"Bullets to the head are kind of normal, right?" Kith said. "In your line of work? So you'd have looked at normal reasons too. Like eliminating witnesses to a crime. Bullets to the head, I think right now you'd be all over the Army scams, looking for some efficient enforcer. But the guy deflected you by dressing it up with all this bizarre bullshit. He hid his true motive. He smoke-screened it. He camoufla ged it. He pushed you into this weird psychological arena. He manipulated you, because he's very smart. " Blake was still silent. "Not that you needed much manipulation," Kith said. "This is just speculation," Blake said. Kith nodded. "Of course it is. I told you, it's only half an idea. But that's what you do down here, right? You sit here all day long wearing the seat out of your

