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Chapters (102)
  1. Cover
  2. DAW BOOKS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF W. MICHAEL GEAR:
  3. Dedication
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. 84
  89. 85
  90. 86
  91. 87
  92. 88
  93. 89
  94. 90
  95. 91
  96. 92
  97. 93
  98. 94
  99. 95
  100. 96
  101. EPILOGUE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Talina climbed out and plugged the aircar into its charger. Then she grabbed her own bag from the rear deck before tossing it over a shoulder, slung her rifle on the other, and headed Kalico’s way. That predator’s assurance filled her as she stopped short, studying Kalico with knowing eyes. “Hear we’ve got a problem out at the Maritime Unit. What do you need?”

“They’ve been out of communication. Two Spot keeps trying, but there’s only silence.” She turned her attention to Dek, remaining as professional as if she were addressing the Board. “If I might hire you to fly me out there—”

“Let’s go. No charge.”

“No charge?”

Dek gave her a look through his now-inhuman eyes. “It’s what friends do, Kalico. Time’s short. Tal and I need to drop off our bags, then let’s get in the air. I suspect we won’t get there until late afternoon as it is. If it’s trouble, best to tackle it while there’s still light.”

“Have to charge the plane for the flight back once we’re out there,” Talina reminded.

Kalico told her, “Tal, I hate dragging Dek into this as it is, you don’t have to—”

“Who you got who can handle trouble better than me?” Talina gave her a catlike grin. “Especially if it comes to cracking a couple of heads?”

Kalico, still uneasy with that sense that nothing would be the same between them, nodded. “Right. Let’s get in the air. If it’s really bad, I’ve got Abu Sassi on call. Makarov can have him and a couple of armored marines out there in an hour. They can fast rope down from the A-7, deal with anything we can’t.”

“How bad can it be?” Dek wondered. “If it’s just people, like Tal says, we knock a couple of heads. If it’s beasties, we’ve got rifles. Problem solved.”

85

Heart in her throat, Michaela pounded up the stairs, burst through the topside door into the landing pad foyer, and threw herself at the weatherproof locker. Her trembling fingers botched the code the first two times, and finally got the sequence right. She slammed the door open to see only three of the rifles, the fourth already missing.

What the hell?

Didn’t matter. Figure it out later.