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He typed the word。 〃Kilderkin。〃 There was the list。 Three dozen documents。 He looked at the list carefully。 Something caught his eye。 He studied the column of numbers that listed how many bytes each file was posed of。 Boy； these were short files。
Then he understood。
He opened one of the files。 The title page came up。 He hit the page advance key。 The second page was blank。 Nothing！
The title page was the whole document！ He tried a second document。 Just a title page。
The Athena file was empty！
Smoke Judy stared at the screen； trying to think。 Possibility Three leaped into his mind。 It hadn't even occurred to him until this moment。 No wonder you never went up the ladder； Smoke。 You just don't think like those snake charmers； those greasy dream merchants who slice off a couple million before they're thirty and spend the rest of their lives pretending they are somebody。 Okay； my slow； dim…witted son； this is your chance to butcher the fat hog。 Albright isn't going to have a puter in that singles bar to check the disk。 Give him an empty disk； take his fucking money； and run。
But no。 The joke will be on him。 Hell get exactly what he paid for。 It's Albright's tough luck the file is empty； not yours。
Judy punched the keys。 The disk whirled and whirred。
The file was quickly copied。 No wonder； short as it was。 Judy put the disk in a side pocket of his gym bag； exited the program and turned off the terminal。 He spent another ten minutes cleaning up his desk； locking the drawers； watching the other people in the office…
At the door he used the grease pencil to annotate the personnel board hanging on the wall。 Back at 4：30。 〃I'm going to work out；〃 he called to the secretary； snagged his cover from the hat rack and logged out with the security guards。 That easy。 Sayonara； mothers。
The elevator took a while to arrive。 It always did。 The navy had a dirt…cheap lease on this space； so the building owner refused to update the elevators。 The thought made Smoke Judy smile。 This was the very last time he would ever have to put up with all the petty irritations that came with the uniform。 He was through。 When he took this uniform off tonight； that would be the very last time。
Thank you； mander Judy。 Thank you for your twenty…one years of faithful service to the navy and the nation。 Thank you for eight cruises； three of them to the Indian Ocean。 Thank you for your devotion； which ruined your marriage and cost you your kids。 Thank you for accepting a mediocre salary and a family move every two years and the prospect of a pissy little pension。 Thank you for groveling before the tyrannical god of the fitness report； your fate dependent upon his every whim。 mander Smoke Judy； you are a great American。
The signal above the elevators dinged。 Judy glanced at it。 The up…light illuminated on the elevator at the far left。
The door of that elevator opened。 Vice Admiral Tyler Henry stepped out。 Automatically the mander straightened。
〃Good afternoon； Ad…〃
The look on Henry's face stopped him。
〃You！〃 the admiral roared。 He turned to the civilian who had acpanied him on the elevator as he pointed a rigid finger at Judy。 〃That's him！ That's the fucking traitor！〃
Judy turned and banged open the door to the stairs。 With his last glimpse over his shoulder he saw the civilian reaching under his Jacket for something on his belt。
He went down the staircase like a rabbit descending a hole； taking them three at a time。
〃Stop！ NIS！〃 The shout came from above； a hollow sound； reverberating in the stairwell。
Your luck's running true to form； Smoke。
He groped into the gym bag as he ran。 The pistol was under the gym clothes。
Seventh floor。 Sixth。 Noises from above。 They were after him。 Fourth。
He kept going down。
Second floor。 As he rounded the landing Vice Admiral Henry came through the fireproof door on the first floor。 He rode the damn elevator！
Smoke shot at the man behind Henry through the door opening and threw his weight against the door； slamming it shut。 In this enclosed space the report deafened him。 The admiral grabbed for him； so he chopped at his head with the gun barrel。
Tyler Henry went to his knees。 Smoke reversed the gun in his hand and hit him in the head with the butt； using all his strength。 The admiral collapsed。
With ears ringing； he wiped his forehead； trying to think。 If he could get into the parking garages under the building quickly enough； he might have a chance。 He could hear running feet above。 Galvanize； he leaped over the admiral's body and charged downward。
Level Gl。 Smoke went out the door and looked wildly around as he ran for the nearest row of cars。 No one in sight。 He had beaten them down here； but he had mere seconds。
He ran along looking for keys dangling in the ignition； frustration and panic welling in him。
Hang tough； Smoke。 You've been in tight spots before and you've always gotten yourself out in one piece。
He loped down the row； searching desperately。
Ah； there ahead； some guy was unlocking his door。 A civilian。 Smoke went for him on a dead run。
The man heard Judy ing at the last moment and looked back over his shoulder； just in time to see the gun barrel chopping down。 Smoke picked up the keys from the concrete and tossed his gym bag through the open driver's door。 He pulled the man out of the way and got behind the wheel。 As he started the car he could see men pouring out of the elevator and stairwell。 They were searching； spreading out； hunting for him…
The engine caught。 Smoke backed out carefully； snicked the transmission into drive and headed for the exit。 Someone was ing this way； shouting。
A shot！
He stepped on the gas。
He went around the last pillar with tires squalling and shot up the exit ramp。
The street at the top of the ramp was one…way； from right to left。 Smoke looked right。 One car ing。 He swerved that way and jammed the accelerator down。 The driver of that sedan swerved to avoid him； then decided to try to ram。 Too late！
Down the street a half block to the intersection； then left through a hole in traffic； almost grazing an oning truck； which skidded to avoid him with its horn roaring。
Right again； then left。 He ran a red light and swung right onto the bus…only ramp； which led up onto the freeway。 Merged with traffic and scanning the rearview mirror； only then did Smoke Judy begin to try to sort out what had happened。
〃He's dead。〃 The ambulance attendant covered the body of Vice Admiral Tyler Henry with a sheet。 〃You people give us some room。〃
Jake Grafton walked out into the elevator lobby； dazed。 A half dozen FBI agents were talking on their hand…held radios and listening to the words ing back。 There was still a bloody spot on the floor where one agent had gone down with a bullet in his shoulder。 Who would have believed。。。 Smoke Judy？
Toad Tarkington blocked his path。
〃Judy。 He's the guy who sold the E…PROM data； wasn't he？〃
Jake nodded。
Toad turned and walked away。
〃Tarkington！ Tarkington！〃
Jake caught up with the lieutenant in the plaza。 〃Where do you think you're going？〃
Tarkington didn't look at him。 〃For a few lousy bucks that bastard damn near killed my wife。 She'll never fully recover。 She'll carry the scars all her life。〃
〃The FBI'll get him。 They're the pros at this。〃
〃They'd better；〃 Toad muttered。 〃If I get to the cocksucker before they do； they can quit looking。〃
Tarkington walked away and Jake stood and watched him go。 What the hell； he needs some time off anyway。 He'll never find Judy。 The FBI will scoop him up in a day or two。 And maybe the time off will do Toad some good。
Back inside he ran into an agent he recognized； Lloyd Dreyfus。 〃What the hell happened； Dreyfus？〃
〃Well； Captain； it seems that the National Security Agency was monitoring the terminals； and when Judy got into the Athena file； they called Vice Admiral Henry right after they called us。 Henry beat us here by about a minute。〃
Jake started to speak and Dreyfus held up a hand。 〃I know； I know。 They shouldn't have done that。 And now some poor schnook will probably lose his job。 But Tyler Henry was Tyler Henry。 Very few people ever managed to say no to him and make it stick。〃
〃That's true；〃 Jake acknowledged。 〃Who was the civilian upstairs with Henry？〃
〃Guy from the Naval Investigative Service。 We got all this from him。〃
〃Where's Luis Camacho？〃
〃Working。〃
〃I want to talk to him。〃
〃I'll pass that along。〃
〃No。 You tell him he'll talk with me or I'm going to raise holy hell。 When somebody kills a vice admiral in a navy building； the lid is gonna get ripped off pretty damned quick。 Right now I know a lot more than my boss； and I don't know much。 When I start answering his questions he is not going to be a happy camper。 He's a vice admiral too； by the way。 I will answer his questions。 He's another one of those guys who doesn't take no for an answer。 George Ludlow； the Secretary of the Navy； he hasn't even heard the word since he got out of diapers。 And CNO。。。〃 Jake snorted。
〃Camacho…〃
〃He won't be able to wave his badge over on the E…Ring and stuff this shit back into the goose。。。 You tell him！〃
As mander Smoke Judy drove across the George Mason Memorial