Zero History

leaving.”
“Extraordinary talent. Terrifically narrow,” he said, with evident relish. “Focused,
utterly.”
“Asshole,” suggested Hollis.
“Not an issue. I sorted his affairs, brought him here, and set him a task. A challenge
truly worthy of his abilities. The first he’d had. I would have provided any sort of
lifestyle, really.”
“Remind me to be a bigger asshole.”
“As it was,” Bigend said, “because he’s essentially a parasite, with an emotional need to
constantly irritate the host, and because I wanted the project to remain separate from Blue
Ant, I had Voytek put him up. At home. Compensating Voytek, of course.”
“Voytek?”
“My alternative IT person. My hole card against Sleight. I can’t be certain that Sleight
didn’t discover that, but he evidently did, at some point, discover where I was keeping
Chombo while he worked on the project.”
“What’s the project?”
“A secret,” said Bigend, with a slight lift of his eyebrows.
“But who took Bobby?”
“Three men. American. They told Voytek that they’d come back for him, and his wife
and child, if he tried to alert anyone prior to seven this morning.”
“They threatened his wife and child?”
“Voytek understands that sort of thing. Eastern European. Took them instantly at their
word. Phoned me at seven twenty. I immediately phoned you. I may need you to help me
with Milgrim.”
“Who were they?”
“Foley, by the description. Unable to stop muttering about Milgrim. The other two, I’d
assume, were Gracie, Milgrim’s arms dealer, and someone else. Gracie clearly in charge,
calm, businesslike. The third man had a mullet, Voytek said. I had to Google it. Foley
apparently has seen the inside of an emergency ward twice this week, and holds Milgrim
personally responsible. Gracie, however, assumes that Milgrim may have been following
orders. Mine.”
“He told Voytek that?”
“He told me.”
“When?”
“On the way over here. Sleight having given him, obviously, my private mobile
number.”
“He sounded angry?”
“He sounded,” Bigend said, “like voice-distortion software. Impossible to read affect.
He told me what he requires in exchange for Bobby’s safe return, and why.”
“How much?”