sure.'
'But I'm on your land too.'
'They don't have to find out about that. And even if, for whatever reason, you are dumb enough to tell them about my place over by the South Fork, I never go there. So I rent you some property. I'm not responsible for anything illegal you have going on, am I?'
'They could take your land.'
'Oh sure, after they take your farm and put you and your family behind bars.'
'You'd do that?'
'Damn right, Jack.'
Jack looked torn.
'I saw Otran's mouthpiece go into Maria Fischer's room at the Palmer Inn. I know the right-thinking people in this movement might care if their all-star, troublemakin' bitch is in heat for the Otran guy.'
Jack grinned despite himself. 'Hard to imagine two lawyers who don't want to screw each other, though.'
'And the rest of us too,' Corey added. 'Anyway, here's how I have it figured. Why don't we get her out here, and use a little persuasion to get her to tell her story on tape? I know she's been taking big money from the timber industry.'
'No lie?'
'Believe me, I know it.'
'The law will try to do something, but there won't be a lot of heat. If we're careful, they won't catch us.'
'Are you nuts, man? We'll go to jail, and they'll throw away the key,' Jack retorted.
'They won't know who did it.'
'Leave me out of this one. This is way over my head.'
'I need your help,' Corey said.
'I don't know, Corey. This just isn't for me.'
'You can skip two ten-thousand payments when we pull this off. That's not insignificant. On top of that, you get five extra acres of good ground, with water, for the same money you pay now.'
Jack frowned and shook his head. 'No, I just don't think so.'
Slowly he looked into Corey's eyes. She knew that what he saw there scared the hell out of him, causing him to back away tentatively. With her right hand Corey drew her army. 45 from the back of her pants and moved with him, step for step, the gun inches from Jack's chest. With her left she pulled a Taser stun gun. 'I know you pretty well, Jack. I figured that would be your reaction.'
'Take it easy, Corey. You and I both know you aren't going to shoot me.'
Corey made it a point to smile her crazy smile.
There was a snapping sound and Jack grabbed his chest as he fell backward.
Effortlessly Corey rolled him over and put plastic tie-wraps on his wrists, pinning his hands behind his back. From her pocket she removed a black hood, then sat on the floor holding Jack's head in her lap. In a moment he became coherent.
'What are you gonna do?'
She put the hood over his face.
'Don't hurt me.'
'We can do this the easy way or the hard way.'
'I'll do whatever you say.'
'You don't sound convincing, Jack.' She shoved a can of pepper spray under the hood and released a two- second squirt.
Jack convulsed and gasped with a convincing death rattle. She removed the hood.
'Now don't fight me, Jack. We're just going to have a little talk.'
Corey scanned the barn. She grabbed a line hanging from the rafters, probably for hanging deer or a slaughtered cow. Quickly she fashioned a noose, then put it over Jack's head and pulled until he was lifted up on his knees. The noose was tight, but not choking him completely. Next she located two concrete blocks and had Jack stand with one foot on each. Adjusting the rope so that Jack would hang himself if he moved from the blocks, Corey stood back.
'We need to have a discussion. It's tough for a woman to convince a man that she's the big dog. I could fix that by making you not a man, Jack.'
'I'll do anything you want,' said Jack.
'Oh no, Jack, it's not going to be that easy. You'll tell me whatever I want to hear, then welsh later-maybe shoot me in the back. No, I want real sincerity.'
'I said I would help.'
'Great. But first, you have to watch my show.' With that, Corey walked out of the barn. When she returned from the van, she held a small TV with a built-in VCR. Hanging about the barn were light sockets on the ends of insulated electrical cord. Cobwebs made a ghostly skein around each wire. One of them had a plug-in, in place of a light. Inserting the plug to the television, she turned it on and pressed play. It was a narrated video, complete with background music, featuring Jack's pot gardens, showing their locations and Jack at work with his wife, his son, and the hired help.
''If something happens to me, this tape goes to the cops- and, Jack, you and your wife will go down for at least five years. There's a note with the tape explaining exactly why it was made-you threatened to kill me if I didn't let you grow on my property. If I die under strange circumstances, the cops will get the tape.'
'OK, so let me down.'
'We haven't made a bargain yet. You can skip two payments on the land, and I'll give you an additional five acres for twenty thousand per year, two ten-thousand payments. Pretty good, huh, Jack?'
'Sounds fine to me.'
'You're still not sincere, Jack. I can read your mind. You're still thinking maybe there's some way out of this.'
'No, Corey, I swear; I'm willing to do it.'
'Good. We'll celebrate over dinner.'
Again, Corey turned and walked out of the barn. This time she returned carrying a frying pan, a small torch, and a day pack. Suddenly Jack began to sweat.
Corey lit the burner and poured oil in the frying pan. 'You haven't asked me what's for dinner.'
Jack's jaw began to quiver. He swallowed hard. Corey began unlacing his boots. She pulled them off one at a time, then his white socks.
'I'm gonna fry your feet.' With that, she spooned up a drop of hot oil and dropped it on his foot. He spasmed, kicked the blocks out, and began choking. Wildly he struggled, then tried to find his footing. She let him hang until he started passing out; then she lifted him and got his feet back on the blocks.
'Oh God, Corey, don't-I promise I'll help,' he choked out.
Corey took out her alcohol and put it on the burn.
'And again,' she said, this time scooping up a whole teaspoon of oil, 'don't jump around so much or you'll hang yourself.'
'No!' Jack shrieked, causing Corey to kick the blocks from under his feet to quiet him. She never had a chance to use the oil. Jack began to choke, turning blue as the rope cut at his neck. Corey waited twenty seconds, then replaced the blocks.
When Jack had more or less recovered, Corey spoke. 'The problem is, Jack, you won't really believe I'd do it unless I actually fry one of these feet.' She paused. 'You notice I'm being real sanitary about this. I've got the right antibiotics. Your old lady can nurse you. She'll keep it from getting infected.'
''Corey, I swear to God I'll help you with Maria Fischer- please.'
She waited a suitable time. 'I think you believe me.'
She untied Jack and packed up her things. 'Jack, you and I have a perfect understanding-right?'
Jack lay on the floor, rubbing his badly bruised neck with one hand and gripping his burned foot with the other.
'Absolutely.'
