Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls - Jane Lindskold [46]
“Sarah! Drop and left!”
I do and the dart sails over me and bounces limply into the padded walls. Coming up from my roll, I look up and see Dr. Haas aiming at me again. Already, though, I have learned something about these little guns, so instead of rolling to the side, a motion that she could track, I roll towards her. My velocity is limited, but I connect soundly with her shapely legs and then start to my feet.
“Goddamn you!” she swears, adjusting her arm.
I look past her and smile. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
“Bitch!” she says and then crumples as Professor Isabella hits her solidly below one shell-like ear.
Now that I have time to look, I see that the battle is over. The three security guards who had attended Professor Haas are all down. One bleeds heavily, his jaw at an odd angle. All, however, appear to be breathing.
Midline has gone into Head Wolf’s cell and, swearing softly, is preparing him for our escape. Grey Brother watches down the corridor, a palm computer in one hand. Suddenly, I understand how the power went off at such an ideal moment.
“When the dart hit me,” Professor Isabella is telling me, her voice still adrenaline charged, “I realized that my best bet was to let them believe that I had been at least somewhat affected—otherwise I’d get another dart for sure. So I went down and helped as I could without giving my cover by tripping a few people. But when I saw her go for you…”
I hug her with one arm, then move to help Midline. He scowls protectively, but lets me take Head Wolf’s legs. I hang one over each arm and trundle forward; Midline manages the heavier upper body.
Climbing through the access ways is out with our unconscious leader, so Grey Brother contacts Abalone.
“We’ve got ’im, but no way we getting out where we come in. What you think, girl?”
Her voice comes back, tiny but reassuring. “Go to the stairwell back the way you came on your right. Go up two flights. There’s a ladder to the roof. I’ll have pickup there for you.”
“Good.” Grey Brother motions with his head and we trot after.
Abalone has let the lights come on again. When at one point they flicker, Midline chuckles and even Grey Brother relaxes.
“The Four are with us,” he explains to Professor Isabella. “They just blew a minor power link. It’ll distract from our pickup.”
We make our way to the roof and as Grey Brother is undoing the manual hatch, Abalone’s voice comes from the palm computer.
“Caught something on the vid,” she says. “The blonde is up and has made some call. I only tapped into the end, but she’s got people heading for the Jungle.”
Grey Brother snaps the catch and starts to climb onto the roof. He halts midway. His head is outside, but by stretching my ears I can hear him.
“Abalone, some of the Free People may still be living down there. I cleared those I could, but…”
He trails off, but I don’t need to hear the finished sentence. The Law permits the Wolves to lair where they will within reason. If some of the Pack chose not to take Grey Brother’s suggestion, they could be there still.
Professor Isabella has also heard. “Grey Brother, those kids are in trouble. That woman is dangerous and she won’t hesitate to grab other hostages now that we have the Head Wolf.”
Grey Brother vanishes upward. A moment later his arms descend to help Midline raise Head Wolf. I can hear the faint whoosh and drone of the hovercat’s power plant. Midline waits to assist Professor Isabella upward. As I climb the ladder, I hear her.
“You don’t seem surprised that I think we may have further problems with the blond woman.”
“No.”
I can almost hear Midline shake his head.
“It’s her. Sarah,” he goes on. “She’s what they want. Why would they stop when they don’t have her?”
Professor Isabella’s face as she emerges from the trapdoor wears a musing expression. She extends a blue-veined hand to help Midline up. He accepts, although he hardly needs it. We hurry to the hovercat and crowd in.
His mien serious, Peep sits behind the controls. Grey Brother is already in the back, with Head Wolf leaned up