Page 82 of Agent Zero
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Holly’s internal clock had taken a bit of a beating lately, but it felt like almost an hour later when Trinity stopped dead, holding up her left hand just in case Holly didn’t get the message.Her right hand reached across her body, quick as a snake, and she drew a very nasty-looking dull-black gun.Trinity pointed, and Holly obligingly flattened herself against the wall at the precise spot indicated.
The other woman stood very still, listening so intently Holly held her breath as if to help.The hallway was full of echoes—stealthy faraway footsteps, a sudden impalpable charge of urgent electricity.
“Damn,”Trinity breathed.Even that word didn’t have any inflection; it was just as dry and precise as the rest of her.“Bad news.”
You know, I think I’m beginning to dread those two little words, but who doesn’t?“Which is?”The concrete wall behind her was cold, repainted so many times the gray-green was slick under her fingertips, an institutional carapace.
“Bronson must have a very thick skull.”
Who?“Bronson?Oh, the man you?—”
“I should have snapped his neck, but I thought Caldwell...it doesn’t matter.”A small, precise shake of her head.“Next time I’ll calculate better.”
There might not be a next time, if what I’m hearing is them discovering we’re roaming around.“So now what?”A sudden realization hit.Wait a second.Six and Eight.“You’re Three.All those numbers.Not names.”
Trinity turned her head very slowly, and now she had an expression.Dull, flushed rage stained her cheeks; Holly watched, fascinated, as the color faded and the face became a doll’s mask again.
“IwasThree,” she said.“Now I’m Trinity.Please don’t call me the former.”
God.“I’m sorry.”Holly swallowed, dryly.“I won’t.”
“Good.”Trinity set off down the hall again.“Come on.”
They rounded another corner, and Holly stopped so quickly she swayed, her nostrils flaring.Wait.Is that...“Reese.I smell him.”
Trinity didn’t argue, instead taking a deep whiff.“Interesting.Why would they be held here?It doesn’t compute.Unless...”
“Unless what?”
“It’s more bad news.”
For God’s sake.“Just tell me.”
“Generally hostiles are held here, until they’re interrogated, or...”
“Or?”Holly strained for patience—not like she had any alternative, but still.I hate pulling this crap out of people, come on!
“Restructured through induction, but that liquidates the males.Perhaps they wish to test the process on Gemini males?”Another headshake, somehow thoughtful instead of dismissive.“Not enough data.The only other reason would be simple liquidation.”
“You meankilling.We can’t let them?—”
“Not our problem at this point,” Trinity muttered, but another expression crossed her face.This one was odd, as if she were straining to recall the lyrics to a long-ago song.“Odd.There’s two agent tracks.I wonder...”
“ReeseandCal?It’s got to be.Theyareour problem.”Holly’s heart leaped at the thought.“We have to rescue them.”
“Rescue two fully trained liquidation agents, seventy percent chance of them drugged into insensibility?Oh, that’s a marvelous idea.”A faint tinge of sarcasm, probably unconscious.“They’re probably beyond any aid by now, and the chances of getting away ourselves would go down.”Still, Trinity hesitated, her face changing by another millimeter or two.
A faint, rhythmic stamping began.It grew in volume—booted feet, Holly realized.
Men.At least a half-dozen, heading straight for them from a corridor to the left.“They’re coming.”
“The best exit is this way.If we find the agents along the way, that will alter the calculations.But?—”
Holly lost her temper; she felt it give with a snap like a wineglass’s stem.“Look, I don’t care about the calculations.It’s Reese and Cal, we have to help them.If you won’t, I’ll do it myself.”Even though I have no idea where I am—but you know what?I can follow my nose, maybe I can move as fast as Reese, and...I’ll figure something out.
My smart girl, her father whispered inside her head.
