Cobra Alliance

Jonny nodded, feeling slightly dazed by the speed at which this was all happening. 'Do I get to ask who I have to thank for all this?'

'Do you really want to know?' she countered.

Jonny thought that one over. It wasn't a trivial question. 'Yes,' he said at last.

She sighed. 'Well. First of all, you can lay your worst fears to rest—we're not in any way a criminal group. In fact, in one sense we're actually an official arm of the Dominion Joint Command.' She snorted. 'Though that may change after this. We're what's known as the Underground Defense Network, an organization that's supposed to do in this war what you and my parents' underground did in the last one. Except that we won't have any Cobras.'

'You sound like one of my guards,' Jonny murmured. 'He the one who told you about me?'

Danice glanced at him in obvious surprise. 'You're as quick as I always remembered you being. Yes, he's one of the handful of quiet liaisons between the military and the UDN, though I don't think his immediate superiors know. He's the one who put word of your arrest on our communications net.'

'And convinced all of you I was worth defying the authorities over?'

She smiled bitterly. 'Nothing of the kind. Everyone helping us thinks this is just another training exercise. Rescuing Prisoner From Under Enemy's Nose 101; final exam.'

'Except you.' The question was obvious; he didn't bother to voice it.

'I was just a kid in the last war, Jonny,' she said quietly, 'but I remember enough about it to haunt two or three lifetimes. I don't want to go through it again... but if the Dominion goes to war I'll have to.'

'Maybe not—' Jonny began cautiously.

'What do you mean, 'maybe not'?' she flared. 'You think they're going to all this trouble for the fun of it? They know Adirondack's going to be a major Troft target, and they've as good as admitted they won't be able to defend us. The plain, simple truth is that they're writing our world off and preparing us to sink or swim on our own. And for nothing.'

She broke off and took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry, Jonny. I'm sure Aventine means a lot to you. But I just can't see sacrificing Adirondack and maybe Silvern and Iberiand too in what amounts to a war of retribution.'

'No need to apologize,' he assured her. 'No world should have to fight for its life twice in one generation.'

Danice shook her head wearily. 'You don't know the half of it. The social upheaval alone... There were a lot of books written about us after the war, you know, books that listed a lot of the underground people by name. Well, the Joint Command decided those people's lives might be in danger when the Trofts came in again, so five years ago they took everybody mentioned in any of the books and gave them new identities somewhere else on the planet. I was just barely able to find my own parents, and they still don't know where half of their oldest friends are.'

Ahead, Jonny could see the starfield's control tower silhouetted against the last traces of red in the southwestern sky. 'This pilot you've picked out also thinks this is a training exercise?'

'Theoretically. But Don is pretty smart—he may have figured out something else is up. Anyway, you'll have several days to discuss it.' She favored him with a thoughtful look. 'You really don't like this business of trusting other people with your life, do you? I suppose the habits of being a Cobra die hard.'

'Not as hard as you'd think,' Jonny shook his head. 'You're remembering me with the eyes of a ten-year-old. Even then, I wasn't really any less dependent on other people than you are now.'

Which was not, of course, an answer to her question. He didn't like depending on others, especially with so much at stake.

But it was something he could get used to.

'Committe Vanis D'arl's office,' the bored face in the phone screen announced.

'Jame Moreau,' Jonny told her, watching her closely. If she gave even the slightest indication she recognized him...

'Who's calling, please?' she asked.

'Teague Stillman—I used to be mayor of his home town. Tell him it's important.'

Jonny held his breath; but, 'Just a minute, please,' was all she said before her face was replaced by a stylized dome. The local 'hold' symbol, Jonny supposed, automatically starting his nanocomputer clock circuit. He'd give Jame two minutes to answer before assuming the woman had called the cops instead and getting the hell out of the area—

'Hello, Jonny.'

Jonny wrenched his gaze back from its survey of possible escape routes. If Jame was surprised to see him, it didn't show. 'Hi, Jame,' he said cautiously. 'Uh...'

'The line's secure,' his brother said. 'You all right?'

'I'm fine, but I need your help. I have to—'

'Yeah, I know all about it. Damn it all, Jonny—look, where are you?'

Jonny felt icy fingers closing around his gut. 'Why?'

'Why do you think?' Jame waved a hand in irritation. 'Never mind—do it your own way. My neck's stuck far enough out as it is.'

Jonny gritted his teeth. 'I'm at a public phone on V'awter Street, just north of Carle Park.'

Jame sighed. 'All right. I'll be there in half an hour or less to get you. And stay put this time—understand?'

'Okay. And—thanks.'