“Nice start, Uthie. Tell me the leak Collister is using in the DOJ now, and tell me if the name Salvatore means anything to you.”
“Can I buy my life with the name?”
“No,” Nick answered, “but you can buy your death. Ten minutes into my partner, Mr. Propane Torch’s interrogation starting at the bottoms of your feet, and believe me, that name will seem like the greatest bargain on earth.”
“I can help you bring down Collister! I can testify against him. I know what you’re thinking. I-”
“No!” Nick interrupted with a hand wave. “You don’t. If you knew what I was thinking, you’d be singing the name I asked for as if you were doing an aria with the Hallelujah Chorus.”
“Douglas Cameron…” Sadun muttered, after seeing in Nick’s eyes only the immediate and absolute fulfillment of what Nick threatened. “Collister influenced your DOJ to replace Nancy Pettinger with another of his dupes. Collister knew of my transfer before your US Marshals did.”
“Sit tight, Uthie.” Nick called Gilbrech. “Douglas Cameron.”
“No way… it can’t be! He’s the son of Senator Diane Cameron from Maine. Why in hell would a… oh never mind, Nick. Let me put my people on ripping his life apart in the next instant. I’ll call you with what I find out.”
“No problem. We’re still an hour away from either a happy faced Sadun at room temperature, or an absolutely twisted faced, horrified Sadun screaming for death. I hope for his sake, Douglas did the deed.”
“Please forgive me for praying it’s not true.” Gilbrech disconnected.
“You didn’t make my boss very happy with that name drop. I’m not familiar with his Mom, Payaso. Do you know who Senator Diane Cameron is?”
“Only by typical East Coast political hack reputation – the usual anti-Second Amendment, pro-abortion, and climate change polar bear hugger public stances.”
“That wouldn’t explain her offspring selling out his country. How does Collister immediately replace one traitor with another so fast, Uthie?”
“With Nancy Pettinger it was money. The one time I crossed paths with the woman, I was to deliver a file and a payoff. When I tried to engage her in conversation, she cut me off and said, ‘show me the money’. Collister blackmails others who have become embroiled in gambling or sexual indiscretions, and he has at least four layers between him and the action.”
“I’m impressed,” Nick admitted. “People do not fool me often. When you gave us Nancy Pettinger’s name as a last resort to having me make alterations on you until you did, I did not suspect you of hiding a name. I understand why you took such a gamble. You thought Collister would free you some way, and I wouldn’t torture the shit out of you because I went away happy to get Pettinger’s name. He almost did succeed in freeing you. It makes me suspicious of you possibly having another name in reserve.”
“I know you will kill me no matter what. I would not be in this car driving to my death if Collister had listened to me about the Rashidis. Admit it. If not for those two imbeciles invading your life so stupidly, would you have ever found the connection between me and Collister?”
“Although you knew Collister planned to have Formsby recruit me, did he tell you he suspected Formsby didn’t disappear mysteriously?”
Sadun stared at Nick with dawning realization. “You killed Formsby and his men! You had Collister’s name already! Why then… shit!”
Nick and Gus enjoyed Sadun’s obvious recognition he had been played. “I see he didn’t share with you that he suspected I had indeed retired Formsby, and while doing so, I likely extracted his name from Formsby. The people he sent to intercept the transfer were to kill you and the Marshals. I think Collister suspected you to be the last link endangering him publicly. He probably thought there was a chance to nail me too. Today’s botched mess will really shake his tree. I think you’re telling the truth, Uthie. One other thing, are you familiar at all with the name I asked about earlier: Salvatore?”
“I don’t know that name, but I didn’t know everyone Collister had on his string. If I did, I’d tell you. Are you going to kill him?”
“Hopefully tomorrow.”
“Good. Will you torture him?”
“Sure,” Nick lied. “Would you like me to spend some extra time with him since he sold your butt down the river?”
Sadun relaxed against the rear seat his head tilted back against the head rest with a faraway look in his eyes. “Yes… as much time as you can spare.”
Gus and Nick packed away Uthman Sadun in a body bag, and placed him on their gurney for transport to the meat locker.