"I don"t give a f.u.c.k if she flies stuffed down the front of Superman"s Jockies," McDonald said. "She the last?"
Jane darted past them, glanced at the seats in business cla.s.s, then poked her head into the main cabin. It was deserted.
She came back and reported the plane empty.
McDonald turned to the jetway and saw two uniformed Customs agents fighting their way through the crowd, excusing themselves but not bothering to look back at the people they jostled aside. The last of these was the old lady, who dropped her ticket-folder. Papers flew and fluttered everywhere and she shrilled after them like an angry crow.
"Okay," McDonald said, "you guys stop right there."
"Sir, we"re Federal Customs officers-"
"That"s right, and I requested you, and I"m glad you came so fast. Now you just stand right there because this is my plane and that guy in there is one of my geese. Once he"s off the plane and into the jetway, he"s your goose and you can cook him any way you want." He nodded to Deere. "I"m going to give the son of a b.i.t.c.h one more chance and then we"re going to break the door in."
"Okay by me," Deere said.
McDonald whacked on the bathroom door with the heel of his hand and yelled, "Come on out, my friend! I"m done asking!"
There was no answer.
"Okay," McDonald said. "Let"s do it."
17.
Dimly, Eddie heard an old woman say: "Well, pardon me for living! I guess I just fell off the hea.r.s.e!"
He had parted half the strapping tape. When the old woman spoke his hand jerked a little and he saw a trickle of blood run down his belly.
"s.h.i.t," Eddie said.
"It can"t be helped now," the gunslinger said in his hoa.r.s.e voice. "Finish the job. Or does the sight of blood make you sick?"
"Only when it"s my own," Eddie said. The tape had started just above his belly. The higher he cut the harder it got to see. He got another three inches or so, and almost cut himself again when he heard McDonald speaking to the Customs agents: "Okay, you guys stop right there."
"I can finish and maybe cut myself wide open or you can try," Eddie said. "I can"t see what I"m doing. My f.u.c.king chin"s in the way."
The gunslinger took the knife in his left hand. The hand was shaking. Watching that blade, honed to a suicidal sharpness, shaking like that made Eddie extremely nervous.
"Maybe I better chance it mys-"
"Wait."
The gunslinger stared fixedly at his left hand. Eddie didn"t exactly disbelieve in telepathy, but he had never exactly believed believed in it, either. Nevertheless, he felt something now, something as real and palpable as heat baking out of an oven. After a few seconds he realized what it was: the gathering of this strange man"s will. in it, either. Nevertheless, he felt something now, something as real and palpable as heat baking out of an oven. After a few seconds he realized what it was: the gathering of this strange man"s will.
How the h.e.l.l can he be dying if I can feel the force of him that strongly?
The shaking hand began to steady down. Soon it was barely shivering. After no more than ten seconds it was as solid as a rock.
"Now," the gunslinger said. He took a step forward, raised the knife, and Eddie felt something else baking off him-rancid fever.
"Are you left-handed?" Eddie asked.
"No," the gunslinger said.
"Oh Jesus," Eddie said, and decided he might feel better if he closed his eyes for a moment. He heard the harsh whisper of the masking tape parting.
"There," the gunslinger said, stepping back. "Now pull it off as far as you can. I"ll get the back."
No polite little knocks on the bathroom door now; this was a hammering fist. The pa.s.sengers are out, The pa.s.sengers are out, Eddie thought. Eddie thought. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Oh s.h.i.t. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Oh s.h.i.t.
"Come on out, my friend! I"m done asking!"
"Yank it!" the gunslinger growled. it!" the gunslinger growled.
Eddie grabbed a thick tab of strapping tape in each hand and yanked as hard as he could. It hurt, hurt like h.e.l.l. Stop bellyaching, Stop bellyaching, he thought. he thought. Things could be worse. You could be hairy-chested, like Henry. Things could be worse. You could be hairy-chested, like Henry.
He looked down and saw a red band of irritated skin about seven inches wide across his sternum. Just above the solar plexus was the place where he had poked himself. Blood welled in a dimple and ran down to his navel in a scarlet runnel. Beneath his armpits, the bags of dope now dangled like badly tied saddlebags.
"Okay," the m.u.f.fled voice beyond the bathroom door said to someone else. "Let"s d-"
Eddie lost the rest of it in the unexpected riptide of pain across his back as the gunslinger unceremoniously tore the rest of the girdle from him.
He bit down against a scream.
"Put your shirt on," the gunslinger said. His face, which Eddie had thought as pallid as the face of a living man could become, was now the color of ancient ashes. He held the girdle of tape (now sticking to itself in a meaningless tangle, the big bags of white stuff looking like strange coc.o.o.ns) in his left hand, then tossed it aside. Eddie saw fresh blood seeping through the makeshift bandage on the gunslinger"s right hand. "Do it fast."
There was a thudding sound. This wasn"t someone pounding for admittance. Eddie looked up in time to see the bathroom door shudder, to see the lights in there flicker. They were trying to break it in.
He picked his shirt up with fingers that suddenly seemed too large, too clumsy. The left sleeve was turned inside out. He tried to stuff it back through the hole, got his hand stuck for a moment, then yanked it out so hard he pulled the sleeve back again with it.
Thud, and the bathroom door shivered again. and the bathroom door shivered again.
"G.o.ds, how can you be so clumsy?" the gunslinger moaned, and rammed his own fist into the left sleeve of Eddie"s shirt. Eddie grabbed the cuff as the gunslinger pulled back. Now the gunslinger held the shirt for him as a butler might hold a coat for his master. Eddie put it on and groped for the lowest b.u.t.ton.
"Not yet!" the gunslinger barked, and tore another piece away from his own diminishing shirt. "Wipe your gut!"
Eddie did the best he could. The dimple where the knife had actually pierced his skin was still welling blood. The blade was sharp, all right. Sharp enough.
He dropped the b.l.o.o.d.y wad of the gunslinger"s shirt on the sand and b.u.t.toned his shirt.
Thud. This time the door did more than shudder; it buckled in its frame. Looking through the doorway on the beach, Eddie saw the bottle of liquid soap fall from where it had been standing beside the basin. It landed on his zipper bag. This time the door did more than shudder; it buckled in its frame. Looking through the doorway on the beach, Eddie saw the bottle of liquid soap fall from where it had been standing beside the basin. It landed on his zipper bag.
He had meant to stuff his shirt, which was now b.u.t.toned (and b.u.t.toned straight, for a wonder), into his pants. Suddenly a better idea struck him. He unbuckled his belt instead.
"There"s no time for that!" The gunslinger realized he was trying to scream and was unable. "That door"s only got one hit left in it!"
"I know what I"m doing," Eddie said, hoping he did, and stepped back through the doorway between the worlds, unsnapping his jeans and raking the zipper down as he went.
After one desperate, despairing moment, the gunslinger followed him, physical and full of hot physical ache at one moment, nothing but cool ka ka in Eddie"s head at the next. in Eddie"s head at the next.
18.
"One more," McDonald said grimly, and Deere nodded. Now that all the pa.s.sengers were out of the jetway as well as the plane itself, the Customs agents had drawn their weapons.
"Now!"
The two men drove forward and hit the door together. It flew open, a chunk of it hanging for a moment from the lock and then dropping to the floor.
And there sat Mr. 3A, with his pants around his knees and the tails of his faded paisley shirt concealing-barely-his jackhandle. Well, it sure does look like we caught him in the act, Well, it sure does look like we caught him in the act, Captain McDonald thought wearily. Captain McDonald thought wearily. Only trouble is, the act we caught him in wasn"t against the law, last I heard. Only trouble is, the act we caught him in wasn"t against the law, last I heard. Suddenly he could feel the throb in his shoulder where he had hit the door-what? three times? four? Suddenly he could feel the throb in his shoulder where he had hit the door-what? three times? four?
Out loud he barked, "What in h.e.l.l"s name are you doing in there, mister?"
"Well, I was was taking a c.r.a.p," 3A said, "but if taking a c.r.a.p," 3A said, "but if all all you guys got a bad problem, I guess I could wipe myself in the terminal-" you guys got a bad problem, I guess I could wipe myself in the terminal-"
"And I suppose you didn"t hear us, smart guy?"
"Couldn"t reach the door." 3A put out his hand to demonstrate, and although the door was now hanging askew against the wall to his left, McDonald could see his point. "I suppose I could have gotten up, but I, like, had a desperate situation on my hands. Except it wasn"t exactly on my hands, hands, if you get my drift. Nor did I if you get my drift. Nor did I want want it on my hands, if you catch my it on my hands, if you catch my further further drift." 3A smiled a winning, slightly daffy smile which looked to Captain McDonald approximately as real as a nine-dollar bill. Listening to him, you"d think no one had ever taught him the simple trick of leaning forward. drift." 3A smiled a winning, slightly daffy smile which looked to Captain McDonald approximately as real as a nine-dollar bill. Listening to him, you"d think no one had ever taught him the simple trick of leaning forward.
"Get up," McDonald said.
"Be happy to. If you could just move the ladies back a little?" 3A smiled charmingly. "I know it"s outdated in this day and age, but I can"t help it. I"m modest. Fact is, I"ve got a lot to be modest about." He held up his left hand, thumb and forefinger roughly half an inch apart, and winked at Jane Dorning, who blushed bright red and immediately disappeared up the jetway, closely followed by Susy.
You don"t look look modest, modest, Captain McDonald thought. Captain McDonald thought. You You look look like a cat that just got the cream, that"s what you look like. like a cat that just got the cream, that"s what you look like.
When the stews were out of sight, 3A stood and pulled up his shorts and jeans. He then reached for the flush b.u.t.ton and Captain McDonald promptly knocked his hand away, grabbed his shoulders, and pivoted him toward the aisle. Deere hooked a restraining hand into the back of his pants.
"Don"t get personal," Eddie said. His voice was light and just right-he thought so, anyway-but inside everything was in free fall. He could feel that other, feel him clearly. He was inside his mind, watching him closely, standing steady, meaning to move in if Eddie f.u.c.ked up. G.o.d, it all had to be a dream, didn"t it? Didn"t Didn"t it? it?
"Stand still," Deere said.
Captain McDonald peered into the toilet.
"No s.h.i.t," he said, and when the navigator let out a bray of involuntary laughter, McDonald glared at him.
"Well, you know how it is," Eddie said. "Sometimes you get lucky and it"s just a false alarm. I let off a couple of real rippers, though. I mean, we"re talking swamp gas. If you"d lit a match in here three minutes ago, you could have roasted a Thanksgiving turkey, you know? It must have been something I ate before I got on the plane, I g-"
"Get rid of him," McDonald said, and Deere, still holding Eddie by the back of the pants, propelled him out of the plane and into the jetway, where each Customs officer took one arm.
"Hey!" Eddie cried. "I want my bag! And I want my jacket!"
"Oh, we want you to have all all your stuff," one of the officers said. His breath, heavy with the smell of Maalox and stomach acid, puffed against Eddie"s face. "We"re very interested in your stuff. Now let"s go, little buddy." your stuff," one of the officers said. His breath, heavy with the smell of Maalox and stomach acid, puffed against Eddie"s face. "We"re very interested in your stuff. Now let"s go, little buddy."
Eddie kept telling them to take it easy, mellow out, he could walk just fine, but he thought later the tips of his shoes only touched the floor of the jetway three or four times between the 727"s hatch and the exit to the terminal, where three more Customs officers and half a dozen airport security cops stood, the Customs guys waiting for Eddie, the cops holding back a small crowd that stared at him with uneasy, avid interest as he was led away.
CHAPTER 4.
The Tower
1.
Eddie Dean was sitting in a chair. The chair was in a small white room. It was the only chair in the small white room. The small white room was crowded. The small white room was smoky. Eddie was in his underpants. Eddie wanted a cigarette. The other six-no, seven-men in the small white room were dressed. The other men were standing around him, enclosing him. Three-no, four-of them were smoking cigarettes.
Eddie wanted to jitter and jive. Eddie wanted to hop and bop.
Eddie sat still, relaxed, looking at the men around him with amused interest, as if he wasn"t going crazy for a fix, as if he wasn"t going crazy from simple claustrophobia.
The other other in his mind was the reason why. He had been terrified of the in his mind was the reason why. He had been terrified of the other other at first. Now he thanked G.o.d the at first. Now he thanked G.o.d the other other was there. was there.
The other other might be sick, dying even, but there was enough steel left in his spine for him to have some left to loan this scared twenty-one-year-old junkie. might be sick, dying even, but there was enough steel left in his spine for him to have some left to loan this scared twenty-one-year-old junkie.
"That is a very interesting red mark on your chest," one of the Customs men said. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth. There was a pack in his shirt pocket. Eddie felt as if he could take about five of the cigarettes in that pack, line his mouth with them from corner to corner, light them all, inhale deeply, and be easier in his mind. "It looks like a stripe. It looks like you had something taped there, Eddie, and all at once decided it would be a good idea to rip it off and get rid of it."
"I picked up an allergy in the Bahamas," Eddie said. "I told you that. I mean, we"ve been through all of this several times. I"m trying to keep my sense of humor, but it"s getting harder all the time."
"f.u.c.k your sense of humor," another said savagely, and Eddie recognized that tone. It was the way he himself sounded when he"d spent half a night in the cold waiting for the man and the man didn"t come. Because these guys were junkies, too. The only difference was guys like him and Henry were their junk. your sense of humor," another said savagely, and Eddie recognized that tone. It was the way he himself sounded when he"d spent half a night in the cold waiting for the man and the man didn"t come. Because these guys were junkies, too. The only difference was guys like him and Henry were their junk.
"What about that hole in your gut? Where"d that come from, Eddie? Publishers Clearing House?" A third agent was pointing at the spot where Eddie had poked himself. It had finally stopped dribbling but there was still a dark purple bubble there which looked more than ready to break open at the slightest urging.
Eddie indicated the red band where the tape had been. "It itches," he said. This was no lie. "I fell asleep on the plane-check the stew if you don"t believe me-"
"Why wouldn"t we believe you, Eddie?"
"I don"t know," Eddie said. "Do you usually get big drug smugglers who snooze on their way in?" He paused, gave them a second to think about it, then held out his hands. Some of the nails were ragged. Others were jagged. When you went cool turkey, he had discovered, your nails suddenly became your favorite munchies. "I"ve been pretty good about not scratching, but I must have dug myself a d.a.m.ned good one while I was sleeping."
"Or while you were on the nod. That could be a needlemark." Eddie could see they both knew better. You shot yourself up that close to the solar plexus, which was the nervous system"s switchboard, you weren"t ever going to shoot yourself up again.
"Give me a break," Eddie said. "You were in my face so close to look at my pupils I thought you were going to soul-kiss me. You know I wasn"t on the nod."