"I hope this thing'll get off the ground," muttered Birch.
Privately, Harriet hoped so too, especially when Bernie took hold of the ladder. She looked down and saw the robot standing on the lowest rung, one fist clamped around the ladder, the other holding Scrap to her shoulder.
A speaker in the airlock crackled, and they heard Alice's voice. "So, where are we running to? Dismolle?"
Harriet shook her head, then remembered Alice couldn't see her. "Take us to Darting's base. Set down nearby, out of gunshot range."
Everyone stared at her, astonished, and then Birch laughed. "My, you're a cunning one," he said admiringly. "Darting's sent all her people here, so we leapfrog them and attack her base instead!"
"Yeah, if it's her base. She might have several."
The engines roared, and hot air and dust blew into the airlock in a swirling cloud. The noise was intense, and it got even louder as the engines blasted at maximum thrust. Despite the pounding jets, the ship didn't move, and after a few seconds the thrusters cut out.
"Sorry, sis," said Alice, through the speaker. "Way too heavy. We're not going anywhere."
Birch took Harriet's arm. "I'll stay. You need someone at the barricade, otherwise the enemy will know we've all gone."
"No, that's insane," said Harriet. "You'd never hold them off on your own."
"Then let me take a couple of others. Please, Harriet!"
"I'll stay with him," said Ben. "I've hardly done anything to help so far, and this is my city."
Harriet shook her head, then looked down the ladder. "Bernie, we can't lift off. We'll have to come back for you."
The robot looked up at her. "Understood, Trainee Harriet. Please don't delay." Without hesitation, Bernie released the ladder and stepped onto the roof.
"Go, Alice!" Harriet called. She gave Bernie a grateful nod, and she was still watching the big, loyal robot as the thrusters fired. The ship struggled to rise from the roof, and they drifted slowly towards the parapet, the landing legs scraping on the concrete.
"This is ridiculous," muttered Birch, and before Harriet could stop him he took to the ladder, climbing down quickly with the crossbow still gripped in one hand, his blaster tucked into the waistband of his slacks.
"If he's staying, so am I," said Ben firmly.
Harriet realised he was determined, and she stood to let him past. "Hold them off as long as you can," she said, and she pressed her blaster into his hands.
"I've never used a gun!"
"Dave will show you. Just don't take any chances."
The two of them stepped off the ladder, and the ship rose slowly into the air, still struggling but airborne at last. There was a barrage of blaster fire from the surrounding buildings, zipping and whizzing past the fighter, and when Arnie was out of range Harriet looked back to see the shooters concentrating their fire on Bernie, Dave and Ben. The last she saw of her three allies, they were heading for the cover of the stairwell, shots hitting the concrete all around.
Chapter 25
"Alice, can you hear me?"
"Sure."
Harriet glanced down at the city below. The buildings were awfully close, and even with the thrusters at full bore, they seemed to be struggling for altitude. "Are we going to make it, or should we set down and lose more weight?"
"No, whatever you did, it worked."
"Bernie stayed behind." Harriet paused. "So did Ben and Dave."
"Dammit, Harriet. They're going to get themselves killed!"
"It was their choice. Dave feels responsible for bringing us into this mess, and Ben … well, I think he felt like a spare wheel. It was his chance to impress."
"Impress who?"
"You, I'm guessing."
"He's a bloody idiot," snapped Alice.
"Look, I'm sure they'll be okay. Bernie's there to protect them, and all they have to do is shoot through the barricade."
"But they know most of us have abandoned the place! They would have seen us boarding the ship. Don't forget they'd have been watching from those apartment towers."
"No chance. We were under the wings the whole time. Look, just drop us off as quick as you can, and head back. You can pick all three of them up and bring them to Darting's base."
"Yeah, I guess. You should have stopped Ben though. He's just a kid."
Harriet smiled at that, because she was pretty sure Ben was a year or two older than Alice. "How far is the base?"
"Five minutes, give or take. We can't exactly floor it, because Arnie's using most of the thrust to keep us airborne."
Harriet looked down through the hatch. The ladder was still extended, and she crouched to pull it up. She didn't think they were that close to the rooftops, but it sure looked like it, and every inch might count.
The flight lasted another ten minutes, with the last two or three spent looking for a landing site. Alice mentioned a large area behind the target building, but Harriet vetoed it. If they landed that close, the enemy would be alerted for sure, and they'd pick off the Peace Force team one by one as they tried to leave the ship.
Instead, they ended up setting down in a deserted lot a few hundred metres away.
Harriet deployed the ladder, then helped everyone off the ship. They were all carrying crossbows and bolts, and she took each weapon and passed them down once the owner was safely on the ground.
"That's the lot," she called to Alice. "I'm leaving now. Just give me a couple of seconds to close the hatch."
"Thanks. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Don't rush. Once you abandon the Peace Force office, Darting's people will probably come back here. The longer you can distract them the better."
"Will do."
"Just … be careful."
"Don't worry, sis."
"If we get Darting, I'll call you straight away. Her people might surrender if they realise she's been taken." After a last look around, Harriet took the ladder to the ground and sealed the hatch.
