Star Road Read Online Free PDF Page B

man’s gun hand and almost effortlessly twisted it. The gun clattered to the tile floor. Now—finally—the hapless guards were running toward them while the assailant found himself in a firm choke hold, arms pinned to his sides.
     
    And finally, Annie realized who her savior was.
     
    She walked up to him.
     
    “Jordan. What the hell—?”
     
    “Nice to see you, too, Annie.”
     
    Been a long time, Annie thought. A lot of water under a lot of bridges.
     
    Jordan. A gunner. But what was he—?
     
    “Someone upstairs decided you needed me on this trip,” Jordan said simply.
     
    “Luck of the draw? Or did you ask to be with me?
     
    Jordan smiled and said nothing. Then he indicated the assailant, who was now being collared. One of the guards stretched out a length of yellow-green neoprene and looped it around the man’s neck. The collar glowed as the neural interrupters made the man go as limp as a baby.
     
    “Orders are orders.” He smiled—barely. “So, I’m your gunner. And—”
     
    They both watched as the security guards dragged the man away.
     
    “And it looks like, once again, I’ve saved your ass.”
     
    Another tight grin.
     
    Annie shook her head. “Jordan. Damn.” Then looking at him, “Thanks.”
     
    “My pleasure.”
     
    Annie smiled at that and then turned to the crowd, all of them watching as if this was some bizarre sporting event.
     
    “All right, folks. Show’s over. Time to finish up your drinks and get on board.”
     
    And then, with Jordan a few steps behind, she strode over to the ramp leading up to the opened hatch of her SRV.
     
    It was time to get on the Road.
     
    ~ * ~
     
    When he realized what was going on down in the lobby, Humphries left his office in a hurry.
     
    And Nahara finally saw his chance.
     
    Without any hesitation, he walked over to Humphries’s desk and sat down in the plush, leather chair. He leaned forward, his face close to the desk, and whispered, “Computer.”
     
    Something inside the machine clicked, and a thin red laser beam shot out from the screen and scanned his left retina. After a few seconds, the computer’s friendly female simulated voice said, “Hello, Bill. ¿Qué pasa?”
     
    After a nervous look around, Nahara whispered, “Download Matrix zero-eight-eight-zero.”
     
    “That’s classified information, Bill,” the computer voice said.
     
    Nahara got up from the desk and went over to the window. Looking out, he saw Humphries down below, talking to the security guards. How long would that take? He didn’t have much time.
     
    Back at the computer: “I’m authorized to override security clearance with Protocol nine-six-nine-alpha.”
     
    After a moment: “Confirmed.”
     
    Nahara waited, counting seconds. His eyes kept flicking to the door to Humphries’s office. The entire front wall was made of wide panes of glass, fifteen meters high. Humphries would be able to see him as soon as he got to the top of the stairway, if he didn’t take the elevator.
     
    “Sometime today,” Nahara muttered, tapping his fingers on the desktop.
     
    “Transfer processing complete in five, four, three—”
     
    “For God’s sake, hurry up!”
     
    “Two, one. Transfer process complete.”
     
    From the terminal console, a thin, transparent crystal with multifaceted sides emerged. It caught and reflected the light in a faint rainbow. Nahara grabbed it, almost ripping it from the slot, and pocketed it.
     
    As he glanced up and started moving away from the desk, Humphries appeared in the doorway.
     
    He looked grim. Unsmiling.
     
    “Well,” he said to Nahara. “Now that that’s settled, you’d best get down there and board your vehicle. It leaves in ten minutes.”
     
    When they shook hands, Nahara was keenly aware of how slick with sweat the palm of his hand was. He wondered if Humphries noticed. He smiled broadly, nodded, and then turned and left.
     
    As soon as he was out the door and walking to the elevators, he