Hatya used the ship-loader assist frame’s forks to lift Pelvannor. “Want me to take the kid’s pet to her?”
Rylando nodded and walked closer to her, arm extended up to Hatya’s shoulder height. “Go on. She’s only scary on the outside.”
The little brown creature obligingly crawled onto Hatya’s shoulder and burrowed itself under her hair and wrapped its long tail around her neck.
A delighted smile lit Hatya’s face. “Don’t tell any other Jumpers about this, or I’ll never live it down.” She turned to leave. “Keep in touch.”
A pang of loss went through Taz. She’d probably never see either Hatya or Rylando again after the GSAR reorganization.
Rylando squared his shoulders. “Where is Po taking Stramlo?”
She ordered herself to focus on the here and now. “Probably closer to the hypercube facility below. I’m guessing he needs Stramlo, or at least his biometrics, to operate the detonator.” She pointed to his team. “Want me to carry the crate, or are they walking with us?”
He looked at them for a long moment. “Shen and Moyo want to walk. Lerox and the cats will ride.”
“Copy that.” She sank to one knee to give him easier access to the back of her suit. “Hook it up.”
He rapped his knuckles twice on her shoulder plate when he was done. “Thank you for not asking me to leave them behind.”
The implications of his words sank in as she rose to her feet. “Captain Bhayrip is a gold-plated asshole.” Jutting her chin forward unrepentantly, she added, “And I’ll say it again on record if you want, Field Commander, sir.”
Hands on his hips, he gave her a mock glare. “Just for that, I’m promoting you to Co-Field Commander as of right now. Let’s go after those lifesigns.”
Amusement broke her straight face as she turned toward and started on the path Po had taken. “The scanners say they’re still on the move.” She held out her arm to show him the holo map and the realtime scanner trace.
Rylando walked beside her. “I’m assuming the detonator won’t work.” His tone held a note of uncertainty.
“I disabled the timers.” She decided to wait to tell him how many there had been. He might not appreciate how she’d used his team to help. “Damn, I wish we had our camera set.”
“We have the next best thing.” Mariposa launched herself from his shoulder and flew ahead of them. He slid the medical pack around so he could wear it as a backpack. “Po sure was talkative all of a sudden.”
“I asked the ERC if they knew of any sifters who might help make him more tractable.” She’d gotten the idea from the instructor they’d rescued that morning. “Probably needed more time.” She glanced at Rylando but couldn’t tell if he was upset. GSAR rescuers weren’t supposed to use their talents that way. Asking a civilian to do it was a gray area headed toward black.
“Oh, so that’s how you knew he was lying. And that he’s a ramper.”
Oops. That had been her. “Sifter talents are interesting, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, they’re ace. Wish I knew...” His feet slowed. “Mariposa found them. Po isn’t dragging Stramlo anymore, but he’s still holding the beamer on him. They’re stopping. Po is telling Stramlo to set the countdown. Stramlo is shaking his head.”
Taz held up her scanning holo map again. “They’re in this short hallway. If I distract Po, you and the dogs can streak by and pull Stramlo around the corner.”
He stopped and frowned at her. “He’s fast. Your suit is not beamer proof.”
She slowed and turned to face him as she walked backward. “Yeah, but it’s beamer-resistant.” When his frown deepened, she stopped. “I think this ends in tragedy if we wait for law enforcement. But I know it’s stretching ‘rescue’ to the breaking point, and maybe I’m thinking with adrenalin instead of brain cells. Your call, Subcaptain. What do you want to do?”
Emotions flickered across his face too fast for her to interpret. “I want you safe.” He blew out a heavy breath. “But we’re in the rescue business, and I can’t think of a better way to save Stramlo.”
Of course her stupid heart would pick that completely inappropriate moment to urge her to ask him what else he wanted and tell him what she wanted. She shook it off. “Alrighty, then. You might need room to run. Scans aren’t definitive. Can Mariposa tell us if that far hall is clear?”
He snorted. “Only if Po is blind to an owl flying past him.”
“Good point. Okay, new play. I’ll cover our retreat while you jet out with our prize.”
Hatya’s tone sounded in her earwire. “You GSAR people sure have interesting conversations. If Po needs to hear an explosion, we can give him one.”
Taz had forgotten Rylando’s earwire was on broadcast. She hoped she hadn’t said anything that required an apology later. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Out of time,” said Rylando. “Stramlo’s opening his bag.”
This would probably top her list of career-ending maneuvers, but she had to try. “Green go.” As she walked, she deployed her suit’s helmet. Better a communication barrier than a beamer burn.
She rounded the corner into a long hallway that her scanner told her actually made a U-turn at the end. Deliberately clomping so her footsteps would echo, she let her suit amplify her voice. “Hello. Galactic Search and Rescue. Do you need assistance?”
“Yeah, sure. This building stinks.” shouted Po. Her suit’s audio easily picked up his hissed whisper to Stramlo. “Send the code now or I’m telling them you self-terminated.”
Taz increased her volume. “How about you, Engineer Stramlo?”
In her earwire, she heard Rylando tell Hatya to ready her explosion.
“Er,” replied Stramlo. “Yes. I’d very much like to leave.”
“Now,” said Rylando.
A second later, the floor vibrated with a satisfying whump. Taz eyed the ceiling in this part of the building, hoping her scans were right about it holding.
She added concern to her voice. “Might be an aftershock. Everyone all right?”
“Get us out of here.” Stramlo sounded panicked.
“Almost there.” With one backward glance to make sure Rylando and the animals were ready, she turned the corner at the end of the hall. “There you are. No need for the weapon, sir. The path is clear from here to the exit.”
“Of course.” Po looked considerably more relaxed than before as he pocketed the beamer. “Let’s go.”
Stramlo, clutching a thick, dull-gray tablet to his chest. He lurched forward and picked up speed, almost running toward her.
Po scooped up Stramlo’s fallen bag and followed at a more leisurely pace.
Taz fired up her sifter talent and tried to get a reading on Po. No violence haze for now. She really needed to learn how to use her talent better.
Stramlo rounded the corner then stumbled to a halt when he saw Rylando and the dogs. “Where is my daughter?”
Rylando motioned him forward. “I’ll take you to her.” He turned to lead with a brisk walk that Stramlo emulated.