Wells sat quietly in his command chair. There was nothing to do now but wait and see what happened.
Roderick Vance sat in his office, a palatial suite built right against the central dome of the Ares Metroplex. On one side there was a panoramic view of downtown; on another the rugged red Martian landscape, slightly distorted by the clear alumina of the dome. The Confederation’s capital wasn’t a large city, not by Earth standards. But its seven domes were entirely devoid of the seething, crumbling slums that plagued terrestrial cities.
The nascent Confederation had faced the challenges of taming an inhospitable world, one on which it was difficult for men to survive, but it was free of the legacy problems that affected the Superpowers of Earth – poverty, decrepit ghettoes, and crumbling infrastructure. The founders of the Metroplex were able to design a modern city from the ground up rather than building onto the confused results of centuries of disorganized growth and civil strife.
Vance had been genuinely surprised when he got the communication. His visitor wasn’t the last person he’d expected to see walk through his door, but she was close to it. It won’t do to keep her waiting, he thought. “Show her in.” He spoke to his AI, which transmitted the order to his assistant in the outer office.
A small figure, not much taller than a meter and a half, came through the door, wearing a hooded cloak that obscured her face. She stood, silent and still, until the door closed.
“Welcome, Minister Li.” Vance rose from his seat, motioning to a plush chair set against the dome. “Please have a seat. May I offer you a drink?” Vance was walking toward a small enclosed bar. “Bourbon, I believe?”
“Thank you, Mr. Vance.” Her voice was soft but strong, even ominous. It was clear she was used to being listened to and obeyed. “I must commend you on the accuracy of your dossiers.” She slowly pulled back the cloak, revealing the lined face of an older Asian woman. “Some bourbon would be most welcome.”
Li An was the First Minister of C1, the CAC’s external security agency. Smart and ruthless, she was Gavin Stark’s only real competition for the most feared individual on Earth. Though similar in more ways than either would care to realize, Li and Stark were bitter enemies. Stark had gotten the better of her in the final stages of the war, turning her meticulous plans into a disaster that lost the conflict for the CAC. It might have cost her everything – her power, position, even her life. But she knew enough secrets to discourage anyone from making any serious moves against her. Li An was a survivor, and she had proven it once again.
Li had spent the five years since then reestablishing her power base and helping the CAC rebuild its shattered military and economy. But most of all, she plotted her revenge against Gavin Stark. The Alliance’s intelligence chief was no easy target; a genius, he was paranoid as well. It took a long time, and an enormous amount of money, but finally she had the information she needed. It was beautiful, downright poetic…she was going to pay him back in kind. She was going to destroy his own carefully constructed plan, just as he had done to hers.
Vance poured two drinks and walked across the room. He handed one to Li An and sat down in one of the other chairs. “I think you will find that a very special bourbon.” He took a sip from his own drink, which was just seltzer on ice.
Li An took a small sip and gave Vance an approving smile. “Indeed, Mr. Vance, your taste in bourbon is commendable. Thank you.” Then, looking at his glass: “You’re not drinking? You aren’t trying to gain an edge on me now, are you?” She smiled, though an expression that would have been pleasant on most people was just unnerving on her reptilian face. “Because it will take more than this glass to achieve that.”
Vance returned the smile, producing a more reasonable imitation of genuine humanity. “I’m afraid my stomach is not what it used to be, Minster Li. These days I am forced to take it rather easy, at least this early in the day.” In truth, Vance was never much of a drinker. Except for a partiality to certain very expensive red wines, he mostly stuck to water and the occasional iced tea and rarely drank hard liquor. He looked over at his guest inquisitively. Don’t underestimate this woman, he reminded himself silently. “So what can I do for you, Minister?”
Li An took another drink and smiled. “To the contrary, Mr. Vance. The question is what can I do for you?”
Vance was silent for a moment, waiting for Li An to continue. When she remained silent, he asked, “And what is it you propose to do for me, Minister?” The CAC’s spymaster did nothing without purpose, Vance knew that much.
“Well, Mr. Vance, as we both know, your government is assisting the Alliance rebels in their fight against the federal authorities.” She raised her hand just as Vance was about to object. “Please, Mr. Vance, we need not play games. Let us speak hypothetically only.” She smiled again, a gesture that made the hairs on Vance’s neck stand up. “I have information that would be extremely useful were your government involved in aiding the rebellions. Indeed, it is something that could be extremely dangerous in many ways if it is not addressed.”
“And I suppose, Minister, that you came all the way to Mars simply to share this with me.” He was looking directly into her eyes; he’d swear it dropped his body temperature at least a few degrees, but he kept the stare constant. “In return for what? Nothing?”
She took another small sip, setting the glass down on the exquisitely-crafted side table next to her chair. “Let us say that while we are not in a position to intervene, we are quietly wishing the rebels success.” She paused, letting her eyes drop to her glass. “But if propriety compels you to offer something in return, I would welcome a case of this excellent Bourbon.”
“I do enjoy exchanging pleasantries with you, Minister Li.” Vance was getting impatient, though his voice betrayed no hint of it. “But perhaps we can move to the matter you have hinted at so cryptically?”
“Certainly, Mr. Vance.” Her voice was serious now, deadly serious. “You are familiar, of course, with Rafael Samuels, are you not?”
Vance was surprised…confused as well, but he’d be damned if he was going to let her see either of those reactions. “The Commandant of the Alliance Marine Corps?”
“Yes, that is one of his positions.” She took another drink, draining her glass, savoring what little she could detect of Vance’s well-hidden suspense. “But he is also Number Four on the Alliance Intelligence Directorate.”
Roderick Vance had a great poker face. Unemotional by nature, he found it relatively easy to remain calm and unreadable even in desperate situations. But not this time. “What?” He stared at Li, knowing his face betrayed his stunned surprise. He was normally skeptical of everything, but something told him she was telling the truth. Indeed, Samuel’s defection would explain a number of things that had been puzzling him.
“I daresay you heard me, Mr. Vance.” Li had a self-satisfied grin on her face. She was thrilled to be divulging Gavin Stark’s big secret, and she knew Vance would use that knowledge to thwart Stark’s plans. Payback is a bitch, she thought, isn’t it Gavin? “I believe that General Samuels has been working with Alliance Intelligence for at least five years, though my confirmed intel does not verify a start date.” She extended her arm toward Vance, handing him a small data chip. “You are too much of a gentleman to question my assertion directly.” She knew he was nothing of the sort – if he didn’t think she was telling the truth, he’d have let her know. “Nevertheless, I believe the evidence on that data chip will provide you the comfort level you need to take the…shall we say…appropriate actions.”