The Future War

Thing is, I don't want to leave my dogs behind.'

'Dogs?' he said. 'You have a team?'

Shaking her head, Ninel smiled. 'Only if you think a pair is a team. No, they're good hunting dogs, and they're my buds. I couldn't just abandon them.'

'I like dogs,' he said, a little wistfulness in his tone. He sipped his chamomile tea, not liking it much; then putting the mug down, he looked at her carefully.

'What?' she said.

'I just'—he shrugged—'I have my doubts about these buses and trucks. Who's behind this? Do you know?'

'The government, I suppose.' She looked him in the eye.

'Who else?'

'Our government, or Canada?'

'Both, I would imagine.' She frowned. 'What are you suggesting? You think these people are being kidnapped or something? By Canadians! You can't be serious.'

He laughed. 'When you put it like that,' he said. 'But seriously, you don't know who is behind it, and I find that worrying. How did they recruit you anyway?'

'I knew some people who were involved and they asked me to help.' She looked at him with concern. 'They're good people, John. I don't think they'd hurt anybody.'

'So because you trusted them, you were willing to take the whole thing on faith.'

Ninel sat back, frowning. 'I feel like I'm being accused of something here. Not least of being stupid, and I don't like it.'

He held her gaze with a severe look of his own. 'I didn't go all the way to the camp because the buses stopped short of it.

Everyone figured it was a rest stop and got off. Understandably, after a ride of about four hours.' She was frowning in puzzlement. 'They were attacked.'

'Whoa!' she said quickly. 'That doesn't mean the people who run the transports are responsible.'

'C'mon, Ninel! Who else knew that the automated transports were going to stop right there? Huh? But beyond that, I know that people from the camp came hunting them.'

'Of course they came looking,' Ninel protested. 'If the transports never arrived, or arrived empty, of course they went looking. Why wouldn't they?'

'Hon, something is wrong here.'

'I'm not your hon and maybe the something wrong here is you! Maybe there are people out there who don't want Americans settling in Canada. Did that ever occur to you? And if the army can discover how to make those trucks run, couldn't someone else figure out how to run them by remote control?

Maybe this is a plot against the people running the transports and the camps, rather than a plot by them. Ever think of that?

And what are you doing to try and help? Anything?'

John sat back, wondering where he'd lost control of this conversation. Though he did have an impression that Ninel's reaction was sincere. 'I'm doing a few things,' he said gruffly.

Why am I feeling defensive? he wondered. I've spent my whole life preparing to fight Skynet and she's making me feel like a slacker when it's her that's sending people down the damn thing's maw.

'Look, I'm not judging you,' he said aloud. 'I'm just asking questions. Maybe I could ask your friends?'

She looked less belligerent, and a bit uncertain. 'I'll ask them if they'll talk to you. No guarantees.'

'I take it they're not still looking for volunteers.'

Her mouth curved up at one corner. 'Somehow I don't see you as a volunteer. Maybe it's the bike.'

ALASKA

'He wants to talk to us?' Balewitch said, her eyebrows almost tangling in her hairline she was so surprised. She had to make an effort of will not to grin like a wolf.

Perfect!

Ron Labane wanted John Connor found and neutralized and John Connor wanted to come over for coffee. Life generally didn't work out this well.

'Do you know him?' Ninel asked. It was clear she'd noted Balewitch's surprise.

'No, but Ron does,' Dog said. 'And I don't think he likes him.'

Balewitch threw him a warning glance, which Ninel saw.

'What did he say?' she asked, sinking slowly into one of the kitchen chairs.

'That he was dangerous and that he was trouble and that we should stop him now before he recruits too many followers.' Dog grimaced into his cup of mint tea. 'Christ, I wish I had a beer.'

Balewitch rolled her eyes in disgust and Ninel looked from one to the other. 'Is this the right John Connor?' she asked. 'I've never seen him with anyone else.' Her eyes took on a distant look for a moment. 'When he used to hang out at the Klondike, he was the kind who just wanted to shoot pool and have a laugh. I never heard him talking politics or anything like it.'

'Ron thinks he is,' Dog said, still looking into his tea.

Balewitch glared at him. 'Still, both John and Connor are common names. And the guy Ron was talking about was seen in Canada.'

'In Canada?' Ninel said. Nervously she brushed her bright hair back from her face.

Dog and Balewitch exchanged glances.

'Yeah,' Balewitch said, at her most grandmotherly. 'We didn't want to tell you, but… There was an attack on the last convoy.' She lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. 'A lot of people were killed and we still haven't found the survivors.' She looked up at Ninel. 'A young man on a motorcycle was one of the shooters; dark hair, sunglasses. But Ron is sure that it's this John Connor.'

The younger woman's mouth opened slightly and she hunched forward as though struck by a sudden pain. She blinked rapidly, then looked at the concerned faces of her two friends and comrades. 'It does sound like him,' she said quietly. 'What do you want me to do?'

'Get close to him,' Dog said, leaning forward avidly. 'Find out what he's up to.'

Ninel blinked at him, then frowned. 'Don't you think we should tell the authorities?'

'Ye-ah,' Balewitch said, her tone of voice implying that she was asking Dog just what he was thinking.

'Why?' Dog asked. 'They'll want proof and all we've got is suspicions. But! If we can get him to commit to some course of action and then catch him in the act, we'll have him dead to rights.' His eyes told Balewitch he was intending to lean heavily on the dead part.

'Humph,' Balewitch said thoughtfully. 'I see your point.' She looked at their young recruit. 'Are you game?'

Ninel frowned uncertainly. 'I don't know,' she said. 'I'm not one of those glib people who can make people trust them.'

Balewitch stared at the pretty young thing, her chin cupped in her hand. If I had her looks, I could convince the average man that he had a purple ass and tentacles on his head.

It wasn't modesty, she knew, it was too unselfconscious for that. This was pure innocence, and if she couldn't work it into a shape she could use, she'd change her name to Turkey-girl.

She patted the girl's hand. 'Don't worry about it. Just try and spend more time with him. Tell him we weren't at home and you couldn't find us. Invite him to your house for dinner to make it up to him. After that, let nature take its course. Just remember, the less said the better. That way you can't trip yourself up and you'll have less to remember if he asks you questions.'

'Don't worry,' Dog said, giving Ninel a comradely slap on the back that was meant to sting. 'You can do it! And remember, it's for the cause.'

Ninel's expression went from thoughtful to determined at that, and the two Luddites grinned at each other over her head.

NEAR FAIRBANKS

'You're sure about this?' John said, scratching distractedly.

Wish we had more soap. God, if typhus gets started…