“Shut up. We ask the questions…”
The man’s voice broke off as someone else entered the room. There were footsteps and muttered voices. They came toward him — and his face burned with pain as the adhesive tape that covered his eyes was torn away. He gasped with shock and kept his eyes shut against the searing light.
“What was the registration number of the last car you owned in England?”
“How the hell do I know? That was a long time ago. He blinked at the three men standing before him. Two of them were the ones from the restaurant. “If you’re Security then you know all about me. So why these games?”
The newcomer, a scrawny man with a head as naturally bald as Jan’s shaved one, answered him. “We’re not Security. But maybe you are. A plant. To find our people. So you should answer our questions. We can help you — if you are what you say you are. If not, we’ll kill you.”
Jan looked at their faces, then nodded slowly.
“I feel the same hesitancy on my own part. You could be Security no matter what you say. So I will tell you only what is in my record. I’ll not compromise others.”
“Agreed.” The bald man looked at a sheaf of printout. “What was your phone number in London?”
Jan closed his eyes, tried to think. It was another age, really another life. He visualized his apartment, the doorman, the lift. Going into his flat, picking up the phone…
“Oh one… two three six… treble one two. That’s it.”
There were more questions like this. He answered them more quickly as memory flooded back That must be his security file they held — but how had they obtained it?
Only Security would have that. Were they just playing with him?
“That’s enough,” the bald man said, throwing aside the accordion-folded paper. “Cut him loose. We’ll just have to take a chance that he’s telling the truth.”
They had to hold Jan up when the ropes were removed. Until feeling — and pain — returned to his numbed body. He rubbed at his sore legs. “Fine,” he said. “You’re satisfied. But as far as I know you are still Security.”
“For our job, we don’t carry ID’s,” baldy said, smiling for the first time. “So you will just have to act as though we are. If you are a Security plant let me tell you, truthfully, that we know no others in the underground. That’s why we were picked for this job. There must be one of the brotherhood in the police — that’s where this printout came from. My party name is Shiny.” He pointed to his hairless skull and smiled again. This time Jan smiled in return.
“I hope that you’re telling the truth, Shiny. If you are Security you can find out everything that I know without all this rigmarole. I know. I’ve been through it.”
“And you’ve been to the other worlds?” one of the men blurted out, unable to contain himself further. “The rebellion. Tell us about it. All we know is the official propaganda.”
“What do they say?”
“Nothing. Hogwash. Misled few… rebellion put down. Saboteurs have destroyed food crops, so there will be rationing. All of the rebels captured or destroyed..”
“Hogwash — just like you said. They wouldn’t dare tell you that we’ve won! They have been kicked off every world and have fled back here to Earth.”
Their stern faces changed while he talked, relaxing, smiling — then shouting with glee.
“You mean it — you actually mean it?”
“I’ve no cause to lie. They rule here in the solar system — but nowhere else.”
It was Christmas, holiday time, all of the pleasures of the world rolled into one. If they are faking this, Jan thought, they are the best actors in the world. He was sure now that he had fallen into the hands of the resistance instead of the police. He told them all that he knew, then finally interrupted the flow of questions.
“It’s my turn,” he said. “How was it that you got to me ahead of Security?”
“Just luck,” Shiny told him. “Or maybe there are more of us. As soon as they began broadcasting that flash about you the word came down to try and find you. We have more sympathizers than members. One of them saw you here and got through to us. The rest you know.”
“So what comes next?”
“You can be very important to the cause, Jan. If you agree to work with us.”
There was a wry twist in Jan’s answering smile. “That’s how I got into this trouble in the first place. I don’t see why not. My future will be short with a very unhappy ending if I don’t have help from someone.
“Good. Then we’re getting you out of here at once. Before they discover that you’re being helped. I don’t know how it’s being done — nor do I want to. We have some clothes here for you. Put them on while I make a call.”
Jan pulled on the sleazy cotton slacks and shirt. He was glad to be rid of the military boots which were hurting even more now. The open sandals were a relief. One of the men went out and brought back a peaked cap that had Dodgers printed on it in yellow script letters.
“Take this,” he said. “Cover that shaven head until your hair grows back in. Got some rotgut bourbon here. Be mighty pleased if you would drink with us.”
“My pleasure,” Jan said, taking a plastic beaker of the pale fluid. It was very strong. “Here’s to freedom. May Earth some day share it with the stars.”
“That’s something to drink to.”
Jan was on his third glass of bourbon — it tasted better and he felt better with each glass — by the time Shiny came back.
“Gotta move fast,” he said. “Someone’s waiting for you. We’ll have to walk. Everything on wheels is being searched.”
It wasn’t far, and the night air cleared Jan’s head. Through dark back streets all the way. Shiny kept looking at his watch and made them run the last few blocks.
“Got to be there at a certain time. I’ll leave you in front of a door. As soon as I’m out of sight, you knock on it. You’ll be let in. Good luck, Jan. This is the place.”
It appeared to be a small side entrance in a very large building. He shook hands quickly and moved away. Jan knocked once, lightly, and the door opened. It was dark inside.
“Co me on, quick,” a voice whispered. The darkness was even deeper when the door closed behind him.
“Listen carefully,” the unseen man said. “You go through that door and you’re in a garage. Full of trailers. They’re all going out tonight. Every one of them is sealed because they been in bond. They won’t be searched. The third one from the door, the back is opened. Go there and get in. We got seals so they’ll never know it’s been opened. Get in, I’ll come and close it. It’s important you shouldn’t see my face. Someone will get you out the other end, in LA. Look natural now when you go out there. Maybe others around, but no one will bother you if you look natural. And don’t let them see you getting into the thing or you have had it. Stand there while I take a look.”
Another door opened a crack and Jan could see the outline of a man’s head against the light. He looked for a short time, them moved aside.
“Quick now,” the voice said. “And good luck.”
The building was gigantic, echoing with the distant hammer of a loud exhaust. Rows of trailers, each with a large shipping container secured to it, stretched into the distance. He walked toward the nearest one, slowly as though he belonged there. The sound of the exhaust died away to be replaced by the clang of metal upon metal. He looked around casually when he reached the third trailer; there was no one in sight. He pulled open the heavy door and climbed in. As he pulled the door shut behind him he had a quick glimpse of stacked boxes filling most of the body of the trailer, leaving an area just big enough for him. A few minutes later the door was slammed all the way shut from the outside and locked into place.