The Hellfire Rebellion (TimeWars 10)

“Unless what?”

“No. No. that’s crazy, she wouldn’t.”

“Can two participate in this conversation or is it a soliloquy?” said Darkness.

“Never mind,” said Lucas. “It’s not important. Just get them back here right away. Please?”

“Certainly. Don’t go away.” He disappeared.

Linda came back into the room. “Coffee’ll be ready in a min… where did he go? What’s the matter?”

Lucas was sitting hunched over, with his head in his hands. “Just once.” he said. “Just once, I’d like to catch him when he’s solid…

Steiger groaned as he tried to stand. Murphy helped him tip out of the chair and pulled his arm around his shoulder. Steiger sagged.”Come on, Steiger, you can make it.” Murphy said.

“Son of a bitch really gave me a working over.” Steiger said, through swollen and cut lips.

“I know.” said Murphy. “I’m really sorry about this, Steiger. I never signed on for anything like this, believe me. It all seemed so harmless in the beginning. Moving goods from one time period to another, supplementing the section allocation with a little temporal smuggling on the side, just a simple business enterprise where no one would get hurt. It’s practically impossible to operate a field section on our budget and they keep cutting our appropriations. I told myself the money was being raised for a good cause. And then, since we were doing so well, it seemed perfectly reasonable to divert a small portion of the profits, set a little aside for our retirement… ah, hell, the whole thing just snowballed. I never dreamed it would come to anything like this.”

“Nobody ever does, Murphy.” Steiger said, leaning against him for support “Shit. My goddamn legs are cramped from being tied down to that chair.” He shuffled one step forward. then another.

“Give me the coordinates for your base of operations.” Murphy said. “I’ll clock us out.”

Steiger turned and stared at him for a long moment.

“You don’t trust me.” Murphy said. “You think I may still be working with the others.” He nodded “Hell. I don’t blame you. But look, I gotta take you somewhere.”

“You’re not taking him anywhere.” said a voice from the door. They looked up to see a man in colonial dress standing in the doorway, a plasma pistol in his hand.

“Cash!” said Murphy

“Going somewhere. Murphy?”

“Put down the gun, Cash,” Murphy said. “Don’t be a fool.”

“Going into business for yourself, eh?” Cash said. “I thought we all had an agreement.”

“It isn’t what you think, Cash,” Murphy said.

“I was taking him out of here.”

“Were you’?”

“He needs medical attention. Stevens went crazy, he beat him half to death. Damn it, Cash, this has gone too far. I don’t give a damn about the Network anymore. I went along with the enterprise, but I’m not going to be a party to murder. You can keep my share of the profits, I don’t care, but let us go. I’ve had enough.”

“You always were a bit too soft. Murphy.” said Cash. “Too much of a guilty conscience. But like you said, you went along with it. You’re in as deeply as the rest of us.”

“I don’t care!” said Murphy. “When we scan taking con-tracts on our own people, it’s gone beyond the realm of sanity. It’s out of control, Cash. It’s got to stop! Think about what you’re doing. for God’s sake! We all took an oath-

“Oh. please. Spare me.” Cash glanced at Stevens, briefly, is he dead?”

/> “No,” said Murphy.

Cash shifted his aim quickly and fired. The low intensity plasma charge struck Stevens in the chest, incinerating most of his upper body. “He is now.” said Cash.

“ You crazy son of a bitch!” said Murphy.

“Morton and Dicenzo never made it back,” said Cash. “The commandos must’ve got ‘CM. I figured it was time to cut our losses and settle for what we’ve got. But now that it’s you and me and the five-million-dollar bounty on our friend. frankly. Murphy. I don’t feel like sharing.”