CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Harry Kincaid and Bobby Lawson got off the elevator on the Penthouse Floor of the Prairie Plaza Hotel and walked briskly down the hall. Kincaid rapped on the door twice and waited. He heard voices behind the door just as it was opened by General Jack Hastings.
“Good morning, General,” Kincaid said. “I trust you prefer these accommodations to those where we last met?”
A brief smile washed across Jack Hastings’ face as he opened the door wide and welcomed the two visitors in. Harry could not help but notice that Jack Hastings looked gaunt, perhaps even thinner than he had been just a few days earlier.
“It’s good to see you, Kincaid,” said Hastings. “You did a helluva job for me. I’m deeply in your debt.” Hastings looked over at Bobby.
“I’d like to introduce my business associate, General,” Kincaid said, “This is Bobby Lawson.”
Hastings gave Bobby a firm handshake. “Please to meet you, Mr. Lawson,” he said.
“And you, as well, General,” Bobby replied. Bobby looked past the general at the massive man walking toward them. “Well, hello, Sluggo,” Bobby grinned. “You may have grown a few inches since I saw you last.”
Sluggo stepped over and shook Bobby’s hand. “Damned good to see you, Lawson,” he said. He nodded to Harry and shook his hand, too. “Kincaid,” he said.
Hastings looked over at Sluggo. “So you know these guys?”
“From a while back,” he answered. “Knew ole Lawson here over in Injun Country. Damndest little chopper pilot you ever saw, General.”
“Hey,” protested Bobby, “who you calling little?”
“Oh, hell,” Sluggo laughed, “I call everybody little.”
They all chuckled. Hastings pointed to the table situated near the windows in the corner. “Have a seat over here, guys.”
Kincaid noticed a large plate of pastries in the middle of the table and a large pot of coffee. There were a number of cups on a tray with cream and a variety of sweeteners. About half of the pastries were gone.
“You’d better help yourselves to the food there, gents, before Sluggo finishes them off,” offered Hastings. “He’s only had five… that I saw.”
“Sorry, General,” said Sluggo. “I just hate to see food go to waste.”
The men settled in seats around the table. Harry set his satchel on the table in front of him then leaned over to get a cheese Danish. Bobby was pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“I’m glad you came over Kincaid,” said Hastings. “I’d like to hear about your trip to Mexico. And again, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. I owe you my freedom.”
“Well, don’t be so quick to thank me, General,” said Harry. “I’m afraid your customer down there in the Sonora Militia is no longer among the living. You won’t be selling them any more of your MX21s.”
“Lopez?” asked Hastings. “You bumped him off?”
“Why, no, General,” Kincaid responded a bit indignantly. “We are in the import-export business. Capitán Lopez was involved in a traffic mishap. Bad transmission, or a gas leak, or something. I don’t know. Damn thing just blew to high heaven.”
Sluggo and Hastings looked at each other and grinned.
“Mysterious, huh?” Bobby asked Harry.
“Yeah, it was,” Kincaid responded. “There was another guy in the car with him, as I understand. Fella named Carmello… folks called him ‘Lobo.’”
Hastings’ grin grew larger. He was shaking his head side to side. “Pity,” he said.
“Sorry about the lost business, General,” Harry reiterated.
Harry reached over and picked up his satchel. “I’ve got a question,” he said. He looked over at Sluggo Decker as he unzipped the bag and removed the MX21. “We retrieved this from a fella named Farooq Aziz. It had funneled into his network through Lopez… through Carmello. Now, Sluggo… tell me again about how the ceramic used in this piece is as strong as steel?”
Sluggo and Hastings exchanged glances. A slight smile seemed to flow between them, as if they shared a secret. Sluggo reached across the table prompting Harry to hand him the weapon. He stripped the pistol down to its components in a matter of seconds. He reached among the pieces and picked up the firing mechanism. He held it up above eye level, inspecting the firing pin.
He handed it over to Jack Hastings, saying, “Have a look, General. Worked like a charm.”
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Books by A. A. MacQueen
Following Claire
The Abduction of Sidney Kane
One Night in Stuttgart
The Prosecution of General Hastings
A Long Flight Home
Harvey’s Dilemma…And Other Stories
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