“Yunner,” Sudden said quietly.
“That’s it, Sudden? No ‘how the hell are you’ or pithy remark? I’m disappointed.” He waved his gun. “Kneel down. You too, beautiful.”
Sudden and Rebecca complied as Yunner picked up their automatics and placed them and the attaché case on a nearby desk.
“How did you get down here?”
Yunner held up a small device similar to the Rosetta Stone.
“Standard C.I.A. issue.”
Sudden decided that he was going to give Nigel Buss hell when he got back. If he got back.
“C.I.A.? What are you talking about?”
It was Bokamper.
“I’ll explain later, when you wake up, Bokamper,” Yunner said. “Now just shut the fuck up.”
“What the hell are you doing, Yunner?” Soul said.
“My job.”
“You won’t get away with this,” Sudden said. “We have our orders. Bokamper goes with us.”
Yunner sneered.
“Don’t act high and mighty with me. You were sent here to kill him and that’s what you would have done except your bosses back at Langley have gone all soft in the head. Probably would have put him up in the fucking Mayfair in D.C. Well, my crew isn’t soft. We’ve got a nice cold cell waiting for him at Guantanamo. Probably still smells of the camel jockeys, but it will do him just fine.”
“Your tactics didn’t work with Baker,” Rebecca said, as her eyes drifted toward the door to the hallway.
“We’ve got some new stuff to try on your pal.” Yunner smiled. “And you can stop wondering why your Mossad friend hasn’t joined our little party. Don’t get your hopes up. He’s sleeping with the gefilte fish.”
“You son-of-a-bitch.”
“Hey. Don’t get your knickers in a twist, lady. I really mean he’s sleeping. Gave him a shot of succinylcholine chloride. I’ve got plenty.”
The background whine became louder. The accelerator was powering up.
“Bokamper, walk toward me,” Yunner said, putting the two guns in the attaché case and removing two syringes, his eyes never leaving Sudden or Soul.
Bokamper walked toward him.
“That’s far enough.”
Yunner slid the syringes across the desk.
“Take the syringes. Then walk behind your two friends and inject each of them in the neck.”
“I’m not that kind of doctor,” Bokamper protested. “And I’m not a murderer.”
“You’re not that kind of anything, shit-for-brains,” Yunner laughed. “It’s a piece of cake. Just a little more succinylcholine. Done it a dozen times myself. Anyplace behind the ear will do it. Just don’t jab too deep and hit a fucking artery. Actually, except for the paperwork, I don’t care if you do. Just do it.”
“And if I refuse.”
“Then I kill them both, shoot you in the knee and drag you out of here by your hair. It’s your call, doc.”
Bokamper picked up the syringes and moved toward Sudden and Soul.
“Don’t get between me and them,” Yunner said, “Walk behind them. Do Sudden first.”
Bokamper looked confused.
“The man,” Yunner explained. “It’s his real name.”
Bokamper stood behind Sudden, hesitating, needle poised.
“Do it,” Yunner ordered, harshly.
Instead, Bokamper straightened, and let his hand drop to his side. He smiled.
“Just in time, Commander,” he said.
Yunner started to say something and then cried out. There was a cracking sound and he stiffened, then appeared to go into convulsions. His arms jerked upwards and his gun fired, the bullet smashing into a bank of fluorescent lights in the ceiling, which exploded. Then he dropped to the floor, twitching. Behind him stood Katarina Witte, holding some sort of device in her hand. As he walked over to Yunner’s still spasming form, Sudden could see what it was.
“A taser,” he said.
“What did you expect,” Witte said, reaching down to pick up Yunner’s weapon. “A phase pistol? This isn’t Star Trek, my dear Cole. Bokamper and I didn’t bring any weapons with us. We came to study. Not to conquer. And now we are going back home.”
“You?”
Witte smiled.
“Yes.”
“So, this was the trip you were going on?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“I guess I shouldn’t wait for your call.”
“No. I’m sorry. But it was fun while it lasted.”
Sudden thought about something.
“What about Manfred?”
“Who is Manfred?” Soul asked.
“Her son.”
“The photo on my desk?” Witte said, allowing herself a laugh. “It came with the picture frame. I bought it at IKEA.”
She had put the taser in her pocket and now held Sudden’s gun on them.
“I don’t know why we assumed there would only be one of you here,” Sudden said.
“And you didn’t consider a woman, did you?” Witte said. “Not very politically correct, Cole. If that’s even your real name.”
“It is. And we considered a woman. But we also assumed she would be alone and a scientist.”
“I am a scientist. But how better to monitor the progress here than to have access to everyone’s personnel files and research.”
“What now?” Soul said.
“Houston, we have a problem,” Witte said. She looked at Bokamper. “How soon will the cube’s matrix be aligned?”
“A few minutes. It is already in the tunnel. I was about to make the final adjustments for the stream when they arrived.”
“Complete your work. I’ll watch them.”
CHAPTER 28 - ESCAPE
Bokamper went to the control panel and started inputting commands.
“The particle stream will automatically reach 99 percent of the speed of light in five minutes,” he said over his shoulder. “After it enters the cube it will be boosted past the speed of light and the wormhole will allow us to transport. The coordinates are already locked in. We have to be standing no further than two meters from the cube.”
“Will there be much damage to the facility?”
“The temporal distortion will wreak havoc on the instruments in the tunnel in near proximity. But the humans will be safe in here. The room is heavily shielded.”
“Then we won’t have to tie them up, or use those drugs.”
“No. Once we’re through that door, I’ll lock it.” Bokamper looked at Sudden. “I wouldn’t advise trying to break into the tunnel once the transportation starts. It would be suicide.”
“Then you’re not planning to kill us,” Sudden said.
“Heavens, no,” Katarina Witte said. “Do you think us human? You both must be uncomfortable. Why don’t you get up and sit down over there.” She used the gun to indicate a small table. “Just remember, I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I must. Klaus and I must leave and this may be our last chance.”
“A pity, really,” Bokamper said.
Sudden and Rebecca went to the table and sat. Bokamper finished whatever he was doing and moved to Witte’s side.
“What did you mean about it being a pity?” Sudden asked.
Bokamper smiled.
“It’s just that I’ve grown fond of certain human characteristics and sensations.”
“He means sex,” Witte said. “Males are apparently the same in every galaxy.”
“Don’t tell me you won’t miss it,” Bokamper said, defensively. “Some people on this planet would call you a nymphomaniac.”
“I was doing research. Unlike you. You must have had intercourse with every female but your assistant, Irma.”
Sudden could hardly believe his ears. Aliens bickering about sex.
“The two of you sound like a married couple,” he said. “Are you going to be changed back to whatever you were when you get back to wherever you’re going?”
Witte and Bokamper looked at each
other.
“We assume that we will,” Witte said. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“Pardon my French, and no pun intended,” Sudden said, “but why the fuck would you? Unless I’m missing something, you two will be the only ones on your home world with working, ah, apparatus, right? What’s to prevent you from getting together?”
“We are not of the same rank,” Witte sniffed.
“Rank does have its privileges,” Sudden said. “One of which might be access to the only working phallus on your planet. If it bothers you so much, promote him.”
“You’re right, Katarina,” Soul said. “They all have the same thing on their minds.”
Witte again looked at Bokamper, who smiled.
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” he said. “Besides, I not only have a working penis, but it is a large version.”
Sudden looked at Rebecca.
“I think Klaus needs to work on his pickup lines.”
“How large is it? Witte asked, interested.
“Maybe he doesn’t,” Rebecca said.
“I hate to ask this,” Sudden said, “but just to put our minds at rest” — here he looked at Rebecca — “what do you look like back where you come from?”
“Not much different from you,” Bokamper said. “That made the transformation easier.” He smiled. “And if we decide to stay as we are we wouldn’t stand out as freaks. Some of your rock stars would create more comment.”
“What about your D.N.A.?’ Rebecca asked. “Our people said it had — and I’m not being critical, mind you — lizard-like characteristics.”
Sudden knew his iguana remark had bothered her.
“We developed on a different evolutionary path than you,” Witte explained. “Primarily mammalian. Don’t forget, the earliest mammals on Earth were nothing more than warmer-blooded reptiles. We’ve merely maintained traces of reptilian D.N.A. that have been leached out of your species over time. We are a younger race, but developed technology more quickly. Our progress wasn’t delayed by your diseases and countless wars. One of the reasons that you have nothing to fear from us is that once we report back any interest in further contact with your planet will dry up.” She smiled at Rebecca. “I’m not being critical mind you, but, present company excepted, the human race isn’t really our type. We will leave you to your own devices.”
“There are no more of you left on Earth?” Sudden asked.
“No,” Bokamper said. “We’re the last. It’s an expensive proposition sending people such distances and, as it turns out, very dangerous. The three of us were sent after two of our kind disappeared many years ago. We had presumed something untoward also happened to Baker, and now that has been confirmed by you and that fellow.” He pointed to Yunner’s motionless form.
Sudden looked at Rebecca.
“You might as well tell them,” she said.
“Tell us what?”
Sudden did, leaving nothing out.
“So, if not for Nazi butchery, we might have gone undetected,” Witte said when he finished.
“What was your man doing at Area 51?” Sudden asked.
Bokamper shrugged.
“Who knows? Maybe he heard all the rumors. He and the earlier traveler were, like us, basically explorers, sent to study your scientific advancement. It was only logical that the first man — I hope you will forgive the term — concentrated on German science in the 1930s. He would have found the Nazi perversion of science inconceivable, although it was very fortunate for the rest of your species. Hitler with nuclear weapons would have had very unpleasant results. As for the man who died in the 1960s, well, accidents can happen. I suppose the autopsy results and his communication equipment confounded the people in your Government, particularly at Area 51.”
“Weren’t there already alien remains at Area 51? From a flying saucer?”
Witte laughed.
“Personally, I think it was a weather balloon.”
“Poor Baker,” Bokamper said. “Tortured at Guantanamo. Then carved up like a fish. Would make a Nazi proud.”
Sudden didn’t like the analogy, but let it go.
“Where, exactly, do you come from?”
“Given our experiences here, that’s not something we would like to share with the human race,” Witte said. “I’m sure you understand.”
“And you don’t need a spaceship to get there,” Sudden said, “so I presume all you need is a warp bubble, as Alcubierre predicted.”
Bokamper looked surprised.
“Very good, Cole. Did you get that from Konrath Eisler at Columbia?”
“Yes.”
“A very nice man, with a good brain.”
“Imagine what he could do with two, like you have.”
“True. A pity.”
A claxon sounded. They all jumped. Bokamper laughed.
“You’d think I’d be used to it by now.” He looked at Sudden and Soul. “That’s the warning that the collider is about to go to maximum power. We don’t like people in the tunnel when that happens. It should be perfectly safe, of course, on a normal test. But today is not normal. The tunnel will be a death trap for a few moments.”
He started moving toward the access door.
“It’s time, Commander.”
Witte started moving backwards toward the door, keeping her weapon pointed at the two C.I.A. agents.
“Please apologize to Jules for me,” Bokamper said. He saw the look of incomprehension on Sudden’s face. “The guard we tied up. We had to taser him, too. He’s a good fellow. Always brought me coffee and pastries when I worked late. We talked soccer.”
Just before going through the door, he turned and held up his right hand. “Live long and prosper,” he said, and tried to separate the third and fourth fingers of the hand. He couldn’t. “I always wanted to say that, but I never could do the Vulcan hand thing. I loved the TV shows and the movies. They never should have canceled the last series, the one with Jolene Blaylock.”
With that, Bokamper shrugged and he and Witte went into the tunnel, locking the door behind them. Sudden and Rebecca ran to the observation window. They could see Bokamper and Witte standing arm-in-arm next to a glowing cube that had been placed in the particle stream.
“What should we do?” Rebecca said.
“There’s nothing we can do. Even if I could get into that tunnel and survive, I’m not sure I want to stop them.”
The cube’s glow increased. It seemed to Sudden that the area around Bokamper and Witte began to shimmer. Suddenly, Sudden heard something behind him. He and Rebecca turned to see Yunner holding a gun.
“Where are they?”
His voice was unsteady and he rocked back and forth, obviously still suffering some residual effects of his tasering.
“In the tunnel,” Sudden said.
Yunner came to the window.
“What are they doing?”
“Going home.”
“Why are you just standing here. We have to stop them.”
“How? The door is locked. And they told us it would be suicide to go in there. It’s over, Yunner. Let them go. We haven’t exactly been good hosts.”
“You’re both insane. When I get back to Langley I’m going to make sure they try you for treason.”
Yunner wobbled toward the access door.
“Don’t be a fool,” Sudden shouted above the din caused by the accelerator and whatever was happening with the cube. “You will be killed.”
Both he and Rebecca started after Yunner, who turned and fired at them. He was still shaky from the taser, and the shots went wild. But they were forced to dive behind desks. Yunner’s next shots went into the lock of the door, which blew off. In an instant he was in the tunnel. An eerie blue light streamed through the door, followed by a horrible scream that drowned out even the whine from the accelerator. Then there was a loud explosion and the glass on the observation window suddenly looked as if was covered with red paint. But Sudden knew what it really was. Everything went silent, and
then alarms started going off. The lights in the control room started flickering and wisps of smoke started coming through the open access door.
Sudden and Rebecca made their way cautiously to the door. They looked into the smoldering ruins of twisted metal, hissing coolant gas and sparking electrical junctures. Then their eyes drifted to the tunnel walls.
“Mother of God,” Rebecca said.
She turned away and was sick.
***
Despite Bokamper’s assurances, Sudden wasn’t convinced that the damage in the tunnel could be contained, so he and Rebecca dragged the trussed guard into the elevator and took him with them. When the elevator doors opened topside, they found the fake ambulance driver cursing and feverishly working on the keypad with a screwdriver.
“Thank God,” the man said when he saw them.
“Are you all right?” Soul said.
“Still a bit groggy,” the man said. “You should have left the Rosetta Stone with me.”
“We should have done a lot of things,” Sudden said. “What happened to you.”
“Son of a bitch took me by surprise,” the Mossad agent said, rather sheepishly. “Said he saw the ambulance and wanted to know if he could help. Claimed he was a doctor. I was about to tell him it was a false alarm when he stuck a needle in my neck. I feel like an idiot.” He looked down at the guard and frowned. “Is that him?”
“No. But it’s a long story,” Sudden said. “Grab his legs.”
They pulled the writhing guard out of the elevator and leaned him against a wall. Sudden patted him on the head.
“You will be OK. The cavalry should be here soon.”
As he spoke, they heard the first sirens approaching. He went to the door and looked out.
“Fire trucks, security cars, and all sorts of other vehicles are pulling up. It looks like goddamn Iwo Jima out there. Real cops won’t be far behind. Let’s get out of here.” He looked at the Mossad agent. “Go get a stretcher.”
The man ran to the ambulance and brought one back.
“Rebecca, lie down on it.”
The men picked up the stretcher.
“Head straight to your ambulance.”
They carried her limp body out into a sea of emergency workers, firemen and police. There were dozens of people dressed in evening wear.
TWO SUDDEN!: A Pair of Cole Sudden C.I.A. Thrillers Page 33