Infiltrator

'Thank you, Marieta,' he said aloud. 'We won't be needing refreshments, so you can get back to whatever you were doing now.'

Her dark eyes widened in surprise. He rarely spoke to her as though she were a servant, and despite her own insistence on formality it was clear she didn't quite know how to react.

Dieter nodded to her and gave her a little smile.

'Oh! Si, senior,' the housekeeper said. She backed out the door, ducking her head back in once to send a glare to the man she knew, then closed the door behind her.

Dieter and the agent studied each other while the third man watched them nervously and chewed on a ragged thumbnail.

'Why don't you say something?' he finally blurted out.

Dieter snapped a finger at him. 'Who are you?' he demanded.

The man's lips jerked into an ingratiating smile.

'But we have done business, senor. Over five years since we saw one another, si, but business.' Von Rossbach continued to stare at him coldly. ' Much business.'

He nodded encouragingly.

'You have a name?' von Rossbach asked, giving the agent a look.

'Ah! Si!' The man touched his brow and grinned. 'I am Victor Griego.'

Dieter nodded.

'Senor Ferarri thought that this one might be able to help you identify someone,'

the agent said. 'Senor Griego has extensive underworld contacts, going back many years.'

' Si,' Victor agreed, nodding eagerly. 'I was told you wished to identify Sarah Connor. I knew her, did business with her. One of her lovers was a good friend of mine,' he said with a leer. A muscle jumped in Dieter's jaw at that. 'I mean no offense, senor.'

'Of course you didn't.' Dieter turned a disgusted shoulder to the man and addressed the agent. 'I already told Ferarri that the woman was too short,' he said. 'I am sorry to have wasted your time. And yours.' He nodded to Victor.

'It is all right, senor. I will be paid for my time.' Griego smirked and one hand turned over in a not too subtle signal of expectation. 'But since I am here, perhaps you should get some value for your coin.'

Dieter glanced at the agent, who shrugged.

'Best to make absolutely certain, eh?' Griego said.

'It might be best,' the agent agreed indifferently.

Intellectually Dieter couldn't blame his friend for siccing these two on him. His dismissal of the information Jeff had sent him was lame and, obviously, unconvincing. As well, the reward was enormous. The Sector didn't believe in binding the mouths of the oxen who trod out the corn— although they were extremely reluctant to let anyone quit the organization.

Emotionally he was very annoyed. Partly with Jeff, who might have trusted him to handle this in his own way. Partially with himself, because after his dinner with Suzanne and her son he found that he really liked them.

The dinner had been delicious and the company was wonderful. John had a lot of charisma and probably would go far in life. Suzanne he found more intriguing every time he saw her. He found himself trusting her; she exuded an aura of competence and reliability.

And yet he was also convinced that Suzanne Krieger was Sarah Connor. A woman wanted for gunrunning, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, bombings, suspected murder, and last but not least, escaping from a mental institution.

I must belong in one myself, he thought dryly. After all, he was holding back because he was certain down in his soul that there was a reasonable explanation for everything she had done. Suzanne just didn't feel like a murderer. Of course, she is a smuggler, so the gunrunning could be a legitimate charge. Talk about grasping at straws.

But he was an experienced agent and the shape of the Sarah Connor case… to him it was obvious that a piece of the puzzle was missing. A damned important piece. And it might be the result of sheer boredom, but he wanted to be the one to find that piece.

'I'm having a small dinner party at the end of the week.' Von Rossbach turned to Griego. 'The woman will be one of my guests; you'll stay until then. After having dinner with her, you should be able to make an identification, one way or the other.' Victor nodded and opened his mouth to speak. Dieter looked at the agent. 'Will you also be staying with us?'

The man rose in a fluid motion; Dieter's private estimation went up a notch or two.

'Unfortunately I cannot,' he said. 'I must be going. Senor Ferarri said that you would be taking care of our friend's needs and expenses.'

One corner of von Rossbach's mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. 'Well, if that's what he said, then I suppose that's what I'll do.'

He rose and offered the agent his hand. The two men shook, eyes meeting eyes, evaluating, you know, Dieter thought, I don't miss having to be that wary. The man turned and left, leaving the informant and Dieter alone together.

'I suppose we'd better get you settled. Do you have luggage?' Dieter asked.

'No.' Victor laughed. 'Our friend there was in a bit of a hurry.'

'Well, we'll find you something clean to wear. And my housekeeper can wash your clothes for you while you shower.

'No need,' Victor said cheerfully.

'I insist.'

The man looked at Dieter anxiously and saw that his gigantic host wasn't joking.

'Sure,' he said with a shrug. 'A nice shower would be… uh, nice.'

* * *

Dieter closed the door of the guest room and trotted downstairs, his face grim.

Marieta wasn't going to like this. At least he won't be putting his greasy head on her nicely ironed pillowcases, he thought. Living with Griego for three days was going to be like living with a very large, bipedal rat. But at least they wouldn't have to share the same bathroom. 'Marieta is going to kill me,' Dieter whispered.

CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS: THE PRESENT

Serena rose and came around her desk as her secretary escorted the young man in. She observed with interest how very much Jordan resembled his brother, Miles; the same large, fine eyes, broad straight nose, high cheekbones, smooth dark skin. It fascinated her. The way that faces emerged from the genetic soup to perfectly combine the features of the parents in the offspring.

She offered her hand and Jordan took it.

'Why don't we sit here,' Serena suggested, indicating her sofa and coffee-table arrangement. 'Would you like something?' she asked. 'Coffee, tea, a soft drink?'

'No, thanks, I'm fine,' he said, settling himself.

'I read the resume you sent me.' Serena said, sitting beside him, her body turned slightly toward him. 'Very impressive. Does the Bureau know that you're doing this?'

Jordan's mouth opened slightly in surprise. That wasn't the first question he'd expected to be asked.

'No,' he said carefully. 'I chose not to discuss it with them.'

Ms. Burns wasn't at all what he'd expected. She was incredibly young for this post for one thing. For another, even for California, she was an absolute babe.

'Mmm,' Serena said, her eyes slightly narrowed. 'We've had several applications, as you can imagine. And you're one of the youngest candidates.'

She gave him a bright smile. 'And, as you can imagine, I'm favorably inclined toward a younger candidate.'