Into the No-Zone. Eugene Lambert

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ other missing nublood kids could be in the same place Tarn is. You should tell Ballard what you’ve found out. Maybe he’ll authorise another raid to rescue them. That’s got to stand a better chance than just us two.’

      ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ she says, all sneery.

      I grit my teeth. ‘Why not?’

      She looks back, her face one big scowl. ‘Because we’re clinging on as it is. And now this fraggin’ peace deal.’ She coughs and turns away again. ‘No way will he go for a raid.’

      ‘You don’t know that,’ I say.

      ‘I do,’ she says, coughs and looks away again.

      Meanwhile, out on the landing field the landed windjammer drops its ramp. A dozen or so passengers exit down it, led by Ballard, his silver hair unmistakable even at this distance. Armoured steam tractors roll forward to meet them with loads of fighters running ahead. These fan out to form a defensive cordon around the newcomers and escort them to their rides.

      Weird. Why would our leaders need guarding out here?

      Then I see why . . . and it sucks all the spit out of my mouth. Those guards aren’t for Ballard, Mendela and the rest – they’re for the tall figure in a matt-black cloak walking with them.

      A Slayer. Here. In the Deeps.

      ‘What the hell?’ Sky says.

      Spit leaks back into my mouth as I slowly get over the shock of it. And now, in spite of everything, I start to laugh.

      ‘What’s so funny?’ she demands.

      ‘Never thought I’d be glad to see a Slayer,’ I say, grinning. ‘But I am now. If Ballard’s brought one here, that has to mean the peace deal is no rumour. Fleur got it right. The war’s over, Sky!’

      Sky glares at me as if I’m mad.

      ‘Yeah?’ she says. ‘And fourhorns can fly.’

      ‘Oh, come on. What else can it mean? Let’s go and find out what’s going on. Maybe they’ll make an announcement.’

      But Sky shakes her head again and frowns, looking more through me than at me. ‘You go. I’ll see you later.’

      ‘You don’t want to know what’s up?’

      ‘It’s not that, I – look, I’ll be along in a while. Okay?’

      ‘Sure.’ I hesitate, then figure I can’t be forever biting my tongue with her. ‘You never know, Sky, maybe Colm’s right too and we’ll end up swapping prisoners. Anything’s possible. If this is a peace deal, it’ll be our best chance of finding Tarn.’

      ‘Our best chance?’ Sky says, staring.

      I shrug. ‘Like you said, we bumped stumps on it.’

      She smiles. A bit sad and pained-looking, but it’s something.

      I’m halfway back to the main base, striding out, hope buzzing away inside me as I wonder if Wrath is finally about to cut me my first-ever break. That’s when I hear the blaster fire.

      My heart sinks. I reckon some drooler has seen the Slayer, lost it and started shooting. Ahead of me the tractors judder to a halt. The escorting fighters crouch and level their pulse rifles.

      More crackles of blaster fire. I see the flashes. And realise I’m wrong.

      It’s from way beyond the tractors – where all our tents are. Where I left Colm muttering into his bunk.

      Now I hear the tump-tump of pulse rifles. Returning fire?

      Peace deals and Slayers forgotten, I take off towards the flashes. The only weapon I’ve got is my hunting knife. No match for blasters, but it’ll have to do. Luckily, by the time I’ve pounded my way there the firefight seems to be over. People are milling around, mostly half dressed like they’ve just rolled out of their bunks, pushing and shoving and craning to get a look at what’s happened. Smoke curls up into the night, spark-filled, stinking. A few heavily armed fighters are shoving everybody back.

      ‘Who was shooting?’ I say, elbowing my way forward.

      Nobody here seems to know, so I work my way through the crowd until I hear some guy mouthing off about what he saw.

      ‘All three of ’em was wearing masks,’ he’s saying. ‘Piled into that tent over there and started blasting. I was having a smoke when I seen ’em go in.’ He shakes his head. ‘Crazy, it was.’

      ‘Where are the shooters now?’ somebody calls out.

      ‘All dead,’ the man says. ‘We got ’em. Not me, I didn’t have no gun. One of the guys in the tent zapped two. The last one tried to do a runner. A buddy of mine took him out.’

      More voices call out questions.

      ‘Who were the shooters? How many of our guys were killed?’

      But I’m past listening. Behind the line of fighters holding us back, I catch a glimpse of a tent in flames.

      The tent that Colm and me bunk down in.

      Panicking now, I shove my way to the front of the crowd.

      ‘Let me through! My brother’s in there!’ I yell.

      This cuts no ice with the hard-faced fighters keeping us all back.

      ‘Take it easy, fella,’ one growls.

      ‘I need to see if my brother’s okay,’ I say through my teeth.

      ‘What you need is to stay back,’ he says.

      ‘Okay, okay,’ I say, do a big old sigh, and turn away for just long enough to make them think I’m heading away.

      Turn, drop my shoulder and hurl myself through them.

      Two go down. One staggers, shoots a hand out and grabs me. An elbow in the face sorts her. A second later I’m at the blazing tent. That’s as far as I get though. The flames are too fierce and stop me in my tracks. If anybody’s inside they’re cooked.

      ‘Colm!’ I reel backwards.

      Into hands that drag me away. My feet are kicked from under me and I’m pushed down, flat on my face. I struggle, despairing and mad as hell, but just get to eat more dirt.

      I quit fighting and lie still. Wondering. Fearing.

      Finally, after what feels like forever, I’m hauled back to my feet. I lash out, more to share my pain than trying to break free.

      ‘Quit that!’ Somebody slams a hard punch into my kidneys.

      That kills. I hunch over.

      ‘The brother?’ a deep voice says behind me.

      ‘Says he is.’ СКАЧАТЬ