Red Fury Read online

  Garibaldi was used to working within narrow confines. Bester had beaten him once. That would never happen again, even with the psychic block in his head. He would die before he ever betrayed his friends again.

  Garibaldi leaned back in his chair, waiting. When the call came he answered at once.

  “Mr. Garibaldi,” said Bester.

  Garibaldi couldn’t keep the smile from his face when he saw Bester’s black eye.

  “That was a close call, Mr. Garibaldi.”

  “You’re safe, aren’t you? That’s the only condition. That I can’t knowingly allow harm to come to you. There was nothing in there about letting the Psi Corps get knocked around a little.”

  “You and your friends are going to suffer for this, Mr. Garibaldi.”

  “Sure, sure,” he said dismissively. “Now listen, Al, here’s how this is going to play out. My friends in EarthForce are going to see that this whole incident is swept under the carpet. We’re going to say the Vorlon craft was unmanned--a rogue ship--the last remnant of the war and that now it’s been destroyed. Susan won’t take any heat over this, not even a note on her record, and in return I’ll see that Psi Corps isn’t exposed for attacking an EarthForce destroyer and killing members of its crew, not to mention White Star 27.”

  “You over-estimate your power, Mr. Garibaldi.”

  “No. No, I don’t. You’re going to go along with everything, Bester, and you’re going to do it because this time you get to walk away scot-free--for Susan’s sake. Do we have an understanding?”

  “Yes.” From the sour expression on Bester’s face Garibaldi knew that one word of acquiescence had cost him dearly.

  “Good. Now I want you to know the only reason I’m going to make all that happen is because it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that you walk on this one because your time is coming, Al. Psi Corps’ time is coming and when it does, I’m going to be there. I’ve already got it picked out, a Louisville slugger with your name carved into the side in big letters. And I’m going to be the one swinging it.”

  “Keep telling yourself that Mr. Garibaldi. Just make sure you do your job like a good dog and keep me alive.”

  The transmission cut out and Garibaldi smiled. Bester was full of his usual bluster and bravado but there was something he had never seen in the man’s eyes before--fear, uncertainty. “Not long now,” Garibaldi said to himself. “Not long at all.”

  He opened up a channel to the kitchen.

  “Mr. Garibaldi?”

  “Yeah. Can you send me through that bagna càuda now?”

  “On its way, Mr. Garibaldi.”

  He opened another channel.

  “Reynolds? You there?”

  “I’m always here, sir. What can I get you?”

  “A problem-free galaxy?”

  “Sorry, sir. That’s something you’re more qualified to handle.”

  “Let me tell ya, you never even know you’re in the galaxy saving business until you’re saving the galaxy, and by then it’s too late to get out.”

  “I’m sure it is, sir. I, for one, am glad you’re in it.”

  “At least someone appreciates me. What did you think of the bagna càuda I sent you?”

  “It was nourishing, sir.”

  “Seriously? The greatest meal in the galaxy and that’s all you got? Some things are worth making a meal out of,” Garibaldi said, and he couldn’t help thinking of Bester again with the black eye. “Man, I’m going to have to start up a food appreciation course. Did I ever tell you about my theory that if the Vorlons and Shadows had bagna càuda then there wouldn’t have even been a war?”

  “Yes, sir. On many an occasion.”

  Garibaldi laughed as he stood up and walked away from his station. Nothing could kill his mood today. Susan was going to be all right, his friends had survived the latest threat, a dozen Psi Corps bases were crippled and there wasn’t a god-damned thing they could do about it.

  Best of all, Bester had a black eye. Nothing beat that.

  He was just about to exit through the quantium door when his security station sounded an alert.

  “Sir?”

  “No. Leave me alone Reynolds. I’m going to eat and then I’m going back to bed.”

  “Sir, you know I wouldn’t disturb you if it wasn’t important.”

  “What? It’s been five minutes. The world’s in flames? In the last five minutes?”

  “Not burning, sir. Not literally. Ivanova’s strikes to the Psi Corps bases seem to have given rogue telepaths something to rally around. It seems they were already congregating after Byron’s death and were just waiting for something like this. There are riots on Babylon 5, on Mars, across Earth. If it’s not brought under control it could spiral out into something much bigger.”

  “A telepath war?”

  “Your words, sir. Not mine.”

  Garibaldi sighed as he returned to the seat behind the console.

  “Kitchen?”

  “Yes, Mr. Garibaldi?”

  “Put a hold on that bagna càuda. I just lost my appetite again.”