Chapter 3

Desert Laboratory
1996

"We've got a deal, you need to do your part."

The guard looked worried. He wasn't worried because he was abusing the trust of his position, or that he'd promised to help a dangerous specimen escape where he might - no, would - commit more crimes. He was worried because he'd just lost $2000 in the stock market after following Chapman's instructions.

"It's not that hard," Chapman continued. "All you have to do is follow what I say."

"Yeah, but $2000. That's a lot of money for me. It takes me a month to earn that."

"Harvey, I made this facility a million dollars a month, twelve months out of the year. Don't you think I can make us some money in your little account?"

"Yeah, but $2000...."

"You knew there would be draw-downs. I explained to you how this works. You follow my system and we'll make the money to do what we want. I'll get what I want and you'll get what you want."

Harvey knew it was true, but it was just so hard.

"If my wife finds out about the $2000 she'll kill me."

Chapman was sitting at his computer table, six computer screens ranged in front of him, masses of charts and tables. The financial markets he traded were closed, and he had his back to the screens. And his back was also to the tiny key-hole video camera he knew was in the room. The radio was on and a few books were piled in front of the microphone. Casually, so that no one, not even the guard he was talking to, suspected Chapman knew about the surveillance.

"If my wife finds out about the $2000 she'll kill me," the guard said.

"She'll really kill you?"

The guard looked down at Chapman. He was twenty, half the guard's age. His eyes were so clear and innocent. The guard could never tell whether he was joking or not.

"No, of course she won't really kill me."

"Then what are you worried about?" He still couldn't tell if Chapman was kidding.

"She'll be angry. Hurt and angry."

"But what will she do?"

Harvey was silent a moment. He couldn't tell where this was going.

"Nothing."

"Then what do you care?"

Harvey might have said that when his wife was angry he felt bad about himself, and that when she was hurt, he felt hurt too, but he didn't have the words, and he knew, somehow, that Chapman would not understand, and didn't really care.

"Look," Chapman said. "We have a deal. Your wife isn't going to kill you. Wives don't do that. I mean, who do you even know who's killed anyone." He looked at the guard so sweetly, so innocently. His eyes were so blue, the whites of his eyes, so white.

"No, one, of course," No one. Except you. Chapman had made his point. He and Chapman had a deal, and Harvey decided it would be better for everyone if he stuck with it.