Gus clinked glasses and sipped. “You seem to know everything on the planet has an ulterior motive, even Deke. Sometimes I envy you. You see in black and white. The famous gray area only makes an appearance if ones you care about in your abstract way are in danger - or if instances far into the future you see that might have some relevance, crop up in what you have to do in the moment. Wow, Nick - that is a very weird superpower.”
“It’s a great one when you remember the fact a moral compass means less to me than Deke’s dog shit in the backyard. It’s weird, Gus, but not a superpower. I live on a foreign plain of existence. I exist on a plain where I must pretend nearly ninety percent of the time that I feel something when I don’t. I admit I’m an excellent actor. It was a must to survive. The foster homes I evolved through taught me survival out here in reality. I do have a wisp of feeling inside me. I’m not a death machine that someone launches like a dart at some barroom target. Who are we kidding? At least here, with you and this beer drinking mutt, I don’t have to pretend. Life is good.”
Deke burped, and plopped over on his side with a grunt of satisfaction. Nick glanced down at him with a big smile. “Lightweight.”
“You love that dog, Nick.”
“I don’t know about that, pal, but I would kill at least three people without batting an eye if they tried to hurt my drinking buddy. He and I have an understanding. We both drink alone, but with each other… it’s complicated.”
Gus started laughing. It was many minutes before he lapsed into a few snorts and a final sigh. “Well… you’ve certainly managed to corrupt everyone around you. You’ve blended in remarkably well, my friend.”
“It’s been much improved since I have Rachel, Jean, and Deke with me,” Nick said, sipping his shot. “Imagine what it would be like if someone tried to take them from me.”
“I doubt I have that much imagination, brother. I bet you’ll feel pretty good getting rid of that ‘Hack Chip’.”
“Now there’s a feeling I can imagine,” Nick agreed. “I don’t put much thought into inanimate objects, but that ‘Hack Chip’ I’m sure could be expanded easily into a network pillaging monster. Worst of all, it leaves no footprint. You’d think our geniuses with white coats would be a lot more careful with something like this, but they don’t focus on anything else. They create, and then turn their backs when the creation devastates everything in its path. Ah hell, Gus, same old, same old… same shit, different day. Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be glad to get rid of it. Now, if only Tracy would stay the hell away from me, maybe I’d get closure on this newest episode of government dumb and dumber.”
Rachel and Jean came through the door leading to the deck, dressed for the movies. “We’re leaving. How many have you two lushes had already?”
“This is our first one,” Nick answered with award winning outrage. “How dare you make light of our ability to control our liquor intake, madam!”
Jean hugged Nick. “See you later, Dad. Don’t take any chances.”
“I won’t. It’s a simple handoff. We can all go to dinner tonight after Gus and I get a little sleep. How about Crabby Jim’s at the Wharf?”
“Best clam chowder in Monterey,” Rachel agreed. “We haven’t visited Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey for a long time. At least we can eat there without the complications we had last night.”
“I like Crabby Jim’s,” Jean added. “Do you want to go, Uncle Gus?”
“Sure. I’ll see if Tina wants to make two Wharf visits in different cities on successive nights. That’s a neat little place. I’m glad Joe gave you the weekend off, Rach. How’s the new waitress working out?”
“Pretty well this past week, once she got used to Crabby Joe. We’ll see you two later.”
Chapter Thirteen
A Simple Formality
After Rachel and Jean left, Nick refilled their shot glasses. “Brody should be here in another half hour – just enough time to polish off one more of these.”
“Amen to that. Do you think that Brody guy will eventually become like you?”
“If Carol recruited him then he has talent. I couldn’t get a read on him for any hidden talents. He could be as good an actor as I am. Why the Brody question?”
Gus made a hand gesture that it was of no importance. “I’m not familiar with CIA operations, so I didn’t want to pass up the chance to get your take on someone new.”
“You can bet Brody has a military background. Carol always recruited out of the special force’s guys. The Company will take on private contractors now and then though. If Brody is Carol’s assistant, it could be he’s a lawyer or someone of that ilk. I never interacted much with staff. I’m wondering whether Carol is still in Sacramento, and why she’d want to use Brody if she were that nearby. She’s pretty good at covering her tracks. Carol must like this Brody guy. Anyway, it will be good to get clear of this Company crap.”