"Put down your weapons or we will fire on you!"

"You don't want to shoot six Government agents, slick," she said. "You really don't."

"I won't ask you again!"

"Team, follow me out the door. Fire only if fired upon. Do not release the suspects."

"You think I'm kidding, lady? My orders are very f.u.c.king clear! If you leave with our people, we will take you down!" He pushed the barrel of the rifle into her forehead. It felt hard and very cold. "This is not an exercise."

Someone whimpered. Jennifer wanted to believe it was one of the NRA, but didn't think it was. The soldier's eyes were locked on hers.

She said quietly, "You'd better be very sure your employer can protect you from the Government."

"I'm very sure."

She felt her heart twist. To her people, she said, "Let them go."

The NRA watched them all the way to the van.

"What is going on?" she screamed.

"It's the same everywhere," Calvin said on the radio. "Roaming NRA squads, responding within six minutes to calls for help, faster in central London. T.A. are less defended; we're doing better. Jen, don't do anything stupid. We've already got two agents in the hospital."

"This was meant to be a show of force!"

"What can I say? Try to hit your next building in under six minutes."

But her next building was the NRA: only an administrative headquarters, but still, she didn't like her chances. She had the van park two blocks away and they squatted against the hedge, checking their equipment as the rain soaked through their clothes.

"Helmets down the whole time. Don't stop for anything. If we run into armed security, abort immediately. You're not authorized to fire your weapon except in self-defense. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Go!" she said, and they ran, hunched over, for the NRA building. The lobby was crowded but soldier-free; when they burst in, people scattered. She was looking for security guards first and anyone who looked like they could locate her target executives second, but someone else caught her eye: a young man with a sports bag over his shoulder. He was pushing his way out the revolving doors.

"Ma'am! I have the receptionist!"

"One second," Jennifer said. The man with the bag escaped the doors and sprinted across the gra.s.s. She was hoping he would look back at the road, and he did. It was Billy NRA. "s.h.i.t!"

"Ma'am?" an agent said. "Our time limit?"

"You're in charge. I'll catch up with you later."

"What?" he said, but Jennifer was already out the door.

53 NRA/Ground

Billy sprinted, sucking cold London air into his lungs. Jennifer shouted, "Billy! Stop, you little p.r.i.c.k!" and that encouraged him to run even faster. He crossed the road without looking. A truck's horn blared and he felt a whoosh of air buffet him. A mall was just up the block, and he pounded the sidewalk. At the entrance he crashed through a group of shoppers, spraying their bags and stumbling to his knees. Then he was up and inside.

He spied an exit across the mall and forged through the crowd toward it. The place was crammed, but he was making such a commotion that Jennifer would spot him as soon as she came in. He had to make the exit. He shoved a woman out of the way and hurdled a child.

"Ow! Watch it!"

"Out of the way!" he screamed. "Coming through!"

"Freeze! Government agent, don't move!"

Billy stopped. The door was right in front of him. He turned around. Jennifer was at the entrance, a hundred feet away, pointing a handgun at him. He couldn't believe it. She hadn't been kidding when she said he couldn't escape her.

"On your knees!"

He almost did it. Then it occurred to him that there were a lot of people between him and Jennifer, and a hundred-foot shot from a pistol was a big call even for a skilled marksman. Billy sucked in his breath, then broke for the door.

He was positive she was going to fire. He hit the door and rolled through, screaming in antic.i.p.ation. No shot! He scrambled to his feet. There were alleys twisting off in four directions, lined with crates and garbage. He ran down one at random.

Fifteen minutes later, when he was sure he was safe, he sank to his knees and gasped for breath. He checked his bag. Everything was still there. Thank G.o.d.

When he was ready, he stepped out onto the street and hailed a cab.

"Parliament," he said. "Please hurry."

Billy just about died: no one had told him Parliament would be crawling with Government. Worse, half the agents were scurrying around in that blue armored getup he'd seen Jennifer in, so he kept thinking he saw her out of the corner of his eye. He felt himself break into fresh sweat. Billy was no longer smelling so good.

General Li was waiting at the top of the steps. "Good timing, Private. Five minutes early."

It was probably best not to mention the Jennifer Government incident to General Li, Billy decided "Yes, sir."

Li started walking, and Billy fell into step. He wiped at his forehead. The General would protect him, he thought. No one was giving the General any grief. They entered the great lobby, which was packed, then a corridor, then a side room. There were a half-dozen suits lounging around, smoking and eating lunch from a buffet.

The General stopped beside three men and waited. No one acknowledged him, which Billy thought was kind of rude.

"I told told you they'd try this," one of the men said. "If I hadn't taken steps, half our G.o.dd.a.m.n staff would be in Government lockup right now." you they'd try this," one of the men said. "If I hadn't taken steps, half our G.o.dd.a.m.n staff would be in Government lockup right now."

"John is right," an older, shorter man said.

"You're overreacting," the third man said. "So they're trying to muscle us. That doesn't mean it's time toto do what you're suggesting. We can't take that step. It's illegal, and more importantly it's bad business."

"You idiot," John said. "You want to wait until they come for you? When they raid your house at four in the morning? Things have already gone too far."

The old man nodded. "John Nike is now in charge of our operation."

"Alfonse!" the third man said, shocked, but they were already turning their backs on him.

John seemed to notice the General for the first time. "Who are you?"

"General Li NRA, sir. We've spoken on the phone."

"Right, right," John said. "Excuse me, Alfonse. I have a few housekeeping matters to take care of."

Alfonse nodded and moved off. John put one arm around Li's shoulders and one around Billy's. His face was inches from Billy's, which creeped him out a little. Billy suddenly realized: this might be the John Nike that Jennifer wanted him to collect information on. "So, Li, this is..."

"The man you requested."

This was one of those situations that required a lot of "sir's," Billy realized. "Private Billy NRA, Special Ops, reporting, sir!"

John looked amused. "Billy, you might get to earn your keep today."

"Yes, sir!"

"If things don't go our way in there, then during my speech I'm going to point at someone. I a.s.sume you know what to do then."

"Yes, sir!"

"But not inside the House. You mark them, you wait until they leave, you do them on the steps. If you try anything in this building, there'll be twenty Government suits on you before you can twitch. And if the Government gets hold of you, I'll make d.a.m.n sure you never get to talk to them. You understand me?"

"Yes, sir!"

"I like this kid, Li," John said. "He's a quick learner. Okay, Billy, p.i.s.s off. Me and the General have to talk."

"Yes, sir!" Billy said. He went out to wait in the corridor.

After a while, the lights dimmed, then brightened. Billy thought there must be some kind of electrical fault, but people started filing into the main hall, so he straightened to attention. John and the General came out together, with Alfonse and a bunch of other suits. Billy waited a few minutes, then made his own way into the main room. He fought his way to a seat in the back few rows. On the way he jabbed someone with his bag.

"Hey, watch it. What've you got in there, steel rods?"

"Sorry." He found a seat and put his bag between his feet. There was a lot of messing around at the table, then people seemed to get organized and a man stood up and started talking. It took Billy a while, but he realized this was the Government President. He didn't recognize the third group, the one with two chicks in it, but if the Government and US Alliance were here, he guessed they were from Team Advantage. Billy hadn't known so many big enchiladas were getting together in one place.

The President started saying something about freedom and justice, and Billy tuned out. Then there was some arguing, one suit after another jabbering away, and Billy started thinking about mountains. London wasn't so far away from some really good skiing countries. Maybe he could skip over there when all this was over. Then John got to his feet, straightening his cuffs, and Billy sat up.

"We came here in good faith, to talk about solutions." John's voice was piped through the hall, so it sounded like he were right in front of you. "But the Government didn't. This morning, it conducted raids against us. It targeted our companies, only because we've been successful at providing products people want to buy. It trespa.s.sed on our private property and a.s.saulted some of our executives."

He paused. The hall was so quiet Billy could hear his own stomach.

"This is intolerable." He stared at the President. Billy was sure he was going to point at him. But he turned back to the crowd. "By this action, the Government has proved that so long as it exists, none of us are truly free. Government and freedom are mutually exclusive. So if we value freedom, there's only one conclusion. It's time to get rid of this leftover relic we call Government."

People started to talk; a few rose to their feet in front of Billy. He craned his neck. John was looking at the young woman from Team Advantage. Billy's hands tightened on the bag.

"US Alliance has had enough of being persecuted for the crime of making money. From this moment, we no longer recognize them as an authority. It's time for a brave new age. I hereby declare the end of Government. And you, sir, are out of a job."

He pointed at the Government President. The crowd erupted. Billy felt no surprise. He picked up his bag and began to fight his way out of the hall.

He jogged across the road, through the square, and into a restaurant that looked like a boardinghouse. A girl was cleaning gla.s.ses at the bar. "What's upstairs?" Billy asked. "Rooms?"

"Sure. They start at ninety dollars."

"I want something that faces Parliament," he said. "Um, for the view."

She collected a key from underneath the counter. "A lot going on today, hey?"

"You said it," Billy said.

The room was on the second floor, small with thick drapes, which was perfect. He set his bag on the bed and unzipped it. He took out the barrel and cleaned it thoroughly, keeping one foot against the wall to hold the curtain open a fraction so he could watch Parliament House. When the flow of human traffic down the steps increased, he snapped the scope and magazine into place and dragged a chair over to the window. He raised the window and squinted against the icy air that blew in.

People were gushing out of the building, most in suits. Billy worried that he wouldn't be able to spot the President. Then came another thought: maybe he would would spot the President. That would mean Billy was meant to raise the gun and line a man up in the sights. He felt fresh sweat run down his back. Billy hadn't believed he would ever reach this moment, not truly. The moment when he would have to decide if he would kill a man to escape the NRA. He chewed his lip. spot the President. That would mean Billy was meant to raise the gun and line a man up in the sights. He felt fresh sweat run down his back. Billy hadn't believed he would ever reach this moment, not truly. The moment when he would have to decide if he would kill a man to escape the NRA. He chewed his lip.

The President emerged, surrounded by a dozen Government agents. Even in the crowd, that stood out. He looked like the center of a bull's-eye.

The rifle lay in Billy's lap. Some snipersamateursraised their guns too early, used the scope to see what was going on. That was risky, the NRA had taught him, because he could be spotted. A good sniper became visible only at the last moment. Billy waited. Then he raised the rifle and fitted the b.u.t.t into his shoulder.

He rested his elbow on the sill and the barrel against the window frame. There were thirty or so steps up to the House of Commons, so he had plenty of time to line him up. When he saw the man behind the crosshairs, his stomach lurched. His hands shook minutely. There was a variable wind, and Billy thought: Maybe I'll miss. Maybe I'll do my best but I'll miss. Maybe I'll miss. Maybe I'll do my best but I'll miss.

The wind eased.

Skiing, Billy thought. Billy thought. I'm just skiing. I'm just skiing.

The President looked up. It was as if he knew it was coming.

54 Government