Even through her pain, she laughed at herself. She wore the pride of keeping the spies from her organization like a cloak of gold. In the end, avoiding her mental abilities involved nothing more than ignorance. "You could be wrong," she remonstrated herself. "He could still be guilty." Shaking her head, she coc.o.o.ned herself in his innocence.

A waterlogged piece of the ceiling chose that moment to drop, hitting the floor with the sound of a gavel. Time to deliver the bad news. Time to expose their weakness. Time to break her dream in two.

"Follow me," she said, not even looking at her muscle. She walked with dignity to the forward edge of the stage. Per agreement, Greg and Tuan, the Mob enforcers she'd hired, fell in behind her. They weren't here for her protection.

Sonya looked out at the faces that proved, if not their friendship, then at least common goals. In spite of this, she knew over half of them would try to rip apart her vision once she shared her news. She hoped to be able to sway them with logic, but emotion hefted a much larger stick with many of these visionaries.

She wondered what they saw in her now. She knew what stared back at her when she had checked herself in the mirror earlier-dark, rheumy eyes, shoulders hunched in tension, and a face creased in constant pain. Her future seemed so insignificant in comparison to the rift she foresaw. She had to find a way to keep them focused on the mission. To do that she willed away her pain and her fatigue one last time.

"I've called all of you executive members to this meeting for several important announcements, and for us to make at least one critical decision," she began, pausing while the others quieted down and turned their attentions to her.

"First, you may have noticed that Colin is not among us, but Suet, Linc, and Tolly are online."

Augustine nodded that the link operated normally.

"We'll start with the fact that Colin exhibited frank symptoms last night and is in critical condition. His internal body temperature dropped to life-threatening levels. I could do nothing more for him, so I took the drastic step of putting him in the hands of medical professionals to save his life. Be certain that Augustine helped us forge full medical and a new ident.i.ty for him. It'll be months before the bureaucracy correctly sorts it out. I have no prognosis on his condition. Because of the risk, I'm declaring him off-limits to any visits."

"What?!" Frances erupted.

"The reason for the ban is as most of you have probably already suspected. I can now confirm that we have a bio-weapon targeting our group."

Several people nodded and others looked somber. No one felt the need to say anything.

Good, Sonya thought. They hadn't recoiled from the danger and the fear. "The weapon is of degrading capabilities and probably won't spread beyond our tiny community. I've learned that the catalyst for this disease is explosives. It's triggered by any number of explosives, from gunpowder all the way to the newest molecular putty."

A minor ripple went through the a.s.sembly as some who never handled explosives sighed in relief, and others who procured or prepared them took a greater anxiety.

"Naturally, anyone outside our group wouldn't know an explosive from a toilet and have never handled them, so they're safe. We deal with them daily, so you can see why the ban is necessary. The perpetrators know this disease's shape and its parameters. I may have saved Colin only to put him in the hands of the corps, but his condition forced my hand. If he lives, and that's a huge question right now, we'll mount a mission to bring him back."

"If they haven't executed him first!"

Sonya didn't see who spoke, but she felt she missed more and more lately as she concentrated on the mere process of staying alive each minute longer.

"I can't stress how narrowly he missed death. I may have only postponed the inevitable, however. This disease has over a seventy percent fatality rate."

This fired through the tiny body of people like a taser. Murmurs loud enough to drown out the water rippled through the staff.

"Please let me go on, because our time is limited." In respect, the group settled and quieted. "Along the same vein, I've been hiding a secret and can't postpone sharing. I really shouldn't have hid it this long anyway. As some of you may have guessed, I am also ill with this disease."

"NO!" three people shouted in unison, jumping up from their seats.

"Please, hush," Sonya said, using both of her hands to wave them back to their places. "Denying the obvious won't change the outcome. I've been holding off the ravages of this with my own force of will, but that hasn't changed the fact that I am dying."

This time four people jumped from their seats, but refrained from any verbal outburst. She watched as Tony turned his head away, failing to cover the tears dripping down his cheeks with one hand. He snuffled and tried to put up a brave face, but the bright red streaked circles around his eyes spoke volumes. A vain part of herself felt gratified that not even Christine's eyes exempted themselves from at least welling up with tears.

"My liver has been severely compromised and it is only a matter of time. I suspect I have between one and two weeks left. I'll last as long as I can for the good of our cause. This brings us to the obvious requirement of choosing my replacement.

"But, before we get to that, I don't want anyone accusing me of skewing the outcome of picking a successor before I release the piece of news that will shock you all."

Puzzlement didn't quite replace grief on some of the faces lifted up toward her. The question in their minds etched itself in their non-verbal communication-how can she shock us after telling us she is going to die?

"This message is the reason I've violated our long-standing rules of having outsiders," she pointed back at the hired bodyguards, "and using a meeting place twice."

She hesitated, gathering her strength before continuing. "Research discovered patient zero, the means by which we have all been attacked. Before I reveal this person I have to emphasize what I just said: 'the means.' Please do not confuse the source with the intent." Sonya paused.

"Who is it?" someone demanded.

Sonya gave a tiny nod to the guards, who sauntered down into the audience to flank the person, to even his surprise. His eyes questioned hers and then his shoulders fell at the response.

"Tony Sammis."

Every eye turned on him.

"I don't expect this can be a bad joke, can it?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry, my friend, but no. I ensured all tests were run thrice. Only I knew the random ident.i.ty codes for each of the blood samples."

"It seems I've been a fool," he said quietly.

The room exploded in a mishmash of conversations, most of them yelled. All the while she experienced Tony's eyes locked on hers. She read a wealth of communication in those guileless eyes. Her faith in his innocence restored itself.

"I told you we should've vaped him!"

"He's killing Sonya. That must've been his real mission!"

"With all the help he's given us, we are so close!"

"We're close, all right...close to extinction!"

"No, I meant winning, you nitwit."

"How did that corpie know Tony's name?"

"How could he have done this?"

One voice finally cut through the rest with the power of a bull in rage. "SHUT UP!" Andrew wavered as he stood defiantly. "Now sit the fark down." Slowly, the group settled. "I know why Sonya did this. Think about it, people. If she hadn't told us, we would've overwhelmingly voted Tony in as our next leader. Am I right?"

A few grudging and a few enthusiastic agreements answered him.

"You should know I've got this farking disease," he went on, using one hand to hold himself upright. Andrew's normally swarthy skin paled to the color of a pear's flesh. "Yes, that's right. I was hoping it's just a cold, but now I know better. I've got a rash covering about half my body and a high fever, so I'm probably dead already.

"All that being said, you need to think about this long and hard before you decide to pa.s.s judgment. I still believe in Tony. I don't think he could've done this knowingly."

More than one person tried to speak next. Sonya silenced them all by starting to talk quietly.

"I agree with Andrew. Some of you know of my skills and capabilities. They all tell me that he's not the culprit here, but rather a victim himself."

"Why isn't HE sick?" someone demanded.

"Why kill off your weapon?" Sonya asked. "Whoever gave this to him made him immune. Worse, he'll continue to carry this disease, threatening everyone around him for the rest of his life. Not so confident about him being the villain of this piece now, are you?

"Think on everything you've heard here today. We'll vote next week," Sonya said weakly. "Please go home."

Several people glared at Tony as they left. Gregori glared back. Tony seemingly ignored this byplay, instead keeping his eyes fixed on Sonya. As the group dispersed, she flopped down into the seat next to him with a heavy sigh.

"Why are things always so hard?"

"You don't believe..."

"Tony, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here with you. From what I know with my skills, there are only two options: they infected you without your knowledge, or you agreed and they deep-hypnoed your memories. In either case, your current persona is not to blame."

"Thanks, I think."

"Don't fret, it'll play out as it will."

Tony turned three shades of crimson before turning toward her, his mouth tight and his forehead furrowed. "Do you think I give one good G.o.dd.a.m.n about becoming the next leader of the GAM?"

Sonya stopped herself before answering. "I don't know, do you?"

"Fark, no!" His face softened. "I worried about losing your trust and faith...and your friendship."

She laughed lightly but found it brought on a cough that wouldn't stop. For the better part of five minutes she coughed until a thick plug of mucus, tinged in deep red, hit the floor.

"Are you all right? Actually, that's a silly question. Sorry."

Sonya opted for a smile this time. "I'm as all right as I can be. And to get back to your worry...never at any time did I feel you did this deliberately. I'm proud to be your friend.

"Before this turns blubbery, I do have to say I've taken the liberty of booking you into a suite at the Seattle Grand Hilton. In the end, you don't want your home known to these two stalwart champions of your safety, and I don't know how this will play out with the rest of the team, so you will need their protection."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you. Despite everything said, you've given us hope that we'll win, despite everything. May I exact a promise?"

"You have but to ask."

"Even if this goes badly and our team breaks up, please start another group to finish what we're so near to accomplishing."

Tony sat quietly for nearly a minute. "I won't let your dreams die...any of them."

The holes still dotted the walls, but an enterprising person had cleaned up the broken debris. Tony perched on a director's chair and mopped Suet's jade-colored forehead with a cold cloth. The artificial skin still needed to perform all the normal functions of what it replaced. Sweating profusely, her body desperately tried to lower its core temperature. Even from his chair he could feel waves of heat roiling off her, like a s.p.a.ce heater accidentally left on maximum.

Her tentacles and legs twitched feebly as they tested the Kevlar straps like an outcla.s.sed boxer who refused to throw in the towel. She regularly moaned nonsense words in her delirium.

On previous visits, Tony had brought Cin with him. She spent the time circling Suet's head, licking the overheated ears and head-b.u.t.ting Suet's tentacles. When tired of this, Cin would lie between Tony and the patient, showing concern with a constant purr. He thankfully didn't have the help of his furry friend on this impromptu trip.

After sixteen hours this session, Tony formed a system that made the ch.o.r.e of tending Suet somewhat mindless. Soak the washrag in ice water and mop her brow and hair. Repeat three times. Soak again and wipe down her entire body: her face, each tentacle (taking care around the glucose/saline IV), each leg, and her torso. Rinse the washrag and do the groin. Rinse again before each armpit. Finally, take the other iced washcloth and run it over her cracked lips, making sure to squeeze a little moisture into her mouth.

Repeat. Once every tenth repet.i.tion he'd loosen one of her restraints and wipe under there as well. Tuan, the second bodyguard provided to him by Sonya, proved useful here by holding that limb down until Tony retightened it. This seemed to be the bodyguards' sole usefulness. One would relieve the other every twelve hours. They never spoke except in whispers to one another.

At one point Tony asked to try the tub, but the pair of them couldn't control her enough to keep her from hurting herself or them, so she remained in bed, a prisoner of her own failing body and some low-tech bondage.

Most of the time Tony thought of his promises to Sonya. Of course she could be wrong. She may not die, he thought optimistically. A little voice in his head warned him he might as well wish for the moon to be green cheese.

He couldn't break out of the circularity of his thoughts, matching the repet.i.tions of his bedside ministrations. "How can I possibly keep this promise? There are too many unknowns. How many would live through this thing?" he said, pointing at his friend bathed in her own sweat. "How many of those would feel that being shot is too good for me? How does one go about starting a guerilla organization from scratch?"

Four repet.i.tions later Tony finally kicked his mind. "Break it down, Nil. The best choice would be for me to take over the current organization. Our action group is being decimated, but the support organizations will remain intact. To do this I would have to, at minimum, prove I had no knowledge or complicity in this. As Linc would say, 'I smell a lot of footwork.'"

The nurse, Susan, came in to check the IV and to take vitals. She shook her head at what she got from the body beneath her.

"Thank you for letting me help," Tony offered, just glad to talk to someone who'd talk back.

"I feel kinda silly just sitting here when you're the one doing all the work," she replied.

"Oh, I doubt she even knows I'm here."

"Not true. Her reactions and restlessness are far worse when you aren't here."

"Really? I guess I'll have to take your word for it. It does make me feel better." Tony paused. "Does she have any chance?"

Susan lowered her head and turned away.

"But why should we even vote? How can he lead us when he's the source of the disease?" asked Andrea, the spokesperson. The small congregation sprawled uncomfortably on the floor while the cats imperiously controlled the couch. The Pomeranian yipped at anyone other than Sonya speaking or anyone with the temerity to move more than an eyelash-that is to say, almost constantly. The Chihuahua walked amongst the four visitors looking for attention. Frances petted it absently. Only Christine seemed more interested in the animals than the conversation.

Sonya heard sound come out of her throat as a croak rather than words. She soothed her broken voice with a careful sip of water. It burned like alcohol on an open canker sore as it went down.

"If I could, I would insist. He did nothing wrong." Sonya forced herself through each painful word. So many things going wrong with her body all at once. Not much more time to put things right.

"We don't know that and can't prove that," Jackson interjected.

"Look, I know I can't force you to do anything after I die, so doing anything other than trying to persuade you would be foolish. It would be equally foolish to let you destroy our team."

"We aren't trying to do that."

"Whether you're trying or not, that'll be the end result. You will drive out Tony. Those who believe you're acting hastily and without proof will rally to him. He won't have enough to create decisive actions, and you'll be left with the empty sh.e.l.l that was the GAM."

"But we can't vote him to the leadership," Andrea said, crossing her arms and scowling. "He could be working for them. h.e.l.l, we know he worked for them, wittingly or not. I don't know which is worse."

Sonya knew better than to reach out to Andrea, the most stubborn and set in her hatred of Tony. Once her mind formed on a course, nothing could get it off except a very painful lesson. But the others...if she might sway even one, it was worth the effort. Sonya took another swig of liquid fire.

"I don't think we'll solve this here. The proper place is to debate it and vote."

"We have been debating, but we-"

"No, Andrea," Frances interjected, calmly but firmly. "We haven't been debating, but rather heterodyning off one another's fears. Sonya's right in her form. I'm not sure if she's right about Tony."