Free Vatican Assassin by Mike Luoma Page A

first time I had ever seen her. I wondered why a Lunar Security Cop was there, figured she was on rounds. Now, obviously, I can’t be sure of any of that.”
    “This is bad, BC my boy. They may have you. Your entire mission could be compromised. Your cover could be blown entirely. I thought you were better than this.”
    Holy Shit.
    “Pope Peter, sir, look, they haven’t even said anything. They’re maintaining media silence. Wouldn’t they have blown this open? If they had me on this, they’d be broadcasting it loud and proud, getting all the mileage they could out of it. Their silence says they don’t have anything more than they’ve had before, even if they’re attacking us straight on. C’mon, sir, you know I’m better than that. Father, forgive me!”
    “Don’t get cute on me, boy, I won’t have it,” Peter snaps at BC.
    “Sorry. But it’s not right to pin this all on me!”
    “Of course it isn’t. But I’ve been wanting to blame somebody, and you’re elected. Plus, you’ve been incommunicado, and that’s been frustrating. I had to let you have it.
    “Tough love, my boy. Tough love,” the old man chuckles to himself, then looks BC in the eye across the miles.
    “Look, your cover may well be blown, BC. They may just be waiting, holding on to the information, holding on to any damaging evidence they have, waiting until the most damaging moment possible to let it out.”
    “Then why not now, to justify their attacks, to turn the tide in the war by making us out to be murderers?”
    “I don’t know. We can’t know, can’t be sure. But they are hitting NcC targets. They’ve got to know about Vatican involvement in UTZ war efforts, BC.”
    “With all due respect, sir, who doesn’t?”
    Pope Peter lets out a small laugh. “Some know we are involved... but most could never guess to what extent. If you’ve opened us up, exposed us, the general public most likely will not understand or sympathize with our means to achieving their ends.”
    “So, then... what now? Should I come back?”
    “No! No, that would be suspect, too suspicious. What I want you to do right now is forget about the OPO, just for the time being, and get under your cover, completely. For the time being, I want you to be the best Public Relations flack the Moon has ever seen! Issue some press releases, follow the Cardinal around every day, and accompany him to every event. Be the spin doctor you’re supposed to be!”
    “I guess I can do that, sir.”
    “You will do that, Campion, those are your orders, make no mistake. In the meantime, I’ll have the office find you some low-key, low profile assignments that keep you off the UIN radar. All they’ll see is the public you, the flack-hack. We’ll be in touch soon, Diana. Jove out.”
    “Diana Out.”
    Damn. This is gonna suck. Tough love, my ass. By Jove.
Chapter Eleven
    Two weeks. Two Fucking Weeks!
    BC has heard nothing from the OPO in two weeks.
    In the two weeks, the Vatican’s been hit one more time, another barrage as fierce as the last two, another UIN sneak attack. The Moon has not been hit again.
    BC has done his PR flack job, standing loyally by the Cardinal’s side, issuing four press releases in the two weeks, and generally playing his role as the Vatican PR Man. He’s laid low, not even taking the governor up on his lunch invite as of yet. And with the OPO
    out of touch, BC’s only been getting the UTZ approved version of events from the news reports. The UIN continues its media blackout. The media speculates on the motives behind the UIN attacks. Most news reports attribute the new wave of UIN attacks, including the hits on the Vatican, to further religious extremism on the part of the UIN. The analysts, warning against repeating the mistakes of the past, say the UIN has gone beyond politics, bringing religion into the war. But it’s always been in it, religion has. It’s what it’s been all about. Well, religion and money. Nothing changes. We’re