Part 13 (2/2)
”I have no idea. I never got involved with my husbands business dealings.”
”You don't have to tell me that.”
”I don't?”
”Of course not. But you will have to tell it to Deng Tao's people when they come to get his money back. Only you might want to work on your delivery, because I am guessing from what they did to the senator and your husband they don't take too kindly to getting screwed over.”
”On the contrary, Mr. Tao is a very generous friend, which is more than can be said of the Federal Government, Miss Kane.”
Karyn nodded. ”I can understand why you would say that right now. You are sitting on a fat pile of cash and a hall pa.s.s to do whatever the h.e.l.l you want. But that won't last forever. By the time the congressional investigation into this little affair is over, you will be the subject of an IRS audit so far reaching you will be lucky if you have the bus fare back to town from the penitentiary, after they are through jailing your manicured little a.s.s. Now, I ask you, are you going to wait around for Deng Tao's people to pay you are a visit, or do you want to play hardball with the Justice system?'
”I might know some things, but if I told you anything, it would get back to them-they are everywhere. You have no idea how powerful they are.”
”I could get you out of here, protect you,” said Karyn.
”What, in the witness protection program? You have got to be kidding, they would find me in two days at the most.”
”They?”
Priscilla Geryon paused, gave Karyn a quizzical look. ”You thought this was about Deng Tao didn't you? You thought it was all about him? And here you are saying you will protect me. You have no idea do you?” Then she laughed, but it was a cold, unsettling laugh, edged with contempt.
Karyn looked into Priscilla Geryon's eyes, but there was no bravado, just the lonely flicker of pure, unadulterated fear.
29.
Big Island, Hawaii Keo stood looking out over the rock promontory that had been mangled in to a twisted and alien form, by unimaginable and h.e.l.lish forces from the very center of the earth. ”The Moku`aweoweo caldera. See how the ripples of magma glisten like a black ocean. Is it not a beautiful sight?”
Ted Congo held his collar closed against the onslaught of the merciless wind and nodded, as though in agreement. ”These cliffs are pretty high- like the grand-canyon or something.”
”They are four-maybe five hundred feet, even higher in places.”
”You don't say,” said Congo, trying to sound like he gave a d.a.m.n.
Stay away from the edge, it is dangerous up here, especially with this wind, the rocks can be icy any time of year, so slippery you could go skating on your a.s.s and be over into h.e.l.l's Kitchen before you even know it.”
Congo took a step backwards, then another. The view was certainly impressive-mile after mile of blackened lava rippling away almost as far as the eye could see, hemmed in on all sides, by perilous, cliffs rising vertically towards the sky. This wasn't a place for sightseers. This was a h.e.l.lish, broken place, balanced dangerously on the very edge nature. Congo surveyed the scene. There was something about this crater that invoked a chilling and unnatural sensation that curdled the blood. Staring at this hideous Martian landscape, it was easy to imagine they had been transported back in time a million years, or blasted to some distant planet, where the only means of governance was an icy and remorseless wind that blew eternal.
”They say that the wind is a sign of the G.o.ddesses displeasure,” said Keo ”What has she got to be displeased about?” asked Congo, ”You ask me these Islands have had things pretty easy, anyone ever tell your G.o.ddess that huh?”
”The Haole come-the breathless outsiders-and they suck the living mana from the G.o.ddesses homeland-such a misfortune will bring down a terrible curse upon us all.”
”A curse huh?”
”You doubt the power of the G.o.ddess?”
”You can think and talk any kind of hoola- skirted hoopla you want Professor. As long as it keeps those tourists buying souvenirs, it doesn't make a d.a.m.ned bit of difference to me.
”You have no soul Congo, perhaps the spirits of the mountain have stolen it from you already?”
”Now why in the wide world would they want to go and do a thing like that?” sneered Congo, his eyes drawing thin and contemptuous.
”You are a conspirator, friend to the Haole-the spirits feed off energy Congo just as the parasite complex of Deng Tao feeds on the energy of these Islands.”
”It's too bad you were never on board with the project Professor.” Congo unb.u.t.toned his jacket and reached out his Glock. He always kept a round in the chamber, so he had no need to pump the slide He simply pointed it at Professor Keo and said, ”All that tribal mumbo-jumbo doesn't fool me for a second Professor. I had you down as a Government man from the get go. I knew you wouldn't be able to leave your precious observatory, no matter what the price.”
”There are things that are beyond the world of money Congo.”
”Too bad you will never live to see them then, isn't it? If you had played along, you could have been a part of something big, something beyond the limits of your pathetic world of subservience to the G.o.ds of government.”
”Death holds no fear for me Congo, my spirit lives eternal. You may commit your act of sacrilege upon the slopes of this sacred place, but your malfeasance will carry a price that your world of money will be unable to meet.”
Congo nodded. ”Nice speech, now back up. You are going to take a tumble and it is not going to be pretty, so you better save that hot air you are pumping out for the journey down.”
Keo looked slowly left and right then back at Congo, there was no fear in his eyes, just the quiet acceptance that death was close. Knowing he had no options, he said, ”You aren't going to shoot me. You would never get away with it. The authorities will come looking, and when they find out what you have done, you will be ruined and d.a.m.ned.”
”I am the authorities,” said Congo. ”There won't be anyone to find you, save that cute little G.o.ddess you keep talking about. But, I am guessing she is going to have other things on her mind these next few days, if you know what I mean.”
”It is never too late to turn back the tide of evil Congo, there is still time for your soul to be saved,” Keo paused then said, ”I have seen the white dog of Pele stalking the lower slopes, it is an omen Congo, a warning to all of mankind.” ”You are just too smart for your own good aren't you Professor, and that is why you are going to have to die.” Congo raised the gun and fired. The wind carried the sound of the gunshots far to the south. Panicked, the Professor stumbled backwards, examining his chest, puzzled that he could see no sign of damage, frightened that in these, his last moments of life, his spiritual a.s.suredness might be taking flight, heading south over the unending waters of the Pacific. Strength!
He must stay resolute, or his weakness would condemn his soul to an eternity on the mountain. So be it.
If the G.o.ds deserted him, science would reach in with the black hand of finality. No matter how it ended, everything would be all right. Except things weren't all right.
In these, his last tortured moments, professor Keo lost his footing, and tumbled backwards, falling awkwardly on the mangled rocks. Winded, he turned to face Congo with accusing eyes. ”-You didn't shoot me,” he managed at last.
Standing squat and menacing, Ted Congo had a thin smile on his face. ”Of course I didn't shoot you, I was just throwing a scare in you.” ”But why, why would you do such a thing?” ”For a man who has the answer to everything, you are not too smart are you Professor?” Congo moved fast now, striking out with a vicious kick to the professor's stomach. As his victim curled into the punis.h.i.+ng impact, Congo moved in, stamping furiously on the most vulnerable parts of his victims body, with a fusillade of manic blows. Finally, as the Professor lay stunned and choking blood, Congo grabbed him by the legs and half dragged, half rolled his victim to the precipitous edge of the Moku crater. Congo stood admiring his handiwork, then said, ”In answer to your question Professor, I am making sure that in the very unlikely event anyone ever finds you, the terrible accident you are about to have will look just like that-an accident.”
The professor's eyes filled with horror. Congo smiled. ”That's right, if your corpse is riddled with bullet holes it will spoil everything, and we don't want that, do we Professor? On the plus side, you will get a close up and personal look at this precious crater of yours-all the way to the bottom. Congo craned his neck, peering over the edge, a sudden look of distaste twisting at the corners of his mouth. ”You were right Professor, it is a long way down-four hundred feet at least.”
Professor Keo moved his lips in a silent invocation, but Ted Congo never noticed. He was too busy rolling his victim towards the yawning lip of the crater. Then, with a last brutal kick, Congo launched the still living body of the man he had just brutalized out and over the edge of the giant crater, letting it freefall outwards and away, into the pitiless wind-falling down, like a broken, spiraling bird, battered by the jagged cliff face-then, as the eternal seconds flashed by, Congo stared, emotionless, as the broken body of a once great man was smashed beyond repair against the icy rocks below.
30.
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