Simon Hawke - The Cleopatra Crisis

“Christ. Simmons, you gave me a start!” said Marshall. exhalingheavily. “You should be more careful. What if I’d had a girl in here?”

“That would’ve been too bad for her.” said Simmons flatly,he was dressed in black commando fatigues and there was a laser pistol in atanker-style holster at his shoulder. “I’d suggest you curtail your sexualdiversions for the time being. You’ve got more important things to worry about.Did you know you’re being watched?”

“I’m being watched ?” said Marshall. stunned.

“That’s right.” said Simmons. “I thought you said they didn’tsuspect you.”

“But.. I don’t see how they could!” Protested Marshall. “Ihaven’t done anything to alert them or give myself away! I swear!”

“You must have done something,” Simmons said. He looked atMarshall’s cigarette with distaste. “Those filthy things are going to kill you.”

“If I don’t die of a damn heart attack first, from youpopping in here like that,” Marshall said. “I need these. They’re my only remainingconnection with the world I came from. An Underground connection picks them upfor me. They help steady my nerves.”

“Well, you’d better lay in a good supply, then,” Simmonssaid. “You’ll need your nerves steady. I see Steiger’s left the house.”

“You’ve got-him under surveillance?”

“Of course. You think we’re playing games here? Snap out ofit. Marshall. for Christ’s sake. Start thinking straight. What happened? Whydid he leave?”

Marshall glanced down at the floor and took a nervous dragoff his unfiltered cigarette. “He wanted me to provide him with a separate safehouse.”

Simmons regarded him steadily. “That’s not all of it. Whataren’t you telling me?”

Marshall hesitated.

Simmons suddenly stepped forward and grabbed him by histunic, lifting him up off the bed. There was a sound of ripping cloth. “Don’tfuck with me, Marshall,” he said in a low voice, through clenched teeth. “Icould do this just as easily without you. Get my drift?”

“All right, all right! Let go of me!”

Simmons released him and stepped back. “Let’s hear it,” hesaid. “ All of it.”

“He found out I drugged him the other night.”

“How? I thought you said he wouldn’t suspect a thing?”

“I don’t know how!” Marshall said. He took a deepbreath and let it out slowly. “That stuff wasn’t supposed to have any aftereffectsand I know he couldn’t have tasted it in the wine. But he figured it outsomehow. He’s good. He always was.”

“So you gave yourself away,” said Simmons with contempt. “Howcome you’re still alive?”

Marshall shook his head. “When he confronted me with it, Iwas sure he was going to kill me. But he hasn’t put it all together. He thoughtI’d gotten paranoid and drugged him so that I could kill him while he was out,because I was afraid he’d turn me in. I let him think that and convinced him Icouldn’t go through with it. That I’d lost my nerve. Since I hadn’t gonethrough with it, I guess he felt he owed me something. So he said he’d stay inthe apartment and he wasn’t going to contact me again. As soon as I walked outthe door, he’d forget I existed.” Marshall sighed. “He said I didn’t have toworry about him coming after me. I wasn’t worth it.”

“That’s it?” asked Simmons skeptically.

“That’s it.”

“He must be getting soft.”

“That’s funny,” Marshall replied dryly. “That’s almost thesame thing he said.”

“You’re lucky. It looks as if no real damage was done. Allwe’ve got to do is keep him under surveillance and take him out at theappropriate time.”

“You’d better tell your people to be careful,” Marshallsaid. “I wouldn’t count on Steiger getting soft. He just let me slide for oldtimes’ sake. He’s still the best damn field agent the T.I.A. ever had. If theyget too close, he’ll spot them.”

“Don’t worry,” Simmons said. “I’m not about to underestimatehim. What concerns me now is that surveillance on you. They must have caught onto you somehow.”

“Unless Steiger told them about me. I can’t see how,” saidMarshall. “Even after what’s happened, I don’t believe he’d do that. He’d haveto break his cover to blow the whistle on me.”

“So what? I don’t see how it would jeopardize his mission ifhe revealed himself to the adjustment team.”

Marshall shook his head. “No. he wouldn’t do that. I knowSteiger. He’s never been a team player. His whole purpose in being here is toprove to Forrester that the agency still needs the covert field section. He won’tlet the adjustment team know he’s here unless it’s absolutely necessary. Youhave to understand what drives him. he wants to go back to covert field work.

Alone, in deep cover. Just the way his old mentor. Carnehan,always used to do it. The Mongoose and Steiger were cut from the same cloth.Both mavericks. Both in it for the thrill. Steiger’s going to do things his ownway. If the adjustment team stays in control of the situation, he’ll hold offand cover them. If they blow it, he’ll take Caesar out himself.”

“Well, if Steiger hasn’t told them about you. then obviouslysomething you’ve done has put them on to you.”

“I tell you. I haven’t done anything that would make them suspectI’m part of the Underground, much less the Network,” Marshall insisted.

“Maybe not,” said Simmons. “otherwise I can’t see any reasonwhy they wouldn’t simply move in and apprehend you. But you must have donesomething to arouse their suspicion. Think. What have you done recently thatmight have drawn their attention to you?”

Marshall shook his head. “I tell you. I can’t think ofanything!”

You had to have done something.”

Marshall shrugged helplessly.

“Have you done anything different lately? Anything that wasout of your ordinary pattern of existence? Anything at all?”

Marshall frowned. “The only thing I’ve done recently that I’venever done before was fix a chariot race.”

Simmons frowned. “When?”

“A couple of days ago. But I can’t see how they couldpossibly know about that.”

“Why did you do that’”

“It was Steiger’s idea. He knows I’ve had contact with MarcAntony and he wanted to use that contact to get next to Caesar. So he had mefix the race so he could take Antony for a bundle, which would give him thechance to play the gracious winner and entertain Antony and his friends on hiswinnings.”

“And you haven’t done anything else out of the ordinary?”

“Nothing.”

“Then that must have been it. Somehow they figured out therace was fixed and that you fixed it.” I don’t get it,” Marshall said. “Even ifthey found that out, and I don’t see how the hell they could have, why shouldthat make them suspect me of anything other than being a crook?”

“You’re not thinking. Marshall. They’re on the lookout forany pattern of events that could connect to Caesar. If you arranged for Steigerto win a conspicuous amount of money from Marc Antony and that led to Antonyintroducing him to Caesar, it was something that would obviously attract theirattention. Especially since Steiger came out of nowhere and suddenly he’sinteracting with key figures in this scenario.”

“So that’s what that invitation from Septimus was all about!”said Marshall with sudden realization. “that’s why they asked me to bring thecharioteers! They wanted to have a chance to look us over!”

“Who’s Septimus’?”

“He’s an L.T.O. named Travers, who’s been assigned to Caesar,”Marshall explained. “Steiger warned me about him at the party. He wanted tomake sure I kept my distance from him and the adjustment team.”