Antagonist - Childe Cycle 11 (12 page)

They
were
roughly
halfway
to
the
unit
they
were
to
visit
next when
their
escort,
a
full
company
from
the
best
mechanized
infantry
division
among
the
Solomoni
forces—or
so
they
had
been told—came
to
a
halt,
pulling
off
the
wide,
paved
trafficway
to
park in
a
lushly
green
field,
one
of
the
few
flat
spots
in
a
region
of
low, rolling
hills.
Bleys,
Toni
and
Dahno
climbed
out
of
their
limousine, hoping
to
learn
why
they
had
stopped.

In
a
few
moments
they
were
approached
by
the
captain
in
charge of
their
escort,
an
older
man
who
had
largely
ignored
his
charges
up to
this
point.
Now
he
seemed
pleased
to
report
there
had
been
a flare-up
in
the
fighting
nearby;
he
was,
he
said,
taking
his
unit
off
in pursuit
of
a
party
of
raiders
that
had
just
attacked
a
small
outpost
behind
the
line
of
truce.
For
the
protection
of
Bleys
and
his
party,
he was
leaving
them
two
armored
cars—and
also
sending
the
two
civilian
limousines
back;
Bleys
and
his
people
were
to
continue
the
trip inside
two
armored
troop
carriers.

The
company
had
formed
itself,
and
the
two
limousines
were vanishing
down
the
road,
when
the
captain
returned
to
speak
to them
one
last
time,
a
nasty
grin
on
his
face.

"I
didn't
trust
those
people
from
the
beginning,"
he
said.
"And now
they're
gone
I'll
tell
you
your
escort
is
going
to
change
its route,
too.
You're
going
off
the
road
and
directly
cross-country
toward
your
destination.
These
ducted-fan
vehicles
don't
need
the road,
so
while
it'll
be
a
little
uncomfortable,
you'll
be
safe."

He
turned
away,
ignoring
attempts
to
engage
him
in
a
dialogue, and
strode
aggressively
over
to
his
command
vehicle.
Ducking
inside
it,
he
immediately
popped
out
of
the
hatch
in
its
topside,
giving
a
hand
signal
that
started
the
unit
in
motion.

The
company
was
already
disappearing
over
a
thinly
treed
rise when
an
apologetic
junior
lieutenant
appeared,
to
repeat
that
they were
ordered
to
leave
the
trafficway.
He
shepherded
them
into
the two
troop
carriers;
and
in
moments
the
vehicles
rose
on
their
fans and
crossed
the
paved
road,
tilting
alarmingly
for
a
moment
as
they
slid
down
the
embankment
on
the
other
side,
before
leveling
out on
the
rock-strewn
terrain
that
fell
away
unevenly
from
the
road.

Inside
one
of
the
carriers,
Bleys
found
himself
becoming
distinctly uneasy.
Dahno
was
clearly
thoroughly
irritated
by
these
events,
as well
as
by
the
cramped,
dusty
conditions,
but
Toni,
Bleys
saw,
was calm
and
watchful.

They
shared
the
carrier's
center
compartment
with
six
young
soldiers;
and
all
of
them
were
reduced
to
perching
on
the
small
benches that
lined
the
carrier's
interior,
their
hands
clutching
straps
as
the
vehicle,
for
all
that
its
fans
kept
it
above
the
rough
ground,
bounced and
swayed
in
crossing
the
terrain
at
a
relatively
high
speed.

Bleys
was
beginning
to
wish
his
medician
had
been
able
to
join them.
He
could
feel
a
headache
coming
on,
accompanied
by
a
sick, feverish
achiness.
Apparently
it
showed
enough
that
Toni
was
concerned
about
him.

Bleys
tried
to
make
an
unobtrusive
check
of
his
wristpad,
to
be sure
it
was
continuing
to
emit
the
periodic
homing
signals
Henry had
suggested.
He
noticed
that
Dahno
and
Toni
did
the
same thing.

They
appeared
to
be
making
good
time,
but
the
young
officer
now in
charge
of
this
detachment
was
in
one
of
the
armored
cars,
and would
not
communicate
with
them
beyond
having
a
subordinate
tell them
they
were
less
than
an
hour
from
the
Friendly
unit
they
had
intended
to
visit
next.

Bleys'
feeling
that
something
was
wrong
got
all
the
confirmation it
needed
when
the
lead
armored
car
exploded
ahead
of
their
own vehicle.
The
blast
front
caused
their
own
carrier
to
rear
like
a
frightened
animal
and
then
plunge
down
the
side
of
a
narrow
gulley;
they never
learned
whether
the
driver
did
so
in
order
to
avoid
further
attack,
but
as
they
went
over
the
edge
a
bolt
from
some
sort
of
power weapon
caved
in
the
roof
above
them,
despite
its
armor.