“And now, Cowl, sit down, compose yourself, and start talking.”
“I’m not telling you shit.”
“Okay, but since you just tried to kill us, it doesn’t matter how much you gave the mayor and governor for their last elections.”
“You came up here and shot the shit out of the place.”
“Right, taking on four armed guys in a place that only you have access to.”
“Who are you?” screamed Cowl.
“Right now, a seriously pissed-off guy.” He pointed his gun at Cowl’s head, and the man covered his face with his hands.
“Don’t, sweet Jesus, don’t shoot.”
“I’d like to hear about Area 51.”
“You say nothing, Cowl!” screamed Hancock.
Devine pointed his gun at him. “Shut up or I’ll take out the other knee. Then you bleed out before the EMTs get to you.”
Montgomery put her phone way and joined him. She was pale and avoided looking at the dead men.
“Area 51?” said Devine.
“You’ve seen it, asshole,” spat Cowl.
“I’d like to hear your version.”
Cowl’s tone changed and he spread his hands wide. “Look, I’ve got people to answer to. We can make a deal.”
Hancock shouted, “You say one word, you are dead, Cowl. You know who I’m talking about.”
Devine slugged the man on the head with the butt of his gun and Hancock fell unconscious to the floor. Then Devine looked at Cowl. “You were saying?”
“You came here to get rich, right? Well, I can make you so rich you’ll never be able to spend it all. You can buy your island and have the bitch there in bikinis twenty-four seven, and ten more like her.”
“I never really liked making money,” confessed Devine.
“Then what the hell were you doing here?” snapped Cowl.
“Area 51?”
“This is more than me, Devine. It’s more than all of us.”
“Well, we have to start somewhere. But let me throw you a bone. Anne Comely equals Clean Money. How’s that?”
Cowl looked at him and snorted. “Maybe you could have done well here.”
“I don’t think there’s a here left, Cowl.”
Montgomery used Cowl’s phone to let the EMTs in when they arrived minutes later. They confirmed the deaths of the other men, then stabilized the still-unconscious Hancock and took him away. A contingent of federal agents appeared a few minutes later, with Campbell leading them.
He sat down across from Cowl and studied him.
“Who the hell are you?” said Cowl.
“I’m either your worst nightmare or your savior. It all depends on how you want to play this.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Campbell rose. “Then I’m your worst nightmare. Hope you enjoy prison food.”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute.”
“I’m listening.”
“Any deal I do, my lawyers sign off on it.”
He looked at his men. “Take him but don’t charge him. Not yet.”
They led Cowl away. Campbell looked at him and Montgomery. “I guess you thought you had gotten away from war zones, Captain.”
“Maybe you never do,” replied Devine.
As Devine and Montgomery left the penthouse, she said, “So, it’s finally over?”
He shook his head. “No, not even close.”
CHAPTER
76
THE 6:20 TRAIN.
It was rainy and foggy and chilly, the opposite of what summer should be, thought Devine, but then so was everything else. He was in his normal seat. He was looking out the window. The train slowed and then stopped. There was Cowl’s mansion.
Empty.
He was heading to Cowl and Clean Money, as he thought of it now. The media hadn’t gotten wind of anything that had happened in Cowl’s penthouse, which had been walled off and preserved for additional processing. The decision had been made to allow the Cowl firm to stay in business for now. Campbell had texted about the progress so far. It was not encouraging.
We have Cowl and Bartlett, for that is indeed who Karl Hancock is. But there is no electronic trail left from Area 51. It’s been NSA-level wiped. What we have on the photos and the camera feed isn’t enough. There is no chain of custody. We’ll be laughed out of court. But with Cowl cutting a deal we think we can get there in the end.
Devine had gotten that text at one in the morning.
As he neared the city he got a call from Campbell.
“Extremely bad news, Devine. Cowl and Bartlett are both dead. The latter in the hospital. Pillow over his face. Sentry killed, too.”