her working with Ryland. Philosophically, the Nova Group and Haspelcorp were on opposite sides of the fence; the Nova Group had even tried to assassinate Ryland a while back. “Keeping kind of odd company, aren’t you. For a former radical, I mean.”
She shrugged. “Times change. Given the choice between spending the rest of my life locked up in solitary, doped to the gills on the inhibitor, or lending my special talents to the authorities in exchange for certain privileges … well, you’d be surprised how flexible one’s convictions can turn out to be.”
Maybe for some people,
Tom thought. Still, he was reluctant to judge Tanaka too harshly. Who knew what sort of pressures Ryland and his cronies had exerted to secure her cooperation? Not to mention the fact that the lines between the good guys and bad guys were getting extremely blurry nowadays. Tanaka wasn’t the only person whose alliances had shifted over time. Sometimes not even Tom knew whose side he was on.
“So much for the pleasantries,” Ryland said. “Shall we get down to the business?”
Tom shook his head. “Not yet.” He eyed the pair suspiciously. “Let me check behind your ears.”
“You think I’m Marked?” Ryland snorted at the idea. “You’re getting paranoid, Tom.”
“I have reason to be.” Tom wasn’t surprised that Ryland knew about the Marked; no doubt his contacts in the intelligence community had briefed him on the bodysnatching conspirators. He circled behind Ryland and Tanaka. “If you don’t mind.”
Ryland sighed wearily. “If it will put your mind at rest.” He let Tom peek behind the ear. To the agent’s relief, the skin under the lobe did not bear an X-shaped mole. “You do realize that this is a waste of time, don’t you?” Ryland objected. “I hardly need to be possessed by a sinister entity from the future to want to save this country from the 4400 and Collier’s seditious Movement.”
He’s got a point there,
Tom conceded. Marking Ryland would be redundant; the man was already obsessed with destroying the 4400. “I guess you and the Marked are on the same page.”
“You know what they say,” Ryland answered. “The enemy of my enemy, et cetera.”
Tom didn’t like the sound of that. Was Ryland just pulling his chain, or was he actually in cahoots with the Marked? Lord knows they had similar agendas, and swam in the same lofty military-industrial circles.
That could be serious trouble.
Convinced that Ryland’s prejudices were his own, and not something imposed on him by the Marked, Tom moved on to Tanaka. Was there more to her defection to Ryland’s camp than simple expedience? “Excuse me,” he said as he came up behind her. “Your glasses.”
“Go ahead,” Ryland instructed her.
Her back to Tom, she removed her glasses. Slender fingers brushed her hair away from her ear. A whiff of perfume tickled Tom’s nostrils. “You do this with every girl you meet?”
I would if I was single,
Tom thought. He had been involved with his boss, Meghan Doyle, for months now. And, truth be told, he sometimes checked behind her ear when they were making love or in the shower. He tried to be subtle about it, but he suspected that Meghan knew what he was up to, even if she never said anything. Meghan understood what the Marked had done to him. She had been one of the first people to see through the false Tom’s deceptions.
“That’s none of your business,” he replied. The woman’s skin proved equally unblemished and he stepped away from her. She replaced her glasses.
“Satisfied?” Ryland asked him.
“On that score.” Tom circled back to face the pair. “Although part of me kind of wishes I had found a Mark on you. It would have explained what happened to the man I used to know.”
“I never changed,” Ryland insisted. “You’re the one who let your sentimental attachment to these menaces blind you to what needs to be done. Speaking of which, I hear that you and
She shrugged. “Times change. Given the choice between spending the rest of my life locked up in solitary, doped to the gills on the inhibitor, or lending my special talents to the authorities in exchange for certain privileges … well, you’d be surprised how flexible one’s convictions can turn out to be.”
Maybe for some people,
Tom thought. Still, he was reluctant to judge Tanaka too harshly. Who knew what sort of pressures Ryland and his cronies had exerted to secure her cooperation? Not to mention the fact that the lines between the good guys and bad guys were getting extremely blurry nowadays. Tanaka wasn’t the only person whose alliances had shifted over time. Sometimes not even Tom knew whose side he was on.
“So much for the pleasantries,” Ryland said. “Shall we get down to the business?”
Tom shook his head. “Not yet.” He eyed the pair suspiciously. “Let me check behind your ears.”
“You think I’m Marked?” Ryland snorted at the idea. “You’re getting paranoid, Tom.”
“I have reason to be.” Tom wasn’t surprised that Ryland knew about the Marked; no doubt his contacts in the intelligence community had briefed him on the bodysnatching conspirators. He circled behind Ryland and Tanaka. “If you don’t mind.”
Ryland sighed wearily. “If it will put your mind at rest.” He let Tom peek behind the ear. To the agent’s relief, the skin under the lobe did not bear an X-shaped mole. “You do realize that this is a waste of time, don’t you?” Ryland objected. “I hardly need to be possessed by a sinister entity from the future to want to save this country from the 4400 and Collier’s seditious Movement.”
He’s got a point there,
Tom conceded. Marking Ryland would be redundant; the man was already obsessed with destroying the 4400. “I guess you and the Marked are on the same page.”
“You know what they say,” Ryland answered. “The enemy of my enemy, et cetera.”
Tom didn’t like the sound of that. Was Ryland just pulling his chain, or was he actually in cahoots with the Marked? Lord knows they had similar agendas, and swam in the same lofty military-industrial circles.
That could be serious trouble.
Convinced that Ryland’s prejudices were his own, and not something imposed on him by the Marked, Tom moved on to Tanaka. Was there more to her defection to Ryland’s camp than simple expedience? “Excuse me,” he said as he came up behind her. “Your glasses.”
“Go ahead,” Ryland instructed her.
Her back to Tom, she removed her glasses. Slender fingers brushed her hair away from her ear. A whiff of perfume tickled Tom’s nostrils. “You do this with every girl you meet?”
I would if I was single,
Tom thought. He had been involved with his boss, Meghan Doyle, for months now. And, truth be told, he sometimes checked behind her ear when they were making love or in the shower. He tried to be subtle about it, but he suspected that Meghan knew what he was up to, even if she never said anything. Meghan understood what the Marked had done to him. She had been one of the first people to see through the false Tom’s deceptions.
“That’s none of your business,” he replied. The woman’s skin proved equally unblemished and he stepped away from her. She replaced her glasses.
“Satisfied?” Ryland asked him.
“On that score.” Tom circled back to face the pair. “Although part of me kind of wishes I had found a Mark on you. It would have explained what happened to the man I used to know.”
“I never changed,” Ryland insisted. “You’re the one who let your sentimental attachment to these menaces blind you to what needs to be done. Speaking of which, I hear that you and
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