lifted her pistol, trying desperately to get a clear shot at Baruch, but he and Tahn were twined so tightly, she had no chance. Finally, she aimed at the floor and fired. The diversion shot flashed around the bay, whining like a shrieking banshee.
Baruch lunged to his feet, dodging into the tube before Halloway could get off another shot.
“Someone’ll stop them,” Jamie murmured to himself. But… but if they headed directly for Engineering, they’d have the element of complete surprise on their side. Impossible! Four men couldn’t take a battle cruiser! No! Oh, dear God, no! Why had he given the order to stand down! But there’d been no negative indications. How could he have known Baruch would try something so insane?
Jamie saw Tahn crawl weakly to his knees. Nausea overwhelmed the captain and he vomited repeatedly onto the white tiles. Halloway gripped Tahn by the arm and pulled him to his feet.
“Lean on me. Cole? Cole! We’ve got to get out of here!”
Tahn seemed disoriented, unable to focus his eyes. Concussion? He reeled in her arms as Halloway supported him across the bay and through a side entry that led to Defense.
Jamie lay still, staring blindly at the mangled corpses surrounding him on all sides. Morcon had been cut in half by the beams. Jamie blinked. A gray haze fluttered around the edges of his vision. He worked his leaden fingers in the copper-scented pool of blood that shot in jets from his femoral arteries. With the slow deliberateness of an assassin, blackness closed in, and he felt cold, so cold….
His consciousness waned just as the First Alert sirens wailed through the bay.
CHAPTER 4
Harper braced himself in the tube, breathing hard, adrenaline searing his veins. Jeremiel had said they’d have no more than thirty seconds maximum. Dear God, he prayed Baruch was still alive. He had a baseline competency in the systems, but he’d never be able to handle this massive twenty-level cruiser without Jeremiel. He stared at Uriah, a skinny youth with black hair, then at Janowitz, short and stocky and platinum blond.
“You know the plan,” Harper said. “Full-scale attack. No prisoners.”
Janowitz’s eyes glowed. “We’re ready.”
The tube door snicked open and they lurched into the corridor, panning it with their rifles. Shrill whines erupted as purple beams lanced out. Four Magisterial crew members fell dead before they knew what had happened.
Harper led the charge, racing down the hall toward the double doors that led into Engineering. Jeremiel had explained that all C-J class cruisers had the same design. Engineering was a tri-level round chamber manned at any given time by about twenty people. Duty stations perched like wire birds’ nests on each level—making it damned easy shooting if you surprised the crew from below.
He burst through the doors, lifted his rifle, and took the top level. Janowitz and Uriah braced themselves behind him, taking the floor and second levels. Men and women screamed and struggled to get up to run. A few grabbed for guns as purple arcs sliced off arms and legs.
“Throw down your weapons!” Harper demanded, and kept firing.
A cascade of pistols and rifles clattered on the floor. The dead hung from their wire duty cages, mouths agape, eyes wide with shock. Starbursts of crimson splashed the white walls, running in streaks and bars to pool on the floor. Several members of the crew had escaped. Only one man, a red-haired lieutenant, still remained. He’d been trapped in the square niche of blocky white consoles that controlled the entire ship.
“Janowitz, Uriah, go check the adjacent corridors. Clear them. Use whatever force is necessary.”
“Aye, Harper.”
Both men raced to the exit that most of the crew had escaped through. Harper watched them disappear, then whirled when he caught a glimpse of his remaining prisoner reaching for the nearest console. He leveled his rifle.
“Get away from those controls, mister.”
“Who—who
Baruch lunged to his feet, dodging into the tube before Halloway could get off another shot.
“Someone’ll stop them,” Jamie murmured to himself. But… but if they headed directly for Engineering, they’d have the element of complete surprise on their side. Impossible! Four men couldn’t take a battle cruiser! No! Oh, dear God, no! Why had he given the order to stand down! But there’d been no negative indications. How could he have known Baruch would try something so insane?
Jamie saw Tahn crawl weakly to his knees. Nausea overwhelmed the captain and he vomited repeatedly onto the white tiles. Halloway gripped Tahn by the arm and pulled him to his feet.
“Lean on me. Cole? Cole! We’ve got to get out of here!”
Tahn seemed disoriented, unable to focus his eyes. Concussion? He reeled in her arms as Halloway supported him across the bay and through a side entry that led to Defense.
Jamie lay still, staring blindly at the mangled corpses surrounding him on all sides. Morcon had been cut in half by the beams. Jamie blinked. A gray haze fluttered around the edges of his vision. He worked his leaden fingers in the copper-scented pool of blood that shot in jets from his femoral arteries. With the slow deliberateness of an assassin, blackness closed in, and he felt cold, so cold….
His consciousness waned just as the First Alert sirens wailed through the bay.
CHAPTER 4
Harper braced himself in the tube, breathing hard, adrenaline searing his veins. Jeremiel had said they’d have no more than thirty seconds maximum. Dear God, he prayed Baruch was still alive. He had a baseline competency in the systems, but he’d never be able to handle this massive twenty-level cruiser without Jeremiel. He stared at Uriah, a skinny youth with black hair, then at Janowitz, short and stocky and platinum blond.
“You know the plan,” Harper said. “Full-scale attack. No prisoners.”
Janowitz’s eyes glowed. “We’re ready.”
The tube door snicked open and they lurched into the corridor, panning it with their rifles. Shrill whines erupted as purple beams lanced out. Four Magisterial crew members fell dead before they knew what had happened.
Harper led the charge, racing down the hall toward the double doors that led into Engineering. Jeremiel had explained that all C-J class cruisers had the same design. Engineering was a tri-level round chamber manned at any given time by about twenty people. Duty stations perched like wire birds’ nests on each level—making it damned easy shooting if you surprised the crew from below.
He burst through the doors, lifted his rifle, and took the top level. Janowitz and Uriah braced themselves behind him, taking the floor and second levels. Men and women screamed and struggled to get up to run. A few grabbed for guns as purple arcs sliced off arms and legs.
“Throw down your weapons!” Harper demanded, and kept firing.
A cascade of pistols and rifles clattered on the floor. The dead hung from their wire duty cages, mouths agape, eyes wide with shock. Starbursts of crimson splashed the white walls, running in streaks and bars to pool on the floor. Several members of the crew had escaped. Only one man, a red-haired lieutenant, still remained. He’d been trapped in the square niche of blocky white consoles that controlled the entire ship.
“Janowitz, Uriah, go check the adjacent corridors. Clear them. Use whatever force is necessary.”
“Aye, Harper.”
Both men raced to the exit that most of the crew had escaped through. Harper watched them disappear, then whirled when he caught a glimpse of his remaining prisoner reaching for the nearest console. He leveled his rifle.
“Get away from those controls, mister.”
“Who—who
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