“Is it safe to be on the streets like this?” Shard asked, sounding worried. “What about the guards? The ward and his heirs? Surely they’ll want revenge for killing Eugene and reclaiming the-” he paused and nearly smiled “-our tank.”
“As long as the sec men are busy fighting the invaders,” Ryan said, checking the radar screen which was clear. “they won’t have any chance to bother with us.”
J.B. added, “The guys trying to get in are always a bigger concern than the folks trying to get out.”
Shard nodded at the wisdom.
“Can’t storm the front gate,” Krysty said, checking the rearview mirror. “That’s probably where the main fight is. We can blow a hole through the wall at any point with the missiles, but I sure hate to use them up.”
“Go down that street,” Shard said, pointing to the tight. “I know of a private escape tunnel for the ward.”
“Anybody else know?” Ryan asked sharply.
“The door is hidden.” Then he frowned. “But I don’t know how to unlock it.”
“Just show me where,” Ryan said grimly, working the clutch and gears. “I’ll get us in.”
As Leviathan rolled away into the night, the waiting slaves broke ranks and looted the bodies of clothing and weapons. Dashing into the streets, the armed slaves separated to spread the word of the coming freedom.
WITHIN THE BANK of smoke masking the western gate, a faint shape could be seen in the thinning haze. The updraft caused by the glowing gate was forming a breeze that was quickly dissipating the discharge fumes of the half-score cannons.
Some of the troops tried to dart into the smoke for a better look, but quickly backed out, hacking and gasping for breath.
“It lives!” a man screamed, running out with both hands outstretched, clawing the air, his eyes dead-white orbs of cooked flesh. There was a flash of light and the man vaporized.
A blazing rod of destruction, the laser swept the yard at chest height, sec men, gunners and cannon all disappearing in its vitriolic energy beam.
The guards not slain in the first sweep threw away their weapons and fled. Its armor buckled and battered, leaking hydraulic fluid and oil, the Beast rolled after them, crushing the remains of the mighty cannons under its armored treads, vaporizing the swift and blinding any who dared to glance its way. Then the machine paused, spying a tall building of stone and brick standing prominently within the fortress. The Beast traversed its turret and concentrated its polycyclic laser on the base to remove a potential danger.
A TREMOR SHOOK the Citadel, the windows cracking, suits of armor falling from their wall niches to break apart on the floor in noisy crashes. Whimpering slaves huddled under the map table.
“It’s melting the foundation,” Richard cried, righting himself as the floor titled to a greater angle.
“We have lost a battle, not the war,” Amanda said, grabbing her holster and blaster, heading for the door. “Summon the guards! We’ll continue the fight from the tower!”
Richard turned, spitting in rage. “And leave Father alone with the rabble?”
“You fool,” she screamed furiously. “Father is dead!”
“What?” he whispered, backing away from her madness.
“Dead! You idiot! Dead. Has been for years. I killed him myself when he refused to make me his queen! Even after I gave him a son!”
“Lies, all lies,” he started, then saw the mocking triumph in her face, the face that looked so much like his own.
“You bitch!” the deputy ward roared, wildly firing his pistol.
Lady Ward Amanda Coultier of Novaville fell to the floor, hugging her stomach, holding in a spill of intestines. “Fool,” she croaked, blood running from her mouth. “We could have.. .ruled the world… together…”
One final shot resounded in the audience room stopping any further traitorous words from the madwoman.
Going to his chair, the deputy ward ripped off the seat cover, exposing a red lever. Wrapping both hands about the switch, he pulled it upward until there was a metallic crack and the lever broke away clean.
“There’s no stopping it now,” he said, slumping to his knees. “We’re dead, they’re dead. Everybody is dead”