Dragon and Liberator

But all the logic in the universe didn't help. Draycos's emotional core was still tied up in knots of frustration and concern.

"Here they come," Jack said. "Looks like just three vans in this convoy. Uncle Virge?"

"Ready, Jack lad," the voice of the Essenay's computerized personality came from the comm clip.

The first van reached their position. Jack held the sensor steady against the window as it rolled past, followed closely by its two companions. "Okay," he reported as the vehicles' taillights continued down the dimly lit street. "Uncle Virge?"

"First one seems to be all personnel," Uncle Virge said slowly as the computer sifted through the data Jack's sensor had sent it. "Looks like our standard fifteen armed Brummgas."

Draycos grimaced. Alison's theory was that the Patri Chookoock's role in this conspiracy was to supply Brummgan soldiers to crew the ships that would be attacking the K'da and Shontine refugees. Apparently, she'd been correct.

The Patri Chookoock was donating the soldiers and crews. Arthur Neverlin, once chairman of the board of the megacorporation Braxton Universis, was supplying the planning. Later, when the K'da and Shontine were all dead, he would probably also provide the marketing system they would use to sell the technology from the looted refugee ships. The Valahgua, deadly enemies from the K'da and Shontine's own far distant part of the galaxy, were providing their horrible and unstoppable Death weapon.

That left only the attack ships themselves. Presumably, Colonel Maximus Frost of the Malison Ring mercenaries would be supplying those.

And all that the unsuspecting refugees had standing between them and genocide were Jack, Draycos, Alison, and Taneem. Two young humans, and two K'da.

And a single month of time.

"Bingo," Uncle Virge's voice cut into Draycos's thoughts. "Second van has five armed Brummgas, plus one very big chunk of metal."

Draycos felt Jack's muscles tighten beneath him. "How big?" the boy asked.

"A little shorter than you and quite a bit wider," Uncle Virge said. "And I'm getting an unknown on the particular alloy."

"That's it," Alison said positively. "That's the safe."

Draycos lifted his head again to look at the vans' retreating taillights. Each of his advance team's four ships had had one of those safes aboard, a safe that had contained the location of their planned rendezvous with the incoming refugee fleet.

But Neverlin's ambush of the team had killed all the K'da and Shontine except Draycos, leaving all four safes in his hands. Two had been wrecked when Neverlin's men attempted to open them. Alison, under threat to her life, had opened the third for them.

Three safes down. One still left.

And the final safe had at last been brought out from behind the protection of the white wall and was heading toward the hangar where Alison and Taneem were waiting.

"Don't sound too eager," Uncle Virge warned. "The third van has another fifteen Brummgas."

"Not a problem," Alison said. "I've got enough sopor mist canisters planted to blanket the whole hangar. I just need to make sure all three vans are inside before I trigger them."

"Just make sure they don't have gas masks on before you do it," Jack warned.

"You want to walk me through it, just to make sure I do it right?" Alison asked tardy. "Relax, will you? I know what I'm doing."

"I hope so," Jack muttered as he set the sensor on the seat beside him and started the car.

They'll be all right, Draycos reassured him as the boy pulled out into the Ponocce City traffic. We'll be only a few minutes behind this last group. If there's trouble, we'll be in position to help.

Sure, Jack said. Help me watch for cops, will you? I'm going to see if I can get a little more speed out of this crate.

There was a distant, muted thunk. Across the hangar from where Taneem and Alison crouched on the wide crane supports, the large doors on the north wall began to roll up. "This should be them," Alison murmured.

Taneem didn't answer. Her heart was bearing rapidly, a cold sense of dread twisting like morning chill through her. Very soon now, the waiting would be over.

And she was terrified.

She'd been in dangerous situations before, certainly. Several of them, in fact. But never had she found herself facing the sheer numbers of Brummgas wandering restlessly around the hangar floor below them. There were twenty-three of the aliens—Taneem had counted them five times—all of them carrying guns and wearing thick body armor. If Uncle Virge was right, the vans outside those opening doors carried another thirty-five of the aliens.

"You all right?" Alison's soft voice asked into her thoughts.