Echo. Part 47

"What resources?" resources?"

"Do you think you could loan us a rifle?"

"I think we can do better than that. Listen, Alex, we are not going to be driven from our homes by this lunatic. It wouldn't help us if we did clear out. If she destroys the compound, we're dead in the long run anyhow. Let's concentrate on finding a way to bring her down."

"All right."

"Good. Finally, we agree. I wonder if you can predict what she's likely to do when she gets here?"

Alex explained: She would expect that we might hide snipers in the woods. "So she'll take Chase and me across the river."

"Then what?"

"She'll demand to see our links. They're important to her. She'll take those, then I expect she'll pull the trigger on us."

"Then we need to put a few rifles across the river."

"Downstream a bit. Around the curve. I'd expect her to want to stay as clear of the compound as she can."

"It's a wide river," said Turam.

"It would be safer around the curve."

"Okay," said Viscenda, "Turam, you'll take care of it. Meanwhile, I have an errand to perform. We'll meet back here in fifteen minutes."

Viscenda returned with an attractive young woman. She had black hair and dark eyes, but she looked a bit nervous. "Rikki," said the director, "you know Chase and Alex." She sat down behind her desk. "Rikki Brant helps prepare our food." Her methodical, unrushed manner suggested she was simply arranging for a set of repairs on the roof.

I guess I was staring, wondering what Rikki was doing there. She returned a smile.

"There's something else, Alex," Viscenda said. "We are-the community is-a.s.suming a risk no matter how we try to handle this. Salyeva knows what you look like?"

"Yes."

"Both of you?"

"That is correct."

"There's a reality to our situation that we can't avoid. You're already aware that we're hanging on here by a thread. Your appearance last week, the two of you, was a G.o.dsend. You are our hope for the future. Whether we survive, whether our children survive, depends on our ability to protect you. Without you-" She held up her hands. "Well, you see why we cannot take a chance on losing you. Either of you. But especially we cannot afford to lose both both." She smiled uncomfortably. "We wouldn't survive that. Who, then, would bring the a.s.sistance you've promised? Your rescue vessel would arrive, look around, fail to locate you, and eventually go home. Have you notified them that we are here?"

"Friends of ours know."

"Do the authorities authorities know?" know?"

"They do not."

"Do your friends know where where we are?" we are?"

"No."

"All right. I a.s.sume you can't communicate any longer with the authorities, or with anyone other than this Salyeva."

"That's correct."

"That means we must ensure that at least one of you stays alive. In case things don't go well." For whatever reason, we all looked at Rikki.

"How are you going to do that?" Alex asked.

"By keeping one of you out of harm's way. No one would mistake Rikki for you, Chase. At least not up close. But at a distance, and in a pressure situation, we should be able to get away with it. Alex, when you go out there this afternoon, Chase will stay with us. Rikki has volunteered to accompany you."

I got to my feet. "Now wait a minute-"

"You've no say in the matter, Chase. Please sit down."

All right. Now, I'll confess I would have been glad to be in a safe place when the shooting started. But I couldn't sit there and allow it to happen. "No," I said. I was still out of my chair. "Absolutely not."

Viscenda cranked up that laser stare. "If I must, Chase, I'll have you restrained. Now please sit and be quiet. We haven't time for theatrics. Rikki understands what is at stake, and she's under no pressure to do this."

How could she not not be? But Rikki looked at me and nodded. It was okay. Don't worry about me. "I won't allow it," I said. be? But Rikki looked at me and nodded. It was okay. Don't worry about me. "I won't allow it," I said.

"Chase," said Alex. "She's right."

I wasn't going to accept it. "Let them put somebody in for you you, Alex."

"We don't have anyone who will pa.s.s for him as easily as Rikki will for you."

We did a stare-down. Rikki said, "Please, Chase." And I sat.

"All right." Alex went over to the window and looked at the sky. "We've got one break, anyhow."

I knew what that was. But Viscenda asked.

"We have some clouds. It'll be difficult for her to see what we're doing until she actually gets close enough where we can see her her."

"Good. I'm glad for any favorable news."

"Viscenda, if you're going to get into this, you might as well go all the way."

"What do you recommend?"

"Put Chase in the woods with the rifle team. And I know what you're thinking, but she's the only one here who's familiar with the lander. If we have to try to shoot the lander down, you'll want her there to tell them where to point the guns."

Viscenda frowned. "I don't want to send Chase out there."

"I know that. But if we don't succeed, there may not be anything left here to rescue. Your alternative is to give Salyeva what she wants."

"I do not like it."

"Put all your chips on the table or fold your cards."

"Whatever that means," she said. She took a deep breath. "All right."

Alex pressed an index finger against his lips. "And, Turam-?"

"Yes, Alex."

"Is your rifle squad ready to go?"

FORTY-THREE.

If you cannot swim, stay out of the water.

-Dellacondan proverb Turam got out of his seat. "Have to get set up," he said. "Chase, I'll meet you at the front door in twenty minutes."

Somebody brought me a green jacket. It didn't fit very well, but it would provide a degree of camouflage. Viscenda insisted I promise not to expose myself unnecessarily. And she told Turam as he was going out the door that she would hold him responsible if anything happened to me.

Then she turned to other business. She sent a message around. Potentially hostile visitor expected in airborne vehicle. Could arrive at any time within the next three hours. Keep kids inside. Stay out of sight yourself. Keep away from windows. a.s.sume emergency conditions until you are informed otherwise. Potentially hostile visitor expected in airborne vehicle. Could arrive at any time within the next three hours. Keep kids inside. Stay out of sight yourself. Keep away from windows. a.s.sume emergency conditions until you are informed otherwise.

She sent two of the women to unlock the storeroom and make extra ammunition available.

Someone else came in to report that spotters were in place to watch for the incoming vehicle.

Alex tried to rea.s.sure Rikki that they would be okay. She nodded and walked over to a window. Her lips were moving soundlessly. She was, I thought, praying.

He watched her for a moment, then took me aside. "Chase," he said, "in case this doesn't work out, do what Viscenda says. Keep your head down. And tell Audree-"

"I know," I said. "Tell her yourself."

He nodded. "One more thing."

"Yes?"

"I should tell you who's behind this. Just in case."

I'd expected Turam to show up with two or three guys. There were thirteen people, including four women, all dressed in hunting gear, all carrying rifles. Dex was there, one of the guys who'd come back to rescue Alex. He had two two rifles. A woman told me not to worry, they'd take care of the b.i.t.c.h, and they wouldn't let anything happen to me. Or to Rikki. rifles. A woman told me not to worry, they'd take care of the b.i.t.c.h, and they wouldn't let anything happen to me. Or to Rikki.

Barnas was also among them, trying to look as if he did this sort of thing every day. "Okay, Chase," said Turam, "if we have to shoot at the aircraft, what are we aiming for?"

One of the farm animals yipped. Somewhere, a door opened and closed.

I described what antigrav pods would look like, and how they might be located fore and aft, or under the wings. "Just put a couple of bullets in them," I said, "and that'll do it."

Dex handed me the extra rifle. "It's all yours," he said.

I think I stammered. "I don't know how to use it."

"We'll practice on the way." He grinned. I'd been too caught up with Alex's problem when I first met him, but I'd seen enough of him since to know I liked him. Dex had a lovely wife and two kids.

I heard a few shouts and saw a child come running out of the woods with a woman in pursuit. She caught him and carried him screaming back into the forest.

"Okay, people," Turam said, "let's go."

Four of them peeled off and disappeared into the trees near the front doors. "Just in case Alex is reading her wrong, and she tries to make the pickup here."

The rest of us went down and commandeered three rowboats. It took twenty minutes to get across, and I was worried the whole time that she'd appear while we were in the middle of the river. We rowed slowly, letting the current carry us around the bend. "That's where she'll take us," Alex had said. "She'll want to get far enough away that she feels safe."

Dex showed me how to fire the rifle. Load it like this, aim, pull the trigger. It seemed simple enough.

We landed without incident, dragged the boats into the woods, and hid there ourselves. We were near a beach that seemed like the perfect place for Salyeva. This was well out of sight, and there was plenty of room to bring Alex and Rikki ash.o.r.e, if that's the course she took, and demand their links before killing them.

Alex was back in the main building with Rikki. We'd set up our communications so that if he got a call, it would automatically be relayed to me. Once we were in place, there was nothing to do but wait.

I don't think we talked much. I remember watching the sky, and I can still see Turam's rifle leaning against a tree. I picked up my own rifle periodically and practiced aiming it. The thing was heavy heavy.

A pair of furry tree-climbers chased each other up and down a nearby trunk. And I thought how old some of the trees looked. Vines clung to them, and the ground was disrupted by roots that stayed close to the surface. If you didn't watch where you were walking, it wouldn't take much to fall on your face.

Inevitably, it came. The first indication was from the woman who'd a.s.sured me they'd take care of the b.i.t.c.h. "Look," she said, pointing out over the river, "there it is!"

Petra Salyeva was an hour and ten minutes ahead of schedule. At first she was only a distant speck moving across the clouds. But the speck grew larger, became a torpedo-shaped aircraft with narrow wings, and eventually mutated into a squat silver vehicle with VIPER in blue script on the starboard hull just above its numeric designator. It drifted down in the direction of the compound. I wasn't sure, but I thought I could make out a set of proton guns on the prow.

Turam saw them, too. "They look pretty ugly," he said.

"She's not fooling around."

He wiped the back of his hand against his lips. "Never thought I'd live to see anything like this."

I doubted there'd been any aircraft operating on Echo III for centuries, although there were pictures of them in one of the books. But they hadn't looked anything like the Viper. And I doubted they'd had antigravs.

My link clicked. Relayed traffic incoming. I turned it on and heard Alex's voice. "You're early." "You're early."

"Good headwinds, Alex."

Turam's eyes narrowed. It almost seemed he understood the language. "I'm glad to hear it." "I'm glad to hear it."

"I'd like you and your a.s.sociate to come outside, please."

"We can't manage it at the moment. I'm in the bath. I didn't expect you for another hour."

"Make it happen, Alex. If the two of you aren't out the front door in two minutes, I'll start removing the cabins."

"Okay. Hold on. We're coming."

The Viper was at about four hundred meters, slowly circling the area. As planned, n.o.body, either at our position or near the compound, took a shot at it. Turam asked me to point out the pods, which I did. "Take those out," I told him, "and it goes right into the river." They were under the fuselage, front and back, unlike on our lander, where they were installed under each wing.