Taneer hesitated only briefly before reaching into a safety pocket. Squeezing the interior seal with thumb and forefinger allowed the sewn-in unit to read both prints, whereupon the armored lining parted, allowing him access to its contents. Taking out two glassine packets each no bigger than a playing card, he handed them to the European. Karlovy's continental savoir faire deserted him as he accepted the offering with fingers that trembled ever so slightly. One packet contained a single mollysphere. The other held concrete, irrefutable evidence that had sprung from the information contained on the storage device.
Unable to restrain himself, knowing he would never have the opportunity to see anything like this again, Sanjay leaned forward for a better look as the European played his hand beam over the two packets, examining their contents intently. On the one hand was the case containing more actual money than he would have believed existed in the world. On the other, the two small transparent packets.
Though he raised no objection and offered no comment, it did not seem to him in spite of everything he had been told to constitute a fair trade.
The European, however, was visibly thrilled. Without looking up from his inspection he instructed Taneer. "Security reset is on the top of the case. I have already primed it for you. Slide your thumb over it three times. The unit will beep three times to signify acceptance. Next to the pickup is a small integrated mike into which you may whisper whatever passwords you wish. Both must be utilized to reopen the case." He finally looked up from his examination. "A powdered explosive is integrated into the body of the case itself. Any unauthorized attempt to force the seal will result in an explosion that will destroy the contents as well as anyone in its immediate vicinity."
Taneer nodded knowingly, as if he dealt with this sort of thing every day. He indicated the packet containing the molly. "Anyone can access three-quarters of the information via a standard reader. Any attempt to access the remaining fourth will result in a permanent sphere wipe. You get the rest of the code when I receive the rest of the payment."
The European nodded understandingly. "All as we agreed. It will be a standard simultaneous quantum exchange. If either side holds back any element of the agreement, the transfer will not eventuate. My consortium receives the rest of the code; you get the information that allows you to access a certain safe deposit box in Zurich." Now he did smile, albeit austerely. "Where I presume you will be when the final transfer is made. All quite neat and clean, as such transactions are meant to be." Apparently feeling it was time to let his guard down a little bit, if only for reasons of diplomacy, he added, "You will like Zurich, I think. Everyone who goes there does." He drew the back of his left hand across his forehead. "A much more civilized climate."
Taneer nodded and smiled back. "We'll stop by there just long enough to conclude our business, I think, and then we'll be on our way elsewhere."
Jena had still not decided what to do: whether to remain where she was, retreat and ascribe the situation to bad karma, or wait and see if the group of five once again split into its original parts. She was still debating with herself, praying for guidance, when the big man who had accompanied the European suddenly twitched, started to turn where he stood, and fell over. He lay there on the ground; unmoving, a large hill-like silhouette in the darkness. His companion gaped down at him. She crouched lower in her hiding place as hand beams swung wildly, searching the night. One swept past just over her head. None of them happened to focus on the right spot-but she did. Something else was coming out of the darkness.
Keshu stared at the readout on his spinner. The overhead view from the uncomplaining drone was still as responsive as it could be, but it was not nearly informative enough.
A sixth shape had suddenly appeared, to join the other five. It had not entered from one side of the screen or the other, as would normally be the case. The human heat signature had simply materialized as if out of nowhere. Adding to the confusion was that the largest of the original heat signatures had stopped moving and was beginning to fade slightly.
As an officer with long experience in interpreting such readouts, he did not need someone to explain to him what it meant when a human's infrared signature began to pale. It meant that the body in question was growing colder, and in this particular instance clearly not from exposure to the sultry night air of the jungle. As if the situation was not already complicated enough, the baffling appearance of a new figure was more problematical. Once again, experience supplied a realistic explanation.
"Inspector…?" Johar prompted him. Looking baffled, the lieu tenant was fixated on his own readout. "Pardon my English, but-what the hell?"
"The downed individual has been shot, or otherwise severely impacted," Keshu explained. "Probably, but we cannot be certain as yet, by this intruder. As for the newcomer, I would guess he arrived draped in a camo suit of some kind. Possibly illicit ex-military. It would mask not only his heat signature but his shape. A little light-bending goes a long way at night."
"Yes, sir," Johar agreed, visibly impressed that his superior was not impressed. "But what does it mean?"
"It means," Keshu told him, taking a long breath, "that our neat little plan of action and follow-up has taken on an unexpected dimension. One that I just as soon could have done without."
The lieutenant held his spinner up to his mouth, and waited. "Orders, Chief Inspector?"
Desire and knowledge wrestling within him, Keshu's lips tightened as he tried to fabricate the right response. Unable to conjure one, he stalled. No matter what sort of confrontation they had accidentally stumbled into, no matter its consequences, he had no choice but to remain focused on the reason for his presence here in the first place: the foreign woman Chalmette. As for the rest of it, whatever "it" turned out to be, like so much unexpected rubbish it could be cleaned up later.
For the second time that night, he decided to wait.
Ignoring the shocked starlit stares of the four individuals still standing, Chal Schneemann pushed back the hood of his camo suit as he walked up to the body of Punjab and deliberately kicked the prone man hard in the back of his head, above the spot where a tiny trans parent dart now protruded from his neck. No sound emanated from the motionless figure. Always one to be sure, Chal moved around to the front of the body and kicked again, breaking the nose. Frozen to the spot next to Taneer, Depahli made a small whining noise as she looked on, wide-eyed.
Blood appeared, flowing freely from the bodyguard's face. Still no reaction. Satisfied, Chal shifted the muzzle of the small hand weapon he held in his right hand until it was aimed in the general direction of both the visiting businessman and the Indian scientist. Noting the direction of their stares, he gestured slightly with the gun. "This uses highly compressed gas to fire syringets containing a powerful concentrated neurotoxin derived from the venom of the banded sea krait. It paralyzes muscles almost instantly. It freezes hearts." He indicated the large and rapidly chilling corpse off to his left. "I dislike having to kill a colleague, but there is simply too much at stake here to take chances." Shifting his gaze, he locked onto Taneer's face.
"I'm supposed to bring you back with me, alive." His eyes shifted imperceptibly to his left. "I assure you that's going to happen. Whether your lady friend comes with us or not is up to you."
Quaking in his air shoes, a frightened Sanjay wondered why, if this terrifying person wished to take no chances, he himself had not already also gone the way of the dead bodyguard. Then it occurred to him that the masquerade that had deceived the European businessman and his associate had not for an instant fooled this person. Whoever he was, he had straightaway seen the sham for what it was.