Midnight Sun (95 page)

“
Hello
,
boys
. W
elcome
to
our
meeting,
”
Kharzai
said
in
voice
like
a
spider
inviting
insect
visitors
into
his
web.

“
So
,
what
’
s
this
all
about?
”
Snake
asked
.

“
Leka
told
you
,
right?
I
want
to
pay
you.
Both
for
work
done,
and
for
what
you
are
about
to
do.
There
are
some
things
we
need
to
make
sure
are
sealed
in
stone
,
and
pre-payment
seem
s t
he
best
way
to
do
it.
”

Kharzai
leaned
down
and
opened
the
bag.
He
pulled
out
a
shrink
-
wrapped
bundle
of
cash.
He
reached
behind
himself
and
felt
for
his
knife
, t
wisting
his
lips
in
consternation
as
he
remembered
leaving
it
embedded
through
the
thug
’
s
skull.
He
stretched
his
hand
toward
Snake.

“
Hand
me
a
good
sharp
knife.
”

Snake
stared
down
at
the
package
of
money.
Through
the
plastic
,
he
saw
that
the
bills
were
all
twenties
, a
t
least
twelve
wrapped
stacks in the larger bundle
.
He
did
the
calculations
in
his
head.
 
Nearly
twelve
thousand
dollars
cash.
Snake
reached
into
his
belt
and
pulled
out
a
spring
-
lock
folding
knife.
He
flicked
the thumb lug, snapping it open
and
handed
it
to
Kharzai,
handle
first.

Kharzai
took
the
knife
and
admired
it
briefly.
The
blade
was
four
inches
long,
the
lower
third
of
it
serrated
with
wicked
-
looking
teeth.
He
put
the
point
i
nto
the
plastic.
Snake
took
a
step
forward,
greedy
anticipation
glimmering
in
his
eyes.

“
This
is
payment
for
your
work
at
the
rail
yard
the
other
night
while
watching
over
Mr.
Farrah.
”

Kharzai
flicked
the
blade
across
the
plastic
wrap
,
then
kept
going.
His
movement
was
so
fast
and
precise
that
neither
Snake
nor
Blue
noticed
what
he
had
done
at
first.
Snake
flinched
in
surprise
as
a
sharp
,
cramp-like
sensation
bit
into
his
abdomen.
A
half
second
later
,
a
tsunami
of
pain
shot
through
his
body
in an unending succession
of
lightning
explosions, severed nerve endings screaming into his brain
.
He
raised
his
hands
to
his
belly
,
expecting
to
grab
at
something
solid
and
squeeze
the
pain
away.
His grasping fingers clamped down on loose
entrails
that
spilled
into
his
hands
in
a
slimy
mess
of
blood
and
digestive
fluids.
His intestines
squirmed
and
slithered
between
his
fingers
like
live
snakes
as
he
tried
in vain
to
stuff
them
back
inside
his
body.
The
stench
of
stomach
acid
and
half
-
digested
food
drifted
up,
the
steamy
odor
stinging
his
nose.
His
mouth
gaped
and
he
dropped
to
his
knees
,
then
fell
to
his
side,
his
brain
slowly
processing
what
had
happened.
H
is mouth finally opened and let out
a
high
-
pitched
scream
that
made
Kharzai
wince.
Blue
stared
in
horror
as
his
boss
writhed
in
a
mess
of
blood
and
filth,
making
horrible
noises
that
failed
to
form
into
words.