"Let's go!" Kellan shouted and signaled the rest of the group, shouldering her pack and loping off toward the t-bird. The other shadowrunners followed suit as a hatch popped open in the side of the vehicle. Natokah reached it first and pulled it fully open. He jumped inside, dropped his pack out of the way and offered his hand to help the others up. Kellan saw the name leapin' lizard painted in green letters along the prow of the vehicle.
In short order, they were packed inside the close confines of the LAV's cabin. Natokah slid the hatch closed, and the engines began revving up again. The cabin was surprisingly quiet, the sound of the engines reduced to a dull, muffled roar.
"Mornin', folks." An electronically filtered voice came through the speakers in the cabin. "I'm Fast Eddy, and I'm gonna get you out to Lewiston. Everybody get strapped in, cuz we're gonna be moving fast." Kellan immediately fumbled with the safety harness built into the seat, slipping her arms through the straps and buckling the harness in the middle of her chest. She felt the thunderbird lift off the ground and turn, she assumed, to the southeast.
"Let's ride!" Fast Eddy's voice called over the speakers. Then the thunderbird rocketed forward with a force that slammed Kellan against the seat and, painfully, against Orion's shoulder. They picked up speed, and the roar of the engines increased.
"Things might get a little bumpy back there." the rigger pilot added. "Just hang on and stay frosty. I've run this route plenty of times, so there's nothing to worry about."
Kellan spotted the dim light of an intercom switch on the comm panel near her head. She pressed it, speaking to the empty air. "How long to Lewiston?"
"Couple hours, tops," came the response, "depends on what things are like along the way, but I'm not expecting any problems. Sorry, but there's no inflight movie. Just so ya don't get too bored back there, I'm gonna set it up so you can watch the HUD."
A heads-up display rotated down from the ceiling of the compartment until it was almost flush against the front wall. It was about half a meter across, and immediately it lit up with a computer-generated view of the terrain—a feed from the thunderbird's sensors. It showed ground contours and other shapes picked up by the LAV's radar and infrared imaging systems. Kellan assumed that, like all riggers, the smuggler was plugged directly into the t-bird's systems, "seeing" and "hearing" everything its sensors picked up.
The shadowrunners remained silent as they watched the screen. The thunderbird flew faster than most ground transportation moved, though it was clear Fast Eddy wasn't going full tilt. The smuggler was tempering the vehicle's capabilities to accommodate the uneven terrain and the darkness, and to reduce the risk of detection. Kellan couldn't judge their velocity by how quickly they passed their surroundings as shown on the heads-up display, but she'd be willing to bet they were going faster than a bullet train. In almost no time, the rigger's voice came over the speakers again.
"We're getting close to the border. We should be across in just a couple of minutes. That's when the fun starts."
Kellan tensed in her seat, watching the display and feeling helpless at her inability to control the situation. The smuggler was a pro, and Draven vouched for Fast Eddy's reputation, so she just had to trust that everything would go well. None of the other runners appeared nervous, though they all focused on the display as the t-bird ate up the kilometers between them and the border of the Seattle Metroplex and the Salish-Shidhe Council.
Suddenly, a small red light flashed on the viewscreen.
"What's that?" Kellan asked aloud.
"Trouble." Draven muttered, just as Fast Eddy announced, "We've got company, folks! Two bogeys headed in. I'm going to try and shake 'em, so hang tight!"
Kellan felt her stomach lurch as Fast Eddy dropped the t-bird's altitude to fly perilously close to the ground in an attempt to confuse any radar or other scan that tried to pinpoint their location. A second window opened up on the display screen, showing an overhead view of the area. Two red blips were closing in on a green dot that represented the Leapin' Lizard.
'They've spotted us!" Fast Eddy said. "We're gonna have to make a run for it."
They picked up more speed, but the red blips continued to close in. Then an alarm beeped from the speakers as a smaller blip detached from one of the bogeys, streaking toward the t-bird.
"Missile!" Draven shouted, just as the thunderbird lurched in an evasive maneuver. A muffled blast shook the cabin, slamming the shadowrunners against their safety harnesses and sending the LAV skidding sideways before it regained its forward momentum.
"That felt close!" Orion said.
"Hang on, we got another one incoming!" Fast Eddy warned. There was another explosion, this one not quite as close as the first, though the vibrations still shook the cabin as the thunderbird zigged and zagged to create the most difficult target possible.
"Can you use magic to take care of them?" Orion asked, and Kellan shook her head.
"I need to see them." she replied. "It has to be a direct line of sight. A video link or tactical display isn't enough." She looked at Natokah, silently asking if the shaman had any tricks up his sleeve.
"I may be able to help," he said, "but not until we clear this terrain." He didn't elaborate any further. He merely closed his eyes and slumped in his seat, a position that Kellan knew meant the shaman was astrally projecting.
The t-bird hugged the terrain, keeping its distance from its pursuers, but it had to swerve to avoid obstacles on the ground—a problem that didn't seem to affect their attackers. Another volley of missiles closed in, missing by a narrow margin and shaking the cabin with the force of their blasts. The overlay map on the display showed the Salish-Shidhe border coming up quickly.
"It's not the UCAS border patrol." Natokah announced, raising his head and opening his eyes. "They're Lone Star assault choppers."
"Lone Star?" Kellan asked. "What the frag are they doing here?"
The shaman shook his head. "I don't know. Border patrol isn't in Lone Star's jurisdiction. They're only supposed to handle law enforcement inside the metroplex."
"Well, somebody should tell them that!" Orion said as another blast shook the t-bird.
"The good news," Midnight interjected, "is that they should break off once we cross the border. Lone Star doesn't have any authority outside the metroplex, and I'll bet they won't want to create an incident with the NAN authorities."
"We'd better hope so," Kellan replied, "but what about the SSC border patrol? They must have noticed all of this drek going on right on their doorstep!"
"I think I can handle that." Natokah said. Kellan was about to ask him how, when Fast Eddy's voice came over the speakers again.
"Border's coming up!" The thunderbird shot across the line on the map separating the Seattle Metroplex from Salish-Shidhe Council territory. The red dots following close behind them slowed.
"I think they're breaking off." Orion said.
"Yeah, but look there." Draven pointed at the upper corner of the screen, where a pair of blue dots appeared.
"Great, more company." Kellan muttered. Could anything else go wrong with the start of their rim?
Natokah began chanting in a low, deep tone, calling out over the thrumming of the thunderbird's engines. His chant rose in volume and pitch, and once again Kellan had the impression of a shadowy shape overlaying the shaman's features. His face took on a sharper cast and, as he raised his arms toward the ceiling, Kellan caught a glimpse of mighty wings spreading behind him. With the shaman's final cry, there was a flicker in the air, and Kellan shivered, sensitive to the magic washing over her.
Natokah spoke firmly in a language Kellan didn't know. She assumed it was the shaman's native tongue.
"The intercom." he said to Kellan. She blinked for a second, and then hit the talk button.
"Eddy," the shaman said, "change course to get clear of our last heading."
"Roger that." the pilot replied.
On the screen, the icon for the t-bird shifted course a bit further south. Wi
thin a minute, the red blips of the Lone Star choppers dropped off the screen and the incoming blue blips veered off toward the area of the border where the thunderbird had emerged, but away from the LAV's current position.
"What did you do?" Kellan asked Natokah. The shaman exhaled heavily.
"I called upon the aid of a spirit of the land," he said, "to conceal our presence. We are hidden from the eyes of the border patrol for the time being. By the time they finish investigating why Lone Star has been active so close to the border, we should be long gone."
"You mean we're invisible?" Orion asked, and Natokah shook his head.
"No. More like well camouflaged."
"For how long?" Kellan asked.
"Until sunrise. More than long enough to get us where we're going. I don't think we should have any other trouble with patrols before we reach Lewiston."
Kellan was impressed. She'd never even seen Lothan do something like this.
"Nice work." she told Natokah, and the shaman nodded in acknowledgement.
"What troubles me," he said, "is why Lone Star assault choppers showed up so close to the border."
"Only one reason." Midnight spoke up. "Someone told them to be there."
"What do you mean?" Orion asked.
The security specialist looked at each of the other shadowrunners in the cabin. "I mean someone tipped them off about a border crossing." she said. "Someone convinced Lone Star it was in their best interest to intervene, even outside their normal jurisdiction."
"You mean one of us." Kellan said flatly.
Midnight shrugged. "I mean someone who knew we were headed out of the Metroplex. Who else is there aside from us?"
I can think of a few people, Kellan thought. G-Dogg, Jackie Ozone, Lothan. Would any of them sell her out to Lone Star? Kellan didn't want to believe that. Then there was whoever killed Squeak. Maybe they had an in with the Star? Hell, maybe Lone Star killed him. The other alternative was what Midnight suggested: one of her team tipped off the corp about their run. But who, and why?
"We're in the clear for now." Natokah said, cutting through the strained silence. "We won't have to worry about Lone Star in Lewiston. They don't have many contracts in Salish-Shidhe territory."
The shadowrunners watched the display screen as the Leapin' Lizard roared across the countryside of the Salish-Shidhe Council toward their destination, more as a way to avoid conversation than out of any real interest. Kellan knew they were all wondering the same thing. Was one of them—maybe even more than one—willing to sell out the rest of the team? If there was a traitor in their midst, then they had a lot more to worry about than evading a Lone Star patrol. A lot more.
Chapter 16
They reached the outskirts of Lewiston with no further incidents, and the Salish-Shidhe patrols ignored them. It took less than two hours to arrive at their destination, just as Fast Eddy promised.
The smuggler chose an isolated spot a couple of kilometers from the town and brought the Leapin' Lizard in for a smooth landing. The shadowrunners unbuckled their harnesses and climbed out of the flying tank, grateful to have their feet on solid ground again. The wooded clearing was silent apart from the slowing whine of the t-bird's engines and the pinging noise of heated metal cooling in the night air. Kellan glanced at her chronometer; it was still a couple of hours before dawn.
The forward hatch of the thunderbird hissed open and a lithe figure wearing a dark blue flight suit and a helmet with a dark visor climbed out. The helmet was trailing several cables, which connected to the systems on board the Lizard; inputs in the helmet jacked directly into the pilot's neural ports. Fast Eddy reached up and pulled off the helmet, releasing a luxurious length of auburn hair that she shook out as she stowed the helmet in the cockpit.
She jumped down from the LAV and approached Kellan with her hand extended.
"Kellan? Nice to meet you." Kellan shook the proffered hand. The rigger's fingers were tough and calloused. "Draven said you were looking for a round trip?"
Kellan nodded. "Yeah. Can you give us a minute to talk it over?"
"Sure thing. I'm going to do a quick check to make sure ol' Liz didn't take any damage from those close volleys." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder toward the t-bird. "Let me know."
As soon as the rigger was out of earshot, Kellan turned to the rest of the team, who were waiting expectantly.
"Okay." she said. "We're headed for a place in Hell's Canyon, not too far from Lewiston."
Natokah nodded. "That's rough terrain. We'll need to take an all-terrain vehicle, or else a boat down the Snake River to get there. I would recommend the river, if it's willing."
"What do you mean 'if it's willing'?" Orion asked. "How do you find out if a river is willing?"
"You ask it." Natokah replied seriously.
"How long to get there, look around and get back?" Kellan interrupted. The shaman thought for a moment.
"I'd say three, maybe four days."
"Okay." Kellan said. "So if I ask Fast Eddy to pick us up in five days, we should be good."
Kellan waved at Fast Eddy to get her attention. The rigger rejoined them, reporting no significant damage to her thunderbird. She seemed rather pleased about their brush with Lone Star. "Helps liven up the short runs." she explained. Kellan asked the rigger to meet them at this same location in five days, and she nodded in agreement.
"No problem." she said. "I'll be on my way back by then, and I'll make sure there's enough room for you in the back." Kellan paid the rigger for their trip in-country, along with a small retainer for the return. As she made the transaction, her thoughts flickered briefly to Brickman. Could he be setting them up? Was that how Lone Star knew to come for them? There was no love lost between Brickman's Knight Errant employers and Lone Star, but then, that made Lone Star the perfect tools, since no one would suspect Brickman of being involved with them. But how would he know when and from where they were leaving . . . ?
Stop it. You're getting paranoid. Of course, some considered paranoia a survival skill in the shadows. Personally, Kellan considered it a distraction.
Once her business was concluded, Fast Eddy buttoned up inside the heapin' Lizard. She waited until the runners were clear of the area before firing up the t-bird's engines again. The LAV rose up from the clearing to an altitude above the treetops and took off, heading south. Soon it was lost from sight, and even the sound of its turbines faded.
The shadowrunners easily covered the few kilometers to town, and slipped in just before the sun began to rise. Kellan was actually happy to stretch her legs after the hours inside the cabin of the t-bird, though walking through dark woods wouldn't have been her first choice of exercise. Natokah seemed at home tracking through the forest, however, and guided them on an easy path.
Like most cities and towns in the NAN, Lewiston was already old before the United Canadian and American States ceded territory to the Native Americans, and it still looked much as it had around the turn of the twenty-first century. There were some native touches in the style of the newer construction, similar to what she had seen in Natokah's neighborhood of Columbia back in Seattle, but there was little else to distinguish it as part of the NAN.
Kellan decided the first orders of business were food and transportation. She assigned Midnight and Draven the task of scoping out the downtown area and locating a place to eat, and places where they could pick up the supplies they needed. Kellan took Orion and Natokah to look into transportation downriver to Hell's Canyon. She hoped they could accomplish all this without attracting unwanted attention—with any luck, anyone who thought twice about the runners would assume they were campers or tourists.
The boat rental places were open early, and they were able to find one that had a motorized pontoon boat available. Kellan used her Ms. Webley ID to handle the transaction, which would provide cover if they had to ditch the boat. The owner of the establishment, an older man of mixed Native American and Anglo ancestry, was eager to chat, and confirmed that
a trip downriver would take at least two days, possibly longer.
"Depends on how far you plan to go." he added. "The Snake River stretches on for quite some distance. You're only going to be able to go so far downriver before you run into some rapids. Boat like this won't go over most rapids." He repeated that point several times as they discussed the security deposit and rules for safe use of the craft. "You can ford across some of the rapids, of course, but that will add time to your trip. Where are you planning on going?"
Kellan considered for a moment, and then described their destination. He shook his head.
"Oh, that's downriver quite a ways, near Granite Creek and the Seven Devils. You'll never go all that way in a boat like this. You need a kayak or something that can handle the rapids. And even then you'd need to ford some of them."
Kellan glanced over at Orion and Natokah. The shaman shook his head slightly and turned to the owner.
"Well, we'll have to change our plans a bit, then." he said. "I told them it would be difficult to go so far downriver in a boat. Maybe we'll leave the river earlier than planned and do some hiking, instead." His expression told Kellan to play along, so she did.
"Yeah, I guess so." she said, trying to sound disappointed, which wasn't too hard. They concluded their business, then the man took them behind his shop and showed them the boat they'd rented. Kellan told him they would be back in a few hours to take possession.
As they made their way back to meet up with the other runners, Kellan turned to Natokah.
"What was all that about? If we can't make it far enough downriver . . ."
"We can." the shaman replied. "But it's simpler if we don't have to explain to anyone how we're going to do that." He smiled. "I doubt it's covered by the rental company's insurance policy."
"Magic?"
Natokah nodded. "The rapids will pose no problem, and we will cover the distance faster than predicted."
Poison Agendas Page 14
