check through all the research unit reports from the Universities. I doubt Damon Kamp, as a phenomenon, is limited to Concordia. We must be able to pinpoint the next Kamp if we’re to deal with—” She stopped abruptly, staring past the open door of the office into the work room, and both Val and Kamp were forgotten.
The corridor entrance had opened, and Ben Venturi was striding toward her. She read disaster in every line of his face, and her skin crawled with a premonitory chill. He stopped inside the office doorway, the defensive barriers coming up when he saw Val.
“Good morning, Val.”
She smiled politely. “Good morning, Commander.”
Erica rose. “Val, perhaps you should talk to Dr. Herron; he’s done some studies on the student liberal groups.”
Val seemed distracted; she nodded and started toward the doorway. “I’ll see if Dr. Herron’s free now.”
Ben waited until the hall doorscreens closed behind her, then crossed to the desk and slapped a jambler down.
“I’ll have to trust to this. I don’t have time to check for plants now.”
Erica stared at the small, flat box. “Ben, what’s wrong?”
“Think of the worst thing that could happen to us now,” he said grimly, “and that’s what’s wrong.”
She shivered, almost afraid to ask or hear more. “Is—is it Andreas?”
“
And
Alex. The SSB picked them up a few kilometers south of Hallicourt about an hour ago.”
She sank into her chair, her knees giving way, too stunned to think clearly and incapable of speech.
Ben went on tautly, “The man on the MT said he didn’t get a call from Alex until the SSB ’cars had their shock screens out and it was too late to attempt a trans.”
“That’s impossible. Alex would see the ’cars soon enough to call for a trans. That’s open country and he’d—”
“I know. The MT tech must be one of Predis’s loyals. Bayly. I had my doubts about him. And he didn’t even bother to notify SI when he got the call.”
She frowned. “That doesn’t matter now. How did the SSB know where to find them?”
“I’m not sure yet.” He folded his arms, his jaw muscles working. “Alex and Andreas picked up the airtaxi in Leda as planned. I stayed on the monitors until they were clear of the city. I figured if they had any trouble, it’d be in Leda, and that was
my
error. Anyway, they were taken by the Hallicourt unit,
not
Leda, and we don’t have any agents in Hallicourt. Three SSB ’cars. And one of Ussher’s men was on the MT.”
Erica clutched the arms of her chair, swallowing against the constriction in her throat that threatened to cut off her breath. “This means Predis knows about the LR-MT.”
“Yes, and he’s made his move.”
“Where are they now?”
“I don’t know yet. My guess is they’ll be taken to Leda; to the Cliff. Hallicourt’s just a mining town; they don’t have anything but temporary detention facilities.” He paused, looking down at her. “We’ll pull them out somehow, Erica. But Andreas will be a problem; they know who he is.”
“They may know who Alex Ransom is, too, by now.”
“Maybe. I’ll have more information on that later. I’ll put in some overtime in Leda today.”
She pressed her hands to her forehead. “Ben, it’s—do you realize what will happen here in Fina if—”
“I realize, but don’t give up this early in the game. I’m going to set up some life insurance for Andreas.”
“What do you mean?”
“The MT. The word will go to SSB Central Control in Concordia. They won’t classify him terminal if they know he has the MT in his head. That’ll give us some time.”
She frowned, then after a moment nodded. “Yes, and the SSB psychocontrollers won’t use their usual methods on Andreas. His age is in his favor there; they’ll want to keep him alive. But what about Alex?”
“I’ll find out how much they know about him. We’ll just have to get him out as soon as possible.”
“Out of the Cliff?”
“We’ve
The corridor entrance had opened, and Ben Venturi was striding toward her. She read disaster in every line of his face, and her skin crawled with a premonitory chill. He stopped inside the office doorway, the defensive barriers coming up when he saw Val.
“Good morning, Val.”
She smiled politely. “Good morning, Commander.”
Erica rose. “Val, perhaps you should talk to Dr. Herron; he’s done some studies on the student liberal groups.”
Val seemed distracted; she nodded and started toward the doorway. “I’ll see if Dr. Herron’s free now.”
Ben waited until the hall doorscreens closed behind her, then crossed to the desk and slapped a jambler down.
“I’ll have to trust to this. I don’t have time to check for plants now.”
Erica stared at the small, flat box. “Ben, what’s wrong?”
“Think of the worst thing that could happen to us now,” he said grimly, “and that’s what’s wrong.”
She shivered, almost afraid to ask or hear more. “Is—is it Andreas?”
“
And
Alex. The SSB picked them up a few kilometers south of Hallicourt about an hour ago.”
She sank into her chair, her knees giving way, too stunned to think clearly and incapable of speech.
Ben went on tautly, “The man on the MT said he didn’t get a call from Alex until the SSB ’cars had their shock screens out and it was too late to attempt a trans.”
“That’s impossible. Alex would see the ’cars soon enough to call for a trans. That’s open country and he’d—”
“I know. The MT tech must be one of Predis’s loyals. Bayly. I had my doubts about him. And he didn’t even bother to notify SI when he got the call.”
She frowned. “That doesn’t matter now. How did the SSB know where to find them?”
“I’m not sure yet.” He folded his arms, his jaw muscles working. “Alex and Andreas picked up the airtaxi in Leda as planned. I stayed on the monitors until they were clear of the city. I figured if they had any trouble, it’d be in Leda, and that was
my
error. Anyway, they were taken by the Hallicourt unit,
not
Leda, and we don’t have any agents in Hallicourt. Three SSB ’cars. And one of Ussher’s men was on the MT.”
Erica clutched the arms of her chair, swallowing against the constriction in her throat that threatened to cut off her breath. “This means Predis knows about the LR-MT.”
“Yes, and he’s made his move.”
“Where are they now?”
“I don’t know yet. My guess is they’ll be taken to Leda; to the Cliff. Hallicourt’s just a mining town; they don’t have anything but temporary detention facilities.” He paused, looking down at her. “We’ll pull them out somehow, Erica. But Andreas will be a problem; they know who he is.”
“They may know who Alex Ransom is, too, by now.”
“Maybe. I’ll have more information on that later. I’ll put in some overtime in Leda today.”
She pressed her hands to her forehead. “Ben, it’s—do you realize what will happen here in Fina if—”
“I realize, but don’t give up this early in the game. I’m going to set up some life insurance for Andreas.”
“What do you mean?”
“The MT. The word will go to SSB Central Control in Concordia. They won’t classify him terminal if they know he has the MT in his head. That’ll give us some time.”
She frowned, then after a moment nodded. “Yes, and the SSB psychocontrollers won’t use their usual methods on Andreas. His age is in his favor there; they’ll want to keep him alive. But what about Alex?”
“I’ll find out how much they know about him. We’ll just have to get him out as soon as possible.”
“Out of the Cliff?”
“We’ve
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