The sum of all fears - Tom Clancy [202]
"I hear you killed a police officer in Greece by snapping his neck."
"I don't know why people make a big deal about that." Russell said with weary honesty. "He was a scrawny little fuck, and I know how to take care of myself."
Bock smiled and nodded. "I understand how you feel, but your method was impressive in any case. I have heard good things about you, Mr Russell and -"
"Just call me Marvin. Everybody else does."
Bock smiled. "As you wish, Marvin. I am Gunther. Particularly your skill with weapons."
"It's no big deal." Russell said, genuinely puzzled. "Anybody can learn to shoot."
"How do you like it here?"
"I like it a lot. These people - I mean, they have heart, y'know? They ain't quitters. They work real hard at what they do. I admire that. And what they done for me, Gunther, it's like family, man."
"We are a family, Marvin. We share everything, good and bad. We all have the same enemies."
"Yeah, I seen that."
"We may need your help for something, Marvin. It's for something fairly important."
"Okay," Russell replied simply.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean "yes," Gunther."
"You haven't even asked what it is." the German pointed out.
"Okay." Marvin smiled. "So tell me."
"We need you to go back to America in a few months. How dangerous is that for you?"
"Depends. I've done time - in prison, I mean. You know that. My fingerprints are on file with the cops, but they don't have a picture of me - I mean, the one they have is pretty old. I've changed since then. They're looking for me up in the Dakotas, probably. If you send me there, it might be a little tricky."
"Nowhere near there, Marvin."
"Then it shouldn't be much of a problem, dependin' on what you need me to do."
"How do you feel about killing people - Americans, I mean?" Bock watched his face for a reaction.
"Americans." Marvin snorted. "Hey, man, I'm a fuckin' American, okay? My country ain't what you think. They stole my country from me, just like what happened to these guys here, okay? It ain't just here shit like that happened, okay? You want me to do some people for you, yeah, I can do that, if you got a reason. I mean, I don't kill for fun, I ain't no psycho, but you got a reason, sure, I can do it."
"Maybe more than one?"
"I heard you when you said "people," Gunther. I ain't so stupid that I think "people" means one guy. You just make sure some cops, maybe even some FBI guys are in there, yeah, I'll help kill all you want. One thing you need to know, though."
"What's that?"
"The other side ain't dumb. They got my brother, remember. They're serious dudes."
"We also are serious," Bock assured him.
"I seen that, man. What can you tell me about the job?"
"What do you mean, Marvin?" Bock asked as casually as he could.
"I mean I grew up there, man, remember? I know stuff that maybe you don't. Okay, you got security and all that, and you ain't gonna tell me anything now. Fine, that's no problem. But you might need my help later on. These guys here are okay, they're smart and all, but they don't know dick about America - I mean, not what you need to get around and stuff. You go huntin', you gotta know the ground. I know the ground."
"That is why we want your help," Bock assured him, as though he'd already thought that part all the way through. Actually he had not, and now he was wondering just how useful this man might be.
Andrey Il'ych Narmonov saw himself as the captain of the world's largest ship of state. That was the good news. The bad news was that the ship had a leaky bottom, a broken rudder, and uncertain engines. Not to mention a mutinous crew. His office in the Kremlin was large, with room to pace about, something he found himself doing all too much of late. That, he thought, was a sign