major foreign country, that's something else. I'll take the job either
way, but I need to know everything. We're talking about your life, and
the lives of my crew.'
Morrison nodded. Yes. He understood. He took a deep breath.
'All right.' And for the next fifteen minutes, he laid it out,
answering questions as he did so. Ventura did not take notes. He also
did not seem disturbed to hear what Morrison had to say.
When he was done, Ventura said, 'All right. I'll need your itinerary.
Anywhere you go, I will make the travel arrangements. In matters of
security, I am God. If I think a situation is too risky, I will tell
you, and you will follow my recommendations without question--is this a
problem?'
'No, no problem.'
'Fine. The situation probably isn't hot yet, but we have to assume
that somebody might be able to figure out who you are, so from this
point on, we're on alert. What are your immediate plans?'
'I have to go up to the project. We're on hiatus, officially, but I am
running some, ah, 'calibrations.' Over the next couple of weeks, I
need to do at least two more of these. Possibly three.'
'What is the situation with security at the facility? Can I bring my
people in?'
'No. I can get you in as an observer from one of the universities--we
can fabricate enough background to pass the Navy and Air Force
checks--but that's it. There are armed guards patrolling the perimeter
of the project, gates, guards at the door, and so forth. It's not
exactly a worry that somebody is going to drop by and steal the
antennas or the generators.'
Ventura nodded.
'There is one complicating factor you should know about. The facility
and its computers are being investigated by Net Force.'
'Net Force. The FBI suspects what you've done?'
'No. They are being guided down a path I've provided for them.'
'Ah, I see. Smart. But they will suspect the messenger, you know,
they always do. That's standard procedure.'
'I expected they would. I'm covered.'
Ventura shrugged.
'I hope so. I might be able to keep you from being shot by the
Chinese, but I can't keep you out of jail if you have the feds after
you--unless you are willing to go completely underground--and leaving
the country would be better.'
'I understand.' Morrison felt a cold hand clutching his bowels. He
had started down a dangerous road. He wasn't some absentminded
professor who thought about the universe only in abstract theory; he
knew that the world was not always a nice place. He had taken this
into account, had made the assumption that the people with whom he
would be dealing would be treacherous, as trustworthy as foxes guarding
a henhouse. Even at this point, he could scrap the whole deal and walk
away without being caught, he was certain of it. But no risk, no
gain--and the gain here was enormous. People would buy a lottery
ticket when the odds were millions to one against them winning.
