The Amtrak Wars - Ironmaster Part 88

Side-Winder nodded. 'A couple of Sky-Riders are comin' in at first light. They'll take one of us up front and two in the cargo bay. If we don't power-down on the way home, you'll be tucked up safe and sound in one of the Deeps by midnight."

It suddenly seemed a daunting prospect. Steve

grimaced. 'I promised Jodi and Kelso they'd get a square deal.

Y'know - for helping out." He paused, his eyes searching the mexican's face. 'I couldn't have pulled this off without them."

'Then they've got nothing to worry about,' said Side-Winder. 'The Federation looks after its own." He glanced towards Cadillac and Clearwater. 'What about the gra.s.s-monkeys?"

'Could be a problem. Once they see those Sky-Riders..."

'Yeah, well, there'll be you, me and the two pilots.

But there's no reason for things to get heavy. I believe one of your friends has developed a liking for the o" joy-juice."

'The other one doesn't drink."

'There's always a first time, amigo. h.e.l.l, when we reach the other side, we're gonna have something to celebrate - right?"

'Right."

'So we have a little drink, maybe smoke a little gra.s.s.

Then we call in the air force."

'Gotcha."

Side-Winder wrinkled his nose. 'Boy, this place really stinks, doesn't it?"

'A little."

'How's that leg of yours holding up?"

Steve shrugged. 'It's better than no leg at all."

'Okay." Side-Winder winked. 'Check you later."

Steve rejoined Jodi and Kelso. Clearwater and Cadillac were sitting cross-legged on the straw at the other end of the lean-to.

Kelso stared thoughtfully at the place where Side-Winder had been standing. 'There's something about that guy that worries me."

Steve sat down alongside him. 'It shouldn't. He's one of uS."

'Jack me,' breathed Kelso. 'A Fed."

Jodi looked at them both but didn't say anything.

'In cahoots with these d.i.n.ks..."

Steve nodded. 'Came as a surprise to me, too. Just shows that, no matter how far you go, you,can never get away from the First Family."

Kelso nodded soberly. 'Do they know how we risked our necks helping you?"

'They will. I told him what the score was."

'And what'd he say?"

' "The Federation always looks after its own"..."

Kelso looked at Jodi and raised his eyebrows.

It was still dark when Side-Winder handed out the liffejackets. They followed him over the side of the fishing-smack and down the scaling net into the two power inflatables. Cadillac and Clearwater joined him; Jodi and Kelso went into the second boat with Steve.

They cast off, fired up the outboard motors - water-jets, powered by a cylinder of liquid methane - and sped westwards. Behind them, Steve saw the smack's square-cut sails silhouetted against a sky which had already begun to turn grey.

Their destination was a strange, needle-like spit of land some twenty miles long, running almost due east into the middle of the lake. Both inflatables were equipped with compa.s.ses, but Steve had been keeping his eyes on the mex's small blue stern light, about fifty yards ahead.

He pa.s.sed the tiller to Jodi and sat in the bows with Kelso.

'What's up with Jodi?"

Kelso gave him an odd look. 'She's had a change of heart."

'How d'you mean?"

'She doesn't want to go back in."

Steve kept it casual, turning his back to avoid looking at Jodi. 'Oh, yeah? When did this happen?"

'I think it started soon after touchdown. All those d.i.n.ks, then your friend, Side-Winder..." Kelso shrugged.

Steve laughed and shook his head. 'Did she think we could make it on our own? Where the h.e.l.l does she think all that explosive and the rest of the hardware came from?"

'Sure. She's not that dumb. She knew what she was getting into. It's just that, well - all this back-up has suddenly brought home what's waiting at the end of the line. Let's not kid around. This is a big deal - right? It's spooked her."

Steve sighed. 'Take over the tiller."

Jodi joined him in the bows. They eyed each other for a moment, then she looked straight ahead.

'Kelso tells me you don't want to go back in."

She didn't answer.

'What's the matter - don't you trust me?"

Again no answer.