Read Online Fall of Colossus by D. F. Jones - Free Book Online

Quite.” He looked at her and smiled. “I won’t be late, my dear.”
    Watching him go, a little aged before his time, Cleo felt her resolution harden. God! He was getting to be like a sleepwalker… .
    At eight o’clock precisely there was a faint rustle in the bushes on one side of the terrace, and Blake, dressed in black, hopped lightly over the low wall. He grinned mischievously at her. “Is the coast clear?”
    Despite her nervousness, she managed a genuine smile. “You fool!”
    Blake looked at her thoughtfully, “Yeah… .” His expression became harder, businesslike. “Can’t stay long. It’s a cinch Colossus is tracking me.”
    Instinctively, they had moved away from the light into the shadows at one end of the terrace.
    “Wasn’t easy—had to get one of the boys to rig a light failure in my block—but I’ve managed to get the diagram out of the file and into another which is marked out to you. Should be in your office tomorrow morning. By then I’ll have the tape sample with it. Both in an envelope. Slide it out—drop the damned lot on the floor, or something—then you get it out.”
    “How?” Fear was clutching at Cleo again.
    He spoke without commenting. “The foolproof way would be in Charles’ pocket.”
    She stared at him in amazement. “You can’t be serious!”
    “Lady, this is not a game!”
    “But if Charles got caught!”
    Blake shrugged. “Sure—if! You know as well as I do that the Sect wouldn’t dare touch him without specific instructions from Colossus—and what are the chances of that?”
    Cleo, fearful as she was, was tempted, but to endanger her husband, an innocent man… .
    “No.” She spoke with utter finality. “Leave it to me. I’ll do it.” Blake squeezed her arm. “Good girl. Thought you’d say that. Anyway, after Charles, you’re the best bet. Neither of the papers has an electronic tracer on it.” He glanced quickly around the shadowy terrace. He pointed. “Stick the envelope behind the cushions of that chair. I’ll come in with Charles for a drink tomorrow evening and collect it. Next day I’m off.”
    “Off—where?”
    “Where d’you think, honey?” His teeth gleamed in the starlight “Betcha haven’t checked out those positions!”
    “No, I haven’t.” She felt a fool. “Where are they?”
    “The first is just outside St. John’s, Newfoundland.”
    “That won’t be difficult. It’s only forty minutes from London to New York. St. John’s can’t be much more.”
    “Sure, but I have to get to the exact location. The time-consuming part starts on the St. John’s landing pad!” He took her by the shoulders. “Bear up, Cleo! This time tomorrow you’ll have done your share, and I’ll be on my way!” He kissed her lightly on the brow. “Good luck to both of us—and if you get an attack of the shakes, think of Billy!”
    She was hardly aware he had kissed her. “Teddy, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t even start.”
    He nodded and jumped lightly over the wall. Halfway in the bushes, she saw his impish grin again. “Now you give yourself a drink—and if you need a good laugh, just look up the other position!” He waved once more, and was gone.
    Slowly she wandered indoors. Without Blake’s comforting presence, the night had grown chill. She poured herself a stiff brandy, thinking of what had to be done tomorrow. She was on her way to bed when she remembered Blake’s remark about the second position and turned back for an atlas. It would have been easy to get it off the domestic computer, but that was too risky. There was no physical or electronic connection with Colossus, but none of the Fellowship trusted even the simplest calculator.
    She plotted the position, then plotted it again. To make sure she was doing it correctly, she checked the first one. Yes, that was as Blake had said, just south of St. John’s. She turned to a larger scale map that gave details of the city and replotted the second position once more.