"Heading east or west, I suppose," Fuess shrugged.
"Right. So we're going where they won't expect us." Even as he spoke Lathe turned a final corner and brought the car to a stop.
Caine blinked. "The wall? The south wall," he added, noting the direction of the sun.
Fuess craned his neck to see the street signs at the corner. "We're only three blocks west of the Avis Street gate," he said, sounding both alarmed and puzzled.
"Right again," Lathe acknowledged. "Everyone out; from here it's on foot."
"We can't climb over it," Fuess said as they got out. "The mesh is loaded with detectors and high-voltage antipersonnel wires."
"I know. We're going to walk out the gate. Weapons situation?"
"Low," Mordecai said before Fuess could recover from his surprise. "I've got one shuriken left, plus my nunchaku."
"Caine?"
"Two stars."
"Give them to Mordecai. Fuess?"
"This is insane!" the Argentian exclaimed. "They'll still have left a force there to keep unauthorized people out—"
"Weapons, Commando?" Lathe cut him off.
"None!"
"None?" Mordecai was incredulous.
"Of course not—I assumed we'd be going into the Strip. I already told you that."
"Never mind," Lathe cut in. "I've got two stars left; maybe it'll be enough. Let's go. Mordecai, you and Fuess stay a few meters ahead of us for now."
They walked back to the corner and turned right. Other pedestrians were visible far down the street and vehicular traffic was beginning to increase. Walking beside Lathe, trying to imitate the comsquare's slightly indolent gait, Caine felt his heart pounding loudly. This simply could not work—and the fact that at one point a Security car barreled by without slowing did nothing to change that opinion. Clearly, the government troops weren't expecting them to be this far south and on foot, though someone had to notice them eventually.
But they completed the three-block walk to Avis Street without that hypothetical person coming along. Turning south, they started down the long block toward the ruined gate.
Considering how short a time had elapsed since Lathe had smashed through, the defensive gap had been plugged with remarkable efficiency. A car was lying across the road, filling all but about a meter at each end of the gateway. The two pedestrian turnstiles had survived, and a small stream of people were being passed through by a contingent of Security men. "Look—six guards," Caine murmured, nudging Lathe nervously. "We're one throwing star short."
"Two, actually. See that guardhouse?"
The tiny glassed-in cubicle sat against the wall a couple of meters from the gate area. One of the six guards sat inside, looking tense and painfully alert. "I counted him," Caine told the comsquare.
"There's a cable leading from its base—disappears underground about a meter away where an older guardhouse must have once been. It probably carries phone and power lines and will have to be cut."
"Oh. Great." Caine hadn't noticed the cable. "So what about the extra guards? Try to get close enough to use Mordecai's nunchaku?"
"Doubtful," Mordecai said over his shoulder, he and Fuess having drifted back into conversation range.
"Agreed," Lathe nodded. "We're going the wrong direction for this time of day, and they'll have plenty of time to wonder about that." He paused. "All right, let's try this. That outside stairway across the street, about fifty meters from the gate, should have adequate cover for two. Mordecai, you and Fuess will cross over and move up next to it. Caine and I can duck into the doorway directly opposite on this side. When we're all within jumping distance of cover, we'll open fire."
"Right." Mordecai nudged Fuess and they began angling across the road.
"Lathe!" Caine hissed. "What about the extra guards?"
"Don't worry about it. Just walk casually and be ready to run."
Caine gritted his teeth and kept walking, his eyes flicking between the guards and the recessed doorway Lathe had indicated. Seven or eight pedestrians were between them and the gate now, and Caine wondered belatedly if Lathe had taken their presence into account. The doorway was five steps away now... four... three....
One of the guards was looking back at them, a slight frown on his face. Suddenly, his eyes widened and his hand dropped to his holster. "Hey!"
"Move!" Lathe snapped at Caine, and even as the younger man lengthened his stride a chunk of black lightning streaked past his ear. He caught a glimpse of Security men toppling backwards before the edge of the doorway blocked off the sight. Before he had time to flatten against the wall Lathe charged in on top of him, slamming him into the door.
"You okay?" Lathe muttered.
"Just winded... a bit," Caine managed, trying to get a hand free to rub his ribs. Over Lathe's shoulder he could see Fuess and Mordecai crouched behind their stairway. "You get them?"
"All but the last two. I suspect they know we're out of shuriken—they weren't even close to having their guns out before we took cover." Even as he spoke a shower of darts bounced off the far side of the doorway.
"Great," Caine groaned. A doorknob was digging into his kidney; reaching behind him, he tried to turn it. "The door's locked. Can you give me room to try to pick it?"
A second load of needles went by. "I'm already practically exposed," Lathe said.
"You'll be a lot more exposed soon," Caine snapped tensely. "They'll be down here any minute!"
To his surprise, Lathe chuckled. "I'm counting on it," he said. He glanced quickly around the edge. "Yep—here they come."
There was nothing Caine could do, and the sense of helplessness was almost suffocating. Surely the Security men were smart enough to avoid the risk of hand-to-hand combat. All they had to do was come down opposite sides of the street, covering each other, until they could shoot directly into the fugitives' skimpy cover. No risk at all.... Hands curled into painful fists, Caine waited for the sting of needles—
And Lathe suddenly lunged half out of concealment, whipping his arm in a throwing motion that Mordecai, across the street, matched to the precise second. A final burst of darts clattered noisily as Lathe ducked back, and Caine heard something large fall to the walkway. Lathe glanced out and was gone; more cautiously, Caine followed.
The Security man was sprawled on the walkway, something shiny glittering in his left temple. Lathe bent briefly over the body and removed the object. It was small and silvery, with a bloodied batwing edge and a sort of loop.... With a shock, Caine realized it was the comsquare's dragonhead ring.
Mordecai and Fuess were alongside them now. "We going to walk all the way back?" Fuess asked as they hurried toward the gate.
"No need." Mordecai gestured at the car in the gap. His ring, too, had blood on its crest.
Lathe nodded. "They'll have left it unlocked and ready to go. Fuess, you're driving."
A handful of bystanders still hovered near the gate, showing expressions that ranged from terror to grim approval. Caine watched them warily, but no one made any move toward the weapons lying on the ground. Fuess and Lathe slid into the front seat as Caine and Mordecai climbed into the back, and moments later the car was rolling down the street.
"It's a civilian car," Fuess said, gesturing to the instrument panel. "Commandeered from some passerby, probably. We going home, or haven't you had enough excitement yet?"
"Turn left at the next street; you'll drop me off in a couple of blocks," Lathe said. "Then you can go home."