Page 29 of Freedom Fighters
“Bribes. Persuasion.” Nemesis shrugged.
“To back international loans,” Garrett said.
Nemesis leaned forward and dropped his voice. “The top dog needs to prove to the worldthat Vistaria has a viable economy. If he can do that, then he can get loans, invite investors, support local businesses. It will stimulate the economy in a way that will make Vistarians think he’s doing just great, because money and goods and services will flow. It will entrench the Insurrectos like dried concrete.”
“Except it’s propped up by smoke and mirrors,” Garrett said, his voice flat,even angry. “Six months, a year from now, the economy will collapse through its own weight and they’ll be even worse off than they are now. Vistaria will be mired in national and international debt, with no economy to pay it off with.”
“Besides, the mine isn’t theirs,” Carmen said hotly. “It belongs to the corporation in that other country.” She couldn’t say America or Astra Corp aloud—it wouldbe noticed, amongst their English.
“I don’t think the top dog cares about that,” Nemesis told her.
“Spoils of war,” Garrett added. “If it comes out he’s using the mine, he’ll claim it was nationalized when he freed the nation from the Loyalist yoke.”
“The corporation paid billions for those mineral rights,” Carmen said. “It was going to keep Vistaria on its feet for years.”
“ThatVistariaalready had an infrastructure,” Garrett pointed out. “The stimulation to the economy was real and sustainable. It just hadn’t kicked in when the bad guys took over. Now, there’s no industry, no businesses at all and no one has any money. An economy propped up by a nationalized mining industry that uses military labor instead of local labor will topple because even though the silver is floating corporateloans, nothing flows back to the people.”
Nemesis smiled in a way that held no mirth at all. “It will look good on paper, though.”
“Why were the ingots goingbackto The Big Rock?” Carmen asked. “Surely they need them in the city, or to be shipped out of the country, to show to the corporations they want to tap?”
Both men were silent, looking at each other.
“To make itlooklike the mine isfully functional,” Garrett said, as if he was finishing a sentence that hadn’t been spoken.
Nemesis nodded. “Fly in the money men, show them around. Everything squeaky clean and running smoothly.”
Carmen put her cup down. “Not just the money men,” she added softly. “Diplomats and politicians, too.”
“Mexico,” Garrett said flatly. “They need them as allies now that they’ve alienated the States.”
The silence that gripped the table was thick with tension.
Nemesis leaned forward again and dropped his voice. “You took one shipment from them. I guarantee a replacement shipment will be arranged. You need to stop that train, no matter what.”
“We could blow the line,” Garrett said. “Slow them down.”
“Not certain enough,” Nemesis said. “They could fly it down if they know the tracks are compromised.”
“They don’t have any aircraft left,” Carmen said.
Both men looked at her.
“How do you know that?” Nemesis asked.
“I spent nearly twenty-four hours studying the back of the palace, about six weeks ago. There used to be a fleet of helicopters and a small Cessna kept there, for anyone to use as needed. They were all gone. The army had a small fleet of helicopters, too, only they were all broughtdown and destroyed in the first wave of the revolution.” Carmen grimaced.
“The Insurrectos stole all the ground-to-air missile launchers from the bases, before the fighting broke out,” Nemesis added.
Garrett’s brow rose. “So they can’t take it by air.”
“Road?” Carmen asked.
“I’ll worry about the road,” Nemesis said. “You worry about the train. If the groups in the city hear anything abouta shipment, I’ll get word to you.” He glanced up and around. “Time to leave.”
There were five Insurrectos hovering outside the café, reading the menu in the window.
Nemesis got to his feet. He had no pack, no bag. He must have put the ingot into one of his jacket pockets. It was an ordinary leather jacket, with tabs and zippered pockets. It didn’t hang lower on one side.
