Intel could buy anything from anyone in this country if they knew what to ask for. And Haggerty had followed up on his lead at Francisco de Miranda and flown to Tomás de Heres, where he’d again flashed the cash and showed the photograph and got a hit. Mercer asked, “Did you report to Worley before you flew to Kavak?”
“I… said I had a lead.”
“Okay. Can Kavak expect a visit from Mr. Worley?”
“I don’t know.”
Mercer looked at Haggerty. “Now that you’ve disappeared, I’m sure he’s more worried about himself than he is about you.”
Haggerty thought about that and said, “I understand why you… want to kill him…”
“No, Ted, you can never understand that. Only he and I can fully understand that. And I understand why he hasn’t left Venezuela and fled to safety. You know why? Because there is not a place on this earth where he is safe from me. He understands that one of us has to die, and it might as well be here and now. Do you understand that?”
Haggerty nodded.
“And do you also understand that me killing Brendan Worley is only part of my payback?”
“I… think I understand…”
Mercer pulled the list of names out of his pocket and pushed it close to Haggerty’s face. “These are anti-regime men and women who work for you or Worley—for the CIA or for Defense Intelligence. Do you recognize any of these names?”
“I… can’t see…”
Mercer pulled the list away. “Doesn’t matter, Ted. What matters is that everyone on this list will be dead within the month. Also dead will be the American government’s mission to topple the Venezuelan government.” Mercer leaned in toward Haggerty. “I will fuck up your mission here. I will do to you and Worley what your colleagues ordered me to do in Afghanistan—to kill all opponents of the government. And if the Venezuelan government decides that a whole village needs to be taught a lesson, I will use my learned skills from Afghanistan to kill every man, woman, and child in that village.” Mercer put his face close to Haggerty’s. “Are you understanding this, Ted? Does Worley understand that what he ordered me to do in Afghanistan is what I am doing to him and his mission here?”
“Everyone understands why you’re here.”
“That’s good. I hope he sees the irony.”
“We all accept our responsibility. We’d like to help you.”
Mercer laughed.
Haggerty took a deep breath. “Captain… Kyle…”
The two men made eye contact. Mercer said, “We are all beyond help, Ted. You, me, Worley, the bastards in JSOC who made my warriors into murderers—we, like my new comrades here, are beyond help… beyond salvation… We are killers. So we kill.” Mercer looked at Haggerty. “Isn’t that why you’re here? To kill me?”
“I’m here to find you.” He added, “Worley will kill you.”
“I appreciate your honesty, Ted. No more bullshit about helping me. No bullshit about turning myself in for a fair trial. Because if I go on trial, everyone goes on trial. So thank me for keeping this a private affair. Just between us killers. We’ll work it out.”
Haggerty didn’t respond to that.
Mercer asked, “What was your role in Flagstaff?”
“I… knew about it. But I had no role.”
“Of course you did. That’s why you were sent here. To tidy up the loose ends. You and Worley—unindicted co-conspirators, on a mission to silence a witness.”
Haggerty looked at Mercer and said in a surprisingly strong voice, “You should more closely examine your own role in Flagstaff. Accept your responsibility, Captain.”
“Captain Mercer is dead. You and your friends killed him.”
Haggerty did not reply.
Mercer looked at Ted Haggerty. This conversation could go on for hours, days, but there was nothing left to say, and nothing more Kyle Mercer needed or wanted to know. Ted Haggerty would make a good hostage, or a valuable bargaining chip, or good bait to draw Worley out. But sometimes the best strategy in war and in life was to burn your bridges behind you, to signal to your friends and enemies—and to yourself—that there was no going back. He said, “Your colleague Robert Crenshaw was very brave. I had to torture him for hours before he told me where Worley was.”
Haggerty had no reply.
“I’m glad I didn’t have to torture you. And now, as promised, I give you your freedom.”
Haggerty closed his eyes and nodded. He understood.
Mercer stood, drew his knife from his belt, and moved behind Haggerty, quickly so that the man didn’t have to wait for death. Mercer cupped Haggerty’s chin in his left hand and