"I'll bet half the bozos who came with you don't know, do they?" Vance
looked him over, feeling his life come back. Stand up and take it like
a man. "Back from the dead. It's a miracle."
"Yes, I am back. But you soon will be entering that condition, and I
doubt very much you will be returning."
Vance's mind flashed a picture of Ramirez strafing the Navy frigate,
shooting the SatCom technician. Not to mention, he was planning to
detonate a nuclear device somewhere in the world. Not a man given to
idle threats.
He was also known to love torture, part of his personal touch.
"Incidentally," Ramirez went on, "perhaps you should pass me that Uzi.
I assume the clip is empty, but it's liable to make my friend Wolf here
nervous."
"Wouldn't want that, would we." Vance handed it over, metal stock
first.
"Thank you." Ramirez took it and tossed it to the emaciated, balding
man standing next to him. "By the way, you know my name but I still do
not know yours."
"Vance. Mike Vance." Why not tell him? he thought. It hardly matters
now.
"Vance . . . that name rings a bell . . . from somewhere . . ." The
thoughtful look turned slowly to a smile. "Ah yes, as I recall you work
free-lance for ARM." He paused, the smile vanishing as he mentioned the
name. "So tell me, are they planning to try to meddle here? That would
be a big mistake, Mr. Vance, I can assure you."
More bad news, Vance thought. Ramirez is no fool. He must have known we
did the security for this place.
"I've got a feeling they're going to be interested in what happens to
me, if that's what you mean."
Ramirez moved closer, looking squarely in his face. "You know, the eyes
of a man always tell more about him than any words he can say. And your
eyes give you away. You're lying, and you're scared." He stepped back
and smiled.
"And I'll tell you something," Vance continued, meeting his stare.
"When I look in your eyes, I don't see anything. But even a hyena can
know fear. Your time will come." It was pointless bravado, but it felt
good to say it.
"We'll see who can know fear." Ramirez scowled angrily at the use of
the nickname he hated. "We will also learn something about your
tolerance for pain, Mr. Vance. In very short order. You are not very
popular with some of my men."
"They're not very popular with me." The defiance just kept coming; he
wasn't sure from where. "And I've got some other news for you. You're
about to find out that Andikythera is a very small, vulnerable
objective."
"You persist in trying to antagonize me, Mr. Vance. I could easily have
had you killed just now, and spared myself this pointless interview."
"Why didn't you?" The giddy feeling was coming back.
"I wanted to show you how stupid you really are."
He's right about that, Vance told himself. I think I've just proved it.
"But your nine lives have run out. I'm afraid I'm no longer interested
in this conversation." He turned away and motioned for Wolf Helling.
"Let me just shoot him and get it over with," the German said.
"Not just yet," Ramirez replied after a moment's thought. "No, I think
Jean-Paul would enjoy softening him up first."