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〃Right；〃 Telek said； trying to match his calm tone。 〃Good luck； and don't take any stupid chances。〃
He twitched a smile at her and left。 Sinking into the seat next to Nnamdi； Telek watched the screen 。。。 and a minute later the outside monitors showed the Cobra walking slowly toward the tower； a half…meter…square white flag held prominently in front of him。
No shells arced out of the sky as he made his slow way across the airfield。 Telek's heart thudded painfully； her emotions flip…flopping between hope and the fear that too much hope would automatically bring about disaster。 Link； who had moved to watch over her shoulder； twice reached down to jump the magnification。 The second time he did so they saw that a force of eight Qasamans had gathered at the foot of the tower to await Winward's arrival。 Eight Qasamans； and of course eight mojos。
Two stepped forward as Winward neared the group； their drawn guns glinting in the faint backwash of Sollas's lights。 They relieved him of his flag and frisked him for weapons。 The entire force then formed a box around him and led him away； not into the tower but around toward the building's side。 Taking him to someone in authority？ Telek wondered。 Maybe even to the officer in charge of their antiaircraft weapons？
They all disappeared around the corner 。。。 and a minute later the breeze carried with it the sound of a single gunshot。
Chapter 19
The bus pulled finally to a stop beside a darkened building and Moff motioned toward the door with his pistol。 〃Out；〃 the old man added unnecessarily。 Keeping his movements smooth and nonthreatening； Justin stood up and let the Qasamans escort him outside。
The building was a shock of deja vu； and it took Justin only a second to realize what it reminded him of。 〃Looks like a stunted version of the Sollas airfield tower；〃 he remarked as Moff led him toward a guard…flanked door。 〃Oddly out of place here in the middle of a city。〃
Moff didn't answer。 Two separate doors at least； Justin noted； scanning the structure casually； and three floors with windows。 Lots of ways in。 e on； Almo…hit these guys and let's see what's in there。
But no flashes of laser light interrupted them as they walked to the building door。 There Moff stopped and turned； leveling his gun at Justin's chest。 〃You will put your hands behind your back now；〃 the old man said from behind the ring of Qasamans。
Justin plied； and cold metal bands clamped
around his wrists。 A/mo； where are you？ he thought
fiercely； flicking glances at the surrounding buildings。
Moff led them between the guards and into* life
building。 The high…security building where the Qasamans felt it safe to bring an unknown danger。
The sweat was beginning to break out on Justin's forehead。 It's all right； he told himself。 It's all right。 So you're on your own； but you've been trained for this sort of thing。 Two doors； and three floors of windows； remember？ Getting away will be a snap。 Carefully he let his fingers explore the cuffs holding him。 The wrist rings were dauntingly thick 。。。 but it was a short chain； not a solid bar； that connected them。 A moment's experimentation showed he could curl either of his fingertip lasers to rest against one of the links。 While he might get burned in the process； it should only take a few seconds to cut himself free。 Though not if the targeting lock wanted to hit the mojos first。。。。 Shivering at what could have been a nasty mistake； he canceled the lock。 Take it easy； Justin…you're letting yourself get flustered。
Moff led them down a hallway to an elevator。 A car was waiting for them。 〃Where are we going？〃 Justin asked； just to break the silence。
But no one answered。 Three of the guards herded Justin into the car； Moff and the old man joined them。 Steady； kid； steady。 Justin bit down on his rising fear。 Just see where they're taking you； then knock 〃em against the watts and out a window。
Moff pushed the bottom of a long row of buttons 。。。 and the elevator started down。
Down。 Into the ground…deep into the ground； if the buttons were each a full floor…where there were no doors or windows to escape through。 And for perhaps the first time in his life Justin realized he was terrified。 The universe； which had always seemed to protect him； was a long way up； far above his little elevator car。 He was surrounded by the armed guards and hairtrigger killer birds of a frightened and angry society 。。。 and it dawned on him with a sharpness Hkquthe smell of ozone that the men he would soon …bej facing intended him to die in this deep hole。 They
didn't know he was a Moreau； didn't care that he was a Cobra； and when they were through with him they would kill him。
And Justin panicked。
All thoughts of finding out what this place was； all considerations of not revealing his Cobra equipment； all thoughts even of mercy…all of it simply fled his mind before the bubbling wave of panic that welled suffocatingly up into his throat。 The men； guns； and mojos surrounding him were a claustrophobic pillow across his face 。。。 and without making a conscious decision to do so； he exploded into action。
His fingertip lasers and sonic fired first； the former at the chain binding his wrists； the latter in a stunning wavefront in all directions。 An instant later his head slammed into an invisible wall and he recognized with a fresh surge of panic the folly of using a sonic in such an enclosed space。 His arms tugged convulsively against the handcuffs as the lasers fired again； and abruptly the metal snapped and his arms swung free。
But the brief sonic blast and flash of light had alerted the Qasamans。 Even as Justin's arms came loose they were grabbed by hard hands。 Grabbed tightly…and the servos beneath the skin and muscle twisted the arms up and forward； slamming the two men head to head。 Their grips slipped and he pulled free…and then there was no time for anything but terror as the five mojos screamed to the attack。
Justin's mind blanked pletely then； and the only memory he had of what happened next was the sounds of the birds and the horrible thunderstorm dazzle of a hundred laser flashes。。。。
The stench brought him back to reality a few seconds later； the stench of burned meat and of his own vomit。 Unsteadily； he got to his feet and looked around at the carnage。 The mojos…all of them…were dead。 The five Qasamans 。 。 。 Justin couldn't tell。 Two of them definitely were； with prominent laser burns over vital spots； but the others…Moff included…were less certain。 But whether burn shock； the sonic； or his flailing arms had put them out of action wasn't important。 They could not hurt him； and he had no desire to inquire further。
The elevator was still going down。 The whole thing had clearly taken less time than it'd seemed to； and it penetrated dimly into Justin's rattled consciousness that unless the elevator contained monitors the Qasamans waiting below for him would be unaware of what had just happened。 He might still be able to escape。
He jabbed at his best guess for the ground floor button 。。。 and then at a second and a third before he realized that； unlike those on Aventine； this elevator design didn't allow for cancellation。 The car would keep going down until it reached the floor Moff had signaled。 Where more Qasamans would be waiting for him。
He had flipped over on his back on the unmoving bodies and his antiarmor laser was already tracing an off…center square in the ceiling before he recognized on a conscious level that he would not； could not； face whatever awaited him at the bottom of the
〃 elevator shaft。 The false ceiling and relatively thin metal behind it were no match for the laser； and as the charred square fell practically into his lap Justin scrambled to his feet。 He took a bare second to gain his balance and jumped。
Never before； not even in training； had he pushed his leg servos to their limit； and he actually gasped in shock as he shot through the opening like a misshapen missile。 All around him； only dimly visible even with the aid of his enhancers； were cables and guy lines。 A flicker of light from a door crack washed over him…then another； and another…he was slowing down…stopping in midair…
〃^〃Instinctively； he grabbed； and a second later he was again moving downard； his arms wrapped solidly around the main elevator cable。
So he was out of the car； and out of the direct line of fire from the Qasamans below 。。。 but he was still deep within their stronghold and had left a trail a child could follow。 He had to figure out a way to escape； and he had to do so fast。
Oddly enough； though…or so it seemed to him… the suffocating panic had dissipated far enough for him to be able to think again。 His incredible jump had been a sledge…hammer reminder both of the power his Cobra equipment gave him and of the fact that his father； too； had once been imprisoned like this and had survived。
A sheet of light swept by： one of the landing doors he'd jumped past seconds ago。 On a hunch； he shoved off the cable toward it； fingers and feet finding holds on framework and opening…mechanism bars。 He found a narrow ledge to stand on and regained his balance as； a meter away； the cable continued its way down。
Carefully； he took a shuddering breath。 / am Justin Moreau； he reminded himself firmly。 A Cobra； following in my father's footsteps。 I witt…l will…survive this。 Fine。 So how do I start？
One thing was for sure： he had several floors to go before he even got to the surface。 Shifting his grip； he leaned out as far as he safely could。 The position of the door directly above could be inferred from reflected light； but there were too many bars and other metallic junk in the way for it to be visible。 So jumping floor to floor was out； ditto for climbing through stuff that questionable。 A service ladder？ But a quick survey of the shaft showed nothing that would serve such a function。
A meter away； the cable abruptly slowed and stopped 。。。 and from below came the faint sound of elevator doors opening。
Again Justin shifted position； swinging his left leg to point directly toward the hole he'd cut in the car's ceiling and simultaneously bringing up his optical enhancers〃 magnification capabilities。 The sight of the bodies on the floor sent a fresh wave of revulsion through him； but before he had time for more than a quick shiver there was an explosion of Qasaman voices from below； and someone stepped into the car。
Damn； Justin mouthed the word； caught once more in indecision。 Should he try and get out of the shaft before the Qasamans below came to the obvious conclusion as to his whereabouts； or should he stay and try to discourage pursuit？
The decision was made for him。 Abruptly； the figure below became a face and a pistol； and the shaft thundered with the echo of his shot。
A wild shot； of course； he couldn't have any idea where Justin actually was。 The Cobra's response was considerably more accurate； and even at this range the antiarmor laser was perfectly adequate for such a purpose。 The gunner fell in a heap onto the bodies beneath him。 A second face appeared； and Justin shot that one； too…
And from below came the sound of the car's doors closing。 A second later； the cable beside him started upwards。
Justin gaped for a couple of heartbeats before his mental wheels caught and he jumped over to again cling to the cable。 What had happened was now obvious： having reached the floor Moff had sent it to； the elevator was now responding to the buttons Justin had pushed on the way down。
For the moment； at least； Justin seemed to be one step ahead of them。
After the flurry of activity preceding it； the ride toward ground level seemed to drag on and on； and it gave him the chance to assess his own injuries。 Both hands； particularly the little fingers； were speckled with tiny molten…metal burns from his blasting of tile handcuff chain an eternity earlier。 The rings themselves were biting hard into his wrists as he pressed against the greasy cable。 Something； presumably blood； was dripping slowly down his cheek from a cut over his left eye that hurt like blazes。 He hadn't realized before that any of the mojos had gotten so close 。。。 and the thought of what might have happened…or could yet happen…
Reality broke into the