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“I’ll head to the northern tunnel!” Klem said over the escape pod’s communication system.
It was raw and hissed with static.
“Iwas meant to go there!” I snapped.
“Yeah, well. You’re not the captain anymore,sir.And I don’t have to follow your orders. I’m heading there and I’ll report back on what I find.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Klem — of all the squad, I actually trusted him the most — but I just didn’t want to put anyone else I cared about in harm’s way.
“We’ll head to the western tunnel,” Joruch announced. “And Assak—”
“Assak,” I interrupted. “You stay there and watched that door. If so much as a zzilar comes out of it, you beat it into oblivion.”
“Copy,” Assak said.
Joruch looked over at me. “And the southern tunnel?”
“You’ll head there as soon as you drop me off at the western one,” I said.
I didn’t like what Klem had decided to do but I could understand it.
Perhaps it might even turn out for the best.
After all, with Assak watching the door in the metro and one of each of us at the end of each of the other tunnels, we had amuchbetter chance of running into these assholes.
I only wished I was heading to the one most likely to have them.
Hold on, Layla,I thought.We’re coming.
Joruch droppedme off with more than a little hesitation.
I couldn’t blame him.
If I were in his wzaai I would have thought the same thing.
If something happens to him,I’mgoing to get the blame.
But it showed his respect for me that he finally did as I asked and peeled away, heading toward the next tunnel.
I raised a hand to keep the dust out of my eyes as he disappeared over the horizon.
I turned toward the desert landscape that began here and stretched off as far as the moon’s equator.
There were a few sprigs of green dotted here and there that signaled the approaching outer suburbs of the city.
But it was right here, nestled beneath the thick brow of a tall hood-like structure that I focused my attention on.
It was the landmark Sleii had suggested would be the entrance to the former mining tunnel.
The hill had been hollowed out and, in times past, had been ideal as a mine shaft elevator but it had long since been shut down.
Right now, it was home to a large collection of ancient bones from extinct species.
They had been assembled and left here until we got around to building a purpose-built museum for them.
School field trips came often for the kids to come and see them.
They were lucky to do so right now without all the red tape that would no doubt restrict access at the future attraction.
