a mouthful of air. Harrison realizes he’s been holding his breath; he lets it out in a slow, steady, hot stream that fogs up the glass.
Wiping the condensation with a hand, he gulps in another breath. Because, from his high vantage point, he can see what the girl can’t:
The third AttackDog has managed to get well out in front of her, and is hiding, waiting to do exactly what it’s been programmed to do: attack. Clearly the two dogs are communicating somehow, the second dog is chasing her right toward his companion. She’s trapped.
And between the two dogs rests the mountain of junk.
“We’ve got to help her,” Harrison says.
“Not a chance,” Simon says. “The portal cannot be opened except under special circumstances.”
“I’d consider this pretty special,” Harrison says, reaching for a large button to the side of Simon.
The bigger man grabs his arm and says, “Don’t make me hurt you.”
Harrison’s eyes meet his for a split-second, and he forces his face to relax, as if he knows he’s defeated. Which, in turn, makes Simon relax his muscles and grip for a split-second, long enough for Harrison to twist sharply and simultaneously bash the top of his forehead directly into the guard’s nose.
There’s a crunch and a grunt and a spray of blood as Simon’s nose breaks. He crumples, clutching his face.
Harrison can sense Minda behind him, so he lunges forward, slapping his palm against the button, hearing the whoosh! of the portal opening, from side to side. “Dammitdammitdammit,” Minda mutters under her breath. Harrison whirls around to face her, the tip of her laser pointed directly at his face. “What have you done?” she says, her mouth a tight line.
Harrison knows there’s no time to spare, so he says, “Shoot me if you have to, but I’m going out that portal.”
Minda shakes her head and he can see the resignation in her eyes. She’s not going to shoot him, even if she might want to. She drops the nose of the gun to the floor and Harrison races past her.
Outside, his eyes dart around, taking in the situation. The girl is racing through the junkyard, the dog nipping at her heels, just missing her with each swipe. She’s heading directly toward the base of the junk mountain. The other dog is nowhere to be seen, but Harrison knows he’ll be hiding in wait for her. The trap is set.
He wishes he had his hoverboard, but it’s tucked safely beneath his bed back in the sleeping quarters. With no other choice, he plunges down the mountain, his feet tiptoeing and dancing on metal parts that break beneath his feet like loose rocks on a steep slope. With reckless abandon he charges down at an angle that he hopes will intersect the girl’s path.
And then what?
He hasn’t thought that far ahead and he doesn’t now, concentrating on his balance.
He almost falls, drops a hand to steady himself, a sharp metal edge slicing his palm. But he regains his balance, his hand slick with warm blood. Just as he reaches the bottom of the mountain, which drops off a three meter wall to the junkyard floor below, he spots the other AttackDog, its bright yellow eyes giving away its presence in the shadows.
Skittering to a stop before the drop off, he glances to his left, where the girl races along the base of the mountain, just out of reach of her pursuer, her eyes black spots of determination. There’s movement to his right as the other dog springs from the shadows, bounding forward to cut off the hoverskater’s path.
Harrison knows if he jumps down they’ll both be dog meat. He has to somehow get her up to where he is. And fast.
Nearby he notices a metal beam poking from the junk, hanging partly out from the mountain. Not knowing how deep it’s buried or how sturdy it is, he leaps forward and then shimmies his way out onto the beam. The girl’s eyes widen as she seems to spot both him and the other dog at the same moment.
“Grab my arms!” Harrison shouts, swinging down like a monkey,
Wiping the condensation with a hand, he gulps in another breath. Because, from his high vantage point, he can see what the girl can’t:
The third AttackDog has managed to get well out in front of her, and is hiding, waiting to do exactly what it’s been programmed to do: attack. Clearly the two dogs are communicating somehow, the second dog is chasing her right toward his companion. She’s trapped.
And between the two dogs rests the mountain of junk.
“We’ve got to help her,” Harrison says.
“Not a chance,” Simon says. “The portal cannot be opened except under special circumstances.”
“I’d consider this pretty special,” Harrison says, reaching for a large button to the side of Simon.
The bigger man grabs his arm and says, “Don’t make me hurt you.”
Harrison’s eyes meet his for a split-second, and he forces his face to relax, as if he knows he’s defeated. Which, in turn, makes Simon relax his muscles and grip for a split-second, long enough for Harrison to twist sharply and simultaneously bash the top of his forehead directly into the guard’s nose.
There’s a crunch and a grunt and a spray of blood as Simon’s nose breaks. He crumples, clutching his face.
Harrison can sense Minda behind him, so he lunges forward, slapping his palm against the button, hearing the whoosh! of the portal opening, from side to side. “Dammitdammitdammit,” Minda mutters under her breath. Harrison whirls around to face her, the tip of her laser pointed directly at his face. “What have you done?” she says, her mouth a tight line.
Harrison knows there’s no time to spare, so he says, “Shoot me if you have to, but I’m going out that portal.”
Minda shakes her head and he can see the resignation in her eyes. She’s not going to shoot him, even if she might want to. She drops the nose of the gun to the floor and Harrison races past her.
Outside, his eyes dart around, taking in the situation. The girl is racing through the junkyard, the dog nipping at her heels, just missing her with each swipe. She’s heading directly toward the base of the junk mountain. The other dog is nowhere to be seen, but Harrison knows he’ll be hiding in wait for her. The trap is set.
He wishes he had his hoverboard, but it’s tucked safely beneath his bed back in the sleeping quarters. With no other choice, he plunges down the mountain, his feet tiptoeing and dancing on metal parts that break beneath his feet like loose rocks on a steep slope. With reckless abandon he charges down at an angle that he hopes will intersect the girl’s path.
And then what?
He hasn’t thought that far ahead and he doesn’t now, concentrating on his balance.
He almost falls, drops a hand to steady himself, a sharp metal edge slicing his palm. But he regains his balance, his hand slick with warm blood. Just as he reaches the bottom of the mountain, which drops off a three meter wall to the junkyard floor below, he spots the other AttackDog, its bright yellow eyes giving away its presence in the shadows.
Skittering to a stop before the drop off, he glances to his left, where the girl races along the base of the mountain, just out of reach of her pursuer, her eyes black spots of determination. There’s movement to his right as the other dog springs from the shadows, bounding forward to cut off the hoverskater’s path.
Harrison knows if he jumps down they’ll both be dog meat. He has to somehow get her up to where he is. And fast.
Nearby he notices a metal beam poking from the junk, hanging partly out from the mountain. Not knowing how deep it’s buried or how sturdy it is, he leaps forward and then shimmies his way out onto the beam. The girl’s eyes widen as she seems to spot both him and the other dog at the same moment.
“Grab my arms!” Harrison shouts, swinging down like a monkey,
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