Simon Hawke - The Pimpernel Plot

“I thought that your job was to find Mongoose.”

“It is and I’m anxious to do that as soon as possible. That’s why I came to see you.”

“What makes you so sure he’s not out to sabotage the adjustment?” Finn said. “You know something I don’t?”

Cobra smiled. “I know Mongoose. In a way, I even understand him, though that’s no mean feat. He wants to make you and Priest look bad, as well as Cross. The three of you are the ones who caught him with his pants down. This is just his way of getting even.”

“For saving his life?”

“Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But you don’t know him like I do. Mongoose is a little crazy. Maybe recent events have made him more so. It certainly appears that way. He has a death wish. We’ve all got that to one extent or another-you, me, Priest-otherwise we wouldn’t be here. Mongoose is a bit more extreme that way. It’s part of what makes him so effective in the field. Death doesn’t bother him, he flirts with it. He’s always taken incredible chances and up until the Timekeeper affair, his risks have always paid off. I’ve seen him set himself up like you would not believe.”

“Oh, I think I’d believe it,” Finn said.

“Granted, he finally went too far,” said Cobra. “He would have been killed if you hadn’t intervened. I know you’d think that he’d be grateful, but his mind just doesn’t work that way. What you did amounts to coitus interruptus, in a way. Now he’s out to show us all that he’s still got it. He stole a march on you and that’s only the beginning. He’s going to try to steal your thunder and lead me a merry chase until this thing is over with.”

“And then what?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” said Cobra. “The biggest mistake they made was that they fixed his face and body, but they forgot to check his mind. I’m not saying that he’s gone off the deep end, but there’s no question that he’s allowing his neurosis to control him. He’s rational, but his rationality is skewed. Fitzroy maintains that if we don’t catch him soon, there’s no telling what he might do. He might even decide to join the underground or to clock forward to Plus Time and continue playing tag with us there. There is, of course, another possibility and that is that he might be reinstated.”

“You’re joking.”

“Why should I be joking? Personally, I’d like to see it happen. We can’t afford to waste talent like his. With reeducation, I’m sure Darrow would have reinstated him eventually.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Finn said.

“Well, perhaps not. Mongoose made Darrow look bad. Still, he can be helped and the director doesn’t always have the final word in these things.”

“No? Who does?”

“I’m afraid I can’t say,” the agent said. “You see, the agency is not set up the same way as the Temporal Corps or the Observers. We can’t work that way. The director always has a certain amount of authority, but there’s a limit to what even the director is given access to. It wouldn’t do to have one man in a position to know everything that goes on in the organization. That would be very bad for security. Also, it helps to have someone, like Darrow, to take the fall if necessary.”

“You’re telling me that Darrow resigned to cover for someone else?” said Finn.

“Is that what I said? Perhaps you misunderstood me. Anyway, now that we’ve been placed under the direct control of the Observer Corps, there’s a new director and a certain amount of reorganizational instability-”

“You mean a power struggle.”

“-and, as a result, my team of agents and myself have been placed under the command of the Observer on this mission. That means I’ll be taking orders from Fitzroy, at least for the time being. And his orders are to direct me in apprehending Mongoose and making certain that he doesn’t jeopardize this mission; but as I said, I don’t believe he’ll do that. At least, not intentionally.”

“No, of course not,” Finn said, dryly. “Whatever could have made me think such a thing?”

“Relax, Finn, will you? I’m on your side, believe me. The way things stand right now, I’m in a position to cooperate with you and I’d really like to do that. However, in order for us to be able to work together, there are certain things you’re going to have to understand. It’s what I’ve been trying to explain to you. You were a big help to me on that last mission and I’m trying to return the favor. Fitzroy doesn’t like you very much. As far as he’s concerned, you’re a maverick and you’re insubordinate. He doesn’t want me to confer with you.”

“So how come you’re disobeying orders?”

“Because I want to help you. And because I need your help. You know that reorganizational instability I mentioned? It could go either way. If it goes one way, certain conditions will prevail that will result in my having to continue working under Fitzroy. If it goes the other way, well, let’s just say that the agency will then go back to doing business as usual. You can draw your inferences from that. I’ll tell you what that means to you and me, in real terms.”

“Please do,” said Finn, “I’m beginning to get lost in these semantics.”

“Then I’ll try to make myself as clear as possible. If the present conditions change, then…the ‘old leadership’ will return to power. I’ll be able to act independently of Fitzroy and bring Mongoose in for interrogation and reeducation. He can be helped and made useful and productive once again. I’d very much like to see that happen.”

“What’s the alternative?” said Finn.

“The alternative is that the ‘new leadership’ will emerge preeminent, with a vested interest in seeing that no further reorganizational instability occurs, you get my meaning?”

“I think so,” said Finn, “but how does that change anything with regard to-”

“I’ll still have to apprehend Mongoose and deliver him for reeducation,” Cobra said, “but in that case, I’d be delivering him to different people. Remember that he used to be the senior field operative.”

“And as the senior field operative, he would know who-”

“Exactly.”

“You’re saying that they’d kill him to keep him from talking during reeducation? To keep the new director from finding out who really used to give the orders?”

Cobra nodded. “I have no idea whom they’d send to do the job. I’m a company man, Finn. I follow company leadership.”

“But there are others who wouldn’t,” Finn said, “who would maintain loyalty to the old leadership, as you put it.”

“That’s right. I was contacted by them just before I clocked out on this mission and told the score. I told them what I told you, that I follow company leadership. I don’t think I could have made myself any plainer. My job is to take Mongoose back and I intend to do it.”

“But if the covert boys lose their bid for power, Mongoose will have to be eliminated. If you’ve made it clear that you’re following the rulebook, you’ll have to be eliminated, too.”

“That’s right,” said Cobra. “There’s every reason to believe that at least one member of my team here is awaiting orders to that effect.”

“Jesus,” Finn said, “you’ve got a problem. What are your people into that they’re running so scared?”

“I honestly don’t know,” said Cobra. “If it becomes my job to find out, then I will, otherwise I’d just as soon remain ignorant. It’s safer that way.”

“What the hell do you expect me to do?”

“My problem is my problem,” said the agent. “With a little luck and some cooperation on your part, it won’t become your problem, as well. I don’t want to push Mongoose into doing anything foolish. If I can find him and talk to him, I can make him understand what the situation is. Perhaps I can even convince him to lay low and refrain from any further interference in your adjustment until it’s over, I don’t know. What I’m asking you to do is back off.”