up." "Back up against the panel." "Take it easy." "Take it easy." "I'm not armed." "They could be DFing us if you have a transmitter hidden somewhere on your clothes." "What's this?" "DF, huh?" "You do read everything, don't you?" "This is no goddamn book." "Somebody or something is rotten in the company." "You never complained till yesterday." "You didn't start killing my friends till yesterday." " Who's she?" " Who hit the Lit Society?" "We had a big meeting about that." "Your name came up." "Five Continents Imports." "Ring a bell?" " Where'd you get that?" " The mailman." " Mailman?" " The one you sent." "You know, the one with the uniform, cute little leather pouch, automatic gun." " We never use mailmen." " Would you also happen to be familiar with a very tall gentleman, about 6'4", blond hair, strong like a farmer, not American?" "Accent." "Country, near Germany." "Maybe Alsace-Lorraine?" " Yes?" " Was the letter delivered?" "The return receipt has not arrived." "You should've delivered it yourself." "A more complicated package had to be handled." "But I might have underestimated this one." "I was told you never make that kind of mistake." " What will you do?" " Wait." "For what?" "People who move leave word of change-of-address." " I wanna see that report, Turner." " No, no, Higgins, come on." " Do you know him?" " Professionally, yes." " Professionally, he kills people." " Yes." "Yes." "He works for the company?" "He did once." "He's a contract agent." " Contract agent." " Freelance." "Where did you see him?" " It would help if I knew." " Who would it help?" " Who'd hire him now?" " Anybody." "Terrific answer!" " I wouldn't accept it, either." " What's his name?" "When I knew him, Joubert." "Come on, Higgins." "Who'd hire him?" "You don't look up Joubert in the Yellow Pages." "That's right." "It would have to be somebody in the community." " Community?" " Intelligence field." "Community!" "Jesus, you guys are kind to yourselves." "Community." "I want to see that report, Turner." "That report was sent to headquarters and disappeared." " Who read it?" " You mean besides Wicks?" "You tell me." "I pick up traces of what I think's an intelligence network the company doesn't know about, and I report it." "Now, why is that going to make anybody mad, Higgins?" "Unless it was the company's network and you didn't want it blown, not even to your own guys." "Now, somebody is lying, Higgins." "Come on." "Why is everybody so shy?" "I'm not shy." "I don't know." "That's what worries me." " I don't know." " Ask Wicks." "Wicks died." "Someone yanked him off the life support system at Guvenor Hospital." "Get me in, Higgins." "What good would that do if you're right, and they are inside?" "What good would it do to bring you in?" "What am I supposed to do?" "I'm sorry." "You're sorry?" "You're sorry." "I get it." "I get it." "You expect me to draw fire, like one of those penny arcade bears that parades back and forth, waiting for somebody, somebody very good, just to take another shot." "And you're just gonna hang around and pick him up before he does it, orjust after?" "I'm gonna try and find out what's going on." "I'm gonna cross-check all those names." " Nice talking to you, Higgins." " Now wait a minute." " Have a nice day." " Where are you going?" "Where will I find you?" "I'll find you." "Do you trust him?" "Trust." "Does he trust you?" "He's in the suspicion business." "He can't trust anybody." "But they all are." "How could anybody sneak in and fool them?" "Maybe nobody did." "Then..." "Maybe there's another CIA inside the CIA." "Hey, Sal." "The lights went off." "Come on over here." "The generator went off." " It's a hotel room." " What hotel?" "There's no tag." "It's Room 819, City of New York." "There's a code number cut in the edge." "You in the trade?" " I read about it in a story." " Was the story about locksmiths?" "It's the lock manufacturer's code." "He can give you the name of the hotel." "Look, I don't want to read about you in the paper, sonny." "Will you make the call?" "Yes?" "I'm doing a survey." "Do you believe the Condor is really an endangered species?" " Your room number, please." "819." " Hello?" " Yes." " I just had an interesting call." " Who is this?" "In reference to an all but extinct bird, the condor." " Have you had such a call?" " You're a fool to call me here." " You had no such call?" " No." "Must have been the Audubon Society." "I assume they're still located in New York City." "Langley Computer." "State your program at the tone." "G." "Carriage return." "TRS." "Tone." "Symbol for number." "Computer is ready." "That number is 202-227-0098." " CNA, Mrs. Coleman speaking." " This is Harold Thomas, Mrs. Coleman." "Customer service, requesting a CNA on 202-227-0098." "One moment, please." "That would be a Mr. Leonard Atwood." "365 Mackenzie Place, Chevy Chase, Maryland." "All right." "Cross-check this tape against Wicks and hold any intersects." "Hat size." ""Lucifer."" "All right, run Lucifer." "Coming up." "I'll be damned." "I'll be damned." " This is the Major." " Condor." "Find me Higgins." "Routing you, Condor." "Stand by." "Hello, Condor." " The Holiday Inn, 57th Street." " ls that where you are now?" "Room 819." "If you move it, you'll find the Alsatian gentleman we spoke of." "Where are you, Condor?" "Where are you?" "Quiet down." "Hey, Higgins?" "Yeah, I'm right here." "Who is Leonard Atwood?" "Where are you, Higgins?" "Ain't we pals anymore?" " Something?" " Major?" " Got him." " Let me see that." "What's he doing in Brooklyn?" "Condor." " We can get a unit..." " Wait." " What's going on, Major?" " Son of bitch wired together 50 phones." "What?" "Everybody in Brooklyn's talking to each other." "I didn't know you smoked." "I quit three years ago." " You're so pale." " It's the light in here." "What are you gonna do there?" " See a guy." " More secrets." "Like those pictures you hide." "Yes." "Someday, I'd like to show them to you, if you live through this." "You could drive me to Washington." "No, I couldn't." "You..." "You have a lot of very fine qualities, but..." "What fine qualities?" "You have good eyes." "Not kind, but they don't lie, and they don't look away much, and they don't miss anything." "I could use eyes like that." "But you're overdue in Vermont." "Is he a tough guy?" "He's pretty tough." "What will he do?" "Understand, probably." "Boy, that is tough." "Last call, track six, Newark connection passengers for Baltimore and Washington DC, all aboard." "Kathy, I need time." "Eight hours or so, that's all." "Just till noon." "To do what I have to do." " Do you understand what I'm saying?" " No." "Are you going right to Vermont?" "Yes." "What I mean is don't call anyone." "Don't stop, please." "Don't tell anyone about..." " Jesus." " What?" "Jesus." "I..." "I didn't..." "All aboard!" "Hey." "You take care of yourself." "I'll do my best." "Do your best." "Why aren't you further along, Mr. Higgins?" "You mean with the company, sir?" "You seem perfect for it." "Are you perfect for it, Mr. Higgins?" "I have tried to be, sir." " You were recruited out of school?" " No, sir." "Company interviewed a few of us in Korea." "You served with Colonel Donovan in the OSS, didn't you, sir?" "I sailed the Adriatic with a movie star at the helm." "Doesn't seem like much of a war now, but it was." "I go even further back than that." "Ten years after the Great War, as we used to call it, before we knew enough to number them." "You miss that kind of action, sir?" "No." "I miss that kind of clarity." "Yes?" "Thank you." "He's being held at New York Center." "Mr. Higgins, you do understand the company's position." "There's nothing in the way of your doing this, is there?" "What is this?" "What's going on?" "Who are you?" "Who are you?" "What are you doing here?" "I'm Condor." "Sit down." "What do you do for a living?" " Don't be ridiculous." " No." "What do you do exactly?" "Deputy Director of Operations." "What section?" "Middle East." "What are you working on?" "What are you doing?" "What's the secret worth murdering everybody at the ALHS house?" " There's no secret." " Wicks showed you my report." "What report?" "Yes." "It was your network I turned up." "Doing what?" "What does Operations care about a bunch of goddamn books?" "A book in Dutch." "A book out of Venezuela." " Mystery stories in Arabic." " Wait." "What the hell is so important about..." "Oil fields." "Oil." "That's it, isn't it?" "This whole damn thing was about oil." "Wasn't it?" "Wasn't it?" "Yes, it was." "Don't turn for a moment." "Put your thumb in front of the hammer." "Release it slowly." "Set down the gun on the desk." "And don't move." "Back up." "You were quite good, Condor, until this." "This move was predictable." "Hey!" "What?" "Did you touch anything except the chair?" "You're working for the company again." "The desk?" "The lamp?" "Jesus." "They took you back." "Just for this." "For Atwood." "How..." "He's with the company." "Why?" "I don't interest myself in why." "I think more often in terms of when, sometimes where, always how much." "I suspect he was about to become an embarrassment, as you are." "So you're not finished." "Pardon?" "Oh, no." "I have no arrangement with the company concerning you." "They didn't know you'd be here." "I knew you'd be here." "But didn't you send the mailman?" "That was a business arrangement with Atwood." "But you see..." "Come on." "Come." "Tell me about the girl." "What about the girl?" "She was chosen how?" "By age?" "Her car?" "Appearance?" "At random." "Chance." "Really?" "Can I drop you?" "I'd like to go back to New York." "You have not much future there." "It would happen this way." "You may be walking." "Maybe the first sunny day of the spring, and a car will slow beside you, and the door will open, and someone you know, maybe even trust, will get out of the car." "And he will smile, a becoming smile, but he will leave open the door of the car" "and offer to give you a lift." "You seem to understand it all so well." "What would you suggest?" "Personally, I prefer Europe." " Europe?" " Yes." "Well, the fact is, what I do is not a bad occupation." "Someone is always willing to pay." "I would find it tiring." "Oh, no." "It's quite restful." "It's almost peaceful." "No need to believe in either side or any side." "There is no cause." "There's only yourself." "The belief is in your own precision." "I was born in the United States, Joubert." "I miss it when I'm away too long." "A pity." "I don't think so." "Is it any trouble to drop me at the Union Station?" "Oh, no." "It would be my pleasure." "For that day." "Higgins!" "Turner." "Why'd you call so late?" "We were worried about you." "Likewise." "The car for me?" "Yeah, it's all right." "It's safe." "You have a few hours of debriefing." " Hey, Higgins?" " Yeah?" "Let's say for the purposes of argument," "I had a.45 in one of my pockets." "And I wanted you to take a walk with me." "You'd do it, right?" "Which way?" "West." "Slowly." "Stay in front of me about three or four steps." "Where are we going?" "Wave them on ahead, Higgins." "Do we have plans to invade the Middle East?" " Are you crazy?" " Am I?" " Look, Turner..." " Do we have plans?" "No." "Absolutely not." "We have games." "That's all." "We play games." "What if?" "How many men?" "What would it take?" "Is there a cheaper way to destabilize a regime?" "That's what we're paid to do." "Walk on." "Go on." "So Atwood just took the games too seriously." "He was really going to do it, wasn't he?" "A renegade operation." "Atwood knew 54/12 would never authorize it." "There was no way, not with the heat on the company." "What if there hadn't been any heat?" "Supposing I hadn't stumbled on their plan, say nobody had." "Different ballgame." "Fact is, there was nothing wrong with the plan." "The plan was all right." "The plan would've worked." "Boy, what is it with you people?" "Do you think not getting caught on a lie is the same thing as telling the truth?" "No." "It's simple economics." "Today it's oil, right?" "In 10 or 15 years, food, plutonium, and maybe even sooner." "Now, what do you think the people are going to want us to do then?" "Ask them." "Not now." "Then." "Ask them when they're running out." "Ask them when there's no heat in their homes, and they're cold." "Ask them when their engines stop." "Ask them when people who've never known hunger start going hungry." "You want to know something?" "They won't want us to ask them." "They'll just want us to get it for them." "Boy, have you found a home." "Seven people killed, Higgins." " The company didn't order it." " Atwood did." "Atwood did." "And who the hell is Atwood?" "He's you." "He's all you guys." "Seven people killed!" " And you play fucking games!" " Right." "And the other side does, too." "That's why we can't let you stay outside." "Well, go on home, Higgins." "Go on." "They've got it." " What?" " You know where we are." "Just look around." "They've got it." "That's where they ship from." "They've got all of it." "What?" "What did you do?" "I told them a story." "You play games, I told them a story." "You..." "You poor, dumb son of a bitch." "You done more damage than you know." "I hope so." "You're about to be a very lonely man." "It didn't have to end this way." "Of course it did." "Hey, Turner." "How do you know they'll print it?" "You can take a walk, but how far if they don't print it?" "They'll print it." "How do you know?"