'Not enough range for the power. Too strong a field would knock out everyone on the fringes.' I edged toward the west end of the building, Ann's hand in mine, keeping behind the bushes.
A thunderous explosion shook through us. I looked past Auberge to see the Union Bank building lose its top thirty stories. I had a feeling my office wouldn't be in great shape after that. The chopper that fired the missile landed atop the Bonaventure Hotel to hide from the action below.
'Where are the police?' Ann shouted over the battle's roar. 'The army?'
One of the copters disintegrated in midair. The guard who fired the killing shot jumped up triumphantly, only to be blown from his perch by a cannon round from another attacker. His body whirled and danced through the air before tumbling down Bunker Hill and out of sight.
'Why should the cops or the feds get involved?' I said, looking down Fifth Street for a safe escape route. 'They figure anyone in Auberge is a criminal of some sort. It'll give them an excuse to crack down on all the undergrounds.'
Another copter fell flaming into the World Trade Center.
'Someone high up may even have approved the attack. They'll call it a gangland massacre.'
'Dell-over there.'
I turned to see pickup trucks racing toward Auberge, the beds loaded with scores of young men-healthy, well- armed, and fit for a new crusade, another jihad.
The Hueys drew back to safety as the boys stormed the hills, firing at anything that moved.
'It touches my heart,' I said, 'to see how the world's different faiths can work together for a change.'
Ann grabbed my arm with painful tightness. 'Where's Isadora?'
'I don't know,' I said. I was concentrating on the truck pulling up to the library.
'Go sensitive and find her.'
'Go
'
Ann crouched down to where I was peering out at the truck. 'You can do it,' she whispered. 'Just calm yourself and concentrate lightly on her image. Conjure her up in your mind.'
'Calm myself? During
' I felt like a kid on stage with a hypnotist. I wanted it to work. I wanted everything to go fine, even though I knew it wouldn't. I tried as hard as I could to believe that it would work while inside me I felt it was impossible.
'The column of mirrors,' I said as if I'd just remembered it.
'See? You're getting something.'
I glanced back at the troops leaping out of the truck. Something shook the earth. I stared up in bewilderment as a sleek black Learjet screamed over the library, two Vulcan machine gun pods under its wings chattering like the Fourth of July.
The Lear knocked two of the remaining three copters out of the sky. The third turned to escape, the jet pursuing in an uncontested race. Twin Vulcans blazed for an instant. The Huey's pilot bubble shattered. An instant later, the machine wheeled about, twisting crazily toward the Music Center. It crumpled into the Second Street overpass and hung there unburning-a dragonfly pinned to a rail.
The jet vanished to the northwest. I watched it depart, glancing at the fires of Auberge reflected in the mirrored windows of the Bonaventure.
'She's in the hotel.' I whispered.
'Let's go.'
I shook my head and pointed toward the young troops. 'Wait until they're inside.'
