Day of the Predator - Alex Scarrow [137]
‘True … but do we not still have to get Edward Chan back home?’
‘One thing at a time,’ she sighed. ‘Come on, let’s send Becks on her way.’
Liam followed her under the shutter and then cranked it down after him.
He rejoined Maddy and the others gathered around the computer desk. He saw Becks standing in the middle of them, the assault rifle cradled in her arms, one of them swathed in bandages up to her elbow.
‘How are you feeling?’ he asked over the hubbub of other voices: questions from Cartwright and the kids that Maddy was busy trying to field as she configured the return time-stamp.
‘I am fine, Liam.’
‘What about that spear wound? That looked pretty bad, so it did. Are you sure you’re fit enough to go?’
‘My organic diagnostic systems indicate my kidney was ruptured and is no longer functioning. The organ can be repaired later,’ she added. ‘It will not affect my performance.’
‘Your arm?’
‘My arm is operable.’
‘OK,’ said Maddy. ‘I’ve set it to one minute after the other window. There’ll still be background tachyon particles around from the previous window, but I’ve moved the location thirty feet away so there shouldn’t be any disruptive effect on your arrival portal. OK?’
‘Affirmative.’
‘You understand the mission parameters?’
‘Kill all the reptile hominids. Destroy all evidence of our camp. Return window set for two hours after arrival.’
Maddy nodded. ‘You got it. And, of course, remember to bring the gun back with you.’
One of Becks’s dark eyebrows arched slowly. ‘Well … duh,’ she said flatly.
Sal giggled. ‘That’s cool!’
Maddy grinned at Liam. ‘Looks like she’s been doing some learning of her own.’
He nodded.
‘All right, we haven’t got time to fill the tube. She’s going back dry. Stand clear of that circle on the ground.’ She pointed to the circle of chalk, and within it, a patch of concrete floor darker than the rest. She sighed. ‘We’re gonna need to fill in the floor once again after all this is finished.’
The others pulled warily back and Becks wandered over and planted her feet inside the circle, her knees bent, ready to react at a moment’s notice, the gun loaded, cocked and raised, the assault rifle’s butt pressed firmly against her shoulder and ready to fire.
‘Be careful, Becks,’ said Liam. ‘We want you back safely.’
She nodded hesitantly. ‘Affirmative, Liam O’Connor. I will be careful.’
‘Are we all set?’ asked Maddy.
‘Affirmative.’
‘All right, Bob.’ Maddy turned back to the desk mic. ‘On my countdown. Ten … nine … eight …’
The archway filled with the sound of power surging into the displacement machine, the green LEDs winking off one after another as they indicated the drain of stored energy. A three-yard-diameter sphere of shimmering air suddenly enveloped Becks. The ceiling fluorescent light dimmed and flickered.
‘Seven … six … five …’
Her cool grey eyes turned to rest on Liam and she smiled uncertainly.
‘Four … three … two …’
‘Good luck,’ he mouthed, unsure whether she could read that in the flickering fizzing light.
‘… one …’
And then she was gone. Air whistled past them all to fill the sudden vacuum created.
‘Wow,’ whispered Edward.
‘Now we wait,’ said Maddy. She shot a glance at Liam. ‘And we make sure we’re ready.’
CHAPTER 74
65 million years BC, jungle
Becks emerged from the surrounding sphere of undulating air, and dropped the last few inches with a soft thud of boots on hard mud.
Crouched, ready for action, her eyes panned across the fire-lit clearing: a dancing, flickering impression of hell. The creatures had converged in the centre of the area, picking through the shelters, the palisade, watching the campfire hungrily consuming the last of the branches that had been stacked on it.
A knot of them were gathered around the space where, only a minute ago, the return window had opened. They were examining the ground, a cluster of low ferns nearby, their heads cocked with confusion and bewilderment like curious crows studying road kill.
None of them had yet noticed her standing there.
She had a thirty-round ammo clip, and