“How’s the knee?” asked Forester.
“They tell me it’ll be fine after I’ve had some therapy.”said Lucas. He grimaced. “First a bionic eye, now a nysteel kneecap. If I keepthis up, before too long I’ll be a cyborg. How’s Hollister?”
“He’s busted up a bit, but he’ll live,” said Forrester. “Darknessfractured his skull and broke his wrist. He asked about you too, by the way.”
Lucas smiled wryly. “He could easily have killed me.”
“Why didn’t he?” asked Andre.
“Because he was concerned about his men. He said he’d let melive if I gave my word as an officer and gentleman that they would be welltreated.”
“They will be.” Forester assured him.
“Hollister’s a good man,” said Lucas. “he just happens to beon the other side. In a way, I feel sorry for him. I trust the rest of themission went all right?”
“The mission was totally successful,” Forester replied.
“Capt. Travers tells me that there weren’t any problems withCleopatra’s reinsertion. Or with Caesar and Calpurnia. With the bodyguard outof the way, the conspirators were able to move against him and he died onschedule, in the Senate. Congratulations. You did a hell of a job.”
“Thanks,” said Lucas. He glanced at Travers. “How does itfeel to be back?”
“A little strange,” Travers replied. “It’s going to takesome getting used to, but I’ll have plenty of time. I’ve already started workingon my book. You’ve given me one hell of a final chapter. I’m going to dedicateit to Col. Steiger’s memory. and the other men who fell in battle.”
Lucas stared at him, stunned.
“Oh. hell,” Travers said with a stricken look. “You didn’tknow?”
Silence. After a moment, it was broken by Delaney.
“Creed didn’t make it, Lucas,” he said softly. “he caught itduring the assault.”
“Oh, shit,” said Lucas.
“Nobody saw it happen,” Andre said, “but we know who did it.Creed took out his own killer. It was a man named Simmons, a former field agentwho was involved with the Network. It’s possible that he was involved with theUnderground. as well, but if he was, the Underground probably didn’t know abouthis Network connection. They don’t knowingly cooperate with those people.”
“Damn,” said Lucas. “How did it happen?”
“We figure it had to be Marshall.” Delaney said. “He’s theonly one who could have alerted the Network to our presence in Rome. so he musthave been involved. Creed obviously never suspected that. He figured thatMarshall had just deserted to the Underground because he was burned out, but hemust have done it because he was afraid to be exposed. When Creed showed up. hemust have panicked.”
“So it was Network that intervened when the S.O.G. tried toambush us?”
“We think so,” Delaney said. “They couldn’t afford to have atimestream split go down any more than we could. The only one we found wasSimmons. so either the others got away or they pulled out when our reinforcementsarrived.”
“Simmons was a real hard case.” Forrester said. “AfterSteiger formed the I.S.D.. he busted up several Network operations. One of thebigg
est ones he exposed was headed up by Simmons, only we never got him.”
“We never found Creed’s body,” Andre said. “but we foundSimmons. He’d been shot through the heart with a laser. ‘there was a disruptoron the floor beside him. The way we reconstruct it. Simmons got onto thegrounds when the assault was in progress. He was wearing Kaufman’s uniform, sohe must have taken it off Kaufman after he was killed, or maybe he killedKaufman himself in the confusion and took his disruptor. Then he waited for theright moment and made his move. They must have both fired at the same time.”
“So Steiger went down fighting,” Lucas said. He sighed “Iguess it’s the way he would have wanted it.”
“He was a good man.” said Forrester. “His name’s going to beadded to the Wall of Honor. At the same time as we take yours off. Officially,you’re back among the living.”
“What about Darkness?” Lucas asked.
“He disappeared again after the assault,” said Delaney. “Wehaven’t seen or heard from him since.”
“If it hadn’t been for him, Hollister would have beaten us,”said Lucas. “One more second and Caesar and his wife would have both been dead.”