The Darkness - Jason Pinter [94]
officer. His job was to gather intelligence on the enemy
and their tactics."
"This is the guy who was in the car with the Malloys
when they came under fire."
"Exactly right. And get this. Hollinsworth is a professor of American history, post-World War II at Columbia."
"What you learn in war you teach to future generations," I said.
"If he was in Panama, he probably knows Rex Malloy.
I called over there. Hollinsworth has office hours today
until six."
"We should meet with him right away," I said.
"No worries, Henry. I already called the history department and they said he never leaves until six on the dot. And
apparently he's not the easiest guy to get along with, because
the lady who answered the phone seemed rather shocked
that we wanted to meet with him. She said students steer
clear of Hollinsworth like you do from matching clothes."
"Or you from denture cream," I said.
"Go screw yourself," Jack said. "Come on, let's see
why this guy's friend is poisoning our city."
36
As soon as Morgan Isaacs got off the subway to head
home, his cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the
number, but picked it up anyway, figuring after all the
money he and Theo made that day everything in his life
was taking a turn for the better.
He couldn't believe how well this new drug, these
small black rocks called the Darkness, were selling. It
seemed every customer had either bought recently and
needed a refill, or heard about it from a friend and wanted
a go. It thrilled Morgan to no end that he was carrying a
product that was so desired. It made him feel powerful
again, for the first time since everything was snatched
from him so unfairly.
To Morgan, he wouldn't trade that feeling away for
anything. And he would do anything to make sure it
never left him.
The sun was beginning to descend, and the Manhattan
skyline looked a gorgeous dark blue in the evening sky.
For months, Morgan wondered how long he would be
able to look at that view, if his lack of employment would
force him to relocate, take some job outside the city where
he'd be a nobody, a nothing, working for a company that
The Darkness
269
the Wall Street Journal barely knew existed, a company
whose CEO wore a cowboy hat rather than a three-piece
suit. Where the offices were decorated with shag carpeting and the secretaries were all fifty and overweight.
That was a world Morgan refused to live in.
So he took in the crisp air, and remembered why he
fell in love with this city in the first place. And he thanked
his benefactors for giving him the chance to stay.
"Hello?" he said.
"Morgan, it's Chester."
"Oh, hey, what's up?"
"Just wanted to let you know I talked to Leonard, and
he told me you and Goggins cleared almost twenty grand
today. That's quite a haul."
Morgan smiled. He was well aware of how much
money they were bringing in, but he'd learned one thing
in business and that was never to brag to your boss about
how well you were doing. At the end of the month, when
all the receipts were tallied up, you'd get all the praise you
needed. Braggarts were so nineties.
So to hear this from Chester during his first week of
work, to Morgan that was all the praise he'd need for a
month.
"I know you haven't received a paycheck yet," Chester
said, "but you deserve a bonus."
Morgan's jaw dropped. He stopped walking and
leaned up against a mailbox. Then he had to move when
a man asked him to move so he could deposit a letter.
"I...I don't know what to say... Thanks, I guess."
"You've earned it," Chester said. "But you will need
to do one thing for me."
"Anything."
"I'm glad to hear that. And if you do this for me, you'll
270
Jason Pinter
get a hundred grand on the spot. I'll need you to sign one
piece of paper, for tax purposes, but you'll have six figures
to play with by the time you're hungry for dinner tonight."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"Yes, I'm kidding you. In fact, we never want to see
you again. Goodbye, Morgan."
"Wait! I was kidding, too!"
"I know, stupid. Be on the corner of