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| EXCERPT: |
The COMlink went silent, and Rick tensed. The next few moments would make or beak
their entire mission. Tamia had only one bullet in her sniper rifle -- a highly lethal, very illegal
Kriomite bullet. The kind of thing only a terrorist would use. Just the cover their
undercover operation needed.
Time stretched, and Rick found himself holding his breath. What was taking so long? Then,
suddenly, Tamia's voice came to him, concerned. "I can't do it, Ace. I can't draw a bead
on him."
God, was she cracking?
"Try," he murmured into his mouthpiece. "Just try."
"I am trying," came her frustrated whisper. "The motherfucker's playin' hide'n'seek. Every
time I get my sights on him, he moves out of my line of sight."
She wasn't freezing. She had a worse problem than that. He swore under his breath.
"Blade, listen to me. There should be a port in the duct, a little ways to your left. Can you
see it?"
He heard her intake of breath. "Yeah, I see it."
"Can you make it there?"
A pause. "Yeah, I think so."
"Good. Listen carefully. That port will give you access to the panels above the room.
There's a gap there, in the center panel. Go slowly, and don't touch the glowing ones.
They're pressure sensitive glass. You'll be in his lap, if you do."
"Right."
Rick held his breath for a long moment, hearing the sounds of movement from the COMlink.
Then, Tamia's voice again, "Hey, not bad! I've got a clear window, here."
There was the hissing pop of a silenced weapon, followed by a sudden wail of an alarm.
Tamia's voice came then. "Shit! What the hell was that?"
Rick's blood congealed. The room had been pressurized. That was why there were no
exterior openings. Now, the whole damned building was getting ready to blow. In that
instant, he forgot protocol completely. All that mattered was her life. "Tamia, get the hell
out of there!" He ordered. "That place is going to--!"
A loud explosion cut him off, and his heart lurched into his throat. No!
"Blade! Tamia! Dammit, answer me!" He shouted as he dashed from his concealment
behind the barracks. Not her. Not now. Silence hovered over the COMlink, broken only
by the sound of settling shrapnel and the crackling of flames.
their entire mission. Tamia had only one bullet in her sniper rifle -- a highly lethal, very illegal
Kriomite bullet. The kind of thing only a terrorist would use. Just the cover their
undercover operation needed.
Time stretched, and Rick found himself holding his breath. What was taking so long? Then,
suddenly, Tamia's voice came to him, concerned. "I can't do it, Ace. I can't draw a bead
on him."
God, was she cracking?
"Try," he murmured into his mouthpiece. "Just try."
"I am trying," came her frustrated whisper. "The motherfucker's playin' hide'n'seek. Every
time I get my sights on him, he moves out of my line of sight."
She wasn't freezing. She had a worse problem than that. He swore under his breath.
"Blade, listen to me. There should be a port in the duct, a little ways to your left. Can you
see it?"
He heard her intake of breath. "Yeah, I see it."
"Can you make it there?"
A pause. "Yeah, I think so."
"Good. Listen carefully. That port will give you access to the panels above the room.
There's a gap there, in the center panel. Go slowly, and don't touch the glowing ones.
They're pressure sensitive glass. You'll be in his lap, if you do."
"Right."
Rick held his breath for a long moment, hearing the sounds of movement from the COMlink.
Then, Tamia's voice again, "Hey, not bad! I've got a clear window, here."
There was the hissing pop of a silenced weapon, followed by a sudden wail of an alarm.
Tamia's voice came then. "Shit! What the hell was that?"
Rick's blood congealed. The room had been pressurized. That was why there were no
exterior openings. Now, the whole damned building was getting ready to blow. In that
instant, he forgot protocol completely. All that mattered was her life. "Tamia, get the hell
out of there!" He ordered. "That place is going to--!"
A loud explosion cut him off, and his heart lurched into his throat. No!
"Blade! Tamia! Dammit, answer me!" He shouted as he dashed from his concealment
behind the barracks. Not her. Not now. Silence hovered over the COMlink, broken only
by the sound of settling shrapnel and the crackling of flames.
| All Contents of this Page Copyright 1992 by Esther Mitchell |
