Paul Faircloth finished reading the teletape briefing just as the
little jet plane slipped down toward the hangar slot in South Chicago.
He slapped the spools into the erasure can and flipped the control
switch to activate the distortion field inside the can. He stretched
his legs, then, wondering vaguely whether he was going to come out of
this whole mess alive.
Jean's parting hug was still warm in his memory, and he remembered the
worry in her big grey eyes as she had kissed him and said, "Be careful,
darling. I wish I could go, too. I couldn't bear to have anything
happen--" It was the first time she had ever actually spoken that word
to him, and he was glad she had. Almost defiantly glad. She had said it
aloud, and she had said so much, much more without words. Only vague
shadows in Faircloth's untrained mind, but he knew the meaning of those
shadows.
A man was waiting down below on the platform for him. The hangar vault
was dark and deserted. He took the agent's card and scanned it briefly.
"Marino? I'm Paul Faircloth. Better give me a late briefing."
Marino nodded. He was small and wiry, with catlike movements and
exceedingly bright eyes under his jet black eyebrows. "We'd be wise to
get on over while we talk," he said.
Faircloth nodded and stepped into the little tube-car that was waiting
at the end of the platform. It was a tight fit for two men, and Paul
ducked by reflex as it gave a lurch and dipped down the chute into a
narrow tunnel, hanging free and speeding ahead on its electronic guide
beam. "Is the Condor Building where he was spotted?"
Marino nodded. "In Center City, Chicago. First thirty-six floors are
commercial, and the twenty above are residential. He's pinned pretty
definitely on the forty-second, in a large residential suite. No idea
why he chose it or how long he's been there--" He turned apologetic
eyes to Faircloth. "I'm Psi-High--I guess you know. We've got him
located and triangulated, and we can keep him pretty well pinned if
he doesn't try to give us a shower. We're pretty sure he knows we're
there."
"Shower?"
Marino nodded, grimly tapping his forehead. "A barrage, the works. This
Alien's got a powerful psi. And I mean powerful. He gave it to one of
our Psi-High men yesterday. It was savage. Nearly ripped him apart."