Never Love A Stranger Part 22

person when he's not. He specializes in that sort of deception."

"How can a machine be deceptive'" Annie asked.

Dekka stood up, clearly irritated by her parry. "I see there's no point in talking to you about this."

"What precisely was it you wanted to discuss'" Annie inquired.

Dekka paused. "I wanted to make you see the light, to help me capture James. But I see that was futile."

"Absolutely."

"Tell me something, Dekka," Kay said. She had mostly been quiet up until now, observing Dekka

closely. "Why aren't you holding a gun to our heads, the way you did yesterday'" "It's not easy to hold two hostages at once," Dekka said coolly. "And even if I managed it, James won't be fooled by that gambit again. He is more careful than your friend here, and despite what you imagine he isn't troubled by messy emotions such as friends.h.i.+p and loyalty. He won't open the door unless he knows no one but yourself is on the other side of it, even to save your lives. I would have to shoot the door open. And that would cause a level of scrutiny I can't afford. It would be much easier if I could convince one of you to simply bring him down here."

"That won't happen," Annie said shortly.

"No, I suppose not." Dekka turned as if to leave, then paused and turned back. "Tell me, where is your

child'"

"Upstairs," Kay said shortly.

Dekka raised her black brows. "You left your baby in the care of a humanoid'"

"James is very good with Clark," Annie said defensively.

"Yes, of course he is. It is what he was designed to do, after all. It's simply that I wouldn't expect a

twenty-first century person to--" Dekka paused. "Did you say Clark'"

"My baby's name is Clark," Kay said. "Clark Sterling."

A look of alarm began to settle onto Dekka's features. "Clark Sterling," she repeated. "Clark Nicholas

Sterling'"

Kay and Annie exchanged startled glances. "How the h.e.l.l did you know that'" Kay snapped.

"Oh, no." Dekka sat down heavily in the chair. "Oh, no. It's too late, then. It's already too late. I've failed."

"What the h.e.l.l are you talking about'" Annie demanded.

Dekka regarded her through bleak eyes. "You poor little fool. I suppose you don't possess the wit to realize that James didn't come here merely to hide, or to copulate with you. He has an agenda, one that I'm sure he hasn't shared with you. He wants to distort the future."

"Sounds to me like the future needs to be changed," Kay said.

"Hmm. Perhaps you may think so. But what you may not like is James' methods."

"What do you mean'" Annie demanded.

Dekka lifted her shoulders in a despondent shrug. She looked utterly beaten. "What do you think would

be the best way to alter the future'"

Annie hesitated. "To change someone's destiny, I guess. To make them alter some decision they made."

"Terribly complicated, making someone change his mind about his beliefs," Dekka said. "There is an

easier way."

"You mean he plans on killing someone," Annie said tersely.

"Of course." Dekka shook her head slowly. Her expression was grim. "He's killed enough people in the

past months. One more won't give him pause."

"You can't mean he plans on killing me," Annie said, baffled. "He wouldn't. Anyway, I'm not

important."

"No, probably not. But James used you to get to someone else."

Kay stood up slowly. The blood drained from her face, leaving her pale. "You're talking about Clark,

aren't you'"

Dekka nodded. "Clark Sterling is the key to this entire affair."

"Oh, my G.o.d." Kay turned and fled from the restaurant, oblivious to the stares of the diners. Annie

stood up and stared at Dekka, not bothering to disguise her hostility.

"You said you'd checked our histories and neither of us made a significant contribution to society."

"I was bluffing," Dekka said. "I didn't check out either of you. I don't have much access to historical

records here. At any rate, I never had any real intention of killing you'I was simply trying to force James to cooperate. But I should have realized what James was up to."

"You're lying about this, d.a.m.n you."

Dekka shook her head. She looked beaten. "I only wish I were."

Annie turned without another word and ran after her friend. Kay was already halfway up the first flight of stairs when Annie caught up with her. "Kay," she gasped, running alongside her friend, "James won't hurt Clark. He won't."

"I left him alone with my baby," Kay breathed. "I can't believe I trusted him."

"You can trust James, Kay. He won't hurt the baby."

"How do you know'" Kay demanded. She never stopped running. "How do you know, Annie' You

hardly know him at all!"

Annie said nothing for a long moment. Finally she said, "I know we can trust James. I'm certain of it.

And I also know we can't trust a word Dekka says."

"She knew Clark's name," Kay gasped. "His whole name. How could she know it, if he wasn't someone important to the future'"

"I don't know. But I wouldn't jump to conclusions."

As they reached the third floor, Kay slammed the stairwell door open. Annie caught her arm. "Hold it, Kay."

"Let go of me!"

"Kay--" Annie hesitated. "Dekka was alone. The other man is probably up here."

"Oh, my G.o.d." Kay turned and looked at her. "Do you mean it's a trap'"

"I don't know, Kay. I think maybe Dekka intends for us to go barging in blindly." Annie paused and drew a deep, shuddering breath. "I think she's lying about Clark. She knew you'd run up here in a panic, and that I would follow you."

Kay shook her head, too terrified to be swayed by Annie's logic. "I have to make sure Clark is okay. I

have to."

"What if Gar is waiting up here for us'" Annie paused and looked at the anguish on her friend's face. "I guess we have to find out," she said, more to herself than to Kay. They headed for Kay's hotel room together at a dead run.

Kay slammed her fist against the door. There was no response. "Oh, my G.o.d," she whispered bleakly. "Take it easy, Kay. They're probably in the other room." Kay looked at her with terror in her eyes, and Annie patted her shoulder. "Everything will be all right. Trust me." The card key shaking in her hands, Annie opened the door to the room she had shared with James. He was seated on the floor, playing with Clark, who was lying on a blanket and gurgling cheerfully. "Clark," Kay whispered, and ran forward. She gathered the baby up in her arms and held him close. James regarded them with confusion. "What has happened'"

"We ran into Dekka downstairs," Annie explained. "She fed us a story about how you intended to kill Clark."

James looked at the baby, cuddled in his mother's arms, for a long moment. A grim expression settled over his features as he rose to his feet. At last he spoke.

"Dekka was right."

Chapter 18.

Annie felt as if she had been struck in the stomach with a board. There was no way, no way on earth, she could believe that James had really planned to kill Clark. A tiny, defenseless baby. "No," she whispered. "You wouldn't."

Kay's reaction was stronger. "You son of a b.i.t.c.h!" she spat, holding the baby to her shoulder. "Get away from him!"

James looked at her for a long moment. "It is all right, Kay," he said gently. "I have had several opportunities to kill Clark, and I did not. I will not."

"Why would you want to kill a baby'" Annie said in horror. The knot of anguish that had twisted in her stomach yesterday, when she discovered he had killed over four hundred people, returned in full force, making her want to throw up.

James had intended to kill a helpless baby. There could be no justification for such an act, none at all.