Page 47 of No Plan B

The guy shrugged. “Mr. Brockman said you were crazy. Crazy people do crazy things.”

“You had to verify my ID. How?”

“We sent your picture to some guys who know what you look like.”

“Which guys?”

“A couple of co-workers.”

“How would they recognize me?”

“Your paths crossed a couple of days ago. In some town in Colorado.”

Reacher smiled. “I see. Where are these guys?”

“In Winson. I guess. They’re still out sick.”

“I’ll make sure to drop by their houses while I’m in town. Maybe bring them some flowers. Now, Brockman. Is he a good boss?”

“I guess.”

“Is he a nice guy?”

“If he likes you.”

“Right. I saw what happens to people he doesn’t like. In Colorado. So here’s what I’m going to do. I will go to Winson. I will cause some trouble for Mr. Brockman. Maybe a little more than he’s expecting. And when I’m done I’ll make sure he knows how much you helped me.”

“No. Please. Don’t do that. He’ll kill me.”

“Sorry. My mind’s made up. Unless…”

“Unless what? What do you want? Money? ’Cause that’s no problem. I can get you—”

“Not money. Information. There’s something weird going on with the accounting at Minerva. I want to know what.”

The guy’s eyes stretched wide. “Accounting? I don’t know anything about that. How would I?”

Reacher looked at the guy for a long moment. Over the years he had gotten pretty good at sensing when people were telling the truth. Normally he encouraged that kind of response. But on this occasion he was disappointed to be given an honest answer. It meant the guywas no more use to him. So he punched him in the face and watched him crumple and collapse onto the ground.

—

“Was that necessary?”Hannah was standing with her hands on her hips. “He was no threat. You’d already taken his gun.”

Reacher said, “What about the backup piece in his ankle holster? And the knife in his sock?”

“He has another gun? And a knife?”

“He might have. You wait to find out, you’ll be the one who winds up on the ground. And you won’t be getting up again. These guys are working with the people who killed Sam. Who killed Angela. And they didn’t bring us out here for coffee and cakes.”

Hannah was quiet for more than a minute then she moved closer to the first guy Reacher had knocked down. “Is this one dead?”

Reacher shrugged. “Could have broken his neck, I guess.”

“Don’t you care?”

“Would you care if you stepped on a cockroach?”

“He’s not a cockroach.”

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