tz.cobra strike-第27部分

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　a　diversion　for　you　you'd　probably　be　spotted　before　you　could　get　to　cover。　Let's　see　if　we　can　wait　until　the　usual　check…in　time。〃
　The　other　Cobra；　Dorjay　Link；　glanced　at　Winward　and　shook　his　head　minutely。　〃The　Qasamans　may　be　moving。　people　and　weapons　into　the　forest　to　cover　the　Dewdrop　from　that　side；〃　he　told　Telek。　〃Almo　could　e　down　from　his　nest　right　into　the　middle　of　them。〃
　〃He'd　hear　or　see　them；　though；　wouldn't　he？〃　Nnamdi　spoke　up。
　〃Cobras　are　human；　too；〃　Winward　said　tartly。　〃And　if　he　doesn't　even　wake　up　until　they're　in　position　they　won't　be　making　much　noise。〃
　Telek　stared　at　the　forest　display。　I'm　out　of　my　depth；　she　admitted　to　herself。　We've　gone　to　a　military　situation　without　a　scrap　of　warning…
　No。　They　had　had　their　warning；　and　that　was　what　really　hurt。　The　purpose　of　Moff's　mysterious　disappearance　a　few　hours　ago　was　now　clear：　he'd　been　setting　up　this　operation；　coordinating　things　via　the　still　unknown；　triple…damned　long…range　munication　system　of　theirs。　In　which　case…〃The　soldiers　and　guns　are　probably　already　in　place　out　there；〃　she　said　out　loud。　〃The　only　way　to　wake　Almo　up　and　simultaneously　let　him　know　there's　trouble　。。。〃　She　stopped　and　looked　back　at　the　two　Cobras。
　Winward　nodded…understanding　or　agreement；　she　didn't　know　which。　〃A　quick　sortie。　Gunfire　and　all　that。　Let　me　get　into　my　camouflage　suit…be　back　in　a　minute。　Dorjay；　start　looking　for　my　best　approach；　will　you？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Link　said　as　Winward　vanished　out　the　lounge　door。　〃Any　chance。　Governor；　that　we　can　wait　until　full　dark？〃
　〃No；〃　Christopher　spoke　up　before　Telek　could　say　anything。　〃Governor；　we've　got　a　new　problem…the　contact　team's　not　being　brought　back　to　Sollas。〃
　〃Damn。〃　Telek　stepped　to　his　side；　looked　at　the　display　that　was　now　showing　an　aerial　photo　of　the　area　between　Sollas　and　Huriseem。　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃Joshua's　been　looking　around　a　little…I　saw　the　sun　out　of　the　side　window。　Looks　to　me　like　they're　taking　this　road…〃　he　traced　it　with　a　finger…〃down　to　the　next　city　southwest　of　here。〃
　Telek　checked　the　scale。　〃Damn。　Closest　approach　doesn't　get　them　under　twenty　kilometers　from　the　Dewdrop。　Where's　the　next　connecting　road？…oh；　there　it　is。　Three　kilometers　past　that　point。　Any　idea　where　on　the　road　they　are？〃
　Christopher　spread　his　hands　helplessly。　〃The　range　finder　doesn't　seem　to　work　when　the　puter's　mucking　with　the　signal　like　this。　About　all　I　can　do　is　estimate　their　speed　and　extrapolate　from　Huriseem。　Looks　like　they're　about　here；　maybe　fifteen　or　twenty　minutes　from　that　crossroads。〃
　Telek　looked　over　at　Justin；　immobile　on　his　coach。　If　she'd　just　let　him　replace　his　brother　as　they'd　planned　。。。　but；　no；　she'd　wanted　to　have　her　damned　window　to　the　world。　〃We've　got　to　intercept　that　car；〃　she　said　to　the　room　in　general。　〃Either　free　the　team　outright　or　try　to　replace　Joshua。　Somehow。〃
　〃With　Moff　on　the　alert　I　somehow　doubt　the　latter　option's　open；〃　Link　said　from　in　front　of　the　display　he'd　appropriated　from　Nnamdi。
　〃I　know。〃　Telek　gritted　her　teeth；　then　turned　toward　the　inter。　〃Captain；　I　want　a　pulse…laser　message　to　the　Troft　backup　ships　right　away。　Tell　them　to　get　in　here　as　fast　as　they　can。〃
　〃Yes；　Governor。〃
　And　it'll　do　no　good　at　all。　She　knew　it；　and　everyone　aboard　knew　it。　The　Troft　ships　were　too　far　away　even　to　make　orbit　before　dawn。　The　Dewdrop　was　on　her　own。
　Which　meant　that　Winward　would　have　to　make　his　suicide　sortie　in　a　few　minutes　。。。　and　Almo　still　had　an　even　chance　of　getting　caught　before　he　knew　what　was　happening　。。。　and　it　was　all　futility　anyway；　because　there　was　no　way　a　Cobra　or　even　two　could　ambush　that　bus　without　killing　or　injuring　everyone　aboard　in　the　ensuing　firefight　The　inescapable　conclusion　was　that　it　would　be　better　to　lift　off　now；　hoping　the　Dewdrop　would　have　the　necessary　speed　to　escape　the　Qasamans〃　shells　or　rockets。
　To　cut　their　losses。　And　if　that　was　to　be　the　decision；　it　had　to　be　made　before　Winward　went　outside　to　sacrifice　his　life。　Which　meant　within　the　next　ninety　seconds。
　A　no…win　situation　。。。　and　even　as　she　wondered　what　she　was　going　to　do；　there　was　a　slight　movement　in　the　forest　far　to　the　south　of　them；　and　an　invisible　laser　beam　lanced　out；　catching　the　Dew…drop　squarely　in　the　nose。
　
　
　Chapter　16
　
　For　a　long　moment　Pyre　lay　quietly　in　his　hammock　bag；　wondering　what　had　awakened　him。　The　level　of　sunlight　filtering　through　the　trees　indicated　sundown　was　approaching。　He'd　slept　the　whole　day　away；　he　realized；　guilt　twinging　at　him。　Probably　woke　up　simply　because　his　body　had　had　all　the　rest　it　needed；　he　must　have　been　a　lot　more　tired　than　he'd　thought。
　He　was　just　starting　to　pull　his　arms　out　of　the　bag　when　he　heard　the　muffled　cough。
　He　froze；　notching　his　auditory　enhancers　to　full　power。　The　normal　rustlings　of　the　forest　roared　in　his　ears　。。。　the　normal　rustlings；　and　the　fainter　sound　of　quiet　human　voices。　Ten　or　more　of　them；　at　the　least。
　Hunting　party？　was　his　first；　hopeful　thought。　But　he　heard　no　footsteps　acpanying　the　voices；　just　the　occasional　sounds　of　someone　easing　from　one　position　to　another。　Even　stalking　hunters　moved　around　more　。。。　which　implied　that　his　unexpected　guests　were　less　akin　to　hunters　than　to　fishermen。
　And　there　were　only　two　fish　out　here　worth　such　a　concerted　effort；　at　least　as　far　as　he　knew：　the　Dewdrop　and　himself。
　Damn。
　　　Slowly；　moving　with　infinite　care　and　silence；　he　began　disentangling　himself　from　the　hammock　bag　and　the　defense　cage。　If　they　were　looking　for　him　the　activity　could　well　be　a　mistake；　but　whether　it　brought　them　down　on　him　or　not；　he　had　no　intention　of　getting　caught　wrapped　up　like　yesterday's　leftovers。　The　cage　creaked　like　a　tacnuke　explosion　as　he　opened　it；　but　no　one　seemed　to　notice；　and　a　minute　later　he　was　standing　above　the　hammock　bag　with　his　back　pressed　against　the　tree　trunk。
　And　the　prey　was　now　ready　to　bee　the　hunter。　The　voices　had　e　from　the　strip　of　forest　between　him　and　the　Dewdrop〃；　moving　to　the　far　side　of　the　trunk　he　started　down；　pausing　at　each　branch　to　look　and　listen。
　He　reached　the　ground　without　seeing　any　of　the　hidden　Qasamans；　but　further　noises　had　given　him　a　better　idea　of　their　arrangement　and　he　wasn't　surprised　to　have　avoided　drawing　fire。　They　seemed　to　be　paralleling　the　edge　of　the　forest　nearest　the　Dewdrop；　their　attention　and　weaponry　almost　certainly　focused　on　the　ship。　And　to　have　been　set　up　now；　an　entire　week　after　the　landing；　implied　something　had　gone　wrong。　Whether　the　contact　team　had　gumfricked　up　or　the　exaggerated　Qasaman　paranoia　had　finally　asserted　itself　hardly　mattered　at　this　point。　What　mattered…
　What　mattered　was　that　Joshua　Moreau　was　out　there　in　the　middle　of　it。　And　if　he'd　been　killed　while　Pyre　overslept…
　The　Cobra　bit　down　hard　on　the　inside　of　his　cheek。　Stop　it　he　snarled。　Settle　down　and　think　instead　of　panicking。　The　fact　that　the　Qasamans　had　not　yet　openly　attacked　the　Dewdrop　implied　they　were　still　in　the　planning　stages　here　。。。　and　if　so；　then　chances　were　Joshua　and　the　others　were　still　okay。　Moving　against　the　contact　team　would　tip　off　the　Dewdrop；　and　the　Qasamans　were　surely　smart　enough　to　avoid　doing　that。
　And　with　the　ship　and　Cerenkov　both　unaware　that　anything　was　wrong；　it　was　all　up　to　Pyre　now。
　He　didn't　have　a　lot　of　options。　His　emergency　earphone　was　a　one…way　device；　with　no　provision　for　talking　to　the　ship。　His　m　laser　was　well　hidden　and　probably　undiscovered；　but　if　the　Qasaman　cordon　line　wasn't　sitting　on　top　of　it　they　weren't　for　off。　Take　out　the　whole　bunch　of　them？　Risky；　possibly　suicidal；　and　almost　certain　to　run　the　timer　to　zero　right　there　and　then。
　But　if　the　members　of　the　cordon　weren't　in　actual　visual　contact　with　each　other；　it　might　be　possible　to　quietly　take　out　the　one　or　two　closest　to　his　laser　without　alerting　all　the　others。　Grab　the　laser；　back　off　to　somewhere　safe…the　top　of　a　tree；　if　necessary…　and　call　the　ship。　Together　they　might　be　able　to　figure　out　a　way　to　snatch　the　contact　team　from　under　Moff's　nose。
　Mindful　of　the　crunchy　forest　mat　underfoot；　Pyre　set　off　cautiously　toward　the　laser's　hiding　place；　trying　to　watch　all　directions　at　once。　He　was；　he　estimated；　only　five　meters　from　his　goal　when　a　sudden　roar　erupted　from　beside　him。
　He　was　halfway　through　his　sideways　leap　before　his　brain　caught　up　with　his　reflexes　and　identified　the　sound：　his　emergency　earphone　was　screaming　with　static。　He　twisted　it　out　and　thumbed　it　off　in　a　single　motion；　and　as　the　echo　of　it　bounced　for　another　second　around　his　head　he　realized　with　a　sinking　feeling　that　he　was　too　late。　Static　at　that　intensity　could　mean　only　that　the　Qasamans　were　attempting　to　jam　all　radio　munications　in　the　area。　They　were　making　their　move…
　〃Gift〃　a　voice　hissed。
　Pyre　froze；　his　eyes　shifting　between　the　two　Qasamans　crouched　facing　him　from　half…concealed　positions。　The　pistols　pointed　his　way　seemed　larger　than　those　he'd　seen　others　wearing；　the　mojos　with　their　wings　poised　for　flight　were　certainly　more　alert。
　One　of　the　men　muttered　something　to　his　panion　and　stepped　toward　Pyre；　gun　steady　on　the　Cobra's　chest。
　There　was　no　time　to　consider　the　full　implications　of　his　actions；　no　consideration　beyond　getting　out　of　this　without　bringing　the　rest　of　the　troops　down　on　him。　Clearly；　his　captors　still　hoped　to　keep　their　presence　secret　from　the　Dewdrop；　just　as　clearly；　they'd　lose　that　preference　once　he　made　his　own　move。　His　first　attack　would　have　to　be　fast　and　clean。
　Pyre　had　never　killed　a　human　being　before。　His　closest　brush　with　such　a　thing　had　been　on　that　awful　day　long　ago　when　Jonny　Moreau　and　a　man　apparently　returned　from　the　dead　shot　down　Chal…linor's　fledgling　Cobra　warlords　in　two　or　three　seconds　of　the　most　terrifying　display　of　laser　fire　he'd　ever　seen；　then　or　since。　For　a　teenaged　boy　on　a　struggling　colony　world　such　a　slaughter　had　been　the　stuff　of　nightmares…particularly　as　the　knowledge　of　his　own　early　support　of　Challinor　carried　with　it　a　small　but　leaden　piece　of　the　responsibility　for　the　deaths。　The　last　thi