you out," Skyler told him. "We're about to launch an attack on the Ryqril."
The burly man's face turned pasty white. "Are you insane?' he gasped. "You'll kill us all! Haven't you fools learned yet that you can't fight the Ryqril?"
Skyler ignored him. "On your feet, everyone. Let's go."
"No!" The burly man's hand came up from under the table, clutching one of the fallen guards' lasers. "Call it off!"
Skyler reacted instantly, leaping to his left faster than the other's weapon could track. His knife was in the air before he landed, and an instant later the laser was flying across the room as its erstwhile owner hugged his hand where the hilt had most likely broken a bone or two.
"I said let's go, damn it," Skyler said to the group, putting steel into his voice.
Moving with terrified jerkiness, the hostages scrambled to their feet. Feeling like a glorified sheepdog, Skyler herded them down the hallway to the reception area.
Pittman was crouched by the desk, watching the front door. "Braune just pulled up with a van," he reported.
"Good. I'll see them off, then we'll follow in the other car."
"But we can't leave the Hub," one of the hostages objected mechanically, her horrified eyes glued to the dead Ryq. "The gate guards—"
"Will be out of the way soon," Skyler told her. "Looks clear—let's go."
Braune had clearly lifted the van from Security's own parking area; though unmarked, its sealed-off driver's section was designed with prisoner transport in mind. Skyler got the hostages aboard, gave Braune some final instructions, and headed down the street to their original vehicle as the van rolled off toward the Hub's south gate.
Pittman was climbing in the driver's side when Skyler reached the car. "Shove over, Pittman; I'm driving."
"I can drive, sir."
"Tricky to do while you're bandaging your own hands, isn't it? Move over."
The youth complied, and Skyler soon had them heading south. He glanced occasionally at Pittman as he drove, noted that the trainee was having a bit of trouble manipulating his medkit's bandages. It didn't matter how realistic the training simulations were, Skyler told himself silently—genuine combat always was different. "You did a good job tonight," he said, breaking the silence.
"Thank you, sir. I'm sorry I missed the Ryq's head with my nunchaku."
"Forget it. It's hard to believe how fast they can move." He paused. "By the way, that was a damn fool stunt you pulled, faking that fall. By all rights you should've died there."
Pittman shrugged. "I saw you come in with your knife ready. It seemed to me you'd have a better target if I could get the Ryq to stand still a second. I figured it was worth the risk."
"And besides, you didn't want to be in my line of fire?"
"I thought you might be worried about hitting me."
"I appreciate your consideration. But don't ever do that again. Duck, go left or right, jump over the son of a cockroach if you have to, but never go down on your back in front of a Ryq. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Skyler clapped the boy on the shoulder. "After all," he said in a milder tone, "I'd hate to lose you now after all those hours of training."
Under his hand, he felt some of the tension go out of Pittman's muscles. "Yes, sir. I'll try to watch out for your investment."
In the darkness, Skyler smiled to himself Yes, this kid was for sure going to be one hell of a fighter someday.
The insistent buzz of his bedside phone dragged Prefect Galway from a deep sleep. Reaching over, he turned off the visual and picked up the handset. "Galway," he yawned.
"Prefect, this is Sergeant Grazian, monitoring Alain Rienzi. Sorry to wake you, but I just noticed something that might be important."
"Go ahead," Galway said, rubbing his eyes.
"Well, sir, Rienzi left his pills at the lodge and had to be driven back up there to get them. I've got the East Gate reports on his departure and arrival and—well, I'm puzzled by the extra briefcase he came back with."
Galway came wide
The burly man's face turned pasty white. "Are you insane?' he gasped. "You'll kill us all! Haven't you fools learned yet that you can't fight the Ryqril?"
Skyler ignored him. "On your feet, everyone. Let's go."
"No!" The burly man's hand came up from under the table, clutching one of the fallen guards' lasers. "Call it off!"
Skyler reacted instantly, leaping to his left faster than the other's weapon could track. His knife was in the air before he landed, and an instant later the laser was flying across the room as its erstwhile owner hugged his hand where the hilt had most likely broken a bone or two.
"I said let's go, damn it," Skyler said to the group, putting steel into his voice.
Moving with terrified jerkiness, the hostages scrambled to their feet. Feeling like a glorified sheepdog, Skyler herded them down the hallway to the reception area.
Pittman was crouched by the desk, watching the front door. "Braune just pulled up with a van," he reported.
"Good. I'll see them off, then we'll follow in the other car."
"But we can't leave the Hub," one of the hostages objected mechanically, her horrified eyes glued to the dead Ryq. "The gate guards—"
"Will be out of the way soon," Skyler told her. "Looks clear—let's go."
Braune had clearly lifted the van from Security's own parking area; though unmarked, its sealed-off driver's section was designed with prisoner transport in mind. Skyler got the hostages aboard, gave Braune some final instructions, and headed down the street to their original vehicle as the van rolled off toward the Hub's south gate.
Pittman was climbing in the driver's side when Skyler reached the car. "Shove over, Pittman; I'm driving."
"I can drive, sir."
"Tricky to do while you're bandaging your own hands, isn't it? Move over."
The youth complied, and Skyler soon had them heading south. He glanced occasionally at Pittman as he drove, noted that the trainee was having a bit of trouble manipulating his medkit's bandages. It didn't matter how realistic the training simulations were, Skyler told himself silently—genuine combat always was different. "You did a good job tonight," he said, breaking the silence.
"Thank you, sir. I'm sorry I missed the Ryq's head with my nunchaku."
"Forget it. It's hard to believe how fast they can move." He paused. "By the way, that was a damn fool stunt you pulled, faking that fall. By all rights you should've died there."
Pittman shrugged. "I saw you come in with your knife ready. It seemed to me you'd have a better target if I could get the Ryq to stand still a second. I figured it was worth the risk."
"And besides, you didn't want to be in my line of fire?"
"I thought you might be worried about hitting me."
"I appreciate your consideration. But don't ever do that again. Duck, go left or right, jump over the son of a cockroach if you have to, but never go down on your back in front of a Ryq. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Skyler clapped the boy on the shoulder. "After all," he said in a milder tone, "I'd hate to lose you now after all those hours of training."
Under his hand, he felt some of the tension go out of Pittman's muscles. "Yes, sir. I'll try to watch out for your investment."
In the darkness, Skyler smiled to himself Yes, this kid was for sure going to be one hell of a fighter someday.
The insistent buzz of his bedside phone dragged Prefect Galway from a deep sleep. Reaching over, he turned off the visual and picked up the handset. "Galway," he yawned.
"Prefect, this is Sergeant Grazian, monitoring Alain Rienzi. Sorry to wake you, but I just noticed something that might be important."
"Go ahead," Galway said, rubbing his eyes.
"Well, sir, Rienzi left his pills at the lodge and had to be driven back up there to get them. I've got the East Gate reports on his departure and arrival and—well, I'm puzzled by the extra briefcase he came back with."
Galway came wide
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