The Way of the Gun Page #3

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He feels you will be extremely

motivated in resolving this matter.

Despite my urging him to fire your

ass and have you fed to the fish.

Beyond this, the matter's

been left to my discretion.

The aforementioned

art of adjudication.

Precisely, Mr. Jeffers.

To wit, should another

macabre spectacle...

like the one that presented

itself this afternoon take place...

you will be cut loose...

and then, Mr. Jeffers,

I will have my druthers.

I promise a day of reckoning that

you'll not live enough to forget.

-There's a thing you need to learn.

-What 's that?

The only thing you can assume

about a broken-down old man...

is that he's a survivor.

Jack.

-You really think she was running?

-It doesn't matter.

The way I see it, she crossed over

when she got off the elevator.

If Mr. Chidduck wants us to resolve

this, we will, but from now on...

our only concern is with the child.

The girl is a threat like the two men.

The subscriber is unavailable

or outside the coverage area.

-Shouldn't we be there with him?

-He's fine.

-Aren't you guys a team?

-He'll be fine.

-What if he doesn't come back?

-He always comes back.

-The subscriber is unavailable....

-F*** me!

-Are you sure she's all right?

-I think so.

And the baby?

As far as I can tell, it 's fine.

-And they had no idea?

-None. None until I told them.

And I'm sure you didn't

mention your relationship.

-F*** you, Francesca! What was I...?

-Easy. Easy!

Easy. What good

would that have done?

-You did the right thing.

-Didn't lose his place at the table.

Francesca. Allen.

Allen.

I didn't ask to come back here.

You asked me.

I will not have her, of all people,

telling me what is....

For God's sake! She's not herself.

More today than most, I'd say.

If Mom could see that c*nt....

Are you going to pay?

I'm going to the police.

You're here out of a basic need.

You needed money from me.

I needed discretion from you!

Loyalty! Obedience!

You are here, frankly, because

after what happened in Baltimore...

you were for sale! And you

will do as you are told!

-What about Robin?

-What about her?

-The woman needs to be reassessed.

-What does that mean?

-She ran, Doc.

-She panicked.

-What happened to your eye?

-Where's Sarno?

Sarno came and went.

We thought he'd be with you.

Hold there just a bit.

Sit down.

Move your f***ing hand.

Hello?

-Are you the client?

-I am the client.

Tell the doctor to get to Highway

19 South, across the border.

He'll come to a town, Salsipuedes.

He'll find the Nacio Madre Motel.

Across from it there's

a payphone where he'll wait.

He comes ready to induce labor

and leave with the baby.

We let the girl go when

we feel safe.

He comes alone.

He brings 15 million dollars.

15 million dollars?

We're going to need some time to

get that. Give me 24 hours.

-You got 12.

-Goddamit!

12 f***ing hours!

Jesus Christ!

How do you expect me to....

Okay. All right, fine.

12 hours. Jesus!

Is that it?

Yeah, small, unmarked bills.

You know how much that weighs?

Try a couple thousand pounds!

All right, fine. Hundreds.

-Is that it?

-What do you think?

-It has holes.

-Well, we're new at this.

You're not gonna make it, kid.

One's bad fire. Three's gunplay.

Step out.

Put it down. A cop'll come by,

blow your head off.

Hands on your chest.

-Who are you?

-Well, son...

right now, I'm the button man.

I'm the guy you'll wake up to,

one night, maybe a year from now...

maybe two.

And all you'll see is a pillow over

your face, then you'll hear a pop.

Plenty more where I came from.

Yeah, I used to be one.

-What 's happening?

-Looks like a bagman.

-He'll make an offer. Small.

-You should take it, maybe.

No, you can't trust a bagman.

Always double-cross you.

Tell you what I'm willing to do.

I'll take you to the man right now.

He'll hand you a million, you wait

while your partner sends the girl.

-When she gets there, you'll go.

-Sounds shaky.

It 's better than the alternative,

I can promise you that.

You want to wait here? Look what

happened when you stopped for gas.

We just want to do this clean and

quiet. Take the girl, the baby back.

I'll buy you a cup of coffee.

Can we have a couple

of cups of coffee, please?

So, are you the brains

of the outfit, or is he?

Tell you the truth, I don't think

this is a brains kind of operation.

Do you think I agreed to help you

because of Baltimore?

I know that before

Baltimore you hadn't....

I honestly hoped that if you eased

back into delivery, just....

Don't be an idiot. No one incident

makes anyone what they are.

Baltimore simply

taught me who I am.

As for what I am...

I learned all about the value

of human life from you.

That certainty is more

important than morality.

-Abortion is more certain than...?

-Exactly.

I don't make mistakes.

I correct them.

So I empathize with you,

Dad. I really do.

Francesca.

Fascinating, isn't it?

I had no idea.

-It 's really got me excited.

-Excited, huh?

I missed you.

They'll kill us.

The people I'm in business with.

The money I have leads back

to them. We pay, they kill us.

-Any police, they kill us.

-It 's your bed to lie in, not mine.

You're my son.

I love you.

And it 's your bed too.

That 's the sort

of people they are.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I've gotten you involved

in this part of my life.

I know it isn't your thinking,

and I'm grateful for that.

I never wanted you

to be that way.

But don't be nave. She understood

who she was dealing with.

She understood the situation.

It 's a simple fact of life...

that anyone who would do business

with a man like me can't be trusted.

I'm a mother. My child is waiting

to come into this world.

And suddenly, for the first time,

I feel like... that he deserves me.

I don't mean that I've earned him

as a mother that 's carried has...

but I worked hard to become the

kind of woman who could have one...

naturally, with you.

-You know the baby is, don't you?

-Of course I do.

You know we have to go get him.

I understand.

If the girl should die...

God forbid anything should happen,

but if there's any complications...

we'll take care of it, understand?

You just bring me back my baby.

I watch them pile up. Nightstick,

flashlight, bulletproof vest.

F***ing utility belts, right?

F***ing sign on his head

reading:
"Why bother?"

-They say sh*t like "ascertain".

-"Surveillance".

-"Affirmative".

-"I need backup."

"Adjudicate".

-"Adjudicate"?

-Yeah.

But, you know,

you got the other side.

Trigger-happy cocksuckers all about

the shooting and the posturing.

-"You don't know me, I did time."

-Because you got caught, dumbfuck.

These days, they want to be

criminals more than commit crimes.

That 's not just crime,

that 's the way of the world.

What?

I'm just talking here.

By their design, all we only need

to come back with is the baby.

Think about it. No money,

no perps, no nothing.

We could kill these two fucks, keep

the money, bring Chidduck's baby...

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