Jason and Neil hid in the shadows as the woman they had been shadowing climbed the steps and entered the small building. After a few minutes the two men followed her inside.
‘The next floor,’ Neil said softly, and they began to climb the carpeted stairway. As they both reached the top of the first flight of stairs, the Sime suddenly grabbed his arm and hustled him back down again.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘She’s on her way down,’ the Sime hissed as he pulled him under the stairwell, just as the woman ran down the remaining stairs and straight out of the entrance, slamming the door behind her.
‘She was certainly in a hurry.’
‘No, she was frightened,’ Neil replied.
‘What of?’
‘Let’s go and find out.’ The Sime said as he quickly led the way back to the staircase, ‘I’m zlinning two people,’ Neil began when a blood curdling scream made Jason’s hair quite literally stand on end.
‘That was Vidal!’ He said, and pulling out his small blaster he took the remainder of the stairs two at a time with Neil in pursuit, cursing under his breath because he could not get past the Gen without quite literally knocking him out of the way.
Another scream rent the air and spurred the two men on as Jason who had now reached the top catapulted himself across the empty hallway and into the open doorway avoiding Neil’s hands and tentacles as the Sime tried desperately to grab hold of Jason’s shirt, and pull him back to the comparative safety of the corridor.
As he entered the room Jason’s eyes took in the scene at a glance. He saw Vidal chained to a chair his face swollen and covered with blood; whilst standing over him was… ‘Gregory Carleton!’ The name left his lips even as he wondered why he was here?
Gregory Carleton meanwhile, moving with surprising speed for someone of his size; quite literally flew towards Jason, who instinctively raised the blaster he still had in his hand, and without hesitation fired.
As Carleton’s body hit the floor, Neil who was now augmenting dropped to his side zlinning him deeply. ‘He’s dead.’
The words made Jason realise that he was still pointing the blaster at Carleton’s body, his finger tense on the button. Instantly he lifted his finger realising that if he had indeed fired a second time, he could well have hit Neil, who was now solidly in his way.
Still shocked at what might have happened, Jason automatically lowered the weapon and put it away. Then he quickly dismissed Gregory Carleton from his thoughts, as he hurried to Vidal’s side. ‘Are you all right?’ He demanded, and as he did not get a reply straight away, he yelled for Neil to come and zlin him.
‘His face appears to have been hurt the most,’ Jason stated as the Sime joined him and immediately zlinned the Channel deeply.
‘Far worst than that, his knee is badly injured,’ the Sime informed him, as he touched the Channel’s face with his tentacles and asked, ‘Can you speak, Vidal?’
The Channel turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood before he nodded his head, and then grimaced with pain as he said, ‘I can, now.’
Neil examined the cuffs that held Vidal in position before he glanced across at Jason and said, ‘See if you can see a key to these cuffs anywhere around will you?’
‘I think it’s on the table,’ Vidal said.
‘Yes, I’ve got it,’ the Gen stated and tossed the key across to the Sime.
Catching it, Neil quickly released the Channel from his cuffs.
Jason, meanwhile, had been staring down at his friend’s knee, and could see from the strange angle in which it lay, that the knee had been knocked out of alienment. ‘Shen, but that must be painful.’
‘It is.’
‘Move Jason, let me get in there,’ Neil ordered as he edged past the Gen before he looked up at the Channel and said, ‘I think I can put it back Vidal, but it’s going to feel like shen. Do you want me to try, or would you rather wait for a Channel at the hospital to take care of it for you? Either wa,y it’s going to hurt.’ He warned.
‘Do you know enough about bones and muscles to attempt it?’ Jason asked.
‘Enough. Where I come from we don’t have that many Gen Doctors, or Simes who are prepared to even admit that they’re Channels, let alone work as one! However, I have on occasion treated some wounds very similar to this, but nothing worse.’ Neil admitted honestly.
Vidal listened in silence, and then made up his mind as he said, ‘All right – see what you can do.’
The Sime nodded his head and Jason moved away to give him room to manoeuvre. As he manipulated the knee Vidal suddenly cursed and bit back a yelp of pain as it slid back into place.
Neil sat back on his heels and looked at his handiwork, before he said, ‘Twelve hours of healing sleep, and you should be fine.’
Vidal sighed as he agreed with the Sime’s diagnosis, before he turned his attention to the Gen lying on the floor and zlinned him. ‘Yes he’s dead. I heard Neil say that he was. But I thought I must have misheard him because I didn’t feel a thing when he died. Being this close I should have felt something.’
‘That’s because I shielded you.’ Jason replied.
‘You shot him, and still managed to shield me at the same time?’
‘You don’t have to sound so surprised! I did, occasionally, listen to all those lectures I attended.’ The Gen said, feeling slightly hurt.
‘Yes, so it would seem, and believe me, I am grateful.’ Vidal admitted, then paused before he went on. ‘But couldn’t you have used the stun setting? Was it necessary to shoot him dead? He was, after all, unarmed.’
Neil opened his mouth to speak, but Jason waved him to silence, as he said quietly. ‘I’m sorry, Vidal, I thought Jordan was the one with all the sensibilities. It seems I was wrong. No, let me finish,’ he said, as Vidal went to speak. ‘I heard you screaming as I came up the stairs, and when I came in here Carleton jumped me. He may not have had a weapon in the strict sense of the word, but he, himself, was a deadly weapon. Even with my TIB training, who do you think would have come out best in that little confrontation? Besides, to be perfectly honest I didn’t have time to look and see what setting the blaster was on. To be honest with you, at that moment in time; I really didn’t care.’
Vidal’s tentacles reached out to touch the Gen’s hand. ‘No of course I’m not Jordan. I’m sorry because I realise that you had no choice but to do what you did, and I’m grateful. If our positions had been reversed, I would probably have done exactly the same as you.’ He admitted, and then managed a weak smile as he went on, ‘Perhaps I’ve been spending too much time with the Sectuib.’
‘Well, that’s a relief anyway. I was beginning to wonder if your captor had managed to injure your brain as well.’ Neil said to Vidal, breaking his silence.
‘And while we’re on the subject of captors.’ Jason asked looking down at Gregory Carleton’s dead body. ‘Have either of you any ideas what we do about him?’
‘Let’s get back to the Hotel first and I’ll contact the TIB and get them to take care of it,’ Vidal said, and grimaced as he tried to put his weight on his injured leg. ‘I’ll speak to Sam Betjeman, too. Then we can decide what we should do next.’
Jason glanced across at the renSime as he suggested. ‘I think Neil had better come back with us and keep out of sight; apart from going for his transfer of course, till the freighter arrives.’
‘Why wouldn’t he come back with us?’ Vidal demanded, as the two men helped him to stand with one arm around each of their shoulders. They were both slightly shorter than the Channel, but they managed somehow.
‘You realise that they mistook you for Jordan?’ Jason asked, and the Channel nodded his head in assent. ‘Well Neil heard someone say that the Sectuib in Zeor was on Moon Base, and he assumed that Jordan would be at our Hotel waiting to arrest him and whisk him off to Mars.’ He explained.
‘Sam Betjeman told me that the Sectuib is not on the Moon, so there’s no reason that I can see why Neil shouldn’t come back with us.’ Vidal said. Jason agreed with him, although Neil did not look too happy with the arrangement.
At his partner’s insistence Vidal reluctantly agreed to let the duty Channel at the Base Hospital take a look at him before they returned to the Hotel.
‘This is ridiculous,’ Vidal said as Jason helped him to hobble into the hotel’s elevator.
‘Stop moaning. Didn’t the Channel tell you that you’d be fine in the morning? She looked more than a little interested in you, too.’ Jason said with a grin. ‘You’re lucky to be Sime, if that had been me, I’d have been laid up for at least a week or ten days. Be grateful.’
‘Believe me, I am.’ The Channel insisted as they entered their suite.
Neil, who had not accompanied them to the hospital, came out of his bedroom. ‘How is he? Did I do a good job?’ He asked at once, and Jason told him what had transpired in the infirmary, and how the female Channel had made cow eyes at Vidal. Neil laughed.
‘Do you mind? You’re speaking as though I’m not here.’
Jason smiled across at his partner, ‘Now you know how I feel when you and Jordan talk over my head.’
‘I’ll go and make some trin,’ Neil said with a grin, and then hesitated in the doorway to the tiny kitchen to say, ‘Play nicely together while I’m gone, and no fighting!’
Jason chuckled, while Vidal merely looked pained.
***
The Sectuib stood frowning slightly as he finished speaking to Jason on his communicator.
‘So what did Jason want?’ Laurie demanded, ‘And where is he?’
‘He’s on the Moon, and he wanted to know if I was there too.’
‘Why would he want to know that?’ The Gen asked.
‘I have no idea. Apparently someone overheard a conversation between two Simes, one of whom said I was on the Moon.’
‘Now that is strange; who overheard this conversation’
‘He didn’t say.’
‘What does Vidal think?’
‘I don’t know, Jason said he was out.’
Laurie frowned slightly and then said, If it wasn’t Vidal or Jason who overheard the conversation, who was it?’
‘I have a very good idea, but I sincerely hope I’m wrong.’ The Sectuib said softly. ‘I think I’d better have a word with Sam Betjeman, he may have heard from Vidal.’
‘Good idea.’
Less than an hour later and they were eating a light meal as Jordan told Laurie what Sam had said.
‘So he wants us to go to Moon Base?’ Laurie asked, as he stabbed another slice of tomato.
‘Yes, and I suggest we pack our bags as soon as we’ve finished eating. The shuttle leaves in just over an hour.’
The two men sat side by side on the shuttle. Jordan was staring at the small view screen in front of him, as he caught up on a whole flotilla of memoranda he had received from Zeor in the last few weeks, and had not had time to even glance at.
Meanwhile, Laurie was staring with obvious boredom at a magazine on his view screen.
The Sectuib stifled a sigh as the Gen moved restlessly in his seat yet again, this time sliding from one side to the other. A few minutes later he went through the same process again. Jordan knew he was going to have to say something before long if the Gen kept this up.
Almost at once Laurie stretched his arms above his head and yawned as he moved from one hip to the other.
‘What’s the matter now?’
‘It’s this shenning seat. It’s so uncomfortable.’
‘The seats are all exactly the same,’ Jordan pointed out. ‘Mine is comfortable enough.’
‘Bully for you.’
‘Would it help if we changed seats?’ The Channel suggested reasonably.
‘No. What’s the point? You’re probably right, the seats are the same,’ and leaning forward the Gen switched off his view screen, before he closed his eyes and said, ‘Is that interesting?’
‘You’re referring to these memos I take it?’
‘Yes, if that’s what they are.’
‘Then the answer is no, not really.’ The Sectuib admitted with a wry smile.
‘What are they about?’
He sighed. ‘Well, this one is giving me a synopsis of a meeting that was held just over a week ago.’
The Gen sat up; his interest obviously peaked as he asked again, ‘So what does it say?’
‘It says that a new drainage system is wanted for one of our complexes down south. The meeting was to discuss the pros and cons of two different types of system.’
‘Oh.’
The Channel hid a smile as he said, ‘There is to be another meeting next month to decide which we will have.’
‘Oh.’
‘And the next one is…’
‘Don’t bother. It’s too exciting for me.’
The Channel grinned as he returned to his view screen.
Thankfully, after a few more minutes of tossing and turning Laurie finally fell asleep and only woke up as the Shuttle docked. The formalities were completed quickly, and as they walked onto Moon Base proper, a female Sime approached them. ‘Greetings, Sectuib.’
‘Lisle,’ the Channel said, and then turned to introduce her to Laurie before he said, ‘Have you any news?’
‘We believe Neil Heyer is staying with Hajene Trent and Sosu Devere. I left Marlon and Cleg to watch the hotel, while I came here.’
‘So they are all three at the hotel now?’ Jordan enquired.
‘Yes. We believe that Hajene Trent went out for a while, but he turned up at the hotel with the others, although he does appear to have hurt his leg in some way.’ Lisle explained.
‘But you’re sure they’re all at the hotel now?’ Laurie pressed.
‘They were when I left there.’ The Sime replied, and then turned back to Jordan as she went on, ‘I took the liberty of booking you a suite on the same floor, Sectuib.’
‘Good. Let’s go,’ Jordan said, and set off at a swift pace, with the two others following behind.
The hotel was only a few hundred yards away. They reached it in just a few minutes. Seconds after their arrival Jordan, led Laurie into their suite.
‘Lisle said that Jason and Vidal are directly opposite,’ Laurie said as he looked around, ‘shall we go and see them?’
‘No. I think it would be better if I spoke to Vidal, first.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘You may recall that Lisle said that Neil Heyer might be with them?’ The Channel murmured.
‘Of course. I suppose if he’s with them, you want to give him time to slip away.’
Jordan paused momentarily and then said, ‘Not exactly. However, both Vidal and Jason are my friends. If at all possible, I don’t want them involved in all this.’
‘Involved in all what? I don’t understand.’ Laurie admitted.
‘The moment Neil realises that I am here, he will leave. Hopefully he will then run straight into the arms of Lisle and the others.’
‘Is that fair?’
‘I did give him a warning – he’s well aware of the rules.’ The Channel sighed. ‘Laurence, the man is junct.’
‘Laurie!’ The Gen reminded him.
‘But of course.’
‘I know what he is, without you telling me. But, he came here to help us. Without his assistance, this whole fiasco would never have turned out as well as it has.’
‘I am fully aware of that.’
‘Well, then.’
‘Well, nothing, Laurie. What do you expect me to do? Ignore the fact that he is a Sime who is also junct, and is running around loose on this Base? You seem to forget that I wear two hats, and at the moment I am Sectuib in Zeor. It is my duty to both detain him, and have him sent to our facility on Mars.’ The Channel paused and then went on to say, ‘As distasteful as it may be to both of us.’
‘So you do find it distasteful, then?’
‘Of course I do! I am not completely without feeling, you know. Perhaps I, far better than anyone else in Zeor or the Tecton, know what awaits a man like him at our facility.’ He pointed out cryptically.
‘Yes, I suppose you do.’ Laurie replied and then said softly, ‘I know I couldn’t do it.’
‘Perhaps that’s why I’m Sectuib, and you are not.’
‘I don’t envy you.’
‘I don’t blame you. Now, perhaps you could make us a pot of trin while I contact Vidal.’ Jordan suggested as he disappeared into his bedroom and closed the door.
For a few moments Laurie stood in the middle of the room undecided about what he should do. Then he hurried across to the small kitchen and filled the kettle before he re-entered the sitting room, and made straight for the door that led him out into the empty corridor.
A short while later Laurie returned to their suite, thankful to find that Jordan was still in his bedroom talking on his communicator. Immediately he hurried into the kitchen, just as he heard the Channel walk back into the sitting room again.
Laurie’s heart was still pounding madly as he realised he had made it back from speaking to Jason with no time to spare. Indeed, a few seconds more, and he would have run straight into the Sectuib!
Laurie carried the two mugs of steaming trin into the room, and placed them on the small table.
‘What did Vidal have to say?’ He asked as casually as he could.
‘Not much. He said he would tell us everything when we go across to their suite.’ He zlinned the Gen as he said, ‘You seem flustered. Are you feeling well?’
‘Yes I’m fine. Did he say if Neil Heyer is there?’
‘No, and I didn’t expect him to.’ The Sectuib grinned ruefully as he said, ‘But we both played the game.’
‘Game. What game?’
‘The game where both he and I know the whereabouts of Neil Heyer; but neither of us will admit it to the other.’
Laurie did not answer as he picked up his mug and swallowed part of it down before he realised how hot it was, and only just managed to stop himself from spitting it out again.
Jordan stood up abruptly and said, ‘I think we’ve allowed enough time for Neil to leave – are you ready?’
The Gen nodded as he followed the Sime to the door, where he allowed it to close but did not lock it. He then shadowed the Channel across the narrow hallway to the other suite.
Jason answered the chime, meeting Laurie’s eyes as he stepped aside and allowed them to enter.
‘It’s good to see you both,’ Jason murmured.
‘Yes it is, but I’d like to know what you’re doing here?’ Vidal said.
‘Sam suggested it. He seemed to think you might want a little help.’ Jordan replied at once.
The other Channel looked slightly sceptical as he said, ‘I see you’ve had transfer.’
‘Yes we did.’ Laurie said before the Sectuib could reply.
‘I suppose that’s all you’re going to tell us.’ Jason grinned.
‘Yes,’ Jordan said with a smile before he went on, ‘So what has been happening here? I understood that you were both on leave. Was I wrong?’
‘We were.’ Vidal said as he waved their two guests to the sofa, and watched them sit down before he gave them an edited version of events since he and Jason had arrived on Moon Base.
‘So, let me see if I’ve got this straight, Vidal.’ Laurie said. ‘These people, who we can only assume are linked to the assassins on Earth, mistook you for the Sectuib?’
‘Correct.’
‘They want Jordan because they believe he knows where the negotiations are now taking place?’
Vidal nodded. ‘That about sums it up.’
‘But it doesn’t alter the fact that you’re still in danger,’ Jason pointed out to Jordan. ‘After all, they still want that information, and you’re the only one who can tell them.’
‘Jason’s correct. You shouldn’t have come here, Jordan.’ Vidal said staring at his friend.
‘After speaking to Jason, I was worried about you.’ The Sectuib admitted as he defended his decision.
‘Why were you worried? I was careful about what I said,’ Jason stated.
‘I am well aware of how careful you were Jason, which is why I decided to come,’ Jordan said. ‘My talk with Sam Betjeman afterwards only helped to reinforce my decision.’
‘Then the sooner you return to Earth, the better.’ Vidal pointed out.
The Sectuib ignored the recommendation as he said, ‘Since we are now booked into the hotel, we will stay here, at least until I can arrange for Shuttle accommodation tomorrow, or the day after.’
Vidal sat in silence for a moment before he said, ‘Perhaps it would be safer if you both stay with us tonight.’
‘That seems a little extreme,’ Jordan replied. ‘Are you sure it’s really necessary?’
‘Yes it is!’ Jason jumped in to say, ‘Gregory Carleton’s dead, but the other two Simes are still running around, as well as the female Gen. God knows how many more they’ve got on the Base looking for you.
‘I agree with Jason.’ Laurie joined in.
Vidal grinned as he advised, ‘Give in gracefully, my friend.’
‘It would appear that I have no alternative, since even my partner sides with you,’ Jordan said mockingly. ‘And as it’s very clear that I’m not going to win this particular argument, you now have two extra guests for the night.’
‘I’ll go and fetch our bags,’ Laurie said as he jumped to his feet, and began to walk towards the door. Vidal nodded, and the Sectuib waved two tentacles by way of agreement.
‘Wait up Laurie, and I’ll give you a hand.’ Jason called as he followed the other Gen across the room and out into the corridor.
As the door closed behind them Vidal turned to the other Channel and said, ‘Right, so now we are alone you can tell me; how did your transfer with the dreaded Laurence go?’
Jordan grinned at his friend. ‘How do you think it went?’
Vidal zlinned him deeply before he said with satisfaction, ‘I’ve never seen you better. Am I to take it that Laurie was not exactly as bad as you expected?’
‘No he wasn’t,’ the Channel admitted wryly. ‘Since you now have your answer, kindly refrain from questioning me further.’
‘Understood.’
Jordan sat up and leaned forward his hands on his thighs his tentacles sheathed as he said softly, ‘Since I cannot zlin Neil Heyer, am I to take it he has now left?’
‘No comment.’ Vidal said quietly as two pairs of very similar dark eyes met each other. It was the Sectuib’s that fell first.
‘I had to ask.’ Jordan said finally his voice amused, but with an edge of laughter in it that wasn’t really humour at all.
‘Of course you did.’ His friend concurred, before he changed the conversation to say, ‘Now tell me, are the negotiations going well?’
***
The two Gens hurried across the corridor and entered the other suite where they found Neil standing in the middle of the room, his tentacles snaking in and out of their sheaths as he turned quickly to face them.
Without a word the two Gens immediately began to broadcast calm in to the ambient as they both approached the agitated renSime. After a few minutes they sighed with relief as Neil finally sheathed his tentacles and sat down on the sofa, looking totally exhausted.
‘Laurie go and make him some trin,’ Jason suggested as he sat down next to the Sime and placed his hand on the back of his neck concentrating hard.
‘Shen, how do you do that!?’
Jason grinned, ‘Gen secret,’ he said, giving his stock answer.
‘How did you manage to get yourself into that state?’ Laurie demanded to know as he placed a mug of trin onto the table in front of the Sime.
‘How do you think?’ He snapped back, and then waved two tentacles by way of apology as he went on, ‘I’m worried sick about how I’m going to avoid the Sectuib’s agents…and besides, my transfer is getting close.’
Laurie sat down on the other side of the Sime, who looked from one to the other of the two Gens before he gasped, ‘Shen, you’re tearing me in half. I really am torn between the two of you. If I’m not careful I could simply disappear through the floor.’
‘Relax, Neil – enjoy.’ Laurie ordered with the wry smile. ‘You wont get this this much attention very often.’
Jason frowned slightly as he asked, ‘How close is your transfer?’
‘Just over twenty four hours. I know the Sectuib would say that for a renSime that’s red alert! Believe me it isn’t. I’ve gone right up to the line before now. But to be honest with you, I’m just not used to waiting the full time any more,’ the Sime admitted sheepishly.
Jason glanced across at Laurie over Neil’s head before he said, ‘I’ve checked with the Port Authorities, the Amethyst arrived two hours ago, she’s early.’
‘The Amethyst?’ Laurie repeated.
‘She’s the freighter that Vidal arranged would pick up Neil and take him back to Damos Two.’ Jason explained, and then sighed as he said, ‘But first things first, we have to get him past Zeor’s agents before we can even think about the freighter.’
‘What about my transfer?’
The two Gens stared at each other as they both tried to think of a reasonable answer to that question, and Jason said softly, ‘Yes, what about his transfer?’
‘Didn’t I read somewhere that most of the commercial ships and freighters who have large Sime crews on board, usually have a Channel on board as astrogator? Can’t Neil use him?’ Laurie suggested.
‘Thanks, but I’d rather not.’
‘Sometimes we can’t always choose what we want to do, Neil.’ Laurie retorted. ‘Sometimes, we have to simply accept the inevitable.’
‘But I have a Gen waiting for me.’ The Sime said looking from one to the other for understanding, and gaining none.
‘Sorry, Neil. But what would you rather do? Accept Channel’s transfer just one more time, or go on an extended trip to Mars Colony – a very, very, extended trip!’
‘Well, if you put it that way…’
‘We do!’ Laurie said with obvious satisfaction.
‘Great! So Neil agrees to a compromise – fantastic!’ Jason said mockingly, before he went on to remind them bluntly, ‘First we’ve still got to get him away from this hotel.’
Read Chapter 14
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