he expected it to shatter into a million pieces.
“Again,” Klara shouted. “Fire!”
This time, the wall responded appropriately, giving way with an opening large enough for them to get through one at a time. The three Racks hopped through and disappeared into the night. Nexbit transformed into something Moe had never seen before, but it was long and skinny with four stubby legs, a long snout, and a tail. If this was a dwithan, it was big enough to scare the shit out of anyone encountering it. After Nexbit slithered out, Moe went next and crouched beside the hole in the wall, then motioned for Klara and Temfilk to follow. “Come on,” he whispered. “I’ll cover you.”
As it turned out, cover fire was unnecessary. With no Nedwuts posted on that side of the building, the way was clear, but Moe had no idea which direction to take.
Klara obviously did. “We’ll meet at the rendezvous point,” she said, then darted across the deserted street and melted into the shadows.
“Be nice if she’d bothered to tell me where that was,” Moe muttered.
Temfilk sucked several fingertips onto Moe’s arm and gave it a tug. “I’ll show you.” He took off running, dragging Moe along behind him.
Moe caught up easily and swung the Norludian onto his back. “We’ll get there faster if I do the running. Just hang on tight and tell me where to go.”
“Straight ahead, then turn left at the next corner.”
“Got it.” Moe ramped up the speed. Moments later, they blew past Nexbit and Klara before overtaking the Racks.
“Remind me to stick with you from now on,” Temfilk said in his ear. “This is awesome!”
Without bothering to answer, Moe made the turn, then slowed.
Temfilk gasped. “Why are you stopping?”
“Pulse fire,” Moe replied. “We’ll wait here for the others.”
Seconds later, the Racks raced around the corner with Nexbit and Klara bringing up the rear. “Keep going,” Moe said as he waved them on by. “We’ll catch up with you later.”
Without slackening her pace, Klara replied with a terse nod.
“Forget what I said earlier,” Temfilk grumbled. “If I’d known you were gonna play hero…”
“I’m not playing hero,” Moe insisted as he leaned against the wall, hoping the Nedwuts wouldn’t spot him before he could make his move. “This is our best strategy.”
On the word, the snarling Nedwut pack rounded the corner with pistols drawn. Moe switched to a wide stun beam and fired.
This time, his pistol actually worked. The Nedwuts couldn’t have dropped any faster if the street had been yanked from beneath their feet. Moe waited several seconds, picked off three stragglers, and then ran in the direction Klara had taken with Temfilk clinging to his back like an Uldarian leech. When all this was over, Moe would probably find sucker marks on his shoulders. But for now, nothing mattered beyond finding Klara and, hopefully, a safer place to hole up for the rest of the night.
After that, he was going to the spaceport, with or without her and her buddies. The inhabitants of Haedus Nine had gotten on his last nerve.
Chapter 8
“This is the rendezvous point?” Moe exclaimed when he reached a pile of rubbish that was larger and smelled worse than any he had yet seen. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Temfilk climbed down from Moe’s back. “Hey, would you come anywhere near this place if you didn’t have to?”
“Well, no. I probably wouldn’t,” Moe replied. Granted, there was sufficient cover nearby, although none of the buildings appeared to be as sound as the one they’d left behind. “Don’t suppose you have an alternative headquarters, do you?”
“Sure. That’s it over there.” Temfilk pointed to a tiny house that looked as if it had been built for—and possibly by—Rackenspries or some other diminutive species. On any other world, he might’ve assumed it was a children’s playhouse. As they approached, Moe doubted if he could even stand upright once he was inside. He had to duck his head to avoid hitting the lintel as it was.
Still, as an unassuming and unlikely hideout, the house had a lot to recommend it—particularly having a door in each of its four exterior walls.
Nah, that would only make it easier to surround and lay siege to.
But perhaps it had other hidden attributes.
Klara, Nexbit, and the Racks were already there, Moe having purposely left them with a sizeable head start.
“About time you got here,” Nexbit said with a touch of sarcasm. “We were about to send out a search party.”
Moe let that one slide without so much as a roll