“How many of you are there inside the gateway?” the man asked.
“About a hundred,” Ryan replied, causing Krysty and Dean to exchange grins as they listened from inside the mat-trans chamber. “Mebbe more. I’m lousy at math.”
‘ Tracking comps out here put your number at-” he paused to step out of Ryan’s line of sight to consult a monitor screen “-seven. Seven people.”
“Dark night,” J.B. murmured from his vantage point near Ryan. “We’ve stepped in it now.”
“Not necessarily, John Barrymore,” Doc whispered back. “These people seem to be friendly.”
The Armorer gave Tanner a grim look of pity. “Doc, you of all people should know by now that nothing is ever what it seems in Deathlands.”
The whitecoat outside the armaglass door contin- ued to try to convince Ryan. “I assure you, I’m civilized. Won’t you come out so we can compare notes?”
“Thanks, but no. Reckon I’m closing this door so we’ll be on our way.”
The man’s voice became more excited. “Look, obviously you are aware of the existence of the matter-transfer units and their subsequent linked network. That ranks you and your people as being a cut above the average bloodthirsty grunts roaming the world today. We need to talk. We have to talk. Exchange information.”
“Not interested. Later, pal, and don’t forget to write,” he said, repeating an expression he’d heard his own father use while Ryan was still a mere slip of a lad. As he spoke, he pulled the door closed on the chamber’s counterbalanced hinges and it clicked true with a solid latching sound.
“What’s the deal?” Krysty asked as Ryan strode into the chamber.
‘ ‘Company. Some guy in a lab coat and a matching set of sec men. Get ready for another jump.” he replied tersely, sitting on one of the hexagonal tiles in the floor.
“Oh, mercy,” Doc whimpered, leaning back against the armaglass wall and sliding slowly into a seated position. “My head has already endured one bout of nausea. I do not think I can withstand another one of these soul-scrambling jaunts.”
“Don’t ready yourself for transport just yet, Doc,” Mildred said, peering at the lack of activity from the array of silver disks mounted in the ceiling above. “We don’t seem to be going anywhere.”
The woman was right. None of the usual telltale prep signs were occurring-no mist, no whine, no glowing lights as the disks powered up.
“Sure you shut the door?” Mildred asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Fireblast,” Ryan spit. “There must be an override outside the chamber.”
“A logical assumption,” Doc agreed. “Since the man outside seems to be aware of how these mystical conveyances operate.”
There was a noise from outside the armaglass. Someone was knocking on the chamber door. Rap, rap, rap. Three times, then stop. Then three raps again.
“Look like we stay,” Jak said morosely, one of his throwing knives already selected and waiting in his hand.
“Looks like,” Ryan agreed, taking out the SIG-Sauer from his side holster once more and hefting the solid weight of the blaster in his right hand. While getting to his feet, his injured shoulder from previous adventures gave him a quick twinge of discomfort, as if to remind him that he still wasn’t up to full fighting strength. “Everybody on their toes. You too, Doc.”
“Gladly, sir. I would rather walk a country mile barefoot over broken glass than endure another mat-trans jump at the moment.” Despite his bravado, Ryan noted the older man looked shaky as he stood erect, bracing himself ever so slightly on his walking stick.
Ryan opened the chamber door.
“Back so soon?” the man outside asked by way of greeting.
“Like we never left,” Ryan replied.
The whitecoat gestured to the twin sec men. “As you can see, my friends here have lowered their weapons.”
“Good for them. I’m keeping mine level until I know the playing field,” Ryan said. “Tell them to keep the blasters down until we’ve all come out.”
“They have ears. Your request is going to be met.”
One by one Ryan’s band of followers exited the gateway. Once the seventh member of the group, Doc Tanner, stepped gingerly off the bottom access step, the man who’d been patiently watching their progress held up his arms.