Infiltrator

'Do you think Mom finished?' John asked.

'T-mer,' came from behind him, and he knelt beside her.

'I think she said timer,' Jordan suggested.

'It doesn't matter,' Dieter said, he held out a signaler—'I have this.' He pulled out the antenna.

'Wait!' John said. He pointed. 'The guard, under the desk.'

Dieter sighed, then handed the signaler to John.

'I guess I'd better go and get him,' he said. 'Maybe we should set off an alarm or something in case anybody else is in there.' It was what Sarah would want him to do.

He jogged toward the building, keeping an eye out for any wandering army personnel. Luck, such as it was, was with him. No one appeared. He tapped in the test sequence and the door lock disengaged. Dieter moved to the desk and found the guard fully awake. He pulled his knife and cut the tape around the man's head.

'Is there anybody else in the building?' von Rossbach asked.

'Ms. Burns, the chief of security, and two other guards,' the man answered.

'We've got to call the MPs; this is bigger than we can handle!'

'These guards,' Dieter said, 'one of them has a funny haircut and the other is bald?'

'Yeah! That's them,' he said eagerly.

'They're already out,' von Rossbach said. 'Can you walk?'

'Yeah, I think so,' the guard said. He rubbed his wrists where Dieter had cut the tape. 'We should set off the alarm,' he suggested.

'I tried that. I think they've disabled it. Let's get out of here, then we can call for help.'

'Good idea,' the guard said. He held out his hand and Dieter pulled him to his feet.

'Go!' Dieter said, giving the man a shove. He grabbed a handful of the guard's shirt and began to run, half carrying the man with him. 'Keep moving!' he insisted.

He ran the man to where his friends were hiding. The man stopped, goggling, and hardly reacted when Dieter's hands clamped down on his carotids—risky, but still safer than trying to knock him out. The guard hit the dirt with a muffled thump and Dieter shook his head ruefully.

'He'll have a headache, but he'll live.'

'Is there anyone else in there?' John asked.

Von Rossbach shook his head.

'Not according to him,' he said, indicating the fallen guard. 'At least nobody human.'

John licked his lips and glanced at his mother.

'You do it,' Dieter said.

John hit the ignition button and felt a shiver beneath his feet. Almost instantly the doors and the roof of Cyberdyne Systems blew out in a giant orange fireball.

They ducked, as fragments began to rain down, John covered his mother's head and shoulders. Then he straightened and looked at her. She was so still, her lips were pale, and she seemed to be barely breathing.

Dieter's hand came down on his shoulder and he jumped, opening his mouth in a soft gasp.

'John,' he said, 'we have to go.' Dieter tightened his lips. 'We can't take her with us,' he said quietly.

John turned to him, his face streaked with tears.

' What?' he said. 'We can't leave her! Do you know what they'll do to her?' John shook his head. 'I can't let them put her back in that place. She still has nightmares about it!'

'John. She's too badly hurt. If we take her with us she will certainly die. If we leave her with Jordan they might be able to save her life. I promise you: we will come back for her.'

John hesitated, clasping her hand tightly. Then he took a deep breath and let her go. He turned to Jordan.

'Take care of her,' he said. 'Don't let them drug her like they did before.

Promise me!'

John's eyes were desperate, but the tears were drying.

Jordan nodded solemnly. 'I give you my word,' he said. 'I'll watch over her as best I can.'

'Come on,' Dieter said. He looked at Sarah's face and clenched his jaw. I will be back for you, he promised her silently. Don't lose hope.

Then he and John ran. They got to Ferri's quarters without being seen, often by the simple expedient of running backward in a crowd, or in Dieter's case by issuing orders before people got a good look at them.

Von Rossbach stuffed John into the false-fronted trunk in the back of the Humvee and entered the Major's house. He changed, dropping the used clothes into Ralph's hamper. Then he went into the kitchen and shook Ferri's shoulder.

Dieter propped him up in his chair and lightly slapped the Major's face.

'Ralph!' he said. 'Hey! Ralph!'

Ferri snorted, then tried to push von Rossbach off him with fumbling hands.

'Wha… wassup?' he asked. Finally he opened his eyes, which promptly threatened to roll back in his head.

Dieter slapped him again, lightly.

'Something's happening,' he said. 'Listen. Something's up.'

Slowly the Major came to himself, a look of confusion on his face. Then the sirens registered.

'Something happened,' he said.

Dieter offered him some aspirin and a glass of water.

Ferri took them, his eyes meeting von Rossbach's. He popped the pills into his mouth and took a mouthful of water.

'You bastard,' he said quietly and without rancor. 'You owe me.'

'I do,' Dieter said.

'Get out of here,' the Major said. He went to the phone and dialed a couple of numbers. 'Ferri, here,' he said. 'What and where?' He listened for a moment, then glared at von Rossbach. 'Okay,' he said, 'I'm on my way. I've got a friend visiting me. I'm sending him on his way; see that they don't hassle him at the gate. Dieter von Rossbach. Yeah. Okay.' He hung up and turned to his friend. 'I expect an explanation,' he said.

'You'll get one,' Dieter said. He held out his hand. 'No hard feelings?'

'Hell yes!' Ferri snapped. He took Dieter's hand. 'Right now, we're even for Srebrenica. But I always did hate those cyber-snots. Get lost,' he said.

They left together, Ferri heading for Cyberdyne without looking back, Dieter driving for the gate, his heart in his throat.

I'll be back, he thought at Sarah.

They were close to the Chamberlains' cabin when Dieter's cell phone beeped.

'Von Rossbach,' he answered.

'Dyson,' came the clipped answer.

Dieter took a deep breath, but said nothing. He couldn't bring himself to speak.

John blinked and came fully awake, shifting in his seat to look anxiously at him.

'Sarah's listed as critical,' Jordan said. 'But she's under the care of a good doctor. They think she'll pull through.'

'Wait,' Dieter said. He put the phone against his shoulder and turned to John.

'He says it looks like your mother should pull through. She's in the care of a good doctor.'

John let out his breath in something close to a sob and Dieter put the phone back to his ear.

'Thank you,' he said.

'There's something else,' Jordan said, sounding tired.