''And there is our Justice Center and jail, busting its seams at the moment.'' This time the driver pointed at a large, three-story building with only long narrow windows above the first floor. The windows were open this afternoon; Kris thought she got a whiff of the place as the truck drove into the garage of a fire-house and the doors closed behind them.
Ron was there, looking very tired. Somehow he'd managed a change of clothes and a shower. At least the smoke smudge was gone from his face. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. He was smiling as he helped her down, and if he managed a hug for an on-duty Naval officer, it was done with no clear violation of the regulations. He looked like he wanted to kiss her, but stepped back instead. ''How much did you bring us?''
''And I thought bringing you all I could spare from my armory was going to surprise you.''
''Steve said he'd try to wrangle as much loose as he could.''
Kris pouted. ''So being Mama Claus wasn't my idea.''
''It was,'' Ron assured her as he walked her back to the tailgate of the truck. ''It's just that really great military minds run in the same direction.''
''You're laying it on awful thick,'' Jack muttered.
''Keep it up, I like it,'' Kris said, enjoying the moment, but business was business. ''You have a map of this area?''
''In the office upstairs. Crew!'' Ron shouted. ''Unload this and get it moving to the other buildings. Keep it covered. The sky has eyes and we want some of this to be a surprise.'' So the mayor understood the benefit of operational security. Kris followed him upstairs while weapons, covered with sections of hosing and other fire gear, were run out one door. Another truck came in and started unloading.
Gassy and Pinky were upstairs in a small conference room; long table down the middle, empty chairs around it. A map on it showed the area. Beside the two Kris knew were four others Ron introduced as leaders of two hunting clubs, a sharpshooting rifle club and the Emergency Search and Rescue Club.
''What are you equipped with?'' Kris asked.
''Hunting rifles, competition-quality rifles, those kinds of things,'' Ron said.
''Anyone know how to handle a crew-served machine gun, a grenade launcher, an assault rifle?''
''Some of our folks have trained with Steve's crew. Few more spent time off planet in the service before they came here We're not stupid hicks, Princess,'' the shortest of the four said.
''Good. You want to show me your deployment?'' That brought only worried looks from the group.
''That's our problem,'' Ron said. ''We know there's a way to do this, but we don't have any idea what it is. Short of putting some of our folks behind every window and starting shooting when it seems right…'' He ended with a shrug.
''No one shoots until Ron says to,'' Kris said. She'd started to say ''I give the order,'' but she caught that social blunder. ''The idea is to solve this without a lot of your friends and family ending up suddenly and totally dead. You get my drift?''
''But how?'' the tallest of the four asked.
Kris slipped through the men and leaned on the table, eyeing the map. A photo had been overlaid on topo lines, along with representation of sewer, power, and other civic services.
''Ron, can you close down this town? I didn't see a lot of traffic on the road coming in, but I saw more than I wanted. I doubt Hank will march his guys in from the airport. Unless you want to have shuttles shooting up your highway to clear a space in traffic for a runway…''
''Gassy, order Black Out and Peaceful Kingdom,'' Ron said. ''For you, Kris, that means everyone has thirty minutes to get home… Please… and we really don't want people shooting at things. It also means I'm out of a job.'' Kris glanced at Ron to see if he was joking. He wasn't. ''Those orders are in our charter. But any official who invokes them has seventy-two hours to face a committee of city commissioners, explain his reasoning for what he did and why he shouldn't be booted out of office for the next four weeks while he seeks reelection. And anyone who didn't like being bossed like that runs against him.''
''Nice system you have here,'' was all Kris said.
''So, how do you say we fight this guy, now that you've taken control, Longknife,'' the shorter one said.
''She hasn't taken control, Ernie,'' Ron told the short one. ''I'm asking her, as someone who's been in a firefight or two to offer us some suggestions.''
Kris ignored the alpha dog contest and eyed the map. ''Is there a runway or major highway south of here?'' she said, waving at the empty space on the other side of the table. She missed a battle board she could zoom in and out.
''No,'' Ron said. ''Farmland, some cranberry bogs, then forest until you get to the coast.''
''So he has to land on the highway I just drove in on?''
''If he's using the liberty launches, yes.''
''And hook a left at the exit sign, then march his troops up the road through all these nice businesses and homes,'' Jack said, following the path with his finger. ''Where do we engage him?''
''We don't,'' Kris said.
''What do you mean,'' the short fellow, Ernie, snapped.
''You planning on shooting first?'' Kris asked.
''He invades my planet. I'm within my rights to shoot him.''
''Is he invading or staging a parade?'' Kris said, and told them about the ''leak'' she suddenly developed. ''I've got him isolated to the forward portion of my station. If he does anything, he'll have to blow my fire curtains. That forces him to do something close to an act of war and I can start shooting. At the moment, he can't find a way to get in a good position to take over High Chance, so I suspect he'll come down here and get his guys free from the ‘terrorists' holding them ‘hostage.' ''
''We're not…'' Ernie started, but the tall one rested a hand on his shoulder.
''If we're under siege by Peterwald's fleet, who's gonna be out there, telling our side of the story. You?'' The tall one took his hand off Ernie and offered it to Kris. ''I'm Wee Willy to most. I like your station stunt. You got another one in your hip pocket? I hear stories that Longknifes do amazing things.''
Ernie muttered something Kris ignored.
''Sometimes we pull rabbits out of our hats. Sometimes the rabbits pull our hats out of our more fundamental parts.'' That got a chuckle. Kris leaned on the map. ''He lands here.'' She fingered the road. ''He's done nothing. He marches through this suburban area. We really don't want to start something. Lot of women and kids.'' She raised an eyebrow. No one questioned her.
''Hank gets up to this berm. Nice, but not really that good a defensive line. Besides, where do we get him talking to us? No, let him in all the way to the jail's parking lot.''
Ron whistled. ''That close?''
''But that puts him in a whole lot of fire lanes,'' Jack said, walking his fingers from the buildings, the tower, the jail. ''No reason we couldn't have fire coming from the row of shops behind him. If he does walk right up, he's in one solid kill zone.''
''Why would he do that?'' Ron asked.
''If you don't get in his way, he doesn't have much of a choice but to keep marching.'' Kris's smile was all teeth.
Gassy leaned over Kris's shoulder. ''So we don't cause him any trouble until he's right where we want him.''
''You got it. You'll want to send out some men and women, armed, but with orders to let Hank's men march in. If kids wander out in the street, these folks should get them to safety. If anything looks to get in the way, get it gone.''
''You're assuming he doesn't see our preparation from orbit and come in fighting?'' Ernie said.
''Have you been too obvious?'' Kris asked.
''I don't think so,'' Ron said slowly.
''What are we likely to face?'' Kris asked. ''How many of his crew are presently guests in your jail?''