Foreign Influence_ A Thriller - Brad Thor [70]
Peio stepped through the doorway. Harvath spun and leveled his pistol at the man’s head before recognizing it was him again. “Jesus, Padre.”
The priest let the remark slide. He tucked his pistol into his waistband and picked up Tsui’s shotgun from the floor. He checked the breech and then turned it around for Harvath to see. “Empty.”
In the corner, Tsui was crying and writhing in pain. Harvath grabbed a couple of dish towels sitting near the sink and threw them to Peio. “Make sure he doesn’t have any other weapons on him and then see if you can stop the bleeding.”
Harvath turned to Nicholas. “You were going to kill him.”
“More like maim, actually.”
“You told Argos to bite his balls off. He could have bled to death.”
“If he lives long enough to tell us what we need to know, who cares?”
Harvath shook his head. He was going to have it out with both Nicholas and Peio, but now wasn’t the time.
The Yorkie had started barking again and was trying to bite Peio as he attended to Tsui. Harvath was getting a headache. Walking over to Peio, Harvath reached down and grabbed the dog by the back of the neck. Gently, he picked it up along with its water bowl, moved it to the furthest room in the chalet, and locked it inside.
When he came back, the priest was helping Tsui into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Nicholas stood off to the side with his two dogs, both of which were growling.
Harvath leaned up against the sink and set his pistol on the counter next to him. “This is either going to be fast and easy or it’s going to be long and very painful.”
“I’m going to wait outside,” said Peio as he wiped off his hands and stepped away.
“Why are you doing this to me?” Tsui sobbed, his crying beginning again in earnest. “I didn’t do anything to you. I don’t even know who you are.”
“Look at my face!” the Troll yelled again. “You did this to me.”
“No I didn’t! I didn’t!”
The man was hysterical. Harvath studied his face for any indication he was lying, but there was nothing. “What’s your name?”
“Please, I need a doctor.”
“What is your name?”
“Michael Lee. I need a doctor. Please get me to a doctor,” he begged.
“Tell me about Tony Tsui,” said Harvath.
“I don’t know anyone named Tsui.”
“You’re a liar,” spat Nicholas.
Harvath waved him off. “We know you were washing your Internet traffic through Lars Jagland’s computer lab at the University of Geneva. We know about everything.”
“Washing my traffic? What traffic?”
“Just kill him and let’s get this over with,” said Nicholas.
“Shut up,” replied Harvath.
Lee looked at him and pleaded. “I need to see a doctor. Please.”
“Not until you answer our questions.”
Lee was whimpering. “You’re not asking me anything I know the answers to.”
“Why wasn’t your gun loaded?”
“I don’t know,” he said emphatically. “It belonged to Lars.”
“You were expecting us, weren’t you?”
“I wasn’t expecting anyone. When Sugar started barking, I looked outside and saw someone coming toward the house. I just wanted to scare you away.”
“How long have you known Gaston Leveque?”
“I don’t know anyone named Gaston Leveque.”
“Why did you hire him to contact Dominique Fournier?”
“I don’t know any of these people,” stated Lee. “Please, you have to call an ambulance for me.”
Harvath had continued to watch for any sign that Lee was lying. There wasn’t any; not one single tic, tell, or facial cue. He had a very bad feeling that they had the wrong person.
“How long have you known Lars Jagland?”
“I am in a lot of pain.”
“Answer the question.”
“Six years, okay? I was a graduate student of his before I became his TA.”
“When did you start hacking?” asked Harvath.
Lee didn’t respond.
“Answer the question.”
“Screw the question,” interjected the Troll. “Kill him.”
“If you don’t zip it,” Harvath warned, “I’m sending you outside.”
“I started when I was sixteen.”
“And what did Lars think of your hacking?”
“What do you think he thought? He was Mr.