“Thanks. Murphy.”
“Save your thanks. Just remember me at my court martial. Now come on, lean on me. We’d better get you out of here before the others get back.”
They laid Johnny out on the couch downstairs_ He was still unconscious. Andre knelt down beside him.
“What happened?” she said. “Is he all right?”
“He’s okay, he only fainted.” Hunter said. “The shock plus the effects of transistion. Always takes a lot out of you the first time.”
“You shouldn’t have brought him here,” said Lucas.
“He saw too much,” said Neilson. “It couldn’t be helped.”
“Who would have believed him?” Lucas said. You should have left him. Scott. Bringing him here was stupid.”
“I’m sorry, but I thought-”
“That’s just the trouble, you didn’t think.”
“Hey, lighten up. Priest.” said Hunter. “He saved my bacon and brought you a prisoner to interrogate. The kid did all right.”
Lucas sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Scott. I didn’t mean to come down on you so hard. I guess it’s just the strain, that’s all. But the boy can’t stay here. We’ve got enough to worry about as it is. We’ve got to get him out of here while he’s still unconscious. Anybody know when: the kid lives’?”
“He’s Revere’s apprentice,” Hunter said. “Stays in the back of his silversmith shop over by North Square.”
“Andre. maybe you should take him there.” said Lucas. “Since you seem to have established a… uh, rapport with the kid, convince him he was seeing things or something. But get him out of our hair. We have to interrogate the prisoners and I don’t want him around for that.”
“Okay. I’ll take care of him.” said Andre. She started to adjust her warp disc.
Linda Craven came downstairs. “How is he?” Lucas asked her, referring to the wounded Network man.
“He’s coming out of shock.” she said. “I gave him something for the pain and I took care of his hand, but I can’t do anything about his knees. Both kneecaps were shattered by the bullets. It’s going to require major reconstructive surgery and prosthetics.”
“Can he talk?”
“Yeah. he can talk, but he’s still hurting. If I give him any more, he’ll he too doped up to be coherent.”
“All right, let’s go have a word with him,” said Lucas. “Finn. Hunter, come with me. Mike, take Rico and Ivan and check on the leaders of the Sons of Liberty. see if Macintosh has anybody keeping an eye on them yet. Scott. I want you and Geoff on Adams, just in case the Hellfire Club pays him a call. If they do, I want you to get him out of there and I don’t care how you do it. We can’t let anything happen to him.”
“Right, we’re on our way.” said Neilson.
“Okay, let’s go see what our Network man can tell us.” Lucas said. “And then we’ll have another talk with our friend Moffat.”
“He’s been very quiet in there,” Linda said.
“Yeah. He’s had a lot to think about.” said Lucas.
They went up the stairs. The Network man was lying on a bed, clearly in great pain, despite the narcotic analgesic Craven had injected him with, an opiate analog that dulled much of his agony. His breeches had been removed and his knees were bandaged and splinted, but mainly to stop the bleeding and prevent his moving them. There was little more that they could do for him under such primitive conditions except give him another injection that would put him out and Lucas planned to use that as a carrot
on a stick.
The man was breathing raggedly, in short, gaspy little bursts, and clutching at the bedclothes spasmodically. Lucas pulled a chair up beside the bed.
“My name is Col. Lucas Priest.” he said. “Can you hear me?”
The man nodded jerkily.
“What’s your name?”