CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

August 30, 1978

Face stepped out of the car in front of a rundown house with peeling white paint on the wood siding. It was old - Victorian style - and had been partitioned into several residences. Jessica chewed her lip as she pointed to the door on the left. "That's it," she announced nervously.

"How well do you know this woman?" Face asked, checking his tie with one hand and using his other to run his fingers though his hair. Taking a quick glance in the rearview mirror, he made sure he was presentable before he stepped out of the car.

Jessica followed, stepping out of the passenger side. "I don't, really," she answered. "I mean... she might recognize me, but we've only talked once and it wasn't pretty."

That was precisely what Face needed to know. "In that case," he said, catching up to Jessica in a few easy strides, "mind if I do the talking?"

"Not at all," Jessica replied with a sigh of relief.

Face moved a step ahead, taking a moment to survey his surroundings out of habit. The street was fairly empty, accented by bright sunlight and shade from old trees. Secondhand, inexpensive cars were parked along the curb and there were no driveways. He suspected an alley ran behind the houses with garages in the backyards.

"What's her name?" he asked casually.

"Cindy Barnett," Jessica replied.

Face looked for a doorbell, but it was hanging off the wall and he doubted it would actually work. After a quick glance at Jessica to make sure she was well-composed, he put his shoulders back, head up, and a smile on his face as he knocked on the door.

It took several minutes, and several attempts at knocking before the door finally opened. A rail-thin woman with sunken eyes who looked at least fifty answered the door. Startled, Face glanced quickly to Jessica to confirm whether they had the right house. But Jessica nodded; this was, in fact, the woman they were looking for.

Gathering his reaction under a firm control, Face turned back to her as she slurred a half-coherent, "Can I help you?"

"Cindy Barnett?" he asked.

She frowned, and leaned on the door, gripping it for support. "Who's askin'?"

The door had been open for several seconds now, and suddenly the smell hit him - vodka, cigarettes, and marijuana mixed with body odor and mildew. He almost gagged, and immediately reconsidered his plan to elicit an invitation into the house. Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a wallet from the inside pocket. He noticed the way her eyes couldn't track as he flashed a badge at her - much less would she be able to read it in that brief time. He could give her any line he chose.

"Detective Jason Porter," he offered. "I'm looking for Paulie Verdeaux?"

Her eyes slid closed as she swayed a little, unsteady on her feet. "Paulie ain't here," she slurred.

Face wasn't entirely sure she was sober enough to know whether Paulie was there or not. "Know where I might find him?" he asked hopefully, not really expecting an answer. This was going to be more difficult than he'd anticipated.

"How the hell should I know?" she slurred. "I ain't got a -"

"Cin, who is it?"

The unexpected male voice from inside the house made Jessica straighten noticeably, and she leaned a little closer to whisper to Face. "That's him."

Cindy pushed off the door and almost fell over backwards as she spun. "You dumbass! They the cops lookin' fer you, you stupid -"

She was cut off by the sound of pots crashing, and Face peered around the door just in time to see them hit the floor in the kitchen as Paulie scrambled past, racing for the back door and tripping over the piles of garbage and clutter all over the floor. One look at the inside of the house - the roach-covered walls, mice scurrying on the floor, and the winding track he'd have to navigate through, and Face opted to go around back and head him off.

"Stay here!" he called to Jessica as he crossed the porch in three strides, vaulted over the railing, and hit the ground in a run. There was a chain-link fence separating him from the backyard, and he jumped it without even slowing. Again, he hit the ground running and quickly located his target. Not an alley, but a sidewalk ran between the backyards of this row of houses and the other houses that backed up against them. The gate leading out to it was still open, and Face headed out after the man.

He was a little surprised by how fast the guy could run. But Paulie apparently didn't know how to pace himself, and at a full sprint, he tired quickly. Face caught up by the time they reached the end of the row and grabbed the man's arm, shoving him face first against the chain link fence of one of the yards.

"Paulie Verdeaux?" he demanded, a bit winded.

"Lemme go, man!" Paulie gasped, far more desperate for air. "Lemme go!"

The same smell that had been in the house was all over him. Face nearly gagged. With a tight grip on his shirt to compensate for the man's dragging feet, Face led him back the way they'd come. "Come on, sport," he ordered condescendingly. "We're going for a little ride."

Jessica was inside the house. She burst through the backdoor just as Face reached the chain link fence and the gate leading into the yard. "Face!" she called out in a tone that warned him something was very wrong. "There's men out front."

"Jessie!" the oblivious man he was leading slurred with enthusiasm. "How ya been?"

Ignoring him, Jessica continued, eyes fixed on Face. "I think they're here for Paulie," she continued as Face let go of Paulie and bounded up the steps. Glancing over her shoulder, he saw the dazed girlfriend standing in the center of the cluttered living room, looking lost and confused. The front door rattled as someone pounded on it, and a male voice demanded entrance.

"I saw them get out of the car," Jessica stammered. "I came in here when -"

"Get out," Face interrupted, grabbing her arm and roughly pulling her out of the doorway and behind him. There was nothing short of a direct order in his tone as he continued. "Get down there and run."

She wasn't stupid enough to protest. Stumbling down the steps, she brushed past Paulie and he followed her like a giggling puppy toward the back gate.

"You, too!" Face called into the house, toward the woman in the living room. If these were the same over-the-top hired hands who'd blown up Jessica's house, there was no telling what they would do this time. "Get out of there!"

But instead of moving quickly Cindy just stared at him as if she didn't understand.

"Now!" he said again. But it was too late.

Automatic weapons fired a hailstorm of bullets through the front door. She had no time to get down, and certainly to time to run. Face saw her crumple to the floor without so much as a cry of pain, and turned to bolt down the steps.

"Go!" he ordered Jessica. "Go now!"

Jessica was already moving, encouraged by the sound of weapons firing. She broke into a run as soon as she hit the sidewalk. But Paulie seemed frozen in place. Bolting across the yard, Face reached for his gun with one hand and used the other to shove the man through the gate after Jessica.

"Move or die!" he yelled at him. Finally, the dazed and confused man moved.

Out of the corner of his eye, Face caught a quick glance at the men emerging from the back door. One of them, he recognized - the man from the car. The other two were taller, moderately built but certainly not the most intimidating gun-toting hired muscle Face had ever encountered. Still, they were armed with AK-47s and Face was not about to stick around and ask for an autograph.

Using the wide trunk of the neighbor's tree as a shield, Face emptied his entire clip in the direction of the men to buy Jessica and the already-winded Paulie some time. As the men ducked for cover, caught briefly off guard, Face turned and ran after them, replacing his clip and seeking his next sheltering tree. For the most part, they were out in the open on the sidewalk, and the bullets as they began firing again came a little too close to his position.

Ducking behind another tree, he aimed low and made these bullets count before he got too far away. After only two shots, heard a wounded cry. In the moment of confusion, he fired two more in the general direction of the men, turned, and sprinted. The two in front of him made it to the end of the sidewalk and into a secluded parking lot before the two unwounded men crossed the backyard. In the windows of the houses, curious and frightened residents were looking down on Face as he turned into one of the yards. There was no cover on the sidewalk; at least the yards offered a few trees here and there.

Three chain link fences separated him from the parking lot. He leapt over them with the practiced ease of a city kid who'd run from the bigger bullies for most of his childhood. When he finally crossed the last one, he quickly scanned and found both Jessica and Paulie standing by an old sedan. Paulie was fumbling with keys, but shaky hands prevented him from finding the lock. Face crossed the distance in seconds, grabbed the keys, opened the door, and shoved Paulie inside, pushing him all the way over into the passenger seat.

Face stretched across the seat and unlocked the back door for Jessica, shoved the keys in the ignition, and squealed out of the parking space before the back door had even closed. Jessica shrieked as the back window shattered, and Face looked back to make sure she wasn't hit. She was lying against the seat, arms covering her head. Beside him, Paulie was struggling to turn himself upright.

As Face pulled out into traffic, the shooting stopped. Having found which way was up, Paulie was now waving wildly. "What! What is this! What are -"

"Settle down," Face ordered, hearing the sirens from somewhere nearby. Using will to overcome instincts, he pried his fingers off the gun and tucked it under the seat, then eased his foot off the gas pedal, slowing down to the speed limit.

"I don't..." Paulie stammered. "What the..."

"Sit still." Face turned and glared at him briefly, then looked into the back seat. "Jess, you okay?"

"Uh huh," she answered shakily.

"I need you to sit up and look normal," he instructed with practiced calm. "It's important. Okay?"

She pushed herself up and felt her hair gingerly, smoothing it out with shaking hands. The blue and red lights were coming toward them, and Face changed lanes to get as far away from them as he could. Before they passed, he turned calmly onto a street to the right and headed for the freeway, unnoticed by the police racing to the scene.

December 7, 1968

Ordinarily, when the Agency "hired" RT Cannon, they got the whole team. But every so often, they didn't want or need the whole team. This time, conveniently, Hannibal had left both Face and Cipher behind. Face wasn't exactly sure of the mission details, but he also didn't care. He appreciated the time away from Hannibal given the baseline level of intensity between the two of them. Although he wasn't quite angry enough to hope he didn't come back – that was a level of stupid Face doubted he'd ever achieve – he could at least hope that his CO didn't have a very good time out there in the jungle.

Meanwhile, Face was having himself a grand time. He hadn't bothered to leave Saigon – there was nowhere to go, really – and had spent the past few nights living the most frivolous and enjoyable life money could buy. Eventually, the money ran out. Then he and Cipher had taken to new and interesting ways of amusing themselves.

"That car?" Face asked, stunned.

Cipher laughed. "What's the matter? You don't like that car?"

"I said I could get a car," Face clarified, frowning as he considered the possibility that he might actually lose this bet. "You didn't specify that it had to be that car."

"What's the matter, Face?" Cipher taunted. "Out of your league?"

Face turned to glare at him, then glanced back at the restaurant the car was parked out in front of. He took a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair, and pulled his gun from the waistband of his pants, handing it to Cipher.

"Hold that for me," he directed.

"What're you doing?" Cipher asked curiously, watching him disarm.

Face raised a brow. "You know who that car probably belongs to, don't you?" Parked in front of that particular restaurant, Face had a pretty good idea.

"Actually, I hadn't thought about it." Cipher was searching for places to conceal the weapons Face kept handing him.

"They're going to frisk me when I walk in there."

"Do you know whose car that is?" Cipher asked, curious.

Face didn't answer, just tucked his shirt back in, glanced both ways over his shoulder to check who was watching him, then headed across the street. Leave it to Cipher to test his skill - and his pride - with something that might very well get him killed in the process of obtaining it.

"Bonjour." Face smiled as he stepped through the door. Immediately his path was blocked by several guns. The fact that he was in civilian clothes rather than fatigues precluded his being shot, but he was certainly not welcomed.

"{Who are you?}" the largest of the bodyguards demanded in fluent French.

"{I'm here to speak to Mr. Tao,}" Face answered comfortably.

The two men in front of him both looked him up and down. As they scrutinized, he scanned the restaurant. Dark. Still, he caught the gaze of the man seated in the far booth, right where he knew he would be. He smiled and waved.

"{What is your name?}" the guard demanded as Mr. Tao returned the wave and the smile and gestured for the waiter.

"Templeton Peck," Face answered confidently.

"{Is Mr. Tao expecting you?}"

Out of the corner of his eye, Face watched the waiter approach. "{I think he is now.}"

Quiet words in Vietnamese, and the guards let him pass. He smiled at them as he walked by, surprised that they hadn't even bothered to check him for weapons. Careless. Good thing he wasn't here to start trouble.

"Monsieur Peck!" The short, heavyset man smiled and rose to his feet as Face approached the table. "{It's a pleasure to see you.}"

"Monsieur Tao." Face shook hands with the man and cast a lingering glance at the woman seated beside him.

"{You remember my daughter, Catalina.}"

Face smiled at her. "Mademoiselle." She offered a hand and he bent to kiss the backs of her fingers. "{It's a pleasure as always.}"

"{The pleasure is mine.}"

"S'il vous plait." Tao gestured to the table. "{Sit with us.}"

As Face sat down, he could feel Catalina's eyes on him. Shoulders back, head high, he radiated confidence. He didn't mind her stare in the least. Out of the corner of his eye, he was watching her as well - the way her fingers traced up and down the stem of her wine glass, her knowing smile, batting lashes. Her flirting was not covert, and not unexpected.

"{So what can I do for you?}" Tao asked.

Face hesitated for just a moment, leaning back as the waiter set a glass of water in front of him, then turned away. "{Actually... nothing.}" Face smiled as he glanced across the table. "{I was in town and thought I'd stop by and say hello.}"

Tao frowned. "{Now that doesn't sound like you.}"

Face chuckled quietly, and sipped his water. After a moment's pause, he nodded. "{Okay, you're right.}" He cut his eyes to the table, hesitating. "{My old supplier has a shipment coming in from Thailand.}" Face folded his hands on the table in front of him. "{Those days are over for me since I got busted. My commanding officer watches me like a hawk. But I told my guy that I'd look around and see who might be in the market.}"

Tao was quiet for a long moment, nodding slowly. "{How much?}"

"{About fifty kilos.}"

Tao nodded again. "{I might be willing to take a look at it.}"

"{My supplier is a bit... cautious. He may want some sort of collateral. A show of good faith.}"

"{I'm sure we can work something out,}" Tao said dismissively.

It took effort to keep the smile in place. Tao wasn't taking the bait, and Face was running out of lines.

"{Is that all?}" Tao asked with a smile.

Face hesitated a moment, thinking fast, and let his eyes shift noticeably to the young woman seated across from him. His smile widened as he dropped his head a fraction. "{I had also heard a rumor that your lovely daughter was with you, and thought I might ask her to join me for dinner.}"

Catalina smiled back, and looked expectantly at her father. Face waited. He didn't expect Tao to say no. It wouldn't be the first time he had taken Catalina out, though if Tao tried to verify or thought to pursue Face's supplier, it could well be the last. Face had been out of that business for months, and his ties were well and truly cut. Tao wasn't stupid; he'd figure it out. Hopefully by that time, Face would be long gone. With the car.

Of course, he hadn't the slightest idea how taking Catalina out was going to help him get that car. He was just going to have to play that part by ear. One way or another, he'd just earned himself a date with her. All in all, not a bad way to spend the evening.