AUGUSTA PINE
Skinny, scraggly-looking guy. He was rather talkative after I tied him up. Your sniper was less forthcoming.
HANNAH VALE
Have you harmed them?
AUGUSTA PINE
Not permanently. But they’re out of play. Now, I believe we should have a talk.
HANNAH VALE
[Deep breath] Fine. You have two hostages. I have two hundred. Unless you are willing to let everyone suffocate, you will hand over the project to me.
AUGUSTA PINE
Tell you what, how about we meet next to the pool in ten minutes and have a nice conversation about this.
HANNAH VALE
[Laughter] You’re trying to negotiate?
AUGUSTA PINE
[Vocal imitation of static] Oops, losing the signal, going through a tunnel!
[CALL ENDED]
15
Eames gapes at me.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “Did you call Hannah Vale just to piss her off?”
“No,” I reply. “I called a terrorist to piss her off, make sure she knows her radios aren’t secure, and lure at least one of them down to the pool in ten minutes.” My grin widens. “I’m a multitasker.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why are you trying to lure Vale down to the pool?”
“Are we going to push her in?” asks Edgar.
“Edgar, you’re like the robot equivalent of a cat,” I say. “I don’t always have to push stuff off of other stuff.” I take a breath and look at Eames, who is frowning. Hearing one half of my conversations with Edgar is probably confusing. “I’m trying to keep them separated. Now that they no longer have a secure line of communication, they’re either going to have to meet up in person, or…”
Comprehension flashes across Eames’s face. “Take down the jammers.”
I nod. “Yup. So either they are massively slowed down and unable to coordinate or we get a link back to theoutside world. Either way, it’s a win for us.” I shrug. “It’s like speed chess. You keep your enemy off-balance so they don’t have time to form their strategy.”
So long as Vale is scrambling to keep up, she can’t find Project Persephone.
Eames shakes his head. “I always sucked at chess. My dad taught me poker.”
“Well, you better hope this works,” I say, “because honestly this is one big bluff.”
“So what are we going to do once one of them goes down to the pool?” asks Eames. His skepticism has melted into curiosity.
I take a deep breath. “How do you feel about traps?”
To my surprise, Eames smiles.
