Crisis Of Empire - Crown Of Empire Part 9

45.

Chapter 4.

Lieutenant Chaneywas muttering again.

"What is it?" asked lira, feeling slightly dazed.

As they were floating down the drop shaft, she

had let her mind drift so she wouldn't have to

think about the future.

He held up a hand, listening. "Help- My

uncle. We're to skip the guard room and go to

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the sub-bas.e.m.e.nt garage. Someone will meet us."

'Tour uncle?" asked lira dubiously.

"Commander Kenigem Chaney."

"Ah," said Tira, feeling no wiser. "And what do we do in the sub-bas.e.m.e.nt?"

"Wait," responded Chaney. "For reinforce- ments."

They fell past several floors, Tira growing uneasy. Finally, one stop before the sub- bas.e.m.e.nt, she grabbed at Chaney's arm.

"We're getting off here." She tugged and they stepped out of the shaft.

"What? Why? Uncle Ken said..."

*T know what Uncle Ken said. But Uncle Ken isn't here and I am." Tira glared at Chaney.

"Whose rescue is this, anyway?"

"I thought it was mine, of you," grumbled Chaney under his breath. "Now what. Demoiselle?

We still have to get down to the rendezvous."

Tira wasn't so sure about that, but she wasn't sure what eke to do. At least her change in plans would give them a chance to see the "reinforce- ments" before they saw her.

'We can walk down the stairs."

"All right, then." He looked around. The drop- shaft fell in the middle of one wall. "Left or right?" he asked. 'There are fire stairs in each comer. Just pick one."

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"Left," 'lira said, and set off brisldy. She felt exposed under die bright ceiling lights.

They'd reached the stairwell and started down when a noise on the floor below caught Chane/s attention. He motioned Tira to be still and ran the rest of the way down. Leaning up against the stairwell wall, he tried to see through the win- dow in the door.

"Dear G.o.d," he whispered in shock. He raced back up the stairs, grabbing Tira's arm as he pa.s.sed her.

"Cernians," he hissed. "Dozens of them."

"Looking for us," lira said. She let his hand stay on her arm.

"Looking for you. We'll have to try something else," His lips continued to move as he subvocal- ized instructions to his AID.

They were not quite two full flights up when a door opened and a Treasury guard entered the stairwell above them. He shouted, lifting his gun to fire.

Chaney shoved lira back against the wall, out of the direct line of fire. Pulling his pistol from its holster, he returned fire. The Treasury guard fell, blocking open the door. A wild thought ran through Chaney's mind: move the guard, close the door, head up the stairs again . . . but he could hear more guards coming closer already.

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He checked his ammunition - seventy-nine rounds in the weapon and two spare clips. Okay.

Better than nothing.

"Who is it?" Tira asked.

"Same as before." Two shots punctuated Chaney's answer as the Treasury men com- menced firing.

"We're pinned down," he told her. 'Tick your targets and don't give up. I've called for help."

Tira nodded, and took her pistol from her reti- cule.

There was more firing now, and the first indi- cation of a bustle in the sub-bas.e.m.e.nt as well, as the Germans responded to the sound of gunfire.

Chaney found what he thought was the most protected place in the stairwell, a few steps down from the upper landing, but on the high side of the switchback from the lower landing. Both the Treasury men and the Germans would have to expose themselves to get a clear shot at Chaney and Tira. They squatted down against the railing and kept firing.

There was a heavy thud as at least one of the ahens fell back.

Chaney hoped he had hit him badly enough to take him out of the fight. If help didn't come soon, he and Tira had little or no chance to get out. Out-numbered and cut off, eventually they

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would run out of ammunition. He wondered if he should save two shots. Just in case.