He smiled.
De Florio found a penlight in his trouser pocket, switched it on, and stuck it in his mouth.
“Would you like me to hold that?” he asked.
De Florio removed the light. “If you like.”
He held the light above his left arm. De Florio carefully inserted the needle and emptied the barrel. He handed the light back, then settled into the pillow.
“Good luck, Jon.”
“Same to you, Mr. Bozin.”
His heart stopped.
That was fast.
Strange, not to feel it beat.
He stared ahead, into blackness, and as his brain consumed the final few molecules of oxygen available, his last conscious thought was of Brent Walker and Hank Reed.
Wishing them good luck also.
DAY EIGHTEEN
FRIDAY, JUNE 23
11:50A.M.
BRENT SHUFFLED ALL MORNING BETWEEN THEIAMANDIBEW negotiating sessions, helping the company representatives with details of a final deal. At midmorning IAM suddenly came to a tentative agreement, their negotiations committee tired of the bickering and satisfied with the wage increases and extras the company finally offered. The five years seemed a bitter pill, but the machinists wisely recognized they possessed little to negotiate with other than the two additional years.
“How’d it go last night at the union meeting?” he asked Hank during the break.
“I don’t think there’ll be any more lip from my committee.”
“You handled things?”
“Totally. Damn idiots. Haven’t got the sense God gave a billy goat. They think all you have to do is snap your fingers and the company’ll jump. Finally, I told ’em all to strike. That’s what they need to do. Walk out until the company says three years is okay. Go for it.”
“I’m sure that hit home.”
“We found out they all have bananas for backbone. They’ll do what I say from now on.”
“IAM coming to agreement seemed sudden.”
“I worked hard with their committee last night after the IBEW meeting.”
“Looks like your guys are last to the table again.”
Hank smiled. “That’s one tradition I like.”
“We’re going to have to deal with that list of numbers on Monday,” he said. “We have to find out what they are.”
“I know. I appreciate you workin’ with me and holdin’ off until the deals are done. I can’t jeopardize this.”
“I get it,” he said. “But Monday we’re on it. I wonder where Bozin is this morning?”
“We can’t formalize the deal with IAM until he’s here,” Hank said. “I’d like to seal that thing before the machinists change their minds.”
