〃Copy； Scarecrow；〃 Snake's voice replied。
〃Snake； I need someone up there to go down to B…deck right away and make sure that that guy who was shut up in his room is still there； OK？〃
〃I'm on it；〃 Snake said。
Schofield clicked off his inter。
Mother smiled； spread her arms wide。 〃Honestly； where would you be without your Mother； Scarecrow？〃
〃Lost；〃 Schofield said。
〃Don't you know it；〃 Mother said。 〃Don't you know it。〃 She eyed Schofield carefully； he was staring at the floor。 What's wrong？〃 she said softly。
Schofield kept his head down。 He shook his head slowly。
〃I should have known they were soldiers； Mother。 I should have anticipated it。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃
〃I should have locked them up as soon as I saw them…〃
〃You couldn't do that。〃
〃We lost three men。〃
〃Honey； we won。〃
〃We got lucky；〃 Schofield said seriously。 〃We got very； very lucky。 They'd flushed four of my men out onto that catwalk and were about to slaughter them when they dropped into that pool。 Christ； look at what happened down in the drilling room。 They had a plan right up to the end。 If Rebound hadn't caught wind of it beforehand； they would have got us； Mother； even at the very end。 We were on the back foot the whole damn time。 We didn't even have a plan at all。〃
〃Scarecrow。 Listen to me；〃 Mother said firmly。 〃You wanna know something？〃
〃What？〃
Mother said； 〃Did you know that about six months ago I was offered a place in an Atlantic Recon unit？〃
Schofield looked up at that。 No。 He hadn't known。
〃I still have the letter back home if you want to see it；〃 Mother said。 〃It's signed by the mandant himself。 You know what I did after I got that letter； Scarecrow？〃
〃What？〃
〃I wrote back to the mandant of the United States Marine Corps and said thank you very much； but I would like to stay with my current unit； under my manding officer； Lieutenant First Class Shane M。 Schofield； USMC。 I said that I could find no better unit； under no better mander； than the one I was currently in。〃
Schofield was momentarily stunned。 That Mother would do such a thing was quite incredible。 To reject an offer to join an Atlantic Recon Unit was one thing； but to politely decline the personal invitation of the mandant of the United States Marine Corps to join such a unit was something else。
Mother looked Schofield squarely in the eye。 〃You are a great officer； Scarecrow； a great officer。 You are smart and you are brave and you are something that is very； very rare in this world： you are a good man。
〃That's why I stayed with you。 You've got a heart； Scarecrow。 You care about your men。 And I'll tell you right now； that puts you above every other mander I have ever known。 I am prepared to risk my life at your judgment because I know that whatever the plan is； you're still worried about me。
〃A lot of manders； they're just looking for glory； looking for a promotion。 They ain't gonna care if that dumb ol' bitch Mother gets herself killed。 But you do care and I like that。 Shit； look at you now。 You're beating up on yourself because we almost got our asses capped。 You are smart； Scarecrow； and you are good； and don't you ever doubt that。 Ever。 You just have to believe in yourself。〃
Schofield was taken aback by the force of Mother's words。 He nodded。 〃I'll try。〃
〃Good；〃 Mother said； her tone now a little more upbeat。 〃Now。 Was there anything else you wanted to hear from 'Dear Abby' while you were down here？〃
Schofield snuffed a laugh。 〃No。 That's it。 I better get going； check on this Renshaw guy。〃 He stood up and headed for the doorway。 When he reached the doorway； however； he stopped suddenly and turned。
〃Mother；〃 he said； 〃do you know anything about men being planted in units？〃
〃What do you mean？〃
Schofield hesitated。 〃When I found out Samurai had been murdered； I remembered something that happened a couple of years ago to a friend of mine。 At the time； this friend had said something about people planting men inside his unit。〃
Mother looked hard at Schofield。 She licked her lips； didn't speak for a very long time。
〃It's not something I like to talk about；〃 she said quietly。 〃But； yes； I have heard about it。〃
〃What have you heard？〃 Schofield stepped back into the storeroom。
〃Only rumors。 Rumors that get bigger and bigger each time you hear 'em。 As an officer； you probably don't hear this shit； but I'll tell you； if there's one thing about enlisted men； it's that they gossip like a bunch of old women。〃
〃What do they say？〃
〃Enlisted grunts like to talk about infiltrators。 It's their favorite myth。 A campfire story designed by senior line animals to scare the booties off the junior troops and make them trust one another。 You know； if we can't trust each other； who can we trust； or something like that。
〃You hear all kinds of theories about where these infiltrators e from。 Some folks reckon they're inserted by the CIA。 Deep…cover agents enlist with the armed forces with the sole purpose of infiltrating elite units…so that they can keep tabs on us； make sure we're doin' what we're supposed to be doin。'
〃Others say it's the Pentagon that does it。 Others still say it's the CIA and the Pentagon。 I heard one guy…a real fruit…loop named Hugo Boddington…say once that he'd heard that the National Reconnaissance Office and the Joint Chiefs of Staff had a joint submittee that they called the Intelligence Convergence Group and that it was the office that was in charge of infiltrating American military units。
〃Boddington said the ICG was some kind of ultrasecret mittee charged with hoarding intelligence。 Charged with ensuring that only the right people in the right places knew about certain stuff。 That's why they have to infiltrate units like ours。 If we're on a mission and we find something we're not supposed to…I don't know； like a crashed space shuttle or something…those ICG guys are there to wipe us out and make sure that we don't tell anybody about what we saw。〃
Schofield shook his head。 It sounded like a ghost story。 Double agents among the troops。
But in the back of his mind there was a single doubt。 A doubt that took shape in the form of Andrew Trent's voice screaming over Schofield's helmet radio from inside that Incan temple in Peru： 〃They planted men in my unit！。。。 They planted fucking men in my unit！〃 Andrew Trent was no ghost story。
〃Thanks； Mother；〃 Schofield said as he headed back for the door。 〃I better get going。〃
〃Ah； yes；〃 Mother said。 〃A unit to run。 People to organize。 Responsibility to take。 I wouldn't be an officer for all the money in the world。〃
〃I wish you'd told me that ten years ago。〃
〃Ah； yes； but then tonight wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun。 You take care； you hear me； Scarecrow。 Oh； and hey；〃 she said。 〃Nice glasses。〃
Schofield paused for a moment in the doorway。 He realized that he was wearing Mother's antiflash glasses。 He smiled。 〃Thanks； Mother。〃
〃Hey； don't thank me；〃 she said。 〃Hell； the Scarecrow without his silver glasses； it's like Zorro without his mask； Superman without his cape。 It just ain't right〃
〃Call me if you need anything；〃 Schofield said。
Mother gave him a wicked grin。 〃Oh； I know what I need； baby；〃 she said。
Schofield shook his head。 〃You never quit； do you？〃
Mother smiled。 〃You know what？〃 she said coyly。 〃I don't think you realize it when someone has their eye on you； honey。〃
Schofield raised an eyebrow。 〃Does someone have their eye on me？〃
〃Oh； yes； Scarecrow。 Oh； yes。〃
Schofield shook his head； smiled。 〃Good…bye； Mother。〃
〃Good…bye； Scarecrow。〃
Schofield left the storeroom and Mother sank back against the wall。
When Schofield was gone； she closed her eyes and said softly to herself； 〃Does someone have their eye on you？ Oh； Scarecrow。 Scarecrow。 If only you could see the way she looks at you。〃
Schofield stepped out onto the pool deck。
The whole station was deserted。 The cavernous shaft was silent。 Schofield stared at the pool； at the stationary cable that stretched down into it。
〃Scarecrow； this is Fox；〃 Gant's voice said over his earpiece。 〃Are you still up there？〃
〃I'm still here； where a