Audacious

29

A white-hot rage the likes of which Kris had never felt in her life swept over her.

Kris whirled back to face the gang leaders. Had all this been just a ploy to lure her and half the Marines away from the embassy? If they had…

The same thought was passing through a lot of Marines' heads, too. Safeties clicked off weapons. Slaughter was but a word away.

Before Kris's glare, the two gang bosses melted into boneless puddles.

One held up his hand, as if he might ward off her wrath with mere flesh. ''I swear to God, Blessed Madonna, and Child, I don't know nothing about this other lift.''

''Me, neither,'' the other said. ''Two of my boys, they brought the kid in. They thought it would be fun. I swear. You want them, they're yours. Gordo, get them out here.''

There was movement along the wall as two fellows were half pushed, half thrown out to fall to their knees between the gangers and the Marines.

But Kris had lost her interest in the gangs…for now.

Captain DeVar had said the words that held her. ''Sarge, repeat your comments and expand.''

''Four minutes ago, the two Marines escorting Mrs. Ruth Tordon went off net. When I got no reply to my call, I dispatched the backup squad, as per the order book. When the reaction squad arrived, they found the two Marines down. We are awaiting arrival of local EMTs to verify initial reading of no vitals for either Marine. Captain, they were put down awfully hard.'' It was a personal aside, one Marine to another.

''Continue, Gunny'' was ice. Cold. Sharp. Full of death.

''A search of the area turned up no Mrs. Trouble, sir. She often kills her squawker, and had done so most of the day. We'd been tracking her by the Marines. We're getting nothing at all now, and we've done our best to activate her communicator and interrogate it. No joy, sir.''

The pause was brittle. Pregnant. Explosive. Kris stepped into it.

''Gramma Ruth hired some local protection people. Have you found their bodies?''

''No evidence of them, their bodies or their presence, Your Highness. Like her, they're just gone.''

''When we find them, they'll either be dead or lead us straight to her,'' Kris snapped. The captain nodded agreement.

Kris turned back to the gang leaders. Their eyes locked.

''Let's assume for the moment that this is as big a surprise to you as it is to me.''

Heads nodded vigorously.

''Let's assume that we can keep on being friends. Business partners, maybe.''

Heads nodded faster.

''You want some money? Money that you will live long enough to take to the bank. Not like that pot of gold on my head?''

Heads stopped nodding. Kris suspected they saw it as a trick question. Didn't know how to respond.

''Help me find my grandmother. Any little bit. Anything that leads me to my grandmother alive will be paid for very well. You'll like me as a friend. You don't want me as your enemy. Do we understand each other?''

They eyed each other, the gangers and the princess. Maybe her need was more understandable to them than her power. That was fine by Kris. She wanted her Gramma Ruth back. Alive.

Kris turned and marched out of the restaurant. Behind her, Marines did their retrograde movement with professional efficiency. The punks seemed to shrink as the chance that they would live to see the sunset increased.

There was talk in a low hum behind Kris as she went down the steps two at a time. The gangers had gotten too close to one of those damn Longknifes. They'd dealt themselves into the situation. They had no one to blame but themselves. As so often happened around Longknifes, it was time to take sides.

The middle was washing away.

Only the Longknife side and the losing side would soon be left.

But there was always the chance that this time might be different. For the first time, the Longknifes and the losing side might be the same.

Among themselves, the gangs would decide where to place their bet. Who they thought would win.

Kris had already placed her bet. Damn the odds. Everything on Longknife to win.