Battlefield Earth Part 46

She went away.

He felt cool, dispa.s.sionate, masterful. He knew exactly what he would do, knew it step by step. He would have to remove all possible threats to his life. He would have to cover all traces.

First he would commit the perfect crime. He had worked it all out.

Then he would release the drone and exterminate the animals.

His talons were still shaking a bit. He knew it would make him feel much better if he went out and killed the two females. He had that planned for Day 94. He would make a couple of explosive collars for the horses and then he would lead the horses up to the cage and show the females the red blob on the horses' collars was the same as on theirs, and then he would hit a switch and explode a horse's head off. The females would go into terror. Then he'd do it to the other horse. Then he'd pretend to let them loose but step back and blow the smaller female's head off. The amount of terror he could generate would be delicious. He felt he needed such a boost now. Then he remembered the animal's "psychic powers." That animal up in the hills would know about it and might do something to avoid getting killed.

No, attractive and needful to his nerves as it might be, he must not indulge himself. He must be cool, masterful and clever.

He had better set the perfect crime in motion right this instant.

He got up with deliberate, calm determination and went about it.

Chapter 9.

The perfect crime began by appointing Ker the deputy head of the planet. It was all done within the hour and distributed and posted. The company rules allowed for a deputy, there was none and it was only logical that one be appointed.

To do this, Terl used the already signed order pages he had gotten from Numph.

In the evening, Terl took Numph aside, swearing him to strict secrecy and hinting his swindle with pay and bonus funds might be at risk, and got him to make an appointment with a new employee named Snit.

He did not inform Numph that "Snit" was the cover name of Jayed of the imperial Bureau of investigation.

Terl impressed on Numph that no one must know of the appointment. It must take place at the hour just before midnight in the administration compound. He also didn't mention that the offices would be deserted at that time.

Telling Numph it was all for his own protection, Terl arranged to be standing behind a curtain in Numph's office when Jayed arrived.

With very expert care, Terl had oiled and charged an a.s.sa.s.sin gun, a silent weapon. He had also prepared two remote explosion blasting caps.

Just before the appointment time, Terl told Numph to be sure his handgun was loaded and ready in his lap. This frightened Numph a little, but Terl said, "I'll be right behind this curtain protecting you."

Numph was at the desk, gun in lap; Terl was behind the curtain. The hour of the appointment arrived. So far Terl had been calm and masterful, but as he waited his nerves were playing him tricks and making his eyebones twitch. What if Jayed didn't come?

A dreadful minute went by. Then another. Jayed was late.

Then, what a relief to Terl, the slither of footsteps in the outside hall. Of course! Jayed must have been putting a probe to the area to see whether it was free of surveillance devices. What a fool, thought Terl illogically. Terl had already done that and very thoroughly too. There were no surveillance devices here.

The door slid quietly open and Jayed came in. His head was down. He had not even bothered to change out of his tattered ore-sorter clothes.

"You sent for me, Your Planets.h.i.+p," muttered Jayed.

As he had been coached, Numph said, "Are you certain that no one knows you are here?"

"Yes, Your Planets.h.i.+p," mumbled Jayed. What an act, thought Terl contemptuously.

He stepped out from behind the curtain and walked forward. "h.e.l.lo, Jayed," said Terl.

The fellow was jolted. He looked up.

"Terl? Is it Terl?" I.B.I. agents were trained. They never forgot a face. Terl knew the fellow had not seen him for years and years and then only as a security student at the mine school when Jayed had been investigating a crime there. One interview. But it didn't fool Terl. He knew Jayed must have studied and studied the photographs and records of every executive here, and especially the security chief's. Terl smiled disdainfully.

Then Jayed saw the a.s.sa.s.sin pistol at Terl's side. He stepped back. He raised his mangy paws. "Wait. Terl! You don't understand-!"

What was he trying to do? Open his s.h.i.+rt? Reach for a secret weapon?

It made no difference. Terl stepped into position and raised the gun, putting it on a direct line from Numph to Jayed.

Terl fired one, accurate, deadly shot into Jayed's heart.

Jayed was trying to say something. Some protest. He was dead, crumpled and mangy on the green-stained carpet.

Terl thrilled a bit with the murder. Jayed had been afraid! But this was no time for self-indulgence.

A calm masterful Terl turned to Numph.

Numph was sitting there in terror. Terl thought it was delicious. But he had a job to do.

"Don't worry, Numph," said Terl. "That fellow was an agent of the I.B.I. come to smoke you out. He hasn't. You're safe. I have saved your life."

Numph tremblingly laid his own gun down on the desk top. He was panting but much relieved.

Terl walked up on the side of Numph that held the gun. He raised the a.s.sa.s.sin gun quickly.

Numph's eyes shot wide, his mouth opened in incredulity.

Terl pushed the muzzle of the silent weapon against Numph's head and pulled the firing catch.

The jolt knocked Numph sideways. Green blood began to pour from a wound that went all the way through his head.

A calm, completely in charge, cool Terl steadied the body and then tipped it forward so that it fell across the desk. He arranged the still twitching arm so that it might have fired the shot. The twitches stopped. Numph was dead.

Working with precision and care, he put a remote-controlled blast cap in the barrel frump's gun.

Terl produced a new weapon from his boot. He went over to Jayed's body and put the stiffening paw around the b.u.t.t on it.

Into the muzzle of Jayed's gun, he put the second remote-control cap.

He looked around. It was all in order.

Walking casually but very silently, he went out to the nearly empty recreation hall, entering as though just coming in from outside, even taking his breathe-mask off. He ordered a saucepan of kerbango from the attendant. It was Terl's usual routine. He was a little surprised to notice he needed it.

After a few minutes, when the yawning attendant was hinting he wanted to close up and was letting down a blind in preparation for the morrow, Terl casually put his hand in his pocket.

He pressed the first remote. Far off there was a muzzled explosion. The attendant looked up, listening, looking toward the other end of the compound.

Terl pressed the second remote. There was another explosion.

"That sounded like gunfire," said the attendant.

A door slammed somewhere. Somebody else had heard it.

"It did, didn't it," said Terl.

He stood up. "Sounded like it was in the compound! Let's see if we can find it."

With the attendant in his wake, Terl started running through the berthing areas, opening doors. "Did a shot go off in here?" he was barking at startled, just-awakened Psychlos. Some of them had heard the shots, too.

"Where did it sound like it came from?" Terl was demanding of people out in the halls.

Some pointed toward the administration building. Terl thanked them and efficiently went plowing in that direction, followed by a crowd of Psychlos.

He industriously searched through the offices, turning on lights. The crowd was also searching.

Somebody yelled from Numph's corridor, "They're in here. They're in here!"

Terl let a lot of fellows get there first.

Then he went plowing through them. "Who is it? Where?"

They babbled at him, pointing in through the open door. The two bodies were in view.

Char was regarding them sourly from just inside the door. He made as if to walk forward. Terl swept him back.

"Don't touch anything!" commanded Terl. "As security chief, I am in charge here. Back!"

He bent over the bodies one after the other. "Anybody recognize this one?" he said, pointing to Jayed's body.

After a moment and craning necks, "I think his name's Snit," from a personnel officer. "I really don't know."

"They're both dead," said Terl. "Call for some stretchers. I'll record this." There was a picto-recorder on Numph's desk, as always. Terl whirred it at the room and each body. "I'll want statements from all of you."

Somebody had called the medical staff. They had heard the shots and were prompt. They loaded the bodies on the stretchers.

"Take them directly to the morgue unless you want to examine them first," said Terl.

"They're both dead," said the medical chief. "Blast gun wounds."

"Move along," said Terl efficiently to the crowd. "It's all over."

Tomorrow morning he would write his report, all backed by witnessed statements: An agent of the I.B.I., recognized by the keen eye of Terl, had not seen fit to announce himself to the planet's security chief but, proceeding alone, had apparently visited Numph late in the evening and possibly had attempted a foolhardy, single-handed arrest. Numph had shot him with a hidden gun and then committed suicide. Terl had now followed through, seeing whether Numph were guilty of some crime, had continued an investigation begun long since, and had found a pay swindle, papers, and evidence to hand. Meanwhile, Terl respectfully submitted all was under control; a competent, experienced deputy Numph had earlier appointed was now on the job; etc. Bodies en route at next semiannual firing, Day 92.

Tomorrow afternoon, as soon as he had verified the animals were still there, he would launch the drone and obliterate "the foolish experiment Numph had been engaged upon." All evidence would be covered, all tracks obliterated. Whatever Jayed had been after, it made no difference now.

Terl felt very calm, very cool, very masterful. He had brought off the perfect crime.

It was odd that he couldn't sleep and kept twitching.

- Part XI -

Chapter 1.

It was the consensus of opinion at the mountain site that they all should be very visible and look busy for the flyover of the drone today.

Jonnie was very concerned. It was absolutely vital that Terl continue with his gold scheme. All their own plans depended on it utterly.

They had weighed various alternates to their own strategy but none of them was good. They could fly into the old defense base now- Angus had gotten the heliport door to work- but they only used it for supplies. It was a long way from ready. The parson's idea that they should bury the dead there was shelved due to the magnitude of the task and their own few numbers. The parson had decided the place was really a tomb anyway. Later, perhaps, when they had freed the planet- if they succeeded in that- they could bury the dead. Now their energies must be devoted to the living and a possible future. So they really couldn't withdraw into the old primary defense base. It wasn't ready and they were not defeated. Not yet anyway.

Keeping Terl going on with his plan was their single hope. But Jonnie was very concerned. In that last interview he realized Terl was no longer sane, if he ever had been.

Gold was the bait in the trap for Terl. So Jonnie added to their plans.

They worked in a rush from the last pa.s.sing of the drone yesterday to prepare for its pa.s.sing today.

The lode core he had blasted out had hit the opposite side of the canyon and rebounded back in shattered pieces to lie upon the top of the new rockfall at the canyon bottom.

Jonnie fas.h.i.+oned a remote-control box for a blade sc.r.a.per machine they could afford to lose.

Robert the Fox fas.h.i.+oned a lifelike dummy to strap into the seat. The dummy's hands in mittens were rigged to move back and forth when the machine ran. Knowing the macabre was Terl's favorite dish, he also wadded up sc.r.a.ps of discarded clothing and patterned it with steer blood.

They rigged an ore net to the end of a crane cable and filled it with white quartz from the upper tunnel. Taking what wire gold they had, they encrusted the top of the lode with the specimens.

In the black, brief period of no wind at dawn, they cabled the blade sc.r.a.per down to the top of the rockfall.

An operator hidden in a cleft at the top of the cliff on the opposite side of the canyon, from which perch the blade sc.r.a.per could be seen, made the sc.r.a.per make a flat place (at risk of its toppling into the river) and dig into the pile.

The ore net, with its carefully prepared load, was craned down to the side of the blade sc.r.a.per.

It was ready long before the drone came, so Jonnie gathered them at the top of the shaft.

"Wire gold goes in pockets," he told them. "It says so in the old man-manuals on mining. There is a possibility that there is another pocket in this vein. It could be two hundred, five hundred feet up the vein from the cliff. It could have little gold, it could have much.