Page 210 (1/2)

Naoeant’s neck; his face was purple Holden kicked the drill-wielding man in the back of the knee at the same mo drill sparked against the floor with a sound like a finger tapping against glass Paula had the sergeant’s knife in her hands, backing up against one of her co at the zip line around his wrists The rifle his elbow, and Amos’ breath went out in a whoosh Holden dropped onto thethePrax couldn’t see, and the rifleh the Pinkwater man’s zip-tie just as the medical woman scooped up the rifle The freed eant’s holster and leaned forward, pressing the barrel to thethe rifle up a quarter second too late

Everyone froze The medical woman smiled

“Checkmate,” she said, and lowered the rifle to the floor

It had all taken no more than ten seconds

Naoh the wrist bindings while Holden followed along behind, disabling the co their hands and feet A perfect inversion of the previous situation Prax, rubbing the feeling back into his fingers, had the absurd i orders to hi dropped and sounding out like a drum

“I just want you to kno much I appreciate the way you looked after my people,” Wendell told the pair whoobscene and unpleasant, but she s in the box of their belongings and then tossing a card-key to the Pinkwater leader “The Soet to her now and get the hell out of here”

“Preaching to the choir,” Wendell said “Get that gurney We’re not leaving hiet out of here before reinforcements come”

“Yessir,” Paula said

Wendell turned to Holden

“It was interesting ain”

Holden nodded but didn’t stop putting his armor back on to shake hands Amos did the same, then distributed their confiscated weapons and iteun and then left through the same door the dark-skinned man had used, Amos and Naomi on his heels Prax had to trot to catch up Another detonation caht he felt the ice shake under hiination

“What’s … what’s going on?”

“The proto a hand ter hold”