Imposter by Davis Bunn

Author:Davis Bunn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2012-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

When Matt arrived at the dojo, Vic was leaning in the doorway, drinking coffee and squinting into the warming day. He held out his mug in greeting. “You want any?”

“I’m good, thanks. Appreciate you meeting me.”

“Man’s got to be somewhere. You want to work out?”

“More than I can say. But I’m not sure my leg is ready.”

“We’ll do a few katas, hold it to style and balance.” Vic tossed out the dregs of his mug. “Maybe you can show me what you’ve learned, watching the older guys. Like the old days.”

The parking lot was empty save for three dusty pickups parked by the Mexican grocery. A group of construction workers breakfasted on burritos Matt could smell across the lot. “That’s not why I needed to see you.” “Figured it wasn’t.” Vic pushed off the doorway. “Let’s work up a sweat, then you can hit me with serious.”

They went at it for over an hour. The attacker’s kick caused his thigh to throb, but not at what felt like a dangerous level. Finally Vic noticed him easing off and called time. Matt followed his old teacher through a series of stretches so ingrained he did not need to watch himself, much less think.

Afterward Vic took up his position against the wall. “Got a call last week from an old buddy.”

“From your police days?”

“Before. He was with me in Nam. He’s something else now, some government job, got himself a nice suit, cleaned up his talk, can’t tell me what he does.”

“CIA?”

Vic fanned the air. “I never had time for that federal alphabet soup. Tells me about a pal of his. A Brit who wants to stop by, ask some questions about a friend of mine.”

“Allen Pecard.”

“Man walks in while I’ve still got my buddy on the phone. Didn’t ask so much as tell. Just bounces ideas off me. Matt Kelly is this, he’s that. All the while he’s talking, he watches my response. Watches hard.”

Matt toweled off, holding to an offhand manner. Or trying. “What did you think of him?”

“That he knows you pretty well.”

“Other than that.”

Vic pulled a towel off the rail and slowly wiped his face. “You see some guys, they go into serious action and only partway come back. They got the civilian moves now; they hold down steady work; they talk the talk. But inside . . .”

“Something’s missing.” Thinking not about Pecard, but himself and the last time he had been here. A woman waiting to tell him exactly the same thing. AWOL, but without the warrior’s excuse.

“Is Pecard a friend?”

Matt remained silent. Locked inside two problems laid atop each other.

“That’s what you need to know. If he’s not, you got to watch out, you hear what I’m saying? Stone-cold was made to describe these guys. They do what they do, and they walk away. There’s nothing inside to even think the word regret.”

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