Kris brought her team to a halt on a landing. ''We've got to split up. Tommy, you and Penny can't keep up with me and Jack.''
''Yes we can,'' and ''I'm with you,'' was their reply.
''I also want to complicate Sandfire's chase. We stay together, he's got one problem. We raise scatter hell, and he's not sure who's doing what where. Play with me,'' Kris said, pulling several of her cylinders from her dress. ''We've got thirty minutes to run before I want to blow the yard. I've got to stay free that long.''
''Make Sandfire's life miserable.'' Tom grinned. ''I can do that.''
Kris handed Penny half the bombs, explaining them as Penny pocketed each type. ''Now, you walk or take a slide car down into the business section. Twenty minutes from now, meet us at Dock Eleven. That's where they park the private stuff. We hijack one and head for a jump gate before the station blows. Now, make tracks. I'm leaving a booby trap here for our friends.''
Tom and Penny checked the hall, found it clear, and headed out. ''What does that leave us?'' Jack asked.
''There's a service belt at the next landing,'' Kris said, feeling inside her bodice and producing a booby trap.
''Real booby trap.''
''Pity, now I'm off balance. Give me a lift.'' Jack made a foothold, and Kris stepped up just long enough to stick the explosives to the metal of the landing above them. Wonder if Jack's a legs man? ''Nelly, leave a nano to blow this if it spots people in SureFire Security gray or red/gray ninja getups.''
''Done.''
''Let's make tracks.'' They headed up another flight, found a door that Nelly opened onto a floor between the floors, full of air ducts, cable runs, and all the other necessities of modern life that people ignored. Nelly projected a holograph map. This floor circled the station at the. 75 gravity level. Open all the way, they could reach the yard wall from here, but Kris intended to work her way closer to the station hub. If she was going to blow out the yard, she'd do it from the center out.
''Cameras, Nelly?'' Red points appeared on the map. ''Lay out a walk that dodges as many of them as we can,'' Kris said, then glanced around at the gray walls, floor, and machinery. ''I don't think my Princess camouflage quite fits here.''
''Nelly, is there a locker room on the map?'' Jack asked.
A block showed yellow. The locker room had security, but someone had stuck a picture in front of the lens of a naked guy mooning the camera. Jack only broke into three lockers before he had two sets of orange overalls and blue union baseball caps. A tool kit in the last locker provided the final element for their disguise. That, and Kris's skirt. Bunched around her middle, it gave her a world-class beer gut.
''You got to start exercising more, Bud,'' Jack said, elbowing her in her crinolines.
''It's not the beer,'' she shot back. ''I was born this way.''
''It's gonna be the death of you.''
''You can say that again,'' Kris said, buying into it, double entendre and all.
Jack looked at a clipboard he'd found, handed Kris the tool kit to lug, and led off like he knew what he was doing. Kris followed, steering him as Nelly directed her. This lasted for most of five minutes, enough for Kris to start thinking they might make it. Then a hooter went off in the gray and dusty space between floors. After three blares, a computer voice announced all personnel were to leave the station. ''A lockdown is being enforced. Anyone remaining will be subject to immediate arrest and detention. If you resist, you will be shot. All work is to cease. Go to the nearest descent station and exit the station.'' The hooter went back to hooting, then repeated the order.
''No surprise there. Sandfire is running scared.''
''I would be about now if I was fighting you,'' Jack said.
''Maybe it's time to go with plan B. Get the nanos into the yard soonest and let them loiter up there while we run like hell.''
''Best idea you've had all day. All month. Maybe all lifetime.''
''I don't like leaving our nanos for them to attack,'' Kris said, starting to trot for the nearest exit like a good worker.
''Better than leaving ourselves out for them, to attack.''
''Let's try for the next exit. See if we get called on it.''
''Why do I not want to say it's your call?'' Jack scowled but trotted along as Kris took a right turn. Kris managed to skip three exits: a slide car, an elevator, and a stairwell.
She was working her way higher up the station, closer to the yard wall when the horn ahead of them quit hooting and a woman's voice squawked. ''Work party on twenty-six B, what the hell do you think you're doing?''
''I forgot my lunch pail,'' Jack shouted. ''I got this new thermos I don't want to lose.''
''Forget your damn coffee, you idiot. This cheap ass pile of crap is falling apart, and there are goons all over looking for anyone they can shoot for a saboteur to cover the ass of the bloody idiot who built this mess. Don't be dumb; get the hell out. I'm leaving in two minutes.''
''We're going, we're going,'' Kris shouted. ''I told you your damn coffee wasn't worth my neck.''
''You got it, honey. You tell him.''
''Women,'' Jack snarled, but headed for the nearby exit.
''You're the fools what want to live with us,'' the horn blared back.
''Not live with you, just—''
Kris got Jack good in the ribs.
''Throw that one back where he came from, honey, we can get you a better work partner.''
''The last one was all hands. I'll take him. He's just a lot of talk,'' Kris answered.
''Well, you hurry along. I'm out of here. There's a gray goon that wants my observation station, and he can have it. Maybe they're getting overtime. I sure ain't. Now hurry along.''
Kris did, for about thirty seconds, then took a turn and headed up again.
''How long before a gray spots us?'' Jack asked.
''Your guess is as good as mine. A gray can't know the plant layout like that nice woman did.''
''Big mouth you mean.''
''You're just mad ‘cause she turned you down for a date.''
''I assure you, young woman, when I offer a woman an evening, I do it most graciously, and I am never turned down.''
''What'd that woman say? ‘You're the fools what want to live with us.' ''
''I don't want to live with her.''
''Who does live with you?''
''No one. I'm never home anyway.''
''So you live with me.'' That got no answer for several steps. Jack was just opening his mouth, Kris anticipating his reply.
''Freeze where you are,'' growled a voice behind them.
Chapter 23
Kris froze in midstep. Jack, mouth open in mid banter, a statue beside her.
''Now turn around. Do it now. Do it slow. Nothing fast, or I'll shoot you both dead.'' The voice was high, tending to crack in the upper registers. Just what Kris needed, a nervous finger on a gun aimed at her. She turned slowly, one hand raising high. The other still holding the tool box. Jack did the same.
''We're doing what you want,'' Kris said in a soothing voice. ''We don't want no problems here. We're leaving. We just wanted to get Jack here's new thermos. He paid one of those latte places to fill it,'' she rambled on, stepping forward and just casually coming between Jack and the gray-clad security guard.
''Everybody got told to get the hell out of here.'' The young man licked lips already raw and chapped. Very nervous type.
''Yeah, but when has the boss man ever meant what he says when he's panicking and ordering everyone around?'' Kris said, seeking sympathy. ''And we got really good coffee. You want a cup?'' she said, stooping to put down her tool kit, giving him a good view down her only partially zipped overalls and the one falsie she still had.
The youngster stared, part distraction, part confusion, and no part alarm. He nodded. A split second later, he collapsed slowly as Jack put three sleepy darts into him.
Kris grabbed his automatic pistol before it hit the deck. She popped his ammo belt off and snatched his wrist unit, stuffing it down her bodice. ''Nelly, crack that net. We got any bugs we can spare?''