The Stainless Steel Rat for President

"Racked with guilt, aren't you? It oozes out of your pores like perspiration." "I am! My fault. I did it, got them into it..." "Shut up," she suggested, then leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "We're all adults and we go into these things with our eyes open. Not only didn't you lead them to destruction, you put yourself in the enemies' gunsights to give them a chance to get away. You did all that you could. Now all we can do is wait. After I natch un that renulsivelv bloody nose of yours. I was putting off taking care of it until you had enough ron inside of you." I said ouch a few times while she cleaned and bandaged my nose. Then the waiting began. Angelina, who rarely drank other than on social occasions, accepted a glass of ron and sipped at it. There was no conversation. We looked up every time a siren went by in the street outside. And tried not to stare at the clock all of the time. I emptied my glass and reached for the bottle.

"Would you like some more..." The buzzing of the phone cut through my words. Angelina was answering it before I could move, switching on the conference function as she lifted the receiver.

"James here," the welcome voice said, and a wave of relief rushed through me. "No problem getting away. Changed uniforms with a soldier. But I can't come back to the hotel looking like this." "We'll pick you up," Angelina said. "How is Bolivar?" When there was no instant answer the tension was back. Multiplied tenfold. He only hesitated for a moment, but that brief time was message enough.

"I think they have him. I saw police in gas masks driving off in a great hurry. They were the only ones who left the scene. I stayed around as long as I could, until the smoke cleared and they were starting to form the units up. He didn't call, did he?" "No. I would have told you." "I know. I'm sorry..." "You shouldn't be. You did everything that you could. Now we'll have to make plans to get you back here. Then we'll just have to wait for news of Bolivar. They won't have banned him. I'm sure that he's all right." Her voice was calm, controlled. Yet I was looking into her eyes when she spoke and I knew that she was screaming inside.

Chapter 23

I closed the ron bottle and put it away; this was the time for a clear head. However I did open a bottle of wine to wash down a fried bean and sausage sandwich since beans are a well known brain food. I think. Angelina went to pick up James while I stared at the telephone. And tried to produce intelligent thoughts about the night's events. By the time they had returned I had reached some highly logical and most unattractive conclusions.

"There were no phone calls," I said as they came through the door.

"If that's food I'll have some," James said, pouring himself a small glass of wine. I was happy that the twins took after their mother in their alcoholic interest, not after their boozer of a father.

"I've made some plans," I announced. "They will guarantee Bolivar's return." Angelina nodded agreement.

"Good. We break into the central jail, shoot down everyone we meet, then release him." "No. That's what they are expecting us to do. Someone on the enemy team is out-thinking us. We walked into a trap tonight because we were careless. We have been one jump ahead of them so far-and we thought that it would continue to go on like that. But the honeymoon is over. We now have to out-think their out-thinker and do the unexpected." "Which is what?" Angelina asked.

"Hit them where they don't expect us. Take a prisoner whom we know they will have to trade for Bolivar." "Who?" "Zapilote himself. No one else will do." James was so surprised that he actually stopped eating. Which meant he was very surprised indeed. Angelina had far.

more control.

"You wouldn't care to explain the tortuous logic that led to that conclusion?" she said.