Page 42 of Delusional

“What’s the good news?”

I thought for a moment. “We don’t have to follow any investigative rules out here. We’re not making a case; we’re just trying to defend your brother. And ourselves.”

“You mean break the law?”

“Absolutely not. But out here, we’re not held back by administrative rules. This guy, Marks, likes to act scary. That kind of persona takes a lot of effort. He’ll get tired. He’ll screw up.”

“You certainly messed with his head at the car lot. First time I’ve seen the guy so rattled. He always puts on a careful show of being suave and wealthy.”

“I have no doubt he’s got some cash. Just like I have no doubt he’s not actually too suave or all that smart.”

“What sort of things do we need to figure out?”

I said, “It would help if we could determine how many people Marks has working for him here in Montana. At some point that’s going to be important. He seems to be hinting that he’s got a lot of employees in the area. Let’s see if we can nail down a number.”

As usual, I couldn’t tell if Trilling was excited about having a plan or unimpressed. He looked out over the expansive prairie and nodded slowly. His short, dark hair blew in the light breeze. His winter jacket was zipped all the way to his chin.

Finally, I asked him, “What do you think we need to achieve?”

Trilling said, “Lillian deserves justice.”

“Everyone deserves justice. Let’s just hope we can provide it.”

CHAPTER 50

TOM OWENS FELT like shushing his companions, who were speaking to one another in a series of harsh whispers so that the people sitting at the only other occupied table wouldn’t know what they were up to. He didn’t want to talk about the meaning of what they were doing. All he wanted to do was watch the results of his hard work from the window of the Starbucks down the street from Virtual Spaces.

He’d used a combination of the C-4 and black powder they’d taken from the Army building in New Jersey. He had then used a timer he’d taken from a digital clock. When the timer from the clock hit zero, which should be in less than a minute, two DD batteries would power a military-grade blasting cap that would ignite the C-4. The black powder was a booster for the explosive.

Owens mainly wanted to see what would happen with the mix. He wasn’t positive about the final force of the explosive. His best calculations came from information he’d taken from the internet about black powder in general, but not necessarily the specific black powder they’d taken. He hadn’t bothered to put any glitter in this bomb. He was interested in results. He felt confident the bomb would punch a hole in the wall and knock out the backup security computers. While it was doing all that, anyone inside the office would feel the effects in a big way. Owens calculated that the blast could knock out the tall windows to the street. That would look cool.

He could feel his excitement growing as he glimpsed different people moving around the office. It looked like there were five or six people now, including the two women he’d seen walk in earlier.

Ellis Warrenton tapped him on the arm and said, “This is bullshit. Staying here is a risk we don’t need to take. We should go.”

“I need to see exactly how the bomb behaves. This is how things get better: watching and learning. The next bomb will be more effective than this one.”

Ellis looked to their other companions. “What do you guys think we should do?”

Owens had had enough. He raised his voice slightly. “I’m staying to watch the show. You can do whatever you need to do, and I’ll meet you back at the house in Yonkers later.”

Kimmy said, “I’ll stay with you, Tom.”

It looked like Pry was staying as well. Owens knew it was to be near Kimmy more than to show any kind of support. But it still frustrated Ellis. He stayed in his seat and sulked.

Then it happened. Owens saw the flash first. It looked almost like a lightning strike, or an electrical transformer blowing up in a storm. It kicked up so much dust and drywall that at first Owens couldn’t really see what was going on inside the office. Then came the sound, a combination of the explosion boom as well as the noise of glass falling onto the sidewalk and street. The plate glass windows had completely shattered, and he could see a dozen people lying on the sidewalk.

It took longer than expected, but he finally heard the screams. They came like a wave. First a few high-pitched voices, then what felt like a whole chorus. The sound rippled down the street and bounced off buildings.

He didn’t feel self-conscious staring at the carnage. Everyone in the Starbucks had moved either to the windows or stepped outside to see what had happened. The couple from the other table both had their phone cameras up, taking video of the chaos. Owens glanced around the table, feeling a little smug.

Ellis still looked anxious, like he was ready to leave. Pry seemed satisfied with his contribution and the results. Kimmy was the only one Owens couldn’t read. He couldn’t tell if she looked pleased or queasy.

He glanced back down the street and saw the same cop he’d spoken to inside the building earlier run up and assist one of the badly hurt people on the sidewalk. It didn’t take long for more cops to show up and start helping people. After a few minutes, he heard the sounds of ambulance and fire engine sirens approaching.

Owens made a show of turning toward Ellis Warrenton.

“Now we can go,” he said.