Chapter THIRTY
The space was little more than two meters across,a vault cut into the side of a tunnel to storeconstruction supplies. It was enough.
Leaving Ram in the dimly lit space to recover,Hodak rushed to an exit, surfaced, took hisbearings, and found Brad in his office. Bradimmediately sensed the urgency from Hodak'sexpression.
"Let's get our people together," Brad ordered.Hodak quickly passed the word and, within minutes,the Sentinels convened in an empty air lock.
Myra left for headquarters to cover; the remainderstrung out behind Hodak to the subsurface vaultwhere he'd left Ram.
##
"And that's it." Ram finished recapping his trip ashe gingerly rubbed the large bruise on his head.
"They're lining up for a confrontation," he said,"both political and military, and Slingshot is theclub they'll hold over us. They think they smellthe blood of victory, and there isn't a cool headamong them."
He turned to Brad.
"Your message was incomplete," he said. "Whatwas left out?"
"Narval's planning guidance on the assault launchpoint," Brad replied, citing the coordinates,bringing Ram up to date.
They were silent as Ram mulled over his options.Sighing, he rose and stretched his frame, bendingslightly to keep his head from scraping against thevault's roof.
"The attack on me must have been approved byNarval," he said. "My feeling is he didn't want totalk to me because his preparations and commitmentsare too far along. He feared that, had we met, Imight get enough from our discussions to see hisgame plan. I've got to get home -- fast." Grinningat Brad, he asked, "OK, how are you going to getme out of this rat's nest and back to my ship?"
##
Narval screeched, face twisted, hands poundingthe desk.
"What do you mean, standing there and telling meyou've lost track of your people? Not that I give adamn about them, but you gave them a simple jobto do, and I want to know, now, where it stands."
"That's just it, Mr. President," Scarf said, hisnormally ruddy face gray with fear. "I haven'treceived a 'sitrep' from my agent-in-charge. I didget an interim report from the back-up observerI assigned to track them from the Charnel Pit.According to him, the Ambassador was taken intocustody immediately upon leaving the bar. Along theway he resisted and had to be -- uh -- restrained.Everything looked to be under control, so theobserver left to report."
"Tell me precisely what you ordered your agent todo."
"Identify himself as coming from Drummer. Takethe Ambassador into custody under the pretext ofescorting him to a private meeting with you. Whilein custody, and without witnesses, Xindral was tobe terminated and his body buried in a tunnel. Thesite was to be returned to its original appearance,and Xindral's possessions brought to me."
"Where is this site located?"
"My agent was to give me the exact location whenhe delivered the Ambassador's personal effects."
"You mean you don't even know where to startlooking? Is that what you're saying?"
"I know the location where they took him down.Well, I got a problem there too; the subsurfacejunction branches off in several directions."
"Is it possible Xindral overcame his restraintsand neutralized your team?"
"Not likely, sir. The observer said he sawsufficient force used against Xindral when heresisted to render him unconscious."
Narval sank back into his chair, head lowered,staring into his lap. Raising his head, he fixedburning eyes on Scarf.
"Despite your assurances, Scarf, I think it notonly possible, but likely, that Xindral got awayfrom your team. For all you know, your goonsmay be in hiding, afraid to face you with the truth.If Xindral's still alive, he must have concluded bynow that the attempt against him would not haveoccurred without my approval. So, we're committed,and I can't afford to wait."
He pointed a shaking finger at Scarf.
"Xindral can leave Coldfield only through an airlock. Post extra guards. Deploy patrols to stripsleading to air locks on the perimeter. Mark himas a newly arrived renegade, a killer and geneticflake dangerous to Coldfield's safety. Order yourpeople to take no chances with him; he is to bedestroyed on sight. I want Xindral found, andI want him dead. Do it. Now! Move!"
##
Hodak was back from scouting the tunnel up ahead.The way was clear with an exit a kilometer distant.The opposite direction would lead them back to thecenter of Coldfield.
Brad cocked an eyebrow at Ram. Ram nodded.
Hodak and Kumiko took point, Brad behind Ram. Zolanand Adari rear guard. They covered ground swiftly.
The passageway widened, and a ramp led up toa mezzanine from which other tunnels branched.Ascending the ramp Hodak disappeared into a low,narrow entryway in the wall. The others followed.Ram folded to his knees and went flat to squeezethrough. The cut ended abruptly at a rock face.A ladder rose to the dim outline of a manhole.
Kumiko climbed and slipped a slender filamentthrough the tiny gap between the edge of theutility cover and its frame. Below, Zolan insertedthe free end of the filament into a clip on thebridge of a pair of goggles, and donned them.
"Up a mite," he called to Kumiko. "OK, hold it,now scan a 360, slow."
He gave the goggles to Brad who donned themand scoped the ground level through the filament.
"The manhole is in a cul-de-sac, closed in on threesides by walls set back about two meters from wherewe are. The cul-de-sac accesses a street on whichtraffic is passing. The dome's inside wall is onthe far side, and I see some markings on it. Eachof you, look about and get your bearings. Speak upif you recognize the area or the markings."
The goggles passed from one to the other. Zolantossed them up to Kumiko at the top of the ladderand caught them when they were lowered. He handedthem to Ram who peered at the ground scene as helistened.
"Strip markings," Adari said. "They're usuallylocated to orient folks coming in from the outside.My guess is we're close to a strip or an air lock."
"Any idea which one?" Brad asked.
"Not from appearances," Adari replied, "but I kepttrack of our twists and turns to this point, andthe way I figure, we're in the western quadrant ofthe city. The sector has more air locks than theothers because it's on the main route to landingpads for the maintenance shops. We've lucked out-- maybe."
"What do you mean by 'maybe'? Don't hold back."
"The traffic. More people about."
The silence was heavy.
"If we can make it to an air lock without beingchallenged," Brad said, "we'll get Ram to a taxi.Hodak, can you rig a taxi to manual control andleave it with enough power for a one-time flightthrough the depot's cocoon?"
Hodak, Zolan and Adari put their heads together.Ram shoved his head in among them, and vigoroushand motions cut the air. Ram nodded as Hodakturned back to Brad.
"Can do," he said.
"Next item," Brad said. "Ram, can you get yourlong frame into a standard suit?"
"Once we get into the air lock I'll look for thebiggest suit on the rack. Then I'll just have topush, pull and squeeze. Won't be the first time."
Brad looked up at Kumiko, holding the scope inplace.
"Got it?" He called up.
"Yep."
"Comments?"
"As long as I'm up here, how about me taking point?"
"OK. Now, all of you. Set weapons at max. Ifwe're seen and tied to Ram, the whole operationis compromised. So we'll have no witnesses. Actaccordingly."
Kumiko pushed the manhole lid aside, climbed outand darted forward to where she could see alongthe street. She took in the scene quickly.
Several people passed on a nearby strip. They didnot notice Kumiko. She waited until they passedwhere they could have seen into the cul-de-sac,then signaled the others up.
As Zolan came abreast of Kumiko he drewa pencil-thin tube from a pocket in his tunic.Holding it in one hand he twisted the knurled knobthat formed one end, and returned it to his pocket.He winked at Brad who had come up beside him.
Brad saw the
question in Ram's eyes.
"One of Zolan's home-grown gadgets," he said."Sets up an omni-interference field for a coupleof hundred meters. We'll be moving throughcomm-override chatter until he switches it off."
Then to Kumiko, "Which way?"
"Left. Air lock. Hundred meters." She crouchedand darted away.
"Ram, stoop, bend, whatever it takes to shrink.Stay close to the wall for as long as you can.Everyone keep a few meters apart. Hodak, you stayclose to Ram and watch the rear. OK, let's do it."
Two burly men came around the end of a nearbystructure, stopped, stared at Ram as he rosethrough the manhole, and then at each other. Zolancaught both in a conical burst as they backed away.They fell in silence.
Hodak and Zolan dashed forward. Each grasped aset of ankles, hauled the bodies into the cul-de-sacand dumped them down the utility hole.
Brad took a quick look in both directions andnudged Adari.
"Go," he said.
Kumiko was at the air lock. Brad, Hodak andRam were well away from the cul-de-sac. Kumikostepped into the enclosure containing the suit racks,her weapon up and level, safety off, finger a tinyspace from the trigger.
Two guards, sitting on a bench, rifles across theirthighs, gaped at her.
"What the hell," one of them yawped, raising hisrifle.
The other guard flipped the switch on a hand-heldtransmitter and started to raise it to his lips.Kumiko cut them down with a single sweep. Sheraced up and across the long room, checkingalcoves, corridors and behind suit racks. Empty.
Ram entered, quickly followed by the others. Hodakremained at the door, alert for intruders. Adarimoved across to the keypad control for the outerair lock, and peered through the visi-screen. Shethumbed up.
Ram rummaged hastily among the space suits onthe rack. Adari left her position, grabbed a suit andworked herself into it. Brad, Kumiko and Zolan werehalfway into theirs. Zolan moved to the outer door.Hodak, suited up, called to Ram, who hurried over.
"Here's one you might squeeze into. C'mere, give ita try."
Ram looked distastefully at the suit. "Well," hemuttered, "that's what happens to a giant amongpygmies. I couldn't find anything bigger than whatyou've come up with. Give a hand here."
Adari joined them. Together, she and Hodakshoehorned Ram into the suit and closed the seals.Helmets fitted, they ran quickly through air tankand suit connections security and pressure checks.Minutes later they were ready for departure.
Brad motioned Kumiko closer, and they opened theirfaceplates.
"Stay here until we return," Brad instructed,"but keep your suit on. Now that we're all wearingsuits we can't be identified. So, if you get innocentvisitors, just incapacitate them. If anyone comeslooking for a fight, don't wait for an invitation."
Kumiko nodded and closed her faceplate. Weaponin hand, she took up a position where she wouldnot be seen from the entryway.
Brad lumbered to the air lock and, a momentlater, the panel to the buffer space slipped aside.Gesturing Ram, Zolan, Hodak and Adari through, hestepped after them and closed and dogged the panelleading back into the dome. He lifted the safetycover and pressed a wall plate. With a swish ofescaping air, the outer doors slid up. They steppedout.
##
A dozen taxis and space tugs were scattered abouton the ramp. Choosing the taxi most distant fromthe others Zolan beckoned Hodak and Adari to followhim. Moving as quickly as their suits and the lightgravity would allow, they reached the taxi andclimbed aboard. Brad and Ram brought up the rear,turning often to watch other suited people movingabout. A ramp guard was some distance away,gesturing among a knot of people. The Sentinelsremained unnoticed.
Reaching the taxi, Zolan and Hodak began toadjust its controls, vector and power instruments.Adari's helmet filled in the pilot position. Raising herglove she beckoned frantically to Ram. He climbedin beside her. Her hand on his helmet she spokerapidly, pointing at the instrument panel.
Brad watched Adari move back and out as Ram movedinto the seat she vacated. Bending forward, herhelmet touched Ram's as her gloved hands pointed towhere the depot was visible. She slapped Ram on theshoulder and stepped back.
The jerry-rigged taxi rose slowly at first, gainedspeed and disappeared into the backdrop of blackvelvet and stars.