The Administration Series (147 page)

When the section began to empty at the end of the day, Karteris stretched, making rather more of it than was necessary, and finished up with a smile that could've advertised toothpaste. "Want to go for a drink? I can show you round the bits of Athens tourists don't usually find."

Outside, the air wasn't hot, but it was warm and dry. They paused outside the gates, looking at the city. The I&I building stood on a hill, and directly across from the main entrance the clear dome of the Acropolis dominated the scene, slightly distorting the shapes of the white buildings within it.

Karteris took him to a small bar not far from the I&I offices. No one gave a second glance at their uniforms, and Toreth saw others in I&I black dotted around. He absorbed the atmosphere while Karteris negotiated the tab with the barman.

His kind of bar, he decided after a few minutes. The adjective he'd pick to describe many of the patrons was 'available'. A place to come for a relaxed evening's hunting, with a solid prospect for a fuck of some kind at the end of it. Perfect.

He wondered if Karteris had been checking up on him.

They spent an hour chatting — social crap, not work — during which Karteris mentioned three times that he and his wife lived virtually separate lives. The offer wouldn't have been more obvious if he'd stripped naked and revealed a 'fuck me now' tattoo on his arse.

They finished their drinks, and Karteris asked, "What do you want to do next? We can stay here, go someplace else. Find something to eat." Lift of a lazy eyebrow. "I can take you home and show you some Greek hospitality. I'm a reasonably good cook, amongst other things."

Toreth considered the proposal, and came to a surprising conclusion. "Actually, I'm shattered. Late night, early morning. I'll be a fucking zombie tomorrow if I don't get some sleep. How about one more drink and then I'll call it a day?"

"No problem." Karteris smiled. "Entertainment is all on expenses, so feel free. Get me one too."

As Toreth walked away, he heard Karteris call, "Hey!" However, when he looked round, the para was beckoning to someone on the opposite side of the room.

Toreth ordered drinks and looked at his fractured reflection in the engraved mirror behind the bar. Not too bad, but, God, he must be getting old if a decent night's sleep sounded so much more attractive than a fuck. It didn't matter — he had the rest of the assignment to catch up on one wasted evening. He certainly didn't intend to pass up chances for the whole fortnight. After few days' abstinence he wouldn't be able to stop himself if he wanted to.

Toreth paused, drink halfway to his lips, and considered the idea. That was crap. He didn't
have
to fuck anyone at all while he was here. Then, between taking a mouthful of ouzo and remembering why he never drank the foul fucking stuff, it somehow turned into a resolution.

Partly it was just to see if he could. One thing he couldn't resist was a challenge, and as soon as he thought that he couldn't do it he knew he had to try.

Mostly it was the image of how incredibly pleased Warrick would be. After (Toreth gritted his teeth unconsciously) Girardin, they'd come to an unspoken agreement whereby Toreth did what he wanted but didn't flaunt it, and Warrick didn't ask questions if he didn't want to hear the answers. It worked fine, for Toreth anyway. For Warrick too, he supposed. Still, Toreth knew that Warrick . . . well, didn't exactly hate that Toreth fucked around. Or maybe he did hate it. In any case Warrick certainly didn't like the idea.

So it would make a nice present, and Warrick would be happy which meant great sex, and it was easier than trying to think of something to take back for him, and anyway, why the hell not?

He could do it.

Toreth was about order a whiskey when it occurred to him that keeping his alcohol consumption in check would be a good idea. He caught a wry smile in the mirror. Not so confident in his resolution, after all. He changed it to a glass of grapefruit juice and was about to leave the ouzo on the bar when he had second thoughts and took it with him.

When he found Karteris, the senior was talking to a young man attractive enough to test Toreth's resolve right there.

"This is Theo," Karteris said. "He's an informer."

"Jesus!" Theo looked round, eyes wide. "Keep your voice down!"

"Sorry. Despite past mistakes, Theo is very keen to be a loyal citizen of the Administration."

Toreth couldn't help looking. Just looking, he told himself. "I'll bet. Want a drink?" He offered the ouzo and Theo took it with apparent gratitude.

Karteris's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "I'm too old for you, that it?"

Toreth grinned. "The hospitality is great, but it's really not necessary. I'm just here to do my job and go home."

The flash of surprise on Karteris's face made Toreth quite certain that someone in the local I&I had thoroughly checked out their visitor. He smiled into his drink. This might be fun.

The next morning, Toreth arrived to find a stunningly attractive female admin waiting outside the office. Toreth appreciated good skin care when he saw it, and he recognised the dedicated hard work behind her flawless complexion. Her thick, wavy hair probably sent another chunk of her salary down the drain.

"Senior Para Toreth? My name is Nikoletta Stefanadis. I'm Para Karteris's admin, but he asked me to help you." She paused. "If you need me to."

Narrow waist, a light build that emphasised her generous breasts — unfair temptation.

"That'd be great," Toreth said. "I meant to ask about admins. I thought about bringing mine over with me, but she's too busy. It won't be too much trouble, will it?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to manage." She smiled brightly, revealing dimples that made her look practically edible. "It's pretty quiet in the section."

Toreth suppressed a grin. "I know. That's why I'm here."

Confusion showed plainly on her face, then she blushed. "Oh. It's not
that
quiet. I meant that things aren't too busy right now. Or . . . " She trailed off, then gathered herself. "Is there anything you want me to do, Para?"

"Not just now. If I think of anything, I'll let you know."

Forgetting his newly assumed role, he followed that up with a wink. She smiled again, obviously relieved that he hadn't taken her slip-up seriously.

"My office is right opposite," she said. "I keep the door open, so just walk in any time I can help."

Toreth watched her go, and sighed.

Toreth spent the day organising the files he'd need for the review. A pity he couldn't have brought Sara. However, he needed someone he trusted to hold the fort at I&I.

By midafternoon he had most of the depressingly large number of files arranged, along with the expert systems analysis of the statistical anomalies of which Vassilakis had been so dismissive. Despite the excellent summaries, it would take time to assimilate.

Toreth looked at the list of files he'd marked for close attention and frowned. He could just as easily have read through everything in the comfort of his own office in New London. Why the hell was he doing it out here?

The reason, of course, was that the assignment was supposed to be a treat. A relaxing, low-pressure, high-expenses trip away that anyone would have jumped at.

Toreth amended that to 'most people'. Chevril wouldn't have taken it because it would've meant spending weeks away from his precious Elena. More fool him. Mind you, he could understand Chev's reluctance. Leaving someone as stunning as Elena alone for a couple of weeks was asking for trouble. Toreth might've put in a dinner invitation himself, just on general principles, although he'd probably be wasting his money.

In any case, he wasn't in New London with an available Elena. He was here, so he ought to relax and enjoy it, resolution of the previous evening aside. The work was probably optional. Maybe he should take a hand screen and continue the review on a beach, or at the very least on a lounger beside the pool at his hotel.

Karteris looked up from his desk, smiled and checked his watch. "We usually go for a coffee about now, if you're interested."

Some things were the same Administration-wide.

In New London I&I, most serious business took place in the coffee rooms, and Athens seemed no different. This time Toreth's arrival caused a definite lull. At a conservative estimate, he'd been the subject of half the conversations in progress.

The group of Political Crimes paras went especially quiet, and Karteris gathered a couple of almost hostile stares when he brought Toreth over. Deja vu again from Carnac's visit to New London; Toreth wasn't surprised when the group excused themselves one by one over the next few minutes, leaving him alone with Karteris, Manos and Nikoletta.

Then Karteris's comm chimed. He listened, then sighed and stood up, beckoning to Manos. "George is in — he wants to talk to us." He turned to Toreth. "I'll see you back in the office."

As he was about to leave, Karteris paused and laid two fingers lightly on Nikoletta's shoulder — not the first casual touch between them Toreth had noticed over the day. "You keep our guest happy while I'm gone."

"I didn't notice you around yesterday," Toreth said to Nikoletta when the other two had departed.

"I wasn't here."

"Skiing?"

She looked at him blankly, then laughed. "You mean like George? Oh, no. Nothing like that.
I
can't afford skiing — I wish I could. Do you ski?"

"A bit. My — " He paused, stuck. Virtue was one thing, but he'd be damned if he was going to start calling Warrick a 'partner' or anything ridiculous like that. "A friend of mine is a corporate director. I've tagged along with him on the odd business trip."

It didn't seem to strike her as strange. "That must be great."

"Yes. He's good fun, for a corporate."

"Are you married?"

No, I'm fucking the man I just described as a friend. "No, nothing like that. I'm — " Here if you want me. Hardly the right sort of sentiment for his new persona. Why the hell had he started this? Nikoletta was looking at him expectantly, but all that came to mind were his usual lines designed to suggest availability. "My admin says I'm married to I&I."

There. That was fairly neutral, although Sara would laugh herself sick.

Or maybe not so neutral, because her gaze flicked briefly in the direction of the chair previously occupied by Karteris, then she said, "I understand."

On the way out of the coffee room, Nikoletta said, "Para? I was wondering if you'd like to go for a drink after work?"

The casual approach didn't fool him for a moment. The refusal was easy — he'd heard Sara go through the litany often enough. "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks. I like to keep my relationships at work completely professional. It makes things easier that way — no confusion."

Was that a touch of relief in Nikoletta's eyes? Not surprising if it was, since he'd bet any money that Karteris had put her up to this. Odd in itself, because he would've guessed there was something distinctly unprofessional between the admin and senior para.

Maybe there was. In any case, there was obviously something going on in the section. Karteris wouldn't be taking all this trouble to make sure Toreth had a good time unless he had something to hide.

Toreth put his beach office plan on hold, at least for a couple of days until he'd decided whether or not there was anything rotten in Political Crimes.

By Wednesday, his opinion had shifted again, to an uncomfortably schizophrenic one. The Investigation in Progress reports, the arrests and the interrogation records from the cases seemed perfectly in order for each example he looked at. It was only when he called up the summary figures for the statistical report that the improbability of the overall picture struck him.

Apparently there were virtually no resisters in Athens. A handful of convictions, mostly of lone dissidents, for minor infractions. No groups, no major incidents. Could Vassilakis be right, and Athens simply be one of the happiest places in the Administration?

If so, it had citizens with too much time on their hands, because reports of suspected resisters by loyal citizens doing their duty (and maybe hoping to pick up a reward for informing) registered only fifteen percent below the Administration average.

Incompetence? Corruption? Subversion?

One blindingly obvious fact was that if something was wrong in the section, then the odds of either Vassilakis or George spotting it were vanishingly small.

Toreth finally met the Political Crimes section head for lunch on Wednesday. George's second name turned out to be Makrigiannakis, making Toreth wonder if the widespread familiar name use came from the fact that none of the local I&I staff could pronounce it either.

The lunch was spectacular, and George looked like a man who enjoyed something similar every day of the week and twice at the weekend. Skiing, Toreth decided, had to be a euphemism for something else.

By the end of the meal he changed his mind. As far as he could tell, George did ski. And sail — he owned his own yacht — and ride. He also played polo, and his wife bred horses for a hobby. A
hobby
, for fuck's sake. Somebody's nephew indeed, because he didn't fund his lifestyle on a section head's salary.