The Dark at the End

9

A voice had invaded Hank’s head. A cut from his conversation with Szeto kept playing and replaying as he walked up from the Lodge toward Allen Street.

“The One speaks to me. He will tell me first.”

“I thought he spoke to your boss-”

“No. Speaks to me.”

Couple that with how distracted Drexler had seemed the last time he’d seen him No, more than distracted-upset. Drexler was pretty damn near the most together, focused guy he’d ever met. But not yesterday. Yesterday he looked like he was being held together by spit and baling wire.

Had something gone wrong at the Order? Their High Council had an inside track on everything connected to the Change, and Drexler was Hank’s connection to those bozos. Hank was counting on riding with them to Mover-Shaker status after the Change.

But then Drexler had made that “the most surprised of all” remark.

Hank had to get all this straightened out, and the only guy he knew who could do that was Drexler.

But he wasn’t answering his phone. Hank had left half a dozen messages.

Only one thing to do. Go over there and get some face time, whether Drexler liked it or not.

Hank reached Allen Street and found it at a standstill. Something must have happened on the outward-bound Williamsburg Bridge around the corner. He’d planned on taking a cab but Drexler’s place wasn’t all that far away. He decided to walk.