The Cleopatra Crisis (TimeWars 11)

“I’ve already anticipated you,” said Travers. “I keep only afew slaves and they’ve all got strict instructions not to enter my privaterooms unless they’re told to.” He grimaced. “I would have liked to dispensewith slaves altogether, but I have to keep at least a few to maintainappearances. I’ve got a personal transition point with coordinates in mybedroom in case of emergency, and you can set up your transition points eitherin there or in the library. Those would probably be the best places.”

“Good. We’ll get those programmed in right away? said Lucas.“What about outside the house?”

You want to set up transition points outside the house?”asked Travers. puzzled. “Suppose we’ve got hostiles inside the house?” saidLucas. “We’ve got to consider worst case scenarios, such as if we blow ourcover to the S.O.G.”

Travers nodded. “Good point. What about the gardens down bythe riverbank? Or the roof?” use both,” said Lucas. “The other thing we’ll needis an arms cache. If we have to take on soldiers of the S.O.G., we’ll needlasers and disruptors. Where can we keep them safely?”

“I’ve got that taken care of, too,” said Travers. “I’ve gotsome concealed storage places underneath the floor in the library.”

“Excellent.” said Lucas. He glanced at the others. “Have Iforgotten anything’!”

“What about a safe house?” asked Delaney..

Lucas snapped his fingers. “Right. We’ll requite a house orapartment somewhere in the city where we can hole up in case this place iscompromised?

“I’ll see to it,” said Travers.

“Anything else?” asked Lucas.

Delaney shook his head. “I think we’ve got it covered.”

“I hope so.” Lucas said. he made a tight-lipped grimace. “Ihave a feeling this is going to be a tough one. God knows, we’ve had a lot moredangerous missions before, but I don’t think we’ve ever had one with so many variables.How the hell are we going to take out a dozen people who are constantly in thepublic eye without having anybody notice?”

“The answer to that one’s simple,” said Delaney. “We can’t.Unless we can figure out some way to separate Caesar from his bodyguards onMarch fifteenth, it’s going to get messy.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky,” Andre said.

They simply stared at her.

“On the other hand,” she said wryly. “maybe not.”

Marshall jumped about a foot when Simmons suddenly materializedin his bedroom. He’d been sitting on his bed. with his door bolted, nervouslysmoking a cigarette, when the Network cell chief suddenly appeared before him.

“Christ. Simmons, you gave me a start!” said Marshall. exhalingheavily. “You should be more careful. What if I’d had a girl in here?”

“That would’ve been too bad for her.” said Simmons flatly,he was dressed in black commando fatigues and there was a laser pistol in atanker-style holster at his shoulder. “I’d suggest you curtail your sexualdiversions for the time being. You’ve got more important things to worry about.Did you know you’re being watched?”

“I’m being watched?” said Marshall. stunned.

“That’s right.” said Simmons. “I thought you said they didn’tsuspect you.”

“But.. I don’t see how they could!” Protested Marshall. “Ihaven’t done anything to alert them

or give myself away! I swear!”

“You must have done something,” Simmons said. He looked atMarshall’s cigarette with distaste. “Those filthy things are going to kill you.”

“If I don’t die of a damn heart attack first, from youpopping in here like that,” Marshall said. “I need these. They’re my only remainingconnection with the world I came from. An Underground connection picks them upfor me. They help steady my nerves.”

“Well, you’d better lay in a good supply, then,” Simmonssaid. “You’ll need your nerves steady. I see Steiger’s left the house.”

“You’ve got-him under surveillance?”

“Of course. You think we’re playing games here? Snap out ofit. Marshall. for Christ’s sake. Start thinking straight. What happened? Whydid he leave?”

Marshall glanced down at the floor and took a nervous dragoff his unfiltered cigarette. “He wanted me to provide him with a separate safehouse.”

Simmons regarded him steadily. “That’s not all of it. Whataren’t you telling me?”