Simon Hawke - The Cleopatra Crisis

“We came here to do a job, Warren.” said Simmons.

“Yeah, against Steiger and maybe the adjustment team. butnot a whole assault force. There’s only eight of us, for Christ’s sake!”

“We don’t have to take on the whole assault force,” Simmonssaid. “All we have to do is pick the right moment, take out Steiger in all theconfusion and we’re gone.”

“Forget it! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m notabout to take my chances against those kind of odds. You want that bounty onSteiger so bad. Simmons, you’re welcome to it. I’m outta here.”

“Warren …” Simmons began. but Warren had already clockedout. “Warren? Son of a bitch !”

“Warren’s right,” one of the others said. “This whole thingjust became too hot to handle. Let’s get the hell out of here. It’s not worthit.”

“It’s worth it to me.” insisted Simmons. “That bastardbusted up some of our hest operations and he cost me my career. And he did thesame thing to every one of you.”

“So there’ll be other opportunities to square accounts,” theman named Rick said. “This one just went sour. It’s just too risky. I’m out.”

“So am I,” one of the others said.

“Me, too. I didn’t bargain for this.”

“Fine,” said Simmons coldly. “If you gutless wonders want totuck your tails between your legs and run, then go. I don’t need you. I’ll doit myself “

“Don’t be a fool. Why take the chance? There’ll be anothertime.”

“No,” said Simmons firmly. “It’s gonna be this time. Righthere. Right now.”

“Suit yourself.” said Rick. shaking his head. “It’s yourfuneral.”

“Oh, there’ll be a funeral, all right.” said Simmons. “Onlyit ain’t gonna be mine.”

There were two guards standing on either side of the doorwayto Cleopatra’s bedroom. Neither of them heard a thing as Darkness suddenlymaterialized beside the Queen of Egypt’s bed. He reached out and flung thebedclothes off her and as she jerked awake with a gasp. he pulled her into histachyon field and translocated. Before Cleopatra could even react to what washappening. she had reappeared with Darkness a nanosecond later in the libraryof Travers’ home. Corwin held her while Castelli fired a stun dart into herupper arm.

“Sorry about that, Your Highness,” said Castelli. “But it’llbe okay. you won’t remember a damn thing.”

She collapsed in Corwin’s arms with a small moan.

Lucas gave the order. “Okay, people. Move out!” Bryant’steam clocked out to the palace. Simultaneously. Cooper’s strike force unitclocked to Cleopatra’s house. “Okay.” Lucas said to Castelli and Corwin. “Youknow what to do. Move.”

Castelli and Corwin snapped a preprogrammed warp disc aroundCleopatra’s wrist and clocked out to the future.

“Andell. you ready?” Lucas said.

“Ready,” said Sgt. Andell.

“Okay, Finn, get going,” Lucas said.

“Good luck. Lucas.” said Delaney.

“You. too.”

“Travers. if we’re not back in ten minutes. get the hell outof here,” Delaney said.

“You’ll be back,” said Travers.

“Okay.” said Lucas. ‘Let’s go for broke.” They all clockedout together,!caving Travers alone in the library. He crossed his fingers.

There were two S.O.G. men standing guard outside the door ofCaesar’s chambers. Two more were stationed in front of the sleeping quarters ofthe guards. There was a sudden whoosh . followed by a loud thwaack ! One of the guards at Caesar’s door crumpled unconscious to the ground. Theother guard jerked around, startled, but he didn’t see a thing except theunconscious form of his companion. Suddenly a disembodied hand appearedfloating in midair, about a foot and a half in front of him. It was holding ablackthorn walking stick. The guard’s jaw dropped as he stared at it with astonishment. Whoosh. thwaack ! Two down.

Major Bryant materialized in front of the two fallen guards.holding his disruptor. He glanced down quickly at their unconscious forms, thenlooked up to see Dr. Darkness leaning back against the wall, blowing animaginary speck of dust from the head of his walking stick. Bryant tossed him acasual salute. Darkness touched his walking stick to the brim of his hat.

At the same time, the other commandos of Bryant’s teamclocked in to their transition points. They fired their disruptors and theguards were briefly wreathed in the blue glow of Cherenkov radiation as theneutron beams struck them, then they disintegrated. They never even had achance to scream. Bryant aimed his disruptor down at the unconscious guards andquickly disposed of them, then moved quickly and silently toward the sleepingquarters of the other S.O.G. men. Moving softly, the commandos fanned outthroughout the room, covering the sleeping guards. One of them, either feelingthe call of nature or reacting subconsciously to their presence. woke up. hehad only an instant in which to register the black-clad men spread out through-outthe room. he opened his mouth to shout out a warning. but at that preciseinstant, they all fired. The room became bathed in the bright blue glow of Cherenkovradiation as the S.O.G. men, their bedclothes, and their beds alldisintegrated. It was over in a matter of seconds.

As Bryant and his team coped with the guards. Lucas and Andellclocked directly into Caesar’s bedroom. Calpurnia was sound asleep, but Caesar,a light sleeper with instincts honed by year of battle, awoke as they startedto move toward his bed. He sat up suddenly as Lucas quickly raised his stunnerand fired a dart into his chest. Caesar jerked and fell back onto the bed. Atthe same time. Andell fired a dart into Calpurnia. She jerked slightly andmoaned, then lay perfectly motionless.

“A trifle late, there.” Darkness said as he appearedstanding against the wall, toying with his walking stick. “How are the othersdoing?” Lucas said as he and Andell quickly started strapping preprogrammedwarp discs around the wrists of Caesar and his wife.

“Surprisingly, they seem to have the situation well in hand,”said Darkness. “I’d better go check on that great clod, Delaney, and see if he’smanaged to do his part without shooting himself in the foot.”

He disappeared.

“If you ask me. that man’s a few cards short of a full deck.”Andell said.

“Maybe,” Lucas replied. “but what cards he does have are allmarked. You ready’?”

“Ready,” said Andell.

“Okay, check your time. I want them both clocked back hereexactly one minute from now. Ready?”

“Mark!” Andell said.

“Go!”

Andell activated the warp disc on Calpurnia’s wrist while Lucassimultaneously clocked out Caesar. They both vanished.

“All right. I’m on my way,” Andell said. “Good luck, Lucas.”

“You, too.”

Andell clocked out.

Now came the tough part. Lucas held his laser pistol in onehand and his stunner in the other. he stood back against the wall, out ofimmediate sight of anyone who might be coming through the doorway. but in aposition where he could clearly see them. Now all he had to do was keep theroom secure and wait for the longest minute in the world.

Cooper’s strike force troops started moving the second theyclocked in. Three of them took down the legionaries posted at the front gates.aiming carefully and firing their stun darts into the exposed flesh at theupper arms and thighs of the soldiers, where their breastplates could notdeflect them. Then they immediately started moving onto the grounds. Three moremen clocked in on the roof and that was where they sustained their firstcasualty.

One of the S.O.G. guards on the rooftop just happened tomove to the same spot where one of Cooper’s men was clocking in. Two objectscould not occupy the same time and space simultaneously. There was a brief,agonized scream, and then a hideous, misshapen mass of bloody, writhing fleshthat was barely recognizable as being human fell to the rooftop. For aninstant, the other rooftop guards were too shocked to move and in that instant.Cooper’s men fired their disruptors. The S.O.G. men were briefly wreathed in ablue aura, then they disappeared.