The customs man's response was like the soft crack of a whip. "This passport is not valid."
"Not valid! Screw you, taco breath! It says Laszlo Crannick, Jr. I'm Laszlo Crannick, Jr. Just ask my father, Laszlo Crannick, Sr."
All eyes were drawn to the formidable figure of the man in gray sport clothes. Other customs officials approached.
If it came to a fight, he would have to take the customs men out first. Then bolt for the exit. There would be a car, maybe a taxi. After that, it would be easy to blend into the congestion of Mexico City traffic. Urban camouflage was an Extinguisher specialty.
"I must ask jou to step out of line," the senior customs man said sternly. "Jou are being detained."
"You can't detain me!"
"Nevertheless, jou are being detained. Come with me."
Before the Extinguisher could reach for his backup weapon, two pairs of hands came from nowhere to seize his arms. His bags were taken up, and he was marched away under the frightened gaze of American tourists whose faces wondered if they, too, would receive such harsh treatment if the customs light came up red.
The Extinguisher allowed himself to be led way. It would be easier to deal with his opponents behind closed doors, where there were no witnesess and no backup. A master of hand-to-hand combat, he could take them all. There were only four.
The room was a cubicle, and with the door shut, the sounds of airport bustle abated.
As two green uniforms stripped open the zipper of his bag, the senior one said, "I must ask your business in Mexico."
"I'm a tourist."
"Jou come to see the sights, not to do business?"
"I have no business in Mexico City," the Extinguisher assured them in his firm, no-nonsense voice.
Out of the duffel came the barrel of his CIA designed Hellfire, wrapped in metallic gold-and-green Christmas paper. It might have been a Cuban cigar. Except for its weight.
The chief customs officer frowned angrily. "What is this?"
"A Christmas present."
He extracted more wrapped packages. "And these?"
"More presents."
"Christmas was two months ago, senor."
The Extinguisher managed a cool shrug. "So I'm late. People bring Christmas presents late all the time."
"To whom are jou bringing these presents if jou are only a tourist?" the interrogator asked as the others began tearing off the wrappings.
"Hey! You can't do that!"
"We are merely opening these innocent presents of yours."
"You know how long it took me to wrap those?"
"Jou may rewrap them once we are done. Now I must ask for the name and address of the person or persons to whom these presents are intended."
Before he could form the next words, the Extinguisher saw the colorful green-and-gold paper come off the Lucite ammo drum filled with skull-faced Hydra-Shok rounds and decided to shift tactics.
"Look, I'll level with you."
A pistol was in the act of being drawn from side leather. The Extinguisher made sure his hands were open and in full view.
"Speak."
"I'm not Laszlo Crannick, Jr. That's not my true name."
"What is your true name?"
"It's-" he let the pause hang heavy in the air "-Blaize Fury."
The eyes of his interrogator grew darkly sharp. Those of the others went wide in their brown faces. The man holding the ammo drum dropped it to the floor. It rattled like the deadly dice of death.
The tactical advantage belonged to the Extinguisher again.
"I'm here on an important mission," he announced in grim tones.
"State this mission."
"You all know about Subcomandante Verapaz."
Eyes hardened at the despised name.
"Good. I've been sent to take him out. Cold. Savvy?"
"Jou are to kill him?"
"The Extinguisher doesn't merely kill. He extinguishes."
"Can jou prove jou are Blaize Fury?" the chief customs man asked in a guarded tone.
The Extinguisher lifted his arms. "ID cards in the band of my pants."
He was quickly searched. They found the backup pistol before the tiny card case. It no longer mattered. They were all on the same side. Everybody knew that now.
The man who found the card case exploded in his excitement.
" iMadre de Dios! It is true! These cards proclaim him to be El Extinguirador. "
The customs official grabbed a card and read it quickly.
"But jou-jou are a myth!"