TW02 The Timekeeper Conspiracy NEW (17 page)

"I won't belabor you with the details of that story. What matters is that suddenly I was presented with an opportunity to
do
something about the time wars. I couldn't stop them, but I could help others to desert, to refuse to take part in the lunacy. I became part of the underground.

"That child was cured, but my life changed from that point on. I moved to Paris and established myself there as a physi-cian. I would be a contact point in the underground and it's easier to conceal the comings and goings of people in a city teeming with people. That was how I first met Hunter.

"I kept returning to my own time, dangerous though it was, and contacting people in our organization who helped me to procure supplies. I had access to modern equipment, to stolen, modified implants, in short, I soon became a key figure in the organization. And on one of my trips back to my own time, I met the Timekeepers.

"There were people in my own time, members of the under-ground, who were involved with an organization known as the Temporal Preservation League. It was a group founded by Albrecht Mensinger and its aim was to stop the war machine. Most of the members of the league pursued this goal through peaceful means, but there were those who believed that they should stop at nothing to achieve their aims. These were the Timekeepers. Jimmy Darcy was a member of the Time-keepers, although when I first met him, I didn't know that. I simply thought he was a member of the league. In time, I came to learn the truth, and it was through him that I met Adrian Taylor.

"You must understand that I was and am against everything that the Timekeepers stand for. I could not and cannot con-done terrorism. But they wove a very tempting web and drew me in. I'm not trying to excuse my actions, only to explain what motivated them.

"They had a plan to fight the war machine, an elegant plan that I believed could not fail to work. With my help, with ac-cess to my surgical skills and chronoplate, they could form a unit that would travel back in time and interfere with history. The plan was that they would announce their intent, then follow through on it if the ones in power refused to listen. They would refuse, of course; but in time, they would have no choice but to accede to our demands.

"We would go back to some period in the past and create a temporal disruption, set into motion a course of events that would interfere with history. We would then alert the Referee Corps, giving them ample opportunity and time to effect an adjustment, thereby preserving the natural, historic course of events. Yet, even as they worked to bring their adjustment about, we would already be in yet another period, creating yet another disruption. We would repeat the process all over again and keep repeating it, putting a massive drain on the power, resources, and abilities of those who perpetuated the time wars. In time, they would be forced to realize that they could not stop us and they would have no choice but to listen to our demands. I was so naive, I actually believed that.

"I know now that that was never Taylor's plan. Taylor is in-sane. He's a killer. I'm convinced that he never meant to create a mere temporal disruption. No, his goal is far more ambitious. What Taylor wants to do is to create nothing less than a timestream split, to bring about the very disaster that the league and even his fellow terrorists wanted to avoid. And I helped him."

"Then it is up to you to stop him," Andre said.

"I wish I could," said Bennett. "I know I'm going to have to try, but I don't know what I can do. I'm just one man."

"One man who can move through time as easily as I can cross this room," said Andre. "A man who can make a beam of light cut better than the sharpest blade, who can transform a man into a woman.

After what I have seen and learned, I no longer believe that there is anything that cannot be done. After all that, what must be done seems very simple. Taylor must be killed, along with those who serve him.

You are not alone, Jack Bennett. I will help you."

"I'm afraid that killing Taylor is not a simple matter," Bennett said.

Andre smiled. "Nor is killing me."

Jimmy Darcy and Tonio Valenti had seen Bennett and the woman enter the house on the Rue St.

Honore. They had seen Bennett brandishing his laser.

"What do you think they did with Silvera?" Tonio said, scratching at his several-days'-old growth of thick black beard. Both he and Jimmy were dressed as common laborers.

"Could be they've taken him into custody and turned him over to other agents, maybe even clocked him out," said Jimmy. "Could be he's dead."

"That one chest seems pretty heavy," Tonio said. "What do you think they've got in there?"

Both men exchanged quick glances.

"This is really stupid," Jimmy said, beginning to test the waters. "There's absolutely no good reason to kill those two."

"Boss's orders," Tonio said. "Besides, they got Silvera. One way or another," he added, a bit more softly.

"So they got Silvera," Jimmy said. "Silvera screwed up. He never should've taken out that agent."

"He was the opposition," Tonio said.

"Christ, use your brain," said Jimmy. "They've probably got agents crawling over half of Paris; you really believe we can take them all on? What's the point? The only thing that matters is the plan and they have no idea what it is."

"Yeah, but maybe they can guess," said Tonio.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. Even if they do, so what? Stopping it won't be so easy. Even if they do stop it, we've still got the plate. We cut and run and start all over in another period. And this time, there won't be any infiltrators to tell them where we are."

"That bastard never had a chance to—"

"How
else
could they have found out about it? He must have lived long enough to leave a message."

"C'mon, Taylor left him with his guts all over the goddamn floor," said Tonio.

"Maybe that's just the point," said Jimmy. "Taylor didn't finish the job."

"Yeah, maybe."

"He thinks an agent known as Mongoose may be running the TIA operation," Jimmy said.

"Yeah? So?"

"The way I understand it, Taylor's got a pretty heavy grudge against him. It just makes me a little nervous, that's all. Taylor seems to want to get his hands on that guy pretty badly."

"You saying Taylor might be putting his vendetta or what-ever ahead of the operation?"

"I don't know. Is that what I said?"

"No, not exactly. It's what you're not saying that interests me. Ever since that sex-change operation, he's been acting pretty strange."

"You noticed."

"Don't pussyfoot with me, son. Say what's on your mind."

"How long have you known Taylor?"

"Not as long as you."

"How do you feel about him?"

"What do you say we cut through all this crap?" said Tonio. "Either you level with me or you don't; make up your fucking mind."

"I think you know what I'm getting at."

"Yeah, but I want to hear you say it."

Jimmy nodded. "All right. Taylor is a pro. Unlike you and me, he's getting paid a bundle for this. I don't know how much, but I know it's pretty heavy. He makes all the right noises, but when it comes right down to it, he's an outsider."

"He's been with the organization for quite a while."

"He's worked
for
the organization," Jimmy said. "It's not the same. He's still an outsider. A very well-paid outsider."

"They have handed us our tools...." said Tonio.

"Yeah, sure. But it helps to know that you're using the right tool for the right job."

"You don't trust him."

Jimmy didn't reply for several seconds. "You realize he's crazy, don't you?"

Tonio chuckled. "Don't let Freytag hear you say that."

"Well?"

Tonio stared at him. "He's a paranoid schizophrenic most of the time, except when he's a psychopath. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, that answers my question."

"And you want to know what I'm going to do about that."

"Yeah."

"Absolutely nothing."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I heard you, but I didn't understand you. You
agree
with me about Taylor and you're going to do
absolutely nothing?"

"You bet. It's like you said, Taylor is a pro. I'm just an amateur. Going up against Taylor would be dangerous, but going up against Taylor and Freytag would be fucking suicide. Taylor I've got my doubts about, but I know for damn sure that Freytag doesn't give a good goddamn about Professor Mensinger, the Timekeepers or the time wars. Freytag's a mer-cenary and Taylor is his paymaster. Neither you nor I nor both of us together can afford to buy him off and, frankly, I'd rather go up against a dozen Jimmy Darcys than one Freytag. So I'm simply going to pretend this conversation never hap-pened and if you're smart, you'll watch yourself. Besides, he might be madder than a mayfly, but with Taylor, there's a hell of a lot more chance of this whole thing coming off than with-out him. Okay?"

Jimmy nodded grimly. "Okay."

"Terrific. Now what do you say we go and get the job done? It's dark enough to slip in there without drawing atten-tion to ourselves. We'll make it nice and quick and there's one less thing to worry about.

All right?"

"Sure," said Jimmy. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's go and kill poor old Doc Bennett."

"Just make sure you subdue the woman first," said Tonio. "She's an agent and she'll be the one to give us trouble."

Walking normally, they crossed the street and headed toward the house, going past it and then doubling back be-hind it. There was no back door, but they had been at Doc Bennett's house before and they knew the best way to break in. It didn't take them but a moment. They entered the house silently, weapons at the ready, listening for noise, the sound of conversation, footsteps, anything. There was no noise.

"Watch yourself," whispered Tonio.

It didn't take them very long to discover that their quarry had fled. The house was deserted and they saw that Bennett had taken care to destroy all of his equipment and supplies.

"We waited too long," said Tonio. "We should have moved in earlier."

"But how did they get out?"

"Obviously there's a way out of this house that we don't know about. Looks like Doc didn't tell us everything. Lucky for him."

"They must have just left," said Jimmy. "It took time to burn up all that stuff. Some of this slag is still hot."

Tonio had left the room and started searching the other rooms on the first floor. Moments later, he called Darcy into the library.

"Take a look at this," he said, indicating the chest on the floor in the center of the room. Most of Andre's clothes were still in it, several items hanging over the sides of the open chest, others on the floor around it. "Looks like she left in a hurry and repacked to travel light. But why repack in here?"

"The bookshelf," Jimmy said. He pointed to a space upon the shelf where several books were missing, having been placed upon the desk. Jimmy went over to the shelf and reached into the empty space, feeling around with his hand. "Jackpot," he said, as a click sounded and the shelf swung away to reveal the door behind it. He aimed his laser at the lock. "This should only take a second," he said and pressed the firing stud. The beam of light shot out for a moment and then he switched it off. He tapped the door with the palm of his hand and it swung open.

"Hold it right there!" someone said in English. Jimmy bolted through the door. Tonio made the mistake of reacting. He started to spin around and fire, but nothing happened. There had been a brief flash of light and he heard a thump on the floor at his feet. Wondering why his laser hadn't fired, he looked down and saw his hand, still holding the weapon, lying on the floor.

He came to and found himself sitting in a chair, tied down securely. The room he was in was dark, the windows shuttered and covered with blankets so that no light seeped in. He could just barely make out several figures in the room, one of them seated backwards on a chair several feet in front of him.

"Good morning," said the one sitting before him.

"My hand," mumbled Tonio.

"We left it on the desk back in Jack Bennett's house," the man said. "If Doc ever gets back, he can use it as a paper-weight."

Tonio's mouth felt funny. He was having a hard time wak-ing up and clearing his head.

"Oh, by the way," the man said, "we found your little cyanide capsules. Nice traditional touch. Your mouth feels funny because you're missing two molars. Our dental work isn't exactly top-notch quality, but that's the least of your worries."

"Mongoose?" Tonio felt lightheaded, wrapped in fog.

"Surprise, surprise," the agent said. "Right the first time. Adrian figured they'd send me, did he?"

"Bleeding..." mumbled Tonio.

"See to his mouth," said Mongoose.

Someone approached him and pried his mouth open with his fingers. Tonio tried to bite him, but received a stinging slap across the side of his head for his trouble. It seemed to him that he was moving in slow motion. Once again, the fingers pried open his mouth and he felt them reaching in, swabbing at where his teeth had been.

"We gave you a little shot, Tonio," said Mongoose. "We've already had a short chat, but you might not remem-ber. You were still out of it. Blood stopped?"

Tonio tried to feel with his tongue. "Think so," he slurred.

"Good. You know there's no point in fighting it, of course. You're going to tell us everything. If you try to fight it, it will just take a little longer, but not much longer. You know I'm right, don't you?"

Tonio nodded.

"Good. I know you're feeling a little woozy, but all you have to do is tell us what the plan is and we'll give you another little shot to make you sleep."

"Going to kill me," Tonio said, thickly.

"No, Tonio, no one's going to kill you. I realize that there's no reason for you to take my word for it, but all you have to do is think about it for a minute and you'll see I'm telling you the truth. I could kill you, of course, but I'll get points for sending you back alive. It makes the agency look good. We'll just have us a nice little chat and we'll give you something to make you sleep and next thing you know, you'll be waking up in a nice warm prison cell back in the 27th century. Free room and board for the rest of your life, unless you decide to opt for re-education and enlistment in the Temporal Corps. No sweat, nice and easy."