Jennifer Government Part 27

"Oh."

He looked cute: all disheveled and disoriented. On impulse, she stroked his hair. "So you want to see me again, or what?"

"Hmm..." he said. "You know, I think I do."

"You sure?"

"You want me to prove it?" He threw back the covers.

She looked at her watch. She looked at Buy.

"You know you want to," he said, and she couldn't argue with that.

The house was spotless when she returned, and the babysitter was curled up on the sofa. She really was good value, Jennifer thought. She would have to start tipping her more.

She tiptoed down the hall and peeked in Kate's bedroom. Kate was asleep, snuggled up to a giant frog. Jennifer crouched down and kissed her. "Morning, sweetheart."

Kate's eyes opened, then squeezed closed. "I'm tired..."

"It's time to get ready for school."

"I don't want to."

"And yet," she said.

Kate screwed up her face. "Mommy, I hate it when you say, 'And yet.' "

"Come on, sleepy. Today's the big day, remember? We hit the kennels tonight."

Kate's eyes opened. "Really?"

"Yep. I promised, didn't I?" She kissed her cheek.

At work, she spent half an hour trying to find someone to talk to in the L.A. office before she checked her e-mail and found a message. It read:

From: [email protected] To: John. London. Don't know where.

She hit the top of her desk, then kicked the table. That didn't help, so she grabbed the monitor and shook it.

"Whoa," Calvin said, entering. "Bad time?"

"He's gone to London!"

"Who? John?" He sat beside her and read the e-mail. "Ah, c.r.a.p."

"How are we going to get to London?"

"I don't know. I wonder..." He looked at his watch. "The bra.s.s called a briefing this morning. Something happened in the British Territories, some kind of corporate dispute. Maybe it's related."

"A dispute?"

"Let's walk and talk. Oh, and I called you in to attend this, okay? That's why you're here, not because you're too pigheaded to stay home."

"Mmm," Jennifer said. "Okay."

They entered the canteen, which was already full of agents, and took a couple of seats at the back. Elise was up front with more top management than Jennifer had ever seen in one place. Their uniforms gleamed.

"Maybe John was was involved," she said. "Maybe he got hurt." involved," she said. "Maybe he got hurt."

"I have to say, you're looking much perkier," Calvin said. "One day of rest, you're a new woman."

"I guess you were right about me needing time off," she said. "I guess you really nailed the source of all my problems."

He looked at her.

"Or," Jennifer said, "maybe I got lucky."

His eyebrows shot up. "Jen! Good work. work. Anyone I know?" Anyone I know?"

Elise said, "Let's get this moving, please. First, let me introduce our guests from Head Office..."

"A lady never tells," she said. "But it was Buy Mitsui."

"Well done done."

Elise said, "If we can have everyone's everyone's attention." attention."

People turned to look at them. "Sorry," Calvin said.

A man had taken the podium; he had slides. "Thank you. The thing we want to get across here is that this was a measured, blatant violation of law. They knew what they were doing, both T.A. and US Alliance. They decided they could get away with it. We're going to prove them wrong.

"Team Advantage has already admitted it sent a strike team into Sh.e.l.l. They say it was ordered by Nathaniel ExxonMobil, who is now deceased, without the company's knowledge or approval. The Government doesn't consider this explanation acceptable.

"US Alliance, for its part, denies any involvement in the subsequent death of Nathaniel ExxonMobil. The Government also considers this unsatisfactory.

"We are now going to exact compensation. We're going to demand unheard-of penalties. Our most senior people, including the President, are now en route to London to conduct a negotiation."

London! Jennifer raised her hand. The man pointed to her. "Yes?"

"The corporates won't roll over just because we tell them to. I hope you guys have a better plan than asking nicely."

Elise whispered in his ear; another woman touched his shoulder. He convened with them, then nodded. "Jennifer? You're right. If we can't hit these guys with anything more than harsh words, they'll continue to break the law when it suits them.

"Therefore, the Government is rea.s.signing twenty thousand agents, effective immediately. In two days, we will conduct simultaneous raids against every company involved. We'll arrest every executive we can. We will, if necessary, incarcerate every member of senior management, pending trial, until they concede to our demands."

Agents were murmuring. "Holy s.h.i.+t," Calvin said. "Is that even legal?"

Jennifer kept her hand up. "Who gets to do the raids? Excuse me? Who gets to go?"

Some of the agents around her snickered. "The raiding parties will be comprised of every field agent we can spare in London. And we'll be flying in agents who have particular expertise."

"I have particular expertise," she said. "Even before the Nike Town killings, I"

"Yes, Jennifer," he said. "We know. You're going to London. Tonight."

PART FOUR

47 NRA (NZ)

When Billy woke, there was a man with a chestful of ribbons sitting beside him.

"Ah, good," the man said. He was short, crisp, and compact, with gray temples and sharp eyes. "Billy, I'm General Li. Do you mind if we talk?"

"Uh, sure," Billy said. He tried to sit up and discovered his wrists were tied to the bed. "What the"

"Good! Then let's start with this. Can you tell me what it is?"

The evening sun was streaming through the window, and Billy had to squint. The General was holding his cigarette packet, his bug. Billy suddenly felt more alert. "That's...hey, that's what that Bill guy had. And, man, I think he was talking into it."

"Mmm," General Li said. He pondered. "Let me put this another way. Billy, I know you're a spy."

"Oh." He tugged at the restraints.

"The shame of it is, we killed a good soldier. I understand how it occurred, but it really is a pity. Ironic, how he survived a mission against the Government only to be killed by us. I have to explain that to his family somehow." General Li was wearing a beret; now he took it off and scratched his skull. "Such things happen in the friction of war."

"NowI never wanted to carry that thing," Billy said. "The Government made me. I can explain!"

"Ah," General Li said. "Please do."

Billy started talking. He told his whole sorry tale from Abilene, Texas, to New Zealand and active NRA missions he didn't know anything about to Government espionage. The General seemed vaguely sympathetic.

"Well," he said finally. "That is a story. That is a story indeed."

Billy waited.

"There's some debate about what to do with you. There are officers who believe you should spend the foreseeable future in a military prison. That's the field-book solution."

"No, you can't put me in prison!" He felt his throat constricting. "I just wanted to go skiing, that's all I wanted! Please!"

"Other officers, however, would prefer to have you shot."

"Ag," Billy said.

"But there's something that interests me, Billy. Before this debacle, you were being recruited by us. You had been selected because you demonstrated exemplary skills."

Billy blinked.

"Marksmans.h.i.+p," Li said helpfully.

"Right! Yeah, I can shoot real well. Better than anybody." He felt his wrists growing slippery with sweat where the restraints held them.

"If that's true, I may have a special need for you."

"Sure, let me show you"

"I a.s.sume you know what kind of job I have in mind."

"Sure, sure." He thought. "Like, sniper stuff?"

"Would you have a problem with that?"

He contemplated this. Yes, Billy would have a problem with that, but his most pressing problem was getting shot for treason by NRA soldiers. "No way! Give me a gun and I'll blow away whoever you"

"Yes, all right," General Li said. "In good time. If things work out, we'll have a.s.signments for you. Away from the Australian Territories and the local Government."

"And ifif things don't work out..."

"I was leaning toward the prison option," General Li said. "Probably." He stood. "Rest up. Tomorrow morning we'll see what you can do."

"Thanks, man. Thanks." Just before the General left, Billy said: "This place where I'd gothe place where I'll do a.s.signments...are there mountains? Snow?"