T2: The Future War by Stirling S. M

Author:Stirling, S. M. [Stirling, S. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, thriller, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780380977932
Amazon: 0380977931
Goodreads: 1222332
Publisher: HarperEntertainment
Published: 2003-06-17T07:00:00+00:00

VON ROSSBACH’S ESTANCIA, PARAGUAY: THE PRESENT

Elsa Encinas, Epifanio’s niece, deftly swung the tray of hors d’oeuvres out from under Victor Griego’s hand.

“This is for the guests!” she hissed.

“But I am a guest,” he protested.

Elsa simply gave him a look of blistering scorn. Then she turned her shoulder to him and moved away.

Victor hissed and turned to the bar. He hated the way these uppity peasants kept treating him, and everybody else—that stupid rumor about his mother. It had been a bus, not a broken heart.

Victor topped up his glass and turned to study the other guests. The Salcidos, a very well-off husband and wife, sleek and well dressed, were behaving as though he wasn’t even in the room. Another couple, fairly new to Villa Hayes, Pedro and Zita Kaiser, occasionally darted a nervous glance in his direction. They felt the undercurrent; they just didn’t know the reason for it. But they’d decided to follow the other couple’s lead. Not to mention their host’s. Von Rossbach had introduced Victor in an offhand way that pretty much implied courtesy would be wasted on him.

Victor was pretty certain it wasn’t his appearance; he was freshly shaved and showered and von Rossbach had insisted on dressing him in what he called decent clothes. Decent clothes consisted of slacks and a sports shirt.

He took another sip of his drink. Sarah Connor hadn’t arrived yet and he wondered where in the hell she was. The sooner they got started the sooner he could get out of here. After three days he’d had a bellyful of Villa Hayes. Not to mention putting distance between himself and the knife-happy John Connor. Rotten kid. He took a long swallow and topped off his drink again. Now, there was someone who could break his mother’s heart. If his mother wasn’t a loca killer herself.

“Do you mind going a little easier on that stuff,” Dieter said from just behind him.

Griego started, spilling gin on his fingers.

“Jesus!” Victor snapped. “Compared to you cats go stomping around like elephants!”

“I want you sober enough to identify her when she comes,” Dieter said quietly. “Or not, if it’s not her. I don’t want you so drunk you can’t tell the difference.”

Griego let out his breath in a hiss. “Of course, señor,” he said sullenly. He brightened a little. “And then we can part company, eh?”

“Thank God.” Dieter moved over to his other guests, who received him with smiles.

Griego glowered. Thank God, he agreed. He couldn’t wait to get out of here.

Marieta came in and stopped just inside the doorway; the woman following her almost ran her down. “Señora Krieger,” she intoned as though announcing royalty.

Dieter’s face lit up. “Suzanne!” he said, and came over to take her hand. “It’s good to see you.”

Sarah looked at him with a warm smile, although it was all she could do not to flinch as he clasped her hand. It was also hard to keep herself from searching out Griego. But that would be fatal. Instead she turned to the group around the coffee table.

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