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"That's it," Caine said as the brief light show ended. "Let's get home before they send out spotters looking for someone to blame."
"You think they're even going to notice?" Colvin asked.
"I would if I were in charge," Caine told him. "And anyway, we don't really care if Security pays any attention to us at this point."
"As long as Torch does," Pittman murmured.
"Right. If it doesn't work, we'll just have to try something more noticeable."
—
The lasers had lit up the night sky while Galway was returning from the Shandygaff, and he'd half expected to find death, chaos, and a ruined entrance gate on his arrival. But that fear, at least, was quickly laid to rest; except for the beefed-up guard contingent at the gate everything looked the same as when he'd left that evening. But he'd been a Security prefect too long to expect that surface calm to extend to the situation room, too; and in that he turned out to be right.
What he wouldn't have predicted was that Qui
"We found three of these on the roof, right where the ballistic backtrack put them," someone was reporting via the communications board as Galway entered. The screen showed a catapultlike contraption being carefully examined by two more Security men.
"Any evidence of remote control or delay fuses?" Qui
"Some ash that may have been from time-delay rope," the man said. "We won't know for sure until it's been analyzed."
Qui
"Yes, sir."
Qui
"They were definitely Caine and Braune," the man said, handing the general a piece of paper.
"Positive identification from everyone who saw them. They made off with a box of fifty AK-29 primer caps, rated strength point zero two each. Not much more than small firecrackers."
"I think we can assume they have more than holiday noisemaking in mind for them," Qui
The man gulped. "Yes, sir," he said, and hurried away.
"Idiot," Qui
Galway shook his head. "I was still up, out at the Shandygaff Bar."
"I told you that place was off-limits."
"They're here, General. Lathe and Skyler at least—and judging by the carnage outside, I'd say at least two more came with them."
Qui
No chance you're wrong, I suppose."
"Hardly. And there's more. Two of your local blackcollars helped them punch their way out."
Qui
"Helped and a half. One of them was Kanai—the one your files say is contact man for the group—and he not only provided diversion but also cleaned out the bar's backup man."
"They'll roast him alive." Qui
I warned you about underestimating your blackcollars. The words bounced around Galway's brain, but he left them unsaid. Having to admit his error would be humiliating enough for a man like Qui
Qui
Galway frowned. "What do you mean? There's no need for deals. Lathe has the authority to bring the group back to full combat status—"
"Nonsense. I know these people, Galway—and they are not going to start fighting a thirty-year-old war again. No, Lathe's made a deal with them, and the only question is what the payoff is."
Galway took a deep breath. "General, I don't mean to question your knowledge of the city and its people, but isn't it possible that Kanai and his people have been lying low waiting for just this sort of opportunity?"
"Opportunity for what? You haven't yet even come up with a plausible mission for Caine, let alone one he'd need Lathe along for."
"I've filed reports—"
"I said plausible missions." Qui
With an effort Galway held his temper. "All right, then; what do you propose be done at this point?"
"We're going to find Caine." Qui
"He wouldn't defect—"
"Spare me your unfounded opinions. Postern has failed—and as of tonight Caine's moved up out of the simple nuisance category. Whatever he's got pla
"You do and Prefect Do
"That's if the Ryqril don't get to you first."
"You let me deal with Do
Galway bit down on the inside of his cheek, fighting his frustration down to a manageable level.
Qui
Qui
"Do you want Lathe's picture circulated in the meantime?"
"I'd like to stick with one group at a time, if you don't mind. Besides, we can find Lathe anytime we need to—he's teamed up with Kanai, remember?" Qui
It was clearly a dismissal. "Yes, sir. I'll talk with you in the morning, then."
Turning, Galway stalked out the door. He'd had as much of Qui
Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
Chapter 16
The alarm's twitter snapped Kanai out of a troubled sleep, and almost before he was fully awake he had rolled out of bed, shuriken pouch in hand. The window was intact, the door to the rest of the house still closed. Taking a deep breath, he eased over to the window and cracked the shade away from the wall.
It was perhaps half an hour before dawn, judging by the faint glow starting to compete with the haze of city lights to the east. Traffic was practically nonexistent at this hour; parked cars lined both sides of the street, none showing any lights. Touching a hidden wall switch, Kanai shifted a section of the glass to infrared sensitivity. Nothing—all the cars within view had apparently been parked there for several hours. But the alarm had been triggered from that side of the house.... He was just about to step to his monitor for a complete area scan when a lone figure came into view, striding purposefully along the walk toward his front door.