razorsedge

by Lisanne Norman

  “All done,” she said, resting the cardboard box on the bench beside him. It was heavy. She examined a clawtip, and finding the snag, chewed it off absently as she watched the genticist.

  “They’re coming,” said Tiernay. “Three aircars— about twenty soldiers, I reckon.”

  Zashou reached forward for a slim box lying beside Vartra’s case. “How long?” she asked, opening the box. Inside lay the faculty’s only pressurized hypoderm gun.

  “Maybe five minutes,” he said.

  Zashou sensed the others getting ready, swinging guns off their shoulders, switching off the safety catches.

  “There’s three more craft coming from this direction,” said Rezac from the side window. “They’re definitely here for you, Doctor.”

  “Almost finished,” Vartra said, reaching for the last vial.

  Zashou’s hand closed on it first. “No. We’ll use this one,” she said, uncapping the vial and fitting it into the hypo.

  “What?” said Vartra, his hand stopping in midair. He watched, mesmerized, as the Sholan female moved one of her skirt panels aside and, parting the fur on her thigh, applied the hypo, and pressed the trigger.

  Rezac, sensitive as always to the mood of the group, swung his head around, sized up the potential situation, and unhurriedly moved to Vartra’s side.

  Zashou looked up at the doctor, rubbing her leg briefly. “That case you intend to carry contains the only Sholan samples of your enhanced gene. If anything happens to you or it, then all your work will be lost. We can’t take that risk, Doctor. If the gene is carried in us as well, then we can ensure that enough of it reaches the monastery to infect all the telepaths on Shola.”

  “Zashou, my work is still experimental! I haven’t finished correlating the data yet!”

  “It’s ready to test on Sholans now,” she said. “The animal trials were more than successful, we all know that from our work in the lab with you. And on the simulated tests you ran last night, the computer results were positive. The gene will enhance our telepathy, and breed true, as it did in the jeggets.”

  “We haven’t time to discuss this now,” said Tiernay, striding over to them, gun at the ready. “They’ve landed in the vehicle park. We must leave immediately!”

  “Zashou’s right,” said Jaisa, leaving the doorway. “It’s as near perfect as you’re going to get it, Dr. Vartra. Too much depends on the contents of that case to leave it to chance. Zashou, I’ll carry the gene, too.” Propping her foot up on the rungs of a stool, she bared her thigh.

  “No!” said Vartra, making a snatch for the hypoderm as Zashou held it against Jaisa’s leg.

  Rezec grasped hold of the doctor, pulling him back from the two females.

  “This is utter madness, Zashou! Have you forgotten what the early side effects were in the jeggets? You could be risking epilepsy— insanity— perhaps even death by using it now!” He struggled in Rezac’s grip.

  “We haven’t any choice,” said Rezac. “It’s going to spread whether we want it to or not now that the females are carriers. Anyway, Zashou’s right. If we get out of here without a fight, we’ll be damned lucky. The more of us carrying the gene the better.”

  “Go ahead, Zashou. I’ll take it next.” He inclined his head toward the female.

  Zashou stepped around Vartra to Rezac’s other side. A moment later it was done.

  “Who’s next?” she asked, looking challengingly round the room, the beaded braids in her hair chiming as they moved. “What about you, Shanka?” she asked her mate, heading toward him.

  Shanka was keeping his eyes on the Valtegan craft coming in to land on the lawn at the side of the science building.

  What the hell possessed you to do that? he sent. His tone was one of cold fury.

  If we don’t get out of here alive with the serum, then our one chance of beating the Valtegans is gone, she replied.

  Vartra has the right of it, it’s not ready yet! This whim of yours could cost us all our lives!

  Our lives aren’t worth much anyway, now that the Valtegans know we have telepaths. Are you going to take the serum or not?

  What choice have I? He turned on her, his brows creased in anger, ears flicking backward. Your actions will infect us all within the week. Whether I take it now or wait to catch it from you, I face the same risks. Do it and let’s leave.

  His leg jerked slightly at the sting from the pressurized spray.

  Vartra, meanwhile, had stopped struggling with Rezac. Defeated, he slumped down on the stool beside his bench. Rezac released him.

  “Zashou, get over here and do me, then we can close Vartra’s case and leave,” said Tiernay. “Might as well stick together in this as in the rest,” he grinned.

  Moments later the hypo was packed into the briefcase and it was closed.

  “Come on, Dr. Vartra. You can argue it out with us later,” said Zashou, touching his hand with her fingertips.

  “You’re brave fools,” growled Vartra, picking up the case and getting to his feet. “I just hope you’re right and it is ready to use, otherwise it won’t need the Valtegans to wipe us out.”

  Zashou picked up her box and followed the others out into the corridor.

  Tiernay took the rear guard, ordering Rezac to the front. They were heading for the east wing where a small van waited for them in the internal delivery bay. Nyaz had remained with it.

  We’re on our way, Nyaz, sent Rezac, his feet moving silently over the tiled floor of the corridor as he scouted ahead.

  Keeping his gun out of sight, he moved quickly past the busy labs to where the corridor branched left and right. On the wall beside him was the fire alarm, the button set into the wall behind a protective piece of glass. He glanced round the corner. All clear, good. With a warning thought to the others, he raised his pistol butt and struck the glass.

  The siren wailed out, building rapidly to an ear-splitting pitch. Around them doors were flung open and students began to stream out, jostling and shoving as they headed like a living tide to the nearest exit.

  Keep together, warned Rezac, gun and hand stuffed inside the open front of his shirt.

  They merged into the stream, going with them as far as the service elevator. Rezac stopped, standing back against the wall, visually checking that the others were still with him. Newer to his telepath skills than the rest of the group, he still preferred to double-check everything with what he still considered his normal senses.

  The tide slowed until the last stragglers raced along the corridor, hardly glancing at them as they feigned the need to help an injured member of their small group.

  Jaisa thumbed open the elevator door. With a loud mechanical grumble it slid back, revealing the dirty interior.

  “Gods, don’t they ever clean the goods areas?” muttered Shanka, leading the way in. “How long have we got before the building is empty?”

  Rezac glanced at his wrist chronometer. “About another minute. Should be enough time.”

  Tiernay pressed the ground floor indicator. The door closed noisily, then the elevator lurched Üxwdownward.

  Machine pistols ready again, they formed a protective wedge in front of Zashou and Vartra. The elevator shuddered to a halt, five minds probing outside for any presences.

  Nyaz? Tiernay sent a questing thought in his direction.

  Clear for now.

  Tiernay opened the door.

  The chill air of the delivery bay hit them, bringing with it the smell of fuel and winter. Rezac shivered. Somehow this winter, the first of their occupation by the Valtegans, seemed colder than any other. For the first time, even his thick fur was not enough to keep him warm.

  At last! they heard Nyaz send as he started up the engine. There’re people moving about outside, some of them Valtegans. I was afraid they’d find me first.

  The side of the van stood open, waiting for them. As they’d rehearsed, Rezac and Jaisa went first, bounding down from the loading level to the ground. Jaisa peeled off to face th
e back bay door, Rezac the front.

  Vartra and Zashou followed, running quickly down the short ramp, flanked by Shanka and Tiernay. Again, one covered the rear, the other the front. Grasping the handle on the van’s gaping side door, Vartra jumped in and headed for the back. Dumping her box in and off to one side, Zashou followed.

  Valtegans! sent Jaisa.

  And in front, added Rezac urgently. Move,

  Jaisa backed toward the van, her guns still trained on the rear doors as they began to rattle.

  Tiernay leaped in, colliding with Zashou and sending them both tumbling to the floor.

  “Clear that bloody door!” hissed Rezac, glancing back to see what the commotion was.

  They scrambled out of the way as Jaisa jumped in.

  “Activate the outer doors, Nyaz,” ordered Tiernay, leaning over the back of the front seat.

  A loud bang echoed round the bay and the rear door began to slide ponderously back.

  Rezac jumped in, holding his hand down to help Shanka. With a yowl of pain the other catapulted himself in, bringing with him the smell of singed fur.

  Slamming the door shut, Rezac pushed through the group to the rear of the van as Nyaz began to edge it forward, engine revving loudly. The doors in front of them began slowly to slide apart.

  “Get down!” yelled Rezac, throwing himself at the nearest body and pulling it to the floor with him.

  One of the rear windows exploded in a shower of glass splinters as an energy bolt hit it.

  “Go!” yelled Tiernay, crouching flat against the side wall. “Smash the doors, it doesn’t matter any more!”

  “I’m going, I’m going!” said Nyaz.

  Tires squealed as the vehicle lurched forward. There was a jolt as one wing hit the doors, and then they were out in the open, Valtegan soldiers scattering in front of them as they hurtled away from the science building.

  “Everyone stay flat,” ordered Rezac, lifting his head slightly to look around the van.

  “I’m as flat as I can be,” wheezed a voice from under him. He looked down into Zashou’s face. There was a distressed expression in her amber eyes, and her nose was wrinkled with pain.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, sliding sideways off her, noticing as he did how soft her pelt felt. Smells good, too, he thought irrelevantly, then hurriedly blanked the thought lest she should pick it up. Just his luck to land on her.

  “What held you up?” demanded Nyaz, glancing briefly round.

  “We used the serum,” said Tiernay, sticking his head over the top of the seat to look out the front.

  “You what?” The van hit a curb and swerved as Nyaz looked over his shoulder again.

  “Watch it! We used the serum,” repeated Tiernay. “It was safer than risking it all to Dr. Vartra’s case.”

  “Used the serum,” echoed Nyaz, ears twitching once.

  “Trouble ahead,” warned Tiernay.

  Rezac sat up, moving to look between the two.

  “Slow down,” he said. “Don’t act suspiciously. They can’t be after the van yet, and they won’t see the back window till we pass them. Just be ready for trouble.”

  He turned his head briefly to those in the back. “Get the doctor under those sacks. They have his description but not ours.”

  Two Valtegan soldiers stood by the automatic barrier, energy rifles held ready as they saw the van approaching.

  As Nyaz slowed down, one of them reached for a slim device at his side, holding it to his mouth. The other visibly tensed.

  “Keep going, Nyaz! Heads down, everyone,” growled Rezac, bobbing down and bracing himself between the two seats.

  As the soldiers brought their rifles up to fire, the van accelerated straight for the barrier. Sparks exploded off the wing, followed by the shattering of the windshield. A gaping hole splattered with blood opened up to one side of Nyaz and the rest went suddenly opaque.

  There was a jolt and a sharp crack as the barrier splintered. Then the van began to weave alarmingly down the narrow tree-lined avenue.

  Rezac lurched between the seats, grasping the wheel with one hand as the unconscious youth slid sideways. With the other, he made a grab for Nyaz.

  Tiernay scrambled over from the back. “No!” he cried, seizing the wounded youth’s arm and trying to haul him free of the controls.

  Rezac, tangled between the two of them, pushed Tiernay aside.

  “Then get him out of my way, now, before we all die!” he snarled, climbing over Nyaz, ready to take his seat.

  Grasping him round the chest, with a couple of tugs, Tiernay had him all but clear. Rezac swept Nyaz’s legs out of the way and flung himself into the driver’s seat.

  With the back of his hand he punched at the windshield, enlarging the hole so he could see properly. He stamped down on the accelerator, tires spinning briefly in the slush before they caught and the van took off again.

  From behind he heard the crack of the other rear window shattering. Jaisa gave a short yowl.

  “Anyone hit?” he demanded.

  “Missed me,” said Jaisa, helping Vartra out from under the sacks. “How’s Nyaz?”

  “Bad,” said Tiernay from where he squatted on the floor by the front passenger seat. He’d ripped off the youth’s tunic and was making a wad out of it to press on what remained of Nyaz’s shoulder.

  Rezac glanced over as he threw the van round a sharp bend. “We can’t risk a hospital, the Veltegans will pick him up. He knows too much.”

  “Take him to the monastery,” said Vartra. “We’ve got all the facilities he needs there.”

  “He won’t make it,” said Rezac.

  “He might,” snapped the geneticist. “We’ve got to try!”

  Rezac shrugged and concentrated on the road. Get him in the back with the others, Tiernay. He’s got more of a chance there. We need to change vehicles. The Valtegans will spot this one a mile away now, he sent.

  “Shanka, help me get Nyaz over the back.”

  Shanka scrambled forward and between them they managed to haul Nyaz through to the back of the van.

  “Zashou,” said Tiernay, getting her to take over keeping pressure on the wound, “see what you can do. You’ve had some success with your healing. Try and control the bleeding at least.” He looked up at the others. “Jaisa, use the sacks to cover Nyaz. Keep him warm and try to stop him going into shock.”

  Tiernay left him with the others and climbed back into the front. As he did, his hand closed over a hole burned neatly through the top of the seat. He followed its path, finding an equally neat hole in the midst of the remains of the opaqued window. He shuddered.

  Rezac glanced at him. “We were lucky. Nyaz wasn’t. He’s still alive.”

  Tiernay said nothing.

  “They’ll send a craft up looking for us,” said Rezac, turning into the main street. “Keep your eyes open for any likely looking vehicles. We need to lose this one as soon as possible.”

  “Hadn’t you better slow down? We don’t want to be stopped for speeding.”

  Rezac gave a snort of amusement. “One look at us and they won’t be pulling us up for speeding. I know what I’m doing,” he said, weaving in and out between the vehicles to the accompaniment of a chorus of angry beeps.

  Without warning, he turned sharply to the left, throwing the van round the corner and accelerating hard up the straight stretch.

  “Watch out!” came Jaisa’s voice from behind.

  Rezac braked hard, turning again, this time to the right, then he dog-legged the van across the next road, emerging in the back streets leading to the docks.

  “Do you have to drive like a maniac?” yelled Shanka from the rear. “We’ll none of us make it if you carry on like this!” ‘

  “You want to walk, just let me know,” Rezac growled in reply, crossing the road and coming to an abrupt halt alongside a small general store. “I’m trying to keep us all alive.”

  He turned off the engine. “Wait here till I call you,” he said, pulling out his
gun. Looking at Tiernay, he nodded his head toward the door. “Come.”

  Behind them was a medium-sized white delivery van, back doors standing open. The cab was empty.

  Rezac glanced up and down the street again, checking for traffic. Nothing for the moment. He gestured to the other to follow and cautiously they approached the store doorway.

  What’re you going to do? asked Tiernay.

  Take the van. You get everyone loaded, I’ll keep watch.

  Dubiously Tiernay backed off, heading for the rear of their vehicle.

  Standing to one side, Rezac could see into the shop. The delivery driver was a youngling, barely into adolescence. He’d be no problem. The storekeeper was another matter, but for the moment, the two were deep in conversation over a pile of papers.

  Keeping his eyes on the store interior, he used his telepathy to check on how the others were doing.

  Load Nyaz last, he sent to Tiernay.

  It seemed to take forever. He risked a glance back at them, seeing Jaisa and Vartra lifting Nyaz out. They were the last.

  He looked back into the store. The youth was heading toward the door. Stepping to one side, he waited till the youngling had emerged and shut the door.

  Leaning forward, Rezac grabbed him by the arm and jerked him into the street.

  “Hey!”

  Pressing his gun into the hollow of the driver’s back, Rezac pushed him toward his delivery van.

  “Just keep your mouth shut, and nothing will happen to you,” he said quietly, his mouth inches from the youth’s ear. “We’re borrowing your van.”

  “You can’t do…”

  “Quiet!” commanded Rezac, digging the gun in sharply. The youth subsided, ears flicking in distress as he stumbled toward the rear of his vehicle.

  A car was approaching from the opposite direction, but Nyaz was inside now and Tiernay was closing the doors.

  “Take it nice and easy,” warned Rezac as the car drew level with them. “This gun has a very light trigger.”

  The youth glanced round, eyes wide with fear, then looked away as the car passed by. Rezac took the opportunity to hit him on the back of the head with the gun butt.

  As Tiernay turned round, the youth collapsed against him. “What the hell?” he exclaimed, making a grab for him before he fell.