U-10

The fist struck again, and Ty didn’t try to resist the force of the blow. He had stiffened his neck the first ten times Muriak hit him, but the effort was too tiring.

Teeth on both sides of his jaw felt loose. An obscure thought forced a smile although it hurt to move his mouth muscles.

“Muriak must have soft hands. After six punches, he put on gloves with reinforced knuckle guards.”

“Muriak, wait a moment,” the man in charge of the beating said. “Lieutenant Lavender, can you hear me? There’s blood coming out your ears, and I want to be sure you aren’t deaf - yet.”

When Ty didn’t answer at once, a hand grabbed his face and jerked it back and forth. Slaps stung his cheeks and water was thrown in his face.

“My answer hasn’t changed. All the aliens are dead. I have nothing to tell you,” Ty mumbled.

“Maybe we’ve been approaching this from the wrong angle. Slide the female over here,” the voice ordered.

The sound of a heavy chair being drug across the floor drew Ty’s attention. The bright lights made vision almost impossible, but a bolt of fear crawled down Ty’s spine. The only female in his squad was Wraith.

“I’ve heard females have a higher pain threshold than males,” the voice continued. “Let’s test that theory.”

“Leave her alone,” Ty said. “She doesn’t know any more than me.”

“Oh, I don’t think you understand. You’re the one who will talk. I just want the pleasure of watching Muriak rearrange her face.”

“You sadist!” Ty exclaimed.

“Quite true. Mr. Muriak, if you please.”

Ty struggled to free himself, but the restraints held tight. He tried to see Wraith, but the bright lights were overpowering. Wraith wouldn’t utter a word, but the sound of the blows striking her face would be loud and clear.

Without warning, a light brighter than the floodlights spiked across Ty’s field of vision followed by an electronic sizzle. Something fell to the floor, followed by shouts and running feet.

More electronic sizzles filled the room and Ty smelled burned flesh. There was a metallic crash and the floodlights aimed at his face winked out. Ty was struggling again the free himself when he felt rough, cold pincers cutting his restraints.

Wiping away watery tears and blinking to clear his light-strained eyes, Ty saw nothing but shadows as he felt the pincers snipping the ties binding his legs to the chair.

“Koritt?” Ty asked. “Is it you?”

“You didn’t think it was Elvis, did you?”

Ty’s vision improved to the point he could see the blurry image of a glistening, blue-suited figure. The helmet retracted to reveal Koritt’s Insectoid face.

Handing a cutter to Ty, Koritt said, “Free the others. I’ll explain later.”

Turning toward Wraith, Koritt started working on her bonds. Gathering his strength, Ty set about freeing the rest of his squad. Psycho held up his left hand. His little finger was gone.

“I wasn’t a piano player anyway,” he muttered. Walking to the body on the floor, he kicked it over. “I’m more into soccer.”

The dead guard wasn’t wearing gloves with knuckle protectors. It wasn’t Muriak.

Ty’s face darkened as he looked around.

“Where’s Colonel Hubert?”

“The older Human you call Hubert didn’t survive the crash. I passed his body on my way here as I snuck out of the ship,” Koritt replied.

Grimacing at the loss, Ty paused. Then, with a glare of determination, he faced his squad.

“Check for weapons. See if you can find the U-10. We need to get back to the ship.”

There was a pile of crates stamped with strange markings stacked nearby. The SEED people must have grabbed anything loose for later study. Sasquatch discovered the U-10 in the second crate he searched.

“Look what I found,” he deadpanned.

“Keep searching. We need the box of cards,” Ty said.

Minutes later, as Wraith dumped the last crate, it was clear the cards weren’t there.

“Useless,” Ty said, wadding the U-10 into a ball.

“Maybe not,” Wraith said as she unzipped a pocket in a leg of her blue suit. Slipping her fingers into the opening, she withdrew one of the cards and handed it to Ty.

“Where did this come from?” Ty asked

“I might have kept a card for a souvenir,” Wraith responded. “There were plenty. Figured no one would miss it.”

“One card,” Ty said with a frown. “I hope it’s not a glorified can opener.”

“Maybe this one will help,” Sasquatch said, holding up another card.

“You, too?” Ty asked.

“There were so many of the things scattered around. I didn’t think one would be missed,” Sasquatch shrugged.

“Full disclosure,” Psycho said, holding up another card.

“I guess I better come clean as well,” Fisheye said, flashing another card.

“You’re all kleptomaniacs,” Ty scolded with a smile. “Looks like Hashtag is the only honest person in my squad.

“What can I say?” Hashtag grinned, displaying a card between his fingers. “Battlefield fatigue.”

Feigning a frown while he gathered the cards, Ty fanned them to Koritt and said, “Pick a good one.”

Koritt hesitated a moment before pointing to a card. “They are all good choices, but under the circumstances, I think we need reconnaissance and distractions.”

Ty took the chosen card and peered at its label.

“It’s called the Swarm. I think you’ll appreciate its functions,” Koritt said.

Slipping the card into the U-10 slot, Ty felt the pouch expand and get heavy. He pulled an iPad shaped device from the bag and sat down to study it.

“Leave the flap open,” Koritt said. Following the cricket’s advice, Ty set the pouch next to his chair.

The familiar red and green buttons were arranged at the top of the screen. There was a trackball inset at the bottom of the monitor frame beside a black button.

“Whatever you do, don’t press the black button,” Koritt said.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ty thumbed the green button to activate the device. The U-10 plumped and began buzzing. It moved like a breathing lung. Without warning, a cloud of what looked like houseflies swarmed from the bag and gathered near the ceiling. The cloud curled and undulated, like a flag billowing in a soft breeze.

“Push the trackball to activate the menu,” Koritt said.

Ty did as instructed and a list popped up on the screen.

“Rotate the trackball until the second item on the list is highlighted,” Koritt instructed.

“I wish the translator tab was still working,” Ty lamented as the highlighter outlined the second item on the list. “What am I doing?”

“You are instructing the drones to map the surrounding terrain and structures. A prompt will appear asking for the outermost limits of the map. The value you enter will determine the perimeter of the surveillance circle.”

“I say 300 meters,” Wraith said, “to make sure the entire building and grounds are mapped.”

There was general agreement and Ty entered 300 at the prompt.

“Now push the red button to program and actuate the drones,” Koritt said.

Ty pushed the button and the drones darted for the doors and the ventilation system. A detailed blueprint of the building began to appear on the screen. Walls, windows, doors, and the ventilation system appeared along with dimensions in meters and centimeters. Human bodies took shape as orange-colored icons. The detail included the shape of weapons held and where they were pointed. It was evident from the clustering of the orange icons an assault on their position was imminent.

“I dub thee fly-cam,” Psycho announced.

Nods confirmed everyone’s agreement.

“I give us a few minutes before they break down doors and come at us from two sides,” Sasquatch said.

The scale of the blueprint changed as more of the building was mapped. In moments, the complete building, the surrounding grounds and the location of every SEED agent was detailed. The depiction was real-time, and every movement of the people outside their room was updated second-by-second.

“That guy has to be the leader,” Wraith said, pointing at an orange figure standing at a desk gesturing to another figure across the room.

Ty turned to Koritt and said, “This is all good information, but how is it going to help us? We need a clear path back to Elvis.”

“It would be helpful to consult someone with knowledge of the safest route out of the building,” Koritt replied.

“There’s only one person I know, but she’s half a world away,” Ty grumbled.

“Maybe not,” Koritt said.

***

The limo carrying Wakil Amed Ghaffar bounced as it drove into the Base that used to be controlled by the Americans.

The jostling irritated Ghaffar. One of the bounces was hard enough to drive the top of his head into the limo roof. It was as if the driver was hitting the dips and depressions on purpose. Ghaffar decided the driver needed a tour of the front lines. Maybe dodging bullets and land mines would make him appreciate the comforts of an air-conditioned limo.

Wind-blown dust coated Ghaffar’s polished boots the moment he climbed out of the limo. Covering his mouth and nose with his scarf, he entered the building Fakhoury was using as a makeshift command post. Fakhoury, dressed in desert camouflage, was giving orders on a walkie and hesitated when he saw Ghaffar.

“Keep searching. Don’t bother me again unless you find them.”

Tossing the walkie aside, Fakhoury straightened his back and saluted.

“The Base is ours. The defenders are either dead or captured.”

“Then why the search? Who is them?” Ghaffar asked.

Fakhoury pointed. Akhund sat in a corner of the room with two guards. Ghaffar recognized the glow of fear in the man’s eyes.

“You said he was eaten by a monster,” Ghaffar replied.

Grimacing at the thought, Fakhoury said, “I was misled. He says the flying monster was a machine controlled by Americans. He was taken off the thing and brought here by two women and a man. A search is on-going for them.”

“I see,” Ghaffar said in a disinterested tone. “In the meantime, I want a helicopter. Bouncing around on roads pocked by bombs is tiresome.”

“The airfield is a short walk from here. There should be a few. We’ll pick up some pilots on the way,” Fakhoury replied.

As if making a belated decision, Fakhoury looked at Akhund and said, “You’re going with us.”

A guard grabbed Akhund’s collar, hoisted him to his feet and shoved him toward Fakhoury.

Noticing Ghaffar’s surprise, Fakhoury explained, “This godless coward has survived four sure-death encounters with US forces. He either has a charmed life or a traitorous relationship with the invaders. I don’t want him out of my sight until I learn the truth.”

***

Frost, Turner and Thann huddled under the burned-out, smoking hulk of a fuel truck, staring at the airfield. They had taken weapons off dead soldiers, but their choices were limited and ammunition was scarce.

Two MV-22 Osprey VTL aircraft sat on the tarmac less than one hundred meters away. Neither looked damaged but it was only a guess whether they remained airworthy.

A few Insurgents guarded the airfield, but they weren’t vigilant. It was clear they thought no one was going to challenge them.

“We wait until dark to make our move,” Frost said.

“I don’t think we should wait,” Thann argued. “The situation could change.”

“Darkness gives us an advantage. We should wait,” Turner said.

Thann shook her head in exasperation and was about to reply when more men appeared. One of them looked like he was being dragged along by a man wearing camouflage. His hands were tied.

“The prisoner looks like Akhund,” Frost said. “I wish I had some binoculars.”

“What are they doing?” Thann asked.

There was some discussion and pointing. A couple of the men climbed into one of the Ospreys while the others waited. A few minutes later, black smoke belched from the craft’s exhaust pipes. The engines turned but sounded rough. After a few revolutions, one of the props ground to a stop and more smoke gushed from the engine nacelle.

A short time later, the men climbed out and walked to the second Osprey. In a few moments, its engines coughed and began thrumming. There wasn’t any black smoke this time as both rotors spun up to full speed.

“Looks like our decision is made for us,” Frost said as the men waiting with the prisoner began walking toward the working Osprey.

The gunfire from Turner’s rifle was deafening. One of the disadvantages of hiding under a truck is the amplification of sound. Frost was lying between Thann and Turner, and when Thann followed Turner’s example and began firing, Frost knew she wouldn’t hear well for hours.

The man dragging the prisoner fell. The rest of the airfield guards darted for cover as bullets kicked up dust near their feet or ricocheted off the plane’s armored fuselage. The prisoner stumbled toward the Osprey’s open door and climbed inside. There was return fire that hit the side of the truck, but none of it came near the SEED agents.

“We’ve got to move. The gunfire will bring all the Insurgents here,” Frost shouted.

Sliding from under the truck, Frost scampered toward the Osprey using disabled or destroyed vehicles as cover. Thann and Turner followed her.

One of the guards, sheltered behind a landing strut, peppered them with auto fire. Turner shot the tires, and the port side of the Osprey slammed down on the strut’s axle. When the multi-ton aircraft teetered off balance, the guard dodged enough to expose his body, and Thann shot him. The man wearing a business suit raised his arms in surrender, and the remaining airfield guards ran away.

Turner reached the aircraft’s door first and climbed into the passenger area while Frost and Thann kept their weapons pointed at the businessman.

“Who do you think that guy is?” Thann asked, staring at Ghaffar.

“I don’t know, but from his taste in clothes, I’d say he’s been watching too many porno flicks,” Frost replied as they climbed into the cabin. Akhund cowered near the starboard aft bench, hands still tied. Recognizing Frost, he relaxed.

Ghaffar did his best to act like he couldn’t understand English but seethed about the description of his suit. He liked the way the polyester material glistened in the sunlight, and the cloth never looked wrinkled. His thoughts were interrupted when Turner shoved the Afghani pilots out of the cockpit and onto the tarmac. Turner motioned with his sidearm for all of them to run and shot at their feet to make sure they had incentive to keep running.

Closing the door, Turner said, “I trust one of you knows how to fly this thing.”

“Don’t worry,” Frost replied as she walked toward the cockpit. “I’m not like most of the women you know.”

Thann chuckled when Turner scowled.

Akhund, speaking in Farsi, said, “Frost, untie me. You know I’m not a threat.”

“What’s he blabbering about?” Turner asked in a voice laced with suspicion.

Hesitating at the entry to the cockpit, Frost nodded toward Akhund and replied, “Akhund is like a cockroach. Dirty and useless but still popping up at odd times.”

Akhund cringed as Thann jammed the barrel of her pistol against his temple. Without warning, a rainfall of clanging turned the Osprey’s fuselage into a giant bell. The belated sounds of automatic gunfire followed.

“Get this thing in the air,” Turner yelled as one of the port windows cracked. “As soon as they realize the fuselage is armored, they’ll switch to RPG’s.”

The engines roared, and the Osprey thundered into the sky.

“Releasing chaff,” Frost shouted.

Bright, flaring stars trailing smoke blossomed from the Osprey. Frost swung the aircraft away from the Base, trying to put as much distance as she could between them and the airfield. A thunderous explosion buffeted the airframe as an RPG struck one of the decoys.

“I think we’re far enough away from the Base to relax for the moment,” Frost said. “We’re heading to Bagram airbase. I need to talk to Cruneval.”

***

Cruneval’s hands shook as he poured himself a whiskey. His encounters with aliens were limited to examining their dead bodies. He had never met a live specimen, at least not one without restraints. The experience scared him more than he wanted anyone to know. He could have died!

Sensing someone behind him, he gulped the drink.

“Are the prisoners isolated?” he asked in a tone meant to hide his trembling.

“Yes,” Muriak replied. “The exit doors to the Interrogation Suite are locked and guarded by hand-picked mercenaries. Nothing is getting past them.”

“I don’t like feeling threatened. I thought the alien vessel was secure.”

“It was searched. We scanned it for lifeforms with every detector we have. Nothing was discovered,” Muriak said.

“I don’t like it. The SEED headquarters should be inviolate,” Cruneval growled. “You’re responsible.”

A fly buzzed near Cruneval’s head, and he batted at it. The movement was a natural human response, and Muriak didn’t think anything of it until he noticed other flies clinging to the back corner of the office near the ceiling.

“What are you staring at?” Cruneval asked. “I need your full attention.”

“Isn’t it a little early for fly season?” Muriak asked.

Turning to see what Muriak was jabbering about, Cruneval’s eyes narrowed. The building was treated for pests on a regular basis. It never ceased to amaze how the humid climate around the Potomac Basin nurtured insects.

“I need you to focus on important matters,” Cruneval said with a dismissive wave. “You can kill flies later.”

At that moment, Cruneval’s private phone began ringing. Only certain people knew the number and code necessary to bypass the switchboard - the President and Field Agents.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Cruneval picked up the receiver and said, “Yes?”

***

Bagram Air Base was only forty minutes flying time away. Frost pushed the Osprey hard enough to cover the distance in thirty.

She knew the code words for landing at the Base from her orientation. In no time, she stood with Thann and Turner explaining to the Base Commander, John Travis, what had happened and why their Osprey had battle damage.

“The Base was overrun?” Travis asked. “I know Colonel Hubert. He wouldn’t let that happen.”

“I told you Colonel Hubert was not present,” Frost said with exasperation. “He’s on a captured spacecraft along with Lieutenant Ty Lavender and his squad of misfits.”

“I know Lieutenant Lavender,” Travis said. “Good man to have at your back. Now what’s this about a spacecraft?”

Frost grimaced at the stupidity of the question.

“It is no wonder SEED doesn’t rely on regular military units to carry out its objectives.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by Thann.

“Look, Sir. With all due respect, we don’t have time to bring you up to date on our mission parameters or objectives. SEED personnel are to be given full cooperation by all US Military units, yours included. So if you want to keep those nice, shiny eagles on your uniform, it would be wise to give us what we want.”

Colonel Travis didn’t sound angry, but Frost could tell by his expression that Thann had crossed a line. Frost decided it was time to calm the waters.

“Commander, please forgive Agent Thann’s zealous nature. If you would permit me to call my superior officer, I’m sure he can satisfy your curiosity with more helpful dialogue and cooperation.”

Travis’ shoulders relaxed a bit. He stopped glaring daggers at Thann, but the look on his face remained stern. For an instant, Lincoln thought of her teenage brother and how he reacted to insults.

“An excellent suggestion, Agent Frost. Make the call,” Travis said with a gesture toward his office phone.

When Frost hesitated, he said, “It’s satellite based and encrypted.”

Thann moved toward the phone, but Frost waved her back.

Dialing the direct office number and special access code for Cruneval’s private extension, Frost waited, trying to ignore the stares of the Commander and Thann.

“Yes?”

Recognizing Cruneval’s voice, Frost said, “This is Agent Frost. I’m at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in the presence of its Commander John Travis and Agents Thann and Turner.”

“It’s about time you checked in,” Cruneval stormed. “We have a situation here.”

“What?”

“Don’t what me, Frost. A certain Lieutenant Ty Lavender and his squad tried to attack SEED Headquarters with an alien spacecraft. We managed to capture them, but they escaped somehow and are threatening Headquarters.”

“Lavender is at SEED Headquarters?” Frost asked. “I don’t understand.”

Just as the words left her lips, a swirling light appeared near her and grew larger. A cold breeze wafted across the room, and loose papers blew off Travis’ desk. The swirling light grew larger and a dark emptiness formed in its center. In a moment, the swirling light looked like a two meter diameter oval picture frame with a black tunnel in place of the photograph.

The breeze disappeared, and the loose papers floated to the floor. The black tunnel pixelated, then cleared into a movie-like scene of a warehouse. The phenomenon was so unexpected and strange, Frost, Thann, Turner and Travis froze like deer caught in headlights.

“What is happening there?” Cruneval asked. “What’s that noise?”

Cruneval’s demands broke into Frost’s abstraction, and she said, “We have a problem. I’ll have to call you back.”

“Wait, Frost. Don’t you ...” The rest of Cruneval’s demand clicked into oblivion as Frost hung up.

Moments later, a familiar voice said, “It worked. I see her.”

***

Koritt fanned the cards and chose one.

“Put this card in the slot,” he said.

“What is it?” Ty asked as he pulled the used Swarm card and replaced it with the new one.

“You said you needed Frost. The new card is for a Transporteur. It will enable you to bring Frost here,” Koritt replied.

The U-10 swelled, and Ty withdrew a device similar to a gold-plated video game controller. The knobs and pushbuttons looked familiar except for one design difference. A viewscreen about the size of an IPhone was installed in a vertical position in the center of the device. Setting the thing aside, Ty rummaged through the U-10 for something more, but the pouch was empty.

Hashtag and Psycho crowded over his shoulder for a closer look at the gizmo while the other squad members guarded the doors.

“I don’t think it would be fair to play Xbox with that,” Hashtag said.

“Only if you wanted to kill your opponents for real,” Psycho grinned.

Looping the U-10 carry strap over his shoulder, Ty studied the device. The standard green and red buttons were on one side, and unmarked buttons in a circular pattern were set on the other side. Control toggles were placed where someone’s thumbs could manipulate them.

“What do I do with it?” Ty asked.

“The green button activates,” Koritt said. “You enter the destination parameters using the selector buttons, and the wormhole is created.”

“What do the thumb controls have to do with it?” Hashtag asked.

“The left controls the diameter of the wormhole. The right makes fine adjustments to the position of the wormhole at the other end.”

“You mean right or left?” Ty asked.

“Yes and up and down,” Koritt replied.

“How do I tell it to find Frost?” Ty asked. “I don’t know where she is.”

“We gave her back the GPS locator band. The code is FLB999,” Hashtag said.

When everyone stared at him like he was possessed, he shrugged, “FLB stands for Frost Locator Beacon and the 999 part was easy.” When the explanation seemed to fall flat, he continued, “I’m a geek, what do you expect?”

Shaking his head, Ty pushed the green button, and an alien voice spoke.

“It wants the target coordinates,” Koritt said.

“Tell it to find the GPS signal FLB999,” Ty instructed.

Koritt took the Transporteur, pushed buttons and twittered a sentence. A beam of light, like a flickering movie projector, shot from the back of the controller. The beam solidified into the shape of an oval picture frame filled with a swirling kaleidoscope of light and shadow. In moments, the frame grew into a two meter diameter oval.

Air rushed into the frame, and Ty noticed it was strong enough to flutter Hashtag’s hair.

“The wind is generated by the creation of the wormhole,” Koritt explained as he handed the device to Ty. “As soon as the terminal connection is established, it will dissipate.”

The device pinged, and the swirling light pixelated into a clear picture of people standing next to a military-type desk. Lincoln Frost was to one side holding a telephone receiver.

“It worked. I see her,” Ty exclaimed. “Now what?”

“Move the end of the wormhole closer to Frost using the thumb toggles. Then reach through the hole and pull her here,” Koritt answered.

Ty manipulated the toggles until the end of the wormhole was aimed at Lincoln. Handing the controller to Hashtag, Ty stepped toward his side of the wormhole. In a slow and experimental fashion, he touched the picture inside the frame. Surprised he felt no electric shock or other discomfort, he reached further into the phenomenon.

***

Lincoln’s eyes bulged as a hand appeared from the swirling center of the frame on her end.

Realizing she was scared to death and imagining how he would react if a swirling nothingness appeared near him, Ty leaned into the end of his wormhole until his head and arm were showing on the other end.

Looking to his right, Ty saw Commander Travis standing next to his desk, staring at him with white-rimmed eyes.

“Colonel Travis, Sir,” Ty said. “Good to see you. I need to borrow Agent Frost, if you don’t mind. Urgent business.”

Returning his attention to Frost, he said, “Lincoln, I need you at SEED Headquarters. Please take my hand.”

Frost’s first reaction to the weird opening hovering before her was uncertainty. She had experienced many strange events during her work with alien technology and knew it was dangerous. Her second reaction, when Ty’s face appeared, was relief. Based on what Cruneval had told her, she imagined Ty was in trouble. She experienced an odd tingling sensation knowing Ty was all right. She reached for his hand, as if in a trance, and almost touched it when Thann yelled.

“Are you crazy?”

The screech made Frost hesitate. A shot rang out. Turner had fired his sidearm. He missed Ty, but the gunfire drew unwanted attention. Shouts and running feet could be heard coming toward the office door.

More of Ty’s body appeared. Grabbing Lincoln’s arm, he jerked her toward him. Just as they cleared the wormhole interface, Koritt pushed the red button, the Transporteur shut off and the wormhole disappeared.

Ty’s momentum took him, still holding Frost, to the floor in a tangled heap. Instead of trying to disengage, they held each other.

“What do you mean you need me,” Lincoln purred.

Her lips were so close to his cheek, Ty felt her warm breath. It felt - nice.

“I think your boss doesn’t like me,” Ty whispered.

“He can be hard to get along with,” Lincoln replied. “Kinda like you.” She emphasized her last statement with a squirm.

“I thought you might help convince him to stop coming after Koritt and me,” Ty replied, enjoying the movement.

“He’s thick-headed. I might not be able to convince him you’re harmless,” Lincoln smiled. “You are harmless, aren’t you?”

“Harmless,” Ty responded a little softer voiced than he intended.

Rolling her eyes, Wraith said, “Either get a hotel room, or stop the nonsense. They’re going to break down these doors any second.”

Jarred from his tete-a-tete, Ty eased Lincoln off his chest and stood, ignoring Wraith’s frown, Psycho’s grin and the uncomfortable stares of the others. Even Koritt had a curious look about him.

“Can you help us get out of here?” Ty asked Frost, trying to get his mind off the pleasure of holding her close.

“Maybe. Cruneval depends on his guards for protection. As long as he feels he has an advantage, he won’t stop attacking,” Frost replied. “I can try to talk him down.”

It’s not like we have a lot of options,” Fisheye said.

“Okay, how do we do this?” Ty asked.

“Easy,” Frost said as she walked to an intercom embedded in the wall next to one of the exit doors and placed her thumb over the fingerprint reader.

“Director Cruneval, this is Agent Lincoln Frost. I’m here in the building with Lieutenant Lavender. He wants to parley with me as the go-between. Based upon what I have learned about the alien tech he controls, it’s my recommendation you deal with him.”

There was a brief pause and then, “Agent Frost? I was just talking to you in Afghanistan. How are you here in this building?”

“It’s a long story, Sir. We have an opportunity here for access to technology far beyond our past experiences,” she answered.

Looking at Ty with a half frown, she continued, “Problem is it’s in the hands of an unpredictable trouble-maker who keeps wasting it. I think I can persuade him to stand down, but he wants to parley face-to-face.”

After a pause that seemed too long, Cruneval said, “Very well. Bring him, unarmed, to my office. The guards will let you pass.”