Page 132 of The Fourth Option
“Sorry, boy. One burrito a day is enough.”
He opened the door and stepped outside. Paladin followed, hopping over the center console. Walker dropped the SSE material on the far side of the willow.
“Blijf,” he commanded.
He returned to the Ford and lowered the tailgate, emptying out the contents of the 7-Eleven bag. He smoothed the hand towel he bought from the automotive section of the convenience store and pumped hand sanitizer onto it until it was soaked. Then he opened the fuel door and stuffed the coiled rag into the tank. To ensure it reached the fuel, he unscrewed an antenna from the front fender and used it to push the rag deeper down the pipe.
When the rag hung six inches below the fuel door, Walker checked on Paladin. The dog was exactly where he was supposed to be, staring at Walker, his eyes bright.
He remembers what it was like to be a working dog. He wants more targets.
Walker flicked the lighter and touched it to the rag.
“Come on,” he said to Paladin, slinging the trash sack full of SSE over his shoulder. “We need to hustle.”
They moved out through the gathering dark.
Walker heard the explosion two blocks away.
“Where’ve you been?”Belle asked.“I’ve been waiting for you to call all day. Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” Walker said into his burner phone.
She paused.“Well, what happened? Did you get anything useful?”
“I think so. Sorry I didn’t call sooner. I had to take care of a few things. I could use a lift back to my van.”
“Let me close up. Where are you?”
She rolled into the Ninth twenty minutes later in the AMC Eagle.
“Big take?” she asked as Walker climbed in and Paladin settled in the back seat.
“I don’t know. I grabbed what I could. I’ll go through it tonight.”
“Wecan go through it,” she corrected him. “Gloria is making her death-by-gumbo tonight. It’s poured over a roasted quail.”
“Can’t do it.”
“Why? Got a date?”
“Let’s just say we poked the bear pretty hard today. I just want to protect you, Belle. Things are heating up.”
She glanced sideways at him, accelerating toward the river.
“The best way to protect me is to let me help finish Connor’s story and expose this thing so there is no point in silencing anyone else. Let’s compile what we need and get it to that reporter, Greer, who’s been covering the story on Leigh Ann’s death.”
Walker knew she was right.
“Rain check for tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll take a crack at this SSE tonight and brief you up tomorrow. Hopefully death-by-gumbo will keep.”
When the Eagle braked near the railroad tracks at the southern reach of the Ninth Ward, Walker nodded to the SSE material. “A lot of the product at Dorado was refined cane sugar. The sacks had hummingbird logoson them. I think those binders are shipping records. I don’t know if it’ll be useful, but it’s something.”
“You look like shit, by the way. You need some rest.”
“Thanks.”
“I have an idea. Let’s divide and conquer. Isn’t that what you say in ‘The Teams’?”
