“Put them on,” he said. Barbara didn’t move.
Krantz sighed. “Tell your wife to put them on, or I’m gonna put a bullet in her throat.”
“Honey? Honey?” Girdner said, trying to get his wife’s attention. “Please put the headphones on. Please?”
Krantz stared at her. Barbara had entered some kind of trance. He’d seen that before in regular army units. Soldiers sometimes acted this way after living through a near-death experience. Krantz pointed his pistol at her, but once again Girdner intervened. He stood up and took the headphones in his hands, gently placing them over his wife’s ears. Once he’d retaken his seat, Krantz used the cell phone to play music. He increased the volume until he could actually hear a little bit of the classical playlist he had selected.
“Thank you,” the general said.
Krantz grinned. “Of course, General. As I said to your wife, we’re old friends, aren’t we?”
“Sure, but what the fuck is this all about?” Girdner asked, his tone changing now that his wife couldn’t hear him.
For the first time since he’d interrupted the general’s lunch, Krantz caught a glimpse of the man he once knew. For a moment, he had thought the general hadn’t aged well, that he had gotten a bit too soft. But this wasn’t the case. Girdner, like so many other military men, had two different personalities. His family and professional lives were two separate entities. Now it was the general who was speaking. The family man had retired to his quarters.
“What do you think?” Krantz asked. “You think this is a social visit?”
“Did you kill my men at the SkyCU office?” Girdner asked.
“You know I did, Tom. It was a simple case of bad timing, I’m afraid,” Krantz replied truthfully. “It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out operation for me. And it was, until your team showed up. What were they trying to accomplish, by the way?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. You know exactly why they were there. Are you here to kill us, Abelard?” Girdner asked with a straight face.
“That’s not my preferred option, General,” Krantz replied. “Hopefully, once I leave your house, the only dead person will be your housekeeper.”
Girdner opened his mouth as if to say something but opted otherwise.
“Truth is,” Krantz continued, “I’d like us to work together.”
“Us?” Girdner asked. “You mean with you and Oxley?”
Krantz nodded. The general seemed to think about this for a moment, and then said, “I wish Roy had contacted us first before going after Hammond’s daughter.”
“That time has come and gone, General,” Krantz said. “Can we move forward?”
Krantz wasn’t about to discuss Oxley’s decision or thought process with Girdner. This wasn’t why he was in Arlington. He wasn’t here to make small talk or justify anything. Krantz had shared his concerns about the Ritz-Carlton operation with Oxley, but he’d been overruled. At heart, Krantz was a soldier. All his life he had served other people’s interests. And that was fine. He was okay with that. He’d long ago accepted his position in the food chain. Oxley was a great man, and a good leader. By cutting Krantz into his deal with Le Groupe Avanti, Oxley had once again proven to Krantz he’d made the right choice by joining forces with him years ago. If Oxley had made a tactical mistake going after Veronica Hammond, Krantz saw it as his duty to fix it.
“I can,” finally replied Girdner. “But I’m not sure Hammond will.”
“What kind of retaliation is he planning?” Krantz asked, watching the general’s facial expression for any signs of deception.
Girdner put his elbows on the dining table and locked his hands together, his expression torn between fear and deep thought. Krantz was aware of what he was asking of Girdner, so he didn’t push. Barbara was still seated ramrod straight in her chair, but the tears had stopped.
“If I tell you what I know, and Oxley escapes Hammond’s retaliation, can we finally put our differences to rest now that Drain has been shut down?”
“That’s why I’m here,” Krantz lied. “That’s the plan.”
“I’ll tell you what I know, Abelard. Then I want you to get the hell out of my house.”
Krantz allowed a small smile to cross his lips. “Of course.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Cape Town, South Africa
Pierre Sarazin stared at his menu as though it was his first time at the restaurant. Even that simple task had become a challenge. He was glad he had kept himself in shape all these years because he didn’t think his heart would have survived the pressure he was currently under if he hadn’t. His life was getting more complicated by the minute under the heavy load of his constant lying.