“You really think so?”
“She’s a clever one,” says Maschler.
“Not so clever playing with the Lizard.”
“She had to do the dance,” says Riley.
“She’d better know when the music stops,” says the Operative.
“That’d be when you reach L2,” says Maschler.
Montrose gestures at one of the screens behind her. The screen splits in two. Each half shows one of the massive Eurasian ships.
“Take a look at those things,” she says.
Haskell’s looking. “How big are they?” she asks.
“Two klicks long. Tungsten armor. As well as—”
“Pulse-detonation engines,” says Haskell. “Nuclear warheads as fuel.”
Montrose nods. “You see what we’re up against.” She gestures at one of her staff, and the view on the screen expands to take in the larger perspective—a vast armada, rising out of the gravity well. Set against the shadow of the Earth, the ships of the East look almost like phosphorescence glimmering beneath the sea. And it’s almost like Montrose’s voice is a wave rolling in from those depths …
“Our lower orbit position is a total shambles,” she says hollowly. “North America is shattered.”
“And our defenses up in the geo?”
“Won’t last long.”
“So you’ve lost the planet.”
“It’s only a matter of time.”
“I’m not sure I can help,” says Haskell slowly.
Montrose gazes at her evenly. “I’ve already had the Praetorians purged. All the president’s men and then some. More than ten thousand executed in the last two hours and you’re welcome to join them.”
“Cut the shit, Stephanie. We both know you’re not going to do that.”
A flicker of a smile. “Want to bet?”
“What’s the point? You’ve bitten off more than you can chew, and you’re not going to pass up any opportunity to get yourself off the hook. You’re dreaming if you think I’m going to cozy up to you—”
“But you could do it,” says Montrose, and buried deep in her voice Haskell can hear the faint stirrings of a plea. “Don’t deny it. You could hack them, Claire. You could save our lunar forces—”
“Maybe. If the East’s ships are even hackable. Have you been trying?”
“There’s so much interference we can’t get through.”
“And you think I can?”
“I don’t know what you can do, Claire. And I don’t think you do either. But we can plug you into the systems and see.”
“With your failsafes keeping an eye on me.”
“You won’t even notice them.”
“Damn right I won’t notice them. I’ve been down this road before and I know where it fucking leads. That’s why I’m staying right where you’ve been keeping me. Right inside my skull. Because it sure as shit beats serving you.”
“Goddammit,” says Montrose. “I already told you, this isn’t about me. This is about our nation’s darkest hour—”
“Which happened decades ago when scum like you stuck a knife into the heart of America. Snuffed out what was left of the republic and sold our people down the fucking river—”
“Don’t you dare talk about our people,” snarls Montrose. “Not when you’re willing to stand by while they’re condemned to slavery—”
“They’re slaves already. Slaves of you, slaves of the East—what’s the fucking difference in the end?”
“Just because they couldn’t govern themselves doesn’t mean we weren’t in the right to rule them. To save them. They’re dying, Claire.”
“Let them die,” says Haskell. “All they wanted to do was watch war on the vid. Now war’s hit them where it hurts. Ever hear of the chickens coming home to roost?”
“You’re talking like a traitor.”
“Said the woman who had the president butchered. It’s all total shit, and you’re all going to be swept away when I get out of here—”
“Enough,” says Montrose. She signals to a technician. “We’ll find the lever that moves you or we’ll break you trying.”
“Good luck with that,” mutters Haskell.
The screens within her flare with unearthly light.
And then it’s as though she’s falling down some long dark tunnel, as though she’s been falling all her life and then some, as though she’s never going to be doing anything else, as though she never ever wanted to. Static surrounds her, assails her, beats against her. But up ahead a light’s growing. She doesn’t know what it is. She doesn’t want to. She’s praying to God that she won’t reach it. She’s cursing God for doing this to her—even though she knows she’s the only one worth cursing. The light’s growing all around her, shredding all the darkness. Thermal bloom blossoms toward the brightness of the sun.
But then static resolves into laughter that doesn’t even sound unkind. She feels a presence close at hand. Even though she still can’t see a thing.
“Show yourself,” she demands.
“That would be tough,” says a voice.
It’s not a voice she’s heard before. It sounds like it’s right next to her. Sounds like it’s amused. She’s anything but.
“Goddammit,” she says. “Tell me who you are.”
“What would be a better question,” says the voice.
“Shit,” she mutters. “You’re—”
“A creature of many names.”
“Name one.”
“We’ll start with Control.”
Moonscape keeps on falling away. Horizon curves past it. Lights keep on flaring out in space. The Operative stretches. He’s doing his best to look more relaxed than he feels.
“So are you man enough to nail him?” asks Riley.
“A loaded question,” says the Operative.
“You’re the best assassin we’ve got,” says Maschler.
“So what if I am?” says the Operative.
“So the boss can’t relax with you prowling around the Moon.”
“I’ve been loyal to—”
“Yourself,” says Riley. “So cut the shit.”
“Though it’s not like we can blame you for playing your own angles,” says Maschler. “Who would have thought a supercomputer would come in such a tasty little package? You could practically wrap a bow on her and—”
“Careful,” says the Operative.
“Easy, Carson.” Riley grins. “It’s just us guys now.”
“And we’ve got some time to kill,” says Maschler.
“Interesting choice of words,” says the Operative.
I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Claire.”
Haskell can well believe it. She’s heard about Controclass="underline" the machine that’s Stephanie Montrose’s prime razor—and that had more than a little to do with the machinations that brought down Andrew Harrison. Because Control’s specialty is intrigue.
And interrogation.
“I wish I could say the same,” she says.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Control’s voice is smooth. “You’ve got every reason to hold your head high.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ve followed your career for a long time. Who would have thought you would execute it with such aplomb?”
“I’m not into rhetorical questions.”
“You’ll miss them when I get to the real ones.”
She nods. She’s thinking fast. Control has her in a zone-lock. If there are any ways out of here, he’s got a hold on them. But she’s not ready to have him turn her inside out. She’s not going to go down without a fight—
“I expect you to,” says Control.
“To what?”
“Fight.”
“You can read my mind?”
“I’m inside it already, aren’t I?”
“But not all of it.”
“That’s why we’re having this conversation.”
“So what if I don’t resist?”
“Then I’ll have you all the quicker. This isn’t about resistance, Claire. This is about the puzzle that’s your mind. Which my lady Montrose has charged me with unlocking.”