tz.cobra strike-第37节

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　〃Right；〃　Telek　said；　trying　to　match　his　calm　tone。　〃Good　luck；　and　don't　take　any　stupid　chances。〃
　He　twitched　a　smile　at　her　and　left。　Sinking　into　the　seat　next　to　Nnamdi；　Telek　watched　the　screen　。。。　and　a　minute　later　the　outside　monitors　showed　the　Cobra　walking　slowly　toward　the　tower；　a　half…meter…square　white　flag　held　prominently　in　front　of　him。
　No　shells　arced　out　of　the　sky　as　he　made　his　slow　way　across　the　airfield。　Telek's　heart　thudded　painfully；　her　emotions　flip…flopping　between　hope　and　the　fear　that　too　much　hope　would　automatically　bring　about　disaster。　Link；　who　had　moved　to　watch　over　her　shoulder；　twice　reached　down　to　jump　the　magnification。　The　second　time　he　did　so　they　saw　that　a　force　of　eight　Qasamans　had　gathered　at　the　foot　of　the　tower　to　await　Winward's　arrival。　Eight　Qasamans；　and　of　course　eight　mojos。
　Two　stepped　forward　as　Winward　neared　the　group；　their　drawn　guns　glinting　in　the　faint　backwash　of　Sollas's　lights。　They　relieved　him　of　his　flag　and　frisked　him　for　weapons。　The　entire　force　then　formed　a　box　around　him　and　led　him　away；　not　into　the　tower　but　around　toward　the　building's　side。　Taking　him　to　someone　in　authority？　Telek　wondered。　Maybe　even　to　the　officer　in　charge　of　their　antiaircraft　weapons？
　They　all　disappeared　around　the　corner　。。。　and　a　minute　later　the　breeze　carried　with　it　the　sound　of　a　single　gunshot。
　
　
　Chapter　19
　
　The　bus　pulled　finally　to　a　stop　beside　a　darkened　building　and　Moff　motioned　toward　the　door　with　his　pistol。　〃Out；〃　the　old　man　added　unnecessarily。　Keeping　his　movements　smooth　and　nonthreatening；　Justin　stood　up　and　let　the　Qasamans　escort　him　outside。
　The　building　was　a　shock　of　deja　vu；　and　it　took　Justin　only　a　second　to　realize　what　it　reminded　him　of。　〃Looks　like　a　stunted　version　of　the　Sollas　airfield　tower；〃　he　remarked　as　Moff　led　him　toward　a　guard…flanked　door。　〃Oddly　out　of　place　here　in　the　middle　of　a　city。〃
　Moff　didn't　answer。　Two　separate　doors　at　least；　Justin　noted；　scanning　the　structure　casually；　and　three　floors　with　windows。　Lots　of　ways　in。　e　on；　Almo…hit　these　guys　and　let's　see　what's　in　there。
　But　no　flashes　of　laser　light　interrupted　them　as　they　walked　to　the　building　door。　There　Moff　stopped　and　turned；　leveling　his　gun　at　Justin's　chest。　〃You　will　put　your　hands　behind　your　back　now；〃　the　old　man　said　from　behind　the　ring　of　Qasamans。
　Justin　plied；　and　cold　metal　bands　clamped
　around　his　wrists。　A/mo；　where　are　you？　he　thought
　fiercely；　flicking　glances　at　the　surrounding　buildings。
　Moff　led　them　between　the　guards　and　into*　life
　　　building。　The　high…security　building　where　the　Qasamans　felt　it　safe　to　bring　an　unknown　danger。
　The　sweat　was　beginning　to　break　out　on　Justin's　forehead。　It's　all　right；　he　told　himself。　It's　all　right。　So　you're　on　your　own；　but　you've　been　trained　for　this　sort　of　thing。　Two　doors；　and　three　floors　of　windows；　remember？　Getting　away　will　be　a　snap。　Carefully　he　let　his　fingers　explore　the　cuffs　holding　him。　The　wrist　rings　were　dauntingly　thick　。。。　but　it　was　a　short　chain；　not　a　solid　bar；　that　connected　them。　A　moment's　experimentation　showed　he　could　curl　either　of　his　fingertip　lasers　to　rest　against　one　of　the　links。　While　he　might　get　burned　in　the　process；　it　should　only　take　a　few　seconds　to　cut　himself　free。　Though　not　if　the　targeting　lock　wanted　to　hit　the　mojos　first。。。。　Shivering　at　what　could　have　been　a　nasty　mistake；　he　canceled　the　lock。　Take　it　easy；　Justin…you're　letting　yourself　get　flustered。
　Moff　led　them　down　a　hallway　to　an　elevator。　A　car　was　waiting　for　them。　〃Where　are　we　going？〃　Justin　asked；　just　to　break　the　silence。
　But　no　one　answered。　Three　of　the　guards　herded　Justin　into　the　car；　Moff　and　the　old　man　joined　them。　Steady；　kid；　steady。　Justin　bit　down　on　his　rising　fear。　Just　see　where　they're　taking　you；　then　knock　〃em　against　the　watts　and　out　a　window。
　Moff　pushed　the　bottom　of　a　long　row　of　buttons　。。。　and　the　elevator　started　down。
　Down。　Into　the　ground…deep　into　the　ground；　if　the　buttons　were　each　a　full　floor…where　there　were　no　doors　or　windows　to　escape　through。　And　for　perhaps　the　first　time　in　his　life　Justin　realized　he　was　terrified。　The　universe；　which　had　always　seemed　to　protect　him；　was　a　long　way　up；　far　above　his　little　elevator　car。　He　was　surrounded　by　the　armed　guards　and　hairtrigger　killer　birds　of　a　frightened　and　angry　society　。。。　and　it　dawned　on　him　with　a　sharpness　Hkquthe　smell　of　ozone　that　the　men　he　would　soon　…bej　facing　intended　him　to　die　in　this　deep　hole。　They
　didn't　know　he　was　a　Moreau；　didn't　care　that　he　was　a　Cobra；　and　when　they　were　through　with　him　they　would　kill　him。
　And　Justin　panicked。
　All　thoughts　of　finding　out　what　this　place　was；　all　considerations　of　not　revealing　his　Cobra　equipment；　all　thoughts　even　of　mercy…all　of　it　simply　fled　his　mind　before　the　bubbling　wave　of　panic　that　welled　suffocatingly　up　into　his　throat。　The　men；　guns；　and　mojos　surrounding　him　were　a　claustrophobic　pillow　across　his　face　。。。　and　without　making　a　conscious　decision　to　do　so；　he　exploded　into　action。
　His　fingertip　lasers　and　sonic　fired　first；　the　former　at　the　chain　binding　his　wrists；　the　latter　in　a　stunning　wavefront　in　all　directions。　An　instant　later　his　head　slammed　into　an　invisible　wall　and　he　recognized　with　a　fresh　surge　of　panic　the　folly　of　using　a　sonic　in　such　an　enclosed　space。　His　arms　tugged　convulsively　against　the　handcuffs　as　the　lasers　fired　again；　and　abruptly　the　metal　snapped　and　his　arms　swung　free。
　But　the　brief　sonic　blast　and　flash　of　light　had　alerted　the　Qasamans。　Even　as　Justin's　arms　came　loose　they　were　grabbed　by　hard　hands。　Grabbed　tightly…and　the　servos　beneath　the　skin　and　muscle　twisted　the　arms　up　and　forward；　slamming　the　two　men　head　to　head。　Their　grips　slipped　and　he　pulled　free…and　then　there　was　no　time　for　anything　but　terror　as　the　five　mojos　screamed　to　the　attack。
　Justin's　mind　blanked　pletely　then；　and　the　only　memory　he　had　of　what　happened　next　was　the　sounds　of　the　birds　and　the　horrible　thunderstorm　dazzle　of　a　hundred　laser　flashes。。。。
　The　stench　brought　him　back　to　reality　a　few　seconds　later；　the　stench　of　burned　meat　and　of　his　own　vomit。　Unsteadily；　he　got　to　his　feet　and　looked　around　at　the　carnage。　The　mojos…all　of　them…were　dead。　The　five　Qasamans　。　。　。　Justin　couldn't　tell。　Two　of　them　definitely　were；　with　prominent　laser　burns　over　vital　spots；　but　the　others…Moff　included…were　less　certain。　But　whether　burn　shock；　the　sonic；　or　his　flailing　arms　had　put　them　out　of　action　wasn't　important。　They　could　not　hurt　him；　and　he　had　no　desire　to　inquire　further。
　The　elevator　was　still　going　down。　The　whole　thing　had　clearly　taken　less　time　than　it'd　seemed　to；　and　it　penetrated　dimly　into　Justin's　rattled　consciousness　that　unless　the　elevator　contained　monitors　the　Qasamans　waiting　below　for　him　would　be　unaware　of　what　had　just　happened。　He　might　still　be　able　to　escape。
　He　jabbed　at　his　best　guess　for　the　ground　floor　button　。。。　and　then　at　a　second　and　a　third　before　he　realized　that；　unlike　those　on　Aventine；　this　elevator　design　didn't　allow　for　cancellation。　The　car　would　keep　going　down　until　it　reached　the　floor　Moff　had　signaled。　Where　more　Qasamans　would　be　waiting　for　him。
　He　had　flipped　over　on　his　back　on　the　unmoving　bodies　and　his　antiarmor　laser　was　already　tracing　an　off…center　square　in　the　ceiling　before　he　recognized　on　a　conscious　level　that　he　would　not；　could　not；　face　whatever　awaited　him　at　the　bottom　of　the
　〃　elevator　shaft。　The　false　ceiling　and　relatively　thin　metal　behind　it　were　no　match　for　the　laser；　and　as　the　charred　square　fell　practically　into　his　lap　Justin　scrambled　to　his　feet。　He　took　a　bare　second　to　gain　his　balance　and　jumped。
　Never　before；　not　even　in　training；　had　he　pushed　his　leg　servos　to　their　limit；　and　he　actually　gasped　in　shock　as　he　shot　through　the　opening　like　a　misshapen　missile。　All　around　him；　only　dimly　visible　even　with　the　aid　of　his　enhancers；　were　cables　and　guy　lines。　A　flicker　of　light　from　a　door　crack　washed　over　him…then　another；　and　another…he　was　slowing　down…stopping　in　midair…
　〃^〃Instinctively；　he　grabbed；　and　a　second　later　he　was　again　moving　downard；　his　arms　wrapped　solidly　around　the　main　elevator　cable。
　So　he　was　out　of　the　car；　and　out　of　the　direct　line　of　fire　from　the　Qasamans　below　。。。　but　he　was　still　deep　within　their　stronghold　and　had　left　a　trail　a　child　could　follow。　He　had　to　figure　out　a　way　to　escape；　and　he　had　to　do　so　fast。
　Oddly　enough；　though…or　so　it　seemed　to　him…　the　suffocating　panic　had　dissipated　far　enough　for　him　to　be　able　to　think　again。　His　incredible　jump　had　been　a　sledge…hammer　reminder　both　of　the　power　his　Cobra　equipment　gave　him　and　of　the　fact　that　his　father；　too；　had　once　been　imprisoned　like　this　and　had　survived。
　A　sheet　of　light　swept　by：　one　of　the　landing　doors　he'd　jumped　past　seconds　ago。　On　a　hunch；　he　shoved　off　the　cable　toward　it；　fingers　and　feet　finding　holds　on　framework　and　opening…mechanism　bars。　He　found　a　narrow　ledge　to　stand　on　and　regained　his　balance　as；　a　meter　away；　the　cable　continued　its　way　down。
　Carefully；　he　t