bastard?â
âSometimes. His moneyâs good.â
âBut heâs slow on paying, isnât he? Everything we did for him over there, all that shit we helped bring back. We shouldâve got a bigger cut from all of that. Weâre the ones took the risks.â
âItâs never that easy,â Hicks said. âThings like that, you have to wait, find the right buyers. Let things cool down before you make a deal, see any money.â
âMore bullshit.â
âBut the way youâve been going, threatening him, saying shit about talking to the FBI, well, that only makes matters worse.â
âI wanted him to know I was serious.â
âHe knows. Thatâs why he sent me up here with your money. And as soon as he has the other thirty together, Iâll bring that up to you, too. Then weâre square. But he needs to know youâre still on the team, that your allegiances are intact.â
âI just want whatâs owed me, thatâs all.â
âI know. And youâll get it.â
Greggs nodded at the kitchenette. âThereâs beers in there.â
âBest thing youâve said yet.â Hicks got up, bent over and opened the short-boy refrigerator. Inside were four loose Olympia cans, a bottle of peppermint schnapps, and a curling slice of pizza on a paper plate. He took out two cans, kneed the door shut. âI didnât know anybody drank that peppermint shit after high school.â
âIt does the trick. Keeps me from having to go to bed sober.â
Hicks popped a can, foam oozing out. He handed it to Greggs, opened his own, sat back in the breakfast nook.
âSorry about the smoke,â Greggs said. âYouâre still living healthy, I see, kind of shape youâre in.â
âI try.â
Greggs looked at his cigarette. âI never used to smoke. At least not before I went over there. Now Iâm doing like three packs a day. Calms my nerves.â
âMust get expensive. The VA rep still come by?â He drank beer. It was thin and lukewarm.
Greggs snorted out smoke. âTheyâre done with me, I think. I did the counseling at first, listened to their bullshit. They wanted me to move back into the house. Sharon did, too. They didnât understand I was just fine out here.â
âMaybe you should try to get out more. Be healthier for you. Get some fresh air. Interact with people.â
âFuck people.â
âHow the neighbors feel about you living in your driveway?â
âFuck the neighbors, too.â
Hicks laughed. âYou havenât changed, sure as shit.â He sipped beer, nodded at the .45. âNice weaponâ1911? Can I take a look?â
âItâs fine where it is. Youâve seen one before.â
âYou getting paranoid in middle age, Arlen?â
âJust careful. So whereâs Durell?â
âKabul, last I heard.â
âYou stay in touch?â
âNow and then.â
âAnd Sandoval?â
âNot so much. Sandyâs stateside now. We were a good team while it lasted, all of us.â
âUntil it went to shit,â Greggs said, and drank beer.
âWe had a good run.â
âYeah, well, Iâm not doing much running these days.â
âYou know what I meant. So whatâs your plan? Sit around, drink yourself to death?â
âItâs a thought.â
âYou used to be one squared-away motherfucker. What happened?â
âWhat do you think happened? That good run we had cost some of us more than others, didnât it?â
Hicks ran a thumb around the rim of the can. âYou ever tell Sharon anything about all that? Kind of thing we were doing over there?â
Greggs shook his head, tapped ash. âThat what you came all the way here to find out? If so, you wasted your time. She doesnât know shit about any of that.â
âJust asking,â Hicks said. He drank
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