Read Vector for Free Online

style of the clothing and the boots, the Viking image is borrowed from the skinhead movement in England, where the whole thing started."
    "But why specifically a Viking? " Jack repeated. "I thought they were into all the Nazi emblems."
    "Their interest in the Vikings comes from a very revisionist view of history, " Gordon said. "The skinheads think the maurading, murderous Vikings epitomized self-reliant masculine honor."
    "That's why Gordon thinks he got skinned, " Lou said. "Whoever killed him didn't think he deserved to die with an image of a Viking still attached."
    "I thought this kind of torture went out with the Middle Ages, " Jack said.
    "I've seen a number of cases just as bad, " Gordon said. "These are violent kids."
    "And scary, " Lou said. "They're true psychopaths."
    "Pardon me, Laurie, " Jack said. "Could I have a quick word with you? Alone."
    "Of course, " Laurie said. She excused herself from the others and stepped to the side of the room with Jack.
    "Did you just get here? " Jack asked in a whisper.
    "A few minutes ago, " Laurie admitted. "What's up? "
    "You're asking me what's up? " Jack questioned. "You're the one acting weird, and I'll tell you, the mystery is driving me crazy. What's going on? What is it that you want to talk to me and Lou about? " Jack could see Laurie's smile despite her face mask.
    "My goodness, " she commented. "I don't think I've ever seen you this interested. I'm flattered."
    "Come on, Laurie! Quit stalling. Out with it! "
    "It would take too long, " Laurie said.
    "Just give me a quick synopsis, " Jack said. "We can save the gory details for later."
    "No! Jack, " Laurie said forcibly. "You'll just have to wait until tonight, provided I'm still on my feet."
    "What's that supposed to mean? "
    "Jack! I can't talk now. I'll talk to you tonight like we decided."
    "You decided, " Jack said.
    "I have to get to work, " Laurie said. She turned away and went back to her table.
    Jack felt frustrated and irritable. He could not believe Laurie was doing this to him. Grumbling under his breath, he pushed off the wall and went back to get Papparis's specimens. He wanted to get them up to kagnes Finn so that she could run a fluorescein antibody test for anthrax.
    MONDAY, OCTOBER 18
    9:30 A. M. "Chert! Chert! Chert! " Yuri Davydov shouted. He beat the top edge of the steering wheel of his yellow Chevy Caprice taxi with the base of his right fist. Particularly when he was angry, Yuri reverted to his Russian mother tongue, and at the moment he was furious. He was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and surrounded by a cacophony of automobile horns. Ahead of him was a stalled blur of yellow cabs with activated red brake lights. Worse yet, the next intersection was jammed with cars going perpendicular to his, so despite the green light, Yuri was stuck in hopeless gridlock.
    The day had started badly during Yuri's first fare. As he was heading down Second Avenue, a bicyclist kicked a dent in the passenger-side door of Yuri's cab after complaining that Yuri had cut him off. Yuri had jumped out and lavished the jerk with a string of Russian expletives.
    Yuri had initially intended on being more physically aggressive but quickly changed his mind. The cyclist was his height, squarely built, as angry as Yuri, and obviously in far better physical shape. At age forty-four, Yuri had let himself go. He was overweight and soft, and he knew it.
    A slight thump coming from the rear of his car jolted Yuri. He leaned out his open window, shook his fist, and with his heavy accent, cursed the taxi driver behind him for bumping his car.
    "Up yours, " the driver called back. "Move! "
    "Where do you want me to go? " Yuri yelled. "What's the matter with > , , you!
    Yuri settled back into his beaded seat. He ran an anxious hand through his thick brown, almost black hair. Reaching up, he turned his rearview mirror to look at himself. His eyes were red and his face was flushed.
    He knew he had to calm down, otherwise he'd have a