“The mercenaries might succeed anyway.”
“It will be up to the Americans. The best we can do is warn them. It’s really the only thing we can do,” said Elias.
“Then do it,” said one of the conspirators. “It could mean our lives when we’re at the mercy of the court.”
“Our president might be more forgiving than we think,” said Elias. “Our lives will be in more danger when the operation begins, but we must be there for it. At the first sign of trouble I’m running. Follow me if you wish, or not.”
The other men left Elias at the table, and hurried away. Elias made a call on his headphone, then typed a message on his pocket computer and loaded it on disk. A few minutes later a man came across the street from the Ministry Building. He wore the cap and coveralls of a stevedore who worked portal shipments. He came straight to Elias’ table and sat down. Elias handed the disk to him.
“Wear your IR when you go through. Locate any cloaked guard and tell him this is for Commander’s eyes only, and urgent. If you can’t deliver it, get right back to me so I can try another way.”
Elias handed the man several folded credit notes. “For your trouble,” he said.
The man said nothing, pocketed money and disk, and went away.
Elias sat for a few seconds, and then made another call.
“The time for the attack has been set, and I just sent them a warning. I’ll have to be there, otherwise Watt will call it off and my usefulness will be over. Yes, the others have agreed, but they’re scared to death of the consequences. I think a show of mercy might be politically wise if we live through this.”
Elias listened a moment, then, “I appreciate that, sir. It’s my job, and I knew the risks when I started it. Maybe I’ll get lucky. Goodbye, sir, and thank you for the opportunity to serve you.”
He broke the connection, and felt the sting of tears in his eyes.
His president had been sobbing while he praised what Elias had done for him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CONFESSIONS
The guard smiled and waved Eric through the gate. Clouds had moved in and were threatening rain, and that meant lightning. Tires squealed as Eric negotiated the hairpin curves up to the summit of Nataly’s butte. He’d offered to pick up something for the meal, and stopped by Safeway for a quart of peppermint ice cream, which was her favorite. She had given cook and houseboy the night off, so they would be alone. They hadn’t seen each other in two weeks. Eric felt a terrible apprehension. As much as he loved her, as much as he wanted her, there were things that had to be said.
He parked by the pool. By the time he reached the front door the first raindrops were falling and there was a distant rumble from the south. The nearby spires of Cathedral Rocks were already shrouded in mist. Nataly opened the door, and her smile was enough to brighten the sky. She slid into his arms as he stepped inside, looked up at him and said, “Hi, stranger,” very softly.
Eric kissed her cheek, her lips. “Sorry I’ve been so busy.”
“Me too.” There was a sudden gust of wind, Nataly reached out and closed the door behind them.
Eric handed her the little bag containing the ice cream. “Your favorite.”
That smile again. A table had been set by the balcony window, and candles were lit. “I had to bring everything inside,” she said.
Lightning flashed outside, and the beamed ceiling trembled. “Good thing,” said Eric.
Nataly put the ice cream in the freezer, came back and took his hand and led him to the big sofa in the front room. A CD was playing, some kind of chants, very deep. “What’s that?” Eric asked.
“Tibetan throat singing,” she said, “very relaxing.”
They sat. Nataly leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’ve missed you.”
“Me too,” he said. The vibrations of the singing seemed to resonate with something deep inside him.
“I have a roast cooking. It’ll be half an hour until dinner. What should we do until then?”
Eric looked down at her. Her lips were parted, and her eyes sparkled playfully. A wonderful feeling started in his heart and worked its way across his chest. He sighed, and stroked her lower lip softly with a finger.
“I have a suggestion, but it might take longer than half an hour.”
“Oooo,” she said, and snuggled closer.
“Better not. Dinner will get burned.”
“Let it.”
Eric leaned over and kissed her softly. “Can’t resist a good roast, and I can’t resist you. I’m in love with you, Nataly.”
“I love you too,” she murmured. “What are we going to do about it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? You still don’t know?”
How easily the lies came to him. “The job is uncertain. Leon is visiting the corporate center in Phoenix to plead our case. We might have to close the office here.”
Nataly frowned. “So what happens? You move to Phoenix?”
“Maybe.”
“A two hour drive. There are people here who work in the valley, but live here. They come home weekends, or work from home.”
“The company is expanding, going more international. I’d be gone all the time.” Eric had a hard time looking at her when he said it; her gaze was so intense. Sudden anger was there.
“So quit, retire, whatever you want to call it. A job should never interfere with the rest of your life, Eric, unless the job is your life. I want to think that isn’t true for you anymore.”
“You have a business. You work long hours.”
“But I leave it behind when I come home to this big, empty house.”
Nataly reached up and folded her arms around his neck. “I want to come home to you, Eric. Live with me.”
For one second, the room seemed to spin around him. “Nataly, I—”
“I’m not asking you to marry me, unless you really want to. I just want to be with you, all the time. Be my business partner, my life partner. Life can be grand for us here, Eric. It’s where we belong.”
“I don’t know where I belong.”
“You belong with me. I don’t know where else I could find someone like you, and I’m not letting you go. You said you love me.”
“I do.” Tears blurred Eric’s eyes. Nataly’s arms were tight around his neck, her breath hot on his face. “But if you really knew me you wouldn’t talk like this, you’d run for your life.” I can’t tell her. I’ll lose her. I’m living a lie.
Nataly’s eyes darkened. “You can’t live a lie with me, Eric Price. I know exactly who and what you are, and have been, and it makes no difference to me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Eric grasped her shoulders and held her at arms’ length. “What? Just what do you think you know about me?” An intuitive, that’s what she is. She’s guessing.
“I know everything: the agency you work for, your history with it, the people you’ve killed, everything you’re doing at the base. I helped you do it. I helped to give you the information you needed. I’m part of it, Eric, and I’ve been living a lie too. I know about your John Coulter. He is an enemy of the entire human race. He tried to kidnap me to intimidate you, but he failed. My friends protected me, and they’ve protected you. I’ve known the man you call Mister Brown since I was a little girl. It’s nearly over, Eric, and then you’ll be gone. I won’t let it happen. I won’t!”
Nataly grimaced. “Ouch! You’re hurting me.”
Eric’s fingers were digging into her shoulders. Everything was coming apart. She was a plant, a way to get to him from the very beginning. The quiet dinner, the vision of her body glowing, the golden man, that’s when it had begun. She had burrowed into his mind like a mole, and programmed him for her masters.