A Case of Identity

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  I managed to get out of Sanders' office without slipping up again. It was very easy to do. I was beginning to get the idea that most people didn't like Worley and avoided him. That was a break for me in a lot of ways.

  All of the pieces of the puzzle were fitting into place. I finally had something solid. I knew what was going on and the BIT thought that I was the original, and I intended on using it.

  Sanders had made it clear that he would nail Worley for this if anything went wrong. That meant is was up to me to make sure something did, and the bigger the better. I wanted Worley to suffer so that when I died I would know I had taken something of his away, too.

  Determining all of this was the easy part. The hard part was how to do it. Sure, I could walk into the BIT and tell them the whole story, but I still cared enough about my own life to want to keep it. Sacrifice didn't seem like a good way to go. As long as I was alive and loose, there was a chance. But I was just some shmuck dupe. What did I know about planning and strategy? I was sure Worley hadn't programmed it into me, and I sure as hell hadn't learned it by sitting in an office.

  The elevator dinged, and I tried to focus as the doors slowly slid open. I needed concentration if I was to continue playing Worley. Being someone else wasn't easy. I took a deep breath, then stepped out of the elevator. A hand grabbed me by my shoulder, and I jumped.

  "Mr. Worley, if we could have a minute?"

  The voice was rough and gravelly, and I turned to see two very large, muscular men. They had bulges in their suits just like the BIT agents, but I doubted that these were from stun guns. More likely they had something more lethal.

  Taking a deep breath I decided to play it bold. It was all I had. "What?" I asked in a voice that I hoped showed irritation and anger rather than the fear I really felt.

  The man with his hand on my shoulder pulled away and cringed. Good. The other man looked around, then pointed to a quiet looking corner. "Over there," he said, and we all walked to the indicated spot.

  "Okay, what's this about?" I asked. "I've got things to take care of."

  "Boss, you told us to report on the operation when it was complete," the first man said.

  "I know what I said, so make it quick," I said. They must have been talking about killing Dangler, but I couldn't be sure.

  "The target was eliminated, sir," the man said. "There were no difficulties and it was clean." So they had killed the dupe.

  "No difficulties?" I asked. "Is that what you call it? Did you know that Sanders just chewed me out for that? The dupe had papers on him. You were supposed to check for that."

  The second man frowned. Uh, oh, I thought. Had I made a mistake? "But we expected that," the man said. "I thought it was part of the plan for him to have Victory papers on him when he was found?"

  "Yes, but not papers that implicated me, you idiot. You should have checked. If the BIT suspect me they'll immediately change the focus of their investigation. Now it's got to be handled even more carefully." I hoped the quick cover would pass. The man frowned, then nodded. I felt relieved but still uncertain. "So what about the next step," I said, hoping with all my will that there actually was a next part to the plan.

  "In the works, Boss. We'll be heading over to take care of the Lawson dupe, then plant the papers on him that will nail Sanders and the Thompson dupe."

  So Worley was playing Sanders for a fool. That was interesting, and more than useful. Surely Sanders wouldn't take that news well if he knew. Suddenly I felt invigorated. I finally had a weapon to use against Worley. Then I glanced over and saw Worley coming from another corridor off the lobby not more than fifty feet away. He was yelling at an attractive young woman who was definitely flustered. I gulped, and a cold tingle spread up my back as sweat trickled down. Luckily, the two men had their backs to him.

  I couldn't afford to panic, but every synapse in my brain was screaming at me to run. The only thing that was saving me was the obvious conclusion that if I did, then the very men who now thought I was their boss would surely exterminate me like they had done with Dangler. I had to do something, but I was paralyzed by my own fear. Then the answer came to me.

  "Thompson just walked in," I said, gesturing. The two glanced the way I pointed. "No, don't look at him, you idiots. What kind of fools are you?" In response, the men turned back quickly.

  "What should we do, Boss?" one of the men asked. "He's not supposed to be here. He'll mess everything up."

  Inwardly I smiled. You've got that right, I thought, but I didn't let my elation show. That would have given me away. Instead, an idea started forming, and it seemed worth a try.

  "Yeah, that's what happens when you mess up an op," I said. "Now it'll be up to you to fix it. Here's what I want both of you to do, but I don't want any more screw-ups or problems. I also want it kept quiet. I want you to quietly follow him, then knock him out and take him to Thompson's apartment."

  "Why not just kill him then take him there?" one of the men asked, a smile crossing his face. This one enjoyed killing.

  "Because, I've got other plans, and for that I need him alive," I said. "When you get him there, I want you to tie him up securely in a chair and gag his mouth so he can't yell for help. Leave the papers that implicate Sanders on the kitchen counter, and the untraceable gun you used on Dangler. Then leave."

  "And go kill Lawson, right?"

  A cold chill ran up along my spine, and for a moment I realized that yes, that could work out very well for me. Then I mentally slapped myself. I might be Worley's dupe but I wasn't him, and I didn't want to become him. Lawson deserved a life as much as I did and to use him that way would make me no better than Worley. "No. This will work better. Leave Lawson alone. We'll let the BIT take care of him."

  The men nodded. They were so used to taking orders from Worley that they were taking my instructions without argument or much thought. They seemed very afraid of the man.

  "So what do you want us to do after, Boss?"

  "Take a vacation," I said. They looked at each other with deep frowns, then looked back to me.

  I chuckled, hopefully keeping my voice from telegraphing my fear. "I'm not doing it because you deserve it. I'm doing it to get you away from the BIT until this blows over. I don't need any questions asked. Now get on with it."

  The men nodded, then walked off. I shadowed them as they stayed in an alcove, almost unseen even by me. They were good at what they did. That said something about Worley, too, which made me worry some, but I really had nothing else at the moment. This would have to do.

  Worley berated the woman a little longer, then walked across the lobby and into the men's restroom. The two men moved quickly from their hiding spot, bearing on the restroom shortly after. One of them stopped outside the bathroom entrance while the other one went in. A few seconds later the one that went in came back out carrying Worley's limp body over his shoulder.

  "Hey, you there," one of the security guards yelled. He trotted over toward them while keeping his hand on his stun gun. Great. It was probably a record for the least amount of time ever for a plan to go bust, and my hopes sank. But then I noticed that neither of the two men seemed concerned. Within seconds I understood why. The men waited for the security guard to get close, then one flashed his wallet at the man. They talked a couple of seconds, then the security guard nodded and returned to the lobby. The two men continued down the hall, one still with Worley over his shoulder. No doubt they were headed toward another exit.

  I waited a few minutes, making sure no alarms sounded, then left the building, too. I sighed in relief as the revolving door whooshed behind me and the pleasant sound of the fountain filled my ears. The first part of the plan was in place. Now all I had to do was to get to my apartment.