David Robbins - New York Run

Blade felt an intense rage welling within him. Had his arms been free, he would have throttled the Minister’s neck. “Why?”

“Because that one,” and the Minister pointed at Hickok, “will remain here. I told you I needed insurance. Well, the fool is my insurance. He will stay with us until you return. If you betray us, you will never see your friend again.”

“Our relationship will be based on trust then,” Blade commented dryly.

“Trust must be earned,” the Minister said. “You must prove you are trustworthy, just as I have proven my reliability to you.”

“You have?” Blade said skeptically.

“Certainly. I could have slain you, but didn’t. I could have taken your vehicle, but I haven’t. What more could I do to convince you I’m sincere?”

Blade almost laughed aloud. Sincere? The Minister was as sincere as the legendary serpent in the Garden of Eden!

“Release him,” the Minister said to Captain Wargo. “Take him next door and dress him. Then take Blade and Geronimo to the cafeteria and feed them. Have your squad report to you there. I will join you in an hour.”

“As you command,” Wargo said. His heels clicked together, and he moved to his left around the chair.

Blade tensed. He debated the wisdom of making a break for it, but discarded the idea. Hickok and Geronimo were both unconscious. He would be unable to carry them both to safety. Besides, there was little he could do while unarmed and naked. He would have to bide his time.

Captain Wargo produced a key and quickly unlocked the manacles securing Blade. “No hard feelings?” he asked.

Blade wanted to drive his fist into Wargo’s smug face. Instead, he smiled. “No hard feelings,” he lied.

“This way,” Captain Wargo said, motioning for Blade to follow him.

The Minister nodded at them as they passed. He waited until Wargo, Blade, the two troopers and Geronimo were gone before he spoke again.

“What did you think?” he inquired of the man in brown.

“An excellent performance,” the man responded. “Blade appeared to be thoroughly confounded. He’ll never suspect your true.motives.”

The woman raised her right hand and patted her hair into place. “I don’t get it,” she said in a squeaky voice.

The Minister faced her. “What don’t you get?”

“Any of this,” the woman said. “Why’d you hand the keys over to him? I thought you want the SEAL?”

The Minister sighed. He stood and moved next to the woman. “My one weakness,” he said softly, gently placing his right hand under her chin, “and she has to be mentally deficient.”

“Are you talking about me?” the woman asked in an annoyed tone.

The Minister smiled sweetly. “No, Loretta, darling,” he said in a reserved manner, then abruptly thundered, “I’m talking about the tooth fairy!”

The woman recoiled, but his hand gripped her chin, restraining her in place.

“How many times must I explain it to you?” the Minister angrily demanded.

Loretta wanted to speak, but her mouth was immobile, forced shut by the pressure on her chin.

“We have the capability of constructing a hundred SEALs,” the Minister said, as if he were a teacher instructing a wayward pupil, his bearing condescending, his fingers digging into her skin. “With one exception. The SEAL is composed of a special plastic, an alloy unlike any other in existence, developed by Kurt Carpenter’s scientists shortly before World War III. There isn’t another vehicle like the SEAL on the face of the earth.” He paused, his gaze hardening. “I want the secret of that alloy. I want to know how they made the SEAL’s body. I want to duplicate their process, discover the formula they used. Once I have it in my hands, we will produce hundreds of war machines with the same plastic. We’ll be unstoppable! The Freedom Federation will crumble before our armored might! And the Soviets will be next!” A fanatical gleam infested the Minister’s black eyes. “We will assume our rightful place in the world! The Technics will subjugate the globe and establish a new world order! We will achieve a new and higher destiny!” He released his hold on Loretta’s chin, lost in an inner rapture.

“So why don’t you just take their SEAL and be done with it?” Loretta stupidly inquired.

The Minister’s right hand swept up, ready to strike.

Loretta flinched, raising her right arm to protect her face. To her surprise, he lowered his hand and stepped back.

“Will you elaborate for this… this… person , Arthur,” the Minister asked, stalking toward the door.

Arthur nodded. “We can’t merely appropriate their vehicle because it might have a self-destruct mechanism.”

Loretta’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“The Warriors might have a way of blowing up the SEAL if anyone attempts to steal it or drive it off,” Arthur detailed. “Even drilling into the window entailed a calculated risk. But it also accomplished another purpose.”

“What’s that?” Loretta queried.

“Even as we speak,” Arthur said, “our chemists are analyzing the fragments we drilled from the window. With any luck, they’ll discover the secret of the SEAL’s adamantine plastic before Blade and the others return from New York City. If not…” He shrugged. “We will confiscate the SEAL.”

Loretta grinned. “I get it! This way, you kill two birds with one stone!

The Warriors will get the canisters you need, and you’ll get the chemical formula you want. With the canisters and the formula, our army will be invincible!”

“Exactly,” Arthur said.

“Are you two coming?” the Minister demanded. He was standing in the doorway, holding the door open.

Loretta strolled toward him. “I’m impressed. How do you keep coming up with such brilliant plans?”

The Minister grinned. “All it requires is an exceptional intellect.”

“Do you really think they can get the canisters?” Loretta inquired.

“They’ll have an excellent chance using the SEAL,” the Minister said.

“Once we have the canisters, we can commence work on the projectiles.

Our foes will be putty in our hands.”

“It’s too bad you have to go to so much trouble,” Loretta remarked.

“Too bad you can’t just take the SEAL and be done with it.”

“True,” the Minister agreed. “But we can’t risk losing the SEAL before our scientists have unraveled its secrets. Captain Wargo didn’t detect any evidence of any such device, but he couldn’t be sure. And all Blade would have to do is press a secret button while climbing from the SEAL, and it might explode if we tampered with it.”

“So all that stuff you told Blade was to throw him off the track?” Loretta said.

“Of course.”

Loretta kissed the Minister on his right cheek. “I get all tingly when I think of how lucky I am to be your consort.”

“Tingly? Really?” The Minister glanced at Arthur. “Tell Wargo I will join him in two hours instead of one.”

“As you command.”

Two more days had elapsed.

Two whole days! It was the morning of the third day!

And she hadn’t done a damn thing!

Lieutenant Farrow was up early. She’d spent another sleepless night, tossing and turning on her cot in B Block. She rose before dawn, dressed in her uniform, and slipped from the building unnoticed. Listless, haunted by her dereliction of duty, she strolled to the north and eventually reached the inner moat. Standing on the bank, she idly watched the water flowing past and contemplated her fate. In all her years as a professional soldier, she’d never exhibited any degree of indecision. She’d always performed her duty as required.

Until now.