Jason Frost - Warlord 05 - Terminal Island by Jason Frost - Warlord 05 Page B

know.”
    “Near Dirk Fallows’ camp?”
    “Who?” they both chorused.
    “Corporal Dirk Fallows.” Eric stepped closer to the cage. “He and his men are buying gold around here. I’m looking to peddle some.”
    Washington said, “Look, man, if it would help us any, I’d tell you about this Fallows. I’ll tell you everything from birthplace to shoe size. But the truth is, we don’t know the dude.”
    “Or anything about gold,” the petty officer said. “Why would anybody be buying gold here? Don’t make sense.”
    “Ours is not to reason why. Ours is just to make a profit.”
    Washington laughed. “He sounds like you, Bolinski.”
    Bolinski grinned wolfishly. “Yeah, well in Philly, ya gotta have a shark’s instincts just to make it to the corner schoolhouse alive.”
    Eric didn’t say anything for a while. He paced in front of their cage. He stopped in front of Bolinski, studying the huge muscular arms where his shirt was rolled up past the elbows. “You’re looking a little pale, Bolinski. Not getting much sun down south lately?”
    “Hey, pal, I looked a hell of a lot tanner before I got locked up in this brig.”
    “Yeah,” Monroe chuckled, “even my tan is fading.”
    Eric shrugged. “I’d like to help you boys, I really would. But unless you can tell me where I can find Fallows, I can’t do a thing. Take it easy, fellas.” He started to walk out of the room, followed closely by Dr. Chen.
    “Goddamn it, man, help us,” Bolinski bellowed. “It’s not our fault we don’t know no Colonel Fallows. We were just hunting for food for our families. Shit, that’s not a crime, even now.”
    Once outside, Eric pulled Dr. Chen aside. “What are you planning to do with them?”
    “Let them go, I guess. I just held them long enough to see if they had any friends following. Guess not.”
    “Hold onto them one more day. Okay?”
    She eyed him suspiciously. “Why? They’re taking up time and eating my food. They seem to be telling the truth. I’m sorry they don’t know this Fallows man, but you can’t punish them for that.”
    “Hold them,” Eric said. “They’re lying.”
    She shook her head. “I’m a pretty good judge of character, Mr. Ravensmith. I believe those two men. And since this is my compound, I’ll decide who to detain and who not to.”
    Eric released the safety on his crossbow and bumped the arrow-end against Dr. Chen’s chest. “If you’re such a good judge of character, why is my finger on this trigger. Less than a pound’s worth of pressure will make this zoo mine.”
    Dr. Chen did not back down. Her dark eyes bored into Eric’s. “I know you can kill, Mr. Ravensmith. I recognize the look. But I was hasty in my earlier condemnation, letting my grief for my father interfere with my judgment. Yes, you could kill me. But you won’t. I believe your young companion. You want to find your son. You won’t do that here.”
    Eric flicked the safety on and lowered the bow. “You don’t bluff so easily yourself, Doctor.”
    “Wendy,” she said with a relieved sigh. She offered her hand. Eric shook it. It was warm, the skin calloused from gardening.
    “Maybe you are right about me,” Eric said. “But you are wrong about them. They know something.”
    “Male intuition?” she smiled.
    “Evidence. You notice their uniforms? A little soiled, but no tears or serious wear. They’re fairly new.”
    “They could have had extra uniforms.”
    “Look how pale Bolinski is. People in California all have tans, only these days it’s not from lying around the beach or playing tennis. It’s from hunting or gardening or building. He’s too pale, and it’s not from natural skin pigmentation.”
    Dr. Chen started to offer an explanation, then stopped. “What else?”
    “I referred to Fallows as Corporal Fallows. Later Bolinski called him Colonel Fallows, which is correct.”
    Dr. Chen absently picked a lock of her straight black hair and began chewing on it. “What does that