The subdued tempo that followed the confirmation of Charlie Thrush's death didn't last long. It was nearly dusk as Mattie, Titus, and Burden followed the loggia around to Burden's study. The doors and windows of the large room were still open as before, and it was lighted only by a few scattered table lamps and the low, eerie illumination of the long photograph of the nude widow.
As soon as they were inside, Titus turned to Burden.
“I'm flying back tonight, ”he said. “That pilot had better not think he's going to be spending the night here.”
“No, ”Burden said. “He's ready.”
“Okay, ”Titus said, “then let's get down to it. As far as I'm concerned, you can go after Luquin any way you want to. Just tell me what you need, what I'm supposed to do.”
Burden turned to Mattie. “Will you get the telephones for me? And bring back Titus's laptop.”
As she walked out the door, he turned back to Titus.
“Look, ”he said, “the first thing I want you to understand is that Luquin and I have this much in common: Silence is our mantra. We have to keep him in the dark about this meeting. He can't know that you've contacted someone for help and that you're being advised. He needs to believe that your responses to his demands are yours alone, and that you're totally focused on getting the money he wants. He needs to believe that you're paralyzed, holding your breath waiting for the next word from him.
“He must not know that we know he's in Austin. Any hint of that, and he'll vanish. Keep in mind: The people he works with are very good. They've probably been in Austin several weeks getting ready for this. We're at a great disadvantage, so we have to be smarter. Unflinching. And absolutely silent. Without that we don't have any hope of success here.
“Second thing: You can't undo this once it gets started, Titus. You understand that, don't you?”
“I hadn't thought about it, ”Titus said. He paused. “But now I have. Do what you have to do.”
Burden nodded. “Let's talk about where you think this is going. Ultimately.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what do you think is the end of this, Titus? Where is this headed?”
“I want this guy out of my life, ”Titus said without thinking. “I want this ordeal to end. I just told you.”
Burden had been standing near the bookshelves by the doorway, and now he moved slowly around the room, again roaming through the pools of light, disappearing into the dusky corners, easing along the unlighted spans of the booklined walls, slipping through another pool of light. Finally he stopped and came over to Titus, who had continued to stand near the library table.
“Keep in mind, ”Burden said, “that Luquin has set the rules, and they're non-negotiable. Go to the police: People die. Don't pay the ransom: People die. Keep the whole thing secret, or people die. He's defined the rules of the game. We don't have much room to operate.”
The two men were looking at each other.
“Okay, ”Titus agreed.
“Let's say you pay the full ransom Luquin's demanding,” Burden continued. “Will that be the end of it? Or will he want something more? And if he's willing to just walk away with what he's got, are you okay with that? Even though he's killed people in the process?”
“Then you believe him when he says-even though he has his money-he'll come back and kill people if I disclose what's happened? If I go to the FBI after the fact?”
Burden leveled his eyes at Titus. “He wants you to understand, Titus, that he's in total control here. That's what Thrush's death was all about. It was a demonstration of your new reality. He's gone to elaborate lengths to cover all the bases. You turn this over to the FBI after it's over, and you're signing death warrants for a hell of a lot more people. He's told you. I'm telling you.”
Burden ran his hand through his hair. “Keep repeating that to yourself, Titus. You either accept his conditions or more people die. Then ask yourself this question: If I agree to keep it all quiet, to save a lot of lives, am I okay with this guy just disappearing when it's all over… with the money… and having killed one, two, three? four?… of my friends?”
“Just get to the damn point, ”Titus said. By now he had a raging headache, and he was agitated and furious and afraid. But he knew what the point was. He really hadn't thought this through to the hard questions yet. He just wanted to be rid of it all, assuming, in the back of his mind, that in the end, even though he might lose millions of dollars, justice would ultimately be done. As in a movie, the good guys would come in and take care of it.
“The end could get rough, ”Burden said. “I'll take the responsibility for that. But if I do this thing for you, I don't want you coming to me with pangs of conscience when it's looking scarier than you'd imagined it would be. Once I start, I won't stop.”
Titus's heart began racing. It was dark outside. He hadn't had much sleep in the last twenty hours, and the stress he'd been under made the little sleep he'd had feel like none at all.
He moved toward Burden until they were an arm's reach apart.
“Is there some chance I could end up in prison for what's going to happen once you start this?”
Burden stared into Titus's eyes. “None whatsoever.”
“Then the pangs of conscience you're talking about, that has to do with what might happen to Luquin?”
“That's right.”
This time it was Titus who hesitated a moment before he spoke, but when he did, there was no hesitation in his voice.
“Then you don't have anything to worry about. I'm not going to have any pangs of conscience over that.”
They were looking at each other in silence when Mattie entered the study from the balcony, carrying the phones and Titus's laptop.
“It's all ready, ”she said, walking past them and placing everything on the library table.
The two men moved to the table, and Burden picked up one of the cell phones and handed it to Titus.
“Don't ever let this out of your sight, ”he said.“It's encrypted. Mattie will give you the dial codes. It connects you to me, and to Mattie and the others. It's your lifeline.
“The laptop's ready. Mattie will give you encryption codes for this, too. We'll use both the phones and the laptop to communicate.
“For the most part, you just do whatever you have to do to comply with Luquin's demands. Keep in mind, there's going to be some surveillance. There's nothing you can do about it without more retaliation from Luquin, but be aware that it'll be there.”
“How much? What kind?”
“Not a lot. Luquin's people don't want to attract any attention. So they're not going to be swarming. Most of it will be mobile. A van cruising, trying to pick up snippets of cell phone traffic. Maybe some photography. But it'll be very discreet. He's not going to be all over you, but he's going to be watching.
“As of right now, I'm committed to moving as quickly as possible to try to save lives. And that'll save money, too. Remember this: Just because you're not hearing from me doesn't mean I'm not there. There's a hell of a lot to arrange. I won't be getting much sleep. Communicate as often as you want. You won't always get me, but you can always get Mattie. I'll get back with you as soon as it's possible for me to do so.
“Okay, Mattie's going to finish briefing you on communication procedures. I'm going right now to arrange for the pilot. Someone will be here to pick you up within the hour to take you to the airstrip.”
Titus nodded. His mind was already moving so far and so fast ahead that he was almost carrying on two conversations in his head simultaneously. All he could think about was the logistics of getting Rita out of Europe and on her way home.