Sterling didn't reply.
"The Martins had a large stash of cash, and so do you," Remo said, and that startled the boy.
"How did—"
"I found it. Don't worry, I left it where it was."
"That's for my mother, now that my father's gone."
"Your father— now, that puzzles me. Did he know that you were selling drugs?"
"Yeah, he did," the kid said. Then he gave Remo and Chiun a defiant look and said, "We were just trying to make some extra money, that's all."
"What was your father's part?"
"He used his position at the plant to ship the drugs to other cities."
"So that's it," Remo said. "That's why kids whose fathers work at the plant were recruited. You, Martin… Were there others?"
"I don't know. We were never really told more than we needed to know."
"That is wise," Chiun said.
"Hell, that means you don't know anything beyond your own personal duties."
"That's right."
"Well, if I knew that, I would have saved one of those guys at the yard for questioning."
"As usual, you were sloppy," Chiun said, "but lucky for you your friend called."
"Danny the Man?"
"Yes. He said that your meeting has been set up," Chiun said, and then proceeded to recite the location.
"Do you know where that is?" Remo asked Sterling.
"Yes."
"Good, you can give me directions."
"Who are you meeting?" Sterling asked.
"Damned if I know," Remo said. "Who's in charge of this operation as far as you know?"
"A man named Donald Wagner always gave me my instructions," Walter Sterling said. "As far as I know, he's the boss."
"Not from what the men in the junk yard said," Remo recalled. "One of them told you that it was the 'big boss' who wanted you out of the way."
"I don't know who that is."
"I don't, either— at least, not for sure," Remo said, "but hopefully I'll be meeting someone tonight who will know."
"Maybe he won't tell you."
"Yes," Chiun said, "he will tell. He will have no choice."
"Have you been hiding at the church all this time?" Remo asked.
"Yes. The minister has been taking care of me."
"What do you know about him?"
The boy shrugged and said, "Just that he's a minister of some new religion. I don't exactly believe what he preaches, but he was helping me."
"Out of the goodness of his heart," Remo said.
"I suppose. What are you going to do now?"
"We'll wait," Remo said. "You give me the directions to my meeting, and then we'll wait until dark. You'll stay here with Chiun—"
"I'll go with you. I can show you how to get there better than I can tell you."
"I will go also," Chiun said. "I think this whole business is about to come to an end, and I intend to be there when it does."
"All right," Remo said.
"Besides," Chiun said, "I have to make sure that this child remains alive. He is my responsibility now."
"Whatever you say, Chiun. He's all yours."
Donald Wagner was gearing up for what he thought was a meeting with Danny the Man Lincoln. He inserted a .38 into his shoulder holster and then turned to face the five men he was taking with him.
"You're all armed?" he asked.
The men nodded. These were experienced men in their late twenties or early thirties. Wagner was not taking any chances by bringing kids along to back him up. Who knew what that nigger was planning for him?
"All right, we've picked an empty warehouse for this meeting, and you five will get there first. I want you all to be so well hidden on the catwalk that even I can't find you. But if something breaks, I want to see your ugly faces in a split second. Don't make me wonder where you are."
All five men nodded. He knew he could count on them because, unlike the majority of people involved in Moorcock's operation, they were pros.
He would feel better having them with him. What could go wrong with that many men to back him up?
Lorenzo Moorcock showed his Mexican guests out to the street, where their limousine was waiting to take them to their hotel. They would stay there for three days, during which time they would tour some of the automotive factories, and then they'd return to Mexico City. He wouldn't see them— or others like them— until the next shipment was due.
Reentering the church, Moorcock was excited. This was the largest and finest-quality shipment they'd ever had. He could cut it countless times, doubling or even tripling its normal worth.