Part 35 (1/2)
'The Campaign for Racial Purity.”
Horton laughed. ”You bet your f.u.c.king life it was.”
Chao stared at the man, feeling a cold hatred, then gestured with his gun. ”Go.
Now. Before I shoot your f.u.c.king b.o.l.l.o.c.ks off!”
Emily was still talking to Daniel when Lin Chao burst in.
”You'd better come. Horton's got into the labs. Him and four of his thugs.”
She stood, alarmed. ”Aiya What happened?”
Chao shrugged. ”I'm not sure. I stopped him earlier, but he must have gone back and got his men. It looks like they went through the west tunnels.” ”Anyone hurt?”
Chao grimaced, then nodded. ”They've killed young Cho.” Emily's face creased with pain. For a moment she rested her weight on her arms, then, nodding to herself, she straightened up again. ”Okay. We need to play this carefully. Have they got into the inner labs yet?” ”We don't know. But I can't get through to Tybor.”
”How far along was he?”
”When I left him he'd only just begun. I'd say he had three or four hours work incinerating it all.”
Emily looked to Daniel. ”I'm sorry, Daniel. We'll have to finish this later.”
Daniel nodded. ”Can I come along?”
”It might be best.. .”Then, changing her mind, ”Okay. But don't do anything rash.”
Daniel smiled, then stood. ”I won't”
It was bad. Horton couldn't come out - not without having to come through them - but equally they couldn't get in. Not unless Horton let them in. Whaf s more, he had Tybor.
Emily stared up at the screen, seeing how Tybor tried not to flinch as Horton tightened the loop of cord about his throat, and swore to herself that she would kill the man when this was over.
”What do you want?”
”You know what I want,” Horton answered her, a c.o.c.kiness in his manner now; all pretence at politeness shed like a skin. ”I want you to refuel my cruiser, then I want a safe pa.s.sage out of here.”
”I can't do that”
Horton smiled sourly. ”I think you can.”
”I can't let you take that stuff away.”
”No? Then how about if I open a packet or two and sprinkle it into your air-conditioning system.”
”I'll shut it down.”
”Then you'll all suffocate.”
”Eventually. But that'll get you nowhere, will it?”
There was a flicker of irritation in Horton's eyes. Again he tightened the cord.
”I'll kill him,” he said.
Emily nodded, her eyes meeting Tybor's, understanding in them. ”Tybor knows the risks.”
”You're bluffing.”
”I was never more serious. I'd rather we all died than you took a speck of that stuff out of here.”
Horton's expression slowly changed. It was clear he couldn't comprehend the notion that someone would rather sacrifice themselves than make a deal. ”You are bluffing,” he said, an ugly grin appearing on his face. ”And I'm going to call your bluff right now.”
Emily looked down, unable to watch. She heard Lin Chao, just behind her, gasp then cry out. Daniel, she saw, had clenched both fists. There was an awful noise, somewhere between a sigh and a choked swallowing sound, and then she heard the huge body fall.
Dead, she told herself. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d Horton's dead.
”Lin Chao,” she said very quietly, so Horton would not hear, ”cut off the air.” As Lin Chao turned away, she looked to Daniel. The boy was watching the screen, his eyes narrowed. Noting he was being watched he glanced at Emily, something in his eyes.
What is it? she mouthed.
He stepped back, out of view of the overhead camera. Let me take him, he mouthed back. I can do it.
Emily looked back at the screen. Horton had stepped back. Now he was snarling up at the screen.
”Well?” he said. ”Are you going to let us go, or are you going to die? You'd better make your minds up. Time's running out.” ”Okay,” she said, letting a false resignation sound in her voice. ”You've got your cruiser. Give us fifteen minutes.”
”You've got twelve,” Horton said. ”Now move!”
Emily nodded, then turned away as the screen blanked. ”Okay,” she said, looking to Daniel. ”He's yours.”
Horton looked about him at his men, then nodded. ”Good,” he said. ”Now lef s see those b.a.s.t.a.r.d c.h.i.n.ks try and trick us!”
They had taped packets all over themselves, covering their chests and backs and the tops and backs of their heads. Horton grinned, then picked up his rifle and hung it by the strap over his shoulder. It was like wearing a bomb. The rebels didn't dare shoot for fear of splitting open one of the packets. But as a precaution, Horton had saved one packet, which he now picked up, holding it in his left hand, then unsheathed his hunting knife One wrong move and they'd all be dead.
But there weren't going to be any wrong moves.
”Jeffers? Is the cruiser ready?” he asked, speaking into the b.u.t.ton mike on his lapel.
”Ready and fuelled,” came the reply.
His man. One of two left in the craft ”Have they backed off?”
There was a pause, then Jeffers answered again. ”Looks like it There's no one in sight” ”Good.” He turned, checking his men were ready, then gave the thumbs up signal.