I woke up suddenly to the fact that I was spoiling my own game by being so hard to take. After all, clear back in El Paso, we'd planned for her to sell me out, and here I was doing my best to queer the sale. I turned and kicked the unconscious man lying nearby right in his dim white face.
The big one spoke for the first time. "Why," he growled, "you lousy bastard, kicking a man who's down!"
Then, enraged, he charged as I'd hoped he would, with that provocation. He forgot all the nice scientific blows he knew that would kill me or cripple me for life. He charged like a giant grizzly, and I hit him once feebly to make it look good and let him sweep me up in his arms. I don't believe there's a case on record where one man has actually managed to squash another full-grown healthy man with that bear hug. Even breaking an opponent's back from that position isn't easy do. At least so I'd been told, but as the arms closed about me I started wondering about the accuracy of my information.
I fought back, of course, as I'd be expected to do, frantically. I tried for the groin, but he knew that one, so I tried for the eyes, but I couldn't reach them. He had me pretty well tied up, and he was increasing the pressure, growling deep in his throat. I realized abruptly that if he'd ever received any orders about taking me alive- which I was counting on-he'd forgotten all about them.
I'd miscalculated his loyalty to his partner, and I was in serious trouble. The room was getting darker, and I said the hell with it and went limp as a last resort, beating real unconsciousness by only a little. This didn't bring any marked improvement in the situation. I wasn't breathing much any more, and the station was just about to go off the air when there was a small chopping sound somewhere and the pressures surrounding me eased perceptibly.
The sound came again, accompanied by a little breathless whimpering noise. The arms holding me let go abruptly, and I stumbled back, grabbing a chair to keep from falling. The room was still too dark and my focus wasn't good, but I saw the big man who had almost killed me go to his knees, shielding his head with his arms, while over him hovered a slender, breathless figure in tight light pants and a fuzzy sweater.
I managed the breath I needed and stumbled forward. She had him helpless on all fours now and was systematically hacking away at his head with the butt of the gun I had given her-as if intent on hammering him right through the floor. I came up behind her and caught her arm. She whirled.
"Easy," I said. "Easy, Gail."
"Oh!" She looked down at the gun she was holding wrong-end-to and threw it on the bed. She controlled her breathing with a great effort and spoke flatly. "I thought he'd killed you. Are you all right?"
"Well, I'm not dead," I said. "Thanks."
She swayed and put out a hand to steady herself. I caught her and held her. I would like to be able to report that my only emotions at that moment were love and gratitude-and remorse for having misjudged her- but the picture wasn't that clear in my mind. My ribs ached and my back hurt and oxygen deliveries to my lungs were far behind schedule. It was hard to concentrate on the woman in my arms, but I was aware that she was trembling.
"My dear man," she breathed, "my dear, dear man! Did you know you had the power to transform a female clothes-horse into a raging tigress? I've never in my life done anything like that before." Then she stiffened against me, looking past me. "Matt!" she breathed. "Mail, look!"
I released her and turned. The big man had slumped over on his side. A shaft of light from the open door struck him squarely as he lay there, and I saw his face clearly for the first time. Blood from his lacerated scalp had run across it, but I could see it was the face of Dan Bronkovic, the ex-cop Mr. Paul Peyton, security officer, had introduced as his assistant.
I drew a long breath, feeling a little dizzy. I walked over to the other man who was lying by the foot of the bed and bent down. His face was in worse shape than Bronkovic's, but it was undoubtedly the face of Peyton himself. I don't suppose it was nice to laugh. Maybe I was just a bit hysterical.
XIX
Gail came in from the bathroom, drying her hands with a face towel. She stopped just inside the room, startled.
"Matt! What are you doing?"
I finished giving the injection to Bronkovic, who was showing signs of reviving, and went over to squirt a dose into Peyton, who might have remained passive without it-he wasn't in very good condition-but there wasn't any sense in taking chances. I got up and cleaned off the hypo with the stuff provided in the little kit we're all issued, packed everything neatly back the way it was supposed to be and tucked the kit behind the lining of my suitcase. I turned to face Gail, who was standing there looking at me shocked and accusingly.
"Look, glamor girl," I said, "this isn't TV. In real life you don't go to all the trouble of knocking people out just to have them wake up and raise hell at the critical moment. Now I can be sure they'll both sleep till morning."
"But-" She licked her lips. "But they're hurt! They need a doctor! They should be in the hospital!"
That's the trouble with amateurs; they're inconsistent. A few minutes ago she'd been trying to beat the guy's brains out, and now she was worrying about his health.
"Look-" I said as the telephone rang.
Gail glanced at me quickly. I went over to pick up the instrument as it jangled again.
"Yes?" I said.
"This is the manager," a deep female voice said. "Is everything all right in there?"
"Certainly," I said. "Why shouldn't everything be all right?"
"We've had a complaint, sir, from one of the neighboring rooms about a disturbance-"
I hesitated, wondering whether to pretend that we'd been having a drunken argument, or just looking for a lost collar button. But there's no percentage in putting on an act when you don't have to. It was time to call in the brass and let them fight it out, anyway.
I asked curtly, "What's your name?"
"What… Why, I'm Mrs. Meadows. I own this place; that is, my husband and I own it."
"Where's your husband?"
Her voice said bitterly, "Where is he always? If you find out, let me know. Or don't bother. I'm not that interested any longer."
"I see," I said. "Well, Mrs. Meadows, as a matter of fact everything is not all right, and I'd like you to get me Washington, D.C. The number is…"I gave her the number, or one of them. She hesitated. "I… There's not going to be any trouble, is there? I mean-"
"I'm trying to avoid trouble and publicity, Mrs. Meadows.',
"But how do I know… I mean, who are you?" In my next incarnation, I decided, I'd pick a world that wasn't populated by smart and suspicious women. I said, "You can listen in through your switchboard, can't you?"
"I assure you, sir," she said stiffly, "I never listen to private calls."
"Well, listen to this one," I said. "It's all right, as long as you don't gossip about what you hear. After I've finished talking to my chief in Washington, you can ask him any questions you like. Now put my call through please."
I identified myself to the girl in the Washington office in a way that let her know there was not only a witness in the room from which I was speaking, there was also an ear on the wire. She'd pass the word to Mac. A minute later I heard his voice.
"Yes?"
"This is Matt, sir," I said. The fact that I didn't use my code name was a further warning.
"Yes, Matt?" he said. The repetition of the name meant he was reading my signals loud and clear.
"Calling from Carrizozo, New Mexico," I said. "Room 14, Turquoise Motel, Mrs. Meadows, manager. Mrs. Meadows is listening and would like identification and reassurance when we've finished talking."