turning frail, but his abilities were as strong now
as they were forty years ago. "That is hardly necessary."
"Isn’t it? Instead of killing your
assignments and ordering your partner to do the same, you set up
shop here, to do what?" Sam spread out his arms. "What, you were
going to stare them to death?"
Rakburn lowered his face. "I don’t believe
you understand."
"Yes, Thomas, I do. I understand we are in
the final stages of our mission. I understand that your assignments
are starting to dig, starting to get a little too curious. I
understand that one of them busted you." His sigh sounded like a
snarl. He put his hands on his hips and approached Rakburn. "I also
understand that you have a very difficult time murdering Psi."
Rakburn looked up.
Sam smirked. "You really think any of us
enjoy that? I know you don’t. How many agents have been placed in
your exact position over the last couple years? We knew when we
started this that we wouldn’t be able to keep everything a
secret. It’s too big for the collective strength of the Board to
cloak." He actually ran a hand through his perfectly-combed hair
and walked over to the window again. He stared across the street,
into the window of Brad’s apartment, and whispered, "Can’t hide
everything from psychics, PhoenTek or civilian. Eventually
something is going to slip through."
Rakburn gave this a moment of consideration.
When he spoke again, he chose his words carefully. "But if we are
so close to the end now, why can we not bring them into the fold?
Or let them do their little investigating? It must be too late for
them to interfere?"
Sam threw his hands out to his sides. "Our
seers say it’s not too late."
Rakburn snorted. "And I have it on good
authority that the seers have projected failure for each and every
other scenario. It amuses me that the strongest precogs in the
world can barely predict far enough ahead in time to stay ahead of
those they consider lesser than they. So again I ask you: why
concern ourselves with the rogues? Why kill our own kind if
PhoenTek is doomed to fail regardless?"
Sam laughed. "You’re so dramatic. We’re not doomed to fail . It just seems that way to you
because of what you’ve supposedly heard. It’s a matter of scale,
really. Our seers are trying to see the world’s future.
Every single person interacting, including every single civilian
psi, and you know how erratic those shitasses can be. So
it’s much harder for our precogs because they’re casting such a
large net."
Rakburn set his feet and met his friend’s
eyes. He wasn’t going to convince Sam. "Do what you must."
"What?"
"I cannot ask you to risk your own safety."
Rakburn took a deep breath and straightened his tie. "Do what you
must."
Sam chuckled, not entirely surprised. "And
your mind is made up?"
"It is."
"Good." Sam smoothed his jacket and his hair,
then moved close to Rakburn and again took him by the shoulder.
"I’ll buy you some time."
"No—No, I cannot ask—"
"You didn’t. Like I said, I owe you one. Take
care of yourself, Thomas."
And before Rakburn could stop his friend and
protest, he was gone. Slipped out the door without a sound. He
stared after Sam for a long time before coming back to his
senses.
"Right, then."
He cleared his throat and got back to
work.
6
"Describe again the events leading up to when
you and Mr. Kinney found the bodies, please," asked a detective.
He’d barely glanced up at all during the last two run-throughs.
Brad wondered if there were naked ladies on
that notepad. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I told
you twice already."
"Sir." The detective sounded bored, which
confirmed for Brad that there were not naked ladies on the
notepad. "Like I said before, I’m only doing my job. You wanna go
down to the station and give a statement, be my guest."
"No," Brad said and shook his head, "let’s go
through it again." He recounted everything to the detective,
leaving out the Old Suit and the
as they were forty years ago. "That is hardly necessary."
"Isn’t it? Instead of killing your
assignments and ordering your partner to do the same, you set up
shop here, to do what?" Sam spread out his arms. "What, you were
going to stare them to death?"
Rakburn lowered his face. "I don’t believe
you understand."
"Yes, Thomas, I do. I understand we are in
the final stages of our mission. I understand that your assignments
are starting to dig, starting to get a little too curious. I
understand that one of them busted you." His sigh sounded like a
snarl. He put his hands on his hips and approached Rakburn. "I also
understand that you have a very difficult time murdering Psi."
Rakburn looked up.
Sam smirked. "You really think any of us
enjoy that? I know you don’t. How many agents have been placed in
your exact position over the last couple years? We knew when we
started this that we wouldn’t be able to keep everything a
secret. It’s too big for the collective strength of the Board to
cloak." He actually ran a hand through his perfectly-combed hair
and walked over to the window again. He stared across the street,
into the window of Brad’s apartment, and whispered, "Can’t hide
everything from psychics, PhoenTek or civilian. Eventually
something is going to slip through."
Rakburn gave this a moment of consideration.
When he spoke again, he chose his words carefully. "But if we are
so close to the end now, why can we not bring them into the fold?
Or let them do their little investigating? It must be too late for
them to interfere?"
Sam threw his hands out to his sides. "Our
seers say it’s not too late."
Rakburn snorted. "And I have it on good
authority that the seers have projected failure for each and every
other scenario. It amuses me that the strongest precogs in the
world can barely predict far enough ahead in time to stay ahead of
those they consider lesser than they. So again I ask you: why
concern ourselves with the rogues? Why kill our own kind if
PhoenTek is doomed to fail regardless?"
Sam laughed. "You’re so dramatic. We’re not doomed to fail . It just seems that way to you
because of what you’ve supposedly heard. It’s a matter of scale,
really. Our seers are trying to see the world’s future.
Every single person interacting, including every single civilian
psi, and you know how erratic those shitasses can be. So
it’s much harder for our precogs because they’re casting such a
large net."
Rakburn set his feet and met his friend’s
eyes. He wasn’t going to convince Sam. "Do what you must."
"What?"
"I cannot ask you to risk your own safety."
Rakburn took a deep breath and straightened his tie. "Do what you
must."
Sam chuckled, not entirely surprised. "And
your mind is made up?"
"It is."
"Good." Sam smoothed his jacket and his hair,
then moved close to Rakburn and again took him by the shoulder.
"I’ll buy you some time."
"No—No, I cannot ask—"
"You didn’t. Like I said, I owe you one. Take
care of yourself, Thomas."
And before Rakburn could stop his friend and
protest, he was gone. Slipped out the door without a sound. He
stared after Sam for a long time before coming back to his
senses.
"Right, then."
He cleared his throat and got back to
work.
6
"Describe again the events leading up to when
you and Mr. Kinney found the bodies, please," asked a detective.
He’d barely glanced up at all during the last two run-throughs.
Brad wondered if there were naked ladies on
that notepad. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I told
you twice already."
"Sir." The detective sounded bored, which
confirmed for Brad that there were not naked ladies on the
notepad. "Like I said before, I’m only doing my job. You wanna go
down to the station and give a statement, be my guest."
"No," Brad said and shook his head, "let’s go
through it again." He recounted everything to the detective,
leaving out the Old Suit and the
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