Tom suddenly reached up and grabbed his brother-in-law’s injured arm. “Jeri’s dead?” he asked, squeezing Alex’s wrist.
Alex moaned in pain and slowly nodded his head.
“How did she die?” Tom demanded.
“Let go of my fucking arm!” Alex exclaimed, grabbing at Tom’s hand.
Tom ignored his brother-in-law’s request and tightened his grip. He watched Alex’s face turn white as the tendons and bones in his injured wrist shifted sickeningly under the pressure. “Answer my question.”
Alex stifled another moan and glared at Tom with an expression of pure agony. “She was in the fucking saloon when it exploded!”
Tom shook his head doubtfully. “And how would you know that?”
“Because I was in there with her!” Alex screamed. “I barely made it out myself!”
Tom studied his brother-in-law closely as he fought to maintain consciousness. As hard as it was to accept, he knew Alex was telling the truth. He nodded and slowly released his grip.
“Goddammit!” Alex muttered as he pulled free of Tom’s grip and stepped back from the bed. “You stupid sonofabitch.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t deserve that, brother.” Tom replied bitterly. “Now tell me… how the fuck did I end up with a bullet in my leg?”
Alex spoke quietly as he carefully rewrapped his injured arm. “I’m sorry, Tom. I really am. I had no idea you were this fucked up. I should have read your psych evaluation more carefully.” He turned and looked at Tom with a mixture of sympathy and disgust. “Christ, you don’t even have the faintest clue why I’m here, do you?”
“Of course I do,” Tom replied matter-of-factly. “You already told me. You’re here because you need my help again. You need me to help find our letter-writing terrorist once again because you and your highly-trained team of agents fucked up once again and managed to destroy nothing but innocent lives.” He smiled and shook his head. “Things aren’t looking so good for you, are they Alex? I’m sure your superiors in Washington can’t be happy with the score right now – the terrorist, two… the CIA, zero. Amsterdam alone might have just been a manageable embarrassment, but this Flagstaff thing is going to draw all kinds of heat. Especially when they find out I told you our terrorist wasn’t dead. I hate to say it, but you’re going to need a fucking miracle to save you this time.” Tom pulled back the bed sheet to expose his bandaged leg. “Maybe you should have thought of that before shooting the only guy who can help you. Now, I’m going to ask you one more time… why did you shoot me?”
Alex looked at Tom for a moment before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a small plastic bag, its top edge folded and sealed with tape that was stamped with the CIA’s insignia.
“You’re wrong, Tom. You may not remember, but you’ve already helped me. In fact, you’ve already given me the key piece of evidence I need to finally solve this fucking case.”
Tom watched with sudden interest as Alex held the evidence bag up in front of him. Inside appeared to be a handwritten note. “What is that?” he asked.
“This?” Alex replied, dangling the note playfully. “This is my miracle, Tom. The holy grail of evidence if ever one existed. It’s a confession of guilt, found on the body of the last person trying to flee from Joe’s Last Stand Saloon before all hell broke loose.”
Tom suddenly sat up in his bed. “Wait– you’re telling me you actually got him?”
“That’s right, Tom. We got him.”
“So where is he now?”
Alex placed the evidence bag on top of his slung arm and pulled back his jacket until Tom could see his holstered gun. “In the hospital,” he said casually as he rested his hand on the gun and smiled. “Recovering from a bullet wound.”
Part IV.
“In contrast to its civil or international counterparts, direct warfare between competing Corporate States will not be driven – nor judged – by such complex factors as ideology, culture or religion, but by the sole factor of economic gain. Consequently, any and all actions designed to achieve economic advantage will be considered morally and ethically justified by the Corporate State. This new ‘economic morality’ will usher in a highly volatile code of behavior in the new business ecology.
However, while it may operate with relative impunity from governmental oversight, any hostile action taken directly by the Corporate State will not be without risk. Regardless of its size and power, the Corporate State ultimately serves, and thus answers to, its customers and shareholders; both of whom hold an expectation of ethical conduct that is core to the Corporate State’s public image and, largely, its success. For this reason, the Corporate State will take significant precaution to ensure any objectionable actions do not elicit the unfavorable attention of media agencies or rights advocacy groups – at least those that it does not own or influence - that could damage this public image.