Crisis Of Empire - Crown Of Empire Part 8

intense concentration.

Wiley studied her for a moment. She seemed

suddenly older, more a woman than the girls he knew. He was out of the rack now, but he hesi- tated to approach her. If only he knew who she

was, or why she was here.

"Get the copilot out of there and harness your- self in," she commanded. "Now."

Wiley did as she ordered. He shoved the Navy pilot into a comer, thinking as he did that the woman must have some special reason for what she was doing. He wondered if she was working for his side - whichever side that was - or against his side. Was he free or was he a hostage?

or

The communications board lit up and the other a.s.sault boat signaled them. "Anything wrong over there?"

42.

"Answer them," said Nika. "Say we had a sheer."

Wiley found the switch and told the other boat they had a sheer.

"Report status," came back the response.

Wiley looked at Nika a little wildly. "Now what?"

"Say uncertain." Her pretty face was stem now, and Wiley thought, If I'm being kidnapped, at least I'm being kidnapped by a beautiful woman.

"Uncertain," he relayed.

"Brace yourself." She eased the huge ship up through the narrow canyon between buildings.

The other a.s.sault boat came abreast of them, so close that the air rocked and boiled between the two boats.

Nika nudged the a.s.sault boat to higher speeds.

"We can't fight here," she muttered.

The second a.s.sault boat grew nearer, and Wiley noticed that a third had turned to follow them.

They raced through the streets, moving away from the most densely populated part of the city.

Now the buildings were less tightly packed. With the increased maneuvering room, the second a.s.sault boat brought its laser-cannon into firing position.

43.

Chelsea Quinn farbro

Nika fired all four of her cannon directly into the inertial guidance pod of the second boat. She tool? advantage of the chaos to put more distance between herself and the third a.s.sault boat.

'We're getting away," said Wiley, not sure if this was supposed to please him or not.

"No," said Nika. "There're another five boats out there. We just bought a litde time, that's all."

She set most of the controls on automatic and got out of the pilot's harness. "Come on."

Wiley stared at her. "What?"

"Come on, let's go. We've got to get out while we can. They'll cut us off or shoot us down in another two minutes if we don't leave now. Get rruwmg."

She dragged a full parachute pack out of the locker and tugged oh the harness. "Hurry up."

"But - " Wiley protested. Surely the a.s.sault boat was safer than a parachute.

'They're going to start firing on us any second now," she told him bluntly as she started to the hatch release. "I've got a smoke canister rigged;

we'll have a little cover while we drop."

"Uh-" said Wiley

She reached out and tugged him toward the hatch. 'There's no time, Bouriere."

Already the third a.s.sault boat was getting closer. He nodded and started to reach for a sec- ond parachute.

44.

"No time," said Nika as she threw the hatch open. She locked her arms around Wiley and secured him with the rescue latch.

She stepped out into nothing as the a.s.sault boat began to pour out two colors of smoke.

The air buffeted them as they fell, and they rocked violently as the first of the two 'chutes opened. Nika secured the control shrouds; they slid between two buildings and out of the line of sight of the pursuing a.s.sault boats.

Behind them an explosion blossomed,

As they neared the ground, Nika noticed that they had not yet moved beyond the city limits.

She swore.

"What's the matter?" demanded Wiley. He paled as they fell past the side of a building. He thought he could count the bricks, if he'd had time.

"We're still inside the city," she said, shouting to be heard against the rush of the wind. "If I hadn't had to outrun that second boat, we'd be outside the limits."

"And?" Wiley asked.

"I've missed the drop point," she said, and swore with a thoroughness any Navy officer would envy.

They were almost on the ground.

Wiley still had no idea who she was.