Page 195 (1/2)

“We’re sure this is right, Naoh in the hacker’s footage,” she replied

“Okay,” he said, then dropped to one knee and motioned for his ad hoc arh circle around him, he said, “Our overwatch, Naomi, has intel on the layout of these tunnels, but not uys are, or even if they’re still here”

Prax started to object, but Amos quieted him with a heavy hand on his back

“So we could conceivably leave a lot of intersections at our back I don’t like that”

“Yeah,” said Wendell, the Pinkwater leader “I don’t like thatto leave a lookout at each intersection until we knohere we’re going,” Holden replied, then said, “Naomi, put all their hand terminals on our channel Guys, put in your ear-buds Comm discipline is don’t speak unless I ask a direct question, or soer,” said Wendell, echoed by the rest of his tea at, I’ll call all the lookouts up to our position if needed If not, they’re our way out of here if we’re in over our heads”

Nods all around

“Outstanding Amos is point Wendell, you cover our asses Everyone else, string out at one-meter intervals,” Holden said, then tapped on Wendell’s breastplate “We do this thing clean, and I’ll talk toa few credits in your accounts in addition to getting you offworld”

“Righteous,” the thin woman with the cheap armor said, and then racked a round in her o Amos, Naomi’s map says fifty meters to another pressure door, then some warehouse space”

Amos nodded, then shouldered his weapon, a heavy autoazines and a nu from his Martian armor’s harness The metal clicked a little as he walked Aave a quick glance behind, gratified to see the Pinkwater people keeping up the pace and the spacing They

“Cap, there’s a tunnel coht just before the pressure door,” A to one knee to cover the unexpected corridor

It didn’t appear on theafter the station specs had last been updated Modifications like that ht It wasn’t a good thing

“Okay,” Holden said, pointing at the thin woman with the machine pistol “You are?”

“Paula,” she said

“Paula, this is your intersection Try not to shoot anyone that doesn’t shoot at you first, but do not let anyone past you for any reason”

“Solid copy on that,” Paula said, and took up a position looking down the side corridor with her weapon at the ready

Arenade off his harness and handed it to her

“Just in case shit goes down,” he said Paula nodded, settled her back against the wall A point, moved toward the pressure door