Jim tracks over to Arthur’s place in Fountain Valley. Arthur’s face is flushed, he is in a strong field of excitement, he takes Jim’s upper arm in a tight grip and grins. “Okay, Jim, we’re on for another strike, but this one’s a little different. The target is Laguna Space Research.” His straightforward blue gaze asks the obvious question.

Jim says, “What about the night watchmen they made the announcement about?”

“They’ve been taken out of the plants and are out on the perimeter.”

“Why?” Jim doesn’t understand.

Arthur shrugs. “We’re not sure. Someone bombed a computer company’s plant up in Silicon Valley, and a janitor inside was killed. Not our doing, but LSR doesn’t know that. So they’re going to automatic defenses and a perimeter watch. It’s going to be a little more dangerous. We’ve got them all running scared. But this time—well, I wasn’t going to call you, because it was LSR.”

Jim nods. “I appreciate it. But it’s the ballistic missile defense system we’re going after, right?”

“Right. LSR has the lion’s share of the boost-phase defense, Ball Lightning as they call it. A successful strike against it could be devastating.” Arthur’s excitement is evident in the tightness of his grip on Jim’s arm.

“I want to do it,” Jim says.

It’s the only avenue of action left to him, and he can’t stand not to act; the tension in him would drive him mad. “My father’s in another program, this won’t have anything to do with him. Besides, it has to be done. It has to be done if anything is ever going to change!”

Arthur nods, still looking at him closely. “Good man. It’ll be easier with your help, I’ll admit that.”

Gently Jim shifts his arm out of Arthur’s grip. Arthur looks at his hand, surprised. “I’m wired,” he confesses. “It’s tomorrow night, see. Tomorrow night, and I thought I was doing it on my own.”

“Same procedure?”

“Yeah, everything’ll go just the same. Should be simple, as long as we keep a good distance away and under cover, and…”

Jim listens to Arthur absently, distracted by his own anger, by everything else. He thought the commitment to action would release some of the tension in him; instead he is more tense than ever, he almost needs to bend over, give in to the contraction of the stomach muscles. Laguna Space Research … Well, do it! None of these companies should be exempt! Something has to be done!

It’s time to act, at last.

Chapter 69

69