Page 54

CHAPTER 54

“I feel like we’re in that movie High Noon ,” I told Max over coffee and Franzbrotchen in Ecstasy as we watched State Street with the sun sliding up over the mountains to the east. “Watching the clock, waiting for Herc to show up.”

“When did you see High Noon ?” Max asked.

“It was one of Ozzie’s favorites.”

Max nodded. “Figures. Herc wants the drone up at fourteen hundred, not noon. Plenty of time.”

His confidence was not contagious. “What time is that in civilian speak?”

“Two this afternoon,” Max went on. “So we have all morning and two extra hours.”

Coral was behind the counter with Anita. Quill was in the back, baking. But Pike was sitting at the side counter, cradling a cup of coffee, looking like a shadow of his former self. He’d nodded at us when we came in, but Max hadn’t briefed him on recent events. And I had a terrible feeling the reason he hadn’t was because he felt Pike might be a liability in whatever was coming. Or . . .

“I assume you have a plan,” I said.

“I do.”

“Which you have not shared with me yet.” I glanced at Pike, then back at him. “You are not sidelining me, Max Reddy. This is?—”

“Whoa,” he said gently. “I am not sidelining you. You’ve done pretty damn good on your own, and I think we make an excellent team. But we need a bigger team.” He nodded at the door as Luke and Jackie came in, smiling.

Luke saw us and nodded, but Max didn’t signal them over. I figured he was letting them have a last meal together, which was considerate of him. A kinder, softer Max just before we went into battle against Herc over ancient treasure.

“You can’t cut Pike out,” I said.

Max shifted in his chair. “He’s not well.”

“He’s still Pike,” I said. “He and Coral have been the heart of Rocky Start for decades. Ozzie might have been the backbone, but they were what kept it going.”

“All right,” Max said. “I’ll get Pike in on it. When I have it.”

“Wait. You said you had a plan.”

“I’m working on it.”

“When you say ‘I do,’ it means you have a plan already.”

“I have the, uh, skeleton of a plan.”

“Does it have a brain yet?” I realized he wasn’t chatting with Pike or Luke because he didn’t actually have a plan.

“I don’t want a showdown in town,” Max said. “Too many civilians. If Herc comes in heavy, like he promised, it will be a bloodbath.”

“Okay,” I said. “So?”

“So we keep the treasure out at Betty’s. That’s what he’s coming for.”

“All right,” I agreed. “So a bloodbath at Betty’s is your plan?”

“Not if we can help it.”

“Why not just give Herc the treasure?” I asked.

“That’s Plan A,” Max said. “Dmitri won’t be happy, but his happiness isn’t on my bingo card.”

“Will Herc be satisfied and go away?” I asked.

“Not if what Barry said is true and he plans on retiring here. Also, he lied about Serena. When she came to town and grabbed Poppy, she was working for him. I think Junior was working for him. We can’t trust Herc. Ever.”

“Then we have a problem,” I said. “Even if he agrees to go away if we give him the treasure, that doesn’t mean he’ll stay away.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Max agreed.

“So plan A kind of sucks.”

“Dmitri thinks Rocky Start is his bolt-hole, the place he’ll feel safe.”

“So what’s Plan B?”

“We move the treasure away from Betty’s,” Max said. “Draw Herc after us. Then we ambush him.”

I’d been afraid of that but had also spent a couple of hours lying in my bedroom in the dark, Max fast asleep next to me, thinking hard. I’d thought about being on the circuit and how I’d create distractions for my magician lover, making the audience look one way when the action was happening the other way.

“We need to fool Herc,” I said.

“I’m all for that.” Max nodded. “That would be good. How? And fool him about what?”

“Make him think he’s seeing something that isn’t real. Give him an illusion. I have a plan.”

“Good,” Max said, “because right now, my plan is for shit. Enlighten me.”

You’ve got to love a man who asks for help. Well, I do.

“We need to talk to the Ferrells,” I said.