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All through the trip, Sam was silent. He looked closely at everything, but he said nothing.
When the van returned to the garage, Sam asked for a piece of paper and said to Tibor, “I’m going to make a list of things we’ll need and give you money to buy them. If you can’t get something, tell me and I’ll have them flown here.” He began to write as he spoke. “Four gray uniforms like the ones Bako’s men wear. Four pistols with two spare magazines each in holsters on belts of black webbing. The ones they carry looked to me like Czech CZ-75s. If there’s a Hungarian model that looks like that, it’ll be fine. Black boots, four pairs, mid-calf height. We’ll need to have the boots polished and the uniforms pressed. And remember, one set is for Remi, so get one size small. And get one short black leather dog leash and collar.”
“Anything else?” said Tibor. “Anything to go with the collar?”
“A dog.”
“A dog?”
“I’d like a German shepherd. If necessary, it can be a Rottweiler or Doberman. He needs to have a good nose and be well trained and obedient.”
“There is a man in Szeged who trains dogs.”
“And he’s your cousin, right?” asked Sam.
“Not everybody is my cousin. This one is my wife’s cousin. I’ll see if he has a good dog right now.”
“Can you take Remi to see his dogs and pick one out?”
“I could, but these are Hungarian dogs. Remi doesn’t speak Hungarian.”
Remi said, “I can learn as many words as a German shepherd.”
“And all dogs speak to Remi,” said Sam. He looked at Tibor. “Are you and János willing to do this? Have you made up your minds?”
“I’d rather go kidnap Bako and trade him for your friend. But, yes.”
“If this doesn’t work, we’ll try that next.”
SZEGED, HUNGARY
REMI FARGO STOOD AT THE GATE IN THE FENCE AROUND the exercise yard, where there were several German shepherds. She said to Tibor’s wife’s cousin, “What’s that one’s name?”
“Gyilkas,” he said. “It means ‘killer.’”
“And this one?”
“Hasfel. It’s short for hasfelmetszo. It means ‘ripper.’”
She went to the gate and reached for the latch. “Miss, you don’t want to be in there.”
“Of course I do. Why should they trust me if I don’t trust them?” She stepped inside and closed the gate. She walked confidently up to each dog and let it sniff her hand, petted the thick fur at its neck, then moved on. She spotted the biggest dog in the compound, a tan male with a black head and tail. He had been sitting a distance away, watching. Now he approached her, and, as he did, the others all seemed to melt away.
“And who are you?” she asked the dog. He came up to her, looking directly into her eyes as he did. He sat in front of her, then licked her offered hand. She knelt and petted him, and he lay down so she could rub his belly.
The cousin said, “His name is Zoltán. It means ‘Sultan.’”
“He’s the big guy, eh?” she said. “The boss.”
“Yes, miss. He doesn’t usually do that with strangers.” He corrected himself. “With anybody.”
“He can read me. He knows I always fall for his type.” She leaned down and spoke to the dog quietly. “What do you think, Mr. Zoltán? Do you want to do some work with me tonight?”
She seemed to get the answer she wanted. She stood, and the dog stood with her. He walked with her to the gate, and she brought him out with her. To Tibor’s wife’s cousin she said, “He’s the one. Now, would you please teach me some proper commands in Hungarian so I don’t embarrass him?”
* * *
THE BAKO Gyogyszereszeti Tersazag had ended its daylight shift hours before the new security van arrived at the front gate of the complex. It was dark, and the lights above the checkpoint were the brightest in sight. Two armed guards stepped to the van outside the tall fence. The young guard stood beside János, the driver, and looked past him into the van, and the other, the senior man, stood on the passenger side where Tibor sat. Sam had decided that Tibor should wear the high rank so he could be the spokesman. Tibor had gold hash marks on his right sleeve and a gold star on his baseball cap while the others had no insignia of rank.