“Look: this is just a stupid tie. Bottom line: there are certain things we Industrials will not do.”
“Such as?”
The shorter guy took a step closer. “Look: we-I mean the Industrials-had nothing, and I mean nothing, to do with the abduction of Corcoran’s daughter. And word on the street is that not even CoDevCo had a hand in what happened to you last night.”
“Did CoDevCo send you to tell me that?”
“I’ll tell you one more time: I’m not a messenger for those ass-lickers. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t back-channel communications between my company and theirs. And I was given to understand that they had nothing to do with your-personal mishap.”
“What about Ms. Corcoran?”
He looked away. “Can’t say.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t. They contacted us about you. They didn’t say anything one way or the other about abducting Corcoran’s daughter, and we didn’t ask.”
“But you’re guessing that they did.”
“Hey.” He turned back. “I don’t guess. Guessing about things like that-and then talking about them-could be very unhealthy for someone in my position. So I don’t do it.”
“So you think it was random terrorists.”
“Nah.”
“Or third-world fanatics who hated Nolan.”
“Christ, no. I hear this bunch were gang bangers.”
“So it was one of the other blocs.”
“You kidding? Among the leaders of the big powers, Corcoran is turning into some kind of folk hero. Dying at just the right moment can do that, you know.”
Caine looked at the man and smiled. “So you’re telling me that you’re pretty sure that no one was behind the abduction of Corcoran’s daughter.”
The man smiled slowly. “Yeah, I guess-by process of elimination-that’s who must be behind it. No one at all.”
“Except you really don’t know about CoDevCo.”
“Right.”
“And saying that doesn’t get you in trouble, does it?”
His smiled broadened. “Nope. Not a bit.” He straightened up, stuck out his hand. “I’m glad I was able to come and give you the inside scoop on-absolutely nothing. And on the people who have absolutely nothing to do with it.”
Caine smiled. “Your failure to impart any information has been very illuminating.”
He shook Caine’s hand a moment longer, looked at him as if he’d first seen him that very second, and then left with a chuckle and a wave.
Caine smiled. So. CoDevCo was responsible for the move against Elena Corcoran, but not the move against him. Interesting. Probably useful. He suppressed a shudder as the short man’s bland-faced security operative exited behind his employer-and then started as a hand grasped his left bicep.
“A little jumpy, are we?” Opal’s frown matched her concerned tone. “What was that all about?”
“Lots. Not much. I’m not sure.” He smiled down at her. “I’ll figure it out later. Might concern you too, since I think it’s going to concern Downing. And while we’re on that topic, how’s it feel taking a soldier’s coin working for the Prince of Lies again?”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me. But I couldn’t just keep freeloading off you.” Opal preempted Caine’s attempt to object. “Besides, duty calls: Scarecrow’s getting kind of antsy over in the corner. I think we’d better pay our respects so they can wrap things up here.”
Caine nodded, turned, found Corcoran’s daughter right there, staring straight at him with glass-green eyes. He extended his hand into hers, but before he could say anything, Trevor-who had apparently been at her shoulder the whole time-nodded after the corporate emissaries. “Friends of yours?”
He can’t be serious- And then Caine saw Trevor’s rueful grin. Caine returned it. “Yeah. Bosom buddies. Good to see you again, by the way. I wish the circumstances were different.”
“Yeah, me too. I don’t think you’ve met my sister, Elena. Elena, this is-”
Her voice was a smooth mezzo. “Trevor: I do watch the news occasionally. Mr. Riordan, a pleasure.”
He looked at her directly, a little anxiously, since he had been intermittently staring at her since entering the room.
Trevor’s voice was part intrusion, but also part hint. “And this is Captain-excuse me, Major-Opal Patrone.”
Caine became aware that he was still holding Elena’s hand, pulled his back a little too quickly, smiled to cover the awkwardness, decided that he was quite an ass and should not be allowed in public. He was vaguely aware of Opal shaking Elena’s hand and that she had just finished saying something in a sympathetic tone. Good grief, I forgot to-
“Ms. Corcoran-excuse me: I-”
“Please: call me Elena.”
“Elena, I’m so sorry. About your father. I hardly know what to say. I didn’t know him very long, but-”
She was not smiling, only nodding: was she angry? No; just very serious. “I know. Richard-Mr. Downing-has told me a little. I can tell that my father must have liked you. And trusted you.”
And voluble Caine felt his brain lock up: what response could he make that was both reasonable and truthful? Could he really claim that he had reciprocated the trust of a man who had permitted (maybe ordered?) his fourteen-year internment in a meat locker, and who then thawed him out only to perform a politically expedient task? Could Caine claim that he had liked this august figure who also covertly manipulated people and nations and facts and events? “I only knew him a day-but I will miss him. A lot. I would like to have gotten to know him better. I think he was-a good man.”
Elena had stopped nodding. Her eyes had become very grave-but he didn’t feel any disapproval in them. Then she faced Trevor. “We should go. Richard’s meeting is in five minutes.” As she turned to leave, she looked back over her shoulder. “Thank you for coming. Please excuse us.”
Trevor, with a quizzical look after his sister, shrugged an awkward farewell, and followed Elena’s abrupt exit. Opal stood looking after them.
“Soooooo-” Opal let the vowel sound drag out-“you never met her before?”
“Uh-no. Why?”
Opal smiled sideways at him. “I guess it just looked like you wished you had met her before. It also looks like you’re recovering from your injuries pretty fast. But I guess we’d still better keep your karate lessons on hold for now.”
“Yes, but you can still critique my form over dinner.”
“Oh-you mean you’re hoping I’ll give you a raincheck for the dinner you didn’t bother to buy me last night?”
“Yeah.” He hefted the softcast meditatively. “Sorry. I was…uh, detained.”
“Well, I guess I’ll give you another chance-but no more lame excuses about homicidal intruders and emergency surgery, okay?”
Caine nodded, saw they were among the last people in the room. “Well, I suppose we ought to head to Downing’s briefing.”
“I suppose.” Opal looked back at the memorial flame as they walked toward the exit. “So strange.”
“What is?”
“Having met the admiral only once. He seemed like such a nice man-a fun man-”
A canny man…
“-and he seemed in good shape for his age. Amazing shape, given what I am-no, was-used to seeing when I met people who were in their mid-eighties. Did he have heart disease for a long time?”
“Well, he had cardiac problems for thirty-five years-but it wasn’t disease: it was damage.”
“Damage? How?”
“In 2083, Admiral Corcoran was the commander of the mission that went to intercept what has come to be called the ‘Doomsday Rock.’ You’ve heard of it by now, right?”
“Just that it was heading straight for us. And after that, there was a much higher commitment to space development.”
“Yeah. It gave us a good scare. The rock came straight in from the far reaches of the Kuiper belt. Normally, we would have expected a culprit from that area to be a comet. Because it wasn’t, we didn’t see it until very late.”