Another car, a sleek silver limo, drove up the street, pulled up in front of the entrance, and waited. Marcus decided to bide his time before risking entering the building. A few minutes later, Lena and Ray, his hood covering his face, emerged, headed straight for the limo, and got in. The car pulled away and Marcus followed until it stopped in front of the Four Seasons Hotel. Lena and Ray got out, accompanied by a man who looked like a Secret Service agent. As Ray turned, Marcus caught enough of a glimpse of his face to confirm his suspicion before they disappeared inside.
Marcus emerged from the car and ran into the lobby just in time to see Ray and Lena board an elevator. His movement toward the bank of elevators stopped abruptly when he spotted a tall, regal looking woman at the lobby bar with her back toward him, her head wrapped in a colorful scarf. Someone got up from the seat next to her. Instinctively, he sprang to fill it.
She turned to look at the man sitting next to her and their eyes met. He drew in a breath, but held it without uttering her name.
“Hello, Marcus,” said Corinne. “It seems we have a lot to talk about.”
49
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for Corinne to figure out that Ray was headed to San Francisco and that it was probably no accident that he’d lived there before the switch of identity that landed Marcus in Rays’ body and his life. Perhaps Ray had a reason to make contact with Marcus or perhaps he was hoping to have a chance to see Lena. After all, Marcus had crossed the continent presumably to see her and Natasha, even if briefly and from a distance, which was lucky for her since she’d otherwise be dead.
Corinne had scanned the UDB for events in San Francisco and had found the Artificial Cognition Conference that was scheduled to take place at the Four Seasons Hotel. It was the best fit with Marcus’s, and now Ray’s adopted area of expertise. She guessed that Ray would be speaking at the conference as cover for his trip west. She was in a vacuum tube pod heading west just a few hours behind him.
She wasn’t sure what she’d do when she got there. Going to Raymond Mettler’s home might be risky, particularly if his home was under surveillance. If she could find Ray, on the other hand, then he might lead her to Marcus. So her first stop would be the Four Seasons. She’d have to disappear into the crowd, not an easy task for a tall, striking, hairless woman.
When Corinne arrived at the hotel, she identified herself to the desk clerk as Marcus Takana’s wife and begged his discretion so that she could surprise her husband, since she’d decided at the last minute to attend his lecture. She was informed that he’d checked in, but had left the hotel an hour ago and had not yet returned. She bought a headscarf in the gift shop, wrapped it artfully around her head, and parked herself in the lobby bar, from which she could see the hotel entrance.
When Ray and Lena entered the lobby, Corinne wasn’t prepared to see them together and resisted the urge to confront him in front of his wife. She watched them disappear behind the elevator doors.
Then suddenly a man claimed the seat beside her with a sense of urgency. At first glance, he was a stranger, but as she looked into his eyes, she saw his flash of recognition and realized why he was there. This was the moment of truth.
“So you know,” said Marcus after Corinne called him by name. “When did he tell you?”
“He didn’t,” said Corinne. “I figured it out for myself after the fire. You were there, weren’t you?” she said.
“Yes, I was there.”
“I felt your touch,” she said, “and imagined you kissed me.” She shook her head. “Except I didn’t imagine it, did I?”
“No, you didn’t imagine it.”
“I was so angry when I realized that you’d let a stranger take over your life. I have no idea how or why you let that happen. And I was angry that you’d had the Conversion after knowing how I felt about it.” Her brow was furrowed, her eyes intense, and her lips pressed tightly together.
“That happened long ago, before we ever met,” said Marcus. “And the contract between me and Mettler was also concluded long before I met you. Once it was done, there was no turning back.”
“And the redhead...Terra...was behind it all?”
“Yes, Terra arranged the contract with each of us and swore us to secrecy. If we told anyone, their lives would be in jeopardy. And until recently, neither of us knew who was on the other side of the contract.”
“How could you ever have agreed to such a ludicrous scheme?”
“I grew up poor,” he began, “and uneducated. I began my adult life with the deck stacked against me...until she showed up.”
“The redhead...Terra.”
“Yes, Terra. She came out of the blue one day while I was running on the Endless Park. She offered me wealth beyond my dreams in exchange for agreeing that another man’s consciousness would take over my body when his died.”
“How could any amount of money be worth giving up your life?”
“You have to understand. I had nothing. I was all alone with nothing to lose. You weren’t a part of my life at that point. And if I hadn’t taken the deal, we’d probably never have met.”
“So you sold your future,” said Corinne.
“In exchange for a chance to have a life that was worth something, that was more than just an existence. It was a fresh start and I was determined to make the most of it. I traded duration for quality. And look what I...we accomplished. We saved the world from the brink of disaster,” said Marcus. “And the exchange wasn’t supposed to happen for decades...not until Ray died.”
“And the Conversion?”
“...was another condition. What Mettler wanted was immortality. Not only did he want to escape his own death, but he wanted the body he wound up with to live forever. That meant undergoing the Conversion. That’s why I tried so hard to convince you to have it. I didn’t want to stay young while you grew old.”
“But what good would that have done if you were going to leave me, anyway?”
“That part seemed so far off that it didn’t seem real...until last spring.” His voice broke and he looked away.
“When you exchanged identities for the first time.” She’d already figured that out, too. “It was the day of your speech, the one with the President. Wasn’t it?”
“That’s right. And I was sure my life was over,” said Marcus, turning toward her again. “How did you know?”
“Because something was different about you that night. Everything, actually.” She hesitated for what seemed to Marcus like an eternity. “We made love, Marcus. It was different. It felt different.”
“Because it wasn’t me.” His voice cracked in anguish. He looked away again.
“No, it wasn’t you,” she answered, touching his hand. “The next morning I saw you looking in the mirror. You were acting so strangely. I knew something was terribly wrong, but had no idea what was going on at the time, but looking back…” She was angry enough now to enjoy the pain that she was causing him.
“And now he’s sharing my bed again, perhaps for all eternity.” She couldn’t resist twisting the knife, but instantly regretted it.
Marcus’s face was twisted in agony. His head was jerking repeatedly, the intensity of his emotions activating Ray’s tics. Corinne reached over and placed her hand over his, rubbing it gently. His face relaxed and his head became still.
“So now what do we do?” she asked. “Is there any way to put things back the way they were?”
“Probably not,” said Marcus. “Terra said she doesn’t know how to reverse the exchange and that even if she tried, our identities could be severely degraded. We might both wind up dead.”
Corinne sat in silence for several minutes, trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
“I’ve been furious since I figured it out,” she said at last, “but you risked your life to save mine. Whatever drew you into this mess I’m ready to forgive. I want you back. And the man I fell in love with isn’t in the body you left behind. He’s right here beside me. Can’t you just
come home with me?”
“I wish I could,” said Marcus, “but Terra’s organization has a very long reach and won’t permit it. They’re determined to keep things as they are. I’m afraid if I defied them, we’d all be killed, even Natasha. And there’s something else you need to know that might change your mind.”
“What else could possibly make a difference now?”
“Ray’s brain...my brain now is riddled with aneurysms,” said Marcus. “I’ve already had a stroke and am likely to have others. One of them is likely to kill me. I’m afraid my days are numbered. You might be better off living out your life with him.”
Tears streamed down Corinne’s cheeks. Any words she could find were engulfed in sobs. She threw her arms around him and buried her head in his neck.
When the fount of Corinne’s tears was finally exhausted and they were facing each other again, Marcus spoke first.
“Ray and Lena are both here at the hotel. I followed them here. There was some sort of scuffle at their home. The window had been broken and I watched Ray and another man struggling at the brink. Then the other man fell over the precipice and was rescued by a drone.”
“Did you see who he was?” asked Corinne.
“I think he was the same man who firebombed our house. He’s a SPUD. Whoever picked Ray up from their home must have brought Lena along for her safety. It would have been too dangerous to stay where they lived.”
“I saw them come in together,” said Corinne, “but I doubt they’re staying in the same room. That could blow Ray’s identity. But I did find out Ray’s room number.”
“Does Ray know you’re here?”
“No. And he doesn’t know that I figured out who he is.”
“Then it’s time for Ray and I to have a face to face talk,” said Marcus. “And I imagine you and Lena also have a lot to talk about.”
Corinne showed the desk clerk an image of Lena Holbrook and asked for her room number. She guessed that she was registered under an assumed name and told him that it was urgent that she talk with her. Corinne’s face was an open book and the clerk readily complied.
When she knocked on Lena’s door, her face displayed inside. Lena opened the door and let her in.
“Corinne,” said Lena. “He didn’t tell me you were with him.”
“He doesn’t know I’m here,” said Corinne. “I came by myself.” She paused to consider how to tell Lena what she knew.
“This is a hell of a mess,” Lena jumped in first. “What I have to tell you is just too crazy to imagine.”
“Then you know, too,” said Corinne, sighing with relief, “about the exchange.”
Lena drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly through pursed lips. Her breath whistled for a moment toward the end.
“I’m sorry, Corinne,” she said at last. “You got the short end of this exchange. Ray’s a real piece of work.”
“Actually,” said Corinne, “he’s been good to me and sweet with Natasha. He seems to genuinely care about her, not just playing a part.”
“Your husband Marcus is an extraordinary man,” said Lena, the shock of Corinne’s words finally fading from her face, “kind and...loving. You must miss him terribly.”
“I do,” Corinne said, then stopped and stared at Lena, whose face had been flushed with surprise moments before but still had a rosy hue. Tears came to her eyes. She’d had enough surprises and didn’t want to believe what she now intuitively knew.
“You’re pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“And whose…?” Corinne held her breath.
“It’s complicated,” said Lena. “I don’t understand it either.”
Before she was aware of what she was doing, Corinne’s arms were around Lena in a tender embrace. Aside from their shared victimhood, she felt profoundly connected with this woman by the men whose love they shared. Lena returned her embrace with a comforting hug, and just for this moment Corinne felt safe.
50
WHEN MARCUS ARRIVED at Ray’s room on the top floor of the hotel, the burly guard by the door held him back. Marcus would have been an easy match for him in his own body, but in Ray’s he was overpowered. When he backed off, the door cracked open.
“Let him in,” said Ray from within. “I know him.”
The sound of Ray’s words in his own voice was surreal to Marcus. Even more surreal was the vision of the body standing before him that he’d only previously seen in mirrors.
The guard stood aside and Marcus entered the room. Ray shut the door behind him.
“I’m glad to see you,” said Ray. “We need to talk.”
“How can you be glad to see me after what you did to me?” said Marcus. “If I were in your shoes, I’d be terrified.”
“I’m really sorry for what I did, Marcus. I understand now how selfish it was and how destructive to all our lives and wish I could undo it,” said Ray. “But now we have to set our differences aside. We have a common enemy and need to join forces if we’re going to prevent a disaster.”
“Common enemy...You mean the Tribe of 23?”
“Them, too,” said Ray, “but much more crucial is Ganymede.”
“Ganymede? Who the hell are they?”
“Terra’s organization. The people who created the body hopping technology and put us both in this fix. Their agenda is ambitious, and the future of the Commonwealth may be in our hands.”
“Their agenda?” asked Marcus.
“...is to control the Commonwealth and the world,” said Ray. “They want me to run for President, to become the President, so that they can control me with threats against our families, against Corinne and Natasha and Lena, and with the knowledge of my real identity. Part of my ruse for coming here was that I promised to announce my candidacy during my speech.”
Marcus felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.
“Then what can we do?”
“I don’t really know,” said Ray. “Ganymede was once a clandestine arm of the government, all crack operatives whose identities were unknown even to the President. Since they’ve gone rogue, they’ve gone even further underground. I thought perhaps you’d know someone in the government we could trust to help without it getting back to them.”
“Only the President,” said Marcus, “and that would mean exposing our situation, which could be risky not only for us but for him. Besides, from what we know of their plan, he may already be in their grasp.”
“Then there’s only one other thing we can do,” said Ray. “I’ll do everything in my power to lose the election, but if I win, you’ll have to find a way to assassinate me.”
“Assassinate you?” Marcus stared at him wide-eyed. “I thought you were planning to live forever. You were even willing to take my life to make that happen.”
“If I had it to do over again, I never would have taken Terra’s offer. I had no idea of the consequences. I only know now that I’d rather die than betray my country.”
Marcus tried to imagine what it would feel like to kill the man inhabiting his body. It would be like destroying himself. And it would end forever the possibility of ever becoming himself again. But it probably wouldn’t matter, since he’d likely be killed on the spot by the Secret Service. Then Corinne and Lena would both become widows.
“We still have to deal with the man who attacked you,” said Marcus. “I saw you struggling on the ledge of the apartment.”
“He fell twenty stories,” said Ray. “Nobody could survive that, not even a SPUD.”
“I saw a drone rescue him from the fall. He’s very much alive. And I’m pretty sure he was the same man who firebombed the house. He’s a SPUD named Samson and he’s fast as hell.”
“What can we do?” asked Ray.
“Terra’s seen him, so I expect she’ll be on the watch for him during your talk. But I saw another man at the Church that day who was working with him. Terra and I saw him this morning, but he got away. His face was in shadows this time, so I may be the only one who can
spot him in a crowd.”
“Then you’ll be at my talk in the morning?”
“I guess so,” said Marcus. “I never imagined that I’d someday have your back.”
“Lena’s here in the hotel,” said Ray. “Knowing her, she wouldn’t miss an event like this. It’s the kind of drama she loves to write about.”
“Corinne’s here, too,” Marcus said. “I left her just before coming to see you.”
“That’s impossible. I left her behind with Natasha. How did she get here?”
A Stand-In for Dying Page 26
