warrant issued, no reason for you or your men to be here
at all
. The way I see it,’ he continued, his voice still escalating, ‘you’ve just illegally detained two of my
operatives in the course of performing their duty!’
‘They
disobeyed orders
,’ Greenbrooke peevishly insisted, ‘and assaulted a base commander, no less. There are strict—’
‘Actually, sir,’ said the smaller man accompanying Bramnik, ‘Miss Mirkowsky has a duty to ensure the safety of the Pathfinders under her command at all times, under the terms
of the special mandate they operate by. Within the terms of that mandate, Commander Barnes has, in fact, contravened his own general orders. And as for the assault, well . . . the fact is the
Commander has been charged with dereliction of duty on any number of occasions, and if this matter were to go any further, I don’t have any doubt that those failings would be brought to light
in a most unwelcome manner. Would I be correct, Agent Greenbrooke, in my understanding that Commander Barnes’ father has strong personal and collegiate ties to yourself?’
Greenbrooke’s face coloured, and he pressed his lips together in a thin line. In the meantime, Bramnik pulled a much-folded document from a jacket pocket and almost forcibly pushed it into
the agent’s hands.
‘That,’ said Bramnik, ‘comes straight from the Special Department. I’ll save you the trouble of reading it: you don’t get to so much as take a shit around here
unless I say you can. Do you understand?’
Greenbrooke unfolded the sheet of paper and quickly scanned the contents, before looking back up at Bramnik. ‘I can have this overturned,’ he snarled.
‘Knock yourself out,’ said Bramnik. ‘There are people right here on this island who owe Nadia Mirkowsky their lives, including members of the military detachment here. I
don’t think you’d make yourself very popular with them if you took this any further. You can go now.’
‘This won’t be the last you hear of this,’ said Greenbrooke, trembling with anger. ‘I’ve been taking a very special interest in some of those high-flying associates
of yours, Commander Bramnik.
Particularly
the Senator. You’ve had a smooth ride until now, but change is coming. Do you understand me?’
Bramnik looked as if he was fairly close to slugging Greenbrooke himself. Instead, he turned to the two soldiers still waiting outside the cell door and gave them their orders.
‘Escort Mr Beche out of here,’ he said, ‘and wait for me outside. Mr Beche,’ he added, addressing me for the first time. ‘You’re free to go. But I’d
like it if you would be so kind as to wait outside until I can have a word with you.’
I nodded and squeezed past them all, then followed the two soldiers back down the corridor while a tumult of voices rose in my wake.
‘Goddammit,’ I heard Greenbrooke yell, ‘we need more men like Casey Vishnevsky.
Real
Americans.’
‘He’s Australian, you dumb piece of shit,’ I heard Bramnik bellow in response. ‘This project’s still under my control – can’t you get that through your
thick goddam skull?’
The two soldiers escorting me came to a sudden halt just outside the entrance to the cell block, barring my way. I gave them a questioning look until one of them put a finger to his lips and
nodded back the way we had come. It took me a moment to realize they wanted to hear what was said.
‘So how many failed missions have you had?’ I heard Greenbrooke shout in response. ‘How many accidents? Keep going the way you are, this whole project’s going to wind up
in Patriot hands regardless, and the sooner the better, unless you start running a tighter ship and find some way to control your subversive elements!’
I caught the eye of one of the soldiers. ‘Who
is
that guy?’ I asked him, keeping my voice low. ‘Greenbrooke, I mean.’
‘Trouble,’ the soldier replied. ‘That’s all you need to know.’
I heard a door
at all
. The way I see it,’ he continued, his voice still escalating, ‘you’ve just illegally detained two of my
operatives in the course of performing their duty!’
‘They
disobeyed orders
,’ Greenbrooke peevishly insisted, ‘and assaulted a base commander, no less. There are strict—’
‘Actually, sir,’ said the smaller man accompanying Bramnik, ‘Miss Mirkowsky has a duty to ensure the safety of the Pathfinders under her command at all times, under the terms
of the special mandate they operate by. Within the terms of that mandate, Commander Barnes has, in fact, contravened his own general orders. And as for the assault, well . . . the fact is the
Commander has been charged with dereliction of duty on any number of occasions, and if this matter were to go any further, I don’t have any doubt that those failings would be brought to light
in a most unwelcome manner. Would I be correct, Agent Greenbrooke, in my understanding that Commander Barnes’ father has strong personal and collegiate ties to yourself?’
Greenbrooke’s face coloured, and he pressed his lips together in a thin line. In the meantime, Bramnik pulled a much-folded document from a jacket pocket and almost forcibly pushed it into
the agent’s hands.
‘That,’ said Bramnik, ‘comes straight from the Special Department. I’ll save you the trouble of reading it: you don’t get to so much as take a shit around here
unless I say you can. Do you understand?’
Greenbrooke unfolded the sheet of paper and quickly scanned the contents, before looking back up at Bramnik. ‘I can have this overturned,’ he snarled.
‘Knock yourself out,’ said Bramnik. ‘There are people right here on this island who owe Nadia Mirkowsky their lives, including members of the military detachment here. I
don’t think you’d make yourself very popular with them if you took this any further. You can go now.’
‘This won’t be the last you hear of this,’ said Greenbrooke, trembling with anger. ‘I’ve been taking a very special interest in some of those high-flying associates
of yours, Commander Bramnik.
Particularly
the Senator. You’ve had a smooth ride until now, but change is coming. Do you understand me?’
Bramnik looked as if he was fairly close to slugging Greenbrooke himself. Instead, he turned to the two soldiers still waiting outside the cell door and gave them their orders.
‘Escort Mr Beche out of here,’ he said, ‘and wait for me outside. Mr Beche,’ he added, addressing me for the first time. ‘You’re free to go. But I’d
like it if you would be so kind as to wait outside until I can have a word with you.’
I nodded and squeezed past them all, then followed the two soldiers back down the corridor while a tumult of voices rose in my wake.
‘Goddammit,’ I heard Greenbrooke yell, ‘we need more men like Casey Vishnevsky.
Real
Americans.’
‘He’s Australian, you dumb piece of shit,’ I heard Bramnik bellow in response. ‘This project’s still under my control – can’t you get that through your
thick goddam skull?’
The two soldiers escorting me came to a sudden halt just outside the entrance to the cell block, barring my way. I gave them a questioning look until one of them put a finger to his lips and
nodded back the way we had come. It took me a moment to realize they wanted to hear what was said.
‘So how many failed missions have you had?’ I heard Greenbrooke shout in response. ‘How many accidents? Keep going the way you are, this whole project’s going to wind up
in Patriot hands regardless, and the sooner the better, unless you start running a tighter ship and find some way to control your subversive elements!’
I caught the eye of one of the soldiers. ‘Who
is
that guy?’ I asked him, keeping my voice low. ‘Greenbrooke, I mean.’
‘Trouble,’ the soldier replied. ‘That’s all you need to know.’
I heard a door
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