He started along another line of tanks, still going more by touch than by sight. He was continuing this blind man's progress when the light hit him. It was like a physical pain. Now he really was blind. Over his shrieking nerves, the voice of reason told him it was a sungun, probably similar to the one on the helicopter. It hardly seemed to matter. Everything else told him that he had been caught. The booming, amplified voice removed any doubts.
"Stand right where you are, Vickers. We've been waiting for you."
NINE
VICKERS WAS BLINDED. Sick to his stomach, he knew that he'd walked right into a trap. A feral instinct told him to run and keep on running. Reason, though, kept its grip. Run and they'll shoot you in the back for sure. Avoiding looking straight into the sungun, he slowly raised his arms.
"Been waiting for me?"
"For days. We have orders to shoot you on sight."
Although the voice was distorted by the booming amplification, Vickers was pretty sure that he recognized it. Carmen Rainer. She'd have been more than happy to shoot him on sight but presumably she just couldn't resist cat-and-mousing him before she put him out. He knew that he had only one card to play. It was a simple statement.
"I've been outside." Just to make sure there was no doubt: "I've been on the surface."
He held his arms straight out at his side. When your life's on the line, it's no disgrace to look like a crucifixion. There was no answer for almost a minute, then more lights came on and the sungun went out. Vickers tried to blink away the lingering afterimage. The sungun had been mounted on the turret of a light tank. Carmen Rainer was sitting in the turret, leaning on the fire control of the multicannon. She was smoking a cigar. Grouped around the base of the tank were four soldiers, Yabu and Parkwood.
"Lloyd-Ransom told us to ignore your bullshit and just blow you away."
"Perhaps he didn't want you to hear what I had to say." Carmen Rainer flicked away her cigar butt.
"Orders are orders, Vickers."
Vickers knew why the hair-trigger Rainer had been put in charge. She glanced down at Yubu.
"Shoot him."
Yabu had a frag gun pointed at Vickers' stomach. For long seconds he did nothing then, finally, he shook his head.
"No, I want to hear what he has to say."
Parkwood nodded in agreement.
"I definitely want to hear what he has to say."
The soldiers looked confused but also made no move against Vickers. Carmen Rainer began to climb out of the tank turret. As always, she was sleek in black leather. Angrily, she jumped down to the ground.
"We've got our orders."
Yabu shifted position so his frag gun was pointed at Rainer.
"I want to know what he's seen on the outside."
"How do you know he's been outside? He's probably lying."
"Everyone's heard what was supposed to have happened when they tortured Fenton."
"That's only a rumor."
Vickers wanted to know about this.
"What do you mean 'when they tortured Fenton'?"
It was Parkwood who answered.
"When you came up missing Lloyd-Ransom became exceedingly agitated. He ordered a runback through the surveillance tapes and the story goes that you and Fenton were spotted doing something weird on the first level. Fenton was arrested. Carmen here was one of the ones who picked him up. The story goes that he finally confessed that you'd found a way out. He must have been a good friend; he stood up to the worst they could do for close to five hours."
"Did he survive?"
"No."
"Did Cattermole's name come up?"
"Cattermole was executed."
"Damn."
"You caused quite a ripple."
Yabu had had enough of the conversation.
"I want to know what is outside."
Even Carmen Rainer's attention was focused on Vickers. He took a deep breath. This was the difficult part. He remembered how stubbornly he'd resisted the truth. He knew their reaction might be violent but he pressed ahead.
"There never was a third world war."
Rainer closed her eyes and shook her head.
"No, no, he's lying for sure now. Shoot him like we were told to."
Oddly, she made no move to shoot him herself. Even Parkwood looked as though he didn't believe a word that Vickers was saying.
"What are you talking about?"
"I swear to God. Almost immediately after I got outside I was picked up by an army patrol. There's a whole base out there. They've been watching the place since the bunker was sealed."
Yabu's frown was like something out of an ancient Japanese print.
"There was no nuclear war?"
"It came close, but at the last moment the Russians were able to put the brakes on and ask for help. As far as anyone could figure it, Lloyd-Ranson jumped the gun and sealed the bunker early."
"Are you saying that he's been keeping up some kind of charade for eighteen months?"
"He'd made himself king of the hill. He'd decided that he was the saviour of mankind. He couldn't face the fact that mankind had managed to get by without him."
Parkwood's expression was both bleak and grave.
"That would be extremely psychotic behavior."
Vickers lowered his arms.
"Well?"
Carmen Rainer jerked.
"I don't have to listen to this garbage."
There was a chrome automag in her hand. She swung it straight-armed at Vickers. At the same time, Parkwood's weapon went off. He was also armed with a frag gun. Close up, it made a hideous mess. Blood, tissue and fragments of black leather were spattered all over the side of the nearest tank. There was little left of Carmen Rainer from the chest up. Vickers twisted his body and swung the Yasha round into his hand. At the same time, everyone else dropped into a crouch, weapons thrust forward and eyes darting to determine who was on whose side and who was going to shoot at who. By a complete miracle, nobody opened fire and continued the slaughter to a disastrous conclusion. Vickers slightly lowered his machine pistol and straightened up. Parkwood let the still smoking frag gun hang by his side.
"I didn't think she was acting quite rationally either."
There was a general easing of the immediate tension. The soldiers, for the time being, seemed ready to go along with the two corpses. Yabu was also going with the flow but he was far from happy.
"Have you any proof of what you say?"
"I've got the LA Tribune from three days ago."
"Show me."
Vickers unfastened the top of his blue overall. He pulled out a folded newspaper. It was the same LA Tribune that the major had sent for when he'd demanded proof. He handed it to Yabu, who read part of the front page, rapidly flipped through the rest of the paper and then handed it to Parkwood. Parkwood's examination was slower and more thorough. Finally he carefully refolded it and handed it back to Vickers.
"I think we should go and ask Lloyd-Ransom some questions. You'll go with us."
Vickers gave him a searching look.
"Am I a prisoner?"
"I don't see why."
"Then you believe me?"
"I don't want to believe you. I'd hate to think that I wasted eighteen months in this place but I want to know the truth."
Lamas and some of the worst scum of the butcher squads were waiting when they came out into the bottoms from the elevators. It was the same setup that had been used on Herbie Mossman. The three corpses were a little more prepared. They came out fast and Parkwood had Lamas covered with his frag gun before he could give any order to fire. He advanced briskly up the slope of black marble.