Was it worth the risk? Haesslich had been ready to see her killed because she knew about his plan. From all she’d heard, he dealt harshly with subordinates who failed him, no matter who was at fault. Continued service to the old worm seemed to offer diminishing possibilities of coming of this alive.

Letting Verner walk into the trap could solve a lot of problems. With the proper arrangement she could make sure he got killed. The doppelganger too. Not even Haesslich could blame her if Renraku security wasted his toy. Her contract to protect the Dragon’s investment in this operation would be completed.

Verner aside, the doppelganger’s usefulness was over. Crenshaw knew about the mole in the AI project. If Verner walked into the trap, Renraku would snap him up and keep their secrets. If Hart went in as well, she might still manage to pull the data out. Whether Hart managed to deliver the doppelganger and its data to Haesslich or whether the thing remained within the arcology after tomorrow night, this run was coming to a close.

She sat back, weighing her chances and pondering how she might survive the finale.

49

The gray light of predawn began to filter in through the black-out curtains over the windows of the burnt-out tenement Ghost had chosen for the strategy conference. Of them all, only Karen Montejac still looked fresh, but Sam knew it was only an illusion. He wondered if the others noticed.

“Any other ideas?” he asked.

“Yes,” Sally said, rubbing her eyes. “Sleep.”

“Verily, Sir Twist. ’Twould seem the best plan of a bad lot. We have been over this ground enough. Unless something new turns up, our only option is to winkle Hutten out of the arcology.”

“And I still say going in and trying to drag him out is too dangerous,” Ghost grumbled.

“I know, Ghost,” Sam said. “I know. But there’s no other way. Hutten is the evidence we need against Haesslich.”

Ghost folded his arms over his chest and frowned. You want the wizworm down, take him down. Physically. Before he gets you. Too much risk to hit the arcology.”

“That’s not the way I want to do it,” Sam said wearily. “This is a matter of justice, not vengeance, Haesslich isn’t a no-data runner. He’s chosen to live in the corporate world by taking a job as security director for United Oil. He’s even got a SIN. When he took that job, he became a part of society and he’s subject to society’s laws. I intend to see that he pays the full penalty under that law. Under the law. Not Outside it.”

Ghost shrugged and turned his face away. The silence in the room grew. Sam looked to Dodger for support but the Elf wouldn’t meet his eyes. He knew better than to try Sally. He was beginning to feel abandoned when Jaq tentatively cleared her throat.

“You are aware that there may be no alternative to killing the Dragon? None of the plans we’ve considered offers a reasonable chance of success to safely obtain the evidence you want. Sanction may be the only means of stopping Haesslich.”

Sam looked at her, imaging the fur-framed face behind the blonde mask of Karen Montejac. Did another face, that of Lofwyr, hide behind her words? Killing was a prerogative of the state. Any individual who took that right into his own lands was committing murder, and murder was a sin. Sam was not ready to add that one to the list his soul had accumulated in recent days.

Lord, why have you made it so difficult?

The others did not believe there was hope of bringing the Dragon to any justice other than their own rough brand. Were they so wrong? He knew what Haesslich was. He feared what he might do if left to pursue his schemes. Was Sam’s own soul worth more than the unnumbered souls who would be tainted or destroyed if Haesslich were allowed to live?

He was tired to his bones. Maybe too tired. Theirs was the easier solution. Kill the Dragon and be done. But was a moral solution?

And if it came to killing the Dragon, how could they go about it? He had seen Tessien destroy Bengay’s panzer, and Tessien was smaller, presumably less powerful than Haesslich. It would take enormous firepower. Anything that would hurt the Dragon could also kill anyone near it. If innocents died, Sam and the others would be as bad as Haesslich. It was Ghost who’d suggested killing the Dragon. He was the warrior; he understood guns and tactics. Maybe Ghost could devise a way to get to the Dragon without involving other people.

When Sam turned to where Ghost had been standing, the spot was empty. The Indian crouched instead by the door, an Ingram in his right hand. The others in the room had shaken off their lethargy and were also tensed for action. Sam reached for his own weapon.

After listening a moment, Ghost announced, “Kham’s coming.”

Breathing a sigh of relief. Sam reseated his half-drawn gun. A moment later, Sam heard the scuff of feet on the wooden stairs. The door opened and a slightly out-of-breath Kham stomped in.

“You’re late, Sir Tusk.”

“Dodger,” Sam chided. “Glad you decided to show, Kham.”

“In your ear, Suitboy,” the Ork snarled, walking past him to Sally. “Just turned down an invitation to a party you might be interested in. A lot of Raku types, heavy metal boys, gonna be celebrating the coming out of a certain important person.”

“When?” Sally asked.

“Where?” Sam asked.

Kham threw Sam a sour look and again directed his words to Sally. “Shuttle to Sea-Tac lands at eleven. De last stop is de Raku arc where dey expect to board de guest of honor.”

Dodger whistled. “The master worm calls and his puppy comes running. Alas for the plotters, Renraku security has tumbled to their scheme. They shall detain Hutten.”

“Maybe,” Sam said. “I’ve heard that the corporations sometimes wait until a runaway tries to board an outbound plane before they step in to take him back. The added embarrassment can make a renegade more tractable. If they’re waiting at the airport, they may not know he’s running to the Dragon. We could make the snatch there.”

Kham guffawed. “Oh dem Red Raku boys is waiting at de airport all right. Lotsa dem. Don’t need mega-muscle and heavy artillery for a flabby lab rat.”

“If they’re ready for the Dragon, we can let them have him. Let them dance with the worm. If there are any pieces left after the fireworks, then maybe you can satisfy yourself. If Raku is loaded for Dragon, there’ll be no way we can snatch Hutten at the airport,” Ghost said.

“Then we’ll have to get to him someplace else,” Sam announced. “This is our chance. Once he’s outside the arcology walls, we’ll have a better chance of grabbing him because arcology security won’t be in our way anymore. Kham, how exactly did you find this out?”