Flint laughed. "Not any more, Cap'n. I've got a robot looking after me these days."
He introduced Scrap, and the robot bent its head as it took Timms' hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Ma'am."
"My, aren't you the polite one?"
They entered the station, which was a hive of activity. Duke was back from the basement, and he gave Harriet a quick shake of the head. Clearly there had been nothing of use. Several others were talking at once, reminiscing about the old days as they helped Birch put everything away. To Harriet, it was like arriving at a school camp: that first hour of chaos when everyone was checking out their quarters, unpacking their things, and catching up with their roommates.
There was a burst of laughter, and she saw Timms waving her fist in mid-air, presumably telling Birch about Flint and his night stick. Harriet smiled at the sight, and she was still grinning when she heard a voice behind her.
"Can I get a coffee, trainee?"
She turned to see Caldavir standing nearby. "Sure. The stuff's in the canteen."
"In my day, that was the trainee's job."
Harriet was about to reply when she saw Alice approaching. "What's up? Have you spotted anyone?"
"No, just getting away from the oldie. She won't stop talking about the old days."
"Aha," said Caldavir. "You must be the other trainee. Do you know how to make coffee?"
Alice turned slowly, looking him up and down. "You look old enough to make your own, grandad."
Caldavir turned red, and Harriet turned a snort of laughter into a cough. "Perhaps you could show Mr Caldavir to the canteen. He might have forgotten where everything is."
"If you insist. I don't want to leave McCluskey on the roof too long though … it's getting dark, and she might freeze."
Alice left with Caldavir, and Harriet breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been worried about some of the old-timers throwing their weight around, but Alice had just proved it wouldn't be a problem.
"Is everything okay?"
Harriet glanced at Timms, who had appeared beside her. "I think so. We've all got to get used to this, but then it'll be fine."
"Spirits are high. They'll be singing next."
"Am I making a mistake?" said Harriet suddenly.
"In what way, dear?"
"Bringing all of you in like this. The people we're facing are armed. Real guns, not night sticks."
Timms patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll prevail."
"I sure hope so." Harriet saw Alice heading for the stairwell. "Will you excuse me? I need to speak with my sister."
— ♦ —
Alice was halfway up the stairs when Harriet caught up with her. "You go back," Harriet told her. "I'll take this watch."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I could use some alone time. My ears are ringing from all the chatter."
"Okay, thanks."
Alice turned and ran down the steps, and Harriet continued to the top. She found Duke and McCluskey on opposite sides of the roof, almost invisible in the failing light. The sun had already gone down, leaving a fainter patch in the night sky. "Go down and get yourselves a cuppa," Harriet told them. "I'll keep watch."
"Thanks, dear. Make sure you keep warm."
"Don't worry, I can always jog around the roof."
"I think I'll stick to warm clothes," said McCluskey, with a smile.
Harriet remembered the boxes cramming the stairwell. "Watch your step on the way down. There's not much room."
The old couple left, and Harriet had the roof to herself. She leant against the parapet, facing one of the apartment buildings, and as she looked up at the lights shining from the flats she realised there were hundreds of people up there, all oblivious to the Peace Force station below them.
Well, they wouldn't be oblivious when the gunfire started, that was for sure.
Harriet leant over the parapet and gazed at the roads below. There was a ring road that circled the block, with driveways for the car parks servicing the apartment blocks. Another road headed off at an angle, but it was as deserted as the others. It was a cold night, and sensible people would be at home tucking into their evening meals.
She saw movement out the corner of her eye, and turned to look. A van was approaching, moving slowly with its lights off, and Harriet frowned at the sight. She resisted the urge to duck down, concerned any sudden movement might reveal her position. Yes, it was dark, but there were lights behind her, and if the van was full of Darting's people they might have night-vision gear in addition to their weapons.
The van turned left to circle the Peace Force building, and once it was below Harriet ran alongside the parapet, keeping it in sight. From this angle they had no view of the roof, which meant she could move around in safety.
The van reached the corner and turned again, still circling the building. The windows were dark and she couldn't make out anyone inside, but she could imagine them examining the building closely. As Harriet jogged to the next corner she wondered whether she was being paranoid, then she shook her head. A black van, driving around the building at night with the lights off? It had to be Darting's people.
Harriet tripped on a chunk of concrete in the darkness, and as she regained her balance she eyed it thoughtfully. If the van stopped she wouldn't be completely helpless. Before the occupants got anywhere near the doors, she could drive them off with a few well-aimed bricks.
The van slowed as it passed the front of the building, and Harriet pulled out her commset to warn Alice. She made the call, then held the commset to her ear.
"Caller is not online," said a metallic voice from the speaker.
Harriet frowned and examined the screen. There was a red X next to Alice's name, and she swore under her breath. Alice had probably run her battery down
