The Khyber Connection (TimeWars 6)

“I’m buying,” he said. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m in a mood to get blind drunk.”

“Sounds good to me,” Delaney said. Andre nodded. Forrester cracked a bottle and poured for them. “To Lucas,” Finn said.

They raised their glasses.

“I’d like to join in that toast, if I may,” said a voice from behind them.

They turned to see a col

onel dressed in black base fatigues standing behind them. His sandy hair was cropped short and his gray eyes regarded them steadily with a somber expression.

Finn almost dropped his glass. “Martingale! But … you’re supposed to be dead!”

“No, just transferred.” He came to attention and saluted Forrester. “Colonel Steiger reporting for duty, sir.”

Forrester returned his salute absently and beckoned him to sit.

“Steiger?” Andre said.

“It’s my real name. Now that the TIA has gone army, we’ve dispensed with code names and agent Phoenix is now just plain Colonel Creed Steiger.”

“Phoenix!” Finn said. “So you’re the one Darkness was talking about.”

Steiger nodded. “By the way, he asked me to give you these.”

He held out two small plastic envelopes containing what looked like plastiskin grafts.

“Symbiotracers?” Andre said.

“He thought they might come in handy.” Steiger looked over his shoulder and they followed his gaze. There was a strange dark blur in the far corner of the First Division lounge, and as they watched, it resolved itself into the figure of Dr. Darkness. He held a glass of scotch whiskey in his hand. “About that toast,” said Steiger.

“To Lucas,” Finn repeated.

“To Lucas.”

They raised their glasses and drank. When they looked back, Darkness was gone.