[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
that this place was guarded by another induction field alarm meant they would
be going in practically unarmed. The three blackcollars had their nunchakus
and Hawking also sported a wooden slingshot with stones for ammunition. And
that was it. A single guard with a laser could take all four of them. Sweating
under his flexarmor, Caine wondered if there was still time to call the whole
thing off.
The three blackcollars finished their whispered consultation and Lathe pointed
Caine to the rear corner of the Records Building. "That looks about the best
spot; out of the way and no lights showing. We'll cross one at a time you're
third. You'll feel a tingling near the wall, but ignore it."
Without waiting for an acknowledgment, Lathe glanced both directions down the
street and set off in a deceptively fast lope. Hawking was next; and then it
was Caine's turn. He ran as fast as he could without sacrificing silence, but
it still seemed to take him twice as long as it had the others. He reached the
target corner to find Lathe already two meters up the wall, gripping the
bricks with the aid of plastic crampons. By the time Mordecai arrived, Lathe
was gently testing the latch on the nearest second-floor window.
That particular latch was apparently a good one; Lathe abandoned it and inched
his way across the wall to the next window. He had better luck there, and
within seconds had it open. Disappearing inside, he reappeared almost
immediately and gave the others a hand signal. Tapping Caine's shoulder,
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Hawking braced himself against the bricks and cupped his hands. Stepping up,
Caine pushed off the ground with his other foot, walking his hands up the wall
as Hawking pushed upward.
The tingling was strongest right next to the building, and Caine's hands were
a bit numb as he reached for the sill. Lathe grabbed his arm and gave him an
assist through the window into a small office. Scrambling back to his feet,
Caine turned to offer a hand to the next one up. Two hands Mordecai's were
already gripping the sill; poking his head out, Caine saw that Hawking was
literally climbing up the smaller man, finding handholds on boots, belt, and
shoulder. He reached the window and entered unassisted. Mordecai followed,
closing the window behind him.
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The Blackcollar
Lathe was across the room, listening at the door. As Caine and the others
joined him, he cracked the panel open. Muted light poured in as Lathe looked
both directions and then opened the door just enough to sidle out. The others
followed into a dim hallway lined with doors.
"One floor up, right?" Lathe whispered.
Caine nodded. "Right. Stairway's that direction."
They reached the stairs without seeing anyone. One flight up, Lathe stealthily
opened the stairwell door and looked out. Just as stealthily, he closed it
again.
"Guards?" Caine whispered.
"A Ryq," Lathe whispered back, sliding his nunchaku from its sheath.
Caine's heart skipped a beat. What was an alien doing here, especially at this
time of night?"
"Out late, isn't he?" Mordecai suggested softly. He didn't seem overly
concerned.
"Yes, but I'm not worried," Lathe told him. "He wasn't armed more than usual
and was talking amicably enough with one of the night staff."
"Think they suspect anything?" Hawking asked. "Or is this just a spot
inspection?"
"The latter, I'd say."
"Shouldn't we be doing something?" Caine broke in nervously.
Not armed more than usual meant the alien was wearing both a wide-bladed short
sword and a very lethal hand laser. "What if he comes in here?"
"Relax," Hawking advised him. "He's not going to bother with any stairwells.
We just have to wait here until he leaves. There's enough slack in our timing
to accommodate him."
"Unless you'd rather attack," Lathe suggested mildly.
Caine shivered. The thought of fighting even an unarmed Ryq would have made
his stomach tighten, and he felt a flash of anger at Lathe for making light of
a very real danger.
In the distance an elevator motor began whining. Lathe waited until the sound
stopped and then peeked out the door again. This time he continued on into the
hall.
Unlike the floor below, there were only two doors opening off this hallway.
One, on the right-hand side, had a glass panel set into it, through which
bright light was streaming. Lathe gestured toward it, eyebrows raised
questioningly. "The main records computer," Caine whispered. "The archive
tapes are stored across the hall, if the lobby floor plan was correct."
Lathe nodded and motioned to Hawking. Together they moved down the hall, Lathe
taking a careful
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The Blackcollar look through the computer room window as Hawking crouched low
and tested the doorknob opposite. After a moment they both returned.
"Door's locked," Hawking reported.
"Mine, too," Lathe said. "Four operator types inside." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
that this place was guarded by another induction field alarm meant they would
be going in practically unarmed. The three blackcollars had their nunchakus
and Hawking also sported a wooden slingshot with stones for ammunition. And
that was it. A single guard with a laser could take all four of them. Sweating
under his flexarmor, Caine wondered if there was still time to call the whole
thing off.
The three blackcollars finished their whispered consultation and Lathe pointed
Caine to the rear corner of the Records Building. "That looks about the best
spot; out of the way and no lights showing. We'll cross one at a time you're
third. You'll feel a tingling near the wall, but ignore it."
Without waiting for an acknowledgment, Lathe glanced both directions down the
street and set off in a deceptively fast lope. Hawking was next; and then it
was Caine's turn. He ran as fast as he could without sacrificing silence, but
it still seemed to take him twice as long as it had the others. He reached the
target corner to find Lathe already two meters up the wall, gripping the
bricks with the aid of plastic crampons. By the time Mordecai arrived, Lathe
was gently testing the latch on the nearest second-floor window.
That particular latch was apparently a good one; Lathe abandoned it and inched
his way across the wall to the next window. He had better luck there, and
within seconds had it open. Disappearing inside, he reappeared almost
immediately and gave the others a hand signal. Tapping Caine's shoulder,
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Hawking braced himself against the bricks and cupped his hands. Stepping up,
Caine pushed off the ground with his other foot, walking his hands up the wall
as Hawking pushed upward.
The tingling was strongest right next to the building, and Caine's hands were
a bit numb as he reached for the sill. Lathe grabbed his arm and gave him an
assist through the window into a small office. Scrambling back to his feet,
Caine turned to offer a hand to the next one up. Two hands Mordecai's were
already gripping the sill; poking his head out, Caine saw that Hawking was
literally climbing up the smaller man, finding handholds on boots, belt, and
shoulder. He reached the window and entered unassisted. Mordecai followed,
closing the window behind him.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Timothy%20Zahn%20-%20The%20Blackcoll
ar.htm (44 of 209) [12/31/2004 12:16:36 AM]
The Blackcollar
Lathe was across the room, listening at the door. As Caine and the others
joined him, he cracked the panel open. Muted light poured in as Lathe looked
both directions and then opened the door just enough to sidle out. The others
followed into a dim hallway lined with doors.
"One floor up, right?" Lathe whispered.
Caine nodded. "Right. Stairway's that direction."
They reached the stairs without seeing anyone. One flight up, Lathe stealthily
opened the stairwell door and looked out. Just as stealthily, he closed it
again.
"Guards?" Caine whispered.
"A Ryq," Lathe whispered back, sliding his nunchaku from its sheath.
Caine's heart skipped a beat. What was an alien doing here, especially at this
time of night?"
"Out late, isn't he?" Mordecai suggested softly. He didn't seem overly
concerned.
"Yes, but I'm not worried," Lathe told him. "He wasn't armed more than usual
and was talking amicably enough with one of the night staff."
"Think they suspect anything?" Hawking asked. "Or is this just a spot
inspection?"
"The latter, I'd say."
"Shouldn't we be doing something?" Caine broke in nervously.
Not armed more than usual meant the alien was wearing both a wide-bladed short
sword and a very lethal hand laser. "What if he comes in here?"
"Relax," Hawking advised him. "He's not going to bother with any stairwells.
We just have to wait here until he leaves. There's enough slack in our timing
to accommodate him."
"Unless you'd rather attack," Lathe suggested mildly.
Caine shivered. The thought of fighting even an unarmed Ryq would have made
his stomach tighten, and he felt a flash of anger at Lathe for making light of
a very real danger.
In the distance an elevator motor began whining. Lathe waited until the sound
stopped and then peeked out the door again. This time he continued on into the
hall.
Unlike the floor below, there were only two doors opening off this hallway.
One, on the right-hand side, had a glass panel set into it, through which
bright light was streaming. Lathe gestured toward it, eyebrows raised
questioningly. "The main records computer," Caine whispered. "The archive
tapes are stored across the hall, if the lobby floor plan was correct."
Lathe nodded and motioned to Hawking. Together they moved down the hall, Lathe
taking a careful
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Timothy%20Zahn%20-%20The%20Blackcoll
ar.htm (45 of 209) [12/31/2004 12:16:36 AM]
Page 37
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The Blackcollar look through the computer room window as Hawking crouched low
and tested the doorknob opposite. After a moment they both returned.
"Door's locked," Hawking reported.
"Mine, too," Lathe said. "Four operator types inside." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]