Sigma One

by Hutchison, William

  As he finished shaving, Huxley began to think. And to worry. Agents Gunter and Stearns were late.

  He put down his razor and looked at his watch again. He had spoken to FBI Headquarters in IA and was told to expect their arrival in seven and a half hours, give or take a half an hour. Now it was going on nearly eight and a half, and the Bureau normally was very precise about their time estimates. If the plans had changed, they would have notified him. But they hadn't. And that worried him even more.

  He left the bathroom and went into the bedroom and immediately glanced at the phone which sat silently on the bed stand.

  "Ring, damn it. Ring!" he said and began to pace back and forth as if his impatience would make it happen.

  It didn't, and after three fruitless trips back and forth in front of the bed, he went to the bed stand and picked up the receiver and hastily dialed the front desk.

  Matters couldn't be worse. The phone rang three times and then a recording came on. Just what he wanted to hear.

  He slammed the receiver down and left and headed toward the elevator. He was already halfway down the hall and out of earshot when his phone finally began to ring and entering the elevator when Agent Stearns hung up on the other end.

  Stearns turned to Gunter who was standing next to Debbie and Burt, the pair handcuffed to one another as a precaution. Both of them held their heads low and kept their hands close to their sides as they had been instructed to do--this to avoid any public scrutiny.

  Stearns eyes glared at his companion. He didn't like being late, and wouldn't have had it not been for Gunter who had insisted on stopping for dinner at the airport to stuff his already over-stuffed frame with food. Gunter disgusted him and some of that disgust came through now.

  "You wait here with them," he said gruffly pointing to Debbie and Burt. "I'm going to go to the desk and find out which room Huxley is in." With this last comment, he looked quickly at his watch and shook his head. God he hated being late!

  Burt, on hearing Huxley's name, raised his head. For the entire eight and a half hour trip to Vegas, neither agent had told them where they were going, or why they were being transported, in spite of his continued demands for answers. Now he thought he knew the reason.

  Under normal circumstances, Stearns would have made Gunter take his two prisoners aside while he called especially when his orders came from the spook side of the business, that being their name for The Agency. But, these weren't normal circumstances. He'd never been sent to escort a college kid and his sweetie under lock and key, and he'd never had to work with such a dolt as Gunter. The combination had caused him to slip up. No matter, he figured the two would find out soon enough anyway who they were going to see and thought it didn't matter if they heard or not.

  But it did matter. To Burt anyway.

  He turned to Debbie and whispered into her ear. "Huxley! Stearns said he was going to find out which room he was in!"

  Debbie didn't make the connection immediately and replied, "so?"

  "So that means he's still alive. That means I didn't kill him!"

  Debbie forced a smile, which was hard for her to do. For hours she had remained calm outside, but inside she was furious at Burt and the two agents. She let her feelings be known.

  "I really don't care at this point, Burt. Even if this Huxley is alive, the men who have us must have known that all along, and they still brought us here handcuffed. Why would they do that if you hadn't done anything? Tell me that? You haven't told me everything, have you?

  Burt looked at her but was unable to speak.

  "Well?" She insisted.

  Burt hesitated slightly. "No. I didn't tell you everything." His voice was barely audible. He was ashamed for lying to her and spoke softly to cover that shame.

  Debbie continued her assault. "What else haven't you told me? Don't you trust me?"

  He trusted her alright, but he knew he shouldn't tell her. The stakes were just too high. They weren't brought here because he attacked Huxley. He might have thought that at first, but now with Huxley alive, that couldn't be the reason. Then he thought maybe the other older guy at the NSF might have died. That might explain things, but Burt remembered hearing the old guard's moan, and he knew he hadn't hit him that hard. If anyone should be dead, it should be Huxley. It was his head he cracked on the desk.

  No, it had to be something else. It had to be about the experiment Huxley had made him perform. Huxley wanted him for that. He was sure of it now. And because of it, telling Debbie would be like signing her death warrant. He had seen things back at the lab and read things in the NSF computers that he knew were highly sensitive. That was it! What he knew was important-- very important--not what he'd done to Huxley or the guard. He knew what Huxley's game was and knew he was valuable to him, but only if he cooperated. That's why they wanted him so badly: to make him cooperate. And it was because of what he'd seen that the two agents had to bring Debbie along--not just to keep her from going to the local police and telling them about him. They wanted to find out how much she knew. They had to assume he had told her everything even if he hadn't.

  And now, if he didn't tell her, she would accuse him of not caring. It was a hard choice to make, yet the decision came easily. He had to stay silent, no matter how much she pleaded for answers.

  Debbie grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Well, are you going to tell me?"

  Burt took a deep breath, knowing what he was going to say would hurt, but hoping her trust in him would outweigh whatever sting his denial would bring.

  "I can't! I just can't! You've got to trust me, Debbie. I can't tell you. It would be too dangerous if I did. The less you know the better. I'm sorry."

  She withdrew her hand from his and turned sharply away, but not before she looked at him long enough to allow him to see the hurt and anger in her eyes.

  Burt looked away too and saw Stearns out of the corner of his eye disappear as he strode toward the front desk.

  As soon as his boss was out of sight Gunter turned quickly to Burt. There was a look of desperation in his eyes. He had to take a leak. Now!

  Without hesitation or saying a word, Gunter reached behind him for his spare set of handcuffs. Hurriedly he grabbed Burt's free wrist and immediately snapped them on. The pain in his crotch was unbearable.

  "Follow me," he told Burt as he started for the men's room. "I've got to go, and I can't leave you here alone."

  Burt didn't have time to argue for instantly, the pudgy agent turned and yanked both he and Debbie behind him as he made his way through the crowd.

  When they arrived at the entry, Gunter fumbled in his front pocket for the key all the while pumping his stocky legs up and down like a schoolchild trying to hold his water.

  He released Debbie's handcuff from Burt and then quickly reconnected the free end to a brass railing which separated the entry into the men's room from the row of slot machines nearby.

  "You wait here," he said to Debbie as he turned dragging Burt with him. "We'll be out in a minute."

  Before they got two steps, Burt pulled back, slowing, but not halting the stocky agent. "Listen, Gunter. I don't have to go, and I sure as hell don't want to stand next to you while you do. Unhandcuff me and leave me here with Debbie on the rail. We're not going anywhere!"

  Gunter didn't have time to think about the offer. His back teeth were floating. He pivoted and yanked Burt back to the railing where Debbie was waiting. There he took one look at the rail to ensure it was secure, something he should have done earlier when he left Debbie but didn't. Satisfied of its strength, he unlocked the handcuff holding him to Burt, and reconnected it to Debbie's wrist. He then scuttled away as fast as his pudgy legs would carry his squatty frame.

  He knew he'd catch hell if Stearns found out he'd left the two prisoners alone, but he couldn't help that. He'd be quick, and out before Stearns returned. Before rounding the corner, he took one last quick glance at his two charges to see they were still shackled and then went in. Burt saw him desperatel
y reach for his zipper just before he went out of sight.

  Burt had purposefully delayed going into the men's room with the agent, but not for the reason he had given him. He had to go as well, but it wasn't to the point of pain--not yet anyway.

  He wanted some more time with Debbie to explain why he couldn't tell her everything earlier. He owed her that, and now that they were alone, he hoped he could plot an escape.

  He turned to her and grabbed her shoulder making her face him. She was still pissed.

  "Debbie, honey, you know I'd tell you if I could. You know that!"

  "No I don't! I don't know that at all! There's just been too much happening with you--with us--that's needed explaining, but when I try to get close to you to help, you push me away. Don't you see? You're doing that now. By not telling me what you know or why they want you here you're driving me farther and farther away. Is that what you want?"

  She was almost to the point of tears when she finished. She had tried to be patient with him, but she was scared--not only for him--but also for her own safety. She was caught up in whatever Burt had done and was afraid what the agents were going to do to her. She had never been in such a situation before: kidnapped, held at gunpoint, handcuffed. She had a right to know why!

  Burt didn't know what to say. He looked away from her and stared across the room to search for Stearns while he tried to think. His eyes darted left, then right. It was then he spied Kamarov seated in front of a slot machine only three feet away from Debbie. Something about the stranger caught his attention. Maybe it was something he saw in his eyes. He didn't know. All he knew was that the stranger was the only one near enough to help them.

  Burt looked back at Debbie. He knew he couldn't answer her question and tell her what he knew, not yet anyway. And if his current plan worked, maybe he wouldn't need to. The only way out was to try and escape, and the stranger just might be the key.

  Burt looked at the brass railing to which he and Debbie were bound. The two inch diameter rail looked too sturdy to bend and there weren't any seams he could dislodge. But as he traced the rail to the floor, he saw that it was secured with only three brass screws. It might be weak enough to break at that joint if he could just get enough momentum. That's what he needed the stranger for. He knew being bound as he was to Debbie he could never get far enough away from the rail to generate enough speed to dislodge the rail from its mounting with his own weight--but with the stranger's weight combined with his, he might not need to. The trick would be getting the stranger to cooperate.

  He had to act fast. Gunter would be out in a minute or two and then possibly their only opportunity for freedom would be gone. He knew he couldn't just ask the stranger for his help. The only way would be to lure the stranger into a fight, catch him off balance and pull his body into the rail from behind. Then with both their bodies used as a battering ram, the rail just might give. He hoped so anyway.

  Burt didn't have time to work out the details. Instead, he moved quickly down the rail dragging Debbie with him. He stopped adjacent to Kamarov who was now silently feeding quarters into the slot machine in front of him. Kamarov was staring straight ahead and looked to Burt as if he were mesmerized by the flashing lights of the machine.

  Burt reached out and grabbed Kamarov by the back of the neck digging his fingernails into his flesh as he did.

  Kamarov winced and then spun around quickly. "KGB" was the only thought that flashed through the Soviet's mind before Burt pulled him off balance. He fell into the railing and Burt lunged on top of him like a linebacker trying to recover a loose ball. Their combined weight initially didn't budge the rail. It only made it dig into Kamarov's back.

  In desperation at this first failed attempt, Burt jumped back as far as his handcuffed arm would let him. He lunged forward again before Kamarov could move. This time it worked. The rail stalled, then gave way as the screws holding it to the floor ripped out. There was the sound of someone scraping his nails on a blackboard as the screws pulled loose.

  Both of them hit the floor hard knocking the wind out of Kamarov and shaking Burt up as his teeth slammed together on impact. Debbie, still attached to Burt's wrist, followed right behind.

  At the very instant they hit, Burt slid his hand between the rail mounting and the floor and freed himself and Debbie. He was just standing when he looked across the room and saw Huxley and Stearns.

  Both men started to run toward him, Huxley yelling something Burt couldn't quite understand over the din created by the slots.

  The stranger looked up white-eyed with fear. To Burt's surprise, in a very thick Eastern European accent, the stranger uttered the simple word, "Huxley!" and then scrambled to his feet almost as fast as he had earlier. The stranger ignored him seeing that Burt wasn't trying to subdue him. He didn't ignore Huxley, though.

  Burt looked at the stranger and then quickly across the room to Huxley bearing down on them.

  "Huxley," Burt said turning back to the stranger. "You know him?" he asked.

  Kamarov didn't answer. Instead he pushed Burt aside and looked for his own escape route.

  Burt reached over with his free hand and grabbed Kamarov by the arm, spinning him around. A split second later, he turned back to look at Huxley. He and Stearns were only sixty feet away; and Stearns had his gun out.

  Huxley was shouting something which sounded like, "comin' off! Comin' off!" which he kept repeating over and over again as he sprinted toward them.

  With each "comin' off," Huxley yelled, the stranger struggled harder and harder to free himself from Burt's grasp.

  It was then Burt realized the stranger understood what Huxley was yelling. Burt saw it in his face.

  Burt repeated his first question to the stranger. "You know Huxley, don't you? And you know what he's sayin'. "

  Still Kamarov remained silent.

  Stearns and Huxley had shrunk the distance to forty feet.

  Burt lost his patience and shouted at the stranger. "I asked you a question!" Burt watched the stranger's eyes grow wider with fear as their pursuers got closer.

  Still no answer.

  Huxley yelled again. "Comin' off! Comin' off." Only this time something new was added. "Grayson" . Huxley was yelling "comin' off ....Grayson....Comin’ off."

  It hit Burt instantly! "Comin'off" must really be "Kamarov” and must be the stranger's name.

  And Huxley wanted both of them!

  The distance was now only twenty-five feet. Burt could literally see the sweat on both Stearns' and Huxley's brows as they continued running toward them.

  Burt stopped questioning Kamarov and began pulling him along with him as he started moving away from Stearns and Huxley. "In spite of your strange name," Burt thought, "anyone being chased by Huxley can't be all bad."

  "Come on Kamarov, you're goin’ with us!" Burt yelled and then bolted forward.

  Kamarov understood the American, and although he didn't know who the American was, it was obvious he and his female companion meant him no harm. Besides, they were going in the only direction available for escape from Huxley and the gun-toting agent.

  Kamarov looked up and shook his head in agreement at Burt's suggestion to run.

  Both men then turned their attention to their escape route. It was down a long crowded aisle lined with slot machines. Each machine had a LOLIT (little ole' lady in tennis shoes) seated in front of the one armed beggars.

  Huxley and Stearns had closed the distance to fifteen feet and were right at the entrance to the bathroom when Burt, Kamarov and Debbie ducked into the aisle of slots. They didn't see what happened next.

  Suddenly, Gunter stepped out.

  It couldn't have been planned better by the directors of the Keystone Cops. Gunter stepped directly in front of Stearns and Huxley, and they couldn't stop!

  They collided headlong with the chubby, inept agent and tumbled to the floor giving Burt, Debbie and Kamarov precious needed time.

  Burt led the way through the LOLITS dragging Debbie and Ka
marov behind him. When they were halfway down the aisle, he scanned in front of him.

  Too late!

  The aisle which appeared to bend to the right, dead-ended into a cul-de-sac lined with electronic poker machines and more LOLITS.

  Burt immediately stopped, and was nearly bowled over by Debbie and the Soviet.

  "We can't get out this way!" Burt cried out. "We'll have to turn around! We passed another row of slots back there which may work!"

  "We'll never make it!" Debbie argued.

  "Yes we will!" Burt answered as he pushed her aside and began to struggle back through the sea of LOLITS again.

  Instantly, Kamarov and Debbie turned around and followed his lead. Neither expected his plan to work, but they had no alternative.Huxley, Stearns and Gunter got to their feet and entered the aisle Burt, Debbie and Kamarov were in. Stearns led the way, followed by Huxley. The two men then began to slowly pick their way through the LOLITS being as careful as they could not to jostle the blue-haired ancients on both sides of them.