Free Skylock by Paul Kozerski Page B

now?"
    "Keener and his people are the best we have at plant cloning, cell fusion, and gene splicing. Early on in the Manna Project, they mutated a very critical amino acid-protein link that helped develop a saline tolerance for the world's inundated, rice-growing coastal areas. They're been working on it since."
    Baker leaned over with a bolt of stirred personal interest.
    From the packet he slid out a woman's partially exposed picture.
    "Say now, who's the honey?"
    Corealis exchanged a furtive glance with his aide. "The group's housekeeper, Geri Litten."
    Baker lingered a moment on the photo before returning it to the pile. "Sure looks familiar."
    Their meeting concluded and Baker and Trennt were dismmissed. Back outside, Trennt drew a worn breath.
    "They're lying about something. Big time."
    Baker shrugged it off in typical nonchalance.
    "Shoot, Jimbo, all staff level folks do. What's it matter?"
    "So why us?"
    "Our track record!" cawed Baker self-indulgently. "They know who's good, when they see 'em. And, baby, that's you an' me!"
    Still, the gunman scouted his cohort with bewildered concern. His words came solemn as the grave. "Jimbo, I know you're prob'ly still shook up from that wreck an' ain't thinkin' too straight yet, but listen to me; this here is our big score. And I say don't look no gift horse in the mouth. We ain't marryin' those folks back there. Just contractin' a job for 'em. Straight talk or no, the payoff's all that counts for us boys. And this 'uns gonna set us for life."
    The gunner's smile returned as he glimpsed the area.
    "We finally got us the brass ring, Pard. And what sounds like a couple solid go-to-hell days in this here kiddie park before we even need to dirty our hands. Let's us find those guest cottages and get started on some serious R 'n' R.
    * * *
    Back in the meeting room, Corealis settled deep into his overstuffed chair, rocking gently with pleasure.
    "Excellent candidates, John," he complimented. "Commendable work in locating them so quickly."
    The aide received the praise tentatively.
    "Thank you, sir. I didn't feel it was my place to object at the time. But the abrasive one, Trennt—I may have been too hasty in nominating him."
    Corealis dismissed the notion with a slow head shake.
    "His aloofness? That's the ultimate sign of professional confidence. Besides, your report on his handling of that car chase tells me we definitely want him in on this project."
    Corealis touched a thoughtful finger to his lips.
    "Before I forget, make an appointment for Clausen and me to speak in private sometime tomorrow. I want to better understand the exact capabilities of his special airplane. In the meantime, see to it that our new agents are treated well while they're here. The best of everything—like you would any condemned men."
     
    The expediters hopped aboard a courtesy jitney and rode out to a small neighborhood of private guest bungalows. There they matched housing assignments with numbers of newly received electronic security cards.
    Trennt swiped his card through a computerized door slot and stepped into the narrow hallway. As was his habit, he lingered a few moments, comparing, recalling all the different places he'd weathered in. Some, just a pile of chilly straw in a long forgotten barn, his express pouch for a pillow. Others, like Mama Loo's old courier station, sparse in accommodations, but rich in a furious notion of family.
    Then there were those rare spots like this—a wealth of sanitized booty and comfort, all waiting freely for his use or abuse. There'd been too few of these in his travels. But for all their warm showers, clean sheets, and precise comfort zones, they were indifferent places, which always seemed to solicit more than they offered.
    The customary enameled shapes waited further on: efficiency fridge and stove, frosty air conditioning. Trennt ran a hand over their cool, clean surfaces and felt the uncommon pulse of electricity humming deep inside.
    He followed his