“Lucas Priest and Andre Cross.” said Drakov. “My old enemies. They’re not even bothering to use false names. That means they’re uncertain of the situation. They have devised a cover for themselves, but they’ve kept their real names, in an effort to draw out whoever might recognize those names. Which means that they suspect the Network. They undoubtedly have reinforcements waiting to clock in whenever they give the signal. Perfect. Only we’re not quite ready for that yet. We need to keep them off-balance for just a little while longer. Mr. Stone should serve that purpose admirably. Have you been able to direct their suspicions toward him?”

“I’ve spoken to Scott about him.” said Jenny. “I’ve told him that I had been with Stone and that he was very rough with me, that there is something very strange about him, something that frightens me. And that no one really knows anything about him, who he is or where he really came from.”

“Finn Delaney asked about him, as well.” said Becky. “He already seems to suspect him. I told him that Stone spends most of his time gambling in various saloons, but that when he isn’t gambling, no one seems to know where he goes. Stone acts mysterious and secretive.”

“Good.” said Drakov.”

“Very good, indeed.”

“What about Scott Neilson?” Jenny asked, hesitantly.

“You’ve established a relationship with him.” Drakov replied. “I want you to maintain it. Keep him off-balance, emotionally. He will draw the attention of the Network while the others will be preoccupied with Stone. They will suspect that Stone is a Network man, himself. Meanwhile, Stone will bring in his fellow S.O.G. agents to move against the T.I.A.” He chuckled. “That will accelerate the instability. Things are about to become quite interesting.”

“Will it be necessary for Scott to die?” asked Jenny, softly. Becky glanced at her, puzzled.

Drakov gave her a long, appraising look. “Are you becoming emotionally involved, Jennifer?”

Jenny looked down at the floor. “I… I think I’m in love with him.”

Drakov raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

It’s what I feel when I’m with him,” Jenny replied, unable to look her master in the eyes. “He is so kind and gentle, when he touches me, he… He makes me feel something that I’ve never felt with any other man.”

“Oh, I see.” said Drakov. “That is merely lust. A purely physiological response. Men of this time period, of most time periods for that matter, are not very sensitive to women’s emotional needs, which are much more bound up with the physical than male needs are. Neilson is apparently more perceptive. I suppose he has brought you to orgasm. It was probably your first. But that is only a physical sensation. Jennifer, A biological response.”

“But… but it feels so overwhelming,” Jenny said.

“Indeed, it does.” said Drakov. “But it is most emphatically not love. I know something of how you must feel. I made the same mistake myself once, many years ago, much to my regret. You were created from human genetic material. Jennifer, and so you are subject to the same procreative urges humans are. Those feelings can be very powerful and there is no reason why you should not enjoy them at every opportunity. In fact, the more frequently you indulge them, the quicker the novelty will wear off and you will find those feelings diminishing in intensity. Because it is merely sex. Love is something else, entirely.”

“How is it different?” Jenny asked.

“It arises from shared values and mutual respect.” said Drakov. “And your values and Neilson’s could never be the same, Jennifer. You are not human. If Neilson knew that, he could never respect you. He would, in fact, be furious at having been deceived. I have told you that if he suspected your true nature, he would kill you. The only reason he treats you as he does is because he does not know what you really are. And even believing you to be human, like himself, he wishes to manipulate you, to use you to help him on his mission. If he truly loved you, he would be honest with you.”

“I had not thought of it that way.” she replied, softly, still looking at the floor. “I was afraid you would he angry with me.”

“Why should I be angry with you?” Drakov asked “Have you failed me in any way? I created you. I gave you life. And it is I who care about you, enough to tell you the truth. I have no wish to see you hurt.”

Jenny nodded and swallowed hard, torn by conflicting emotions. “Thank you. I do not wish to disappoint you.”

“You won’t. Enjoy yourself with Neilson. Indulge those feelings and you will soon find they are not nearly so profound as you suspect. He uses you. Use him in return to explore the depths of your sensations. But don’t deceive yourself with thoughts of love. Love is for humans

All Scott wanted to do was sleep. The posse got back to town without catching the outlaws. Head, Leonard and Crane had led them on a merry chase throughout the countryside and they were never able to catch up with them. They had ridden so hard one of the horses died. They were tired, they were thirsty, they were sore, and they had simply given up. On their return, the Earps had received even more had news. Luther King, the prisoner they had taken back at the Redfield ranch, had managed to escape.

The whole thing was ludicrous. He had simply stepped out the back door of the jail while the deputy was engaged in selling his horse. Accusations were flying back and forth. The Earps were convinced that Behan and his deputies, being involved with the rustlers, had simply allowed him to escape. Which certainly seemed likely. Behan and his men were claiming that King had help, that Doc Holliday had been waiting behind the jail with two horses and had spirited King away.

Holliday, conveniently, had been out of town when the stage was robbed and the posse left. He was known to have been acquainted with one of the outlaws before, Bill Leonard, when the two men were in Las Vegas, New Mexico. On the strength of that association, Behan and others in his faction were claiming that Doc had been involved in the robbery and had helped King to escape. (Though no one explained how Holliday knew that King would have a chance to simply stroll out through the back door of the jail while the deputy’s back was turned, or why he hadn’t been locked up in the first place. Behan was even spreading rumors that Wyatt Earp and his brothers had been involved in the robbery, tipped off by

Morgan, who, in his capacity as a Wells Fargo guard, would know when silver shipments were going out. The town was becoming polarized, with the hostility between the factions rapidly growing worse.

Scott wished that Priest and the other, would show up. He couldn’t understand what was keeping them. He felt certain now that the Network was behind it all, but he couldn’t take them on all by himself. That would be crazy. He felt exposed and vulnerable. He felt the situation was completely out of his control.

There was a soft knock at his door. He quickly grabbed a gun from the holster rig he’d hung up on the bedpost.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Jenny. Scott. Can I come in?

He opened the door. She was alone. She saw the gun and her eyes grew wide.

“What’s that for?” she asked.

“I had to be sure you were alone.” said Scott.

“Who did you think might have been with me?”

“Well, I did make some enemies in this town.” he replied. “Man can’t be too careful.” He closed the door behind her and eased the hammer down on the Colt.

“Did you really think I’d be part of anything like that?”

“You might have had no choice, Jenny. Someone might have been holding a gun on you, or a knife.”

“That wouldn’t make any difference.” she said. “They’d have to kill me before I’d go along with doing anything to hurt you.” She suddenly started crying.

“Jenny! What’s wrong?”

“Hold me, Scott.”

He put his arms around her. She was trembling.

“What’s wrong, Jenny?” he asked, with concern. “What is it? What’s happened?”

“Everything’s wrong,” she sobbed. “I wish I were dead!”

“Jenny!” She was holding onto him as if for dear life. “What is it? Tell me! Is it something I’ve done?”

She shook her head. “No.” she said, quietly. “It isn’t anything you’ve done. It’s me.”

He took her over to the bed and sat down with her. He took her hands in his.

“Whatever it is, Jenny, you can tell me. I’ll understand.”

“I don’t think you would.” she said.

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