Midnight Sun (59 page)

By
the
time
they
reached
the
restaurant,
a
raised
platform
next
to
the
hotel
lobby
set
up
like a European
sidewalk
cafe,
Mike
and
Hilde
had
already
gotten
a
table.
Steam
floated
from
two
cups
of
black
coffee
in
front
of
them.
As
they
approached
the
table,
Mike
signaled
a
waiter
who
came
with
a
third
cup
of
coffee
for
Marcus as Mike had instructed before they arrived.

“
Black,
no
sugar,
right?
”
Mike
said,
remembering
Marcus
’
s
preference
from
their
days
in
the
military.

“
You
got
it,
”
Marcus said,
then
turned
to
the
waiter.
“A
nd
a
V8
with
a
couple
of
lime
wedges
for
my
wife.
”

“
Thank
you,
honey,
”
Lonnie
said.
While
she
had
always
loved
Mexican
food,
which
she
craved
constantly
now,
the
smell
of
V8
vegetable
juice
had
been
repulsive
to
her
before
the
pregnancy.
Now,
though,
the
tomato-based
drink
with
two
lime
wedges
was
mandatory
every
day
for
breakfast.

“
Did
you
call
Hogan?
”
Marcus
asked.

“
We
did,
”
Hilde said.
“
He
is
pulling
up
the
file
on
Farrah
to
email
to
me,
and
said
he'd
put
in
a
call
to
the
local
SAC
right
away.
They
should
be
expecting
us
about
eight
o'clock.
”

The
waiter
brought
the
glass
of
V8
and
set
a
small
plate
with
two
lime
wedges
next to it
.
Lonnie
squeezed
them
into
the
drink,
then
dropped
the
green
fruits
into
the
glass
and
stirred
with
a
straw
as
the
waiter
took
their
food
orders.

After
the
waiter
walked
away,
Lonnie
said,
“
Did
you
mention
the
cabbie
from
last
night?
”

“
The
cabbie?
”
Marcus asked.
“
What
about
him?
”

“
Oh,
man!
”
Mike
said,
tapping
his
fingers
on
the
table
like
an
exclamation
point.
“
We
completely
forgot
to
tell
you
about
him.
Do
you
remember
a
guy
named
Kharzai
Ghiassi?
”

“
Kharzai
Ghiassi?
Al
Gul?
”

“
Yeah,
that
’
s
the
one.”

“
Shit,
”
Marcus said.

“
What?
”
Lonnie
was
shocked
.
U
ncommon
for
a
Marine,
Marcus
almost never
swore.

“
If
he
’
s
here,
that
’
s
bad.
”

“
Why?
”
Lonnie said.
“
He
said
he
was
lying
low
after
an
operation.
I
didn
’
t
think about
it
last
night,
but
at
the
accident
scene
with
Farrah,
he
claimed
he
’
d
left
his
ID
at
home.
He
called
himself
Samuel
McGee.
”

Marcus took a deep sip of his coffee and closed his eyes for a moment, his mind firing back several years into memories he’d worked hard to put behind.

“
That
dude
doesn
’
t
take
breaks,
”
he
said.
“
He
’
d
go
to
ground,
maybe,
but
never
rest.
Whereever
he
goes,
you
will
soon
find
bodies.
”