Doublecross Program by Chris Bunch

Author:Chris Bunch [Bunch, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General, Life on Other Planets, Private Security Services
ISBN: 9781841494555
Google: jcxNGwAACAAJ
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2006-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY

« ^ »

The civilian Shaoki com operators routing the call were in awe. They’d never handled a com from the Alliance before, let alone one from Earth itself.

“This is Friedrich von Baldur.” Freddie wondered who on Earth… literally… would be…

oh.

“Scramble R342,” a synthesized voice said.

Von Baldur nodded at the Star Risk operator, who set the appropriate key on a scrambler.

It was a most sophisticated device, providing not a single scramble but synchronized with the sending com, changing both frequencies and code on a completely random basis at irregular intervals.

The screen cleared, and it was, indeed, their lobbyist, Anya Davenport.

“Good day,” von Baldur almost cooed.

“I hope it is,” Davenport said, in a far less congenial tone than she’d had before.

The very long subspace connection blurped occasionally, so von Baldur had to listen closely to the transmission.

“I have,” she said without preamble, “established contact with the entity you wished.”

Omni Foods.

“They are aware that you, essentially, control the supply of the item we discussed.”

Main. Von Baldur was impressed with Davenport’s sense of security.

“Good,” he said.

“I’m not so sure. The shipments have been irregular of late, and sometimes not arriving at all. The entity claims that you and your units are responsible for this.”

“We are,” von Baldur agreed. “We are fighting a war, remember?”

“I’m aware of that,” Davenport said. “But is this wise? If you desire to be in the position you hired me for, at the conclusion of the fighting, wouldn’t you be best advised to ensure regularity in the availability of the commodity?”

“Why?” Friedrich asked.

“The entity will, no doubt, think that if you can perform as promised now, they’re more likely to have faith in you in the future,” Davenport said.

“I understand your position,” von Baldur said. “But, to rephrase what I already said, it is necessary to win this war first.”

Davenport grimaced.

“I have only taken on people of your profession twice in my career, not with particularly happy conclusions. I took your company as a client because I was advised you are more subtle and aware of long-range consequences than soldiers are normally.”

“That is, indeed, why you were hired,” von Baldur said.

“Very well,” Davenport said. “I’ll do what I can to soothe the entity’s feathers. But for the future, consider what I’ve said.”

“I shall.”

Without further chitchat, the screen blanked. Von Baldur sat for a time, staring thoughtfully at the blank screen.

THIRTY-ONE

« ^ »

Riss chose her world, or rather worlds, carefully.

Her first com to Prince Wahfer told him the meeting was on a certain world beyond the Khelat-Shaoki Cluster, and to check into a certain hotel. There a message waited, saying that unavoidable circumstances made it necessary to change the meeting place to a second world a system away.

Not that she thought the Khelat were evil backstabbers who might have a hit team waiting for any member of Star Risk who materialized, but she thought the Khelat were evil backstabbers with hit teams.

The real meet was set on a small resort planetoid blessed with large mineral deposits, so it had E-normal gravitation.

The

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