Luther studied the putting green with the steely-eyed expression of a general assessing the ground on which the battle would be fought.
“We need to move fast,” he said. “If Smith decides that he can’t get his hands on those rotors, he’ll cut his losses and disappear. If he leaves the country, we might never get another shot at him.”
“The Ares machine has got to be the biggest deal he’s ever done,” Matthias said. “He won’t abandon the project unless he’s absolutely sure it’s a total failure. It’s not just about the money, not this time.”
And it wasn’t a round of golf that had brought them to the golf course, Matthias thought, although it was a perfect afternoon and the greens were as smooth as velvet. The appeal of a golf course was that two men could talk openly about matters of national security and murder without fear of being overheard. He and Luther needed a plan, and they needed it immediately.
Luther tapped the ball very gently, sending it into the cup. Straightening, he looked at Matthias. “Delivering the cipher machine into the hands of the enemy is Smith’s idea of revenge, his way of telling the men running his old agency back in D.C. to go to hell. I’m sure he’s willing to take risks, but he’s not suicidal. If he decides he can’t get those rotors, he’ll fade back into the shadows.”
Matthias thought about that while they walked toward the next tee.
“If we chase him, we’ll lose him,” he said. “We need to make him come to us. The only way to do that is to use the rotors as bait.”
“Can’t exactly put an ad in the Herald. Need cipher machine rotors? Call now for free estimate.”
“Huh.”
Luther glanced at him. “What?”
“We’re a couple of mob guys, remember? We steal stuff. Why wouldn’t Smith believe that we’d be happy to do a deal for the rotors with whoever will meet our price?”
Luther gazed into the distance. He looked like he was contemplating his next shot but Matthias knew he was focused on the kernel of a plan.
“I can use the Broker to put the word out on the street,” he said. “If Smith is as desperate as we think he is, he just might take the bait.”
“If he does, we’ll be dealing with the same problem that got Pickwell killed. The most dangerous part of the operation will be the moment when the transaction takes place.”
Luther smiled. “We’re mobsters. We know how to do deals like this one.”