“For fuck’s sake, where the hell have they all gone?” Gloria asked.
Ryan surveyed the empty corridor. Unless there was a sec squad lurking around the bend in a primitive attempt at ambush, then they were on their own. Certainly, there seemed to have been no attempt at establishing a defensive block on the corridor. It was as though the Armorer’s actions had driven the Illuminated Ones back to a core defensive position.
Perhaps it had. That would certainly make progress easy. Ryan outlined this possibility to Gloria, ending, “Though why they’d want to pull back so soon is something that worries me.”
“Why? They know they’re not that shit hot as fighters, so mebbe they really see that as their best option.”
Ryan shook his head. “No, it still doesn’t add up. There’s too much tech along the way—assuming they’ve pulled right back to the kind of chambers we saw before…the ones you were stranded in when you landed. They must know we’re after the lab, and where they keep the disease.”
Gloria shook her head. “Why? Why would they assume that? They might think we’re just carrying on the fight from where we left it. Why would they assume that we’re going to add two and two and make four? Bet you thought I couldn’t do that, eh?” she added with a sly grin. And when Ryan didn’t answer, she continued. “You see? If you don’t think that far about me, then why should they think that far about us? They think we’re triple stupe. They think everyone is compared to them. So why would they think we’re after anything other than a firefight and a chance of revenge?”
Ryan grimaced. “You could be right. Can we afford to think that, though?”
Gloria shrugged. “We can afford nothing, honey. We’ve just got to go for it and hammer these motherfuckers as much as possible. Hit them hard and fast, before they have a chance to think.”
Ryan agreed. “But we need to divide up, so that a search party can try and find the labs where they’re brewing up the pox. Mildred’s not up to speed. It’s taking hold on her, Doc and Jak more and more. She’ll need good backup.”
“Then I figure we send Tammy and Dean with her, mebbe a couple of others. They’re both hard and fast, they work well together, and Dean seems to know more about old tech than anyone except Mildred.”
Ryan nodded. “Good call.” He scanned the area ahead once more. “They must have sec cameras internally—most of these places do, even if they long ago gave out. Got to figure that theirs are still in operation. We want someone to keep watch on the tunnel while we brief the others.”
Gloria agreed, and the two warrior leaders returned to the area where their forces were gathered. J.B. was now fully fit, having recovered from a bout of the shakes brought on by the aftereffects of being so close to the explosion. Tammy, Mildred and Dean were with him. Ryan beckoned to them. Gloria pulled Nita and Dette from the pack of impatient warriors, and put them on watch by the ruined doorway.
“Looks like they’ve pulled right back,” Ryan told them as they approached. “I figure they’ll keep an eye on us, and mebbe put a few obstacles in our path, but it’s time for the main party to head on and take these coldheart bastards out of the game.”
“What about the lab?” Mildred asked.
“I was getting to that,” Ryan told her. “We want a smaller offensive for the lab party. Hit hard and fast. Now, you’ve got to be part of that, Mildred, but—”
“But I’m not on the ball,” Mildred cut in. “Yeah, I know it, and that’s what worries me.”
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Ryan assured her. “I figure—Gloria, too—that we keep your party small, mebbe a half dozen at most. You, Tammy and Dean. Perhaps two, three others.”
“Two max,” Tammy interjected. “Those are small rooms, off smaller corridors. Too many of us and we’ll just get in each other’s way—mebbe even blast the fuck out of each other in the confusion.”