“No. They weren’t here to rescue anyone. Definitely not. It was like they were looking for Carpenter. Like he was their target.”
“Why did they leave you?”
“They didn’t know about me. I was in the laundry room. I went in there hoping it was a pantry. I was starving.”
“They didn’t search?”
“I was hiding. I’m good at it. I’ve had plenty of practice.”
“So did you see what happened? Or only hear?”
“I saw some. They didn’t search immediately. They came crashing in. Hannah went for her gun. But they were too fast.”
“Are they armed?”
“One guy, the younger one, he had a gun. The older one had a kind of flask and a cloth. He kicked Hannah’s gun away then shoved the cloth in her face. She fell down. Jed tried to rush the guy. He kind of bounced off and the guy grabbed him and shoved the cloth in his face and he fell down, too. Then they searched. I only listened after that.”
“What did they want with Carpenter?”
“One of them, the older one, I think, because he had this tone like he was in charge, he started questioning him. It was kind of weird. He said Carpenter had sold some liver that was bad and it had killed his son. He wanted to know where it came from. If Hix and Brockman were involved.”
“What did Carpenter say?”
“Nothing. He wouldn’t answer. The older guy said that was no problem. He had something better to loosen his tongue. Then I guess he used whatever was on the cloth to knock them out. I heard some thuds, then a bunch of slipping and scuffling. Five times. I guess they dragged everyone out back.”
“Why out back?”
“Because I didn’t hear any vehicles and they weren’t at the front. I looked. To be honest I was going to run. Then I remembered you were coming back. Figured I should stay and warn you.”
“You did the right thing.” Reacher started toward the door.
“There’s one thing I don’t get.” Maurice stayed where he was. “These guys want revenge for this fatal poisoning. What’s that got to do with Minerva? There are no animals at their prisons. The company doesn’t own any farms. Where are they getting the livers from?”
“It wasn’t food poisoning that killed this guy’s kid.” Reacher grabbed the door handle. “And the liver didn’t come from an animal. Not one with four legs.”
—
Reacher crossed the hallway, ran up the stairs, and went into the center room at the rear of the house. It was a bedroom. It had a polished wood floor. Sleek, pale furniture. And three tall windows covered by white curtains, all closed, which hung down to the floor. Reacher crossed to the center window and peered around the edge of the curtain. He was looking through a glass door, across the balcony, and down onto the big square of grass he had seen when he first broke into the house. The difference now was the people who were there. Hix, Brockman, and Carpenter. Naked. Hanging by their wrists from the lighting gantry over the stage. Immobile. Hannah and Jed, on the grass to the right of the stage. Facedown. Dressed. Also immobile. And two guys Reacher hadn’t seen before. They were ladling some kind of gel out of a large barrel and slopping it into ice troughs they’d taken from the bar.
Reacher ran back down the stairs, through the front door, and around to the rear of the building. He stepped up onto the porch. The new guys set the third trough down on the edge of the stage. They were standing on either side of the barrel. They heard the footsteps. Spun around. Pulled out guns. And aimed at Reacher.
The older guy said, “Drop the weapon. Then get on the ground. Facedown.”
The breeze was blowing directly toward Reacher. Past the two guys. Past their barrel.
Reacher said, “Not going to happen. I have no quarrel with you. I’m here for the woman and the kid. They come with me. The idiots you strung up? Do what you want with them.”
The guy shook his head. “The woman and the kid are going nowhere. They saw us.”
Reacher was picking up a faint smell. Something familiar. He said, “They caught a glimpse at best. They’re no threat.”
“Doesn’t matter. They can put us at the scene. So can you.”
Gasoline, mainly, Reacher thought. And benzene. And something else. Then he made the connection. The combination of ingredients. He looked at the barrel. It was almost empty. Almost. But not quite. He said, “Not my problem. I’m taking my friends and I’m leaving.”
“You’re in no position to be telling us what’s going to happen.”
Reacher said, “I’m in the perfect position.” Then he fired. At the barrel. The bullet pierced the plastic and the remaining napalm ignited instantly. The sides buckled. The shock wave knocked both the guys over. And a tongue of orange flame engulfed the younger one. He screamed and writhed and squeezed off one unaimed round before he lost his grip on his gun.
