She nodded. He reminded her ofher brother Baymond. He was always urging her to run faster, climbhigher and jump farther. It had served as good training.
They continued toward the complexat a slower pace. When they stopped to rest again, she asked, “Doyou have a plan?”
“We’ll have to break into thedata chamber. I can steal the information, now that I know the codes.Once we’ve accomplished our mission, we’ll get our flight suitsand helmets from the barracks and fly home.”
Toemeka shook her head. “Wecan’t break into the data chamber. They’ll be looking for us. Weshould forget about stealing the information and concentrate onescaping.”
“They think we’re in theforest. Now is the perfect time. We’ve come all this way and riskedso much, I’m not leaving until we have the information we need tokeep Samrat Condor from destroying the entire free world.”
“Erling, I want to accomplishour mission as much as you do, but I have my baby to think about.”
“You should’ve thought of thebaby before you joined me on the mission. It’s too late to suddenlydecide it’s too dangerous. I’ll go to the data chamber alone.Once I have the info, we can leave together.”
She trudged around another fallentree, annoyed he wouldn’t agree to abort the mission. He acted asif her pregnancy interfered with the mission. Had he forgotten shewas the one who hauled his ungrateful ass out of jail and then put upa protective bubble to guard him all night? She only suggestedaborting the mission because everything had gone to hell.
“You’re so stubborn,” shesaid. “It’s too dangerous for us to split up. We’re stickingtogether.”
When they finally reached thebuilding, Erling checked all the windows to see if any were unlocked.At last he found one: he slid it open, slit the screen and climbedin. Toemeka waited nervously with her blaster ready. A few momentslater he leaned out the window.
“It’s safe,” he whispered.
He reached down and helped herclimb in. They went through the building until they reached the datachamber where they’d worked the day before. Toemeka stood guardwhile Erling sat at a computer and began typing. The only light inthe room came from the monitor. He slid in a matrix crystal and begancopying information onto it.
“Almost done?” Toemeka asked,wanting to get out as quick as possible.
“It’s hard to know when toquit. This amount of information takes time to download.”
Footsteps sounded in the hall.Erling hit the “off” switch on the monitor and its light fadedaway, leaving them in darkness. They both squatted down behind thedesk just as the door opened and light flooded into the room,followed by footsteps. Toemeka saw Erling had his finger on thetrigger of his blaster. Her heart pounded as the footsteps drew near.
The guard walked by so close thatToemeka could have reached out and touched his pant leg, but he neverturned his head and spotted them. The footsteps gradually recededtoward the far door. After the door opened and closed on the far sideof the room, they were left in darkness once again.
Toemeka slumped against the deskin relief, waiting for her heart to slow down. Erling slid back intothe office chair, switched the monitor back on and continued to fillthe matrix crystal with data as if nothing had happened.
Alwayscool in a crisis,she thought. That was what made him a good operative.
When Erling finished, they leftby the same window they’d come in through, then started toward thebarracks to get their flight suits and helmets. Toemeka chewed on herlower lip. If they were caught, they’d be tortured for information,then executed.
At the barracks, Toemeka peeredinto the dirty window and saw a soldier sitting at the desk near theentrance. She recognized him as one of the men she’d seen at work.He was human and looked to be about her age, in his mid-twenties. Sheremembered he’d seemed pretty interested in her when he passed herdesk at the data chamber. She jerked away as he turned in herdirection.
Erling crept over to her. “Ichecked the perimeter of the building and there aren’t any unlockedwindows. I don’t dare break one because someone could hear. I’llhave to knock on the front door and kill the guard when he opens it.”
Toemeka’s throat went dry. Shedidn’t like the idea of killing someone who was just doing his job.“If you shoot him, the noise will wake the whole barracks. Besideshe’s not going to be stupid enough to just open it. He’llprobably yell for help or shoot you.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Maybe.” She swallowed. Shedidn’t like her idea much better than his, but it was worth a try.“I’ll knock on the door and ask for help, then distract him longenough for you to sneak past and get our stuff.”
“They’re looking for you,too. Why do you think he’d open the door to you and not me?”
“Because I’m a woman andthese men are starved for the sight of a woman.”
“Do you think you can handlehim?”
“Of course, I can.” Shehoped.After two days in the jungle, she was dirty and sweaty, hardly at herbest.
She unplaited her braid and rakedher hands through her hair so it tumbled over her shoulders. Wishingshe had some makeup, she pinched her cheeks and bit her lips to giveherself some color.
“What if you run into trouble?”
“Stay close. If I can’tdistract him, knock him out.” She went to the door without givinghim a chance to protest. Once Erling moved out of sight, sheunbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, drew in a deep, calmingbreath and knocked on the door.
The guard’s face appeared inthe small peep window and his eyes widened when he saw her.
“Are you alone?” he asked,raising his voice to be heard through it.
“Yes, please help me. I’m introuble.”
He opened the door. “Troubledoesn’t begin to describe the mess you’re in.”
The light from inside the roomshone on his chiseled features and short, muscular build. He held aBlackhawk blaster on her as he scanned the terrain behind her beforeletting her in.
He frisked her, his hands slidingdown her sides until he came to the blaster in her pocket. He pulledit out and set it on the desk.
“They’re in the jungle rightnow searching for
