Memory Zero (36 page)

Mary
. That was where he intended to get the keys. She touched his arm. He glanced down at her, eyes bleak. He hadn’t wanted to see Mary like this, she realized.

“I’ll do it.”

He hesitated. “I’ll watch the exits.”

She walked over to Mary’s body. The one good thing about laser weapons was the cleanness of the death—there was no blood and, in this case, no head. Her stomach turned at the thought, and she kept her eyes averted from the blackened neck stump as she rifled through the dead woman’s clothes. She found a set of keys in her right jacket pocket, and a disk in her left.

If Mary was supposed to be confirming the PM’s
route, then maybe this was it. Maybe luck
was
with them, for a change.

She rose, and they moved cautiously into the next corridor. Five minutes later, they were outside. It was almost too easy.

“Chopper’s gone,” he noted, pointing to the empty helicopter pad. “Kazdan’s obviously taken off already, though I’d like to know how, given it’s daylight and he wasn’t wearing a full protection suit.”

“They’ve developed some sort of second skin that protects them from the UV rays. The vamps in Jack’s house were wearing it. I snagged a piece.” Though God only knew what condition it would be in after being in her pocket all this time. She unlocked the car door, then tossed the keys across to Gabriel and climbed in the passenger side.

“That’s obviously how Mary moved about in daylight.” He glanced at her. “It’s not a good development.”

“That’s exactly what I thought.” She placed the disk into the onboard computer. The screen hummed to life, revealing an itinerary. She quickly scanned through it.

Gabriel headed for the gate. The slight shimmer that indicated an energy field disappeared as they neared. Obviously it had been designed to keep people out, not in.

“The PM’s got three appointments left,” she stated. “He’s having lunch with the Premier at a restaurant called Henry’s, and then he’s off to open the new shuttle port. Lastly, the state opera, tonight.”

“It’ll be the shuttle port,” he said, grim certainty in his voice. “There’s been a lot of opposition to it, and
there’ll be plenty of reporters present. Sethanon likes an audience.”

She glanced at the clock. “Then we have three hours and twenty minutes to arrange some extra security and get there.”

“Call this number—” He hesitated as she grabbed the onboard phone, then gave her the number.

After several rings, there was a cautious, somewhat croaky, “Hello?” The screen remained static—whoever had answered wasn’t chancing the vid-screen.

“It’s Gabriel.”

The screen came to life, and a sandy-haired man stared back at her. Stephan, in yet another guise.

“Hi, Sam. Nice to see you back in safe hands.”

“Nice to be back in safe hands,” she said, somehow resisting the impulse to add that she was, as yet, unsure just how much safer she was in Gabriel’s hands.

His gaze went to Gabriel. “What’s up?”

Gabriel didn’t take his eyes off the road, which was just as well, given the speed they were traveling. “We think Sethanon’s planning to switch the PM sometime during the shuttle port opening. Kazdan’s the executioner.”

Stephan ran a hand over his shadowed jaw. “Security’s tight. SIU, State and the Feds are all involved.”

“Kazdan has a full rundown of the security plans. Mary handed them to him.”

Stephan’s eyes hardened. “She’s dead, I gather?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

In that instant, Sam saw another difference between the two men. Saw why Stephan, not Gabriel, was the leader. There was no remorse, no regret, in Stephan.

“You heading there now?” he asked.

“Yes, but it’s going to take us a couple of hours. We’re over near Western Port. How much pull has Byrne got?”

Byrne was on the Director’s staff, if Sam remembered rightly. But if Stephan was Hanrahan, why not just use his alter ego again?

“Enough. I’ll start phoning around. Call when you get to the port.”

The vid-screen went static. She glanced across to Gabriel. “Why not use Hanrahan?”

“Hanrahan’s dead.”

“He’s obviously not, because Stephan was just on the phone, and he’s Hanrahan.”

He gave her a sharp glance. “Well yes, but officially, Hanrahan is missing, presumed dead. It’s better for everyone if he remains that way.”

“Why?”

“Because too many people were starting to suspect Hanrahan.”

“So Stephan
is
a multi-shifter?”

Gabriel just shook his head. “See if the disk has a security map of the shuttle port.”

In other words, she thought, don’t ask any more questions. She brought up the menu and studied it. After a few minutes, she found a floor plan of the shuttle port. “If they’re going to make a switch, they’ll have to distract security long enough to do so.”

He nodded. “And it won’t happen where there are lots of people.”

“That cuts out the hangar. The official ribbon cutting’s in there.”

“It’ll probably happen either just before or just after. Have they got entry or exit routes marked?”

She pressed the screen several times. “Yep. He does a walk through the terminal, inspects the Control Center, opens the port, and then shuffles off in his car.”

“What’s the position of the Control Center?”

“Towers at the end of the terminal. Reached by express lift or stairs.”

“Ten to one that’s where the switch will happen.”

She frowned. “They’ll have to be quick.”

“True. But the lift will only hold ten or so people, and there’s nowhere to run once you stop it. Perfect situation.”

“Jack still has his mad bomber friend with him.”

“Who will no doubt cause a spectacular disturbance, drawing away the press and most of the security.”

“Won’t Stephan warn the SIU, the Feds and the State boys about the threat? Wouldn’t that be enough to stop the visit?”

“They’ll up security, but I doubt they’ll stop the opening. The PM’s waged a major battle against the greens to get these shuttle ports running, and I doubt an unconfirmed threat would be enough to stop him from opening them.”

“But the threat is more than unconfirmed. Jack’s definitely going to the airport to kill the PM. I heard him say so.”

He glanced at her. “I’m afraid the word of a cop under investigation for shooting her partner is not going to be taken seriously—especially when she states that same partner is one of the men behind the threat.”

Good point. “So it comes down to us,” she said grimly. “How fast does this baby go?”

“Why don’t we find out?” he said, and pressed the accelerator to the floor.

* * *

G
ABRIEL GLANCED UP AS A
shadow fell over the security-com he was studying. Without even looking, he had a fair idea who the shadow belonged to.

“Byrne,” he said, annoyed, but not entirely surprised, to see his brother standing in the middle of the shuttle port’s main security center. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Stephan, in his Byrne persona, leaned wearily against the center’s outer wall. “Kazdan owes us. I’ve come to claim the debt.”

A debt Gabriel could have easily claimed for them both. Given the energy it took to maintain a new image, his brother was a fool to risk coming here when he was still injured. But there was no point in saying anything, because there was no swaying Stephan once his mind was made up. “You stay here. Don’t go out there.” He pointed to the main terminal below them.

Stephan’s smile was one of agreement. “Where’s Sam?”

He split the screen, tuning in to Sam’s wristcom. The stairs in which she stood were brightly lit and empty. “In the control center stairwell. I’m about to head for the elevator mechanic’s room.”

“She’s alone?” Stephan frowned. “That’s a bit risky, isn’t it?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Kazdan will expect a guard in the stairs, but he’ll run if he hears any more than that. He certainly won’t expect to see Sam there. It might give her—and us—a slight advantage.”

“Let’s hope you’re right. I’ll take over here.” Stephan hesitated, his frown deepening as he jabbed a finger at
the slender figure in the center of the screen. “What the hell is Lyssa doing here?”

Gabriel glanced at the screen. It was undoubtedly Lyssa’s form, but this woman’s walk was different—less graceful, more energetic. And given that the real Lyssa was safely tucked away, this was obviously the replacement. But if she was a multi-shifter, why would she wear this form here? Surely she’d have to be aware that the SIU and the Feds would be here. He paused. Maybe that was the entire idea. Kazdan would have found out by now that his prisoners had escaped. Maybe they were planning to frame the
real
Lyssa for the attempt on the PM’s life. The video evidence would be undeniable, especially since few authorities knew about multi-shifters.

He gripped his brother’s shoulder. “That’s not Lyssa.”

Stephan glanced at him sharply. “Why would you say that?”

“Because the real Lyssa is safe with Karl. That’s Kazdan’s wife, and the shifter you’ve been living with for the past six months.”

Though Stephan’s face went pale, anger burned deep in his eyes. “And the baby?”

Gabriel hesitated. “We don’t know, but Kazdan believes it’s his.” Then, unable to leave his brother in pain, he added, “But don’t worry. I have the real Lyssa—and your real child—safe. You’ll see them again when this is all over.”

The anger in his brother’s eyes grew. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I wasn’t sure until a few hours ago.” He pulled out his gun and checked the clip one final time. “I’ll explain later. Right now, I have to go catch our traitor.”

“When all this is over, we’ll talk.”

When all this was over, he was taking a holiday. Gabriel tapped the wristcom one of the State boys had given him, unlocking the audio pin and placing it behind his ear. “Keep an eye on her. I’ll be in touch.”

Suzy had taken a corridor that led to both the workers’ lounge and the refueling depot. With the careful placement of one or two bombs, the depot would provide one hell of a light and sound show, which was why Stephan had arranged for extra security there.

After exiting the security center, Gabriel ran down the corridor, made a sharp right and continued on. The workers’ lounge came into sight, but there was no one in the immediate area. He slowed and pressed the wristcom. “See her?” he asked softly.

“Just gone into the ladies’ room.”

He studied the door to his left. Would a terrorist stop for a quick bathroom break? “Check the plans. Is there a large vent of some kind connected to the bathroom?”

“Hang on.”

He crept forward while he waited. Once he neared the door, he pressed his back against the wall and his fingers against the door, slowly opening it. He heard soft cursing and then the harsh rasp of metal against tile. She was up to something in there, for sure.

“One vent,” Stephan said. “It connects to vents that lead to depots one and two.”

Both of which were well covered. Even if she succeeded in getting into the depots without being caught, she wouldn’t get much farther. There had to be something else, something they were missing. “Where else does the vent go?”

“Heads back past the kitchens and up to the main air-conditioning unit.”

“No other vent openings beside the kitchen?”

“Nope.”

Then what the hell was she up to? A soft, metallic thumping indicated she was climbing into the vent. “Keep an eye on the vents at the depot. Inform security I’m heading down to the kitchen.”

He eased the door closed and ran for the stairs. State police swung toward him, guns raised, as he entered the lower level. They didn’t shoot, though, which meant Stephan had been in contact with them. He dug out his ID, flashing it as he ran past.

The kitchen was dark and still. The exit lights gleamed brightly, lending a ruddy glow to the darkness. He quietly closed the swinging double doors and waited for his eyes to adjust.

“The vent’s near the crockery shelves,” Stephan said.

Gabriel clicked the audio off, letting his brother see and hear but not speak. He had no idea how acute Suzy’s hearing was, but given she was a shifter, he wasn’t about to take a risk. The vent was still in place. He squatted behind a bench that offered him cover while still allowing him to see most of the kitchen.

After several minutes, metal scraped, and the grate covering the vent clattered to the floor. He drew his gun. With a soft grunt, Suzy appeared, slithering from the vent to the floor like a small sack of potatoes. She climbed to her feet near the far end of his bench and headed toward the stoves. Once there, she began to turn on the jets. A soft hissing filled the air.

Gas
, he thought. They were going to blow up the kitchen, not the more obvious fuel depot. He rose and held his gun at the ready.

“Not another step, Suzy.”

She jumped and swung around. The red light reflecting from the overhead emergency beacon made her pale features seem harsh. “Gabriel. What are you doing here?”

“I might ask you the same question.” She had something in her right hand, and though he couldn’t make out what it was, it appeared to be the wrong shape for a gun. “Drop whatever you’re holding,” he ordered.

A smile touched her lips. “I don’t think so.”

He clicked the safety off. “I mean it, Suzy. Drop it.”

“Ah, but if I do, we’re both dead,” she said, her amusement more evident this time. “It’s a grenade, and the pin is out. It’ll cause enough damage by itself, but in a kitchen flooded with gas—” She shrugged.

The kitchen would go up like a rocket, and Kazdan would have his diversion. He motioned toward the stove. “Turn the jets off and step away.”

“As I said, I don’t think so.” She ducked, moving away with a speed that surprised him. White light flared, followed by the flash of a laser. The bright light whizzed past his head and bit into the wall behind him, showering him with concrete dust. She’d missed by several feet, so maybe she couldn’t see too well in the dark.

She scrambled around several benches. He turned off the jets, then waited, his laser aimed toward the main doors. Except for the vent and the emergency exit to his right, it was the only way out. When she reached the bench closest to the door, she stood and fired several shots, then raced for the exit.