Susan heard the Berretta fall. For a moment she was planted inplace, unsure where to run, what to do. Her instincts told her toescape, but she didn't have the elevator code.

Her heart toldher to help Strathmore, but how? As she spun in desperation, sheexpected to hear the sounds of a life-and-death struggle on thefloor, but there was nothing. Everything was suddenlysilent-as if Hale had hit the commander and then disappearedback into the night.

Susan waited, straining her eyes into the darkness, hopingStrathmore wasn't hurt.

After what seemed like an eternity,she whispered, "Commander?"

Even as she said it, she realized her mistake. An instant laterHale's odor welled up behind her. She turned too late. Withoutwarning, she was twisting, gasping for air.

She found herselfcrushed in a familiar headlock, her face against Hale'schest.

"My b.a.l.l.s are killing me." Hale panted in her ear.

Susan's knees buckled. The stars in the dome began to spinabove her.

CHAPTER 80 Hale clamped down on Susan's neck and yelled into thedarkness. "Commander, I've got your sweetheart. I wantout!"

His demands were met with silence.

Hale's grip tightened. "I'll break herneck!"

A gun c.o.c.ked directly behind them. Strathmore's voice wascalm and even. "Let her go."

Susan winced in pain. "Commander!"

Hale spun Susan's body toward the sound. "You shootand you'll hit your precious Susan. You ready to take thatchance?"

Strathmore's voice moved closer. "Let hergo."

"No way. You'll kill me."

"I'm not going to kill anyone."

"Oh, yeah? Tell that to Chartrukian!"

Strathmore moved closer. "Chartrukian'sdead."

"No s.h.i.t. You killed him. I saw it!"

"Give it up, Greg," Strathmore said calmly.

Hale clutched at Susan and whispered in her ear,"Strathmore pushed Chartrukian-I swear it!"

"She's not going to fall for your divide-and-conquertechnique," Strathmore said, moving closer. "Let hergo."

Hale hissed into the darkness, "Chartrukian was just a kid, for Christ's sake! Why'd you do it? To protectyour little secret?"

Strathmore stayed cool. "And what little secret isthat?"

"You know d.a.m.n-f.u.c.king-well what secret that is! DigitalFortress!"

"My, my," Strathmore muttered condescendingly, hisvoice like an iceberg. "So you do know about DigitalFortress. I was starting to think you'd deny thattoo."

"f.u.c.k you."

"A witty defense." "You're a fool," Hale spat. "For yourinformation, TRANSLTR is overheating."

"Really?" Strathmore chuckled. "Let meguess-I should open the doors and call in theSys-Secs?"

"Exactly," Hale fired back. "You'd be anidiot not to."

This time Strathmore laughed out loud. "That's yourbig play? TRANSLTR's overheating, so open the doors and let usout?"

"It's true, dammit! I've been down to thesublevels! The aux power isn't pulling enough freon!"

"Thanks for the tip," Strathmore said. "b.u.t.tRANSLTR's got automatic shutdown; if it's overheating,Digital Fortress will quit all by itself."

Hale sneered. "You're insane. What the f.u.c.k do I careif TRANSLTR blows? The d.a.m.n machine should be outlawedanyway."

Strathmore sighed. "Child psychology only works onchildren, Greg. Let her go."

"So you can shoot me?"

"I won't shoot you. I just want thepa.s.s-key."

"What pa.s.s-key?"

Strathmore sighed again. "The one Tankado sentyou."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar!" Susan managed. "I saw Tankado's mailin your account!"

Hale went rigid. He spun Susan around. "You went in myaccount?"

"And you aborted my tracer," she snapped.

Hale felt his blood pressure skyrocket. He thought he'dcovered his tracks; he had no idea Susan knew what he'd done.It was no wonder she wasn't buying a word he said.

Hale feltthe walls start to close in. He knew he could never talk his wayout of that one-not in time. He whispered to her indesperation, "Susan ... Strathmore killedChartrukian!"

"Let her go," the commander said evenly. "Shedoesn't believe you."

"Why should she?" Hale fired back. "Youlying b.a.s.t.a.r.d! You've got her brainwashed!

You only tell herwhat suits your needs! Does she know what you really plan todo with Digital Fortress?"

"And what's that?" Strathmore taunted. Hale knew what he was about to say would either be his ticket tofreedom or his death warrant. He took a deep breath and went forbroke. "You plan to write a back door in DigitalFortress."

The words met with a bewildered silence from the darkness. Haleknew he had hit a bull's-eye.

Apparently Strathmore's unflappable cool was being put tothe test. "Who told you that?" he demanded, his voicerough around the edges.

"I read it," Hale said smugly, trying to capitalize onthe change of momentum. "In one of your brainstorms."

"Impossible. I never print my brainstorms."

"I know. I read it directly off your account."

Strathmore seemed doubtful. "You got into myoffice?"

"No. I snooped you from Node 3." Hale forced aself-a.s.sured chuckle. He knew he'd need all the negotiatingskills he'd learned in the marines to get out of Cryptoalive.

Strathmore edged closer, the Berretta leveled in the darkness."How do you know about my back door?"

"I told you, I snooped your account."

"Impossible."

Hale forced a c.o.c.ky sneer. "One of the problems of hiringthe best, Commander- sometimes they're better thanyou."

"Young man," Strathmore seethed, "I don'tknow where you get your information, but you're in way overyour head. You will let Ms. Fletcher go right now or I'll callin Security and have you thrown in jail for life."

"You won't do it," Hale stated matter-of-factly."Calling Security ruins your plans. I'll tell themeverything." Hale paused. "But let me out clean, andI'll never say a word about Digital Fortress."

"No deal," Strathmore fired back. "I want thepa.s.s-key."

"I don't have any f.u.c.king pa.s.s-key!"

"Enough lies!" Strathmore bellowed. "Where isit?"

Hale clamped down on Susan's neck. "Let me out, or shedies!"

* * * Trevor Strathmore had done enough high-stakes bargaining in hislife to know that Hale was in a very dangerous state of mind. Theyoung cryptographer had painted himself into a corner, and acornered opponent was always the most dangerous kind- desperateand unpredictable. Strathmore knew his next move was a criticalone.

Susan's life depended on it-and so did the future ofDigital Fortress.

Strathmore knew the first thing he had to do was release thetension of the situation.

After a long moment, he sighedreluctantly. "Okay, Greg. You win. What do you want me todo?"

Silence. Hale seemed momentarily unsure how to handle thecommander's cooperative tone. He let up a bit on Susan'sneck.

"W-well ..." he stammered, his voice waveringsuddenly. "First thing you do is give me your gun. You'reboth coming with me."

"Hostages?" Strathmore laughed coldly. "Greg,you'll have to do better than that.

There are about a dozenarmed guards between here and the parking lot."

"I'm not a fool," Hale snapped. "I'mtaking your elevator. Susan comes with me!

Youstay!"

"I hate to tell you this," Strathmore replied,"but there's no power to the elevator."

"Bulls.h.i.t!" Hale snapped. "The lift runs on powerfrom the main building! I've seen the schematics!"

"We tried it already," Susan choked, trying to help."It's dead."

"You're both so full of s.h.i.t, it'sincredible." Hale tightened his grip. "If theelevator's dead, I'll abort TRANSLTR and restorepower."

"The elevator takes a pa.s.sword," Susan managedfeistily.

"Big deal." Hale laughed. "I'm sure thecommander will share. Won't you, Commander?"

"No chance," Strathmore hissed.

Hale boiled over. "Now you listen to me, oldman-here's the deal! You let Susan and me out throughyour elevator, we drive a few hours, and then I let hergo."

Strathmore felt the stakes rising. He'd gotten Susan intothis, and he needed to get her out. His voice stayed steady as arock. "What about my plans for Digital Fortress?"

Hale laughed. "You can write your back door-Iwon't say a word." Then his voice turned ominous."But the day I think you're tracking me, I go to thepress with the whole story. I tell them Digital Fortress istainted, and I sink this whole f.u.c.king organization!" Strathmore considered Hale's offer. It was clean andsimple. Susan lived, and Digital Fortress got its back door. Aslong as Strathmore didn't chase Hale, the back door stayed asecret. Strathmore knew Hale couldn't keep his mouth shut forlong. But still .

. . the knowledge of Digital Fortress wasHale's only insurance-maybe he'd be smart.

Whateverhappened, Strathmore knew Hale could be removed later ifnecessary.

"Make up your mind, old man!" Hale taunted. "Arewe leaving or not?" Hale's arms tightened around Susanlike a vice.

Strathmore knew that if he picked up the phone right now andcalled Security, Susan would live. He'd bet his life on it. Hecould see the scenario clearly. The call would take Hale completelyby surprise. He would panic, and in the end, faced with a smallarmy, Hale would be unable to act. After a brief standoff, he wouldgive in. But if I call Security, Strathmore thought, myplan is ruined.

Hale clamped down again. Susan cried out in pain.

"What's it gonna be?" Hale yelled. "Do Ikill her?"

Strathmore considered his options. If he let Hale take Susan outof Crypto, there were no guarantees. Hale might drive for a while,park in the woods. He'd have a gun... .

Strathmore'sstomach turned. There was no telling what would happen before Haleset Susan free ... if he set her free. I've got tocall Security, Strathmore decided. What else can I do?He pictured Hale in court, spilling his guts about DigitalFortress. My plan will be ruined. There must be some otherway.

"Decide!" Hale yelled, dragging Susan toward thestaircase.

Strathmore wasn't listening. If saving Susan meant hisplans were ruined, then so be it-nothing was worth losing her.Susan Fletcher was a price Trevor Strathmore refused to pay.