TW10 The Hellfire Rebellion NEW (16 page)

Carruthers shook his head "No. only his voice is heard. With the dim candlelight and the weird acoustics in that place, there's no way of telling where it comes from We've searched that chapel after they all left, but we didn't find anything unusual. Whoever he is, he's probably among the crowd, wearing a robe and mask, and he leaves with them."

"What about the women'?" Lucas said. "It's widely assumed that they're all prostitutes," said Carruthers. "but we've found out that a good number of them are young local girls from good families and even a few prominent Boston wives. Makes things rather interesting. In that dim light and with all those robes and masks, they could be doing it with their neighbors' wives or their own daughters and not even know it. Swinging Boston. eh? And it gives them all something in common.

Booze, politics, and sex. Half the Sons of Liberty are liable to defect just to join the party."

"Well, so much for
my
attending the meeting," Andre said.

"Yeah. I guess that leaves you out." said Lucas.

"But you and Finn are still going. I suppose." she said dryly.

"I'm afraid we'll have to," Lucas said. But you'll try to bear up under the strain." she said sarcastically.

"Very funny," Lucas said.

"I wonder if Johnny Small is busy tomorrow night," she said.

Lucas gave her a wry look, but said nothing.

"Exactly how many of your people are in Boston at the moment?" asked Delaney.

"An even dozen, myself included." said Carruthers. "Six are stationed in New York, three in Virginia, three in Rhode Island, three in Pennsylvania, and three in Carolina. I can mobilize the entire section at any time. Want me to bring them all here?"

Not yet." Delaney said. "For all we know, the opposition could have disruptions planned in the other colonies, as well. Leave your men where they are for the time being. Don't take this the wrong way. Carruthers, but how certain are you of your men?"

“I picked them all myself and every one of them has been cleared,"

Carruthers said. "Col. Steiger has personally taken charge of the section. He's assigned two of my men to keep Hunter under surveillance so he could have maximum mobility. He just left to brief the rest of my people. He said to tell you he'll be difficult to get in touch with, so my orders are to coordinate things at this end. I'm to report directly to you. I've already established my cover as a Tory sympathizer, so under the circumstances, our being seen together shouldn't raise any suspicions."

"Where can we get in touch with you'?" asked Lucas. "It'll be easier for me to get in touch with you," Carruthers said. "You can leave word with the bartender downstairs, a man named Horace Stedwell. He's not one of my men, he's a local, but I pay him under the table to can", messages for me. I've been infiltrating the smuggling trade here in Boston, trying to get a line on the Network. But if an emergency comes up and you need me in a hurry, you can get in touch with my men in that apartment Steiger rented to keep an eye on Hunter. Just don't go clocking over there. We've established security procedures so that nobody makes transition directly to the surveillance post, just in case the Network gets a line on the place and attempts to drop some people in on top of us. If anybody clocks in over there, my people are under orders to shoot first and ask questions later. Use the back stairs, instead. The password is 'counterstrike.' okay?"

"Counterstrike." said Lucas. "Got it. Who are your people on the inside in the Hellfire Club?"

"That's not going to help' you," said Carruthers. "Everyone'll be disguised, so you won't be able to spot them in any case and they won't be able to spot you.

However, just in case anything goes wrong and you have to shoot your way out of there or something, they'll use the same password to identify themselves. Just remember that if you're going to the meeting, you'll be badly outnumbered and on their home ground. They also keep guards posted outside. Their number varies and they move around. It's not a good place to start anything."

"We'll keep that in mind, thanks." Delaney said. "Just to keep the record straight, what orders do you have concerning Hunter?"

"We're to keep him under close surveillance: said Carruthers, if he makes contact with anybody and we can't absolutely verify who it is, we're to take him into immediate custody and await further instructions from Col. Steiger. He doesn't want to take any chances that Hunter might be contacting a C.I.S. team if there's one in the vicinity."

"All right: said Lucas "but you are not to clock out anywhere with Hunter unless you've had specific instructions from me, is that clear? Regardless of what Col. Steiger says."

Carruthers gave him an appraising look. You mind explaining that?"

"Col. Steiger is not in charge of this mission. I am," Lucas said. "I just don't want anybody doing anything unless I know about it. Any questions'?"

Carruthers shook his head. "No, sir, but suppose the situation should come up and Col. Steiger decides to take custody of the prisoner personally. I have no authority to prevent him, and with all due respect. I'm not going to put my ass in a wringer just because two senior officers might disagree on how to conduct a mission. I just want to make sure you understand that. I don't want to get caught in the middle of anything."

"Noted," said Lucas. "In that case, you are to report directly to me and inform me immediately of Col. Steiger's action."

"Yes, sir," Carruthers said. "Is there anything else?"

"Just make sure your people understand that I don't want anyone taking any direct action whatsoever unless they've been cleared by one of us to do so," Lucas said. "And if Col. Steiger issues any orders to the contrary, I am to be informed of it at once. Understood?"

"Understood," Carruthers said. "Colonel, you mind telling me what this is all about? Is something going on between you two that I should know about?"

"Like you said, Carruthers, you don't want to get caught in the middle,"

Lucas said. "If you've got a problem with any of my orders, I want to know about it now."

"No. sir, no problem." said Carruthers.

"Good. That's all, then."

Carruthers came to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir." he said, a touch stiffly. "I'll be in touch."

"He didn't seem very happy about that." Andre said when he had left.

"Well. I'm not either." Lucas replied. He sighed. "We've got enough to worry about without having Steiger running his own operation in the middle of all this.

We're all supposed to be on the same team, for God's sake."

"Steiger's never been much of a team player." Andre said. "Maybe we'd better have a talk with him."

"Won't do much good." Delaney said. "For one thing, we don't know where the hell he is right now and for another, if he feels strongly enough about it. he'll just go ahead and do it his way. You're not going to convince him that he's wrong."

"We could have Forrester order him off the mission," Andre said.

"No. that's not the way to handle it," said Lucas. "There's already too much friction between the I.S.D. and the regular personnel. I'm not going to exacerbate the situation just because of Hunter. We'll handle Creed ourselves."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Delaney said. "Why not just clock Hunter out of here right now? Let's take him to the confluence point we brought him through and send him home ourselves before he becomes a problem.

"We've been over that already." Andre said. "You know how he's going to respond to that suggestion."

"I don't think we can afford the luxury of giving him a choice. Andre." said Finn. "The situation's changed. There are simply too many ways it could go wrong.

Carruthers is Steiger's man. I'd rather risk annoying Steiger now then get into it with him when it's already hit the fan. Frankly, Hunter simply isn't worth it."

"I agree," said Lucas. "We don't really need him anymore and if we allow him to remain here, he's going to be a liability. We've given him more than a fair shake already. I say we send him back."

Andre nodded. "Okay. I guess he's got no right to expect any more than that."

"Right." said Lucas. "Let's get it over with."

"Right now?" said Andre.

"Right now Let's clock over there and do it before Carruthers decides he doesn't like his orders."

Moments later, they materialized inside Hunter's house on Long Lane. Moving silently, they made their way up to his bedroom and woke him up. He came awake instantly.

"What the . oh, it's you! Christ, you scared the hell outta me! What's up?"

“Get dressed," said Lucas. "Quickly." Hunter wasted no time in getting out of bed. Andre stepped out into the hall while he got dressed.

"What's going on" he asked, quickly tucking his shirt into his breeches and sitting on the bed to pull on his stockings and his shoes.

"You're going home," said Lucas.

Hunter glanced up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said. Go on, finish getting dressed. We're taking you back through the confluence."

Hunter remained sitting on the bed. He glanced from Lucas to Delaney. "What is this? I thought we had a deal.” .

"That's right." said Lucas, "and now we're living up to our end of it. Come on."

“Hold on a minute. pilgrim." hunter said. This wasn't our agreement. I thought we'd been through this already. You promised me a crack at Drakov. What's happened to make you change your mind?"

"Not that it's any of your business," said Delaney. "but something's come up and we have good reason to believe that some of our people might decide to put you through interrogation and see if you were on the level about that conditioning of yours. They figure it's worth taking a chance to get some information out of you and if you happen to fall into a coma in the process, then it's your hard luck."

“It's Steiger, isn't it?" said Hunter.

"Look, you want to get home in one piece or don't you?" Lucas said. "We're trying to be fair about this. We'll take you back ourselves and send you through.

from there you're on your own. It's the best we can do. Take it or leave it, but stop wasting our time. You're being watched."

Hunter grimaced tightly. "Damn it to hell," he said. "All right. I appreciate what you're doing. I'11—"

"Hold it right there," said a voice from behind them. "Don't anybody move. -

"
Shit
.” said Hunter, looking past them.

Finn and Lucas froze. "Slowly now, put your hands on top of your heads and clasp them,” the voice said. All three of them complied, being careful not to make any quick movements.

`"Now turn around, very slowly." They turned. There were two men standing behind them in the darkened bedroom. They were both holding laser pistols aimed straight at them.

`"It's a good thing we had a mike aimed at this place, in case our boy talks in his sleep," one of them said.

`"Are you guys crazy?” Lucas said. "Put those weapons down. That's an order. The password's counterstrike."

"Sorry. I'm afraid we don't take orders from you. Colonel." one of the men said.

"I think you'd better do as he says." Andre said, standing in the doorway behind them. "I’ve got a gun aimed right at your backs, gentlemen. Drop your weapons on the floor.
Now
.”

The two men hesitated, then dropped their pistols at their feet. "That's just fine," said Andre. "Now kick them over—“ She stopped suddenly as she felt the barrel of a laser pistol press against the back of her head. "Hold the gun out to your side, Lieutenant." Carruthers said, standing in the hall behind her, "Two fingers, please."

Andre tensed. "Don't do anything stupid." said Carruthers. "I don't want to kill you.”

Her shoulders slumped. She held the laser out from her side where Carruthers could reach around and take it from her.

“Carruthers, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Lucas said. “Put the gun down

"Sorry. Colonel." he said. '"I can't do that." He pushed Andre ahead of him into the room. "You should have left well enough alone. We were going to try to work with you on this, but you had to go and blow it, didn't you?"

"You're not I.S.D.." Delaney said, with sudden realization. 'You're with the Network."

"That's right," Carruthers said. "And I'm afraid that knowledge is going to cost you." He glanced at his men. "Don't just stand there, you idiots. Pick up your weapons."

As the men bent down to retrieve their pistols. Hunter lunged across the bed and reached under his pillow. Carruthers quickly shifted his aim and fired, but Hunter was already on the floor and rolling. As Carruthers aimed again, Lucas disappeared. He reappeared instantly, standing beside Carruthers, and knocked his arm up. The shot went wild. Hunter's silenced 9 mm. semiautomatic coughed twice.

The two Network men went down with slugs through their foreheads. Lucas drove his fist into Carruthers' solar plexus, threw him back against the wall, and punched him again. Carruthers slumped down to the floor, the wind knocked out of him.

Delaney reached for his gun.

"Don't do it!" Hunter said sharply.

Delaney froze.

"Come on. Hunter, take it easy."

"Hands back on your head.” said Hunter. leveling the automatic at him. "All of you, right now!"

"Reese. listen-“ Lucas said.

"Shut up! I've got to think, damn it!"

Carruthers sat on the floor, clutching his middle and gasping for breath.

Hunter moved back against the wall, his gun moving back and forth, keeping them all covered. He centered his aim on Andre. "Don't try anything. Priest, or I'll put one right through her, so help me."

"All right. Hunter, take it easy . . . “

"There could be more of them." he said. "Carruthers said he had only two men in that apartment . . ." Delaney's voice trailed oil as he realized what that meant. "Damn it! They've got Steiger!"

Ignoring Hunter. he bent down over Carruthers and dragged him to his feet.

"Where's Steiger, you son of a bitch?
Where is he?
What've you done with him?"

Carruthers couldn't talk. He was still struggling to get his breath back.