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.andthe real hell of it was that it didn't matter.He had to send reinforcements to those other buildings, justin case.Which meant he could likely have a skeleton crew available here if the blackcollars tired oftheir attack on the elevators and tried to simply fight their way out.And there was only one way he could think of to prevent that.If the blackcollars were indeedrelying on allies skulking around Athena to set up their escape for them, the last thing he could affordwas to allow them control of the timetable."Lieutenant Baker, what's the situation with the elevator tofive?" he called to the man at the detention monitors."Uh.we've got the override set up, Major," the other reported."The blackcollars can't use it toget down.""I was thinking more of our using it to get up," O'Dae growled."Are the spotters up and inplace?""One hovering in view of each side of the building.They can't see much, though they'rekeeping their distance."Cowards.Still, as long as they prevented anyone from sliding out a window on a rope, it didn'tmuch matter how far back they were."Still no response from the gas flood system, I take it?""No, sir.I think they must have disabled it at the same time they took out the cameras."O'Dae grimaced.He'd been holding out hope that someone had just left a switch turned off in thecontrol room or something.And without the floor's remote defenses to rely on, there was only oneway to preempt any escape attempt."Order the commando squad to get ready," he told the other."I'lllead the first wave in myself."The man's lip twitched, but he nodded."Yes, sir.Do you want the medics along with them?""No stretcher teams will be called up when a given area's clear, but the medics themselves willwait in the infirmary.We're going to have a lot of casualties to take care of, and I don't want to riskany of the medics too close to the fighting.""Yes, sir." The other paused, listening."All right, Major; the squad's ready anytime.Armed,armored, and they've been shown pictures of all the blackcollars up there.Including Mordecai andPittman.""Good." O'Dae sure as hell didn't want one or more of the blackcollars donning Security uniformsand walking blithely out through the front door."We'll attack as soon as I get up there."aaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBBr rThe elevator slowed, came to a stop."Get ready," O'Dae murmured, his voice sounding oddlyhollow as it echoed inside his armored faceplate.The door slid open, and he threw himself out of thecar to land in kneeling position three meters down the hallway, laser rifle raised and ready.Anticlimax.No laser beams lanced out, no one hurled any of those damned throwing stars atthem, no one even looked out of any of the rooms or cross corridors to see what was happening.Infact, if it hadn't been for the bodies scattered down the hallway, it would have been easy to believenothing at all had happened here.The motionless, unnaturally twisted bodies.O'Dae looked once, then turned his eyes quicklyaway, stomach churning inside him."O'Dae to monitor," he called into his mike."Laser fire still goingon down by the elevator shaft?""Negative, sir," the reply came in his ear."Lasers have stopped firing and have been moved.looks like to the southeastern corner of the floor."The safe room, of course.O'Dae's lip twisted into a grim smile.Yes, the blackcollars would havethe brains to hole up there when their timetable was disrupted nowhere else on five could hold outagainst laser fire for long.Which meant O'Dae's hunch had been correct they were expecting to be rescued."Double theguard on the building's entrances," he ordered into his mike."An assault could come at any time.""Yes, sir.Is it clear enough to send litter teams up there?"O'Dae scanned the hall once more."Yeah, go ahead and send the first team up secondcommando wave can follow them.""Acknowledged."Though at the moment it was still an open question as to whether or not the casualties werebeyond the medics' help."Hanson, Peters check this group for survivors," O'Dae ordered, gesturingaround them."Tag anyone who's alive for the stretchers.The rest of you'll come with me down thehall and make sure they haven't left a rear guard to ambush us."Carefully, he set off, his men flanking him.The first two rooms they checked were empty, thethird had two bodies lying in it.and the fourth had a survivor.He was just getting gingerly to his knees, hands cradling his head, as they entered."Who ? Oh,God, you're here," he said hoarsely.O'Dae stepped forward and caught the man's arm as he started to weave again, helped him into asitting position."How do you feel?" he asked, eyes darting briefly to the sloppily tied bandagecovering the back and side of the other's head and the blood that was still dribbling out from beneathit."Lousy," the other groaned."Dizzy.I got the bleeding stopped.must have fainted again.Can Isit down?"O'Dae started to tell him he was sitting, thought better of it."Why don't you lie down instead?" hesuggested."The stretchers'll be here in a minute to take you downstairs.""Okay," the other sighed.Already he was beginning to fade again.Beside him lay the medkit he'dapparently managed to get down from the wall; bunching up another of the kit's bandages, O'Daemade a pillow for the other's head and laid him down on it
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