down even as Mark spotted it on the HUD.
Mark left the Net, knowing his pursuers would think he’d logged off. He streaked through the upper atmosphere and into the telecommunications array. In seconds he flashed through England, France, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Israel, then into the Balkans, disguising himself every step of the way. When he hit the satellite feeding the Balkans connection, he insinuated himself into the satellite feed D’Arnot Industries was using to coordinate the world launch of Realm of the Bright Waters.
He returned to the Eisenhower Productions site just as Andy’s spacetank was reduced to cybernetic ash. Powering the crashsuit’s jets to the max, Mark streaked into the dreadnought’s finger, following the hollow tube of the arm toward the brain.
“Stop! Police!”
Maj experienced a momentary burst of relief as the man in front of her shifted and pointed his weapon at Heavener. But the moment was short-lived. Two shots rang out, one hammer blow on top of another, and the plainclothes policeman flew backward into the door behind him.
Instant pandemonium spread throughout the convention center. Andy’s earlier gunfire might have been mistaken for gameplay, but the man smashing up against the door with blood on his jacket was too real. Gamers screamed and tried to get away, knocking each other down in their haste.
Knowing that she’d be the next target if she stopped to help the policeman, Maj shouldered her way through the door, smashing through, hitting the floor and rolling. She caught herself against the far wall of the hallway, feeling the vibration of bullets smacking the tiles to pieces only inches from her.
“Over here!”
Instinctively Maj crawled toward the voice, recognizing it as Roarke’s only a second later. The Net Force agent stood in a Weaver’s stance, his pistol resting lightly in both hands.
Heavener burst through the door first, dropping into a flat slide on her stomach across the tiled floor. Her pistol spat flame as Roarke’s first shot split the air above her head. The agent’s next two rounds caught both men who hurtled through the door after Heavener, punching into them.
As Maj got to her feet and ran past Roarke, she saw the agent stumble backward, blood spraying from his left shoulder. Even as he went down, Roarke fired again. Then he was hit once more, sprawling backward.
Horrified, Maj ran on, knowing the Net Force team in the area had to be closing in. The rapid slap of shoes against the tile floor came up behind her. Then an arm went around her waist and a shoulder hit her back. Off- balance, she went down hard, Heavener on top of her.
“You’re dead, Latke!”
Heavener’s promise rang in Gaspar’s ears as he stared at the screen showing the hallway where the woman had captured Maj Green. Heavener grabbed a handful of Maj’s hair and held her pistol to the girl’s head.
“Get up,” Heavener ordered, yanking Maj to her feet. “You’re my ticket out of here.”
Gaspar logged off the Net. There was no doubt that Heavener had commed instructions to the men where he was being held to kill him. He pushed his way out of the implant chair, his heart thudding in his chest. Weakly, exhausted by lack of sleep and stress, he staggered for the door. He twisted the knob, but it was locked.
Then the knob turned in his hand. He stepped back, hoping.
When the door opened, it revealed one of the hard-faced men he’d seen with Heavener. The man raised the pistol in his hand without a word.
Gaspar closed his eyes when he heard the shot ring out, waiting to feel the bullet smash through his chest. But he didn’t feel anything.
The man in front of him fell, revealing a black-clad warrior with an MP5. “Net Force agent,” the man said. “Down on the floor. On your face. Move it.”
Gaspar dropped instantly, grateful for the feel of the plastic cuffs pulling tight around his wrists. Bursts of gunfire echoed in other parts of the building. There weren’t any prolonged gun-fights.
“If you’re who I think you are,” the Net Force agent promised, “we’ll get you out of here.”
“I know,” Gaspar said, tears running down his face. “I know.” But he felt guilty as well as relieved. He should have warned Maj.
Mark sped through the dreadnought’s interior. Defensive programs inside the game engine tried to overload the crashsuit’s parameters as well. He fired a phalanx of rockets ahead, clearing the tunnel of the machine guns and lasers that lined the way.
He wasn’t sure how much time remained before the game launched.
In the next instant he was through the shoulder and up into the dreadnought’s neck. The central core of the game engine opened to him. It looked like a huge orange gem, twirling madly, showing him countless reflections of the crashsuit.
Mark raised his hand and strafed the game engine with every nasty bit of programming at his disposal. Fractures ran through the jewel at once, then it went to pieces in a silent, explosive rush.
“Game over,” Mark said.
“Get on your feet,” Heavener ordered.
Pain shot through Maj’s head as the woman yanked her to her feet by the hair. Black spots danced in front of her eyes.
“Move.” Heavener shoved her down the hallway, keeping the pistol muzzle buried between Maj’s shoulder blades. She shifted her grip from Maj’s hair to one of her wrists, using the hold to pin her arm behind her back.
“You’re not going to get out of here,” Maj promised. “Net Force has this hotel surrounded.”
“They won’t hurt one of their own.” Heavener pushed her from behind, almost at a run.
A group ahead spread across the hallway, freezing in place.
“Net Force won’t let you get away,” Maj said.
“Out of the way!” Heavener ordered. When the group didn’t move fast enough, she pointed the pistol and shot one of the men at the front of the group. The rest of the group fled.
Before Heavener could place her weapon back between Maj’s shoulder blades, Maj dropped to the floor and swept her leg back, knocking her captor’s legs from under her. Heavener tried to maintain her grip on Maj’s wrist, but Maj twisted her wrist toward Heavener’s thumb as she’d been taught. Her hand came free immediately.
Heavener tried to bring her pistol to bear.
Maj kicked out, connecting with the woman’s wrist and sending the pistol flying. She tried to get up, but Heavener backhanded her across the face. As Heavener pushed herself up and toward the fallen pistol, Maj grabbed her ankle and tripped her.
Heavener came down hard, snarling curses. She kicked her foot free of Maj’s hand, then drove it at Maj’s face. Maj caught the kick on her arm, blocking it to the side. She rolled to her feet as Heavener did, placing herself between the woman and the pistol.
“You can’t take me,” Heavener said, raising her arms.
“I don’t have to,” Maj replied. “All I have to do is delay you.”
Heavener attacked without warning, launching a kick at Maj’s head. Maj ducked, then curled an arm up around the ankle. She halted the foot, but slammed her other hand behind Heavener’s knee, breaking the woman’s stance. Heavener leaped, rolling in the air and bringing her other foot around to smash into Maj’s cheek.
Pain flared in Maj’s head and she released her hold. Concentrating was difficult, but she focused on finding the pistol as Heavener got to her feet. Maj ran across the hallway, dropping to her knees and sliding on them to reach the pistol. She picked it up and pointed it at Heavener, using both hands and keeping her finger out of the trigger guard the way she’d been taught.
Heavener’s smile curved as sharply as a shark’s. “Are you really going to use that on me, little girl?” She took a step forward.
Maj’s hands shook. “D — d—don’t move!”
Heavener’s smile stayed in place. “If you want me to believe that you’ll shoot, you’re going to have to do better than that.” Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She kept coming.
Maj watched the woman helplessly.
“How about this, little girl?” Heavener popped the sleeve of her jacket and a short, wide-bladed knife dropped
