Priest made a tight-lipped grimace. “All right, I’ll concedethat, but we still don’t know it’s going to happen. I think Darkness would’vesaid something if there was a chance of that.”
“But the point is that we still don’t know for sure.” saidSteiger. “It means taking a risk.”
“Like you’ve never taken risks?” Lucas countered.
“Give me a break. Creed. Everything we do entails risk. Andyou’ve certainly taken more than your share.” He turned to Forester. “Sir. ifyou order me to stay behind on this one. I’ll understand, but I’m asking younot to do that. I need this assignment. I’ll start climbing the walls if I haveto stay cooped up in here much longer.”
Forrester glanced at the others. “You’re the ones that’ll beout there,” he said. “It’s your call.”
“Lucas and I have taken our share of risks before.” Delaneysaid. “I’d rather go out with him than without him. I vote yes.”
Andre looked at Lucas and smiled. “So do I.”
Steiger shrugged. “Well, it looks like I’m outvoted.”
“If it’s a problem for you. Creed, you can request to be relieved,without prejudice.” said Forrester. “I don’t want you going out on this missionif you haven’t got complete confidence in every member of the team.”
Steiger glanced at Lucas. “Priest, you understand, it’snothing personal.”
“I understand.” said Lucas. suppose if our positions were reversed,I might feel exactly the same way.”
“But you’re still not going to withdraw?” said Steiger.
“No.”
“Well, in that case, I’d like to be relieved.”
For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence.
“Very well,” said Forrester, breaking the tension. “Youthree report for mission programming in half an hour. Steiger, you want to setup that download for Priest?”
Steiger nodded. “I’ll get right on it.” He started to walkout with Forrester and paused at the door, looking back. “Priest?”
“Yeah?”
“Look.. this isn’t personal. N
o offense, huh?”
“None taken.”
Steiger nodded and turned to follow Forrester out the door.The old man was waiting for him at the lift tube
“This isn’t like you, Creed.” he said. “You’ve taken biggerrisks before and you’ve never yet turned down a mission.”
“That’s right, sir. And I’m not about to start now. Withyour permission. I’d like to go along on this one, only undercover.”
Forrester sighed and nodded. “Somehow I had a feeling that’swhat was on your mind.”
“It’s what I do best. sir.” Steiger said. “Those three havebeen working together for a long time. I’ve seen how they function in thefield. They trust each other. Each of them has an instinct for how the othersthink. I’m the odd man out. I just don’t fit in. I’ve always worked best on myown. It’s what 1 was trained for.”
“You’re saying you want to go back on covert status?”
“Yes, sir, I do. I think I’d have much more to contributethat way.” ‘“We’ve been over this before, Creed. My decision to shut down thecovert field section wasn’t arbitrary. you know.”
‘“Yes. sir, I realize that. I know you don’t approve of themethods we used in covert field section. And I know there were abuses, but thatstill-”
“Abuses is putting it mildly,” Forrester interrupted. “Thecovert field section was nothing but a bunch of thrill-seeking cowboys whoplayed fast and loose with regulations and had too much contact with theUnderground. Part of our job is to apprehend those people. Steiger, notemploy them as mission support. Or as functionaries in the Network.”