Wildcard (29 page)

“I’m sorry. Really.” He put his arm around
her, pulled her close. “Oh, Jesus. It sucks being a pawn.”

“We aren’t pawns. We’re a King and
Queen.”

“Wouldn’t that make us the most
powerful?”

“We’re still pieces, not players.”

She put her arms around him, and he kissed
her on the side of the head.

“Whose King am I, then?”

“Are you a fucking moron?”

“I doubt it. Why would you call me a moron?”
Trident asked.

“Somebody else. Directions?”

“Go left in two blocks. You will be two
blocks away. Karl’s latest known vector will be toward you, but on
the far side of the street.”

Run.

“You are different from the old
Sergeant.”

“Yeah? How?”

He found it helpful to dialogue with
Trident, especially in fluid situations. He ran diagonally through
the next intersection.

“S-1 would have brought in further
resources.”

“How certain?”

“85%, I calculate.”

High number. Still, he had already
considered it.

“Not me. Solo flight.”

“Did you believe I meant that as
advice?”

“No. Don’t worry.”

“I cannot worry.”

“Keep talking, I need it.”

“He also would not have called someone a
fucking moron.”

The Sergeant ran onto the ice cream shop
street, two blocks down from it, but didn’t cross. He slowed to a
fast walk, scanning crowd, alleys. He used a military estimation
technique automatically. Each block had approx- 130 people. He
scanned for Karl’s walk pattern and typical clothing, men with
earpieces, odd cars.

“What am I looking for?” he said to
himself.

“You are 274 meters from the last point of
coms for Karl.”

“Tell me at 125 meters.” He’d speed up from
that point. Karl would almost definitely be out of 125 meter
radius. Keep moving to zero location, though. There might be
on-scene data still.

Martha, exiting a department store. Karl was
behind her.

“T, get the man on.”

“He is in negotiations. Shall I
interrupt?”

He thought.

“…Boss? Did you hear me?”

“Yeah. I’m thinking. Don’t break it,
yet.”

Sensitive negotiations. The General was
brokering a deal with :3: and the Doctor. He would spend days on a
deal with :3:. Waiting, mostly, putting out ideas to get his
attention.

“What’s the status of the negotiations?”

“I do not know. :3: locked me out as he
entered the room.”

He would listen to the General’s report
later. Maybe have a critical point playback analysis, unless the
General didn’t want him to.

“Tek-scan?”

“Radius?”

“100 meters.”

“2 minutes.”

He wanted the scan results faster. “50
meters, then. But give me a 4 degree 100 meter wedge with Martha
and Karl at the center. Make it 200 meters, actually, and don’t
sweep a circle with me at the center. Just the wedge.”

“Copy. 15 seconds.”

He followed them through the crowd. They
walked fast, slowed after several blocks.

“64 cell-phones, 15 laptops, 12 pagers, make
that 13 pagers-”

“Just the q-tek, T.” Nano was too stable to
detect unless active. “Repeat the sweep indefinitely. Let me know
if you detect q-tek.”

“Copy. There is no active q-tek. 93% certain
that there is no inactive q-tek either.” The Gadgeteer had built
the q-tek sweeper, called it simple. He followed Karl and Martha to
Central Park.

“Trident, build me a 1 degree parabolic
microphone.”

His Trident had many more capabilities than
the ones he gave to people. None of them had nano-base or
nano-build capabilities, for one.

“How passive is that q-tek sweep?”

“Not very.”

“Kill the sweep. I want to be invisible, if
possible. No active q-tek, in case they have sweeps, too.
Somebody’s coming, pretty soon.”

Trident had the mike ready. He listened to
Karl and Martha.

“Boss, I detect humans moving in a sweep
line. 5 of them.”

“Copy that, I see the movement, now. Coms-
General. Isolate. Interrupt the meeting.”

“Oui, je suis
la, Sergeant. Ca va?”

“
Ca vas, sir.
But
we have a problem.”

“Oui,
Sergeant. Qu’est-ce que c’est passé?”

“I have Martha and Karl, together. Men are
moving towards them, presumably the Benefactor’s.”

“Oui, je sais. I have been eavesdropping on
you, I am afraid. I told Trident to maintain the illusion that I
was unavailable.”

“Why? Never mind. Tell me later. Should I
intervene?”

“Non.”

“Are you sure? Martha is dominant. I could
get her and Karl out of here. Or just Karl. Or just her. I can take
the Benefactor right now, sir, and be gone before those men find
her. Karl may be in significant jeopardy, as well. Do nothing? Is
that the wisest course?”

“Laisse etre. Regardez.”

Shit. Everything in him burned to get Karl
and Martha out of there.

“Can you tell me why?”

“Oui. Our purpose have aligned. The
Benefactor must play her part.”

“Can you shield me from detection, T?”

“No.”

He sprawled, trying to look like a sleeping
bum for any infrared detectors.

“The mike is passive?”

“Totally. A point detection resonator. It is
very sensitive, but picks up only on a narrow line between 10 and
25 meters. You have a slide to adjust the distance by hand if they
move.”

He analyzed the General’s comment as he
watched the men moving in. Was Martha a potential threat? That made
no sense. He could capture her and they could simply keep her out
of play. Except Karl wouldn’t like that. Maybe the Benefactor was
necessary for Karl to transfer. Probably.

He asked the General.

“En part, mais pas tout.” Not entirely.

“Why? It is set up with the Doctor and :3:
already.”

“She has
certainly made un gachette de detruire. Comment vous dites
ceci?”

“Trigger to destroy,” Trident
translated.

“She will prevent the project by her
absence.”

“We couldn’t override her prevention?”

“If she does not block,
something will.
Absolument, il faute qu’elle revenir.”
She must return.

“Why couldn’t we set her loose at that
point?”

“I understand your concern
for Martha, Sergeant.
Elle est un bijou precious.
C’est malchanceaux.” She is a precious jewel. It’s
unfortunate.

“Our superior strategy must remain to be
that Karl is crossing the information barrier. A bientot.”

A man stepped out of the bushes, walked up
to Karl and Martha, and fired a gun at their heads.

A man stepped up to them, talking to his
wrist, holding a gun. He fired once. Very close, very loud. Karl
felt the bullet pass between their heads. He held still. They would
be dead if the man wanted that. He tilted the gun up without a
word.

“Hello, Karl.” Martha said it, only not
Martha. Karl leapt up and back, staring at her.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Don’t be an idiot, Karl. I’m the
Benefactor.” She nodded at the man and he walked away, signaling to
someone else. “Would you care to sit down? Don’t worry, I won’t
kill you.”

“I don’t want to sit with you. I want to
speak to my people.”

“The General, you mean? LuvRay, who won’t
speak to you? They’re no more your people than I am.”

“You tried to kill me.”

“Did I? Is that what really happened?”

“That’s how I remember it.”

“Remember, part of me is Martha. She does
not dream into this world as well as me, but her influence is
there. Here, rather. I would not be able to kill you. She would
return. Killing you is not my objective. I will be in a battle for
this body if I tried or succeeded.

“Other forces want things from you, Karl,
and if I act to preserve you, then Martha will work with me. I need
that since I share her form. If I keep you alive and not seriously
harmed, she works with me.”

“Not seriously harmed? I think I’ll take my
chances with the General, thanks.”

“The one with the dead Sergeant? Yes, he
takes very good care of his people, doesn’t he?”

“I’ve done alright.”

“But not great. He kept you from seeing
Martha when he had her. Why, Karl?”

“Fine, I don’t trust him, either. What’s
your point?”

She looked at him coolly. He turned,
intending to leave if they let him.

“Would you like to see LuvRay again?”

Karl stopped, turned. “I want to see Martha
again, dammit. I want you to free her.”

“Martha? At least I let you meet her.”

“Let me? She took over when you tried to
kill me.”

“Are you sure that’s what happened?”

God, she was cagey. “What happened
then?”

“Sit. Let’s talk. Please.” She seemed so
reasonable, this torturer.

“This is bullshit.” He started to walk
away.

“You want to see Martha again? That can be
arranged.”

He turned back. “I want to see LuvRay again
as well.”

“Also possible. On the other side.”

“What do you want?”

“A box. Nothing at all, really. Just a box.
In Mansworld.”

“A box?”

“Yes. You must find it for me. And possibly
open it.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“In return, I can see Martha?”

“After you cross, Martha will, too.”

“LuvRay?”

“As I said, you will not see him again until
you cross the barrier.”

“How will I see him in there?”

“I cannot guarantee it, but it is likely. I
will do what I can, I promise you.”

“Hmm. OK. Will it be dangerous?”

She chuckled. “Of course it will be
dangerous. Danger is constant, now, Karl. Until enough have
died.”

“How long will that take?”

“I do not know. The intrigue is
interpenetrating quite densely. Events have begun moving very
rapidly.”

Karl looked up, thinking. “I see what you
mean. Why is it moving so fast?”

“Nexus point. Your entry into Mansworld,
and, to a lesser extent, Seeker’s entry here, are creating a nexus
point. Many possibilites are bottle-necking until you cross. It is
like a wide river as it narrows. Soon we will hit the waterfall.
The M-Es are moving it quickly, too. They are accelerating the
rate. When they play fast, it is disorienting to people. You can
learn to enjoy it. But to be a piece in the game is disturbing to
the human will.”

“Will something kill me?”

“No, something, many things, actually, fight
for your survival. Definite.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Martha’s influence. I want the box. You are
the key, and I want you on my side, or at least not opposed to me.
Somehow, I need to keep you alive. And I will, for now.

“If a greater motive comes along, then I may
be able to kill you. I tell you that now, because now I feel an
impulse that you live. If that changes, I will not tell you. You
could get some excellent information from me right now.”

“This is odd.”

“It’s an odd world. Our lot is very strange.
I’m an old woman. I’ve been around since the beginning. I can tell
you things about the birth of this state of affairs. I played a
serious part in it. I can tell you a lot about where it is headed.
Things that will keep you alive.”

Karl had a good bullshit detector. RJ said
he did, at least. He sat, keeping a distance, with his body toward
her.

“OK, who wants me dead?”

“No one at the moment. People have wanted
that, but they cannot seem to draw you into their sights and pull
the trigger. Then, their motive changes.”

“Why?”

“The hand of Wildcard, I believe. He, it,
has become so advanced that he can play with our inner motivations.
Or experiment with them. Wildcard created you. Or so many
believe.”

“Do you?”

“I believe very little, Karl. To me, nothing
is true.”

The words felt like a slap.

“Why are you so afraid of death that you
tortured Martha and stole her body?”

“I ask myself that question all the time. I
don’t know the answer.”

He had failed to wound her.

“Why do I not hate you?”

“You are without hate, Karl. It is who you
are.”

“Why do you say my name so much?”

“A simple trick, and well-spotted, to make
you feel that we are friends.”

“How else are you doing that?”

“In many ways.”

“You can use a sexual pull on men?”

“Martha was enhanced that way. Her form is
almost irresistible to men.”

“To LuvRay?”

“The exception. He could choose not to feel
the pull. Did, I believe.”

“They met?”

Karl was experiencing a fascinating process.
He was channeling, almost, RJ Sublime. Asking him questions to ask
her. He rephrased the questions, though.

“Yes, they met.”

“Did they enjoy carnal pleasure?” RJ asked
Karl.

“Were they lovers?”

“Yes. She found him after the General
released her. Martha was very fond of LuvRay. She still is.”

“Ask her about me, kid.”

“RJ?”

“Fuck RJ,” she said mildly, running her
finger along his hand.

Karl clutched at the bench. His head fell
forward a tiny bit without his willing it and RJ’s voice went
away.

The Sergeant was confused. The parabolic
mike had gone out just after the man had fired between their heads.
The Benefactor had returned. She and Karl were talking and the
Benefactor was playing him somehow. Using psychological tricks, but
Karl seemed fairly resistant.

But where was the Mechanic? He had to be
there, had to. Very odd. The Mechanic would definitely be involved
in this operation. But where?