''Bomb,'' Kris shouted, and took off running just as Jack made a grab for her as if to push her.
''Run, Marines,'' Gunnery Sergeant Brown ordered, but he was backpeddling up the road, his automatic out. He gave the entire detachment one quick look, determined them gone enough, and started to empty his weapon.
8
Behind Kris, the world exploded.
She went down hard. Jack hit on top of her even harder.
She hoped it was nice for him.
She rolled out from underneath him and was struggling to her feet even as she took command of the situation. ''Anybody injured? Let's hear a report. Sound off.''
One by one five of her six Marines reported their presence. Two shouted as if they might be having a hard time hearing. Beside her, Jack got to his feet, licked his finger, and made a mark in the air. ''Missed you again,'' he muttered.
''Gunny,'' Kris shouted, not interested in Jack's humor.
The sergeant was slower getting to his feet. ''It missed me, ma'am. I think it was aimed for the center of the road.'' He pointed at the trees across the street, now denuded of leaves and branches. Two were nothing but shattered stumps. ''Those won't need trimming for a while.''
Her primary duty done, Kris turned to look for the local police officer. He was still down. She offered him a hand.
Martinez took it and stood, but his attention was focused behind her. Kris turned to see the motorcade bumping off the mall to her right, gunning its engines as it used the next road up to head back where it came from. Tracks on the mall's grass and gravel showed where heavy vehicles had made fast passage.
''I was going to say, another one to add to my file,'' Kris said. ''But whoever's in those rigs might dispute that.''
''I suspect they would.''
''On your knees!'' a new voice demanded. ''Hands behind your heads! Twitch a muscle and I'll shoot you, you damn terrorists.''
Martinez immediately dropped to his knees, but he shouted out. ''I'm a police officer. I have credentials in my pocket.''
Kris made no effort to comply, but slowly turned to face a young man in full armor, assault rifle aimed at her head. ''I am Princess Kristine of Wardhaven and a serving officer in my planet's Navy. These men with me are Marines and part of my security detail. We exploded that damn booby trap. I demand to see one of your officers.''
Kris noted that Jack and Gunny had slowly led their subordinates in complying with the wish of the man with the rifle. Good of them. But Kris had been accused of too many crimes she didn't commit. She'd waste as little time with this one as possible.
She locked eyes with the armed man and didn't blink.
''Stand down, Corporal. I'll take it from here.''
The man who stepped forward to place a gentle hand on the corporal looked a bit older than Jack. The deep tan of his face matched the soft brown of his suit. ''I'm Inspector Johnson. You say you are a princess. Can you prove it?''
The corporal may have been told to stand down, but the rifle didn't waver from Kris…and his finger stayed on the trigger.
''Inspector, I have credentials in my pocket. May I drop this raincoat?''
''Please do so. Slowly.''
Kris did. She got upraised eyebrows from both the inspector and corporal as her uniform emerged.
''The Navy part seems to have some substance,'' the inspector said, then glanced around at the rest of her party. ''Marines?''
''First Lieutenant Montoya is the chief of my security detail. The others were ‘volunteered,' when Lieutenant Martinez of your police asked to talk to me.''
Now the inspector glanced at his own officer. ''You have credentials handy?''
''In my coat pocket.''
''Produce them slowly.''
Lieutenant Martinez did. The inspector examined them, whispered something to his personal computer, and seemed happy with the answer he got. ''You may get up, Lieutenant. Is she what she says she is?''
''I have every reason to believe so.''
''Gentlemen, I'm going to ask you Marines to stay down a moment longer. Your Highness, will you slowly present your ID.''
Kris did.
''Lieutenant Montoya?'' the inspector said. Jack answered with a grunt. ''May I see your ID card?''
Jack slowly produced his. The inspector looked at all three of them together.
''Can any of you explain why our explosives experts swept this area and found nothing. Our advanced guard had no inkling of anything, but a mine exploded for you?''
''Corporal Singe, report,'' Gunny snapped.
''I was using an MK 38, Mod 9 sensor both to search for illegals and to control our own nano-guards, sir. As I approached the curb, I got the first alarm that there were explosives and electronic devices present. They appeared to be well shielded. I announced the problem and followed the princess. That caused the sensors to spike and I concluded it was either in the popcorn box or being covered by it. Gunny then took action, sir!''
''And that action was?''
''I shot it until it exploded, Inspector,'' Gunny Brown said.
''You have a permit for that weapon, mister?''
''That was what I was talking to your lieutenant about,'' Kris put in. ''My submitted request for a weapons permit for me and my security detail. I think this proves I need one.''
''Hmm,'' said the inspector.
Lieutenant Martinez shook his head eying the direction of the vanished motorcade. ''I'm not so sure you get credited with this one.''
''You mean she's now walking into other people's assassinations.'' Jack shook his head. ''That's really not fair.''
In the road, four people in civilian clothes organized a thorough search of the bomb scene. One of them came over to talk in dark whispers with the inspector. He waved Kris and company toward a tree ten meters away. They went.
A few minutes later Inspector Johnson rejoined them. ''Did that bomb sniffer of yours make a record of findings?''
Kris glanced at Corporal Singe.
''Full and complete, Your Highness.''
''I'll need that record,'' the inspector said.
''We'll make a copy,'' Kris said.
''I want the original.''
''You may have the original. We want a copy.''
The inspector nodded. A large, apparently armored, vehicle pulled up. ''I will need all of you to accompany me downtown.''
''For what reason?'' Kris demanded.
The inspector seemed to recognize the error of his ways and moved to explain. ''We need as much residue from this new form of bomb as we can get. Your clothes are potentially peppered now with fragments of the explosive, electronics, what have you. Would you please accompany me downtown where our experts can examine you and your clothing.''
Put that way, Kris could only answer, ''We will be glad to. Let me call my embassy and explain why I will be late returning from lunch. Don't want to be declared a deserter…again.''
Several hours later, Lieutenant Martinez offered Kris a hand in her dismount from the same armored transport, or its sibling. Her hair was stripped clean down to the second layer of cells; Abby would have a fit. The Marines formed a perimeter around her. Even on the embassy doorstep, they were not taking chances.
''I will do my best to speed the process of awarding you a permit,'' he said without looking her in the eye.
''Is there a problem?'' Kris asked.
''My supervisor did not seem in any rush.''
''You could wave this. It's bound to make the media.''
The local cop shook his head. ''Not in any outlet he's likely to read.''
''Well, please tell me which media it will make. After last night vanished into some kind of invisible hole, I'm wondering how to fill up my scrapbook.'' Or Abby's.
''You haven't heard about our alternate press.''
''Is it to be trusted?''
''Some more than others. I read the El Camino Real. You might want to subscribe.''
''I'll look into it.'' NELLY, SEE ABOUT HAVING PENNY SUBSCRIBE. THAT SHOULD KEEP MY NAME OUT OF IT.
DOING, KRIS.