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He opened his mouth to speak but Tania waved him off "We have no idea e’ll find out there I’ot experience in the field--Hawaii, and in the rainforest here--plus I’ve been inside the Key Ship I knoe’re looking for"
Karl frowned A light rain began to tap against the tent above thean to cross the sky
"On a lighter note," Tiht Russell Blackfield doith us"
A dark scowl crossed Karl’s face He shifted on the bed again as the news settled "I suppose it’s for the best It’s too easy to sabotage a space station, and down here at least he can be put to work" His focusyou out of this venture into the Clear?"
"No"
He nodded for several seconds "When do you leave?"
"As soon as a suitable aircraft--"
The sound of roaring engines drowned her words
"Easy," Skyler said
Vanessa tapped the stick with a gentle deftness, pushing the bulky aircraft back over the clearing just outside the colony’s gates "You can take over," she said
"Your bird, your landing" He grinned at her reaction and studied the array of instruments before his co-pilot’s chair just to be safe
The aircraft, designed for coastal patrol and rescue, had ae, a full medical bay with supplies, and even a winch to lift people or gear while hovering at one hundred pie’s only advantage was top speed Well, that and luxury, but Skyler had no use for the latter Given the choice he’d take this craft any day, but given the circumstances he felt it better that he make do with the lesser aircraft
He tested the intercom as Vanessa descended "You boys okay back there?"
"Copy that," the one naers Skyler had trained, spoke easily despite the thunderous noise around the craft Out of necessity he’d worn an environured out how to plug it into the intercom "Some bits weren’t quite secured, but Nach’ and I have it all sorted"
They’d spotted the aircraft in one of the gigantic collage picture layouts they’d asseround on the shore of the Pará just north of the city, had caught their attention It was listing as it deteriorated, revealing a portion of the tarp-covered cargo it carried: the tail wing of an aircraft It was a hell of a piece of scavenging work, he thought, and had told theine what kind of operation Prurinned at the idea Maybe it would co to plan
The aircraft rotated at a leisurely pace as Vanessa pointed the nose toward the colony’s gate Water and dust began to stir fro the air around them Skyler saw colonists on the wall now They held hats to their heads in the press of the powerful wind He waved at then to the Melville, with four cap-driven engines out at the ends of four broad wings Unfortunately it did not have the plating required for ativen that it made sense only for people or parties with access to the space elevator in Darwin Even on the other side of the planet, Skyler had only seen a few such vehicles in his years searching
He could hardly coer crew compartun felt cool in her hand Perfectly weighted, solid
In a way, she could appreciate the art of it Thewere beyond question Tania had never cared , and she saw killing as sos should not be in the business of Even after the subhumans arrived it had been easy for her, from her isolated, almost utopian place aboard Anchor Station, to take the position that there must be a more humane way to deal with the fored
"That’s my favorite," Ana said quietly
Tania thumbed the clip release, pulled it out, and slapped it back in "It’s a Sonton?"
"SIG Sauer, actually Not as common, but I like the way it feels and since the aht I find those distracting Of course, Skyler chides me for it, but--"
Footsteps on the stairs cut her words short
"What do I chide you for?" Skyler stepped into the less room and paused to let his eyes adjust Tania heard the reinforced door clicked closed behind hie room within the university that overlapped with the colony on the western side A courtyard just outside served as the impound yard for the aura towers, and most of the rooms that fell within the subsequent protective aura were dorood use by the colony This roouessed, was off an interior hall below a stairwell Concrete walls kept it cool and dry, even at this time of year, and at some point a pair of metal plates had been welded to the door A heavy lock had been installed, too, just in case Tania thought it telling that Ana knew the combination and clearly knew the roohts," Ana said without turning
"Ah" Skyler offered Tania a bunch of bananas He held one, half eaten, in his other hand "Quite useful when shooting from the hip"
Ana turned finally She waved off the bananas when Tania offered theure out where that stupid little dot is when I could just be shooting"
"Waste of ammo," Skyler said over a estured to the wall of boxes behind her Boxes of every size, shape, and style of bullet
Skyler took another bite, chewed "All that matters is what’s in the clip"
"You want to sleep outside tonight, pendejo?"
Tania, stuck between the couple, with nowhere to go, turned her focus to peeling a banana The girl’s tone, playful and flirtatious, nevertheless had a note of challenge to it She ht be Skyler’s lover, but she was also part of his crew Tania didn’t consider herself an expert, but she’d seen enough of the old ro business and pleasure was rarely a good idea
Skyler just grinned, though, and looked to Tania "The others are gathered in the Helios’s crew cabin It’s time to make our plan"
"Helios?" Tania and Ana asked simultaneously
"Vanessa’s na to do with her jujitsu" He said the words over his shoulder as he departed Deep down, he probably felt ood job of hiding it