The Hunted

by Elmore Leonard

  "I'd like to talk to them again."

  "But why?"

  He was staring out the window at the first trace of morning, pale strips of light rising beyond th e desert and the sea and the Arabian mountains.

  "I've got something to say to them," Davis said.

  "Call to them to come out."

  "I don't know yet how I want to say it," Davis said. "But I will."

  Tali made coffee and sat with her cup, staring at Mr. Rosen, remembering him saying funny thing s to her. At times she would smile. She didn't bothe r the Marine now, who sat with his legs folded an d his back sloping, staring out the window at th e yard and at the opening in the stone fence that wa s wider now with part of it blown away. She let hi m be with himself.

  Valenzuela's shoulder hurt where he had fallen on it going into the wadi. His head hurt, too, but not a s much as Teddy's. Teddy needed stitches. He ha d tied a patterned scarf around his head and with hi s hair and bodyshirt he looked like an art deco pirate.

  Rashad was the only one who sat on the cutbank of the wash and seemed to enjoy the lukewarm bee r and dry-roasted peanuts they had for breakfast. He was very patient. He had let Valenzuela sleep an d wake up stiffly to see the morning before showin g Val and Teddy all the money in the alligator briefcase. Courtesy of Mel, the little lawyer, sitting over there inside the gray Mercedes that would be lik e an expensive oven pretty soon. Mel inside and hi s keeper, the Arab kid, sitting in the sand outside th e car, playing with the sand, picking up a handfu l and letting it sift through a fist like time runnin g out. Rashad liked the picture.

  He said, "What's a little temporary discomfort when it's almost done? This is the number gonn a bring him out, a hundred and ninety-five." And h e tapped the alligator skin of the briefcase, doing a drum roll with his fingers. "Then, I assume, w e gonna cut it? Otherwise, I'll tell you I though t about it seriously, I'd never have brought it."

  "We cut it," Valenzuela said. "Comes to what?

  Sixty-something."

  "Sixty-five each," Rashad said, "a day's wage."

  He looked over at Teddy. "Make your head feel better?"

  "You want to know something?" Teddy said.

  "That fence blew, I got fucking stoned. With real stones, man." Yeah, he was feeling better, grinning , thinking sixty-five and five for the job was sevent y and he wouldn't have to blow anybody up for tw o years. He said to Valenzuela, "We don't have t o renegotiate, Val, I think this'll be fine."

  "You like the picture?" Rashad said. "We use the man's car, now we using the man's bread to tak e the man out. It's like he's committing suicide, huh?

  Killing himself with his own bread. Lawyer says to me, 'What money? I don't have no money.' Standing there bareass pleading no, I don't have no money, and the whore, she's like this on the bed , leaning on her elbow?"--Rashad placed his ope n palm against the side of his face--"and with th e other hand she's scratching her cooz, listening t o us, don't even know she's doing it."

  "That lawyer," Teddy said, "I think he likes to go around naked. Time we went to see him he wa s bareass."

  "Cuz of his beautiful body," Rashad said. "He like to show it to people. He saying, 'What money , man?' It's under the bed with his airplane ticket. He say, 'Oh, the comp'ny money.' He was taking tha t back to the comp'ny today."

  Valenzuela wasn't joining in or smiling. He was thinking about the money, yes--sixty-five each , that was all right, he'd split with them and i t wouldn't matter to Harry, he'd get a kick out of it , using Rosen's money--but he was also thinkin g about the Marine.

  "How much do we offer him?"

  Rashad looked over. "All of it. The whole thing."

  "He's gonna smell something," Valenzuela said.

  "Sure he is, he's gonna smell money," Rashad said. "We let him look at it and feel it. There it is , sitting on the ground. Pick it up, man. Walk over t o your car and drive away."

  "Why would we offer him that much?" Valenzuela said. "Don't we want any? I'm talking about what he's thinking."

  "Tell him the truth, it's Rosen's money," Rashad said. "We not out anything. See, he knows ho w much there is. What Mel say, he delivered five o f the two hundred grand was sent here. So, we tel l him the truth. Here's the rest of it. It ain't ou r money, he can have it if he walks away. Enough t o retire on for life."

  "What if he can't be bought?" Valenzuela said.

  Rashad shook his head. "Who can't be bought?

  Name somebody. Shit, we got enough here to buy the whole United States Marines."

  "He's gonna see it," Valenzuela said. "It isn't, you know, realistic, handing him that much money."

  "That's the whole idea," Rashad said. "Make his eyes big and fuck up his head. When we talkin g about that much--look, it's sitting right there--th e man knows he's taking a chance. See, it's got to b e enough to take a chance for."

  "No." Valenzuela was shaking his head now.

  "It's too much. There's a limit. You go over it and it isn't real or even possible anymore. Something i n his head right away'd say no, don't touch it."

  "All right, then don't offer him the whole thing,"

  Rashad said. "Offer him what?"

  "Half," Valenzuela said. "A hundred grand. It's a big number, but it sounds real, you know? Also i t sounds like we're letting him in on something.

  We've talked it over and decided to split with him, like we're partners. We're all in it together. You se e what I mean?"

  "Yeah." Rashad was nodding. "I think maybe you're right. Like we're bringing him in. Uh-huh , so he can feel he's in it enough and can trust us, bu t not far enough he's helping to kill the man. Yeah , let his head work out that part of it."

  "Gene--"

  It was Mel's voice, Mel inside the gray Mercedes looking out at them.

  "Hey, can I talk to you?"

  "Probably has to go pee-pee," Rashad said.

  "Two times we had to stop so he could go in the ditch."

  "You want to use him, huh?" Valenzuela said.

  "You want to walk up to the house?" Rashad said. "The Marine gets nervous--that's fine, m e and Teddy'll split the money. The lawyer can do i t fine. Tell the Marine whatever we want to say."

  Valenzuela waved to Mel to come over. They watched him get out of the car squinting, moppin g his face with a handkerchief, adjusting the crotc h of his light blue trousers, very busy as he approached them.

  Rashad said, "Hot enough for you?"

  "Man, this is a vacation spot, huh? Eilat?"

  "Down closer to the water," Rashad said.

  "I know dis ain't de place." Mel was being one of the boys. He said, "You know, I'm supposed t o be on a TWA flight out of here--out of Tel Aviv, I m ean--at nine o'clock. But doesn't look like I'm gonna make it, does it? I gave up trying to se e Rosie. I decided stay out of it; it isn't any of m y business."

  "You might see him anyway," Valenzuela said, "but the man we want you to talk to is the Marine."

  Mel opened his hands to show his innocence.

  "Look, I got nothing to do with this. What do you want to get me involved for?"

  "He doesn't ever know nothing. One of those guys who doesn't know anything," Valenzuela said.

  "Have I interfered with you in any way?" Mel said. "Have I given you any trouble? No, I've staye d out of it. You've got the money, okay, I can be ver y realistic about that. It's company funds. I gave th e money to Rosie and something happened to it. It's too bad, I tell the company, but it's their problem o r Rosie's. I mean I'm not out anything personally."

  "He doesn't want to get involved," Valenzuela said.

  "I'm not involved. You know that as well as I d o."

  "He gonna tell the comp'ny we took it from him and the comp'ny tell the FBI or somebody," Rasha d said, playing with Mel.

  "For what? What good's that do anybody?" Mel said, standing in the hot sun in the Sinai desert wit h two guys who killed people and didn't believe him.

  "Look, the company gave it to me to give to Rosen.

&
nbsp; Okay, as far as anybody knows, I gave it to him.

  That's the only thing I tell. Otherwise, shit, they might think I kept the money and put it somewher e for a rainy day."

  "Which was your original idea," Rashad said.

  "Okay, you're gonna think what you want," Mel said. "But believe this, because it's true. There's n o way in the world I could finger you or testify agains t you. I mean even if I wanted to. Because there's n o way in the world a complaint could be filed agains t you in court. What court? Here? Who's the complaint? Not me. In the U. S.? No way. Where are the witnesses? The proof? It would be strictly hearsay , my word against yours. But you think I'd ever be irritated enough to make a statement? What do I get out of that? As I said, I'm not out anything personally and I've kept my nose out of it because it's none of my business. So what more can I say?"

  Mel raised his hands in a helpless gesture, looking from Rashad to Valenzuela to Teddy Cass and back to Valenzuela.

  "Gene . . . how can I help you?"

  "You can quit talking," Valenzuela said.

  "Clarence'll tell you what you're gonna do."

  There had been a car down by the wadi. Davis was sure he had heard a car, and headlight beams reflected on the rocks. Probably the gray car. One of them had gone to get something, a case of Maccabee and three pizzas to go. One of them could've been sleeping by the wall. Or back somewhere.

  One of them had triggered the detonator and that one could have also been by the wall. So he migh t have gotten one, maybe two of them. But h e couldn't count on it. There was no way to find ou t except go down there.

  It was eight o'clock, a bright, still morning, the sky filled with glare, cloudless.

  Tali, sitting by Rosen's body, looked up as the Marine rose from the window and walked away.

  He came back unfolding a blanket and draped it over Rosen's body, beginning at his feet, bringing i t up, then stopping as he reached Rosen's hand s folded on his chest. He knelt down across from her.

  She watched him turn Rosen's body, reach beneath him, and draw a billfold from the back pocket.

  What he was doing gave her a terrible feeling.

  She couldn't believe it, the Marine looking in Mr.

  Rosen's wallet and bringing out money. When he tried to hand her the money she drew back and sai d "No!" surprised at the loudness of her voice.

  "Take it. Five thousand dollars and a little more," Davis said. "Here's the key to his bank deposit box."

  "I can't."

  "You want to bury it with him? Would that make sense?"

  "I can't take his money."

  "He's giving it to you," Davis said. "You have to take it."

  "But in the safe box he had very much money,"

  Tali said. "And this, it's too much for me."

  "He told me himself," Davis said, "you have to learn to accept money without your pride getting i n the way. He's giving it to you because he liked you , he loved you, so don't insult him and try an d change things when he's not here. Do whatever yo u want with the money. Buy clothes, take tapdancing lessons if you want. But take it and thank God you knew the man."

  He handed her the money and the key, then pulled the blanket up over Rosen, covering his face.

  "I didn't know him very long, but I think he taught me a few things." Davis paused, thought fo r a moment, and said, "The wake's over."

  Tali was looking at the money, holding it in front of her. "Will you take some of it?"

  She didn't get an answer.

  The voice came to them from outside; it was the black one, Rashad, calling out, "Hey, Marine!

  Here's somebody want to see you!"

  "NO SHOOTING, MAN! Time's out!"

  Rashad stood up at the wall, testing the Marine, giving him a moment.

  "You hear? Man's lawyer wants to come out!

  Have a talk with you!"

  He dropped behind the smooth stones again and waited. There was no answer from the house. He didn't expect one. All he wanted to do was get th e Marine's attention. He didn't particularly care i f the Marine shot Mel thinking it was somebody else , except then they'd have to talk to the Marine som e other way, directly, and standing out there wasn't any fun. Now he crawled back to the thicket o f dusty trees before rising and moving around th e bend in the road to where they were waiting: Valenzuela and Teddy with their machine guns slung over their shoulders, the scared-looking lawyer with hi s resort outfit on standing between them, holding th e alligator case. Mati, the Arab-looking kid, wa s hunkered down over by the cutbank, watching.

  Rashad waved for Mel to come on. "Okay, go on up there and give your speech. But stay in the yard.

  You understand? He invites you in the house, you say, 'No thank you.' "

  "I tell him and I come right back," Mel said.

  "That's all."

  "You show him the money," Valenzuela said, "and wait and hear what he says."

  Mel nodded quickly. "Okay. And then I come right back."

  "Open the briefcase, leave it in the yard," Valenzuela said.

  "Right. Leave the case in the yard. I won't forget."

  Rashad looked over at Mati. "The kid'll go with you, keep you comp'ny."

  Teddy turned, unslinging his Uzi and waving the stubby barrel. Mati got up, wiping his hands on hi s pants, and came toward them. It didn't seem t o matter to him one way or the other.

  They held back at the bend in the road, waiting, letting Mel and Mati continue on toward the opening in the stone fence.

  "Might as well get everybody in the yard,"

  Rashad said. "Do 'em all at one time."

  "It's Mati," Tali said, surprised. "And Mr. Bandy?"

  Davis watched them come through the gate and start up the drive, Mel carrying his expensive alligator case. The light blue lawyer and the skinny Yemenite in his fake leather jacket. They didn't g o together, wouldn't have anything to say to eac h other. They had both been pushed into this , brought here--the sound of the car last night, th e headlights reflecting in the darkness.

  "Did they come here by themselves?" Tali was still speculating. There was no sign of the thre e gunmen.

  But Davis wasn't going to get into a conversation about it. He said, "Take the shotgun. Watch the ca r and see if anybody tries to circle around the othe r side. If they do, shoot them. Don't tell me about it , shoot them."

  Picking up the shotgun, she looked over at him.

  His tone was quiet, but he was concentrating now, not wasting words, raising the Mauser and extending the barrel out the window.

  "They don't want to come out," Davis said.

  "They send Mel . . . no, there they are." He brought the Mauser to his shoulder but waited.

  They were beyond the stone fence, near the gate and the section that had been blown apart. He could see little more of them than heads and shoulders and realized that the ground sloped away toward the wadi.

  "I see them," Tali said.

  He told her to concentrate on the one nearest the gate opening, the one with the long hair and a scar f or bandana covering his head. Mel and Mati, wh o was dragging behind, were coming over from th e drive now, crossing the grass toward the middle o f the yard.

  Mel moved carefully, his gaze holding on the front windows. Mati's hands were in his pockets.

  He seemed to have no purpose other than to watch what was going on.

  "Sergeant, you in there?"

  "Right here," Davis said.

  "I can't see you. . . . Where's Rosen?"

  "You want to come in?"

  "No, I'm supposed to stay here. Is that Rosen--h ey, Rosie, is that you?"

  "He's in the can," Davis said.

  Mel thought that was funny. "Listen, you mind if I use it after? I've got kind of a nervous bladder. I d on't know what the fuck I'm doing here at all." He glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at th e windows. "I'm sure you understand this isn't m y idea. I'm supposed to be on a plane in half an hour."

  "You're not coming in," Davis said, "
what do you want?"

  "I'm speaking for them, you understand. None of this is my idea."

  Davis waited.

  "They want to offer you something. A hundred thousand dollars."

  The three gunmen were at the stone fence now, not more than a few yards separating them. He would have to squeeze and fire and snap the nex t two shots, though he would be sure of getting th e first one. Davis placed the front sight on Valenzuela, then raised his head to look at Mel again.

  "You hear what I said? A hundred thousand. It's in here." Mel raised the attache case.

  "For what?"

  "If you leave. Get out of here."

  "Alone?"

  "You can take the girl."

  "But leave Rosen, huh? Just a minute." Davis turned to look at Tali. She was staring at him an d seemed more tense than a few moments before.

  "They don't know," Davis said to her.

  "But if he's already dead? They'll come in to see him, won't they?"

  Davis looked out at Mel.

  "Rosen says he doesn't like the idea."

  "Jesus--" Mel was shaking his head. "Look, tell him I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do abou t this. You can stay here and see what happens or yo u can accept the hundred grand and leave. That's it."

  "Mr. Rosen's money, huh?"

  "What difference does it make?" Mel said. "You want to see it?" He went down to one knee, place d the attache case on the grass, snapped it open, an d turned the lid toward him to show Davis the ope n case. "Can you see it? That's a hundred grand , man."

  "Where's the rest?" Davis said.

  "What rest?"

  "We started with two hundred thousand," Davis said. "You sent him five. Where's the rest?"

  "Well, see, what they're doing, they're splitting it with you, giving you the bigger half. What do yo u say?"

  Davis was silent. He watched some of the hundred-dollar bills blow out of the case as a win d stirred in from the desert. Mel said, "Jesus Christ--" a nd almost fell making a grab for them.

  "All right? Come on, before it blows away."

  Davis waited. He said then, "Tell them, they want to give me the whole thing, it's a deal."

  "Christ, this is a hundred grand here!" Mel said.

  "What do you want?"

  "I just told you, I want it all," Davis said. "Or I s tay here and they sit out in the sun till the police o r an Israeli Army patrol comes along."