"Anything new come in on Kraj and his boys while the doc was slogging through my gray matter?"
"They've been located, but that's all. Now that the first stage of invasion is over the Cliaand forces seem to be settling down for the occupation. They've taken over this immense office building, the Octagon it's called probably because it has eight sides, and have cleared everyone out. They seem to have moved most of their administrative operations there—and one of Kraj's gray men was seen coming out of the building. This must be where they are holed up."
"I wonder why they left the last building?"
"Afraid of you and your relentless revenge, no doubt."
I snorted. Hard to do in a face mask. "You're only saying that, but by Belial there is more than an element of truth in it. The Cliaand operation in general has to be knocked out, but those gray men need special attention. But first we have to grab one of them. I'll have to get inside the building."
"You'll do nothing of the sort." She pinched the skin over my ribs and I tried to slap her hand away but you can't do this under water. I settled for a pinch myself, and she was surely far more pinchable than I, and we played around like this for awhile until I remembered why she had distracted me and returned ruthlessly to the interrupted conversation.
"Why can't I try to get into the building? I'll be disguised, I speak Cliaandian, I know the ropes…"
"And they know yours. They'll have cameras on every entrance feeding data to the computers. Which will know your height, your build, your weight, manner of walk, retinal pattern, the works. You can't disguise everything and you know it. They'll have you in the bag the instant you walk into the place."
"You're just saying that because it is true," I muttered. "So I suppose you have a better plan?"
"I do. I speak Cliaandian and they have no records on me at all. And I'm an experienced field operator, the only one on this planet besides you."
"No!"
"Why the instant no?" She scowled at me and the next pinch hurt. "You're my husband, not my owner—remember? I'm as good at this business as you are, maybe better, and there is a job that needs doing. Let's have none of your male superiority and possessiveness."
She was right of course, but I couldn't let her know it.
"I was only worried about your safety."
She melted at this, even the smartest woman is a sucker for the loving attention, and rubbed against me. I felt like the heel I was.
"You do love me, Jim, in your own horrible way. But I'll be all right, you'll see. There are some women among the Cliaandian supporting echelons—I don't see how they can wear those ugly uniforms—and the girls and I will grab onto one. With her uniform and identification I'll get into the building, find Kraj—"
"You won't do anything foolish?"
"Of course not. This is too important to bungle by trying it alone. I told you I wanted to give him my personal attention at my leisure. This will be a scouting trip only. I'll locate the gray men, map the layout and take a look at the detection devices—and leave at once."
"Great." I was getting enthusiastic now and trying to put my fears for her safety aside. "That is all we will need to mount a quick kidnapping. Hit them fast and hard, walk right in and grab Kraj and right out again. Foolproof."
The sonar communicator buzzed and I flicked it on.
"The search party has gone. You may return."
We swam back slowly, hand in hand, enjoying the moment. Doctor Mutfak was waiting when we climbed out of the water.
"Good, we pick up where we left off. "There was no warmth at all in his smile. "The teddy bears, we must probe the symbolism here so we can move on to more recent things."
He tapped his foot impatiently while Angelina and I clutched in a nice wet embrace and kissed with abandon. Wearing the masks had been quite frustrating. Then back to the room. I let the doctor put me under at once since I didn't want Angelina to catch my jumpiness before she left. The mission would be difficult enough without my giving her things to worry about. She waved and went to dress and I waved back and Mutfak stuck a needle in my arm. No romance in his soul.
We must have moved along nicely because when I awoke next the teddy bears had long since vanished and the last dream I remembered had something to do with exploding spaceships and solar flares. Dr. Mutfak was packing up his instruments and the last glimmer of daylight was fading in the night sky outside.
"Very good," he said. "Coming along nicely."
"Have you uncovered any traces of Kraj's tampering yet?"
"Traces!" His nostrils flared and he puffed out his cheek. "They are like heavy boot marks all through your cortex! Butchers, those people, simply butchers! Lucky in a way because their traces are so easy to find. Memory blocks all over, areas of amnesia with connections to patterns of false memory. These memories are the only thing of any clinical value and I must find out what techniques they use. They were placed there very quickly, you told me that, yet they are incredibly complete, all senses involved, and detailed as well."
"I'll vouch for that."
"I think you will have found them impossible to tell from real memories, that is the strength of their technique. I have removed some major ones that seemed to be disturbing you and in later sessions I will take care of the others. Now—look at your wrists and tell me about the red lines you see there."
"They look just like red lines," I said. Then I remembered waking up in the cell and, for some reason believing that my hands had been cut off. I don't know why. They were just red lines.
"A false memory?" I asked.
"Yes, and an outstandingly repulsive one. I'll tell you about it at the next session. But right now you need rest."
"A fine idea, after I get something to eat…"
The door flew open and Taze ran in and, as she passed, I had a quick glimpse of the horrified expression on her face. Sudden fear hit me in the stomach and I sat, watching her, saying nothing while she turned on the TV. The Cliaandians had a propaganda station operating now, though no one bothered to watch it.
The screen lit up and I found myself looking at Kraj. He almost smiled as he spoke.
"It's a tape, it keeps repeating," Taze said.
".. . that we want him to know. Someone out there must know the man known as James diGriz. Contact him. Tell him to listen to this broadcast. This message is for you, diGriz. We want you back here. I have Angelina here. She is unharmed—as yet—and will remain that way until dawn. I suggest you contact me and see me.
"Welcome home, Jim."
Chapter 18
I had a number of moments of numb shock after this, during which period I wished to be alone. Taze was understanding enough to leave when I pointed at the exit, but the doctor tried to start a conversation which I terminated by clutching his neck and the seat of his trousers and heaving through the door which she obligingly held open. Then I kicked in the TV set, an act of wanton destruction that helped a bit, before I poured a stiff cogitating drink. With this in hand I droned into the chair, looked out unseeingly at the star spread sky, and worked out a plan. This was not going to be simple—and dawn was not that far away.