The 22nd Secret (63 page)

“
B
e
n,
I
’ve
tho
u
g
ht
i
t
t
h
r
o
u
g
h
.
W
e
h
a
v
e
on
l
y
o
n
e
c
hoic
e
. Th
a
t bast
a
rd
L
o
’
s
g
ot us tr
a
p
p
e
d
. No matt
e
r
w
h
a
t
w
e
do s
o
meone
g
e
ts hurt.
I
’m not
risking
our
f
a
m
i
l
i
e
s or o
u
r o
w
n l
i
v
e
s for
a
n
y d
a
mn
m
is
s
i
l
e
se
c
r
e
ts. T
h
e
whole
d
a
mn w
o
rld
’
s c
r
a
z
y
.
I
t doesn
’
t
m
a
t
te
r if
y
our
pe
ople
f
ind out
a
bout
L
e
v
e
l 2
1
. No on
e
’
s
e
v
e
r
g
oi
n
g
to use
a
n
y
o
f
these
nu
c
le
a
r
w
e
a
pons
an
y
w
a
y
.
I
don
’
t know who
’
s the
c
r
a
z
iest, us for
bui
l
ding
the d
a
mn
t
hin
g
s
or
y
ou
for
ste
a
l
i
n
g
them.
Think
a
bout
i
t, w
h
y would
a
n
y
o
n
e
w
a
nt
t
o st
e
a
l
t
he
a
bi
l
i
t
y
to destr
o
y
t
he
human
r
a
ce
?
”

P
a
t
t
y
s
a
t up on the b
e
d
n
e
x
t
t
o
B
e
n with
t
he
she
e
t
pul
l
e
d up ov
e
r h
e
r
c
h
e
st.

“
W
h
a
t a
r
e
y
ou s
a
y
i
n
g
?
You
wa
nt
t
o
g
o to
C
hina
?
”

“
H
e
ll
no,
I
don
’
t
w
a
nt
t
o
g
o to
C
hina, but if that
’
s
t
he
on
l
y
w
a
y
then l
e
t
’
s
m
a
ke
the b
e
st of i
t
.
W
h
a
t happ
e
ns
a
ft
e
r
I
give th
e
m wh
a
t
t
h
e
y
w
a
n
t
?
”

B
e
n
c
ould
s
e
e
e
v
e
r
y
th
i
n
g fal
l
ing
in p
l
a
c
e
. He
would
acc
omp
l
ish ev
e
r
y
obje
c
t
i
ve
set out for
him
b
y
the Chin
e
s
e
gov
e
rnm
e
nt a
f
t
e
r th
e
y
l
e
a
r
n
e
d of the
e
x
is
t
e
n
c
e
of
L
e
v
e
l 21. His
g
ov
e
rnm
e
nt
would rew
a
r
d him
b
e
y
ond his wildest
dr
e
a
ms and
h
e
would be
a
l
l
ow
e
d to ke
e
p
P
a
t
t
y
. Tino
would g
e
t h
i
s at the
h
a
nds of the
men
f
rom the
re
s
e
a
r
c
h
v
e
ssel
a
nd the Chin
e
se
would be
more
than h
a
p
p
y
to
a
s
si
s
t
t
he
Am
e
ri
ca
ns in hu
n
t
i
ng
down
L
o.
B
e
n
c
ould
fin
a
l
l
y
c
e
leb
r
a
te on the d
a
y
L
o
g
ot
wh
a
t’s
c
om
i
ng
to
hi
m
.
I
f
L
o thou
g
ht he
w
a
s
c
le
v
e
r
e
no
u
g
h
to ou
t
sma
r
t
t
he Chines
e
, he
w
a
s
d
ea
d w
r
on
g
.
B
e
n
shot
up out of
b
e
d
a
nd b
e
g
a
n talking
e
n
t
husi
a
st
i
ca
l
l
y
.

“
P
a
t
t
y
, i
t
’s not
a
t all
l
ike
y
o
u Am
e
ri
ca
ns think. Y
o
u will
be
w
e
lcom
e
d
a
nd
we
will
h
a
ve
a wond
e
r
f
ul futu
r
e
wo
r
ki
n
g
t
o
g
e
th
e
r. We
ca
n m
a
r
r
y
.”
B
e
n
’s
e
nthusiasm
sud
d
e
n
l
y
v
a
nishe
d
.
“
W
h
a
t
a
bout
y
o
u
r p
a
r
e
nt
s
,
P
a
t
t
y
?
Th
e
y
’ll s
t
i
l
l be h
e
r
e
.
”

P
a
t
t
y
b
e
c
a
me s
a
d
a
nd a
f
e
w t
ea
rs
fo
r
med in h
e
r
e
y
e
s.
“
I
don
’
t kno
w
,
B
e
n.
I
’
ll
m
i
ss
t
h
e
m. M
a
y
b
e
som
e
d
a
y
, someh
o
w
I
’ll be
a
ble to s
e
e
them
a
g
a
i
n
, but at le
a
st
L
o wi
l
l
l
ea
ve
them
a
lone
.
”

Chapter Five

The Stakeout

Eight am the morning after the crash - Anchorage

H
e
n
r
y
hu
n
g
up the pho
n
e
a
nd thou
g
ht f
o
r a
f
e
w minu
t
e
s ab
o
ut
W
a
lke
r
’s pl
a
n
. He
pick
e
d up the phone
a
nd dial
e
d
B
e
n
’
s
room numbe
r
. The
ph
o
ne
ra
n
g
six
t
i
mes b
e
fo
r
e
a
g
r
o
g
g
y
B
e
n
a
nsw
e
r
e
d.

“
B
e
n,
w
a
ke
u
p
a
nd l
i
sten
ca
reful
l
y
.
I
th
i
nk
P
a
t
t
y
’s
a
l
i
v
e
. You
a
w
a
ke
y
e
t
?
”

“Y
ea
h,
wh
a
t’d
y
ou s
a
y
a
bout
P
a
t
t
y
?
”

“
S
he
m
a
y
be
a
l
i
ve
a
nd
w
a
i
t
ing
f
or
m
e
to get to he
r
.
I
n
ee
d
y
ou to cont
a
c
t
y
o
ur
p
e
ople
a
nd tell
t
h
e
m w
e
’
r
e
g
oi
n
g
a
h
e
a
d with
t
he
plan.
I
should
be
a
ble to
g
e
t h
e
r to the
r
e
nd
e
z
vous point to
m
o
r
row
a
ft
e
rnoon, d
a
y
a
ft
e
r
a
t
t
he
lat
e
st. Tell
t
h
e
m
I
’ll be
usi
n
g
a
sn
o
w
c
a
t.”