up several levels, then through a maze of corridors.
“And this, people, is the armory,” Wallace announced proudly.
Despite himself, J.B. whistled softly at the array of weaponry and ammunition on
view. Boxes upon boxes of rifles, grens, ammunition, gren launchers and mortars
were carefully stacked around the base of the armory walls. Hanging on racks
were the in-service weapons—
Uzi, MP-5 K, M-60 machine guns, grens primed and ready for use, boxes of ammo
for the greased and gleaming blasters and a variety of smaller handblasters.
It was rare for an armory to still contain such an array of blasters and grens,
let alone in such perfect working order and condition. The armory was a credit
to Murphy and his forefathers.
Jak tried to move forward to get a closer look inside the armory, but he was
nudged back into place by the barrel of an Uzi. He glared at the sec man with
his good eye, hatred flashing across his scarred features.
“Watch it, mutie,” the sec man growled.
“That’s enough,” Wallace snapped.
The sec man clicked his heels to attention and looked straight ahead. “Sir, my
apologies.”
“Very good,” Wallace murmured before turning his attention to J.B. “Mr. Dix, I
understand from Sarj Murphy’s report that you are the weapons expert in this
little band.”
“Mebbe,” the Armorer replied guardedly.
“Come now, there’s no need for modesty. A good man with a gun is always needed.”
J.B. raised an eyebrow. It was a long time since he’d seen or heard anyone refer
to a blaster by its preskydark name.
“You notice my use of the term gun.” queried Wallace. “I find it less crude than
blaster, the scum outsider term for weaponry. Too basic, too all-encompassing,”
he mused, shaking his head.
J.B. caught a glimpse of Jak out of the corner of his eye. The albino had an
expression on his face that spelled out his opinion of Wallace. It wasn’t good.
Ryan, on the other hand, was seriously considering the possibility that Wallace
was so far gone into insanity as to just wipe them out where they stood.
The big man seemed to taper off, lost in thought. Then suddenly, as though
snapping back from worlds unknown, he said, “Okay, Sarj, take them back to the
dorm and contain them. I’ll consult the techs on the mechanism and inform you
when I require Tanner.”
He looked at them with a detached disdain that bordered on contempt. Then,
without another word, he spun on his heel and left them standing in front of the
armory.
Ryan watched the man waddle around the corner of the corridor, then turned his
head to Murphy. The sec chief was also watching Wallace with a look of
bemusement. He caught Ryan watching him, and immediately blanked his face.
But not quickly enough for Ryan to wonder about his loyalty to Wallace.
“Right, people, move out like the Gen said,” Murphy barked, gesturing with his
blaster.
They turned and allowed themselves to be marched back to the dormitory. All kept
their eyes wide for any sign of slack on the part of the sec men, any
opportunity, no matter how slight, that might enable them to mount an escape
bid.
There wasn’t even the whisper of a chance. Murphy’s men marched them efficiently
back to the dormitory and locked them in.
“HOW CAN THAT GUY Wallace be so stupe?” Dean asked in amazement. “He’s shown us
the layout of the entire redoubt and where the armory is.”
“It doesn’t really appear to make sense,” Krysty mused. “It’s hardly great sec.”
“It doesn’t, but then why should it? Wallace is crazy. This whole redoubt is
riddled with stupidity. You know that, even if you don’t know why,” Ryan said to
Krysty. The blue of his one eye burned into her.
Krysty screwed up her face. “You’re right there, lover. I’ve got a really bad
feeling about the whole situation.”
“So better do something,” Jak added.
Mildred moved over to the door and looked up at the sec camera that surveyed the
room.
“Yeah, but what?”
“YOU, SOLDIER, get that damn door open.”
The soldier on guard outside the dorm snapped to attention as he heard Murphy